Gold for Deschamps and Stellato-Dudek in Finland

Maxime Deschamps and Deanna Stellato-Dudek win a second gold medal this season, this time at the ISU Grand Prix in Helsinki, Finland.

The Quebec duo, reigning world champions, were in the lead at the end of the short program on Friday with 75.89 points.

They collected 131.55 points during the free program, despite a fall from Stellato-Dudek, ensuring them to climb to the top of the podium with a cumulative total of 207.44.

They are ahead of the Hungarians Maria Pavlova and Alexei Sviatchenko (184.21) and the Italians Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini (181.59).

We have made some improvements [… ] We still have some technical issues to work on, so we'll go back and work on that, but our entire short and long program was better than the lastindicated in a press release Stellato-Dudek, who was crowned with his partner at the Skate Canada International Grand Prix, in Halifax, at the end of October.

Also participating in Finland, Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Éthier, who were 4th after the short program (60.45), managed to maintain their position by finishing just behind the Italians with a total of 178.57.

I'm really happy with our free program today. It was really fun with the crowd. Having been able to put in two great performances here in Finland, it's really good for usmentioned Kelly Ann Laurin at the end of the Grand Prix.

Our main goal today was to close the competition with a good performance and in the end, we ended it with a personal best, so it's a good start to the second half of our seasonadded Loucas Éthier.

In ice dancing, the Canadian duo composed of Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (200.79) finished 2nd ahead of the Finns Juulia Turkkila and Matthias Versluis (196.60). Britons Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson (203.22) won gold.

Gilles and Poirier were first after Saturday's rhythm dance, but a fall during the free program relegated them to 2nd place.

Another ISU Grand Prix will take place next weekend in Chongqing, China. A few Canadians will be there, including Madeline Schizas, Wesley Chiu as well as dancers Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha.

The Grand Prix Final will take place December 5-8 in Grenoble, France. - Sports will present the competitions on Tou.tv (New window).

With information from Sportcom and The Canadian Press