GOTHENBURG, Sweden (AFP) - France's Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfleder held the ice dance lead after the original dance section at the world figure skating championships here on Thursday.

Dancing a French country dance, the Breton Gavotte, the six-time national champions, who also lead Tuesday's compulsory dance, are now in pole position going into Friday's free dance finale.

They gave a faultless presentation to score 67.25 points to beat their personal best by nearly four points for a total of 107.98.

"Anything can happen tomorrow, but we also want to win the free programme so as not to have any surprises. The hardest is yet to come," said Schoenfelder.

Russia's Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski moved up to second from third after the compulsory dance, 4.01pts behind the French.

Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir dropping down to third at 4.46 after a slight synchronisation error in their rotations with Virtue doing one less than her partner in their routine to a Russian folk dance.

Dolobel and Schoenfelder, the 2007 European champions, are bidding for their first podium place at worlds after finishing fourth last year.

And their bid has been boosted by the absence of European champions and Grand Prix final winners Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin (knee) of Russia because of injury.

Americans Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto and Italians Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali are sitting fourth and fifth respectively.