Paul Poirier (French pronunciation:[pɔlpwa.ʁje]; born November 6, 1991) is a Canadianice dancer. WithPiper Gilles, he is a four-timeWorld medalist, a two-timeFour Continents champion (2024–25), and the2022–23 Grand Prix Final champion, an eight-timeISU Grand Prix gold medalist, and four-timeCanadian national champion (2020, 2022, 2024–25). Gilles and Poirier competed for Canada at the2018 and2022 Winter Olympics.
With earlier partnerVanessa Crone, he is the2010 Grand Prix Final bronze medallist,2011 Four Continents bronze medallist,2008 World Junior silver medallist, and2011 Canadian national champion. Crone and Poirier competed for Canada at the2010 Winter Olympics.
Paul Poirier was born November 6, 1991, inOttawa,Ontario,[1] to Debra Mendes de Franca[2] and Marc Poirier.[3] In 2015, he graduated from theUniversity of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts in linguistics.[4] He continues graduate studies in linguistics part-time.[5] He speaks English, French, Japanese, and Spanish.[6] His brother played in theOntario Hockey League.[7]
Poirier isgay and has spoken about "perhaps [being] a role model for...younger queer athletes."[8][9][10]
Poirier began learning to skate in 1996.[11] Early in his career, he competed insingle skating, in addition to ice dancing andpair skating withVanessa Crone.[12] The two began skating together in May 2001.[13]
As ice dancers, Crone/Poirier made theirISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) debut in September 2005, placing seventh in Andorra. The following season, they took bronze at the 2006 JGP in Norway before winning the national junior title at the2007 Canadian Championships. The duo placed ninth at the2007 World Junior Championships.[14]
Crone/Poirier won gold at both of their JGP assignments and qualified to the JGP Final, where they finished fourth. Competing in the senior ranks, they placed fourth at the2008 Canadian Championships. They capped off their season with silver at the2008 World Junior Championships.[15]
Making their seniorGrand Prix debut, Crone/Poirier won silver at the2008 Skate Canada and placed fourth at the2008 Trophée Éric Bompard.[16] After winning silver behindVirtue/Moir at the2009 Canadian Championships, they competed at the2009 Four Continents Championships inVancouver, placing fourth. They finished twelfth at the2009 World Championships inLos Angeles, California.[14]
Crone/Poirier received the bronze medal at the2009 NHK Trophy and placed fourth at their other Grand Prix event, the2009 Rostelecom Cup.[14]
At the2010 Canadian Championships, they repeated as national silver medallists and were nominated to representCanada at the 2010 Winter Olympics.[17] They finished fourteenth at the Olympics and then seventh at the2010 World Championships.[14]
Crone/Poirier began their season by capturing gold at2010 Skate Canada International, ahead ofSinead Kerr andJohn Kerr, who had a fall in the free dance. At the2010 Skate America, Poirier fell in the free dance, but their score was enough for the silver behindDavis/White, both of whom fell, and ahead ofShibutani/Shibutani with no falls. Their results qualified them for the2010–11 Grand Prix Final, where they won the bronze medal.[14]
At the2011 Canadian Championships, withTessa Virtue andScott Moir absent due to Virtue's injury, Crone/Poirier narrowly won the Canadian national title overWeaver/Poje.[18] They won a bronze medal at the2011 Four Continents Championships inTaipei, and finished tenth at the2011 World Championships.[14]
On June 2, 2011, Crone and Poirier announced the end of their ten-year partnership.[19] He said that he would search for a new partner to continue his competitive career and did not exclude looking internationally.[20]
Poirier contacted American ice dancerPiper Gilles to arrange a tryout.[21][22] On July 27, 2011, the two confirmed they had teamed up to represent Canada.[23] They were unable to compete internationally in their first season due to Gilles needing a release fromU.S. Figure Skating.[23] They decided to train under Carol Lane at the Scarboro Figure Skating Club at the Ice Galaxy inScarborough,Ontario.[23][24] Their free dance was choreographed byChristopher Dean inColorado Springs, Colorado, in early June.[7]
Gilles/Poirier won the bronze medal at the2012 Canadian Championships. Due to their ineligibility for international competition that season, fourth-place finishersRalph/Hill were named to Canada's delegation to the2012 World Championships.[25]
In September 2012, Gilles and Poirier won gold at theU.S. Classic. They received two Grand Prix assignments,2012 Skate Canada International and2012 Trophée Éric Bompard.[26] They finished fourth and sixth at the two events and then won the silver medal at the2013 Canadian Championships. They were fifth at the2013 Four Continents, winning a small bronze medal for the free dance, and eighteenth attheir first World Championships, held inLondon, Ontario.[27]
In May 2013, Poirier sustained a serious ankle injury, delaying the duo's preparation for the upcoming season.[28] Their assigned events for the 2013-14 Grand Prix season were theNHK Trophy, where they finished fifth, and theRostelecom Cup, where they placed sixth.[29] Gilles became a Canadian citizen in December 2013,[28] making Gilles and Poirier eligible to participate in the Olympics.
