Canadian Olympians Bucsis, St-Gelais, Gilday and Boucher to provide expert analysis during Milano-Cortina 2026 television coverage
CBC and Radio-Canada coverage of long track speed skating begins February 7; short track racing gets underway February 10
OTTAWA, ONTARIO – Four Canadian Olympians will provide television viewers from coast-to-coast with expert insight and analysis of both short track and long track speed skating during the Milano-Cortina 2026. English language coverage on CBC will feature a pair of familiar voices in Anastasia Bucsis and Michael Gilday, while French viewers of Radio-Canada will be accompanied by two of Quebec’s most recognizable skaters in Gaétan Boucher and Marianne St-Gelais.
Bucsis (Calgary, Alta.), who will also be hosting primetime coverage for CBC alongside professional snowboarder Craig McMorris during the Games, will make her Olympic debut as a commentator when long track gets underway on February 7. The 36-year-old sprinter competed at Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014, before moving into a broadcasting career, where she has called World Cup and World Championship racing for the past few years. An inspiring leader, changemaker, advocate that champions equity and inclusion, Bucsis impact on amateur sport was recently recognized at the 48th Annual Canadian Sport Awards, where she was named recipient of the Bruce Kidd Leadership Award.
“My Olympic dreams became solidified when I watched Catriona Le May Doan win her second Olympic gold medal in the 500m. I’ll never forget where I was, and how Steve Armitage sounded on the call. To now have the opportunity to play a role in how Canadians see our sport, is an immense honour. It’s not lost on me that Torino 2006 was an exceptional Olympics for Canadian speed skating, and to be going back to Italy, 20 years later, knowing that so many of the current athletes were inspired by that Games, feels poetic. I know the athletes competing in Milan will inspire others to take up the sport, and I am extremely excited to watch them.”
Anastasia Bucsis
Gilday (Yellowknife, N.W.T.), meanwhile, is a veteran of the television commentary business. The 38-year-old Olympian, who retired from the sport following his Olympic appearance at Sochi 2014, has been honing his craft for nearly a decade. He began working as a commentator for CBC at the 2015 World Cup Short Track in Toronto and has gone on to call the action at two Olympics, PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022.
“There is so much more to short track than just a race to cross the line first. I really enjoy helping viewers, both those that might be tuning in to short track for the first time during the Olympics and those that have been following the sport for decades, understand why a race is won or lost and hopefully giving a greater appreciation for just how challenging and technical short track is. The level in international short track has maybe never been higher. As a fan, I’m looking forward to seeing some beautiful duels between the top skaters, and whether the Canadians can continue the success they’ve had over the past two seasons. As an analyst, I’m looking forward to introducing more Canadians to the stories that are behind each skater.”
Michael Gilday
Joining Bucsis and Gilday in the booth will be veteran play-by-play commentator Signa Butler, who has been the voice of long track speed skating on CBC since longtime broadcaster Steve Armitage announced his retirement following Beijing 2022.
On the French side, the legendary Gaetan Boucher (Charlesbourg, Que.) will once again be on the microphone for long track coverage. The four-time Olympic medalist and two-time Olympic champion from Sarajevo 1984 will provide insight that few other skaters can, alongside play-by-play commentator Olivier Paradis-Lemieux.
Meanwhile, short track fans will get to live the excitement of the races alongside Marianne St-Gelais (St-Félicien, Quebec), who is returning for her second Olympic Games in the commentary booth. The recently inducted member of Speed Skating Canada’s Hall of Fame, who has teamed up with play-by-play specialist Olivier Tremblay for World Tour coverage over the past few seasons, will look to capturing the emotional roller-coaster that is short track, just as she did during her first Games as a broadcaster in Beijing.
The 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano-Cortina take place from February 6-22, with long track speed skating kicking-off on February 7 and short track speed skating starting February 10. Check out the full broadcast schedule for CBC and Radio-Canada.
Long Track Speed Skating Schedule
DateEventMilan (CET)PTMTCTETATNTSaturday, Feb 07W 300016:0007:0008:0009:0010:0011:0011:30Sunday, Feb 08M 500016:0007:0008:0009:0010:0011:0011:30Monday, Feb 09W 100017:3008:3009:3010:3011:3012:3013:00Wednesday, Feb 11M 100018:3009:3010:3011:3012:3013:3014:00Thursday, Feb 12W 500016:3007:3008:3009:3010:3011:3012:00Friday, Feb 13M 1000016:0007:0008:0009:0010:0011:0011:30Saturday, Feb 14W TP Qual + M 50016:0007:0008:0009:0010:0011:0011:30Sunday, Feb 15M TP Qual + W 50016:0007:0008:0009:0010:0011:0011:30Tuesday, Feb 17M + W TP14:3005:3006:3007:3008:3009:3010:00Thursday, Feb 19M 150016:3007:3008:3009:3010:3011:3012:00Friday, Feb 20W 150016:3007:3008:3009:3010:3011:3012:00Saturday, Feb 21M + W MS15:0006:0007:0008:0009:0010:0010:30
Short Track Speed Skating Schedule
Where to Watch
