A Skate Canada 'state of the union' chat
It's never too late for some (more) end of the season thoughts about the season that was for Canada's top figure skaters. Here's one more round of them.
It’s a funny time right now for Canada’s top figure skaters. If you’re not among the fortunate ones with tour dates to fill up your springtime calendar, you might well just be chilling at the moment, taking advantage of a rare opportunity for a break. Or perhaps beginning to huddle with your coaches and or choreographers to begin hatching new ideas for the season ahead.
Safe to say, the competition slate is as bare as can be. Which is typical for this sport about right now.
So we thought this might be a good time to do a bit (more?) reflecting on the efforts of the top skaters wearing the red maple leaf during the just completed 2023-24 season. More specifically, the way things wrapped up on the world stage. With that thought in mind, we touched base with Skate Canada high performance director Michael Slipchuk for some season-ending thoughts. A bit of a “state of the union” conversation, if you will. In lightly edited form, here are some of the topics we covered across the four disciplines.
Two highlights you know. And one other that you should.
We asked Slipchuk for some of his overall impressions from the World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal, and he listed off three main takeaways. The first two are pretty obvious. Read on to learn about No. 3.
“To me, there were three highlights from the Worlds. Definitely, Deanna (Stellato-Dudek) and Max (Deschamps) winning a World title after, I’d say, the last two seasons that they had. Generally this year, they kept getting better and stronger as the season went on and were at their peak at Worlds, which is what you always hope, right?” he said. “Piper (Gilles) and Paul (Poirier), great to see them second overall, winning the free dance. It couldn’t have been a better setup. Skating last in the free dance, moving up to second. It was a real testament to them, given that it was a hard year the year prior with Piper’s health issues and all of that, and how they rebounded to get through to Worlds. They had another strong season and kept getting better as the year went on. It was so great to see for them, and they’re such great ambassadors for Canada and our team. We’re just so happy for them.
“And I would say the third highlight was Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha. They had their breakout performance at a Worlds. They hadn’t been to Worlds for two years, because we only had two entries last year. And they made a huge jump from 12th (in 2022). To be fifth, and to be closer to fourth than to sixth, is remarkable. They had a tough season. They had to overcome some injuries throughout the season, and maybe didn’t compete as much as they normally would in a season. But when they did get out to compete, they were ready and performed to the top of their ability. I think it was a great breakthrough performance.”
There was really no eureka moment. Just a lot of little big ones.
If you ask me when I thought Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps showed they had it in them to become World champions, I’ll point immediately toward their epic free skate at Skate Canada International. That showed their ceiling was as high as anybody’s on the planet.
Slipchuk, though, said it wasn’t exactly about that one big moment.
“Really, I would say it’s been a two-year work in progress. I saw them at 2022 Canadians, the trials for Beijing (Olympics), and then I didn’t see them again until the summer of ’22. And when I saw them that summer, I just noticed such an improvement because, as they said, they had time to train. With COVID and everything, training was so broken up. They had time to actually spend time on technical and training stuff and (since then) really, it’s been a consistent climb. At ’23 Worlds … it was a long season, they weren’t used to competing that much and by the end of that year, they had to fight through to get that stuff. But I think that experience of navigating a long season (helped). Again, when I saw them starting up … even in July, you could already see another step forward. Every time I saw them in a competition, or in a monitoring (session) or training, they were just taking a step forward in one area of their development. We provided them with a lot of support with our sport science team and working with their people on the ground in Montreal. The key this year was that when they got to Worlds, that they felt fresh and ready to go at 100 per cent of what they could be. And we saw where that could get them. Definitely, they put the work in, they followed a great plan and they continue to improve and challenge themselves. I don’t see that changing moving forward, either.”
About that big prize in 2026 …
On the night they won in Montreal, I posited that the Canadian duo absolutely should be considered as a potential Olympic champion at the Milan-Cortina Games in 2026. And Slipchuk can see it happening, too.
“They could. What they’re scoring now is what those teams score at the top, right? That field at Worlds this year was strong. You couldn’t make a mistake in the short or you’re weren’t even in (contention) in the free program,” he said. “In the free, that top five, top six teams, they were good. As long as you’re competing with that every year, you’re only going to push yourself to be better. And I think, given what they’ve shown in the last two seasons … they proved they’re at the top of the heap this year. For sure, they’re put themselves in a position to be among the best in the world, but I think belief (is critical). Believing is half the battle, and they’ve done the work. Being at the top is tough, everyone’s good. They clearly were the best in Montreal and were rewarded that way, which is great.”
Sometimes it isn’t just about the result by your name.
Canada’s Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud placed eighth in the pairs event in Montreal, two spots lower than their Worlds debut in 2023 in Japan. We suggested in this space that perhaps it might have been a case of this year’s field simply being stronger, but Slipchuk put a bit of a different twist on it when he considered the group of teams in the bottom half of the top 10.