Hampered by Poirier's injury, the duo finished fourth at the2014 Canadian Championships and were not selected for the Canadian Olympic team. Years later, Gilles would admit that the result "was definitely disappointing, but it really made us who we are right now. We didn't want that big upset to change our goals in the future, and I think that made us stronger, more comfortable with each other because we really had to lean on each other. So I think it made all of us closer and better as athletes and more well-rounded."[30]
Instead of the Olympics, they were sent to the2014 Four Continents Championship, where they won the silver medal, placing behind Gilles' former partnerZachary Donohue and his new partnerMadison Hubbell. Poirier opined that "we're going to take this competition with us because it taught us a lot about resilience and about being able to come back so quickly after nationals."[31]
Gilles/Poirier won silver at both of their Grand Prix events, the2014 Skate Canada International and2014 Trophée Éric Bompard.[32] These results qualified them for the2014–15 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, where they placed fifth. At the2015 Canadian Championships, they won the silver medal behindWeaver/Poje. The two capped off their season with a sixth-place finish at the2015 World Championships.[27]
Gilles/Poirier opened their season with a win at the2015 Ondrej Nepela Trophy. They finished as second alternates for the Grand Prix Final after taking bronze at the2015 Skate America and silver at the2015 Trophée Éric Bompard. After repeating as national silver medallists at the2016 Canadian Championships.[33]
They finished fifth at the2016 Four Continents Championships, a result they considered disappointing, and which prompted significant revisions to their short dance program, which had initially been developed as a mix of music byThe Beatles andWolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The revisions made the dance primarily set to Beatles music. At the2016 World Championships inBoston, Gilles/Poirier debuted the new program iteration, finishing fifth in the short and making the final flight in the free dance for the first time in their partnership. Poirier called this "something new for us and something that we’ve wanted, and it’s one of the things we really hoped we’d be able to do this year."[34] They finished eighth in the free dance, dropping to eighth overall.[27]
The ISU subsequently adopted elements of the short dance choreography debuted in Boston as a newpattern dance called the March, credited to Poirier, Gilles, their coach Carol Lane, and choreographerJuris Razgulajevs.[35]
The 2016–17 season featured the return to competition ofTessa Virtue andScott Moir, which affected the standings of the other Canadian ice dance teams.[30] Gilles/Poirier took bronze at the2016 Skate Canada International, the2016 Trophée de France, and the2017 Canadian Championships. The two struggled with mistakes in their disco-themed short dance for much of the season, with a stumble at the French event and Gilles falling at the2017 Four Continents Championships. Gilles described the results as "physically hard and definitely tough mentally."[36] They finished eighth at the2017 World Championships inHelsinki.[27]
Gilles/Poirier placed fourth at both of their Grand Prix assignments, the2017 Skate America and2017 Rostelecom Cup. Following this, the two opted to change their free dance program mid-season, discarding an initialfilm noir-themed routine for aJames Bond program. Poirier explained that they felt the need for "a more accessible vehicle going into the Olympics and one that (fans) can more readily identify with."[37] Their scores dramatically improved with the new program, and they earned the silver medal at the2018 Canadian championships on the way to qualifying for the2018 Winter Olympics inPyeongchang,South Korea. Gilles described this as "a breath of fresh air because we've worked our entire lives for that Olympic moment; qualifying for the games has always been my dream."[38] The duoplaced eighth at their first Olympics and ended the season with a sixth-place finish at the2018 World Championships.[27]
For their free dance, Gilles/Poirier envisioned a tribute to the artistVincent van Gogh and arranged for the British busker act Govardo to create a cover version of theDon McLean song "Vincent" that had the tempo changes necessary for an ice dance program.[39] "Vincent" would become the team's most acclaimed program to date. Gilles would later reflect on the season and say: "We find that this program brings a different energy every time we compete it. That’s why so many people can connect with it. It can touch people in so many different emotional ways. Every time we perform it, we’re drawing a new feeling from it."[5]
FollowingKaitlyn Weaver andAndrew Poje's decision not to skate the2018–19 Grand Prix series, Gilles/Poirier became the top-ranked Canadian team competing there.[39] They won their first outing of the season, theNebelhorn Trophy, having placed first in both segments. The band Govardo attended the event, meeting them for the first time.[40] At their firstGrand Prix event, the2018 Skate Canada International, Gilles fell during the rhythm dance, leaving them in sixth place. The two set a new personal best in the free dance, rebounding to capture the bronze medal.[41] They won a second bronze medal at the2018 Internationaux de France, ending as second alternates for the Grand Prix Final.[42] Following this, it was announced that they had been added belatedly to the ice dance competition at theGolden Spin of Zagreb.[43] They won the event, which they described as a means of regaining "positive energy" after missing the Grand Prix Final.[5]
