Piper Gilles says she and Paul Poirier will skate until they run out of gas.
For now, the tank is full for Canada’s best ice dancers.
“We’re going to keep skating until we feel like we have nothing left to give,” Gilles said. “I feel like we still have a lot of drive, motivation and unfinished business.”
Gilles and Poirier kick off their figure skating season this weekend at their ninth appearance at Skate Canada International. They are also aiming for a fifth consecutive title at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.
The two 32-year-old skaters are back on the ice for the first time since their silver medal at the world championships in Montreal, where they also earned the highest score in the free dance.
Following that performance, Gilles and Poirier, who were considering retirement after the 2022 Olympic cycle, returned for another season with a commitment to compete through the 2026 Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy.
They started brainstorming music ideas and working on choreography earlier than usual in the off-season. And even though Gilles was simultaneously planning his wedding in early October, they’re feeling the positive effects of that preparation as the season approaches.
“We feel really confident going into this event,” Poirier said Thursday. “We feel really in our element and at the top of our game, and that’s a really good way to feel.”
It is a feeling they do not take for granted, however.
Poirier recalls the difficult times when their season was disrupted by COVID -19 and personal illness after Gilles was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2022-23. She had an ovary and appendix removed after a tumor was discovered, which later tests revealed was cancerous.
“I feel like all that is behind us now,” Poirier said. “We had a great year, I don’t want to say normal, but a great year. We trained and did the things we wanted to do. It’s been really liberating to be able to skate that way over the last few months.”
They will launch their Beach Boys program under this season’s rhythmic dance theme of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, with the goal of capturing “that American dream of that time, that perfect life in California,” Poirier explained.
“Who would have thought we were going to be the Beach Boys? I never would have predicted it,” Gilles added. “Our figure skating career has been so unpredictable, for us and our fans, and I think we’ve never stopped growing. That’s what’s been so incredible about our career. It’s been so playful and so unexpected in so many ways.”
For Sunday’s free dance, they will skate to Annie Lennox’s cover of A Whiter Shade of Pale .
Quebecers as main adversaries
Quebecers Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha are Gilles and Poirier’s biggest opponents this weekend, with reigning world champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States not in Halifax.
Lajoie and Lagha are also in their early season after withdrawing from two Challenger events due to a concussion for Lajoie — his second after the duo withdrew from the national championships in January.
The 2019 world junior champions, who placed fifth at the worlds in Montreal, said having Gilles and Poirier come back and improve year after year is a source of motivation.
“It’s inspiring to see that you can have a long career. They always look in shape and they can do anything,” Lajoie said. “I think it’s inspiring, not just for us, but for all skaters.”
“It also gives you a goal,” Lagha added. “It’s not like they retire at 30 and then it’s your turn. No, because they stay, you also have a chance to compete with them.”
For now, however, Gilles and Poirier continue to improve.
“Last year they had a really solid season and a great finish. They still have a lot to give,” said Mike Slipchuk, Skate Canada’s high performance director. “They’re knocking on the door. I know their goal is to become world champions and they continue to improve.”
Gilles and Poirier are also aiming for a medal at the Olympic Games and say they have already started planning their programs for Milan.
In the meantime, they are focused on winning more medals at Skate Canada International.
“Yes, the goal is to win world championships. Yes, it’s to get Olympic medals, to be on the top step of the podium, all of that,” Gilles admitted. “But I think we thrive on being confident in the moment, taking one thing at a time.”
“We’re not going to be here much longer, are we? So I think just sitting here and having these moments, savoring them, helps us stay more present and confident in our abilities.”
Skate Canada International begins Friday night with the pairs and ladies short programs. The rhythm dance and men’s short program will take place Saturday afternoon, followed by the pairs and ladies free programs in the evening. Competition concludes Sunday afternoon with the men’s free program and free dance.
The Grand Prix, figure skating’s premier series, consists of six events and a final. This year’s circuit began at Skate America International last week.
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