By: Pj Kwong

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier have long been artists in motion — but today, they are Olympic bronze medallists.

Sitting alone in my room watching the event unroll on TV like so many of us, I experienced a sort of flashback when I watched their faces crumple with emotion as their music faded to nothing and before they took their bows. In that moment, I was taken back to the beginning of their career when I saw them in the summer about 15 years ago at an Ice Dance Elite exhibition.

The potential was obvious, but I don’t think anyone could have predicted the challenges from injuries to family death to cancer that these two would have to face. There was no road map for what was to come and yet the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games and their free dance is now a snapshot in my mind, and I will always be able to tell you where I was in that moment.

With a performance that blended intricate choreography, emotional depth, and extraordinary difficulty, Gilles and Poirier captured the bronze medal in Olympic ice dance, adding a defining chapter to an already extraordinary career. From their opening pose to their final glide, they skated with the kind of conviction that only comes from years of trust, resilience, and shared vision.

For fans across Ontario and beyond, this moment felt both electric and earned. Gilles and Poirier have never chased trends; they’ve built programs that are intelligent, daring, and unmistakably their own. Their ability to marry technical precision with nuanced storytelling has set them apart on the world stage for years. On Olympic ice, under the brightest lights imaginable, they delivered when it mattered most.

This bronze medal is more than a podium finish — it is the culmination of perseverance. Through rule changes, evolving styles, and the relentless intensity of international competition, they have remained steadfast. Each season has revealed growth: deeper edges, more complex lifts, sharper unison, and an ever-expanding performance range. The result? A team that continues to evolve what ice dance can look like.

In arenas across the province, young dancers who have been watching Gilles and Poirier from the stands or on screens will now see what is possible. Olympic bronze is not simply a medal or confirmation of ice dance in Ontario — it is a beacon.

For Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, this achievement cements their legacy as one of Canada’s most innovative and enduring ice dance teams. For the rest of us, it’s a reminder of why we fell in love with the sport in the first place.

#SkateOntarioProud is only the beginning. Thank you, Piper, and Paul.