Canadian pairs figure skaters Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps secured their consecutive victory at Skate Canada International in Saskatoon on Saturday evening. The duo thrilled the home crowd at SaskTel Centre by clinching the gold medal, surpassing their German competitors Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin. Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps earned a total of 213.40 points, while Hase and Volodin trailed with 207.18 points.
Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea from the United States claimed the third spot with 199.11 points. Despite starting in second place after the short program on Friday, trailing the Germans by 4.50 points, the Canadian pair excelled in their free skate program, scoring 140.37 points.
Hase and Volodin, the current Grand Prix Final champions and world silver medalists, faced challenges with falls during their free skate, affecting their performance on the side-by-side triple toe loop and throw-triple flip elements. Following them were Canadians Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud in fourth place with 186.54 points, while Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Éthier secured the fifth spot with 168.24 points.
This victory marked the first Grand Prix win of the season for the 2024 world champions Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps, who previously claimed silver at the Grand Prix of France. Stellato-Dudek expressed their joy after the win, mentioning their continuous pursuit of improvement and readiness for upcoming events leading to the Olympics.
In the women’s competition, Mone Chiba of Japan triumphed over American standout Isabeau Levito with a nearly flawless free skate performance. Chiba, the 20-year-old world bronze medalist, delivered an outstanding performance set to music from the Italian film “Cinema Paradiso,” earning her a season-best score of 217.23 points and her first Grand Prix gold medal. Levito, from Philadelphia, showcased her skills with precision in all seven jumping passes, securing a score of 209.77 points.
Ami Nakai, fresh off her Grand Prix de France victory, claimed the third spot with 203.09 points. The men’s title and ice dance events are scheduled for Sunday, with the Canadian ice dance pair Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier leading after the rhythm dance segment. Gilles and Poirier are aiming for their sixth consecutive Skate Canada title and are strong contenders for the upcoming Milan-Cortina Olympic Games. The free dance program will be broadcast live on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.
American world champion Ilia Malinin dominated the men’s competition, earning 104.84 points in the short program, leading by a significant margin over Japan’s Kazuki Tomono. Malinin, known as the “Quad God,” maintained his winning streak, having not lost a competition since November 2023. The men’s free skate event is scheduled for Sunday.
The event continues to showcase top-tier performances from international skaters, setting the stage for an exciting competition in various disciplines.