Gilles, Poirier lead after rhythm dance at Canadian figure skating championships

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier led after Saturday's rhythm dance at the Canadian figure skating championships.

The four-time national champions scored 93.11 points — setting a personal best at nationals — to RuPaul's "Supermodel (You Better Work)" at Centre Slush Puppie in Gatineau, Que., where they received a standing ovation.

"We just skated like we were at home," Gilles said. "We just treated this run-through basically as a home run-through, and I think all the details and all the connection points that we've been working on over the last few weeks really felt like it was coming to life.

"Then hearing the crowd kind of interact with us a little bit, hype us up a bit, it was so special."

Gilles and Poirier, who were silver medallists in the last two world championships, will compete in their third Olympics in February's Milan Cortina Winter Games.

Canadian skaters Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier 1st after rhythm dance at nationals

Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, last year's silver medallists at the Canadian championships, sat second with 86.93.

Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac were third with 78.64, only 0.59 ahead of Alicia Fabbri and Paul Ayer in a battle for Canada's last Olympic spot.

Canada holds three ice dance entries for Milan. The full Olympic figure skating team will be announced Sunday after the free dance.

"By this time of the season, everybody is at the peak of performance, so you expect people to be that close," Le Gac said. "We were expecting a good competition."

Ayer and Fabbri led Lauriault and Le Gac by just 0.44 points after the rhythm dance at last year's nationals before finishing third to make Canada's world championship team.

"We knew it would come down to the free dance," Ayer said.