Canadian duo Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Éthier clinched the bronze medal in the pairs competition at Skate America in Lake Placid, New York. They achieved a total score of 182.87, with 121.58 points earned during the free skating segment, securing third place in the event. This marks their second bronze medal at Skate America, following their third-place finish in the 2022 event with a score of 156.94.
The gold medal went to Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who scored 215.99 points, while Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava of Georgia claimed silver with a score of 195.73. Miura and Kihara dominated the free skating segment, earning 141.57 points, securing their spot at the top of the podium. Despite leading after the short program, Metelkina and Berulava slipped to fourth place in the free skating segment.
In the men’s competition, France’s Kevin Aymoz celebrated his first Grand Prix victory after a challenging journey in figure skating. Aymoz, a six-time French champion, had previously secured silver medals at Grand Prix events. However, with a strong performance in the free skate in Lake Placid, he managed to outshine Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov and Japan’s Kazuki Tomono to claim the gold medal with a total score of 253.53 points.
Meanwhile, in the ice dance competition, Madison Chock and Evan Bates from the United States took the lead after the rhythm dance program with 84.77 points. Canadian pair Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha followed closely in second place with 77.42 points, setting the stage for an exciting free dance event on Sunday.
Rinka Watanabe of Japan showcased her skills in the women’s event, leading after the short program with 74.35 points, narrowly ahead of reigning world champion Alysa Liu of the United States. The women’s competition remains tight, with the final rankings set to be determined on the last day of Skate America.