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BOSTON - Defending Olympic silver medallists Meryl Davis and Charlie White earned their sixth consecutive national ice dance title Saturday at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. They finished with 200.19 points for a cushion of almost 20 points over the second-place team of Madison Chock and Evan Bates. Their sixth national championship broke the record for ice dance set by Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto. The reigning world champions gave an energetic and emotional routine dance "Sheherazade" by the Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov to win. Bates and Chock were second with 181.44 points. Siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani 170.44 were third. Earlier, Simon Shnapir and Marissa Castelli won the pairs championship. The championship ladies free skate was scheduled for later Saturday. The mens championship is on Sunday. The U.S. Olympic figure skating teams will be announced Sunday. The top three in dance and top two in pairs are expected — but not guaranteed — to get spots. After showing up to a mid-week news conference in a Boston Bruins T-shirt and ski cap, Shnapir turned to a Saville Row-style shirt and tie — accessorized by a gun holster — for a James Bond-themed routine with Castelli that earned them the pairs title. "I grabbed her hand and I said, Lets just stay out here for a second and enjoy this moment," Shnapir, of suburban Sudbury, said after the victory put them in position for a spot on the U.S. team for the Sochi Olympics. "Who knows if well ever have an opportunity like this again?" Skating to the music from Skyfall, Castelli and Shnapir totalled 205.71 points to protect the lead they built with the top performance Thursday in the short program. "Right now were just still in shock ourselves," said Castelli, of Cranston, R.I. "Were just trying to process everything." Felicia Zhang and Nathan Bartholomay finished second with 201.72 points. Caydee Denney and John Coughlin moved up to third, with 201.43, after receiving the highest score in Saturdays free skate. "We didnt leave anything on the table. We skated just as hard and as passionate as we could," Bartholomay said. "Were both just completely on Cloud 9 right now. We are aware that second place is not locked in. But we gave it everything we had against some tremendous competition." Skating in front of their home crowd on the rink the Bruins call home, Shnapir tossed Castelli high into the air for a triple twist and then threw her into a high-point value quad salchow that she finished with a fall — their only major mistake of the routine. He also did a triple toe loop when she went around twice, costing them some points. They were shaken, but nor stirred. "We left some points on the table, but were really thrilled with the result here," Shnapir said, adding that they did not consider ditching the quad. "There really wasnt a decision. Wed been doing it all year. ... We dont make any changes last minute." When they finished at the centre of the rink where their hometown Bruins play, Shnapir struck the Bond pose: standing sideways with his hands up, ready to turn and fire. The crowd showered them with appreciation and the judges did the same, handing them scores of 132.58 for the free skate — the third best on the day, but good enough to protect their lead. Thats because they finished the short program more than six points ahead of the second-place Zhang and Bartholomay. The 2013 third-place finishers skated a clean program and earned 135.22 points to a mistake-free Les Miserable routine that brought the crowd to its feet. Denney and Coughlin, skating to Phantom of the Opera, earned the highest score of the day with 136.03. After years of narrow pairs fields, this years competition was deeper, with a half-dozen teams capable of reaching the podium at nationals. Hydro Flask Prisjakt . The 48th-ranked Williams made her first appearance in Dubai since she won her second straight title here in 2010. Shed missed the last three years either because of injury or Sjogrens Syndrome. Hydro Flask Barn . The team of Lars Nelson, Daniel Richardsson, Johan Olsson, and anchor Marcus Hellner cruised to victory in the 4x10 km event, winning in a time of one hour, 28 minutes, and 42. http://www.norgehydroflask.com/. The Italian football federation announced the appointment, three days after new president Carlo Tavecchio was elected. Tavecchio and Conte spoke on the phone early Thursday. Hydro