2026 Canadian Nationals : Women's Long Program | Page 14 | Golden Skate

2026 Canadian Nationals : Women's Long Program

Pretty amazing that Megan went from 8th to 4th and that Lulu actually climbed from 12th to 5th.

I know Gabby seemed really disappointed her being 2nd but even if she had won no one could be sure she would have been sent to the Olympics. Especially after the skate Maddie had.
 
Pretty amazing that Megan went from 8th to 4th and that Lulu actually climbed from 12th to 5th.

I know Gabby seemed really disappointed her being 2nd but even if she had won no one could be sure she would have been sent to the Olympics. Especially after the skate Maddie had.
Exactly!! I think that would have hurt even more!! Had Gabby won Nationals, I still think they would have gone with Maddie.

I wonder if Gabby will even do 4CC 🤔
 
Gabby should be named first alternate for the Olympics and Worlds. I know it's not what she wanted but she should keep training and get steadier and steadier. So glad to see her skate healthy.

Also, she needs to go back to her 3t-3t in the LP as well.
 
Honest question : have you seen Gabby skate live ? I was never a fan until I saw her live. She's spectacular. It made me at ease with the scores she gets. At the same time here, she didn't get higher PCS than Maddie who is much slower and blander though has qualities of her own in terms of presentation.
I have, she is very impressive live.

And just to be clear, I wasn't singling out Gabby for being overscored, that was a general comment... Maddie was wildly overscored today, amoungst many other examples this weekend (another case of that score inflation that we definitely don't do in Canada ;))
 
I have, she is very impressive live.

And just to be clear, I wasn't singling out Gabby for being overscored, that was a general comment... Maddie was wildly overscored today, amoungst many other examples this weekend (another case of that score inflation that we definitely don't do in Canada ;))
I would have scored Maddie higher today :) so to me that 135 or so was pretty basic ;)
 
JWC: Megan (If Minsol can’t go)
The Juniors finished 3rd-6th
Victoria could be selected. But, I remember her Challenge event wasn’t that good compared to Megan
The most important thing should be the Short Program with a Junior layout, as if the selected skater doesn't make the Free, only three or four JGP spots would be available for all Canadian Junior girls next season.

Megan has been doing really well as a Senior domestically, but at both of her international Junior assignments this season, she only scored in the mid-40s in the SP. I'd at least send her out to a Junior B to test her ability to deliver a clean-ish Short internationally before selecting her.

Lulu doesn't really have a 3Lo, and I don't think she'd make the Free with a 3T+3T, 2Lo and 2A layout.

Reese can score highly in the Short, but tends to struggle under pressure, so I feel like it would almost be mean to send her as the only entry and put her in a really high-pressure situation like this.

Victoria's overall maximum scoring potential is probably a little lower currently than the three girls I mentioned, but her lowest SP score of 52.something is much closer to the likely Free Skate cut-off and she's been somewhat more consistent than a lot of the other Junior girls.

Minsol would be the best choice - Consistent, with a great 3Lo and good PCS and she could earn herself a GP spot based on Season's Best score - but she'd have to be released and sent to an international competition for minimums really soon, and I don't see that happening :(
 
The most important thing should be the Short Program with a Junior layout, as if the selected skater doesn't make the Free, only three or four JGP spots would be available for all Canadian Junior girls next season.

Megan has been doing really well as a Senior domestically, but at both of her international Junior assignments this season, she only scored in the mid-40s in the SP. I'd at least send her out to a Junior B to test her ability to deliver a clean-ish Short internationally before selecting her.

Lulu doesn't really have a 3Lo, and I don't think she'd make the Free with a 3T+3T, 2Lo and 2A layout.

Reese can score highly in the Short, but tends to struggle under pressure, so I feel like it would almost be mean to send her as the only entry and put her in a really high-pressure situation like this.

Victoria's overall maximum scoring potential is probably a little lower currently than the three girls I mentioned, but her lowest SP score of 52.something is much closer to the likely Free Skate cut-off and she's been somewhat more consistent than a lot of the other Junior girls.

Minsol would be the best choice - Consistent, with a great 3Lo and good PCS and she could earn herself a GP spot based on Season's Best score - but she'd have to be released and sent to an international competition for minimums really soon, and I don't see that happening :(
I'd go with Minsol of course but it will not happen

I think I'd go between Reese because of her good SPs and PCS or Victoria, because of her consistency.

Megan is great. I just don't think she's had enough experience yet, which is not her fault however, and as you said, Lulu needs a triple loop
 
The most important thing should be the Short Program with a Junior layout, as if the selected skater doesn't make the Free, only three or four JGP spots would be available for all Canadian Junior girls next season.

