Gabrielle Daleman is making a strong bid for a podium finish at the Four Continents Championships in Beijing. The Canadian figure skater, a two-time Olympian hailing from Newmarket, Ontario, impressed with a clean short program, landing three triple jumps and earning 67.69 points. She currently holds fourth place going into the free skate event on Friday. The top three spots are currently held by Japanese skaters, with Ami Nakai leading the pack with 73.83 points, followed by Yuna Aoki (71.41) and Mone Chiba (68.07), all of whom are set to compete at the upcoming Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.
Daleman, who is participating in only her second international competition after a hiatus due to a back injury and two ankle surgeries, aimed to secure a spot at her third Olympics as the first Canadian woman in singles skating. However, Madeline Schizas clinched Canada’s sole spot for the Milan-Cortina Winter Games after winning the national title at the Canadian championships in Gatineau, Quebec. Notably, several skaters bound for the Olympics, including Schizas, opted out of the Four Continents competition due to its proximity to the Games.
In other events, Alicia Fabbri and Paul Ayer, two-time national ice dance bronze medallists, occupied the fourth spot following the rhythm dance segment. Meanwhile, Olympic ice dancers Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik led an American sweep with a strong performance, scoring 79.97 points in the rhythm dance.
The competition at Four Continents serves as a crucial opportunity for skaters like Zingas and Kolesnik to fine-tune their routines before the Milan-Cortina Games. While it’s uncommon for many Olympic-bound skaters to participate in the Four Continents during an Olympic year, Zingas and Kolesnik are leveraging this chance to perfect their programs ahead of the upcoming Winter Games.
The event also saw Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Ethier, the three-time reigning Canadian pairs bronze medallists, secure the fifth position after their short program. Additionally, the U.S. champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov stood third after the short program, hoping for Efimova to gain American citizenship in time for the Milan-Cortina event, as per Olympic regulations.
The Chinese pairs team of Sui Wenjing and Han Cong, tipped as favorites to defend their Olympic gold, topped the leaderboard after the short program at Four Continents. The competition will continue with the free dance and women’s free skate on Friday, followed by the men’s short program and pairs free skate on Saturday, and concluding with the men’s free skate on Sunday.