After four long years, Montreal will finally get the chance to host the ISU World Figure Skating Championships. Within days of starting the competition in March 2020, the event was cancelled out of an abundance of caution rising from the COVID 19 pandemic.

Skate Ontario is the only section in the country to have representation in all four disciplines: Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier in Ice Dance, Roman Sadovsky in Men, Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud in Pairs and Madeline Schizas in Women.

Madeline Schizas

I mentioned that two-time national Women’s champion Madeline Schizas showed off her skills at the recent Four Continents Championships where she finished in 6^th place. Why is this significant? Canada only qualified one woman for the World Championships and Maddie’s recent strong showing in both the short and free programs is something that makes me hopeful that she will be able to help Canada earn two spots for next year.

Roman Sadovsky

Roman Sadovsky, a former national men’s champion posted a solid 10^th place finish at the recent ISU Four Continents Championship and a 12^th place finish at his only outing at the World Championships in 2022. What this means is that Roman’s elegance, musicality and skating skills are on par with the rest of the field which bodes well for what is to come this week.

“I’m really looking forward to competing at the World Championships in front of a home crowd,” said Roman via email. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity!”

Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud

Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud are well up to the challenges they will face in the Pairs event. Since teaming up in 2022, they have earned two national medals, a trip to the ISU Grand Prix Final and a sixth-place finish at Worlds in 2023. Impressive.

“Just like many of you, I am eager to have Worlds get under way and celebrate the accomplishments of the athletes from Skate Ontario,” said Lisa Alexander, Executive Director of Skate Ontario. “I appreciate all the hard work and determination that has brought our skaters to this point. I am #SkateOntarioProud.”

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier

Reason enough to be #SkateOntarioProud to be sure but compounded by the medal hopes in Ice Dance of two-time World bronze medallists and recent Four Continents Champions Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier. Their longtime coach, Carol Lane has seen a thing or two in a career where she and coaching partner Juris Razgulajevs have had competitors at every Worlds since 2009. Carol sees the event this way: “Last season we were able to get back to where we started by Worlds, which was huge considering Piper’s cancer diagnosis and treatment which created an unexpected interruption in their season to say the least.

Contrast that with this season where Piper and Paul have been able to continue to evolve and develop, and I believe that growth in the programs will result in medals.” A bronze World medal in 2023 after the challenges from that season had to be sweet. It also tells me that Piper and Paul at 100% as they are now, are a force to be reckoned with.

The ISU World Figure Skating Championships will be streamed – for more information, visit:

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/streaming-schedule?sport=Figure+Skating

As always – send your messages of support using the hashtag #SkateOntarioProud to our athletes, follow Skate Ontario on all our social media and if you want to check out what everyone is saying use the hashtag #FigureSkating.