Team Canada won two gold medals at the Cup of China on Saturday in Chonqing, China. Piper Gilles of Toronto, Ontario and Paul Poirier of Ottawa, Ontario won gold in the ice dance, while Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec won gold on the pairs event. In all, Canadians won three medals as Marjorie Lajoie of Boucherville, Quebec and Zachary Lagha of Greenfield Park, Quebec won silver in the ice dance.
In the ice dance, Gilles and Poirier had a winning score of 207.83 points. Lajoie and Lagha had 206.02 points. Caroline Green and Michael Parsons of the United States won the bronze medal with 189.33 points. Gilles and Poirier reached the podium by 23.25 points over Eva Pate and Logan Bye of the United States, who finished in fourth place with a score of 184.58 points. Lajoie and Lagha reached the podium by 21.44 points. In an interesting note from the ice dancing event, Lajoie and Lagha had the best rhythm dance score of 82.02 points.
In the pairs, Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps won the gold medal with 201.48 points. Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini of Italy won the silver medal with 191 points. Cheng Pang and Lei Wang of China won the bronze medal with a score of 178.06 points. Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps reached the podium by 30.83 points over Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel of Germany, who were in fourth place with 170.65 points.
With the victories for Gilles, Poirier. Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps, they have qualified for the 2023 ISU Grand Prix Final in Beijing, China from December 7-10. The medals for Gilles, Poirier. Stellato-Dudek, Deschamps, Lajoie and Lagha will give them confidence as they prepare for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo.
