Kevin Aymoz Wins Second Grand Prix Title at Skate Canada
“I was already so happy just to be able to skate and return to competition, so this result is just incredible,” Kevin Aymoz said after capturing the gold medal at Skate Canada on Saturday, October 31, 2026.
The French figure skater from Grenoble secured the second Grand Prix title of his career in Kelowna, western Canada, france3-regions.franceinfo.fr reported. Aymoz delivered an elegant performance in the men’s free skate that earned him 168.17 points, bringing his overall winning total to 258.43 points after he collected 90.26 points in the short program.
Aymoz Wins Gold and Pereira and Michaud Take Pairs Title
Aymoz outperformed 18-year-old Japanese skater Rio Nakata, who entered the free skate holding the lead after winning the Friday short program. Nakata, the reigning double junior world champion, finished fourth in the free skate to take second place overall with a total of 249.25 points. The victory marks Aymoz’s second career Grand Prix gold following his triumph at Skate America last year.
Meanwhile, in the pairs competition at Skate Canada, Canadian skaters Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud claimed the gold medal. They finished first in the free program after also dominating the short program, totaling 202.17 points. American competitors Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov placed second with 191.90 points, while Swiss duo Oxana Vouillamoz and Tom Bouvart took third with 183.12 points.
Overcoming Health Obstacles Before Kelowna
The victory in Canada follows a challenging training period disrupted by health issues. The physical setbacks forced Aymoz to withdraw from the Masters competition in August at Louviers in the Eure department so he could focus entirely on international events.
“I know there is still a lot of work to do, both technically and artistically, but today, I wasn’t afraid,” Aymoz stated on Instagram. “I was simply eager to skate and enjoy every moment on the ice.”
Additional Competition Results in Canada
The event also featured strong performances across other disciplines on the card. Japan’s Mao Shimada, 18, finished first in the women’s short program. In ice dancing, British competitors Lila Fear and Lewis Gibson took the lead, closely followed by the French pair Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud in second place.