At the2019 Canadian Championships, Gilles/Poirier placed second in the rhythm dance, behind Weaver/Poje, due to lower scores on the Tango Romantica pattern.[44] They won the free dance but finished second overall by 1.47 points.[45]
At the2019 Four Continents Championships, Gilles/Poirier placed fourth in the rhythm dance, behind Hubbell/Donohue,Chock/Bates, and Weaver/Poje. They achieved their best results to date on the Tango Romantica pattern.[46] In the free dance, they placed second, passing Weaver/Poje in the free for the second event in a row, while Hubbell/Donohue had a major stationary lift error that dropped them to fourth in the free dance and fourth overall. Gilles/Poirier won the bronze medal overall, their first Four Continents podium since 2014.[47] They finished the season at the2019 World Championships, where they placed seventh.[48]
In designing their rhythm dance for theBroadway musical theme, the team settled onMack and Mabel, famously used decades earlier byTorvill and Dean, though they sought to avoid closely paralleling the music used in their version.[49] For the free dance, they sought a Canadian artist, as the2020 World Championships were scheduled to be held inMontreal. Ultimately, they settled onJoni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now", familiar to both of them for its use in the filmLove Actually.[50]
Gilles/Poirier began the season at the2019 Autumn Classic, winning by over eighteen points over silver medallistsFear/Gibson.[51] For their firstGrand Prix assignment, they competed at the2019 Skate Canada International inKelowna. They placed second in the rhythm dance, 0.63 points behind defending champions Hubbell/Donohue.[52] They won the free dance and took the gold medal overall by 2.70 points over Hubbell/Donohue, Gilles/Poirier's first Grand Prix gold medal, with Gilles saying they had "worked really hard for this moment."[53] For their second event, the2019 Rostelecom Cup, they placed second in the free dance behind reigning World silver medallistsSinitsina/Katsalapov.[54] Second in the free dance as well, they won the silver medal and qualified to theGrand Prix Final for the first time in five years. Poirier remarked that they had "had a lot of ups and downs" in the years since and, at times, had doubted whether it would happen again.[55]
At theGrand Prix Final inTorino, Gilles/Poirier placed sixth in the rhythm dance, which was called "a bit disappointing" in comparison to their earlier Grand Prix results.[56] Fourth in the free dance, they rose to fifth overall, equalling their placement in 2014.[57]
Gilles/Poirier were the heavy favourites going into the2020 Canadian Championships. At the beginning of the rhythm dance, Gilles' hair became caught on Poirier's jacket, though his only affected their choreography rather than one of the technical elements. They nevertheless completed the program and led second-place finishersLajoie/Lagha by 11.60 points going in the free dance.[58] Winning the free dance as well by a wide margin, they claimed their first Canadian national title, which Gilles called "absolutely thrilling."[59]
Competing at the2020 Four Continents Championships inSeoul, Gilles/Poirier placed third in the rhythm dance, levels on the Finnstep pattern dance being the main difference between them and American rivalsChock/Bates and Hubbell/Donohue.[60] Second in the free dance, they rose to the silver medal overall, with Gilles remarking "I think we are very happy with ourselves."[61] They were assigned to compete at theWorld Championships, but these were cancelled as a result of thecoronavirus pandemic.[62]
Gilles/Poirier were assigned to the2020 Skate Canada International, but the event was also cancelled due to the pandemic.[63] With the pandemic continuing to make in-person competitions difficult, Gilles/Poirier competed at a virtually-held 2021 Skate Canada Challenge, winning the gold medal by a margin of 16.42 points over silver medallistsFournier Beaudry/Sørensen. The2021 Canadian Championships were subsequently cancelled.[64][65]
On February 25, Gilles and Poirier were announced as part of the Canadian team to the2021 World Championships, to be held inStockholm without an audience due to the pandemic.[66] Four-time and defending World championsPapadakis/Cizeron had declined to attend the event due to the pandemic and their own past COVID illness, resulting in the podium being considered more open than in previous seasons, with Gilles/Poirier among the six teams viewed as contenders.[67] They placed fourth in the rhythm dance, 1.78 points behindChock/Bates in third. They came second in the free dance with a new personal test in both that segment and in total score, rising to third overall and finishing only 0.36 points behind the silver medals,Madison Hubbell and Gilles' former partnerZachary Donohue. Poirier remarked afterwards that it had "been a very long time for us; we were kind of stuck between sixth and eighth for a very long time, essentially since 2014, so I think just the pent-up frustration of so many years, being able to accomplish this just feels like such a nice relief."[68] Their placement combined with Fournier Beaudry/Sørensen's eighth-place qualified three berths for Canadian dance teams at the2022 Winter Olympics.[69]
In the aftermath of their World medal win, Gilles and Poirier could not tour with ice shows due to ongoing pandemic restrictions and so focused on their preparations for the Olympic season. They selected anElton John medley for the rhythm dance. For the free dance, they collaborated with the band Govardo for the second time, having them craft a new cover version ofthe Beatles' song "The Long and Winding Road", which they described as "really about the road that brought us to this Olympic moment and our story."[70] Making their season's debut at the2021 CS Autumn Classic International, they won the event for the second time in the first major skating competition held in Canada in a year and a half.[71]
