Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps from Canada clinched the silver medal in the pairs competition at the Figure Skating Grand Prix de France over the weekend. The pair accumulated a total score of 197.66, with a notable 123.40 in the free skate after scoring 73.26 in the short program the day before. The reigning 2024 world champions faced tough competition from Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who secured the gold with a commanding 21-point lead despite minor errors in Miura’s performance, earning a total score of 219.15. Hungary’s Maria Pavlova and Alexei Sviatchenko claimed the bronze with a total score of 192.76.
Meanwhile, Canadian ice dancers Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac landed in sixth place after the rhythm dance segment, scoring 73.75. Leading the ice dance competition were Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson with a score of 84.38, followed by Lithuania’s Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius in second place with 80.98, and France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron in third with 78.00.
On the men’s side, American figure skater Ilia Malinin took a commanding lead in the short program, impressing with a quadruple flip, quadruple lutz-triple toeloop combination, and a backflip. Malinin scored 105.22 points, placing him well ahead of Nika Egadze of Georgia in second with 95.67 and Kao Miura of Japan in third with 87.25.
In the women’s event, Ami Nakai of Japan created a surprising upset by outperforming three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto and leading a Japanese podium sweep. Nakai, competing in her first senior Grand Prix, secured victory with a total score of 227.08, including a personal best score of 149.08 in the free skate.
The Grand Prix de France marks the beginning of the season’s Grand Prix events, serving as a crucial platform for skaters preparing for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. The competition witnessed remarkable performances and unexpected outcomes, setting the stage for an exciting season ahead.
