2025-2026 Canadian Figure Skating | Page 102 | Golden Skate

2025-2026 Canadian Figure Skating

Diana Delafield said:
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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Curling : Canada used to be on top of the world... but now, the field is tighter. But that's not where we lost medals. A gold and a bronze is very good.

Speed Skating : Canada did pretty well despite the short track fails. Short track will often bring those disappointments because of the nature of the sport. In long track, there were probably 2 medals we were counting on, Blondin in the mass start and the women's pursuit.
Maltais 2 bronzes and Dubreuil's 500m bronze were very long shots.

Short track used to be dominated by Koreans. I believe, without having looked at the entire tally now that the Dutch did better this time around. The Italians did well too. In the past, Americans, Chinese, and Koreans were the big opponents, now Europe has replaced some of these countries. So the field is just as tight.

Long track has always been dominated by the Dutch. Americans do well in sprint events as well.

So in brief, the ISU sports did well for Canada this time around.

I'd have to look in detail but we are weaker than we used to be in some of the acroski and snowboard disciplines. We also didn't win a single medal in gliding sports. A first in a long time I believe. For instance in ski cross, we should have won at least two medals. In alpine skiing, nothing materialized either, not like there were many hopes there. But again, it's a sport where we did have some medals in other games.
In cross-country skiing, we used to have a couple women able to medal in shorter distance (sprint) and in relays. Not this time. Long gone are the. days of glory of Myriam Bédard in biathlon. I mean that was over 30 years ago. We never had a next generation in that sport.

Some medal hopes were injured before the games and didn't participate at all. I'd really need to look in depth where we lost (other than some short track medals) our edge at these games.
 
saine said:
CBC Sports has some articles on the issues.

This one talks about funding being based on results - https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/...next-medallists-myles-dichter-feb19-9.7097274

This one gets more into bobsled, where the Canadian team was using sleds made in 2018 that they bought from Germany and the infrastructure in Canada is not in the best shape for training - https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/...bsled-rebuild-morgan-campbell-feb11-9.7083031
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I saw a full CBC documentary on bob. We are in very big trouble there.

Here it is

gem.cbc.ca

Redemption Run | Shows | CBC Gem

A uniquely diverse and eclectic group of Canadian athletes compete with dreams of representing their country on the world stage in one of the most punishing sports of all: bobsleigh.
gem.cbc.ca gem.cbc.ca
 
Well. Gabby should have assumed she wasn't going. She probably knew she was the first alternate. I don't think Maddie would have given away her spot like that.

Also, I was thinking about Maddie a bit more. If she's done after this season (two Olympics , and lots of events as the leading woman in Canada.. .would she really want to keep going until 27 years old, I doubt it) then it's a good thing for her to go to worlds and do better. I think that's needed. Not making the cut for the free program is not exactly how I would want anyone to end their career. So I will be cheering extra hard for her to get a top ten and finish on a very very high note this season (and maybe her career if that's her plan)
 
With regard to Canada’s overall Olympic performance, these are my impressions (and if there is data to counter them, please share):

Canada tends to do well at newly introduced events, and eventually the rest of the world catches up. To the detriment of our medal count.

It seems like a lot of Canada’s medals came from athletes who had previous Olympic experience. Not many from up-and-comers. Maybe said newbies just need more experience, or maybe the well is drying up. Guess we’ll see in four years.

If ever there was an opportunity for Canada to improve its medal count, it has to have been in the last four years, during which a certain country that starts with R has not been participating. That Canadian figure skating in particular (not sure if this holds for athletic events in general) has not been able to capitalize on this unusual state of affairs, is concerning.

Despite the above, I thought our Canadian figure skaters were punching above their weight for much of this Olympics. We qualified for the team event! Piper and Paul’s bronze! Gogo! Lia and Trent’s short program! Then the wheels came off a bit. And so it goes. That’s the Olympics for you.

Maybe Canada hosting another Winter Olympics would supercharge things again, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon.
 
