They are no strangers to Skate Canada International. It will be Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier’s ninth Skate Canada together (and add two more for Poirier with his previous partner years ago). They are favored to win their fifth title here. And like the pairs event, the rest of the podium could have a few permutations of finishers given how closely-matched some of these teams are.
Skate Canada International predictions
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GOLD Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier CAN - Gilles/Poirier took silver at Worlds for the first time in their career last season, and Skate Canada this week will be their season debut. They are no strangers to winning here at this event, and they often make a big statement at this competition to set themselves up for the rest of the season.
SILVER Marjorie Lajoie/Zachary Lagha CAN - Back from Lajoie’s concussion from training, the Canadian silver medalists want to take their fifth-place finish at Worlds last season and push for even more heading into this pre-Olympic season. They took two silvers on the Grand Prix last year and look poised for another here.
BRONZE Emilea Zingas/Vadym Kolesnik USA - They took bronze at Nebelhorn Trophy among a very strong field, and they will be looking for their first Grand Prix medal this week after finishing fifth at their GPs last year, including at Skate Canada. Last season, they weren’t able to string together clean programs as much as they would’ve liked to.
4. Evgenia Lopareva/Geoffrey Brissaud FRA - Very much a contender for a medal here, the French champions won their domestic French Masters event and then took silver at Shanghai Trophy three weeks ago. It should be a close race for bronze, and every bit of cleanness will count.
5. Natalie Taschlerova/Filip Taschler CZE - Coming off a win at Denis Ten Memorial, where they made improvements from earlier in the season, Taschlerova/Taschler are a powerful team that can put up some big numbers. They have been fifth at all three Grand Prix events they’ve competed in, could they finally crack the top four this week?
6. Emily Bratti/Ian Somerville USA - Coming off a disappointing Worlds debut last season where a mistake in the rhythm dance kept them from qualifying for the free dance, the US bronze medalists will be looking for a continuation of a solid start to their season; they were second at Budapest Trophy two weeks ago behind the Czechs.
7. Oona Brown/Gage Brown USA - The former World junior champions were a surprise fourth last year at this event. They’ve already started their season very well with silver at Denis Ten Memorial, and will be very competitive among the teams vying for bronze.
8. Alicia Fabbri/Paul Ayer CAN - Tenth last week at Skate America as late substitutes, Fabbri/Ayer now have the unenviable task of competing in their third competition in three weeks. They will want to clean up that free dance that dropped them in the standings last week.
9. Hannah Lim/Ye Quan KOR - Fifth at Denis Ten Memorial, Lim/Quan come into their second full season as seniors looking to build on the momentum that they had toward the latter half of last season, when they took 14th at Worlds.
10. Holly Harris/Jason Chan AUS - Coming into their fourth Grand Prix appearance, the Australians were seventh at Budapest Trophy two weeks ago.