Ice dancers Gilles, Poirier sticking to their plan at worlds with gold medal in sight

With the top of the podium closer than ever, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier are keeping to the same tried and true script.

Canada's top ice dancers head into this week's world figure skating championships in Boston with momentum following a breakthrough victory over their American rivals at last month's Four Continents Championships.

Toronto's Gilles and Poirier, from Unionville, Ont., edged two-time reigning champions, and 2022 Olympic gold medallists, Madison Chock and Evan Bates to win gold by 0.53 points.

The margins were razor-thin then, and they're expected to be just as close this week.

"We're going into this event very confident and believing in our abilities," Poirier said in a recent conference call. "But I think that comes more from our training and our preparation than anything else."

Veterans on the world stage, Gilles and Poirier, both 33, will compete in their 12th world championships.

The three-time medallists took bronze in 2021 and 2023 before earning silver last year in Montreal, where their free dance topped Chock and Bates, more than demonstrating they were ready to contend for gold this year and at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.

Years of experience have shown the duo what works and what doesn't, Poirier said.

"We know exactly how we need to train and how to develop a program over the course of the season," he said. "We know what sells and what does well, and what shows off our best skating."

A key lesson has been learning to pace themselves over a long and demanding season.

WATCH | Gilles, Poirier dance to 2nd straight gold medal at Four Continents:

Canadians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier dance to a 2nd-straight gold medal at Four Continents

"Many years we've gone into worlds and we've