Ricardo Pinto from Portugal, a two-time world champion, tops the men's solo dance standings after the first event ©World Skate

Portugal's Ricardo Pinto and Italy's Silvia Stibiji top the standings in the senior men's and women's solo dance events respectively at the Artistic Skating World Championships in Mouilleron-Le-Captif in France.

Both athletes are the defending champions in their events, so their early form at the Vendéespace rink today came as little surprise.

In the women's style dance category Stibiji - who has won the world title for the last three years in a row - scored 121.200 points to top the standings in front of Viviana Osorio from Colombia, the silver medallist from 2016, and Ana Beatriz Morais de Toledo from Brazil.

Osorio scored 113.100 to take second place in round one, while Morais De Toledo managed 113.100.

The second and final round to decide the medals, will go ahead on Wednesday (October 10) ©World Skate
The second and final round to decide the medals, will go ahead on Wednesday (October 10) ©World Skate

Just outside of the top three was another Italian, Rachele Campagnol, in fourth.

In the men's style dance event, two-time world champion Pinto topped the standings with a score 3.900 points better than his nearest rival, the Italian Daniel Morandin.

While Pinto scored a total of 128.400 points, Morandin managed 124.500.

Third in the men's class was another Portugese skater, Pedro Walgode, while just outside the top three was Italy's Alessandro Spigai, who scored 119.900.

Fourth and fifth were separated by a more significant gap of 12 points.

The medals will be decided on Wednesday (October 10) when the athletes compete again in the free dance.