Canadian pair figure skaters Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps claimed victory for the second consecutive time at the Skate Canada International in Saskatoon. The duo thrilled the home crowd at SaskTel Centre by overtaking their German rivals Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin to secure the gold medal. Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps garnered a total of 213.40 points, outscoring Hase and Volodin who earned 207.18 points. Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea from the United States finished in third place with 199.11 points.
Initially trailing the Germans by 4.50 points after the short program on Friday, the Canadians showcased a spectacular performance in their free skate program, scoring 140.37 points to clinch the victory. Despite facing challenges including falls during their free skate routine, Hase and Volodin, the reigning Grand Prix Final champions, settled for the silver medal.
In the women’s competition, Mone Chiba from Japan triumphed over American standout Isabeau Levito with a flawless free skate performance to claim the title. Chiba, the 20-year-old world bronze medallist, delivered an exceptional program set to a traditional Hungarian folk dance tune, earning a season-best score of 217.23 points. Levito, from Philadelphia, showcased her skills with a brilliant free skate to music from “Cinema Paradiso,” securing second place with 209.77 points. Ami Nakai from Japan finished third with 203.09 points.
Canadian ice dance pair Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier took the lead after the rhythm dance segment, impressing the audience with their performance and earning 85.38 points. The duo, aiming for their record sixth consecutive Skate Canada title, expressed their satisfaction with their performance and excitement for future competitions. Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, the silver medallists from the previous year, currently hold the fourth position.
In the men’s competition, American world champion Ilia Malinin dominated the short program, securing a substantial lead with 104.84 points. Toronto’s Stephen Gogolev emerged as the top Canadian in seventh place, while Aleksa Rakic from Burnaby, B.C., is in the 12th position. Malinin, known as the “Quad God,” maintained his winning streak since November 2023 and is poised for another impressive performance in the free skate event scheduled for Sunday.
The Skate Canada International continues with the men’s free skate and ice dance events on Sunday. Fans can catch the live coverage on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. Stay tuned for more exhilarating performances and results.