Figure skating-Chock and Bates earn record-setting seventh US ice dance title

Jan 10 (Reuters) - Madison Chock and Evan Bates won a fifth consecutive and record seventh national ice dance title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis on Saturday to cement their status as gold-medal favourites for the Milano-Cortina Olympics.

With the win, the husband and wife duo surpassed Meryl Davis and Charlie White for the most U.S. ice dance titles of any team in the event’s history.

The three-times world champions, who led the way after Thursday's rhythm dance, returned to score 137.17 points in the free dance for a 228.87 total.

Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik finished second at 213.65 points, while Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko rounded out the podium with 206.95.

Chock and Bates held a commanding lead after the rhythm dance where they were awarded a season's best 91.70 points. Zingas and Kolesnik (85.98) were second after the rhythm dance and followed closely by Carreira and Ponomarenko (83.29).

Ilia Malinin, comfortably in first place after Thursday's men's short program, returns later on Saturday for the free skate where he will look to put the finishing touches on a fourth consecutive national title.

This will be Malinin's final tune-up for the Milano-Cortina Olympics, where the 21-year-old will be an overwhelming favourite to win the gold medal.

The U.S. figure skating team for next month's Olympics will be revealed on Sunday.