“When you look at that flight, they were all pretty close in there. A year ago, (Pereira and Michaud) were on the right side of that group of people, this year they were on the other side of that group of people. You could be anywhere from sixth to ninth,” he said. “The field is stronger and they had a mistake here or there in the programs, and those things happen. To me, there was an improvement in them this season. They’re a stronger team than they were a year ago but the field is a strong field and to me, it’s hard to compare year to year. It’s just such a different season.
“I thought this year at Worlds, definitely the short programs were much stronger than a year ago. The frees were a bit up and down in some areas, but in pairs, you can’t make a lot of errors. It hurts you. I thought they had a good season and a good placement. They had to fight and they had to rally, and they’re only going to be better in the long run for it.”
The dance will continue for Canada. And at a very high level.
We’ve talked a lot in months gone by about Canada’s continued prowess in ice dance. Quite frankly, it’s been the country’s top skating discipline in terms of international results for better than a decade. Three Canadian teams placed in the top 10 in Montreal (Gilles-Poirier, Lajoie-Lagha and Laurence Fournier Beaudry-Nikolaj Soerensen, who were ninth). And Slipchuk is confident that will continue all the way to Milan … and beyond.
“We have three teams in the top 10, and our next ranked team, which would be Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac, they were third at Four Continents. In the past, they’ve been a top 12 team at Worlds,” he said. “When you factor in them, and then you have Alicia Fabbri and Paul Ayer right behind them … in our minds, we have a lot of teams entrenched in the top 10 and we have some that are hovering just outside. We’re very happy with where we’re at and depth is important. You need to have that.”
About that promo video for 2024 Skate Canada International …
Perhaps you saw the short promotional video Skate Canada released when it announced Halifax as the host for 2024 Skate Canada International. Among the skaters featured in it were Gilles and Poirier. Now, you know I had to ask if we should read anything into that in terms of them returning for another competitive season. Turns out we need to pump the brakes on that one.
“As of right now, no decisions have been made on what their plans are. They’re on tour (with Stars On Ice) right now and honestly, we haven’t even had a discussion (about it),” said Slipchuk. “In the past two seasons, they’ve had a good plan of how their season goes. They had some commitments with shows and just some personal time that they’ll take off. I believe by early June, we’ll have an idea. We have the Grand Prix selection meeting in June, so we need to know by then who is committed because it does affect the events with the top-seeded people. I think in June, we’ll have a clear idea about what their plans are.
“If you wanted my take, I couldn’t tell you one way or another. They continue to improve, they had a great Worlds and they have our support on whatever decision they make. It’s nothing we’re forcing them into … we’ll just give them the time and space to decide what’s best for them. Whatever decision is made, we’re 100 per cent behind them.”
But they’re one step away from being World champions …
That’s a line we tried in the immediate aftermath of their silver medal in Montreal. But Gilles and Poirier wouldn’t bite, saying they “like to keep people guessing” and would wait until the time was right to decide. But still, when you’re that close to the top, can you really say no?
“That’s the thing. That, to me, is something an athlete has to weigh. You’re close to the top of the mountain that you want to get to, and it’s not like you can step away and come back later,” said Slipchuk. “I’m sure there’s a lot of that (sentiment) that they are factoring in. It’s different if you go and it’s not what you expected and you drop down or whatever. They were better than a year ago, another year stronger. I’m sure, for them, maybe it’s an easier decision than we’re perceiving. But it’s a tough call. You have to factor in your life, and Piper is married and Paul is finished with school, and you have look big picture. They’re looking at all of that and they’re just so on top of what they want to do. I’m sure they’ll do what’s best for them.”
Canada’s men are down a Worlds spot. And it wasn’t a real surprise.
There was some hope that Canada might retain its two men’s spots for 2025 Worlds in Boston, primarily because Roman Sadovsky skated a strong short program. But Slipchuk saw France’s Adam Siao Him Fa — considered a contender for gold coming in — lurking in a shockingly low spot after a poor short, and saw potential trouble for his guys. Turns out he wasn’t wrong.
“To be honest, we knew it was going to be tough to hold two. Those top five men in the world are so strong. Roman had a great short and he put himself in that position. Wesley (Canadian champion Chiu) had a good season and a good Worlds. But when you’re going into the long program and you have Adam in 19th place … you know he’s moving up so right away, you know you’re one spot lower,” he explained. “We probably needed both of our men to be at the top of what they could do to retain that and it’s hard. You look at the short program, and Wesley had a small mistake and he was 18th. It definitely makes it tougher (next year) with only one entry, but it makes the competition at home that much stronger because you’re going to have to be ready and there’s a lot of expectation when you get to Worlds next year. I believe we can get back to (two spots), I believe we have men who are capable of getting into the top 10. We just have to provide them with support and the help they need to see them move in that direction.”
