Canadian ice dance stars Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier are in the lead at Skate Canada International following Saturday’s rhythm dance in Saskatoon.
The four-time world medallists from Toronto earned 85.38 points while making their Grand Prix season debut, placing ahead of Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius of Lithuania (80.89) and Americans Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko (80.89).
Fellow Canadians Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, who won silver at the event last year, are currently fourth with a score of 75.95.
Gilles and Poirier, the silver medallists at this year’s worlds, are aiming for a record sixth straight Skate Canada title.
The free dance program is scheduled for Sunday at 1:40 p.m. ET, with live coverage available on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. A full streaming schedule is available here.
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier scored 85.38 points to win the rhythm dance at Skate Canada International in Saskatoon.
Now in their 15th season together, Gilles and Poirier are firmly among the world’s best and genuine contenders for gold at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games in February.
They’ve won medals at three straight world championships, claiming bronze in 2023 followed by back-to-back silver medals behind Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States.
Both Gilles and Poirier will be 34 in Milan, and longtime coach Carol Lane has said she believes this season will be their last.
The Canadian duo spoke with CBC Sports’ Anastasia Bucsis, after taking the lead in the rhythm dance at Skate Canada International in Saskatoon.
Malinin shines again
American world champion Ilia Malinin built a comfortable lead in the men’s competition with 104.84 points in the short program later Saturday at SaskTel Centre, 12.77 ahead of Japan’s Kazuki Tomono.
Estonia’s Aleksandr Selevko was third with 91.28.
Ilia Malinin scored 104.84 points to win the men’s short program, and holds a double-digit lead at Skate Canada International in Saskatoon.
Toronto’s Stephen Gogolev (86.13) sits in seventh as the top Canadian, with Aleksa Rakic of Burnaby, B.C., in last place among the 12 skaters with 75.50.
Malinin, known as the “Quad God”, won the season-opening Grand Prix of France by a 40-point margin. The 20-year-old hasn’t lost a competition since November 2023.
The men’s free skate will take place Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Stephen Gogolev was the top Canadian, finishing in seventh place in the men’s short program at Skate Canada International in Saskatoon.
Canada will look to secure its first medal of the weekend Saturday night in the pairs competition, with the free program starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Two Canadian duos are in the top three, with Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps sitting second (73.03) ahead of Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud (70.66).
Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps took silver at the Grand Prix of France.
Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin, the reigning world silver medallists, hold the lead with 77.53 points.
The women’s free program will follow at 8:40 p.m. ET.
Watch the rhythm dance at Skate Canada International in Saskatoon.
