Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen of Montreal, Quebec won the gold medal in the ice dancing competition at the International Skating Union Grand Prix NHK Trophy in Sapporo, Japan on Saturday. For Fournier Beaudry and Sorensen, it was their first Grand Prix gold medal of their career and sixth Grand Prix medal of their careers. They previously won silver in the Grand Prix in France in 2022, and bronze medals at the 2019 and 2021 Skate America, the 2019 Grand Prix Cup of China, and the 2021 Rostelecom Cup in Russia.
Fournier and Beaudry posted a score of 210.41 points. They reached the podium by 20.43 points over Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius of Lithuania, who finished in fourth place with 189.98 points. Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States won the silver medal with 209.13 points. Caroline Green and Michael Parson of the United States won the bronze medal with 191.1 points.
Canada had one more figure skating medal over the weekend in Japan. In the pairs event on Saturday, Brooke McIntosh of Toronto, Ontario and Ben Mimar of Laval, Quebec won the bronze medal for their first Grand Prix figure skating medal in their career. McIntiosh and Mimar had 175.65 points. Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan won the gold medal with 216.16 points. Emily Chan and Spencer Howe of the United States won the silver medal with 187.49 points. McIntosh and Mimar earned the podium by 11.42 points over the Italian duo of Irma Caldara and Riccardo Maglio, who had 164.23 points. The medals for Beaudry, Sorensen, McIntosh and Mimar will give them confidence as they prepare for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo.
