What a start for Ontario skaters at the 2026 Canadian National Skating Championships in Gatineau, Quebec! The opening days delivered standout performances, personal best scores, and podium finishes of every colour—including a sweep…

In the Junior Men event, James Cha captured the bronze medal with a composed and confident performance. Reflecting on his skate, Cha emphasized the importance of consistency and focus. “It’s always a great time competing at Nationals,” he said. “I managed everything well by taking it step by step.” When asked what he was most proud of, James pointed to his ability to manage himself throughout the competition—from practices to the six-minute warm-ups.

Photo credit: Danielle Earl Photography/Skate Canada

Ethan Luo made a strong impression in his first Junior/Senior Nationals appearance, narrowly missing the podium with a fourth-place finish. Despite just missing out on a medal, Ethan left Gatineau thrilled with his experience. “I’m super proud of my skate,” he said following his free program. “It’s my first Nationals experience, and it’s cool to be part of such a big event. It’s really special that Skate Canada and every section come together to create something like this. I’m really proud to be part of the community.”

ONTARIO PODIUM SWEEP IN JUNIOR DANCE

Ontario’s Junior Dance teams delivered standout performances in Gatineau on Wednesday, sweeping the Junior Dance podium. Gold medalists Layla Veillon and Alexander Brandys left the event motivated and eager for continued growth. “We’re always pushing for more,” said Layla following their free dance. “Scoring over 100 for the first time was a major goal and a big achievement for us, but we’re still hungry. We’ll go back and keep pushing ourselves.”

Summer Homick and Nicholas Buelow skated to a well-earned silver medal, marking a significant improvement from their fourth-place finish at last year’s National Championships. Reflecting on their performance, Summer acknowledged the nerves heading into the event, but credited their focus once they took the ice.
“We were nervous before we got on,” she said, “but once we stepped onto the ice, we knew where we were and focused on staying present and in the moment—and I think we did that.”

Rounding out the podium were bronze medalists Charlie Anderson and Cayden Dawson, who were thrilled with their second National Championships together. Charlie reflected on the season as a whole, saying, “It still hasn’t registered how much we’ve accomplished this season—it’s surreal.” Cayden praised Anderson’s resilience, adding, “I’m really proud of Charlie. She’s as tough as they come. There’s so much she takes in stride and tackles head-on. She gets through everything—she’s a warrior, and I’m so glad to have her by my side.”

Photo credit: Danielle Earl Photography/Skate Canada

The Junior Women event closed out the day in Gatineau, with Ontario skaters once again stepping onto the podium to claim both the silver and bronze medals.

Victoria Barakhtina delivered two strong and composed performances to earn the silver medal. Reflecting on her accomplishment, Victoria emphasized her ability to rise to the occasion when it mattered most. “I’m most proud of myself for skating my programs clean,” she said. “Training leading up to this competition was pretty tough, so to go out there and do what I needed to do means a lot to me.”

In her first season competing at the junior level, Quinn Startek capped off an impressive Junior/Senior Nationals debut by capturing the bronze medal. Quinn climbed from fifth place after the short program, delivering a confident free skate that highlighted her growing presence and composure on the ice. “My skate felt really good,” Quinn shared. “I was focused on using more ice coverage and really performing, and I think I achieved that.”

Congratulations to all Skate Ontario athletes who competed today, we are truly #SkateOntarioProud of you all! We can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the event – be sure to follow us on social media @SkateOntario to see all of the #SCNats26 action! For full event information, please visit the Skate Canada website.