TAIPEI, Taiwan — Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Toronto are the leaders after the short dance at the ISU Four Continents figure skating championships.
Gilles and Poirier, who narrowly missed a spot on Canada’s Olympic team for Sochi, scored a season’s best 62.38 points. Madison Hubbel and Zachary Donohue are second with 61.05 and their American teammates Alexandra Aldridge and Daniel Eaton are third (57.65).
Canada’s two other ice dance teams are also within striking distance of a medal at the event, which features several skaters not competing at the Sochi Olympics. Kharis Ralph of Toronto and Asher Hill of Pickering, Ont., are fourth going into the free dance with Nicole Orford of Burnaby, B.C., and Thomas Williams of Okotoks, Alta., one spot behind them.
In pairs, Margaret Purdy of Strathroy, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont., were fifth after the short program and Natasha Purich of Sherwood Park, Alta., and Mervin Tran of Regina were seventh.
Jeremy Ten of Vancouver was sixth after the men’s singles short program. Nam Nguyen of Burnaby, B.C., was 10th and Elladj Balde of Pierrefonds, Que., 13th.
The ice dance long program and women’s short program are Thursday. The men’s and pairs long programs are Friday.
