Gogolev manages foot issue as Skate Canada International comes to Kelowna
Canada has three entries in each discipline at the second Grand Prix event of the season, with competition at Prospera Place from Friday to Sunday.
KELOWNA, B.C. —
Canada's top figure skaters start their Grand Prix season at home this week at Skate Canada International in Kelowna, B.C., the second event of the 2026-27 series. 15
Competition at Prospera Place runs from Friday to Sunday, Nov. 1. As host, Canada has three entries in each of the four disciplines. It is the third time the event has been held at Prospera Place, after 2014 and 2019. 12
A cautious start for Gogolev
Canadian champion Stephen Gogolev, 21, has been dealing with a left foot issue that he says started in February, before the world championships in Prague, where he finished fourth. 2
“It's something to do with the way my foot is structured. It's something I was born with,” Gogolev told reporters on a conference call organized by Skate Canada. “It's just something that I have to manage it better.” 2
He said the quadruple toe loop is out for Kelowna, but he plans to go for the quad Lutz and quad Salchow. He has no placement goals. “For me, I just want to put out two very good performances,” he said. 2
His new short program is set to Bronski Beat's Smalltown Boy and his free skate to music from Moulin Rouge. Wesley Chiu and David Bondar are also entered for Canada in a men's field that includes France's Kevin Aymoz and Estonia's Mihhail Selevko. 12
Pairs lead the way
World bronze medallists and Canadian champions Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud head the pairs entry, joined by Miyu Yunoki and Tristan Taylor and by reigning junior world champions Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov, who make their senior Grand Prix debut. 1
Pereira said the pair felt a shift at the national team's training camp in August. “I think that leadership role comes very naturally to us,” she said. 2
Madeline Schizas, Sara-Maude Dupuis and Fée Ann Landry skate for Canada in a women's field that includes European champion Niina Petrõkina of Estonia and American Isabeau Levito, last year's silver medallist in this event. 13
Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac, Layla Veillon and Alexander Brandys, and Alyssa Robinson and Jacob Portz are Canada's ice dance teams. Britain's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson, the reigning Grand Prix Final bronze medallists, headline that event. 1
How to watch
The men's short program opens the competition Friday at 9 p.m. ET, followed by the pairs short program. The women's short program starts Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, and Sunday's final day begins at 3 p.m. ET with the women's free skate, followed by the free dance. 3
CBC is the broadcaster in Canada, according to the International Skating Union. 4
Results in Kelowna count toward qualifying for the Grand Prix Final, scheduled for Dec. 10-13 in Chongqing, China. 1
Sources
- Skate Canada: World-Class Lineup Announced for 2026 Skate Canada International in Kelowna
- Hammer That Keyboard! (Robert Brodie): #SCI26: Some early thoughts on the road to Kelowna (Oct. 17, 2026)
- U.S. Figure Skating: U.S. National Team Continues Grand Prix Series in Kelowna (Oct. 27, 2026)
- International Skating Union: Where to Watch the ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix Skate Canada International 2026 (Oct. 26, 2026)
- Wikipedia: 2026 Skate Canada International
This article was reported and written by Mike Tremblay and edited by Daniel Okafor. It draws on the sources above, which are credited in the text. Our standards · Report an error
