Canada's Gabrielle Daleman in Four Continents medal mix after skating to 4th in short program

Gabrielle Daleman is in the hunt for a medal at the Four Continents Championships in Beijing.

The two-time Olympic figure skater from Newmarket, Ont., landed three triple jumps to score 67.69 points in a clean short program Thursday, placing fourth heading into Friday's free skate.

Japanese skaters occupied the top three positions. Ami Nakai led the field with 73.83 points, followed by Yuna Aoki (71.41) and Mone Chiba (68.07). Each of them will compete in February at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

Daleman is competing in just her second international competition since missing the 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons with a back injury and two ankle surgeries.

The 28-year-old returned this season with hopes of becoming the first Canadian woman to reach three Olympics in singles, but Madeline Schizas earned Canada's lone spot for February's Milan-Cortina Winter Games.

Canada's Gabrielle Daleman sits just outside podium position at Four Continents

Schizas won her fourth national title at the Canadian championships in Gatineau, Que., on Jan. 11, while Daleman claimed a silver medal. Several Olympic-bound skaters, including Schizas, are not competing at Four Continents because of its close timing with the Games.

Elsewhere, two-time national ice dance bronze medallists Alicia Fabbri and Paul Ayer sat fourth following the rhythm dance.

Canadian ice dance duo Fabbri and Ayer in 4th place at Four Continents

Olympic ice dancers Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik led an American sweep.

The recently-crowned U.S. silver medallists, Zingas and Kolesnik scored 79.97 points for their rhythm dance to edge Caroline Parsons and Michael Brown, who scored 78.66 points. Oona Brown and Gage Brown were third with 74.24 points.

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