(Montreal) Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps reached the third step of the podium in the pairs competition of the ISU Grand Prix Figure Skating Final on Friday in Beijing. The pair earned a score of 133.08 in their free skate, good for a total of 204.30 points.
This third place seemed like a disappointment for the Quebec duo who had won gold at the Canadian and Chinese Grands Prix earlier this fall.
“We know it’s quite below expectations. We arrived here as the first team 10 points ahead of the rest. Our scores remain competitive, despite errors made to large elements. If we can be cleaner, we know our grades will be higher,” commented Stellato-Dudek.
The fight for the gold medal was close and it was the Germans Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin (206.43) who were crowned ahead of the Italians Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii (205.88). The other Canadian pair of Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud (185.16) placed sixth.
After Thursday’s short program, Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps were provisionally second, ahead of the Italians with a lead of 0.92 points.
Stellato-Dudek lightened things up a few moments later by joking: “My expectations are higher than anyone, so I’m a bad example! »
Deschamps was less incisive in his comments after the competition. “We were able to implement what we worked on at home before coming here. Yes, some things were more difficult, but we remain proud of our competition in general. »
The duo will return to China, more precisely to Shanghai, at the end of January, to take part in the Four Continents Championships.
Also on Friday, Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen, as well as Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, were rhythm dancing in ice dancing. Like their teammates as a couple, the two duos did not perform as well as their expectations.
Fournier Beaudry and Soerensen are provisionally fifth with 74.82 points in this competition where Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates (89.15) are the leaders. Ontarians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (85.17) are third, while Lajoie and Lagha (74.74) are in sixth place.
“It’s really disappointing, but it is what it is. I didn’t feel my best and I didn’t do things right. It happens. We gave everything we had and we had nothing to lose,” Soerensen said.
The disappointment was less for the other Quebec duo.
“It’s a really low score for us, but it’s our first Grand Prix final. Even if there are no expectations, it was still quite stressful for both of us. This is correct, because we are gaining experience,” argued Marjorie Lajoie.
“We’re just happy to be here and we’re not too worried about the result,” Lagha added in conclusion.
The ice dancers will be in the second part of the competition, the free dance, on Saturday.
The Grand Prix Final is reserved for the six best athletes or duos in each category.
