Stephen Gogolev’s journey to the Milano-Cortina Olympic Games has been anything but straightforward, but on a dazzling Saturday night in Milan, the 21-year-old from Toronto put Canada’s figure skating team right in the thick of the medal hunt. In his Olympic debut, Gogolev delivered a show-stopping performance in the men’s short program of the team event, scoring a personal-best 92.99 points. That effort, filled with technical mastery and dramatic flair, helped Canada secure a spot in the team event final and kept their medal hopes alive as the competition heads into its decisive day.
The path to this moment hasn’t been easy for Gogolev. Once lauded as the next big thing in Canadian figure skating—landing triple axels at age 10 and becoming the youngest skater to pull off a slew of quad jumps—his trajectory was derailed by a growth spurt and persistent back injuries. At just 15, a stress fracture in his lumbar spine forced him off the ice for months, and doubts crept in about his future in competitive skating. “There were definitely hard times in the past few seasons where I would get constantly injured, and doubted myself, and if I was going to keep going with competitive skating,” Gogolev admitted. “These Olympics were the main goal, and that’s what kept me going.”
That perseverance paid off under the bright lights of the 12,000-seat Milano Ice Skating Arena, where Gogolev took the ice in a tailored, 1920s-inspired suit—complete with a gold chain and a dark-striped tie—for a punchy, gangster-themed routine set to “Mugzy’s Move Medley.” The program, which he debuted earlier in the 2025–2026 season, has become a personal favorite. “I wasn’t so sure about the music and concept of it,” he said, recalling his initial hesitation when his choreographer proposed the idea. “But today, the 1920s themed program is one of my favourites.”
On Olympic ice, Gogolev executed two clean quad jumps—a loop and a Salchow—as well as a triple Axel, all while weaving through a narrative of a bank heist and a daring escape. The performance was as seamless as his character’s schemes, and the crowd responded in kind. Teammates leapt out of their seats in Canada’s box, cheering with every spin and jump. Gogolev’s score placed him third, behind Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama (a sensational 108.67) and the USA’s Ilia Malinin (98.00), but ahead of several top contenders including France’s Kevin Aymoz and Italy’s Daniel Grassl. The result was crucial, clinching Canada’s place in the final round of the team event and pulling them within striking distance of the podium.
“It was a very special moment for me,” Gogolev told reporters afterward. “Especially at the Team Event, because the decision for (which team advanced) will be decided by this as well.” The Olympic atmosphere, he said, was still sinking in: “You’re in this environment where you see all the best skaters in the world, all the best athletes, really the world’s biggest stage of competition. It still feels a bit unreal.”
Canada ended the night fourth in the team event standings with 35 points, just two behind host Italy (37), while the United States (44) and Japan (39) led the way. Only the top five of ten teams advanced to the final, and Canada’s place was secure thanks to the combined efforts of its roster. The team event, which concludes with the pairs, women’s, and men’s free programs on Sunday, will decide the medals—and with the standings so tight, every skate will count.
An additional boost came from ice dancers Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, who stepped in for world silver medallists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier in the free dance. Their mesmerizing routine to “Nureyev” from the film “The White Crow” earned them a season’s best 120.90 points and a third-place finish in the segment, helping Canada retain its fourth-place standing. The decision to substitute Lajoie and Lagha had been planned weeks in advance, and the duo was ready for the spotlight. “We love this free dance. We love to share it and we love to create this atmosphere, so we’re really happy to have the chance to perform it one more time at the Games,” said Lagha. Lajoie added, “We were really stressed before, I think we realized, ‘Oh my God, it’s the Olympics.’ But the feeling when the music started was pretty amazing.”
Canada’s lineup has faced challenges, notably the absence of former world pairs champion Deanna Stellato-Dudek and her partner Maxime Deschamps due to injury. Despite this, the team has shown resilience, echoing the spirit of past Canadian squads that captured gold in 2018 and silver in 2014. At the 2022 Beijing Games, Canada finished just off the podium in fourth, behind the United States, Japan, and Russia (which was later embroiled in a doping controversy). This year, the team is determined to climb back onto the podium, and Gogolev’s star turn has reignited those hopes.
Gogolev’s resurgence is all the more remarkable given his recent struggles. He was forced to withdraw from competition last season due to his back injury, but now, he says, “This is probably the best I have felt in a long time … and the most consistent.” His calm, soft-spoken demeanor off the ice belies the dramatic flair he brings to his routines. “I just try to focus on the present,” he said of his approach to competition. “And I guess beforehand, visualizing the element.”
His journey from prodigy to Olympian has captured the imagination of fans and teammates alike. Videos of a young Gogolev landing quads and triple Axels at age 10 went viral, and by 13, he had won the Junior Grand Prix Final in Vancouver, becoming the youngest ever to do so. Now, after years of setbacks, he’s finally seizing his Olympic moment. “It really still feels a bit unreal,” he repeated. “Because you’re in this environment where you see all the best skaters in the world and all the best athletes—it hasn’t really sunk in yet.”
As the team event heads into its final day, the pressure is on. The pairs free skate, women’s free skate, and men’s free skate will determine the medalists, with Canada just two points behind Italy in the battle for bronze. Should the standings hold, Gogolev may well find himself skating for a medal in what promises to be a dramatic finish.
For now, Canada’s figure skating team lives to fight another day, buoyed by the performances of its rising stars and the resilience of its veterans. Whatever the outcome, Stephen Gogolev’s Olympic debut has already become a highlight of the Games—a testament to perseverance, talent, and the thrill of competing on the world’s biggest stage.