Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier achieved a historic milestone at the Skate Canada International figure skating competition by clinching their sixth consecutive gold medals at the event, scoring a total of 202.89 points. The duo narrowly outperformed Lithuania’s Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius, who secured a total of 200.92 points, while Canada’s Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha claimed the bronze with 192.41 points.
Gilles and Poirier led the standings after the rhythm dance on Saturday with a score of 85.38, edging out Reed and Ambrulevicius who scored 80.89. Despite the Lithuanians’ strong performance in the free dance on Sunday, earning 120.03 points, it was insufficient to close the gap with Gilles and Poirier, who scored 117.51 points.
In the men’s competition, Roman Sadovsky topped the Canadian contingent, finishing seventh in the free dance with 236.73 points, closely followed by Stephen Gogolev with 236.48 points and Aleksa Rakic in 12th place with 216.90 points. The competition was won by Ilia Malinin from the United States with a total score of 333.81 points.
Malinin shattered the world record for the free skate, landing six quads and a triple axel during a mesmerizing performance set to music from the film “Les Bal des Folles.” His remarkable score of 228.97 points left him 76.6 points ahead of Aleksandr Selevko, securing his position as a top contender for Olympic gold at the upcoming Milano-Cortina Games.
Selevko claimed the second spot with 257.21 points, while Kao Miura of Japan secured the bronze with 253.69 points. Malinin’s victory extended his undefeated streak since November 2023, including two consecutive world titles and triumphs at the past two Grand Prix Finals.
The Skate Canada International marks the third event in the Grand Prix series, with upcoming competitions 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.