Gilles/Poirier started on theGrand Prix at the2021 Skate Canada International, where they improved their personal best in the rhythm dance by over two points for an 85.65 score. Winning the free dance, they also claimed their second consecutive gold medal at the event.[72] At their second event, the2021 Internationaux de France, they placed second in both segments to take the silver medal, albeit with lower scores than at their preceding two events of the season.[73] Assessing the results, Gilles said that she felt they had "made some improvements compared to Skate Canada, but our score is a bit lower, and we need to go back and evaluate that."[74] Their results qualified them to theGrand Prix Final, but it was subsequently cancelled due to restrictions prompted by theOmicron variant.[75]
At the2022 Canadian Championships, held inOttawa without an audience due to the pandemic, Gilles/Poirier easily won both segments of the competition to take their second national title. They described nervousness at debuting new choreographic changes since the Grand Prix.[76] The following day, they were named to their secondCanadian Olympic team.[77]
Gilles/Poirier began the2022 Winter Olympics as the Canadian entries in the rhythm dance segment of theOlympic team event. Both lost a level on their twizzles and, as a result, unexpectedly finished fourth behind ItaliansGuignard/Fabbri, taking seven points for the Canadian team. Theirs was the highest placement for Canada on the first day of competition, which was notably missing Canadian men's championKeegan Messing due to COVID-19 rules.[78][79] They also skated the free dance segment, finishing third, while Team Canada came fourth overall.[80] Days later in thedance event, Gilles/Poirier placed sixth in the rhythm dance, with their 83.52 score below their season's best due to Gilles' twizzle bobble.[81][82] In the free dance, Gilles was unable to get into proper position in the first part of their combination lift, resulting in them placing seventh in that segment and dropping to seventh overall. She said after that it "wasn’t the skate that we wanted. And you know, it's definitely hard."[83]
Interviewed afterward by theUniversity of Toronto'sThe Varsity, Poirier reflected on the Olympics, saying that he and Gilles were undecided about attempting to compete at the2026 Winter Olympics. He ventured that he had come to terms with the possibility of never winning an Olympic medal, saying, "it's really nice to have medals, but they don't transform who you are as a person the way that living does. In the end, you have to make peace with what happens."[84]
Gilles and Poirier concluded the season at the2022 World Championships, held with Russian dance teams absent due to theInternational Skating Union banning all Russian athletes due to their country'sinvasion of Ukraine.[85] Gilles/Poirier were fifth in both segments of the competition, finishing fifth overall.[86][87] Poirier said that "I don't think the results in the second half of the season were exactly how we wanted them to be, but I think, especially after the free dance skate at the Olympics, we were so proud of our performance today, and we had a blast."[87] They performed their trademark "Vincent" program in the exhibition gala, accompanied by a live performance by the band Govardo.[88]
Gilles and Poirier took a lengthy break from training following the Olympic season and contemplated retirement. By mid-July, they had decided to continue, but as a result of the late start, they did not participate in theChallenger events before the start of theGrand Prix.[89] For their free program, they opted to useAndrew Lloyd Webber'sEvita, music that they had periodically discussed using at points over the preceding decade. Poirier said they related to the story of "Eva trying to find her way and figure out what she's going to do and who she's going to be and what she's going to stand for."[90]
Seeking a third consecutive victory atSkate Canada International to open the season, Gilles/Poirier set a new personal best (87.23) in the rhythm dance and nearly equaling their best in the free dance. They won the gold medal by 6.52 points over BritonsFear/Gibson.[91] At their second assignment, the2022 Grand Prix of Espoo, they won the rhythm dance with another new personal best in that segment (87.80), almost seven points ahead of second-placeHawayek/Baker of the USA.[92] They set a personal best in the free dance as well (131.69) and won their second Grand Prix gold medal with a 17.03-point margin over the silver medalists, and qualified to theGrand Prix Final in first position. In anticipation of the event, Poirier said, "the next two weeks will really be about managing our energy."[93][94]
As the top seed, Gilles/Poirier entered the Final inTurin as the presumptive favourites, albeit not firmly so, against struggling American pre-season favouritesChock/Bates and Italian championsGuignard/Fabbri competing on home ice. They finished first in the rhythm dance, 0.44 points ahead of a resurgent Chock/Bates. They received lower levels on some elements than in previous events, which Poirier called "a fair assessment" that he attributed to hesitance in the face of strong competition.[95][96] They won the free dance as well, taking the gold medal, the most significant victory of their careers thus far, and the first Grand Prix Final victory for any Canadian competitor sinceVirtue/Moir in2016.[97] Gilles assessed that they "felt great today, from start to finish."[98] Their training mates,Nadiia Bashynska andPeter Beaumont, won gold in theJunior Grand Prix Final on the same day.[99]
