Kirsten Moore-Towers and her partner Michael Marinaro take the lead in the pairs. (Photo: AFP)
Reigning Canadian champions Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro edged China's Sui Wenjing and Han Cong for the lead after Friday's pairs short program at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championship.
The Canadian duo, who took second at the 2013 Osaka Four Continents and as part of the team runners-up at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, scored 74.66 points.
Sui and Han, last year's Winter Olympic silver medalists and the 2017 world champions, were second on 74.19. They are four-time Four Continents champions.
Another Chinese pair, Peng Cheng and Jin Yang, were third on 69.48, 1.99 ahead of US champions Ashley Cain and Timothy Leduc.
In the rhythm dance, reigning US champions Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue, last year's world runners-up and Grand Prix Final champions as well as the 2014 Four Continents winners, set the pace with a season-best 81.95 points.
Two-time US Olympians Madison Chock and Evan Bates, twice on the world podium and four times on the Four Continents podium without a victory in either, were a close second on 81.17.
Reigning Canadian champions Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, three-time world podium finishers and two-time Four Continents champions, were third with 80.56.
Defending ice dance champions Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker of the United States were fifth on 74.42.
Competition was to continue later Friday with the women's free skate final. The men's and pairs free skate finals are set for Saturday with the free dance final on Sunday.