EVERETT, Wash. — Defending world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolokowy of Germany won the Skate America pairs competition today.

Rising American stars Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker finished second, taking advantage of mistakes by Russia's Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov.

The ladies short program and men's free skate was set for later tonight.

Savchenko and Szolokowy, skating next to last, rallied from second by winning the free skate and posting an overall score of 180.77.

McLaughlin and Brubaker, the 2008 national champions, were the crowd-pleasers. In third place going into the free skate, they solidified their status as the top American pairs team, finishing second with 172.69 points.

No one skated a clean program. Savchenko and Szolokowy were out of synch on a triple salchow and subsequent spin, and Savchenko had a rough landing on a throw. But the pair, the first German world champions since 1997, showed poise and creativity, especially with their lifts.

The Americans lost points on triple toe loop and they had trouble with timing on a spin, but good lifts and high energy, along with a successful throw-triple loop late in the program, helped boost their total.

"Missing my jump was kind of bothering me but overall, it was definitely a good skate," Brubaker said of the routine skated to the music from "West Side Story." ''It's a confidence-builder going into Skate Canada."

Mukhortova and Trankov finished third with 167.67 points.

"It was difficult for us to perform last in the competition," Mukhortova said. "We have a lot of competitions ahead of us and we can improve a lot."

Silver medalists at last season's European Championships, the pair is hoping to extend a remarkable Russian era of dominance in the sport. Russia has won every Olympic gold medal in pairs since 1964, including a tie for the title in 2002.

However, today was not their day, with three falls. Trankov crashed on a triple salchow on the program's second element, Mukhortova tumbled on a throw triple loop and fell again after a triple toe loop, the first half of a combination jump.

Americans Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto remained in second place after the original dance portion of ice dance, trailing world champions Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder of France.

Belbin and Agosto had 95.10 points after two of three segments of the competition. Delobel and Schoenfelder, the reigning world champions currently in their 19th season together, were first overall with 96.75 points.

Great Britain's Sinead and John Kerr were third with 92.11. The free dance is set for Sunday.

Belbin and Agosto didn't drop despite placing third in the original dance, but had enough of a cushion in points to maintain second overall. The five-time national champions and Olympic silver medallists changed coaches and training sites in the offseason in an attempt to improve their international results.

Agosto said while the changes have injected new life into their skating, they have a way to go.

"We need to work hard to bring ourselves up to the level of the program," he said.

None of the teams showed outstanding form. Last year, Delobel and Schoenfelder did not win one free dance, but were strong enough in the two other segments to win the world title.