Canadian figure skaters Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps clinched their consecutive Skate Canada International victory on Saturday night in Saskatoon, exciting the home crowd at SaskTel Centre. They surged from behind to secure the gold medal, outscoring their German competitors, Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin. Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps tallied 213.40 points, surpassing Hase and Volodin’s 207.18 points. The United States’ Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea finished third with 199.11 points.
After being in second place following the short program on Friday, trailing the Germans by 4.50 points, the Canadian pair delivered a spectacular free skate program earning a score of 140.37. Hase and Volodin, the reigning Grand Prix Final champions and world silver medalists, faced challenges with falls during their free skate routine.
Canadian pairs Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud claimed the fourth spot with 186.54 points, while Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Éthier finished fifth 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 secured silver at the Grand Prix of France.
Mone Chiba from Japan triumphed in the women’s event, edging out American standout Isabeau Levito with a nearly flawless free skate performance. Chiba, the 20-year-old world bronze medalist, showcased an impeccable routine set to “Csardas,” earning a season-best score of 217.23 points. Levito, from Philadelphia, delivered a brilliant free skate, scoring 209.77 points.
In ice dance, Canadian duo Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier led after the rhythm dance, scoring 85.38 points in their Grand Prix season debut. They surpassed their competitors, Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius of Lithuania, and Americans Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko. Gilles and Poirier are aiming for their sixth consecutive Skate Canada title and are genuine contenders for gold at the upcoming Milan-Cortina Olympic Games.
The men’s competition saw American world champion Ilia Malinin dominating the short program with 104.84 points, establishing a comfortable lead over Japan’s Kazuki Tomono. Toronto’s Stephen Gogolev held the top Canadian position in seventh place with 86.13 points. Malinin, known as the “Quad God,” is on a winning streak since November 2023 and is set to compete in the free skate program on Sunday.
