Stephen Gogolev clinched his first Grand Prix medal on Saturday, but Roman Sadovsky demonstrated that the battle for Canada’s single men’s figure skating spot at the 2026 Winter Olympics will be intense. Gogolev, hailing from Toronto, secured third place at the 2025 Finlandia Trophy in Helsinki. Additionally, ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier claimed silver in ice dance, earning a spot in December’s Grand Prix Final.
Gogolev, aged 20, entered the men’s free skate in second position after a flawless short program. Despite finishing third in the free skate with a score of 164.26, he was just .22 points behind Adam Siao Him Fa of France, the European champion and world bronze medallist.
Reflecting on his performance, Gogolev stated, “Overall, I’m pretty happy with how I skated. Obviously, there are a few mistakes to correct, but I fought hard. I had never been in a podium position in a Grand Prix before, and it affected me mentally, but I managed not to dwell on it too much, to concentrate on the present, and to give my best.”
Sadovsky, who stood sixth after the short program, narrowed the gap on the medalists during the free skate. The 26-year-old from Vaughan, Ont., delivered the fourth-best free skate performance, finishing fourth overall with a total of 243.29 points, trailing Gogolev by 10.32 points for the final podium spot.
Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, initially third heading into the free skate, dominated the competition on Saturday and claimed first place with a total of 270.45 points, surpassing Siao Him Fa (256.98) and Gogolev (253.61).
Gilles, representing Toronto, and Poirier from Unionville, Ont., maintained their second-place position following Friday’s rhythm dance. Their free dance to “Vincent” by acoustic duo Govardo garnered 122.55 points, resulting in an overall total of 202.11.
Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron of France triumphed in both dances, scoring a total of 204.18 points. Zingas and Kolesnik of the United States secured third place with 196.02 points.
Fournier Beaudry, originally from Montreal, partnered with Cizeron, the 2022 Olympic champion, this season. The duo clinched gold at the Grand Prix de France in October.
Other Canadian results included three-time Canadian champion Madeline Schizas from Oakville, Ont., finishing fifth in the women’s competition, and Lia Pereira from Milton, Ont., and Trennt Michaud from Trenton, Ont., also securing fifth place in pairs.
The Finlandia Trophy marked the conclusion of the Grand Prix series, serving as the final opportunity to qualify for the Grand Prix Final, scheduled for December 5-8 in Nagoya, Japan. Live coverage of the Grand Prix Final is available on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.
