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Navarro’s axis is excellent!

They change feet.

Three more rotations down the ice⁠—

Oh, that is superb!

They’ve checked those rotations almost perfectly together. Difficult arm positions, excellent speed, and very clean exit.

Level four.

Navarro is not approaching this as a skater hoping to merely remain close to the leaders. He’s attacking every element.

They’re onto the not-touching step element now. Phillipps leading the circular pattern, Navarro traveling on the wider curve. He has more ice to cover here and must create additional speed without allowing the space between them to open.

Look at the depth of Navarro’s edge. That is world-class skating. He’s accelerating through the turns rather than slowing down to secure them, and Phillipps is matching him beautifully.

I think we should acknowledge something here. A great deal has been said about Camden Navarro’s personality. His charisma, his past, and the incidents surrounding his rise through the sport. But none of those things can explain this performance. This is not recklessness masquerading as confidence. This is discipline. This is thousands of hours of repetition, condition and blade work.

And they’ve maintained that spacing throughout the entire sequence.

The technical box is green again.

Now the rhythm intensifies.

Phillipps approaches at considerable speed. Navarro catches her at the waist—oh, look at this entry! Superb! Phillipps vaults across his body and Navarro changes onto one foot for the rotational lift. One rotation, two, three. He’s still traveling. The arena is on its feet now. Look at that feeling and passion from them both.

They came to the arena expecting Navarro to make a mistake, but he’s producing one of the finest technical performances we’ve seen here today.

They dive into the final phase.

Cross rolls building speed. Change into Killian hold. Navarro’s free foot remains precise. Phillipps is secure beside him. They separate, final turn. And the ending position⁠—

Yes!

What a performance from Canada. That was magnificent.

Zoe Phillipps was every bit as technical and reliable as expected, but Camden Navarro has just delivered a very clear answer to anyone who questioned whether he belonged among the finest ice dancers in the world.

He absolutely does.

As they step off the ice, the team are around them. Look at those jubilant faces. It’s great to see such heartwarming scenes from the entire team toward their teammates.

While they prepare for the scores, here’s the replay. We’re seeing the twizzles again now. Watch Navarro’s axis in slow motion here. It barely moves. There’s no uncontrolled swing from his free leg, no fight to stop the rotation, and the exits from both skaters occur within a fraction of each other. Sublime.

The talent is obvious. So is the discipline. And now that rotational lift. Phillipps vaults, Navarro catches her without interrupting his edge. He centers both of them over one moving blade while traveling through four rotations, then places her down without the slightest stumble.

This may be the standout lift of the rhythm dance so far.

And now we wait for the scores.

Navarro and Phillipps there, with their team coach. Big grins, they know they’ve done well.

Hasegawa and Ward are in in the lead for Great Britian with ninety point zero nine. The earlier Canadian team currently sit third with eighty-five point six one.

Here it is, the crowd see it first, and they react.

Combined technical and program component for Phillipps and Navarro . . . eighty-nine point ten. That takes them into second place!