Skate Ontario is so proud to share the second article in our SkateOntaReporter series. SkateOntaReporters are a team of writers who serve as the on-the-ground eyes and ears of local figure skating in every corner of Ontario, working to uncover stories and to provide insights and information to fans across the province. We hope you enjoy this article!

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By: Dylan Nazareth

As the curtain seemingly falls on the long drawn out drama of the Beijing 2022 figure skating team event, a sour taste is left with many Canadians who were disappointed with the decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to award Russia the bronze medal, leaving Canada in fourth. 

Earlier this year, Russian skater Kamila Valieva had her points from the team event annulled for a doping violation originally exposed during the competition. However, the CAS denied an appeal to reallocate points to the skaters who finished behind her—including Canadian Maddie Schizas—which would have given Canada the two points they needed to pass the Russians and earn bronze. 

Madeline Schizas

But despite the end result, the event will still go down as Schizas’s Olympic coming out party. Two years later, she still remembers it well, all the way back to the Opening Ceremonies. 

“You’re walking into the stadium, all dressed up with the rest of the team,” she said, speaking in a recent interview. “They had the rings lowering from the ceiling when we were walking out, and I was like, man, this is so cool. That was a really fun one.” 

Nancy Lemaire, Maddie’s coach, remembers her saying at the time that she had no idea what the Olympics were really like up close. 

“She went to the opening ceremony and came back and said, this is a really big thing. Why didn’t you tell me this is big?” recalled Lemaire, laughing. “I’m like, how do you not know this is big?” 

Madeline Schizas

Canada had earned gold in the 2018 team event, but four years later the team had changed significantly. At the Beijing games, Canada had a tough start to the team event and looked like they may miss the medal round.  

All eyes fell on a then 18-year-old Schizas as she took the ice for her Olympic debut short program—and she certainly felt the pressure.   

Madeline Schizas

“I definitely knew there was a lot riding on it,” she said. “There was a lot on the line and people were trying not to show me that they were nervous, but you could tell.” 

Instead of letting the pressure get to her, she used it to fuel her. 

“It was like, there’s no way I’m gonna be happy without winning this,” said Lemaire. “Serious Maddie with her very analytical brain went out there and made it happen.” 

And make it happen she did, skating a season’s best score of 69.60, boosting Canada to the finals.  

In the final round, Canada once again struggled, falling out of medal contention by the time it reached Schizas’s time to skate her long program. But she still felt she had something to prove. 

Madeline Schizas

“The free skate was much more for myself,” said Schizas. “I really wanted to put out a big skate, big score for myself, as opposed to the short program which was really more team focused.” 

Once again, Schizas skated a personal best, finishing with a score of 132.04. 

“The long program was pretty incredible,” said Lemaire. “When she finished, I was like, I can’t believe that this happened in the moment where it had to happen.” 

What followed in the days, weeks, and years after was a mess of accusations, legal challenges and uncertainties. But with two strong finishes to look back on from her Olympic debut, Schizas has no hard feelings. 

Madeline Schizas and Nancy Lemaire

“I’m proud of the way I skated, I’m proud of the way that that event went for me,” said Schizas. “It’s no different than a regular competition. You really can’t handle whether you get a medal or not, so I don’t see it as too different.”