By: Pj Kwong

The atmosphere inside the Sasktel Centre in Saskatoon showed a crowd that was interested in seeing some great skating at Skate Canada International. On Day 2 of competition, winners would be named in the Pair and Women’s events while we also got a first look at the Ice Dancers and the Men in their Short Programs.

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier. Photo by Hayley Roberts.

It’s important to remember that the six-event ISU Grand Prix Series results are crucial as they determine which skaters qualify for the prestigious Grand Prix Final and often set the tone for the rest of the competitive season not to mention who will be the favourites heading into the Winter Olympic Games in February 2026.

As far as favourites are concerned, Ontario ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier are at the top of the list. This is their first of two Grand Prix appearances this season where they are debuting both their Rhythm Dance and Free Dance in front of a receptive Canadian crowd. They took a comfortable 5+ point lead and are poised to take their sixth Skate Canada International title after the free dance tomorrow. Coaches Carol Lane and Juris Razgulaevs have a plan figured out for what comes next for Piper and Paul: “They need to keep their delivery calm and organized.”

The men skated next including Ontario’s Stephen Gogolev and Roman Sadovsky. Steven was first to skate in the men’s event and set the bar with 3 jump elements that were all evaluated to have been performed at a level that was higher than their base level. Ultimately, at the conclusion of the short program, Steven finished in 7th and Roman in 10th place.

Roman Sadovksy. Photo by Hayley Roberts.

With the pairs about to take the ice, I caught up with five-time Olympic ice dance medalist turned coach Scott Moir who was part of the team working to enhance the artistry that was so clearly on display with short program 3rd place pair skaters Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud from Ontario. It begged the question: the prep for a pair free program vs a free dance? “As far as the actual training, they’re the same as far as dedication from the athlete. In the case of Lia and Trennt, not being involved in the technical training but being allowed to ‘play’ with the music and the programs has been the result of a great collaboration with coach Ali Purkiss.”

Lia and Trennt were philosophical after a performance where they dropped from third to fourth overall. They have a beautiful program which was plain to see despite any errors. They are prepared to go home and figure out what went wrong and get ready for their next event in Finland. The ‘goods’ are there, and I am confident the ‘skate’ will be there too. It’s just a matter of time.

Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud. Photo by Hayley Roberts.

The final event to take place on Day 2 was the women’s. Madeline Schizas would be looking for redemption after a sub par performance in yesterday’s short program. Coach Nancy Lemaire talked about the amount of preparation and extra time they have been spending on the free program before this event, and this would be the opportunity to put that to the test.

Well, Madeline passed with flying colours! She executed a program with six triple jumps and easily skated from element to element with elegance, grace and confidence. Her free program was the 7th best in the field and elevated her standing from 12th to 9th overall. She said that although last year’s Skate Canada International scores may have been a little better, this year’s performance was more satisfying, and I think significant. A definite step in the right direction.

The competition wraps up on Sunday with the Free Dance and Men’s free skate final.

Make sure to connect with @SkateOntario on your favourite social media platform.

Madeline Schizas. Photo by Hayley Roberts.