Canadian figure skaters put on impressive performances in the short programs at the 2025 Finlandia Trophy, positioning themselves well for a shot at the podium across all disciplines.
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier delivered a strong rhythm dance to “Supermodel [You Better Work]” by RuPaul, earning 79.56 points and securing the second spot behind Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France. Fournier Beaudry, hailing from Montreal, teamed up with Cizeron this season after her previous partnership with Nikolaj Sorensen was disrupted by his overturned suspension for misconduct.
In the men’s short program, Stephen Gogolev claimed second place with 89.35 points, showcasing two quad jumps and a clean performance. The Toronto native outperformed Yuma Kagiyama of Japan, who finished third with 88.16 points due to some errors. Adam Siao Him Fa led the standings with 92.50 points, while Roman Sadovsky from Vaughan, Ont., landed in sixth place with 82.91 points.
Madeline Schizas, a three-time Canadian champion and a leading contender for Canada’s women’s Olympic spot, secured third place in the short program with 65.16 points. The top spot was held by Amber Glenn of the United States, followed by Mone Chiba of Japan.
In the pairs event, Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud from Canada finished fourth with 70.13 points, staying within striking distance of the podium. The German pair of Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin led the field with 70.40 points.
The Finlandia Trophy marks the final opportunity for skaters to qualify for the Grand Prix Final, a crucial event for the top six performers in each discipline, scheduled for December in Nagoya, Japan.