MOSCOW, Mar 23 American figure skaters Alexa Knierim and Brandon Fraser lead after a short programs in the competition of sports couples at the World Championships, which takes place in Montpellier, France. Athletes received 76.88 points for their performance. Second place goes to their compatriots Ashley Kane-Gribble and Timothy Leduc (75.85). On the third line are the Japanese Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara (71.58). The couples will perform the free program on March 24th. The World Championships in Montpellier will last until March 26. Against the backdrop of events in Ukraine, the International Skating Union (ISU) suspended athletes from Russia and Belarus from competitions under its auspices, including from the World Figure Skating Championships. In 2021, the Russians Anastasia Mishina and Alexander Gallyamov became the winners of the World Championship in pair skating. Russian figure skaters will perform at the Channel One Cup on March 25-27 in Saransk. The competition will consist of a jumping tournament, as well as short and free programs. The event will end with demonstration performances.
