Two Canadian pairs hold medal positions following the short program on Friday at Skate Canada International, part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event in Saskatoon. Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps are currently in second place with a score of 73.03, while their fellow Canadians Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud are in third place with a score of 70.66.
Deschamps expressed his delight in performing in front of a lively home crowd, stating, “It’s always nice to skate at home in front of such an enthusiastic crowd.” Stellato-Dudek mentioned that while some aspects of their routine were improved compared to the Grand Prix in France, they faced challenges on certain elements. She added that it was difficult to assess their performance fully without reviewing the routine.
Pereira and Michaud achieved a personal best in the short program, highlighting their satisfaction with their performance on home ice. Pereira mentioned, “This is one of the best competitions we’ve done in the short, so we’re really excited about that. We love this program and we’re really happy to showcase how we trained it at home.”
In the pairs competition, Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin lead with a total score of 77.53 after the short program. Canadian duo Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Ethier will enter the free program in sixth place with a score of 59.93.
Moving to the women’s event, Japan’s Mone Chiba leads with a score of 72.29, closely followed by American Isabeau Levito with 71.80 points. Italy’s Lara Naki Gutmann holds the third position with a score of 68.11. Among the Canadians, Sara-Maude Dupuis is in eighth place with a score of 60.41, expressing her joy at performing her new routine in front of a supportive audience.
The coverage of Skate Canada International will continue on Saturday at 2:45 p.m. ET. For more information on viewing details, visit the CBC Sports broadcast schedule page.
