Ice dance pair Gilles and Poirier lead Canadian figure skating contingent into 2026 Winter Games
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The experienced ice dance pair of Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier will headline a contingent of 12 athletes named to Canada’s figure skating team for Milano Cortina 2026.
Gilles and Poirier, who scored silver at the previous two world championships, will compete in their third Olympics together after appearances in Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022.
Poirier, personally, will be making his fourth appearance at a Winter Games after having competed at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
“Piper and I are honoured to be selected for our third Olympic Games alongside this incredible team!” Poirier said. “We’re so excited to represent Canada once more and hope to bring a medal home with us.”
The pairs team of Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps will make their Olympic debut in Italy. At 42, Stellato-Dudek will become the oldest female figure skater to compete at a Winter Olympics since Great Britain’s Ethel Muckelt, who competed at the same age in 1928.
The duo claimed two medals on the ISU Grand Prix circuit this season, winning silver at the Grand Prix de France and their third consecutive gold at Skate Canada.
“Maxime and I are honoured to represent the maple leaf in Milan. This selection represents years of work, discipline and belief, and it is a dream come true,” Stellato-Dudek said.
Canada carries seven entries — three ice dance teams, two pairs and one each in men’s and women’s singles — and will compete in the team event.
Stephen Gogolev earned the men’s singles entry, while Madeline Schizas heads to her second Olympics in the women’s event.
Figure skating at the Games will be contested at the Milano Ice Skating Arena between Feb. 6-19.
Full team
Ice dance
- Piper Gilles (Toronto) and Paul Poirier (Unionville, Ont.)
- Marjorie Lajoie(Boucherville, Que.) andZachary Lagha(St-Hubert, Que.)
- Marie-Jade Lauriault(Ste-Anne-des-Plaines, Que.) andRomain Le Gac(Laval, Que.)
Men’s singles
Pairs
- Deanna Stellato-Dudek(Chicago, Illinois) andMaxime Deschamps(Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.)
- Lia Pereira(Milton, Ont.) andTrennt Michaud(Trenton, Ont.)
Women’s singles
- Madeline Schizas(Oakville, Ont.)
