Ice dance competition winners from left, silver medalists, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, of Canada, gold medalists, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, of the United States, and bronze medalists, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, of Canada, pose at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
February 10, 2019 - 4:31 PM
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont., took the silver and Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Toronto followed for the bronze in ice dancing on Sunday to conclude the ISU Four Continents figure skating competition.
Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates won the free dance to take gold with 207.42 points.
Weaver and Poje ranked third for both programs but their consistency gave them the silver with 203.93. Gilles and Poirier move from fourth to third with the second best free dance totalling 202.45.
"We feel really proud of our skate today," said Poje. "We went out there and just tried to perform the whole story behind our program We were more connected to than in our previous performance."
The couple skated to a piece from the Quebec rock opera Starmania in tribute to figure skater Denis Ten of Kazakhstan, stabbed to death in a car hijacking last year at age 25.
"It's a very emotional piece to the last music he performed to," said Weaver. "It's a great inspiration, not only because he was an amazing skater but an amazing person. We want to give our best tribute to him."
Gilles and Poirier were also satisfied with their performance skated to Don MacLean's hit song Vincent (Starry, Starry Night).
"Every time we perform this we feel a different emotion but we always feel that magic," said Gilles. "We need to keep creating moments, that we're proud of and keep going with this momentum to reach our goal to be on the podium at worlds."
Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue of the U.S., first after the rhythm dance, finished fourth.
Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen of Montreal were sixth.
Canada ends the competition with three medals. On Saturday, Kirsten Moore-Towers of St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont., won silver in pairs.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2019