The Bulgarians swept all three stages to finish ahead of US skaters Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov. The free dance wasn't easy, though, after they were involved in a morning practice collision with Britain's Sinead and John Kerr.
Staviski tweaked his hip and Denkova cut the back of her right leg, with the blood running onto her partner's white outfit.
"Ice skating is dangerous," Staviski joked after the veteran couple won the first event of the season.
"I took some special gel and ice, but I couldn't lift my leg after practice," he said. "But we actually skated the program without problems, although it was painful at the end."
The title helped to allay his pain, though, and it made their decision not to retire after winning worlds seem correct.
RSS