TORONTO

Gilles and Poirier finally win Canadian title after being four-time runners-up

Published Saturday, January 18, 2020 3:42PM EST

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier compete during the senior ice dance free program at the 2020 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in Mississauga, Ont., on Saturday, January 18, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Hans Deryk

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MISSISSAUGA, ONT -- Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier captured their first Canadian ice dance title on Saturday.

Gilles, from Toronto, and Poirier, from Unionville, Ont., scored 136.76 for their free dance to Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now."

Their total score of 225.62 was a Canadian record. The scoring system has changed however, so scores aren't truly comparable to those prior to the 2018-19 season.

The victory comes after Gilles and Poirier had a major wardrobe malfunction in Friday's short dance. Gilles was looping under Poirier's arm when her hair got caught for several seconds in a button on his shirt.

Gilles and Poirier have been Canadian runners-up four times, to either two-time Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir or Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje.

Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha -- last season's world junior champions -- won the silver with 198.92 points, while Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus took the bronze (198.92).