World champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States trailed Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier by one point in the ice dance event at the Four Continents figure skating competition on Thursday, reports AP.
Performing to a medley featuring “Rock Around the Clock” and “Stayin’ Alive,” Chock and Bates delivered an energetic rhythm dance routine that earned them 86.21 points. However, defending champions Gilles and Poirier, who were the final skaters to take the ice, secured 87.22 points for their lively performance set to a surf music medley.
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Fellow Canadians Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha placed third with 82.86 points.
Chock and Bates, who missed last year’s Four Continents, were aiming for their fourth title at the event, having previously won in 2019, 2020, and 2023. Their only setback on Thursday was a lower level on their midline step.
“Maddie and I are pleased with today’s performance,” Bates said. “We always hope for a season’s best, and while we fell just short today, I think we skated well and felt really free out there.”
The American duo are using this competition as preparation for the world championships, set to take place in Boston from 25-30 March.
“This is a very important competition, not only because so many top skaters compete, but also because it’s our last event before worlds,” Chock said. “It’s a great opportunity to showcase the training we’ve put in.”
The ice dance event will conclude with the free dance on Saturday.
In the men’s short program, Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov led the standings with 94.73 points, securing a solid advantage over Jimmy Ma of the United States, who placed second with 82.52.
Shaidorov’s performance featured a stunning quad lutz-triple toeloop combination, followed by a quad toeloop that helped him build his score.
Japan’s Kazuki Tomono took third with 79.84, while South Korea’s Junhwan Cha, who only managed a double salchow in his opening element, finished fourth.
In the pairs short program, reigning world and Four Continents champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan topped the standings with 74.73 points.
Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea of the United States secured second place with 70.32, while Canada’s Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud followed closely in third with 69.79.
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World champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps of Canada finished fourth.
Skating to “Paint It Black,” Miura and Kihara’s routine featured a level three triple twist, a throw triple lutz, and a level four step sequence.