Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier achieved a remarkable feat at the Skate Canada International figure skating competition by securing their sixth consecutive gold medals, making them the first ice dance pair to achieve this milestone at the event. They clinched the victory with a total score of 202.89, narrowly edging out Lithuania’s Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius, who finished with 200.92. Meanwhile, Canada’s Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha claimed the bronze with a score of 192.41.
Gilles and Poirier led the competition after the rhythm dance on Saturday with a score of 85.38, surpassing Reed and Ambrulevicius who scored 80.89. Despite the strong performance by the Lithuanian pair, who earned 120.03 in the free dance on Sunday, they couldn’t close the gap with Gilles and Poirier, who secured 117.51 points.
In the men’s free dance, Roman Sadovsky emerged as the top Canadian, finishing in seventh place with a score of 236.73, followed closely by Stephen Gogolev with 236.48 and Aleksa Rakic in 12th place with 216.90. The event was won by Ilia Malinin of the United States with an impressive score of 333.81.
Malinin set a new world record for the free skate, maintaining his unbeaten streak and solidifying his position as the favorite to win the Olympic gold at the upcoming Milano-Cortina Games. The 20-year-old skater delivered a flawless performance with six quads and a triple axel, leaving Aleksandr Selevko in second place with a significant margin.
Malinin’s free skate score of 228.97 exceeded the previous record under the current scoring system, showcasing his dominance in the competition. Selevko finished second with 257.21 points, while Kao Miura of Japan secured the bronze with 253.69 points.
Malinin has remained undefeated since November 2023, maintaining a streak of victories that include two world titles and championships at the Grand Prix Finals. The Skate Canada International is part of the Grand Prix series, with upcoming events including the NHK Trophy in Japan and Skate America in Lake Placid, N.Y., before the Finlandia Trophy concludes the qualifying rounds for the Grand Prix Final.
