By: Pj Kwong

Ontario had strong representation across all disciplines at the recent ISU 2025 World Figure Skating Championships in Boston, MA., with athletes competing in men’s, women’s, pairs, and ice dance.

The Ontario athletes from Skate Ontario combined their efforts with the rest of the Canadian team to qualify seven Olympic spots for the upcoming 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games in Italy. This means that a total of 12 figure skaters will be making the trek in just under a year’s time.

Photo credit: Tina Weltz

Here is the breakdown:

• Three ice dance teams
• Two pairs
• One entry each in women’s and men’s singles

Skate Ontario athletes showcased strong performances, with some achieving personal bests which is always part of the plan.

For Canadian and recent Four Continents Champions Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, there was no stronger performance than theirs in the ice dance category. In Boston, Piper and Paul earned their second consecutive silver and fourth World medal which gives them the top spot on the (imaginary) Worlds Honour Roll of Skate Ontario athletes if you ask me. Also in the ‘I won’t forget this’ category was their free dance this season to ‘Whiter Shade of Pale’. Love it. Am going to miss it. Will they?

Here’s what Piper and Paul had to say during practice in Scarborough, on the Friday before Worlds:

For Canadian champion Madeline Schizas, it was a career-best 11th-place finish in the women’s event. For Roman Sadovsky, it was a 14th place finish in the men’s event for the Canadian men’s champion.

In the pairs’ event, Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud finished 11th in the pairs event, contributing to Canada securing two pairs spots for the 2026 Olympics.

Photo credit: Tina Weltz