Hubbell and Donohue Lead After Day One at 2019 Skate Canada International

Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue had Team USA’s top finish after the first day of competition at 2019 Skate Canada International in Kelowna, British Columbia, winning the rhythm dance. Additionally, Camden Pulkinen sits in podium position, finishing second in the men’s short program, while Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker claimed the third spot in the rhythm dance.

Fresh off a win at 2019 Skate America presented by American Cruise Lines, Hubbell and Donohue scored 83.21 points for their winning rhythm dance performance. The 2019 World bronze medalists received Grades of Execution over three points for two of their elements and were awarded Level 4 marks for their straight line lift.

In third place, Hawayek and Baker received a season’s best 79.52 points for their Saturday Night Fever-themed rhythm dance. They notched Level 4s for their twizzles and curve lift.

In their second career Grand Prix event as a team, Caroline Green and Michael Parsons also had a season’s best skate, collecting 69.00 points to finish in eighth place.

Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier sit in second place with 82.58 points.

In his Grand Prix debut, Pulkinen had a career-best performance, scoring 89.05 points and securing the second spot in the men’s short program. His clean skate included an opening quadruple toe loop as well as a triple Axel and triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination. The Colorado-based skater closed his program with a Level 4 combination spin.

Japan’s two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu claimed the top spot in the short with 109.60 points and Nam Nguyen of Canada sits in third with 84.08 points.

In the ladies competition, 2019 Skate America silver medalist Bradie Tennell placed fourth in the short program. Scoring 72.92 points, Tennell secured Level 4 marks for three elements and had the second highest program components score, 34.46.

Reigning Grand Prix Final champion Rika Kihira of Japan won the short program with 81.35 points. Republic of Korea’s Young You sits in second place (78.22) and reigning World Junior champion Alexandra Trusova placed third (74.40).

Alexa Knierim and Chris Knierim lead Team USA after the pairs short program, scoring 71.28 points to secure fourth place. In their season’s best skate, the duo was awarded Level 4 marks for their combination spin and Axel lift.

In sixth place after the short, Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson scored a season’s best 62.54 points. The pair opened with a strong triple twist and closed with a reverse lasso lift, which was their highest scoring element.

Russia’s Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii sit in first place (76.45), Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro of Canada finishing in second (75.50), and Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov of Russia placed third (73.57).

For more news and results from 2019 Skate Canada International, please visit the U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone. The competition can be streamed on the Figure Skating Pass on NBC Sports Gold.

Results