Megan has been doing really well as a Senior domestically, but at both of her international Junior assignments this season, she only scored in the mid-40s in the SP. I'd at least send her out to a Junior B to test her ability to deliver a clean-ish Short internationally before selecting her.

Lulu doesn't really have a 3Lo, and I don't think she'd make the Free with a 3T+3T, 2Lo and 2A layout.

Reese can score highly in the Short, but tends to struggle under pressure, so I feel like it would almost be mean to send her as the only entry and put her in a really high-pressure situation like this.

Victoria's overall maximum scoring potential is probably a little lower currently than the three girls I mentioned, but her lowest SP score of 52.something is much closer to the likely Free Skate cut-off and she's been somewhat more consistent than a lot of the other Junior girls.

Minsol would be the best choice - Consistent, with a great 3Lo and good PCS and she could earn herself a GP spot based on Season's Best score - but she'd have to be released and sent to an international competition for minimums really soon, and I don't see that happening :(
I forgot that Megan competed at the Ice Challenge. She fell on her combo lutz and on her loop there. That was 2 months ago. I don’t think she is that skater now after Challenge and Nationals. But would be good to see how she does internationally now that she seems recovered. But they are announcing Jr worlds in a couple of days so guessing that won’t happen. I am fine with Victoria going. I agree about Lulu and the loop. Too bad. Reese had a pretty good free today but I would like to see her do that a few more times before believing she has it under control. So to me it is between Megan and Victoria given no skate-offs will happen.
 
Minsol Kwon
“I think the most important thing is I need to work on my large edges,” she added. “Because it’s my large edges, but sometimes it’s the wrong edges.”


I’m happy she is aware of her lutz edge problem. I was worried after six Canadian domestic competitions where she has received 18 edge calls on her lutz wasn’t getting through to her. The fact she doesn’t change her layout shows she is instead determined to get the lutz edge down pact. Hopefully, she succeeds. However, I would change to 3Lo in the SP and maybe do two 3F 3T combos in the free skate or just two 3Lo’s instead.
 
Gabby Daleman
“It was great competition,” added Daleman. “She (Schizas) killed it. She knocked it out the park, well deserved. And I’m honored to compete against Maddie again and be back at Nationals. At the end of the day, I’m very proud of myself. I wanted the spot. Didn’t get it. But the tears at the end were not just heartbreak. I was extremely proud. I was not able to get out of bed a year ago. I wasn’t walking a year ago. And now, I’m now again on the National podium.”


Great sportsmanship from Gabby and what an amazing accomplishment to come so close to another Olympics after not being able to walk. I hope Gabby continues. I love her huge triples.
I compared her performance here to Ice Challenge in Austria and her performance at Nationals was much better. To me, 7 points better. So, I would hate for her to retire when she is heading to a potential 190+ score at 4CC, which could give her GP’s next season. Please compete at 4CC Gabby. Just one more international competition.
 
Maddie Schizas
“Let me tell you, that is such a hard skill,” Schizas said of the jump. “Like, I can do a triple toe-triple toe in my sleep, but a triple Lutz-triple toe is hard! I’m really happy I did it. It’s worth a ton of points.”

Wow!! Great insight from Maddie. She is basically saying that she could just do a 3T 3T like SMD and GD, but, that she picks a higher skill combo to land. Which, she did twice. It basically made the difference. Maddie’s 3Lz 3T is better than even some of the top Americans and Japanese ladies and we should appreciate this jumping combo more.

“You know, I have a thing for doing single axels at nationals,” said Schizas. “For, like, this would be, like, five years in a row of a couple of single Axels to cap off my national’s performance. So. Consistency. Like, I haven’t lived down the ones from 2020 yet.”

This is also funny coming from Maddie. I didn’t know it was a five year streak of singling her axels. Which, surprises me, because she is not far from landing a 3A (I saw her attempt this jump five times at an exo and most were < short, but, I did see a 3Aq fall) and yet, this is the jump she consistently struggles with at Nationals 🥺 👏

Funny interview from Maddie
 
Bravo to Madi who did it when it counted - well now can she duplicate this at the Olympics and land at least a double loop in the short. Remember she was 6th in the short last year at worlds so she could be a surprise in the team event especially. Remember there is only one US and one Japanese lady allowed in the team event so if it was last years worlds she would be like 3 or 4th I think. Definitely top 5 in the team event. Gabby wouldn't have been sent to the Olympics unless maybe she scored over 145 pts in the fs.
 
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