Home hopes lead women's event at Skate Canada with Schizas, Daleman going 1-2 in short program
"It's really cool," an honest Madeline Schizas said after capturing the women's short program at the season's second Grand Prix. Gilles/Poirier lead in the dance.
Figure Skating
Oh, Canada.
Home hopes Madeline Schizas and Gabrielle Daleman, wowed local fans on Friday (28 October) in the women's short program at Skate Canada International, the second figure skating Grand Prix of the 2022-23 season, placing first and second, respectively, in Mississauga.
Schizas, 19, skated to a dramatic rendition of "Black Swan," scoring a 67.90 to take the lead. Daleman, in her first Grand Prix since 2019, is just over a point behind at 66.65.
You Young, the Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020 champion who was sixth at Beijing 2022, was seen as the favourite coming into the event. But the 18-year-old doubled her toe-loop in her combination pass. She's fourth with a 65.10.
Sixteen-year-old American Ava Marie Ziegler is third in her senior Grand Prix debut, with a 66.49, while Kihira Rika, the Grand Prix Final champion in 2018 who is skating in her first Grand Prix since 2019, sits eighth (59.27).
Kihira continues to heal her right foot, a stress fracture forcing her out of the entirety of the Olympic season last year.
"I think it's pretty dope," a smiley and surprised Schizas said about her first-place finish after the short. "Sorry - the Gen Z in me is coming out I guess. Who would have thought a couple years ago that I would be leading after the short at a Grand Prix event?"
Kaetlyn Osmond, the 2018 world champion, is the last Canadian woman to win at Skate Canada, doing so in 2017.
Team Canada made it a clean sweep in the afternoon session: 2021 world bronze medallists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier lead after the rhythm dance, scoring a 87.23 in what was their season debut at any level.
The pair skating and men's short programs are set for Friday evening.
You struggles, Kihira returns
It was only one jump rotation - but that's what cost You a spot in the top three in the short program.
The Korean had planned to do her patented triple Axel, but opted for a double - though that's not what cost her. Her triple Lutz-double toe combination pass lost some 2.5 points, the difference between fourth and first.
She said she is likely to do her triple Axel in Saturday's (29 October) free skate.
Kihira, who turned 20 in July, made a long-awaited return to the Grand Prix after a frustrating stress fracture put the two-time Japanese national champion out of Olympic contention. She has spent the last three weeks back in Toronto with coach Brian Orser, though she said her foot is still not 100 percent.
"The performance today I would say was neither good nor bad," Kihira said via an interpreter. "I felt already in the six-minute warm-up that I wasn't up to my best condition. That's something I want to improve on for the free skate."
She added: "Brian told me that this was just a start. We're going to keep on improving. ... My injury on my foot is not 100 percent recovered. We've been taking that into account in our training program and not going fully or practicing all out."
American Starr Andrews (64.69) is fifth, while Watanabe Rinka of Japan (62.78) is sixth. The top seven skaters are separated by just over seven points.
Ice dance: Gilles/ Poirier wow the home crowd
Not only is it four Canadians with small medals from the short programs, but four local Torontonians, with each of Schizas, Daleman and Gilles/Poirier living and training in the area (Mississauga is a suburb of Toronto).
"We're proud to support them every step of the way," said Gilles, who is in her 12th season alongside Poirier.
After their bronze at Worlds in 2021, Gilles/Poirier had been outspoken about wanting an individual Olympic medal in Beijing. They finished seventh at the Games, however, and said they're taking a different approach to the 2022-23 year.
"We're trying not to put too much pressure on ourselves," Gilles said. "When we [don't] look forward to those sort of goals we skate better. Yes, we have those in mind, but sometimes it's better... not putting those unnecessary pressures on ourselves. We know what we can do."
Gilles/Poirier said they had not decided yet on if they will skate beyond this current season.
"We made the decision to compete this season, but we haven't really given much thought past that," Poirier confirmed. "It's some ways it's really nice to have that short-term focus... we're trying to enjoy every single moment of this year."
They skated to a four-point lead on Friday, with Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson of Great Britain in second at 83.80 and USA's Caroline Green and Michael Parsons in third (76.13).