Gilles and Poirier Reign Supreme at Skate Canada, Malinin Shines with Backflip Brilliance

Canadian Ice Dancers Gilles and Poirier Win Fifth Straight Skate Canada Title

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, Canada's top ice dancers, kicked off their season with a bang, winning their fifth consecutive gold medal at Skate Canada International. The victory comes after a strong silver medal performance at the World Championships last March.

Gilles and Poirier's early preparation for the season paid off, as they scored a total of 214.84 points, comfortably ahead of the competition. "It made a lot of difference just in our confidence," said Gilles. "We didn't really have nerves this week."

The duo, both 32 years old, have been taking their future one year at a time since the 2022 Olympics. This season, they're back with a commitment through the 2026 Games, feeling they still have much to offer. "We wanted to come out and feel really strong as we went into our first competition," said Poirier.

Their strong start was evident throughout the weekend. They opened with a comfortable lead after their energetic rhythm dance to The Beach Boys, followed by the highest score in the free dance with a challenging "tango-essence" routine set to Annie Lennox's cover of "A Whiter Shade of Pale."

"We're really pleased with how this week has gone," said Poirier. "We really trusted our training every step of the way, and were able to perform two really comfortable, solid programs that we feel set us up well for the rest of the season."

Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha of Canada took silver, while France's Evgenia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud claimed bronze. Gilles and Poirier join former world champions Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz as the only ice dancers to win five consecutive titles at Skate Canada.

"They were a great example of what ice dance could be in Canada," said Gilles. "We're so honoured to be part of that legend."

Lajoie and Lagha, the 2019 world junior champions, bounced back from a fall in the rhythm dance to earn a standing ovation for their captivating skate to "The Sound of Silence."

In the men's competition, American Ilia Malinin dominated the field, capturing gold with a score of 301.82 points. The reigning world champion received a standing ovation for his vampire-themed free program, which included a backflip.

"I'm pretty happy with my skate today," said Malinin. "It was very tough doing these two back-to-back Grand Prix, and overall I'm pretty satisfied with my performance."

The Grand Prix series continues with the Grand Prix de France from November 1-3.