Gabrielle Daleman is currently vying for a medal at the Four Continents Championships in Beijing. The two-time Olympic figure skater from Newmarket, Ontario, successfully executed three triple jumps during a flawless short program on Thursday, earning a score of 67.69 points and securing the fourth position going into the free skate on Friday. The top three spots were 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 set to compete at the upcoming Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.
Daleman, who missed several seasons due to a back injury and two ankle surgeries, is participating in only her second international competition since her return. Despite her aspirations to be the first Canadian woman to attend three Olympics in singles, Madeline Schizas secured Canada’s sole spot for the Milan-Cortina Winter Games by winning the national title at the Canadian championships in Gatineau on January 11.
In other events, Alicia Fabbri and Paul Ayer, two-time national ice dance bronze medalists, were in fourth place after the rhythm dance. Meanwhile, Olympic ice dancers Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik led a sweep by American skaters, with Zingas and Kolesnik scoring 79.97 points in their rhythm dance routine.
The competition at Four Continents serves as a crucial opportunity for skaters to fine-tune their programs before the Milan Cortina Games commence in just under two weeks. The event witnessed Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Ethier, the reigning Canadian pairs bronze medalists, securing the fifth spot after their short program.
The U.S. champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov ranked third after the short program, with the Chinese pair of Sui Wenjing and Han Cong leading the pairs event. The competition is set to continue with the free dance, women’s free skate, men’s short program, and pairs free skate over the upcoming days before concluding on Sunday.