Madeline Schizas climbs 3 spots to capture her 4th Canadian figure skating title
Madeline Schizas captured her fourth women’s singles title at the Canadian figure skating championships on Sunday in Gatineau, Que. The 22-year-old from Oakville, Ont., delivered a stellar performance, scoring 135.94 points in her free skate, set to the Butterfly Lovers Concerto. This impressive effort propelled her from fourth to first place, finishing with a winning total of 200.86 points at Centre Slush Puppie. “I wasn’t going down without a fight, and I think I proved that today,” Schizas remarked after her win.
In a remarkable return to competitive skating, Gabrielle Daleman, a two-time Olympian, claimed the silver medal with a total of 195.35 points. This was her first appearance at nationals since 2022, a comeback fueled by perseverance after experiencing severe injuries. “At the end of the day, it took a lot of guts and a lot of courage for me to come back,” she stated. Daleman expressed pride in battling through the pressure, despite feeling she did not meet her full potential this time.
Minsol Kwon, a talented 16-year-old from South Korea, secured the bronze medal with a total of 193.18 points. Kwon led after Saturday’s short program but faced tough competition from both Daleman and Schizas.
Schizas arrived in Gatineau as the frontrunner for Canada’s women’s spot for the upcoming February Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina after representing Canada at the past five world championships. “I’m so excited,” she exclaimed, looking forward to having her family present. “I’ll have my family there—my aunt and uncle are coming. I’m really, really excited that they’re all going to be there to support me.”
Aside from a stumble on the double axel, Schizas executed a near-perfect free program, inching her closer to Olympic aspirations.
In addition to the women’s competitions, four-time national ice dance champions Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier led comfortably with 93.11 points following Saturday’s rhythm dance. The full Olympic team announcement was scheduled to be made later that evening.
Canada is poised to send a strong contingent to the Olympics, featuring seven entries across various disciplines, including three ice dance teams, two pairs, and one each in men’s and women’s singles, along with participation in the team event.
