Canada’s figure skating duo Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier achieved a historic milestone at the Skate Canada International competition. They secured their sixth consecutive gold medal at the event, amassing a total score of 202.89 points. The pair narrowly edged out Lithuania’s Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius, who finished with 200.92 points, while Canada’s Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha claimed the bronze with a score of 192.41.
Gilles and Poirier took the lead after the rhythm dance on Saturday with a score of 85.38, surpassing Reed and Ambrulevicius who scored 80.89. Despite the Lithuanians’ strong performance in the free dance on Sunday with 120.03 points, it was not enough to close the gap as Gilles and Poirier scored 117.51 points.
In the men’s competition, Roman Sadovsky was the top Canadian finishing in seventh place with a score of 236.73, followed closely by Stephen Gogolev with 236.48 points, and Aleksa Rakic in 12th place with 216.90 points. The United States’ Ilia Malinin emerged victorious with a total score of 333.81 points.
Malinin set a new world record for the free skate, maintaining his undefeated streak for two years and solidifying his position as a frontrunner for the Olympic gold at the Milano-Cortina Games. The 20-year-old skater from Fairfax, Virginia, showcased a remarkable performance landing six quads and a triple axel during his free skate routine, set to music from the film “Les Bal des Folles.” Malinin’s score of 228.97 points in the free skate surpassed the previous record under the current scoring system.
Estonia’s Aleksandr Selevko claimed the second spot with 257.21 points, followed by Japan’s Kao Miura who took the bronze with 253.69 points. Malinin’s flawless performance and record-breaking score highlighted his dominance in elite figure skating events.
Malinin’s exceptional track record includes consecutive world titles and victories 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, Skate America in Lake Placid, N.Y., and the Finlandia Trophy serving as the final opportunity to qualify for the Grand Prix Final.