2025-2026 Canadian Figure Skating | Page 101 | Golden Skate

2025-2026 Canadian Figure Skating

Of course we want each nation to do their best. It has been a while since Canada has produced any "new" top skaters. Potential yes ie GOGO. But then we see the stagnancy in dance, pairs and ladies. I do think it is time to shake up the leadership and maybe release or move Michael Slipchuk and get some new blood. No one intentionallly messes up but Maddie has had so many chances and still not one top ten. THe results at the olympics suggest even at her best she could not do it.
 
I just rewatched Piper and Paul's Vincent, and started crying again. It so moved me (as it did more than a week ago). This was such a lovely programme, they were such performers. It seems there were elements too, but I missed those. Just into the Dance....

I don't get the negatvitism towards Michael Slipchuk. The Canadians got a medal in ID, 2 great couples/ representatives in pairs, a lovely man on the rise and a girl with bad luck here. And the Team Event? Well, you got the Final.

Let's be fair, 2018 was great, a lovely line up of skaters. The Team Gold, as well as the bronzes in women and pairs, all were well deserved. But it really is unfair to expect that again, at once. These things have to grow, and that takes time. And don't forget Marjorie and Zachary are coming up!

And I also think it's unfair to blame Michael Slipchuk for development taking the time. I do think it is a pity your skaters don't go out more. But I don't think that is totally his fault.
 
I just rewatched Piper and Paul's Vincent, and started crying again. It so moved me (as it did more than a week ago). This was such a lovely programme, they were such performers. It seems there were elements too, but I missed those. Just into the Dance....

I don't get the negatvitism towards Michael Slipchuk. The Canadians got a medal in ID, 2 great couples/ representatives in pairs, a lovely man on the rise and a girl with bad luck here. And the Team Event? Well, you got the Final.

Let's be fair, 2018 was great, a lovely line up of skaters. The Team Gold, as well as the bronzes in women and pairs, all were well deserved. But it really is unfair to expect that again, at once. These things have to grow, and that takes time. And don't forget Marjorie and Zachary are coming up!

And I also think it's unfair to blame Michael Slipchuk for development taking the time. I do think it is a pity your skaters don't go out more. But I don't think that is totally his fault.
Simple : I feel our athletes are just as talented other's nations but so not get out to compete enough and end up underperforming as a result when it makes most. The last medal was with years ago... And this time around. Piper and Paul were actually underdogs despite their previous successes..

Some also say that skate Canada doesn't play the politically game well enough.

That's why there's is criticism towards Mr Slipchuk
 
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I haven't paid much attention but has Skate Canada said when they are going to announce the World team?

I've seen Gabby posting triple triple combos on Instagram lately so clearly she is still training.
 
I haven't paid much attention but has Skate Canada said when they are going to announce the World team?

I've seen Gabby posting triple triple combos on Instagram lately so clearly she is still training.
No, they haven't.

Gabby also posted a picture from the short track event in Milano today in her Instagram stories, so she isn't necessarily training now.
 
I was just watching an interview with Jennifer Heil who is a former Olympic champion and the current mission head for the Canadian Olympic Committee.

The French CBC host pointed out that at 17 medals so far, it will be impossible to get to the same number won in 2022 with 26 and that if we surpass 20, that will be great. (2 medals are guaranteed already in curling and hockey and curling could also bring a bronze so we would reach 20... there are a couple more chances but far from guaranteed podiums in mass start speed skating and perhaps in women's halfpipe - Cassie Sharpe hasn't been cleared to compete but Rachel Karker is still there), so the prediction is between 19 and. 22 - my analysis)

Jen Heil talked about money. The funding wasn't adjusted since the inflation so there is just not enough money to go around. It's very hard because money is tied to results etc and if I heard properly, some coaches may not have jobs after the Olympics.

So, in light of that... I am willing to cut some slack to Skate Canada : as they are, like everyone else dealing with lower funding. However, their financial results indicate that they do have some money. Are they trying to save because they know that the government is giving less and less money ? I don't know.

In any case, these games have been very disappointing all around for Canadian athletes. In figure skating, I guess I am happy with the great performances of our athletes and the medal for Piper and Paul. Pretty much, everyone performed great programs. The only counter performance came in the women's SP but Maddie did perform very well in the team event.

Skate Canada needs to understand though, that skaters like LaLa, Gogolev and Lia and Trennt are perhaps the best medal hopes for 2030. These athletes need to be given events, resources and everything they need to get there. They will not succeed without an injection of good strategical planning and funding.
 
