Toronto ice dancers Piper Gilles, Paul Poirier win Autumn Classic International
CBC
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Toronto carried their ice dancing success from the spring into this week's Autumn Classic, opening the international season with a victory in Pierrefonds, Que.
The 2021 world championship bronze medallists amassed 208.97 points to defeat Spain's Olivia Smart and Adrian Diaz (191.31) and Americans Caroline Green and Michael Parsons (188.43).
"We're very pleased with the way both programs went," Poirier told reporters. "We didn't try to force things or have that perfect skate. We just want to get everything sharper and we're really excited to deliver such a strong showing and show that we keep improving."
In March, Gilles and Poirier scored a personal-best 214.35 in Stockholm for bronze, their first medal in eight trips to the world championships.
WATCH | Gilles, Poirier victorious at international season opener:
The 2019 world junior champions from Quebec, Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, racked up 181.74 points for fourth.
Carolane Soucisse of Chateauguay, Que., and Shane Firus of North Vancouver, B.C., were fifth ahead of Haley Sales of Kelowna, B.C., and Nikolas Wamsteeker of Langley, B.C. in sixth spot.