Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier achieved a remarkable feat at the Skate Canada International figure skating competition. They secured their sixth consecutive gold medal at the event, making history in ice dance pairs with a total score of 202.89. The duo narrowly outperformed Lithuania’s Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius, who finished with 200.92, while Canada’s Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha claimed the bronze with 192.41 points.
After leading in Saturday’s rhythm dance with a score of 85.38, Gilles and Poirier maintained their top position, edging out the competition with 117.51 in Sunday’s free dance, despite the Lithuanians’ strong performance of 120.03.
In the men’s division, Roman Sadovsky led the Canadian contingent, finishing seventh with 236.73 points, followed closely by Stephen Gogolev with 236.48 points, and Aleksa Rakic in 12th place with 216.90 points. Ilia Malinin of the United States dominated the event with a total score of 333.81.
Malinin set a new world record for the free skate, showcasing his prowess by landing six quads and a triple axel. His remarkable performance extended his unbeaten streak and solidified his status as a top contender for Olympic gold at the upcoming Milano-Cortina Games. Malinin’s free skate score of 228.97 surpassed the previous record, establishing an impressive lead of 76.6 points over second-place Aleksandr Selevko. Selevko finished with 257.21 points, while Kao Miura of Japan claimed the bronze with 253.69 points.
Having maintained a winning streak since November 2023, Malinin has consistently excelled, securing multiple world titles and championships. The Skate Canada International is part of the Grand Prix series, with upcoming events including the NHK Trophy in Japan, Skate America in Lake Placid, N.Y., and the Finlandia Trophy as the final opportunity to qualify for the Grand Prix Final.
