2025-2026 Canadian Figure Skating | Page 91 | Golden Skate

2025-2026 Canadian Figure Skating

Meagan Duhamel was previewing the Team Event with Anything GOEs, and she talks about the strategy for swapping out in it. I've time-stamped to about where it starts (this was filmed before Deanna and Max had to withdraw from the event., that's the context of what they're talking about) The names needed to be submitted 24 hours in advance, so that's when the decision needed to be made for LaLa over Piper and Paul.
 
Meagan Duhamel was previewing the Team Event with Anything GOEs, and she talks about the strategy for swapping out in it. I've time-stamped to about where it starts (this was filmed before Deanna and Max had to withdraw from the event., that's the context of what they're talking about) The names needed to be submitted 24 hours in advance, so that's when the decision needed to be made for LaLa over Piper and Paul.
thanks for sharing.

It's crazy though and, unfair. They should wait for all the SPs to be done with as needing to rush in names before knowing if your team is still in contention is unfair.

Let me illustrate further : Ilia didn't want to do the LP. However, the USA now know that without him, they will lose the gold to Japan. So, they have the opportunity to make the right call.

Canada didn't have the opportunity to make the right call. They had to make their call blind.
 
Just watched Gogo’s short. Wow! He has shown us those buttery jumps a few times this season but his performance today was on another level! So proud of him. I have always been a big Roman fan but so so glad it was Stephen here today. Hope for a good rest of the games for the team. Hope Deanna (and Max) can make it here too. The Worlds in March looks a bit brighter now for Canadian skating.
 
thanks for sharing.

It's crazy though and, unfair. They should wait for all the SPs to be done with as needing to rush in names before knowing if your team is still in contention is unfair.

Let me illustrate further : Ilia didn't want to do the LP. However, the USA now know that without him, they will lose the gold to Japan. So, they have the opportunity to make the right call.

Canada didn't have the opportunity to make the right call. They had to make their call blind.
Apparently Canada had a plan, and they were going to stick with it.

In the mixed zone, Zach said that Canada had decided they'd do the FD three weeks ago.
 
P&P’s SB of 125 for the non-fixed version of the FP shows me that they could have placed second here. If we were tied with Italy, heading to tmrw, the battle for bronze is what we were in the running for. Another missed opportunity for Canada. I believe this is their strongest potential for a podium and we now have to battle for 4th instead.

Also, if it is true that LaLa were told they would skate in the team event without even waiting to see the results from Olympics, then, this makes me question Skate Canada even more.

Anyways, like @saine mentioned, I’m just happy they made the free skate. If someone told me GoGo and LaLa would place third yesterday night, I would have been ecstatic. I will enjoy the bonus of watching our Canadian best skate one more session.

Also, LaLa improved their SB from 119 to 120. So, this might help them place higher in the individual event and any support for LaLa is appreciated by me.
 
Apparently Canada had a plan, and they were going to stick with it.

In the mixed zone, Zach said that Canada had decided they'd do the FD three weeks ago.
Also, if it is true that LaLa were told they would skate in the team event without even waiting to see the results from Olympics, then, this makes me question Skate Canada even more.

I'll add in this quote from Carol Lane about the plan from her interview with Robert Brodie about the plan for the Team Event (published Jan 31):
“We have a plan in place for if they do both parts, and if they don’t do both parts, but that’s not a decision that that has to be made right now, and so we haven’t made it,” said Lane. “It depends on a lot of things, how everybody skates in the team (event), then how it’s sort of shaping up. Are we in medal contention, are we not in medal contention? These are all sorts of facts that play into that.”

And here's the quote from Zachary Lagha from the mixed zone (taken from another Robert Brodie article):
“Well, we learned that about three weeks ago, so we mentally prepared for that. We were really happy that we were able to do this free dance one more time,” said the 26-year-old Lagha. “We love this free dance. We love to share it and we love to create this atmosphere, so we’re really happy to have the chance to perform it one more time at the Games.”

I'm getting two different timelines from these quotes, so I don't know how it exactly went down.

They had to make the final decision yesterday since, as Meagan Duhamel talked about on the Anything GOEs video, they had to submit the names 24 hours in advance. At that point, Canada wasn't seen as being in medal contention. The talk was about them possibly not qualifying for the free rather than being in contention for the bronze. They had to make a plan at some point and go with it so that the skaters can plan for it. Lia and Trennt had to change their plans, but they knew going in that they would be competing part of it.

