ONTARIO, Calif. (AP) — Three-time world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy rallied to win the pairs title at Skate America on Sunday with a solid free program.
The Germans were fifth Saturday after the short program in which Savchenko fell on their opening throw triple axel and they bobbled at other times in the opening event of the Grand Prix season.
"I hope you missed us yesterday," Szolkowy said, jokingly.
They easily won the long program and finished with 183.98 points to claim their second straight Skate America title and third overall.
"We tried to skate just like in practice," Szolkowy said. "We showed yesterday was the result of trying new things."
Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao of China, who led after the short, settled for silver at 178.66, the same color medal they won at the 2006 Turin Olympics.
Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch of Canada, second last year, earned the bronze at 177.43.
Americans Caydee Denney and John Coughlin finished fourth in their first competition together, just 2.03 points out of a medal.
They were second after the short, but dropped to fourth in the free skate despite a trouble-free routine that earned a standing ovation from the small crowd at Citizens Business Bank Arena 40 miles east of Los Angeles.
Like most of the skaters, Savchenko and Szolkowy unveiled their new programs for the season at the event. Their free skate was to music from a documentary about Pina, a well-known German choreographer.
"The difference (Sunday) was that we tried something new yesterday for the first time in competition," Szolkowy said.
Savchenko added, "We want to try new things. We want to take another step. You're never too old to learn something new."
The Chinese, who are not related, returned to competition for the first time after missing all of last season because of hand, shoulder and knee injuries to Dan.
"We were pretty pleased because we've been training for only a short time," he said through a translator. "It's only the third run-through of the program. My endurance is still lacking."
Americans Tiffany Vise and Don Baldwin finished sixth, while Mary Beth Marley and Rockne Brubaker were seventh. Marley fell three times on triples.
Vise and Baldwin, an off-ice couple, were introduced three times. The first time the wrong music was played, then no music played before the correct piece came on.
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