Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps from Canada clinched the silver medal in the pairs competition at the figure skating Grand Prix de France held on Saturday. The duo secured a total score of 197.66, with a notable performance of 123.40 in the free skate. Their short program on Friday garnered them a score of 73.26.
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, the reigning world champions from Japan, emerged victorious in the pairs event with a substantial lead of 21 points, despite some minor mistakes by Miura during their free skate. They achieved a total score of 219.15. Maria Pavlova and Alexei Sviatchenko from Hungary claimed the bronze medal with a score of 192.76.
In another event, Canadian ice dancers Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac finished in sixth place in the rhythm dance, scoring 73.75. The free dance segment is scheduled for Sunday. Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson from Great Britain are currently leading with a score of 84.38, followed by Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius from Lithuania in second place (80.98), and Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron from France in third (78.00).
Ilia Malinin, the world champion skater from the United States, showcased a dominant performance in the short program, taking a commanding lead with 105.22 points. Nika Egadze from Georgia followed in second place with 95.67 points, while Kao Miura from Japan secured the third spot with 87.25 points.
Ami Nakai surprised the audience by outperforming three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto and leading a Japanese women’s podium sweep. Nakai’s exceptional performance in her debut senior Grand Prix event earned her a total score of 227.08, securing the women’s skating title at the Grand Prix de France.
The Grand Prix de France serves as the initial event of the regular season Grand Prix series, leading up to the final in December. This series is crucial for elite skaters aiming for success at the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February.