Canada’s Gilles, Poirier take ice dance silver at figure skating worlds in Montreal

Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier put on a passionate performance to win silver in ice dance Saturday at the world figure skating championships in Montreal.

Skating to the “Wuthering Heights” soundtrack by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Gilles and Poirier posted the best score of the free dance with a season-best 133.17 points. They finished with 219.68 total points after placing third in Friday’s rhythm dance.

Toronto’s Gilles and Paul Poirier of Unionville, Ont., twirled and saluted to cheers at centre ice after giving the home crowd goosebumps at the Bell Centre. It’s their third medal at the worlds after winning bronze twice (2021, 2023).

The performance wasn’t enough to dethrone defending champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States. The 2022 Olympic champions captured gold with a season-best total score of (222.20) after placing first in the rhythm dance.

WATCH l Gilles and Poirier capture world silver in Montreal:

Canada’s Gilles, Poirier capture ice dance silver at figure skating worlds

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada win the free dance program but finish second overall in the ice dance competition at the World Figure Skating Championships.

Italy’s Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri claimed bronze (216.52).

Marjorie Lajoie of Boucherville, Que., and Zachary Lagha of Saint-Hubert, Que., ranked fifth after a beautiful program to “Roses” by Jean-Michel Blais. They posted a personal-best 208.01 points.

WATCH | Chock, Bates successfully defend world title:

Chock, Bates become 1st American ice dance team to claim back-to-back world titles

Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States win the ice dance gold at the World Figure Skating Championships for the second consecutive time.

Montreal’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Danish-Canadian partner Nikolaj Soerensen moved from 10th to ninth (199.91). Soerensen and Fournier Beaudry withdrew from the Canadian championship in January after USA Today reported an American figure skating coach and former skater accused Sorensen of sexually assaulting her in 2012. The allegations have not been proven in court.

It’s Montreal’s first time hosting the event since 1932. The city was supposed to stage the 2020 championship but the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the competition.

Boston will hold the 2025 competition.

WATCH l Gilles, Poirier base their free dance on ‘Wuthering Heights’:

Gilles, Poirier base their free dance on the book ‘Wuthering Heights’

Canadian ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier discuss the reasons for basing their free dance program on the 19th century book, Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë. Poirier says the book explores the themes of love and hate which can sometimes drive people into insanity.