Team USA earned two podium finishes at Skate Canada International Saturday as
Starr Andrews and
Emily Chan and Spencer Howe won silver in the women's and pairs events, respectively.
For both Andrews and Chan and Howe, the medals mark their first at a Grand Prix.
Andrews clinched a new personal best in both her total score and free skate with 191.26 and 126.57 points, respectively, jumping from fifth after the short program to second. Skating to "Je Suis Malade" by Lara Fabian, Andrews opened with her highest scoring element, a triple flip-double Axel-double toe jump sequence. Another triple loop-double toe combination and three Level 4 spins secured Andrews her first international medal since 2019.
Ava Ziegler finished just off the podium in fourth place. Despite two falls, her performance to "Love in the Dark" by Adele included two strong jump combinations – a triple flip-double toe and a triple Lutz-double toe in the second half of the performance. She was awarded 120.27 points for her skate and 186.76 points overall, a new personal best.
Lindsay Thorngren finished her competition strong, taking sixth in the free skate with a score of 120.93. Overall, she landed in ninth with 176.09 points.
Winning the gold was Rinka Watanabe of Japan, who took first in the free skate with 134.32 and a total score of 197.59. Also on the podium was Young You of Korea with a total score of 190.15 (125.05 FS).
With their silver medal, Chan and Howe clinched their third international medal this season and have now medaled at every international event they've attended in 2022. The 2022 Four Continents silver medalists earned a new personal best for their overall score of 186.48, totaling 119.09 in the free skate and edging out Sara Conti and Miccolo Macii of Italy by three tenths of a point. Their skate to "Unchained Melody" performed by the cast of Ghost and "Unchained Melody" by Marc Martel started off with a double Salchow-double Axel-double Axel jump sequence and received high marks for their Level 4 reverse lasso and Axel lifts.
Like Chan and Howe,
Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez's lifts stood out during their free skate as their highest marks came on their Level 4 Axel and reverse lasso lifts. Competing at their second straight Grand Prix after taking sixth last weekend at Skate America, the pair claimed their best result on the circuit with fifth place as their free skate to music from
Endgame - Marvel Cinematic Universe secured 108.44 points for 164.14 points overall.
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan stood on the top step of the podium with a total score of 212.02 (138.63 FS) while Conti and Macii of Italy secured the bronze with a score of 186.18 (119.52 FS).
In the ice dance event,
Caroline Green and Michael Parsons earned a fourth-place result to their "Rhapsody in Blue" free dance, receiving Level 4s on their synchronized twizzles, three lifts and dance spin. The 2022 Four Continents champions scored 118.06 points for their free dance and 194.19 overall.
In their Grand Prix debut,
Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville set new international personal bests for their free dance and total score after setting a new international personal best Friday in the rhythm dance. Their performance to music from
La La Land was highlighted by their straight line and rotational lift, which received more than 12 points. They earned 179.14 points overall and 108.29 for their free dance to finish sixth.
Team USA's third ice dance team,
Molly Cesanek and Yehor Yehorov, placed ninth with a free skate and total score of 89.39 and 150.79, respectively.
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada won the gold with 215.70 points (128.47 FD), Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson of Great Britain earned silver with 209.18 points (125.38 FD), and Majorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha of Canada rounded out the podium with 195.49 points (119.55 FD).
In the men's event,
Camden Pulkinen and
Jimmy Ma finished in fifth and ninth place, respectively.
Skating to "Invierno Porteno" by Astor Piazzolla, Pulkinen began his free skate with a quad toe before hitting a triple Axel-Euler-double Salchow combination. The 2022 World Team member earned Level 4 for his step sequence and combination spin with change of foot and flying entry for 143.99 points in the free skate and 219.06 overall.
Ma finished out the competition with 204.39 points, including 142.66 in the free skate.
Japan won the gold and silver as Shoma Uno topped the field with a score of 273.15 (183.17 FS) and Kao Miura scored 265.29 (171.23 FS). Matteo Rizzo of Italy landed in third, earning the bronze with 251.03 points (169.85 FS).
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