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Posted on Wed, Apr 28, 2010 : 1:50 p.m.

U.S. Olympian ice dancers Evan Bates, Emily Samuelson switch coaches

By AnnArbor.com Staff

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Ice dancers and University of Michigan students Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates are leaving their longtime coaches at the Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club for Igor Shpilband and Marina Zoueva, who trained the gold and silver medalists at the Vancouver Games.

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Ice dancers and University of Michigan students Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates have changed coaches. (Photo: Associated Press)

Samuelson says they hope the switch, announced Wednesday, will give their skating "a new look and fresh perspective."

They spent the last 10 years with Yuri Chesnichenko and Yaroslava Nechaeva, finishing third at this year's U.S. championships and 11th at their first Olympics. Bates is a Huron High School graduate.

Shpilband and Zoueva are among the world's top dance coaches. In addition to Canada's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and U.S. champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who went 1-2 in Vancouver, Shpilband and Zoueva coached Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto to silver at the 2006 Olympics. Davis and White also are students at Michigan.