DemTuppesSeine said:
Lineup as expected for me, I didn't think Deanna and Max would go, even before her injury. And as @4everchan already said elsewhere, maybe that means they will do another season? Since she now has more time to heal.
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Not too sure about that. Max mentioned to our coach that the Olympics were the last competition and they are not doing Worlds -- before the injury happened. He will be focusing on coaching (Max had a student he wants to have a tryout with my kid; hence, he contacted our coach)
 
Athletes got a lot of additional funding in the lead up to 2010, which probably had a residual effect until 2014. 2018 would have likely been a return to "normal" levels.

However, its what happened in 2020 that derailed, likely thousands of young, up and coming athletes. Canada had some of the harshest pandemic measures which basically stopped young athletes in their tracks. If you weren't already an elite level athlete you certainly weren't starting between 2020 and 2023 lets say. Then in 2024 when things are back on track you've lost 4+ years or experience and only 2 years out to 2026.

I think this year can partially be attributed to the pandemic and decreased funding levels.

Youth sports are also increasingly becoming more and more out of reach for anyone who's parents don't have disposable income. We aren't seeing the best make it to the higher levels, we are seeing those who can afford the extra practice/equipment. Even youth hockey is in big trouble since the kids getting on the elite teams are 50% talent and 50% wealth.
 
yuki@thelake said:
Not too sure about that. Max mentioned to our coach that the Olympics were the last competition and they are not doing Worlds -- before the injury happened. He will be focusing on coaching (Max had a student he wants to have a tryout with my kid; hence, he contacted our coach)
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From interviews given a while back, it looked like Deanna wanted to keep going and that Max didn't want to. Who knows if the injury will have an impact on their decision or not. I have a hard time imagining Deanna trying out with a new partner. I can feel Max being done too but that's of course just an intuition.

I don't see them continuing for four years. I was hoping we would get a one season at a time arrangement
 
I'm worried about P/M. They mentioned that the goal when they paired up was 2026. Trennt had already been through 2 other Olympics cycles but didn't make the team. She is super young and he is not. I worry this may become a M-T/ M situation, he was willing to do 2018, but she was set on 2022 so they split after 2014.
 
Ziotic said:
I'm worried about P/M. They mentioned that the goal when they paired up was 2026. Trennt had already been through 2 other Olympics cycles but didn't make the team. She is super young and he is not. I worry this may become a M-T/ M situation, he was willing to do 2018, but she was set on 2022 so they split after 2014.
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Had the same thoughts although complete speculation at this point of course. Perhaps they are waiting to see how worlds work out. They have the talent to be top 5 or 3 so worth staying in the game. I hope. Glad Piper and Paul are going to worlds but surprised. Thank you to them!
 
Ziotic said:
I'm worried about P/M. They mentioned that the goal when they paired up was 2026. Trennt had already been through 2 other Olympics cycles but didn't make the team. She is super young and he is not. I worry this may become a M-T/ M situation, he was willing to do 2018, but she was set on 2022 so they split after 2014.
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Yes, I saw an interview where Lia said that they had a agreed when they paired up that this Olympics were their goal. They have been working on that goal and had not discussed anything beyond this season yet. It sounded like a polite way of trying to say that they wouldn't be continuing, but without actually saying it. Lia is very young still, but Trennt isn't. I hope Lia will be able to find a new partner who can match her ability. If you ignore the age difference, Trennt Michaud was a very good fit for her and she might struggle to find that again. Kemp and Elizarov are very promising, and have had some success in the senior events they have done, but I think they will need time to develop before they can break into the upper echelons at senior international level. Desrocher and Thrasher seem to be struggling more with the jump up to seniors. I really like Lauron/Ethier, but I do not honestly see them becoming a top pair on the international stage.
 
4everchan said:
Lia would need a very strong and experienced partner. Not sure who's available
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I haven't haven't been able to think of anyone in Canada, and I've been pondering it since I saw the interview, I am also smuggling for ideas for suitable partners for her outside of Canada.
 
I mean people just mentioned the obvious....Lia and Kieran... they both train in the same region and it is clearly Jasmine that is struggling with the jumps.

Not that I don't love her and think she is a star, but she can barely land a 2A.

Plus both at 2004 babies, all that say I wouldn't be shocked.
 
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