Ice dancers Gilles, Poirier make history at home with Skate Canada International victory
Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier have etched their names in history during the Skate Canada International figure skating competition held on Sunday. The duo achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the first ice dance pair to clinch six consecutive gold medals at this prestigious event, finishing with a total score of 202.89.
Demonstrating their skill and artistry, Gilles and Poirier narrowly outperformed Lithuania’s Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius, who concluded the event with a score of 200.92. Rounding out the podium were Canada’s Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, who earned bronze with a score of 192.41. Gilles and Poirier set the stage for their victory by leading after Saturday’s rhythm dance with a score of 85.38.
Although Reed and Ambrulevicius scored 120.03 in Sunday’s free dance, it was not sufficient to diminish the momentum that Gilles and Poirier carried into the final round, where they achieved a free dance score of 117.51.
Earlier in the day, Canadian skater Roman Sadovsky was the top competitor for Canada in the men’s free dance, finishing seventh with a score of 236.73. Teammate Stephen Gogolev closely followed with 236.48, while Aleksa Rakic placed twelfth with 216.90.
Highlighting the men’s competition, American sensation Ilia Malinin dominated with a total score of 333.81, reinforcing his status as a top favorite for the Olympic gold at the upcoming Milano-Cortina Games. Malinin, who has not tasted defeat since November 2023, showcased exceptional talent by landing the most challenging elements, including six quadruple jumps and a distinctive triple axel, all set to an emotional performance inspired by the French thriller “Les Bal des Folles.”
His free skate score of 228.97 shattered the previous world record, establishing a significant lead of 76.6 points over second-place Aleksandr Selevko, who concluded the competition with 257.21 points. Japanese skater Kao Miura rounded out the podium with 253.69 points.
The Skate Canada event marks the third of six competitions in the Grand Prix series, with the next event being the NHK Trophy in Japan, followed by Skate America in Lake Placid, New York. The series culminates with the Finlandia Trophy, a final qualifier for the highly coveted Grand Prix Final.
