Repeat performers

Ben Agosto and Tanith Belbin did what was expected, again, in the Championship Ice Dancing event at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships – despite the best shot of Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov.

Belbin and Agosto won their fourth straight national title, blowing away the rest of the field. Their next-closest competitors, Gregory and Petukhov, were 15.24 points back as they earned their third straight runner-up finish at nationals.

Belbin and Agosto won the competition with a score of 202.88. Though it was almost 15 points lower than their personal best, it really doesn’t seem to matter anymore.

All the dynamic duo does is win at this competition. The skaters have become the face of the sport in the U.S. and delivered the goods Friday night for an expectant Arena crowd of 10,105.

“We’ve been working so hard,” said Belbin of the pair’s new program, to a song from the movie “Amelie.”

They changed the program recently and said going into the free skate that they were going to focus more on interpretation than execution.

“That was a really sound performance, for the first time out to be relatively clean and to feel like we did capture the character here was a huge achievement,” said Belbin.

They surely did capture the essence of the lead character in “Amelie”, a French movie about a girl who helps out people in her personal circle.

In a way, that is what Belbin and Agosto have become to their sport in the United States.

They are based out of the Arctic Figure Skating Club in Canton, Mich., and were joined on the podium by training teammates Meryl Davis and Charlie White. The club has become a magnet for up-and-coming talent in the discipline.

They will lead a three-team U.S. contingent into the world championships in March, which they feel is one of the strongest among the competing nations. The progress of the sport in the U.S. has progressed at light speed.

“I think we’re heading to worlds with the strongest team we possibly could have,” said Belbin. “I think it’s phenomenal how the U.S. has stepped up in ice dancing – it’s actually incredible – it’s an honor to be a part of this team.”

Gregory and Petukhov posted a personal best of 187.64 as they finished ahead of Davis and White, but have to wonder what it will take for them to beat their rivals.

“We feel like we finished the competition very strong,” said Gregory. “We got our highest personal best, so we’re very happy about that.”

They were also pleased with how their program to “Adam and Eve” flowed from an artistic standpoint.

“This is Olympic year material,” said Petukhov. “We wish that this was last year’s program (in Turin, where they finished 14th).

Davis and White had moved up from the ranks as the 2006 national junior champions and brought their well-received program with them. It was a strong accomplishment for the pair to finish third in the first season in Seniors at nationals.

Their score was also a personal best and they were just pleased to be part of the celebration.

“It feels pretty darn good,” said Davis. “We didn’t really expect it.”

“We really didn’t have any expectations,” said White, “so to get that world team spot is just very, very meaningful.”

White’s comments drew a smile and a nod from his mentor, Agosto, who smiled widely during a post-event press conference.

Kimberly Navarro and Bent Bommentre finished fourth with a personal best of their own (175.68). Morgan Matthews and Maxim Zavozin were disappointed in their fifth-place finish with a score of 160.92.

Afterward, Agosto was asked how the number four sounded.

“I have to say number one sounded amazing, and every time I feel like it’s just a great blessing that we have to have continued health and success.”

His partner agreed.

“It’s more than we could have asked of ourselves at this point with this program only a few weeks old, and we couldn’t be happier or prouder of ourselves.”