Chen, Hanyu to face off again at World Team Trophy in April

OSAKA, Japan (AP) - Fresh off his third consecutive world title, Nathan Chen will lead the U.S. squad at next month's World Team Trophy, where he will face off again with two-time Olympic gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu.

Chen, winner of the last five U.S. championships, used a sensational free skate to take the world crown on Saturday, with Japan's Hanyu finishing third. From April 15-18 in Osaka, Japan, they will anchor their respective nation's team.

The event also features Canada, France, Italy and Russia. China made the field but declined and was replaced by the French.

Each team consists of two women, two men, one pairs team and one ice dance team. Each skater or duo will earn points based in the short program or rhythm dance, and free skate/free dance. The points will be combined across the four disciplines, with the highest points total winning the competition.

Jason Brown, seventh at worlds, joins Chen in the men's event. Karen Chen and U.S. champ Bradie Tennell head the women's squad; their combined total of 13 placements at worlds (Chen was fourth, Tennell ninth) earned the United States three berths in next year's Beijing Olympics. American pairs champs Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier will compete, as will ice dancers Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker.

Other world winners participating will be Anna Shcherbakova in singles, pairs skaters Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov, and ice dancers Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov, all from Russia.