Figure skaters from Canada hold hands and spin around(AP Photo/Roger Steinman)
(AP Photo/Roger Steinman)

Pereira and Michaud, Lajoie and Lagha both take silver at Skate America to start ISU Grand Prix Series

Two sets of Canadian figure skaters hit the podium to start the ISU Grand Prix Series for the 2023-24 season. 

At Skate America in Allen, USA, the Canadian pair of Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud skated to a silver medal in the pairs competition, and Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha taking silver in the ice dance event. 

Pereira and Michaud finished second in Friday’s short program with 63.33 points, as the German pair of Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkle overcame a fall in their side-by-side triple salchow to score 63.59 points. In Saturday’s free skate, the pair scored 119.37 points, bringing their total to 182.59, 1.64 points behind the Germans. 

The lone Canadian pair in the ice dance competition, Lajoie and Lagha began their season on Saturday afternoon with the rhythm dance, posting the second-highest score of 77.80, and took the podium on Sunday with a final score of 196.99.

Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates claimed gold with a final score of 212.96, while France’s Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud claimed bronze behind the Canadians with a final score of 193.47. 

In the men’s competition, Toronto’s Stephen Gogolev finished seventh in Friday’s short program, scoring 74.73.