Flask Billig . He made the comment at a media availability Saturday prior to Game 2 of the Boston-Montreal playoff series when a Quebec reporter said there is sentiment in Quebec that the NHL looks more favourably on Seattle than Quebec City when it comes to future expansion. Hydro Flask Norge . Eller said the Oilers were a "junior team" that was "all over the place" before Edmontons 4-3 victory over Montreal on Tuesday night, Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins took offence to Ellers comments and used it to motivate his youthful team.WASHINGTON -- A Washington homestand that began with three losses to Atlanta was about to culminate in a six-game winning streak and the Nationals at .500 for the first time since mid-July. One swing of the bat rewrote that happy ending. Pinch-hitter Hector Sanchez hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the Nationals 4-3. Down to his last strike, Sanchez connected off closer Rafael Soriano (2-3) on a 3-2 pitch. The drive landed just inside the right field foul pole in the second deck. "That one hurt. That one hurt," Washington manager Davey Johnson said. The loss kept the Nationals (59-61) from reaching .500 for the first time since July 20. Ian Desmond doubled home two runs and Jayson Werth added two hits for the Nationals. Buster Posey led off the ninth with a single against Soriano and Roger Kieschnick drew a two-out walk. That set the stage for Sanchez, who was pinch hitting for Javier Lopez. Soriano, pitching for the third straight day, got ahead in the count 0-2, but Sanchez worked the count to 3-2 on a pitch that umpire Jim Joyce ruled high, but that Soriano felt was a strike. Sanchez homered on the next offering. "I try to throw (a) cutter in. I think it was a bad pitch," Soriano said of the home run pitch. "At the same time, I think the game (should have been over). That (2-2) pitch, to me, I think it (was) a strike. I think thats when the game changed." Johnson pointed to the walk to Kieschnick. "Basically (Joyce) called the low strike all day and didnt call the high strike. He was consistent with that," Johnson said. "He gave a lot of borderline pitches low. It wasnt that pitch. Walking the left fielder and he had Posey two strikes and threw a hanger. But walking the left fielder." Lopez (2-2) pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win. Sergio Romo worked a scoreless bottom half for his 29th save. The loss spoiled Dan Harens six-inning, one-run effort. Since coming off the 15-day disabled list on July 8, Haren has a 3.20 ERA in seven starts. "Dan did a great job. Hes been great," said Desmondd, who reflected on the winning streak.dddddddddddd"A lot more positives than negatives, but right now I think were just kind of resting on the negative. Shake that off and well be ready to go tomorrow." Brandon Belt homered for the Giants and extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Ryan Vogelsong allowed three runs in the third inning, all with two outs. San Francisco snapped a three-game losing streak. "It doesnt get any bigger than that. Youre down to your last strike and he hit it," manager Bruce Bochy said one day after a Giants ninth-inning rally fell short in 6-5 loss. "But the boys needed this. To come up short last night after fighting so hard there in the ninth. Save a little sanity here." Vogelsong laboured during a 39-pitch third inning. Desmonds double into the gap in left-centre drove home both Denard Span and Werth. Adam LaRoche then followed with an RBI single to score Desmond and put the Nationals up 3-0. In the seventh inning, LaRoches line drive struck Giants reliever Sandy Rosario in the chest. Rosario immediately left the game and was replaced by Lopez. Bochy said Rosario has a bruised sternum and is day-to-day. San Franciscos struggling offence did little against Haren, who during one stretch allowed just two runners to reach base out of 14 batters. One of those runners came via error and was erased by a double play. Belt snapped that stretch with a home run in the sixth inning to cut the deficit to 3-1. But Haren escaped the inning without further damage. He threw 98 pitches and gave up three hits with two walks and three strikeouts. NOTES: Washington agreed to terms Thursday with international free agent 3B Anderson Franco, 16, of the Dominican Republic. . The Nationals recalled RHP Drew Storen from Triple-A Syracuse and optioned RHP Ryan Mattheus to Syracuse. ... Nationals C Wilson Ramos (strained hamstring) missed his second straight game. Washington