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The Ice Dancers love to entertain and they did, lighting up the ice in the Rhythm Dance at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2025 Thursday in Seoul (KOR). Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier (CAN) came out on top but the battle will continue in the Free Dance on Saturday. 

Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier (CAN) set season’s best 

The defending ISU Four Continents Champions Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier (CAN) brought some sunshine to the ice in Seoul (KOR) to take the lead in the Rhythm Dance. The couple finished ahead of hot favorites and two-time World Champions Madison Chock/Evan Bates (USA), who came second. Marjorie Lajoie/Zachary Lagha of Canada finished third. Just 4.36 points separate the top three teams, meaning the final Free Dance on Saturday will be a real showdown. 

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (CAN) lead after the Ice Dance Rhythm Dance at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul, Rep. Korea © ISU

The Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul might be a bit chilly but Gilles/Poirier were determined to heat up the arena with a cheerful Beach Boys medley. Each step and each turn looked smooth, and the 2024 World silver medalists topped it off with a whirling rotational lift to score a season’s best of 87.22 points. When their score came up, the dancers were pleasantly surprised.

“We didn't really expect anything. I think what we expected was that type of performance like we do at home,” Gilles said. “We really had a big mind shift after the Grand Prix Final (in which they finished fifth) and we just had to take a look at what we were doing right, what we were doing wrong and mostly everything was right. We just happened to make little mistakes that we can't do but we've just we found that confidence again in ourselves and it really showed today. We're just as surprised as everybody else at that score but we're very pleased.”

Poirier explained how the couple restored their confidence after the Grand Prix Final, having missed out on a medal. “More than anything, you just can't dwell on things going wrong. We've been skating for long enough together and just in general to know what we're capable of and how to come back from any difficulty or setback.

Costumes "bring out the best" in Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (CAN) at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul, Rep. Korea © ISU

“Especially with this program – we spent a lot of time in training and expanding it, trying to make it bigger and faster, adding to the character and the style of dance and the movement. All of that attention has served us well.”

This season, the choice of Rhythm Dance costumes has been an ongoing story for Gilles and Poirier. They have created four costumes and nobody knows which one they’re going to wear on the day of competition. Today’s choice was the “beach” outfit with Gilles wearing a pink dress and Poirier a yellow outfit.

“We're really confident in these costumes,” Gilles said. “They're really easy to skate in and coming here for Four Continents we really wanted to be comfortable and calm and these (costumes) really bring out that in us and they're just so cute.”

“In the middle of winter we wanted to bring some sunshine, for sure. Some color,” Poirier added.

Chock/Bates put out an excellent performance of their “Dance Through the Decades” as well, looking precise and confident from the first step to the last. The three-time ISU Four Continents Champions picked music spanning the decades, from the 50s to the 70s, for this year’s Rhythm Dance. Chock/Bates lost a level on their midline step and collected 86.21 points.

Three-time ISU Four Continents Champions Madison Chock/Evan Bates (USA): in silver medal position after the Rhythm Dance in Seoul, Rep. Korea © ISU

“Maddie and I are pleased with the performance today,” Bates said. “We're going to always hope for a season's best, which today we were a little bit short of, and I think at the final we skated really well and really free, and today maybe there were moments where we could have attacked a little bit more. But of course we're happy to be here at Four Continents again in South Korea for the fourth time, and looking forward to the Free Dance.”

Lajoie/Lagha entertained the crowd with their fun dance to “Austin Powers” and earned, like the leaders, mostly level threes and fours but a level two for the pattern dance type step sequence. They achieved a personal best of 82.86 points. 

Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha of Canada lie third after the Ice Dance Rhythm Dance at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul, Rep. Korea © ISU

“Today’s Rhythm Dance felt really, really good,” Lajoie said. “We were able to keep calm and perform the Rhythm Dance. We made a lot of changes and it felt really good. I think it was our best Rhythm Dance of the season. And we had the season’s best, so we're very happy.”

The 2024 ISU Four Continents bronze medalists Christina Carreira/Anthony Ponomarenko (USA) are not too far behind in fourth place at 79.30 points, followed by Emilea Zingas/Vadym Kolesnik (USA) on 74.63 points. To the delight of the home crowd Hanna Lim/Ye Quan (KOR) came sixth with another strong performance and 72.37 points.

What and when 

The schedule of the ISU Four Continents Championships 2025 is as follows:

• Thursday, February 20: Pairs Short Program, Rhythm Dance, Men’s Short Program
• Friday, February 21: Pairs Free Skating & Women’s Short Program  
• Saturday, February 22: Free Dance & Men’s Free Skating
• Sunday, February 23: Women’s Free Skating & Exhibition Gala

For more information, full entry lists and results, visit the ISU event page of the ISU Four Continents Championships 2025 and the official event website of the Championships. Follow the discussion on social media using #4ContsFigure and #FigureSkating.

Where to watch the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2025:

The ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships will be live streamed on the Skating ISU YouTube Channel. Geo-restrictions will apply in markets where TV rights are in place. You will find the full list in the Where to Watch news here.

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