Gilles, who had begun to experiencefatigue and left-side abdominal pain during the Grand Prix series, required surgery to remove what proved to be acancerousleft ovary, as well as herappendix.[100] This surgery was initially reported to the public as anappendectomy, as a result of which the team withdrew from the2023 Canadian Championships.[101][100] They were provisionally assigned to the2023 Four Continents Championships, but subsequently withdrew to focus on recovery.[102] Poirier would later say "this is one of my best friends, someone I've known for a chunk of my life, and we were thinking about her mental well-being through this, too."[100]
Able to return to competition for the2023 World Championships inSaitama, Gilles/Poirier finished in third place in the rhythm dance, less than a point behind second-place Guignard/Fabbri but solidly behind segment leaders Chock/Bates. Gilles said that she was "so proud of what we accomplished today, with being a little bit nerve wracking not having two competitions under our belt, missing out on that."[103] They were third in the free dance as well, winning their second World bronze medal. She called it "such a special year, so just finishing this season with a medal gives us confidence knowing that we did our job this season."[104] With Chock/Bates and Guignard/Fabbri joining them on the podium, it was the first at the World Championships ice dance event where all medalists were aged 30 or older.[105]
Following the World Championships, Gilles/Poirier toured Japan withStars on Ice before joining Team Canada at theWorld Team Trophy for the first time. Gilles was named the team captain. They finished third in the rhythm dance after Gilles lost a twizzle level.[106] They were third in the free dance as well.[107] Team Canada finished in sixth place.[108]
Gilles and Poirier spent much of the summer performing in ice shows, and did not compete on theChallenger series. For their free dance for the season they choseRyuichi Sakamoto's score for the1992 film adaptation ofEmily Brontë'sWuthering Heights. Poirier said their interest was in "the theme of love and hatred and how it exists. And in some cases they can coexist. You can deeply love someone and deeply hate them at the same time. And the tension between those two emotions is really what we are trying to explore."[109]
Beginning theGrand Prix at the2023 Skate Canada International, they won the gold medal with a score only 0.48 higher than their personal best, nearly ten points clear of repeat silver medalistsFear/Gibson.[110] They next appeared at theCup of China for the first time in their careers, entering as the favourites, but encountered difficulties in the rhythm after Gilles had a twizzle error. They placed second in the segment, 0.98 points behind fellow CanadiansLajoie/Lagha.[111] Gilles explained afterward that "our big focus of the program was to try to amplify the energy and performance," opining that "I felt I gave too much, and so I wasn't really grounded."[112] She also had a twizzle error in the free dance, but they still placed first in that segment and rose to the gold medal position, finishing 1.81 points ahead of Lajoie/Lagha.[113]
Returning to China for the2023–24 Grand Prix Final, this time inBeijing, Gilles/Poirier came third in the rhythm dance, narrowly behindGuignard/Fabbri in second place but nearly nine points clear of Fear/Gibson in fourth due to errors by the latter. Third in the free dance as well, they won the bronze medal.[114]
Gilles/Poirier successfully recaptured the Canadian national title by a wide margin at the2024 Canadian Championships inCalgary.[115] Gilles felt they "really skated like champions today. We stepped out onto the ice and just remembered who we were and why we're here."[116] They then journeyed again to China at month's end for the2024 Four Continents Championships, held inShanghai. With principal rivalsChock/Bates absent, Gilles/Poirier entered the event as heavy favourites for the gold medal. They won both segments of the competition to take their first Four Continents title, of which Poirier said they were "really proud."[117] “I think we’re really pleased,” said Poirier. “It’s such a big milestone in our career, so I think we’re really proud of ourselves to be able to win a competition of this caliber at this point in our careers."[118]
The2024 World Championships were held inMontreal, the second home World Championships in Gilles/Poirier's career together, which they called "a full-circle moment."[119] They came third in the rhythm dance, 1.01 points behind Guignard/Fabbri in second and 3.57 points behind segment leaders Chock/Bates. In the free dance, they scored a new personal best of 133.14, and won the segment, moving up to second place overall, 2.52 behind Chock/Bates. Gilles/Poirier received a gold small medal for the free dance, and the overall silver medal. Gilles opined that "winning the free I think shows that we're capable of being on top of the podium at the World Championships."[120]
With the rhythm dance theme for the season being "Social Dances and Styles of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s," Gilles and Poirier decided to explore what he described as the "really idyllic American dream that doesn't really exist, but was just so prevalent in the media of that era, of that picture perfect California world." The program featured the music of theBeach Boys andThe Surfaris.[121] They planned a range of costumes for the course of the season modelled onBarbie andKen, Gilles adding "what's more California than Barbie and Ken?"[122] For the free dance, they chose to adapt one of their show programs from the summer's Stars on Ice tour, usingAnnie Lennox's cover of "A Whiter Shade of Pale".[121]
