Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier will need a huge performance in the free dance to have a chance at reaching the Olympic podium.
The 2021 World Championship bronze medallists are sixth after Saturday’s rhythm dance in Beijing.
They’re still standing
Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier rock their rhythm dance to Elton John pic.twitter.com/4VoxYnRnXX
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 12, 2022
Considered Canada’s top figure skating medal contenders, Gilles and Poirier scored 83.52 points.
“I thought our energy level was a little better today. I was a little too excited at the beginning so I had a little bit of a bobble on the twizzle, which I’m a little disappointed about,” Gilles told CBC. “But again, I’m super proud that we came back from it and we actually built on the performance from last time and just had a ball.
Four-time world champions Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France lead the way with 90.52 points.
The French duo finished second behind Canada’s Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. Virtue and Moir have retired and are working as commentators for CBC during this Olympics.
Russia’s Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov are second (88.85) and Americans Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue are third (87.13).
Canadians Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen are eighth, while Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha are 13th.
The free dance is Sunday at 8:15 p.m. ET.