Stephen Gogolev, known for his stoicism, couldn’t contain his excitement on Friday night at the Canadian figure skating championships. The 21-year-old from Toronto took a commanding lead in the race for Canada’s Olympic men’s singles spot after an impressive short program performance. Gogolev, who usually keeps his emotions in check, described feeling relaxed on the ice and credited the supportive crowd for contributing to his success.
Skating to the “Mugzy’s Move” medley, Gogolev delivered a flawless routine that included two quad jumps and a triple axel, earning him a score of 99.60 points in front of a packed audience at Centre Slush Puppie. Following him were Vancouver’s Wesley Chiu in second place with 89.14 points and Aleksa Rakic from New Westminster, B.C., in third with 83.60 points.
Once hailed as a prodigy for his early success with quad jumps, Gogolev faced setbacks due to back issues caused by a growth spurt. His return to the Canadian championships this year marks a resurgence in his career, with personal best performances throughout the season. Despite his lead after the short program, Gogolev remains focused on the upcoming free program and is wary of the competition.
Reigning national champion Roman Sadovsky, considered a top contender alongside Gogolev, slipped to fourth place with a score of 81.79 after struggling with a triple axel and a combination. The pressure of the event and the anticipation of Gogolev’s high score added to Sadovsky’s challenge during his performance.
Gogolev and Sadovsky have been engaged in a season-long battle for Canada’s lone men’s singles spot at the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics, with the final Canadian team announcement scheduled for Sunday. Skate Canada’s selection process for the Olympics considers more than just the national championships results, taking into account a skater’s overall performance over recent seasons.
Meanwhile, Keegan Messing, a two-time Olympian making a comeback, finished seventh in the championships after a shaky performance. The 33-year-old from Girdwood, Alaska, received a warm reception from the crowd and expressed his renewed passion for the sport despite the challenges of returning to competition after a hiatus.
In the pairs event, Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, the reigning world champions, claimed the top spot in the short program with 78.35 points. Stellato-Dudek dazzled with a new glitter-gold costume designed by luxury fashion brand Oscar de la Renta, making it the brand’s first foray into figure skating attire. Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud secured second place, while junior pair Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov took third.
The competition continues with the rhythm dance on Saturday as the skaters vie for top honors in the remaining events.