Silver medalists Kaitlyn Weaver (1st L) and Andrew Poje (2nd L) of Canada , gold medalists Madison Chock (3rd L) and Evan Bates (3rd R) of USA and bronze medalists Piper Gilles (2nd R) and Paul Poirier (1st R) of Canada pose on the podium after the Ice Dance Free Dance during the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championship in Anaheim, the United States, Feb. 10, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhao Hanrong)
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The United States' ice dance pair of Madison Chock and Evan Bates upset other favorites to claim gold at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Anaheim, California on Sunday.
Chock/Bates scooped the win with a total score of 207.42 points. Canada's Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje earned the silver medal with 203.93 points, while fellow Canadians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier pulled up from fourth to take the bronze on 202.45 points.
"It feels incredible," said Chock, who just recovered from an ankle surgery. "We didn't set any expectations as far as placement, because that's not why we are skating. We have joy and happiness when we are skating and we want to share that and that is our main goal this season."
Bates added: "We got a lot of medals [in the past], none of them were gold. If you had told us that we would win the Four Continents, I think we would have been very surprised."
Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue of the United States, who finished first in the rhythm dance, dropped to fourth on 201.66 points after making big mistakes in the free dance. Defending champions Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker, also from the United States, finished fifth on 189.87 points.
China's rising stars Wang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu came seventh with 169.11 points, while fellow Chinese pair Chen Hong and Sun Zhuoming were eighth on 156.89 points.
