LONDON (Canada), March 15 (RIA Novosti) - Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov reclaimed on Friday a world title for Russia in pairs category for the first time since 2005, setting two scoring records in a powerful performance ahead of 2014 Winter Olympic games in Sochi.
Two-time European champions Volosozhar and Trankov scored overall 225.71 points, leaving Germany's Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy, who won four of the previous five world titles, almost 20 points behind.
The Russian pair also beat the previous record in free skate program, scoring 149.87 points.
“This means we can fight for gold in Sochi,” Trankov said after the awards ceremony. “Get the gold medal back for Russia.”
Russia dominated the world championships from 1965 to 1990, but has failed to top the world’s podium since Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin in 2005.
Another blow to national pride came in 2010, when Russian pairs left the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver without a single medal although Russia won 12 consecutive Olympic golds from 1964 through 2006.