Gilles/Poirier started the season by competing on the2024–25 Grand Prix circuit, winning2024 Skate Canada International for a fifth time. Poirier said that they aimed to avoid over-training in the manner they felt they had done at the start of the prior season.[123] Going on to compete at the2024 Finlandia Trophy, the team won the rhythm dance but only placed fourth in the free dance after their blades collided during their twizzles, causing Poirier to fall. They would win the silver medal overall, thus qualifying for the2024–25 Grand Prix Final.[124] Poirier made another significant error at the Final, falling in the pattern step element, as a result of which they placed a distant sixth among the six teams competing in the segment. They rebounded in the free dance, coming second in that segment, rising to fifth overall. They finished 0.57 points behind fellow CanadiansLajoie/Lagha in fourth.[125]
Following the disappointment on the Grand Prix, Gilles/Poirier won their fourth national title at the2025 Canadian Championships by a wide margin. Poirier said that their two solid programs on home ice were enough to give them "confidence in ourselves."[126]
Gilles/Poirier entered the2025 Four Continents Championships as the defending champions, but this time competing against reigning World championsChock/Bates, who had missed the prior edition. In the rhythm dance, Gilles/Poirier won the segment with a 1.01-point lead over Chock/Bates in second. They received a gold small medal. They came narrowly second in the free dance, but remained first overall by 0.53 points, successfully retaining their Four Continents title. Of the competition with the Americans, Poirier observed "it's nice to have that motivation."[127]
The2025 World Championships were held inBoston. Following their rhythm dance performance, where they placed second with a score of 86.44, Poirier recalled their performance at the 2016 World Championships in the same venue, saying that "had a really memorable performance in the short the last time. I think we felt that same energy today." The team finished 3.74 points behind Chock/Bates, a difficult margin to overcome, but also nearly three points clear of Fear/Gibson in third.[128] Gilles/Poirier finished second in the free dance as well, albeit by a narrower margin behind the Americans, and took their second consecutive World silver medal, and fourth World medal overall.[129] Gilles said they were "really proud of ourselves. We wanted to be on top of the podium here, so it is a little disappointing, but there's not much to be disappointed about because we had two wonderful skates."[130] “We were so settled from the moment it started,” said Gilles of the free dance. “It was the calmest we’ve felt all year. We just wanted to enjoy this program one last time. To put it out on the ice when it really counts is so special.[129]
Selected to compete for Team Canada at the2025 World Team Trophy, Gilles/Poirier placed second in all segments of the ice dance event and Team Canada finished in fifth place overall.[131][132][133] “It’s been a really fulfilling season in a lot of ways,” said Poirier after the free dance. “We felt so strong and prepared throughout this entire second half of the season, and that teaches us a lot about ourselves and what kind of preparation we need to skate at our best. So, I think we’re going to take that lesson with us as we head into the Olympic season, which has now started for us. Here we are.”[133]
Gilles and Poirier opened their season at2025 Skate Canada International, winning their sixth consecutiveSkate Canada International title. They placed first in theRhythm dance, earning the highest score thus far of the season. The team revived their popular "Vincent"Free Dance, but had a small slip on the curve lift, placing second in this segment. However, they still maintained first place overall for the gold. “It’s just one of those things, sometimes timing just isn’t right,” Gilles explained of the lift. “It just kind of slipped and it didn’t stay in the position. It was a huge mistake, but again, it’s something that we can learn from.”[134]
Three weeks later, Gilles and Poirier competed at2025 Finlandia Trophy. It was noted during the Rhythm Dance that nearly all the ice dance teams at this event received low scores on some elements, particularly the step sequences. Gilles relayed that there was room for growth for the technical panel: “We love this sport. I think where our system is right now is at a crossroad, and I think the viewership is also understanding that we’re kind of in that situation. Like, they don’t know what’s happening when they see an exclamation point. What the heck does that even mean, you know? So there’s just moments in our sport that we’ve lost that connection to who’s watching and also the connection between who’s controlling our fate. And I think that’s where this needs to change. The judges should judge what they see, the beauty and the artistry of this sport. So, I hope that there’s a way that we can move forward and open it up and truly be creative, because I think that’s what the fans are wanting. They’re wanting to come back and support this sport, but I think if our system is still this way, I don’t think we’re going to keep bringing in the people, because we’re discouraged and the audience is discouraged.”[135]
Gilles and Poirier ultimately placed second overall at this event, qualifying for the 2025-26Grand Prix Final. “The crowd has been so welcoming of us both," said Poirier after the Free Dance. "They really got behind our performance, so it’s been a real joy to be able to compete here this week. We’ve had low levels this week, so we’ll have some things we need to work on. We do have a little bit of time now before the Final to clean some things up before we go out there, but I think we’re really excited to qualify for the Final again and to take the next step closer to the Games.”[135]
