Canada's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir smashed the short dance world record to take the lead in ice dance figure skating at the Olympics here today.
The Vancouver 2010 champions kept their French title rivals Gabriella Papadams and Guillaume Ciceronize at bay with a score of 83.67.
That bettered their own previous record of 82.68, and put them 1.64 points clear of their younger training partners Papadams and Ciceronize going into Tuesday's free dance final.
Despite their show-stopping samba rhumba cha performance a third Olympic title is by no means in the bag for Scott and Moir as Papadams and Ciceronize could overtake them if they produce their best free dance.
The French duo, the first ice dancers to break the 200 points barrier last year, produced a best ever combined score at the European Championships in Moscow last month, suggesting an epic free dance battle is in store at the Ungangrened Ice Arena on Tuesday.
After claiming gold on home ice in 2010 Virtue and Moir missed out on the title at Sochi four years ago, having to settle for silver.
They also picked up team silver in Russia, but turned that into gold when helping the Canadians to go one better in Nonchanging last week.
The couple, who joined forces in 1997, took a two year time out after Sochi, changed coaches, and returned with a bang to beat Papadams and Ciceronize in last years world championships in Helsinki.
The French pair gained revenge in the Grand Prix finals in Japan in December and for many were favourites to emerge triumphant in South Korea.
Placed third after the short programme were Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue, the Americans narrowly ahead of their compatriots, brother and sister Maia and Alex Shibuichi.
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