Two Canadian pairs are currently positioned for medals following the short program at Skate Canada International in Saskatoon, an ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event. Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps hold second place with a score of 73.03, while Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud are in third place with 70.66 points.
Deschamps expressed delight in performing in front of a spirited home crowd, stating, “It’s always nice to skate at home in front of such an enthusiastic crowd.” Stellato-Dudek mentioned that although parts of their routine were better than in the previous Grand Prix in France, they encountered challenges on specific elements, leading to point deductions. She emphasized the difficulty of evaluating their performance accurately without reviewing the routine.
Pereira and Michaud achieved a personal best in the short program, expressing their excitement at achieving this milestone on home ice. Pereira shared, “This is one of the best competitions we’ve done in the short, so we’re really excited about that. We love this program and we’re really happy to showcase how we trained it at home.”
Leading the pairs competition are Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin with a top score of 77.53 points after the short program. Canadian pair Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Ethier will enter the free program in sixth place with a score of 59.93.
In the women’s event, Japan’s Mone Chiba leads with 72.29 points, followed closely by American Isabeau Levito with 71.80 points. Italy’s Lara Naki Gutmann holds the third position with 68.11 points. Sara-Maude Dupuis is the top Canadian in eighth place, scoring 60.41 points. Dupuis expressed satisfaction with her performance, especially in debuting her new routine in front of a supportive audience.
Viewers can catch live coverage of Skate Canada International on Saturday at 2:45 p.m. ET. For detailed broadcast schedules, visit CBC Sports.
