World champions Chock and Bates are behind Canadian duo in Four Continents ice dance

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — World champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States were one point behind Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada in ice dance at the figure skating Four Continents on Thursday.

Skating to a medley of music that included “Rock Around the Clock” and “Stayin’ Alive,” Chock’s and Bates’ energetic rhythm dance routine received 86.21 points.

But defending champions Gilles and Poirier, the last skaters to take the ice, scored 87.22 for their upbeat routine to a medley of surf music.

Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, also of Canada, were third with 82.86.

Chock and Bates missed the Four Continents last year and were aiming for their fourth title in the competition. The married couple won the event in 2019, 2020 and 2023.

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, of Canada perform during the ice dance rhythm dance program in the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships at the Mokdong ice rink in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Their only setback on Thursday came when they lost a level on their midline step.

“Maddie and I are pleased with the performance today,” Bates said. “We’re going to always hope for a season’s best, which today we were a little bit short of, and I think at the final we skated well and really free.”

The Americans are using the Four Continents to prepare for the world championships in Boston from March 25-30.

“It’s a very important competition, not only because many top skaters participate, but also because it’s our last competition before worlds,” Chock said. “It’s a good opportunity to show the training that’s been put in.”

The ice dance wraps up on Saturday with the free dance.

The men’s short program was topped by Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan. His 94.73 points gave him a comfortable lead over Jimmy Ma of the United States, who was second with 82.52.

Shaidorov opened with a spectacular quad lutz-triple toeloop combination and landed a quad toeloop later to rack up points.

Kazuki Tomono of Japan was third with 79.84. Junhwan Cha of South Korea could manage only a double salchow in his opening element and finished fourth.

In the pairs short program, 2023 world and Four Continents champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan were first with 74.73.

Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea of the United States finished second with 70.32 and Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud of Canada were third on 69.79.

Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, of Canada, perform during the ice dance rhythm dance program in the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships at the Mokdong ice rink in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

World champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps of Canada were fourth.

Skating to “Paint it Black,” Kihara’s and Miura’s routine was highlighted by a level three triple twist, a throw triple lutz and a level four step sequence.