This may be Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier's last year on the ice, but they don't see it as a farewell tour.
Canadian ice dancing veterans open their season this weekend at Skate Canada International in Saskatoon with one goal in mind – bringing home a medal from the Milan-Cortina Games in February.
“It's Olympic season and these are the Olympics where we want to be on the podium,” Poirier said. “I don't think we're trying to relate it to our broader careers, whether it's the last one or not.
“There are already so many balls to keep in the air during the Olympic season. There is so much going on and so many distractions. The Olympics also come with a lot of pressure and I think that's enough to put pressure on yourself rather than worry about anything more.”
Now in their 15th season together, Gilles and Poirier are firmly among the top and realistic contenders for gold in Milan.
They have medaled at three straight world championships, taking bronze in 2023 and then back-to-back silver medals behind Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States.
Both Gilles and Poirier will be 34 years old at Milan, and while they are focused on the present, long-time coach Carol Lane believes this season will be their last.
In what could be their last season together, Canadian dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier are reprising their “Vincent” free skate from the 2018-2019 season as they look to win their first Olympic medal in Milan-Cortina, Italy.
“I would be surprised if they decided to continue.”
“I would be very surprised if they decided to continue,” she said. “Yes, this will be the end. This will be the last season. There are a lot of recent events this year, so it's very moving and makes you realize that 14 years fly by in the blink of an eye.”
If this truly is their last dance, then there's a full-circle element to this season. Gilles and Poirier return to their emotional and fan-favorite free dance program “Vincent” from 2018-2019.
We also felt like it was the perfect embodiment of who we are as skaters and that's what we wanted to bring to the Olympic ice.– Paul Poirier on the “Vincent” free dance routine with Piper Gilles
However, they want to make it clear that this is not just a rehash of the old routine.
“We decided to call the program Vincent Reimagined,” Poirier said. “Although the theme, story and music are familiar, there have been many changes. Seven years have passed. We are different skaters, we are different people.
“We really feel like this program never reached its full potential and we felt there was even more that could be achieved with it. We also just felt like it was the perfect embodiment of who we are as skaters and that's what we wanted to bring to the Olympic ice.”
Canadians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier won the ice dance competition at Skate Canada International for the fifth time in a row with a total score of 214.84.
Gilles and Poirier have already been to the Olympic Games twice. They finished eighth at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. This moment Gilles describes as a proud celebration for the new Olympians.
That changed in 2022 when the Toronto duo entered the Olympic season having won their first World Championships medal. Expectations rose, but they finished seventh in Beijing.
“It was very difficult for us to be on the podium going into Beijing,” Gilles said. “The year before we got our first world medal, it was during COVID. I think there was a lot of stress and I think in the midst of it all we forgot our why.
“We've changed as people and I think we're not trying to be great. We know we are great, we just need to rely on our confidence and our preparation.”
Without looking too far ahead
As for what's next, Gilles and Poirier are focused on the Skate Canada International, where they can set a record with their sixth straight title at the SaskTel Centre.
They've done it year after year since the 2022 Olympics – a season many thought was their last – and are trying not to look too far ahead.
“Honestly, I don't think either of us even thought we'd go to these Olympics,” Gilles said. “We just really enjoy the work we're doing now, so we don't really focus on what happens next.”
Meanwhile, Lane allows himself to feel the weight of it all.
“I treat it like a holiday,” she said. “I will be very sorry that they will not appear at the skating rink. They were a real delight, an absolute delight.
“It was an absolutely phenomenal experience and I'm sure there will be a lot of tears.”
Defying gravity
Dina Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps will finally give Canadian fans the chance to see their historic assisted backflip live. The 2024 world champions became the first pair to make a move in competition earlier this season, with Stellato-Dudek, 42, defying her age to catapult back with help from Deschamps during the short program.
Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps will take part in the second round of the Grand Prix after winning silver at the French Grand Prix.
Ilya Malinin dominated his free skate with a score of 301.82 on Sunday to capture the Skate Canada men's title.
Quadruple God
Ilya MalininThe two-time reigning men's world champion from the United States leads a solid men's team. Among Canadians, the current national champion Roman Sadovsky And resurgent Steven Gogolev will meet each other for the third time this season.
Hot start
In the women's event, 17-year-old Ami Nakai of Japan will be aiming to win her second Grand Prix gold in as many appearances after defeating three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto in a stellar debut at the French Grand Prix. Three-time national champion Madeline Schizas singles out the Canadians.
