Canada’s renowned ice dancing pair, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, bid farewell to their Olympic career in a spectacular fashion at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. Their mesmerizing performance to “Moulin Rouge” secured them a gold medal, setting a new world record. The duo’s victory marked the most recent Canadian Olympic gold in figure skating.
In Pyeongchang, Canadian figure skaters shone bright with four podium finishes, including Virtue and Moir’s gold. The team event victory, along with bronze medals from Kaetlyn Osmond and Meagan Duhamel with Eric Radford, added to Canada’s success.
Fast forward to Milano Cortina 2026, Canada hopes to replicate their past glory but acknowledges the challenge of following a golden generation. Skate Canada’s high-performance director, Mike Slipchuk, draws on the 2018 experience to prepare the current team for the upcoming Games.
With the absence of a medal at Beijing 2022 for the first time in decades, Canada aims for three medals in Milan. The legacy of the 2010 Winter Olympics investment in sport still echoes in the current skaters’ training and preparation.
Following the retirement of key figures post-2018, including Virtue, Moir, Duhamel, Radford, Osmond, and Chan, Canada’s figure skating landscape underwent a transformation. The 2022 Olympics, marred by the Valieva doping controversy, saw Canada miss the podium, emphasizing the need for a new era of skaters.
Gilles and Poirier lead the Canadian charge, aiming for their first Olympic medal. The duo’s consistent performance in recent world championships fuels their quest for success in Milan. Despite the pressure of living up to past achievements, Gilles and Poirier focus on their unique journey and storytelling in figure skating.
Canada’s singles category faces a rejuvenation with the emergence of Stephen Gogolev, who overcame injuries to showcase his potential. The competition heats up as Gogolev, Sadovsky, and Messing vie for Olympic contention in the men’s singles event.
Looking ahead, Canada’s figure skating program eyes a promising future with a wave of talented junior skaters making waves internationally. The 2026 Olympics serve as a platform for Canada to showcase its depth and talent in figure skating, building momentum for the next generation of stars.