Canada Reigns in Ice Dancing with Double Gold at ISU Grand Prix Final

TORINO, Italy (December 10, 2022) – Canada won the gold medal in both the senior and junior ice dancing competitions Saturday to conclude the ISU Grand Prix Final.

In the senior event, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Toronto made it a golden sweep on the circuit this year placing first with 215.64 points. Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the U.S. were second at 211.94 and Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri of Italy third at 206.84. Canadians Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen were sixth with 196.15 points.

‘’That was the most present we’ve felt all season,’’ said Gilles. ‘’We felt nervous at our first two events this season, but today we just let it skate and it topped the other performances.’’

The couple had contemplated retirement after the Olympics last year. This season was a test to see whether they still had that passion.

‘’Our goal for this season is really to recapture our joy of skating,’’ said Poirier. ‘’It was really stressful during the Olympics. Yes, we want to win and be the best in the world but more than that we want to feel really proud of the work we’ve done and enjoy every performance.

In junior ice dancing, world junior bronze medallists Nadiia Bashynska and Peter Beaumont of Ajax, Ont., were the victors with 167.26 points. Hannah Lim and Ye Quan of South Korea took the silver at 162.53 and Katerina Mrazkova and Daniel Mrazek of the Czech Republic were third at 161.54. The Canadians won their two ISU Junior Grand Prix’s, as well as the Final this season.

‘’That’s why we are here,’’ said Beaumont. ‘’Having two clean skates which we are super proud of, especially here in the Final. The world juniors are in Calgary (February 27-March 5, 2023) so we are aiming for the gold there as well.’’

Chloe Panetta of Laval, Que., and Kieran Thrasher of Amherstburg, Ont., finished sixth in the junior pairs event. Australians Anastasia Golubeva and Hektor Giotopoulos Moore were the winners.

‘’We showed what are capable of in the free skate,’’ said Panetta. ‘’We attacked every element and we just have to build off of that so we can be even better for nationals.’’

The Canadian Tire National Skating Championships take place at the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa, Ont., from January 9-15, 2023. For full results, click here.