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So the curling bronze materialized and Ivanie Blondin claimed the silver in the mass start. With the two guaranteed medals, we would get to 21. Still 5 away from 2022 and 6 from the predictions made earlier and shared in this thread (CBC article).

The really good thing that was right about those predictions was Piper and Paul's bronze.

One of the factors I would say is the short track speed skating didn't rack up as many medals as hoped... and honestly, in that sport, it's almost normal. Luck is a factor in it. However, the ice was also so bad... and breaking under the skaters blades. It was the same conditions for everyone but still, it added even more randomness to the results.

In any case, not great games for Canada. I hope that it urges our governments to invest more money into sport, not just elite but also at the grassroots level.

It's important for mental and physical health of our youth. It's also important to have role models and inspiration.

Even I trained harder these last two weeks LOL
 
Even I trained harder these last two weeks LOL
Same here. Even allowing for no ballroom dance competitions until May, and the wheelsport gym temporarily closed for the installation of a new floor so no place to roller skate, I only dropped into ballet a few times and spent somewhere between 20-25 hours a week on the ice. Usually it's more like half that for my icetime. ⛸️⛸️⛸️⛸️⛸️⛸️⛸️⛸️⛸️⛸️
 
unfortunately, won't play in US but if anyone can post a summary, I would very much be grateful
it's a six minute video so let me try to make a very quick summary

-about being Olympians. Deanna is not sure it has sunk in. She's grateful it happened. It was almost a miracle for them to get there.
Max is happy he achieved his lifelong dream.

-mindset : Deanna was seeing all the right specialists and doctors... and she really did everything she could to get ready, eating everything she needed to eat and doing all the exercises she needed to do. Also she credits all the messages they received and prayers.

- Max gave Deanna a pep talk to Deanna : We made it here, let's just enjoy etc.

-Deanna on having Max : she cannot imagine being out there without Max. Max is positive by nature. Deanna says she's more critical and military. She said they are like yin and yang.

-Max : on the day of the accident : he was like we are at 0.1% to make it... and everyday, Max would raise the percentage etc

They talked about the lift error. They decided to just fight for the long program with the adjustments they had to make... and they just wanted to give a respectable performance. They hadn't done a run-through in over two weeks. Deanna gives a lot of credit to Max for getting her through the programs. She talks about his positivity and perseverance. Max admires Deanna's discipline. Everything she has to do to make it happens... and he finds it remarkable that she does all she does and this is why she can do this at her age. Max would like to adopt a bit of that :)

That's about it... you are missing the best though... They look very good in their COC's outfits :)
 
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More entries for Maria Olszewska Memorial.

- Alexander Ge was added to Advanced Novice Men. I was wondering why he hadn't been there before since he did win Trophy. Disco Firebird will see international ice.
- Florence Beausoleil/Remi Thibault added to Advanced Novice Ice Dance
- Skate Canada Brampton-Chinguacousy posted that Kayleigh Chao/Jonathan Ma are competing there as well, but they aren't currently listed in the categories. I'm assuming it'll be Advanced Novice Ice Dance too.
 
it's a six minute video so let me try to make a very quick summary

-about being Olympians. Deanna is not sure it has sunk in. She's grateful it happened. It was almost a miracle for them to get there.
Max is happy he achieved his lifelong dream.

-mindset : Deanna was seeing all the right specialists and doctors... and she really did everything she could to get ready, eating everything she needed to eat and doing all the exercises she needed to do. Also she credits all the messages they received and prayers.

- Max gave Deanna a pep talk to Deanna : We made it here, let's just enjoy etc.

-Deanna on having Max : she cannot imagine being out there without Max. Max is positive by nature. Deanna says she's more critical and military. She said they are like yin and yang.

-Max : on the day of the accident : he was like we are at 0.1% to make it... and everyday, Max would raise the percentage etc

They talked about the lift error. They decided to just fight for the long program with the adjustments they had to make... and they just wanted to give a respectable performance. They hadn't done a run-through in over two weeks. Deanna gives a lot of credit to Max for getting her through the programs. She talks about his positivity and perseverance. Max admires Deanna's discipline. Everything she has to do to make it happens... and he finds it remarkable that she does all she does and this is why she can do this at her age. Max would like to adopt a bit of that :)

That's about it... you are missing the best though... They look very good in their COC's outfits :)
Thank you very much!!!
 
21 medals...our lowest total since 2002.. wow. This wasn't good.
Are other traditionally medal sports like speed skating and curling also having restricted-to-Canada problems, not getting enough international competition? Getting used to a wider variety of competitors? Or does that not matter in non-judged sports. I'll have to ask one of my brothers who's been involved in curling since his teens.
 
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