Canadian figure skaters put on strong performances in the short programs at the 2025 Finlandia Trophy, positioning themselves well to contend for medals in all disciplines.
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier claimed the second spot with a score of 79.56 in the rhythm dance to RuPaul’s “Supermodel [You Better Work].” The duo is currently trailing behind Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France, who scored 79.89 points.
Fournier Beaudry, originally from Montreal, joined forces with Cizeron after her former partner, Nikolaj Sorensen, received a six-year suspension for sexual misconduct, which was later overturned. The new pair secured a victory at the Grand Prix de France in October.
Meanwhile, in the men’s short program, Stephen Gogolev also impressed with a second-place finish, earning 89.35 points. Gogolev executed two quad jumps and a triple axel flawlessly, nearing his personal best of 90.19 achieved earlier this season. Yuma Kagiyama of Japan, the Olympic and three-time world silver medallist, claimed the third spot with 88.16 points after making a couple of errors.
Adam Siao Him Fa, the European champion and world bronze medallist, leads the men’s competition with 92.50 points going into the free skate on Saturday. Reigning national champion Roman Sadovsky from Vaughan, Ont., currently holds the sixth position with a score of 82.91.
Gogolev and Sadovsky are vying for Canada’s single men’s entry at the upcoming Milan-Cortina Olympics, with the final decision to be made after the national championships in Gatineau, Que., in January.
Madeline Schizas, the three-time Canadian champion and a top contender for Canada’s women’s Olympic spot, secured the third spot in the short program with 65.16 points. The United States’ Amber Glenn leads with 75.72 points, followed by Mone Chiba of Japan with 72.89 points.
Additionally, in the pairs event, Canada’s Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud finished fourth with 70.13 points but remain in contention for a podium finish in a highly competitive field.
The Finlandia Trophy marks the final event of the Grand Prix series and serves as the last opportunity for skaters to qualify for the Grand Prix Final, scheduled for Dec. 5-8 in Nagoya, Japan, where the top six performers in each category will compete.