| Season | Rhythm dance | Free dance | Exhibition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–2026 [136] |
|
| |
| 2024–2025 [137] |
|
|
|
| 2023–2024 [138] |
|
| |
| 2022–2023 [139] |
|
| |
| 2021–2022 [70] |
|
|
|
| 2019–2021 [140][141] |
|
|
|
| 2018–2019 [11][142] |
|
|
|
| Short dance | |||
| 2017–2018 [143][144][145] |
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| |
| 2016–2017 [147][145] |
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| 2015–2016 [148][149][150] |
| ||
| 2014–2015 [151] |
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| 2013–2014 [152][153] |
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| 2012–2013 [26][154] |
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| 2011–2012 |
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| Season | Short dance | Free dance | Exhibition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–2011 [155][156] |
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| Original dance | |||
| 2009–2010 [157] |
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| 2008–2009 [13][16][158] |
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| 2007–2008 [12][159][160] |
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| 2006–2007 [161] |
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| Season | Short program | Free skating |
|---|---|---|
| 2008–2009 [162] |
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|
| Season | 2011–12 | 2012–13 | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics | 8th | 7th | |||||||||||||
| Winter Olympics (Team event) | 4th | ||||||||||||||
| World Championships | 18th | 8th | 6th | 8th | 8th | 6th | 7th | C | 3rd | 5th | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | ||
| Four Continents Championships | 5th | 2nd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | ||||||
| Grand Prix Final | 5th | 5th | C | 1st | 3rd | 5th | |||||||||
| Canadian Championships | 3rd | 2nd | 4th | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | C | 1st | 1st | 1st | ||
| World Team Trophy | 6th (3rd) | 5th (2nd) | |||||||||||||
| GPCup of China | 1st | ||||||||||||||
| GPFinland | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | ||||||||||||
| GPFrance | 6th | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | |||||||||
| GPNHK Trophy | 5th | ||||||||||||||
| GPRostelecom Cup | 6th | 4th | 2nd | ||||||||||||
| GPSkate America | 3rd | 4th | |||||||||||||
| GPSkate Canada | 4th | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | C | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | ||||
| CSAutumn Classic | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | 1st | |||||||||||
| CSGolden Spin of Zagreb | 1st | ||||||||||||||
| CSNebelhorn Trophy | 3rd | 1st | |||||||||||||
| CSOndrej Nepela Trophy | 1st | ||||||||||||||
| Skate Canada Challenge | 1st | 1st | 1st | ||||||||||||
| U.S. Classic | 1st |
|
|
| Season | 2007–08 | 2008–09 |
|---|---|---|
| JGPFrance | 10th | |
| Canadian Championships | 2nd J | 11th S |
| Date | Event | SD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Nov 30 – Dec 4, 2011 |  2012 Skate Canada Challenge | 1 | 58.79 | 1 | 94.66 | 1 | 153.45 |
| Jan 16–22, 2012 | 2012 Canadian Championships | 3 | 68.41 | 3 | 111.61 | 3 | 180.02 |
| Date | Event | SD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 13–16, 2012 |  2012 U.S. International Classic | 3 | 55.98 | 1 | 90.92 | 1 | 146.90 |
| Oct 26–28, 2012 | 2012 Skate Canada International | 5 | 58.79 | 4 | 94.66 | 4 | 153.45 |
| Nov 15–18, 2012 |  2012 Trophée Éric Bompard | 6 | 51.99 | 6 | 83.87 | 6 | 135.86 |
| Jan 13–20, 2013 | 2013 Canadian Championships | 2 | 67.95 | 2 | 102.86 | 2 | 170.81 |
| Feb 6–11, 2013 |  2013 Four Continents Championships | 5 | 60.20 | 3 | 97.63 | 5 | 157.83 |
| Mar 11–17, 2013 | 2013 World Championships | 15 | 58.61 | 18 | 81.41 | 18 | 140.02 |
| Date | Event | SD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Nov 8–10, 2013 | 2013 NHK Trophy | 5 | 55.20 | 5 | 88.87 | 5 | 144.07 |
| Nov 22–24, 2013 |  2013 Rostelecom Cup | 6 | 51.14 | 6 | 83.52 | 6 | 134.66 |
| Jan 9–15, 2014 | 2014 Canadian Championships | 4 | 65.11 | 4 | 99.41 | 4 | 164.52 |
| Jan 20–26, 2014 |  2014 Four Continents Championships | 1 | 62.38 | 2 | 91.33 | 2 | 153.71 |
| Mar 24–30, 2014 | 2014 World Championships | 10 | 59.42 | 7 | 94.44 | 8 | 153.86 |
| Date | Event | SD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Oct 15–16, 2014 | 2014 CS Autumn Classic International | 4 | 53.52 | 2 | 89.10 | 2 | 142.52 |
| Oct 31 – Nov 2, 2014 | 2014 Skate Canada International | 4 | 57.35 | 2 | 95.25 | 2 | 152.60 |
| Nov 21–23, 2014 | 2014 Trophée Éric Bompard | 2 | 61.90 | 2 | 95.68 | 2 | 157.58 |
| Dec 11–14, 2014 |  2014–15 Grand Prix Final | 4 | 62.49 | 5 | 95.67 | 5 | 158.16 |
| Jan 19–25, 2015 | 2015 Canadian Championships | 2 | 70.03 | 2 | 104.67 | 2 | 174.70 |
| Feb 9–15, 2015 |  2015 Four Continents Championships | 4 | 63.45 | 4 | 98.80 | 4 | 162.25 |
| Mar 23–29, 2015 |  2015 World Championships | 7 | 65.90 | 6 | 99.32 | 6 | 165.22 |
| Date | Event | SD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Oct 1–3, 2015 |  2015 CS Ondrej Nepela Trophy | 3 | 62.56 | 1 | 96.58 | 1 | 159.14 |
| Oct 23–25, 2015 | 2015 Skate America | 3 | 61.33 | 3 | 96.25 | 3 | 157.58 |
| Nov 13–15, 2015 | 2015 Trophée Éric Bompard | 2 | 63.94 | – | – | 2 | 63.94 |
| Jan 18–24, 2016 | 2016 Canadian Championships | 2 | 70.63 | 2 | 109.19 | 2 | 179.82 |
| Feb 16–21, 2016 | 2016 Four Continents Championships | 5 | 63.92 | 5 | 98.27 | 5 | 162.19 |
| Mar 28 – Apr 3, 2016 | 2016 World Championships | 5 | 70.70 | 8 | 102.37 | 8 | 173.07 |
