Figure skating-After cancer and loss, Gilles says simply skating at Olympics feels like a victory

MILAN, Feb 10 : No matter where Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier finish at the Milano Cortina Games, the Canadian ice dance duo believe they have already won simply by standing on Olympic ice again.

After surviving ovarian cancer, mourning her mother’s death from brain cancer, and returning to her sport with renewed purpose, Gilles says that while a medal would be "a blessing", it is perspective — not podiums — that now guides her skating. 

"Every time we step on the ice to go compete like this, this is just skating, this is a small piece in our life," the 34-year-old said after she and Poirier delivered a strong rhythm dance to sit behind the dominant French and American pairs. 

"We didn't even know we were going to come to the Olympics a couple of years ago, we just did it year by year, because we still continue to love skating," she said. 

Gilles underwent surgery in late 2022 to remove an ovary and appendix, later learning the tumour was cancerous. Her mother had died from glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in 2018. 

She has spoken openly about how both experiences changed her approach to skating.

"The people that have been there for us, they're even more important than the Olympic medal. And I think if you have that kind of perspective, you've already won," she said. 

The couple, who have been skating together for 14 years, finished fourth when they first stepped on the ice in Milan during the team event on Friday, feeling their timing was slightly off as they got carried away by the energy in the arena.

During the individual programme on Monday, they felt they had given everything. 

"We were really in the zone today, we were really focused," Poirier said. "We kind of had our blinders on... we went in feeling