Canadian ice dance duos advance; Gilles, Poirer lead the way in sixth after rhythm dance
After giving fans a taste of what they have planned during the team event, the Canadian duo of Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier returned to the ice on Day 8 for the rhythm dance to start their individual event.
Coming out in their signature orange jumpsuits that were a perfect match for their Elton John medley, Gilles and Poirier showed a solid performance back on the ice at the Capital Indoor Stadium. They scored 46.17 for their technical elements and 37.35 for their components. Their total score of 83.52 has them ranked sixth heading into Monday’s free dance.
Although Gilles had a small mistake on their required twizzle sequence, the duo were happy to execute their performance the way they wanted.
“We skated with a lot more freedom today compared to the team event, we really didn’t hold back, we attacked our program as much as we could and so we’re really proud of that,” said Poirier. “We had such a blast out there, really moving with the music and I think it’s a moment that we’ll remember in our lives and we’re really looking forward to our free dance which we think is our strong suit.”
With 3.61 points separating them from a spot on the podium, the pair know they will be ready and will enjoy the journey and process.
“This is just another step in that direction,” reflected Gilles. “It’s kind of an open-ended story and it’s a collaboration of all the people that we worked with along the way, and all the people we shared the art with. We’re excited to finally reset a little bit and enjoy the program.”
Making their Olympic debuts, Canadian duos Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen (8th, 78.54) and Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha (13th, 72.59) will also compete in the free dance competition on Monday.
“We were really happy about how we skated today, said Fournier Beaudry. “We were able to tune in and connect together and have a lot of fun on the ice.”
“It feels great to finally break the ice at the Olympic Winter Games and being reminded that the competition is something that we’ve done a thousand times,” Soerensen added. “The Olympics is special but the field of play is not different. Today settles the nerves and makes us more comfortable in the long program.”