Note: The2015 Trophée Éric Bompard was cancelled after theNovember 2015 Paris attacks. The short programs had been completed on November 13, but the free skates were to be held the next day.[164] On November 23, theInternational Skating Union announced that the short program results would be considered as the final results for the competition.[165]
| Date | Event | SD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 22–24, 2016 |  2016 CS Nebelhorn Trophy | 3 | 70.32 | 3 | 106.52 | 3 | 176.84 |
| Oct 28–30, 2016 | 2016 Skate Canada International | 3 | 72.12 | 3 | 110.45 | 3 | 182.57 |
| Nov 11–13, 2016 | 2016 Trophée de France | 4 | 64.74 | 3 | 106.04 | 3 | 170.78 |
| Nov 30 – Dec 4, 2016 | 2017 Skate Canada Challenge | 1 | 80.04 | 1 | 116.24 | 1 | 196.28 |
| Jan 16–22, 2017 | 2017 Canadian Championships | 1 | 78.15 | 1 | 111.74 | 1 | 189.89 |
| Feb 15–19, 2017 | 2017 Four Continents Championships | 7 | 61.21 | 5 | 108.93 | 6 | 170.14 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 2, 2017 |  2017 World Championships | 9 | 72.83 | 7 | 106.16 | 8 | 178.99 |
| Date | Event | SD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 20–23, 2017 | 2017 CS Autumn Classic International | 3 | 68.80 | 3 | 103.46 | 3 | 172.26 |
| Oct 27–29, 2017 | 2017 Rostelecom Cup | 4 | 69.67 | 4 | 102.62 | 4 | 172.29 |
| Nov 24–26, 2017 | 2017 Skate America | 5 | 64.07 | 4 | 102.47 | 4 | 166.54 |
| Jan 8–14, 2018 | 2018 Canadian Championships | 2 | 78.37 | 3 | 113.71 | 2 | 192.08 |
| Feb 19–20, 2018 | 2018 Winter Olympics | 9 | 69.60 | 8 | 107.31 | 8 | 176.91 |
| Mar 19–25, 2018 |  2018 World Championships | 6 | 74.51 | 6 | 111.59 | 6 | 186.10 |
| Date | Event | SD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 26–29, 2018 | 2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy | 1 | 77.40 | 1 | 116.72 | 1 | 194.12 |
| Oct 26–28, 2018 | 2018 Skate Canada International | 6 | 66.95 | 3 | 120.02 | 3 | 186.97 |
| Nov 23–25, 2018 | 2018 Internationaux de France | 3 | 74.25 | 3 | 114.49 | 3 | 188.74 |
| Dec 5–8, 2018 |  2018 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | 1 | 79.80 | 1 | 121.47 | 1 | 201.27 |
| Jan 13–20, 2019 | 2019 Canadian Championships | 2 | 83.08 | 1 | 129.23 | 2 | 212.31 |
| Feb 7–10, 2019 | 2019 Four Continents Championships | 4 | 78.05 | 2 | 124.40 | 3 | 202.45 |
| Mar 18–24, 2019 | 2019 World Championships | 8 | 80.44 | 7 | 120.48 | 7 | 200.92 |
| Date | Event | RD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 12–14, 2019 | 2019 CS Autumn Classic International | 1 | 79.61 | 1 | 122.88 | 1 | 202.49 |
| Oct 25–27, 2019 | 2019 Skate Canada International | 2 | 82.58 | 1 | 126.43 | 1 | 209.01 |
| Nov 15–17, 2019 | 2019 Rostelecom Cup | 2 | 82.56 | 2 | 125.08 | 2 | 207.64 |
| Dec 4–8, 2019 | 2019–20 Grand Prix Final | 6 | 79.53 | 4 | 123.97 | 5 | 203.50 |
| Jan 13–19, 2020 | 2020 Canadian Championships | 1 | 88.86 | 1 | 136.76 | 1 | 225.62 |
| Feb 4–9, 2020 | 2020 Four Continents Championships | 3 | 83.92 | 2 | 126.26 | 2 | 210.18 |
| Date | Event | RD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Jan 8–17, 2021 | 2021 Skate Canada Challenge | 1 | 87.96 | 1 | 135.37 | 1 | 223.33 |
| Mar 22–28, 2021 |  2021 World Championships | 4 | 83.37 | 2 | 130.98 | 3 | 214.35 |
| Date | Event | RD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 16–18, 2021 | 2021 CS Autumn Classic International | 1 | 83.35 | 1 | 125.62 | 1 | 208.97 |
| Oct 29–31, 2021 | 2021 Skate Canada International | 1 | 85.65 | 1 | 125.32 | 1 | 210.97 |
| Nov 19–21, 2021 | 2021 Internationaux de France | 2 | 81.35 | 2 | 121.81 | 2 | 203.16 |
| Jan 6–12, 2022 | 2022 Canadian Championships | 1 | 86.98 | 1 | 132.26 | 1 | 219.24 |
| Feb 4–7, 2022 | 2022 Winter Olympics – Team event | 4 | 82.72 | 3 | 124.39 | 4 | – |
| Feb 12–14, 2022 | 2022 Winter Olympics | 6 | 83.52 | 7 | 121.26 | 7 | 204.78 |
| Mar 21–27, 2022 | 2022 World Championships | 5 | 80.79 | 5 | 121.91 | 5 | 202.70 |
| Date | Event | RD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Oct 28–30, 2022 | 2022 Skate Canada International | 1 | 87.23 | 1 | 128.47 | 1 | 215.70 |
| Nov 25–27, 2022 | 2022 Grand Prix of Espoo | 1 | 87.80 | 1 | 131.69 | 1 | 219.49 |
| Dec 8–11, 2022 | 2022–23 Grand Prix Final | 1 | 85.93 | 1 | 129.71 | 1 | 215.64 |
| Mar 22–26, 2023 | 2023 World Championships | 3 | 87.34 | 3 | 130.54 | 3 | 217.88 |
| Apr 13–16, 2023 | 2023 World Team Trophy | 3 | 88.37 | 3 | 128.48 | 6 (3) | 216.85 |
| Date | Event | RD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Oct 27–29, 2023 | 2023 Skate Canada International | 1 | 87.55 | 1 | 131.46 | 1 | 219.01 |
| Nov 10–12, 2023 | 2023 Cup of China | 2 | 81.04 | 1 | 126.79 | 1 | 207.83 |
| Dec 7–10, 2023 | 2023–24 Grand Prix Final | 3 | 85.17 | 3 | 128.41 | 3 | 213.58 |
| Jan 8–14, 2024 | 2024 Canadian Championships | 1 | 86.78 | 1 | 136.17 | 1 | 222.95 |
| Jan 30 – Feb 4, 2024 | 2024 Four Continents Championships | 1 | 85.49 | 1 | 128.87 | 1 | 214.36 |
| Mar 18–24, 2024 | 2024 World Championships | 3 | 86.51 | 1 | 133.14 | 2 | 219.68 |
| Date | Event | RD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Oct 25–27, 2024 | 2024 Skate Canada International | 1 | 86.44 | 1 | 128.40 | 1 | 214.84 |
| Nov 15–17, 2024 | 2024 Finlandia Trophy | 1 | 84.65 | 4 | 116.14 | 2 | 200.79 |
| Dec 5–8, 2024 | 2024–25 Grand Prix Final | 6 | 72.15 | 2 | 127.12 | 5 | 199.27 |
| Jan 14-19, 2025 | 2025 Canadian Championships | 1 | 91.84 | 1 | 137.71 | 1 | 229.55 |
| Feb 19–23, 2025 | 2025 Four Continents Championships | 1 | 87.22 | 2 | 131.24 | 1 | 218.46 |
| Mar 26–30, 2025 | 2025 World Championships | 2 | 86.44 | 2 | 130.10 | 2 | 216.54 |
| Apr 17–20, 2025 | 2025 World Team Trophy | 2 | 87.15 | 2 | 131.91 | 5 (2) | 219.06 |
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