Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier soared to the top of the standings after an electrifying rhythm dance at the Canadian figure skating championships, held at the Centre Slush Puppie in Gatineau, Quebec. The four-time national champions notched an impressive score of 93.11 points, marking a personal best at nationals, as they performed to RuPaul’s “Supermodel (You Better Work).” Their artistry not only captivated the judges but also drew an enthusiastic standing ovation from the crowd.
“We just skated like we were at home,” Gilles remarked post-performance, emphasizing how treating the routine as a “home run-through” helped bring their vision to life. Poirier added, “The connection points we’ve practiced over the last few weeks really flourished tonight.” The duo, who earned silver medals at the last two world championships, is gearing up for their third Olympic Games in the Milan Cortina Winter Games scheduled for February.
Chasing them closely were last year’s silver medallists Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, who scored 86.93 points. Meanwhile, Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac took third place with 78.64 points, giving them a narrow advantage of just 0.59 points over Alicia Fabbri and Paul Ayer as they vie for Canada’s last Olympic spot. Canada has three ice dance entries secured for Milan, making this competition crucial for the athletes.
“At this point of the season, everyone is peaking, so close scores are to be expected,” Le Gac noted. “We’re all prepared for a fierce competition.” Ayer reflected on the tight race, stating, “We knew it would come down to the free dance, either way.” Fabbri joined in, highlighting the excitement: “It creates a fun atmosphere. Tomorrow is almost like a fresh start; we’ll give our best.”
As for the rest of the competition, the men’s free program was lined up for later on Saturday, followed by the women’s short and pairs free events. Earlier in the competition, Toronto’s Stephen Gogolev emerged as the front-runner in the men’s category, while 2024 world champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps led the pairs segment.
