After years of dedication and near-misses, Canadian ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier have finally ascended to the Olympic podium, capturing the bronze medal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games. The victory marks a triumphant culmination for the four-time World Championships medallists, who have been knocking on the door of Olympic glory throughout their distinguished career spanning more than a decade.
The path to their first Olympic medal was anything but straightforward. Entering their third Olympic Games as a partnership, Gilles and Poirier brought with them a wealth of experience and a resume that included four podium finishes at the World Championships. Yet the Olympic medal had remained elusive—until now. Their performance in Italy not only secured Canada’s fifth Olympic medal in ice dance but also added another chapter to the nation’s rich legacy in the sport, which has become one of the country’s most successful winter Olympic disciplines.
The competition unfolded with intense drama across two days of fierce rivalry among the world’s best ice dance teams. Following the rhythm dance segment, the Canadian pair found themselves in a precarious position, holding third place with a slim margin of just 0.71 points over Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson. The narrow gap meant that any mistake in the free dance could cost them their podium position, while a flawless performance might solidify their standing and potentially move them even higher.
As fate would have it, the British duo faltered during their free dance, committing a significant error on their twizzle sequence—a technical element that carries substantial weight in the scoring system and requires precise synchronization and control. The mistake proved costly, causing Fear and Gibson to plummet down the final standings to seventh place overall. This development opened the door wider for Gilles and Poirier, but in Olympic competition, nothing is guaranteed until the final skater takes their bow, and the pressure remained immense.
What followed was nothing short of magical. Gilles and Poirier took to the ice for their free dance with a program that held deep personal significance. They had made the deliberate choice to return to a routine they first performed during the 2018-19 season, set to the poignant song “Vincent” by Don McLean, which pays tribute to Vincent van Gogh. The decision to revive this particular free dance was not merely strategic; it was emotional and deeply personal. The piece resonates profoundly with both skaters, and that connection was palpable in every movement, every gesture, and every moment of their performance at these Games.
As their program concluded, the emotion overflowed in a raw and beautiful display. Both Gilles and Poirier were moved to tears, the weight of the moment, the years of sacrifice, and the realization of their dream converging in a powerful release that touched everyone watching. The judges recognized the artistry and technical proficiency, awarding them a free dance score of 131.56 points. When combined with their rhythm dance total, their overall score of 217.74 propelled them into first place with just two teams remaining to compete, guaranteeing them at least a bronze medal.
The final results would see them ultimately settle into bronze position, but the achievement was no less spectacular. The American pair of Madison Chock and Evan Bates delivered a stunning free dance, earning 134.67 points for a total of 224.39, securing the silver medal. The gold medal was captured by the legendary French duo Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, whose mastery of the sport was evident in their free dance score of 135.64 and total of 225.82, cementing their status as one of the greatest ice dance teams in history.
For Canada, this bronze medal represents more than just a single victory—it continues a remarkable tradition in Olympic ice dance that has seen the country emerge as a powerhouse in the discipline. The nation has now claimed five Olympic medals in ice dance, with four of those coming in the last five Winter Games, demonstrating remarkable consistency and depth in the sport. The journey began with Tracy Wilson and Rob McCall, who won Canada’s first ice dance medal—a bronze on home ice at the Calgary 1988 Olympics. That achievement paved the way for the nation’s greatest ice dance icons, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, who became legends of the sport with their unprecedented run of three consecutive Olympic medals: gold at Vancouver 2010, silver at Sochi 2014, and gold again at PyeongChang 2018.
Gilles and Poirier’s bronze adds a new dimension to this legacy. While Virtue and Moir dominated their era with a famous rivalry against the American pair Meryl Davis and Charlie White, Gilles and Poirier have carved their own path through a highly competitive field that includes not only the American and French champions but also a deep international contingent of world-class ice dancers from Russia, Italy, and other nations.
The significance of this medal extends beyond the technical scores and placements. For Gilles and Poirier, it represents the fulfillment of a dream that has spanned over a decade of partnership, countless hours of training, and numerous near-misses at major championships. They have been mainstays on the international circuit, consistently producing programs that blend innovative choreography with genuine emotional depth. Their journey has been characterized by perseverance, as they have often found themselves just outside the top tier at major championships, despite their obvious talent and dedication to the craft.
The choice to return to their “Vincent” free dance speaks volumes about their approach to this Olympic season. Rather than creating a new program from scratch, they opted for a piece that they knew intimately, that had aged like fine wine in their repertoire, and that allowed them to focus on perfecting every detail rather than learning new choreography under the pressure of an Olympic year. The strategy paid dividends, as they delivered what many observers considered the most compelling performance of their careers at the most critical moment, when the stakes were highest.
The emotional response from both skaters upon completing their program resonated with audiences worldwide and exemplified the essence of Olympic sport. In a discipline where artistry and athleticism intersect so beautifully, Gilles and Poirier demonstrated that the most powerful performances come from a place of authentic connection—to the music, to the movement, and to each other. Their tears were not just of relief but of joy, pride, and the overwhelming emotion of achieving a goal that had motivated them through countless early mornings, injuries, setbacks, and sacrifices over their long career.
As they stood on the Olympic podium, medals finally around their necks, Gilles and Poirier represented not only their own achievement but also the continuation of Canada’s excellence in ice dance on the world stage. They join an elite group of Canadian skaters who have reached the sport’s highest level, and their bronze medal will undoubtedly inspire the next generation of ice dancers across the country to pursue their own Olympic dreams with renewed vigor and belief.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Games will be remembered for many moments of athletic excellence, but for Canadian figure skating fans, the image of Gilles and Poirier embracing at center ice, tears streaming down their faces, after delivering the performance of their lives, will endure as a testament to the power of perseverance, passion, and the pursuit of excellence against all odds. Their journey from World Championships medallists to Olympic bronze medallists is complete, and their place in Canadian Olympic history is forever secured.