French duo wins ice dancing gold

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, March 21 (UPI) -- Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder of France won the ice dancing gold medal Friday at the World Figure Skating Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Canada's Jeffrey Buttle, meanwhile, took the lead after the men's short program.

The French duo piled up 212.94 points, four more than silver medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada. Russia's Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski took the bronze.

This was the first ice dancing gold medal for France in seven years. The last two world ice dancing gold medals were won by Bulgaria's Albana Denkova and Maxim Stoviski, who did not compete this year.

The American team of Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto -- bronze medalists at each of the last two world championships and the silver medalists in 2005 -- finished fourth Friday.

Belbin and Agosto, who won silver at the 2006 Olympics and who were the favorites coming into the event, fell during the compulsory dance portion of the competition.

Buttle took the lead in the men's individual event with 82.10 points. American Johnny Weir was second with 80.79. Weir is a three-time American champion.