That men’s event at 2025 nationals is going to be super intense.
You only have to go back to 2021 to find a time when Canada only had one men’s spot at the World Championships. And because of the COVID-19 pandemic, nationals didn’t happen that season, so there wasn’t any real drama over who that guy would be (Skate Canada rightly decided to send Keegan Messing to Worlds in Stockholm, where he placed sixth and got Canada its second berth for 2022). But that all changes at Canadians in 2025, when everyone chases one precious World team spot. No stress in that situation, right?
“You know what, I look at it this way. I liken it to when Patrick (Chan) was in and we only had two men going to Olympics in 2018,” said Slipchuk. “The second spot was a dogfight and this time, it happens that it’s a dogfight for first. Our athletes have been in that (position) before and that’s a part of sport, for sure.”
Canada had a top 10 woman at Junior Worlds. Just not the one we thought.
If you’re of a certain vintage, you’ll recall that it was all but automatic that Canada would send its junior national champion to Junior Worlds. But that all changed when junior-aged skaters started competing as seniors domestically (the argument being that it wasn’t fair to encourage juniors to make the move into senior sooner, but take the Junior Worlds opportunity away from them).
But we saw a rather unique situation this year in Taipei City, as Canada had both its senior (Kaiya Ruiter) and junior (Lulu Lin) national champions at Junior Worlds. And as it turned out, Lin placed 10th, while Ruiter finished 21st (a year after she was 10th herself at this event when it was held in Calgary). Here’s what Slipchuk had to say about that (he didn’t agree with the suggestion Ruiter might have run out of gas after a long season).
“Lulu had a great Junior Worlds, and she kind of did what she did at Canadians and followed it up at Worlds. We felt going in that if Lulu skated to the potential she had shown, we hoped she would be around that top 14ish or maybe a bit higher, which she did prove,” he said. “With Kaiya, she had some errors and when you have errors, they add up fast. I don’t think it had anything to do with back and forth trips (she had an earlier trip to Korea for Winter Youth Olympics). It’s just that any deductions in singles are costly. We’ve seen that with all of our athletes. She got a bit caught on that and it’s hard to make up ground. I don’t look at it as more than that.”
Canada’s best women have top 10 potential. They just need to show it.
It still stands as one of the most remarkable achievements by Canadian skaters in the last decade. That time, back at 2017 Worlds, when Kaetlyn Osmond and Gabrielle Daleman earned silver and bronze medals in Helsinki and earned three women’s spots for Canada at both Worlds and Olympics in 2018. Osmond became a World champion that year in Milan — ending a 45-year drought for Canadian women — but six years later, Canada is again stuck on one women’s berth at Worlds. And wondering when that might end. It won’t be next year after Maddie Schizas wound up 18th in Montreal.
“With all of our ladies in general, you’ve just got to eliminate errors. We had that with Maddie at Worlds. We had too many mistakes that add up at the end of the day,” said Slipchuk. “She has the potential and showed the scoring to be a top 10 skater, but when you have the mistake in the short and you have a few in the long, it adds up fast and that’s kind of where things end. That’s what we have to keep working on in our women’s program, getting them showing more consistency in competition, and doing what they can do and doing it well. That goes a long way, and not giving things away.
“In all honesty, that’s what happened to Maddie. A clean short, which she can do well, and you’re sitting top seven in the short. Then an 80 per cent long and you’re easily sitting in the top 10. The skill set and what Maddie has shown over the past two years (showed that’s possible) … she had a good season this year, a lot of good placements, a lot of good results, and things still are tracking in the positive. On those two days (in Montreal), you just had some mistakes that added up fast and it shows in the score. Moving forward, we just have to keep in mind for next season that those are things you want to eliminate from your program, because it makes the road that much harder.”
It’s never too early to work toward a new season. And there’s lots to do.
One of the topics of discussion about Canadian skaters this season — particularly in the men’s and women’s categories — was their lack of competition opportunities. There was a noticeable dearth of Canadian entries in those disciplines on the Grand Prix circuit, but world standings have a lot to do with that. Sadovsky, of course, was the prime example of someone who lacked that kind of mileage, but an injury and freaky travel issues created that situation. That aside, Slipchuk says it’s vital for Skate Canada to get its skaters out in front of judges more often. He offers one solution here.
“We definitely want to get our skaters out competing more domestically; we have a lot of events in Canada. Elvis (Stojko) and I were talking at Worlds, and he said he was always asked ‘how do you become a good competitor,’ and he said ‘by competing.’ He’s one that can say that from experience,” said Slipchuk. “We’re definitely going to work on utilizing the opportunities to compete at home, just to get that mileage and get that confidence for the athletes, so that when they get out on that bigger stage, they just feel that they can put down those programs to the level they’re capable of. It’s always learning and it’s always looking at opportunities we have at home, and we’re going to keep doing it.”