I would have liked for Piper and Paul to do the free. Not so much for the extra point, but getting the program out again in front of the judges before the individual where they would have a better medal chance. But that's their choice, just like Ilia doing both parts of the Team Event had to be his choice even if it wasn't his preference.
 
Apparently Canada had a plan, and they were going to stick with it.

In the mixed zone, Zach said that Canada had decided they'd do the FD three weeks ago.
okay... well... then it probably has to do with piper and Paul wanting to get some rest or something like that.
 
This would be the sequel after not being able to bring the bronze home four years ago under some BS rules that kept that medal for a team with a doped athlete.
Cosmically, I’m not sure a bronze medal should have been awarded for that event… maybe if they gave Roman’s medal to Maddie and she got two, I could get my head around it
 
Cosmically, I’m not sure a bronze medal should have been awarded for that event… maybe if they gave Roman’s medal to Maddie and she got two, I could get my head around it
well, Roman gets a pass from me because he really didn't expect to skate at all and it was too much pressure for him... also, he wouldn't be the only member of a team not doing well or not being competitive with a medal... I won't name anyone but there are plenty of weaker skaters or weak performances from other teams who ended up with medals In the past :)
 
well, Roman gets a pass from me because he really didn't expect to skate at all and it was too much pressure for him... also, he wouldn't be the only member of a team not doing well or not being competitive with a medal... I won't name anyone but there are plenty of weaker skaters or weak performances from other teams who ended up with medals In the past :)
At the time I gave him the benefit of the doubt… unfortunately the years that followed erased it
 
I think I found the interview with Gogolev people were talking about. I didn't think it was that bad, though he did manage to be repetitious in a very short amount of time. (watch to the end to hear him answer some questions)

 
I think I found the interview with Gogolev people were talking about. I didn't think it was that bad, though he did manage to be repetitious in a very short amount of time. (watch to the end to hear him answer some questions)


Anyone thinking negatively of this interview hasn't ever watched NHL players doing interviews
 
You know, we have had five performances so far from our Canadian athletes, all great skates. Results are maybe not exactly what we would like them to be but the skating is strong, poised and beautiful. Medal or not, we can be proud Canadians.
 
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I think USA will win the team event but Japan is going to make it close. I think Canada shot itself in the foot although the judges have not helped. Madi and Stephen could be higher but I am not suer hey would have gained more points for the team scores However, Piper and Paul by many analysists even without their best RD skate shoud hae ben a place higher. Canada could have been ahead of the US in the FS in pairs. So they aren't getting the breaks. But there is no doubt whoever made the decision piper and paul or Michael slipchuk really messed up. It might not matter. Having he US beat Canada was costly because it is another placement between them and Italy. It is not impossible that Canada could beat Italy in men's and women but they wouldn't have enough points. in the mean time I fear the worst for Deanna and Max. We all know injuries are prevalent so I do feel for Maci and Evan whining about his back (US love an adversary situation and winning gold) and CB are really a great team deseriving to be fighting for gold in this batch of skaters. But I do not understand why the judges have dumped Piper and Paul. I have no issue that I am not a fan of their programs this year but as programs (competitive they are better than the Brits and they are better technially. I agree the Brits are more entertaining and probably better show skaters. And Yes, Paul maybe needs to just camp it up in the Rd if not organically. I think he could learn from Brian Boitano who becaume an artist over night with the right choreogranpy and smart marketing/presentation - those stares, the neck and utlizing his gifts spread eagle etc. Better costuming and marketing packaging would help P squared but they are deserving of bronze individually. Canada screwed itself in the team and aren't getting the judging benefits. I am so happy for Ellie and Danny but ironically that will be deadly for canada. I really think it is time to move Slipchuk the high performance director. I thas been a rough two quadrennials. I believe is salaray is round $200000 (over $150,000) which is a lot and I have read in other sites that maybe the money better spent on the skaters or reduce some of his travel to some of the events in the move to allow skaters more chances.
 
Lia and Trennt did a lovely FS and got a PB for it. Unfortunately for them, Kam and O'Shea also had their best ever FS and Lia and Trennt ended up coming last. I'm not sure that Deanna and Max would have placed any higher. All but one of their scores this season were below the one Kam and O'Shea got.
 
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