Canada’s Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud concluded a successful debut at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics by placing eighth in the individual pairs figure skating event on Monday. Meanwhile, Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, who suffered a fall in the short program, made an impressive comeback to finish 11th.
Pereira expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support from Canada, highlighting the pride in their performance. Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara claimed the gold medal, followed by Georgia’s Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava with silver, and Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin securing bronze.
The competition for the podium was intense, with only a five-point difference between the second and ninth positions after the short programs. Skating to the “Gladiator” soundtrack, Pereira and Michaud achieved a personal best score, setting an overall personal best of 199.66.
Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps, ranked fifth globally, showcased resilience in their performance, scoring 126.57 in the free program. Stellato-Dudek, the oldest figure skater at the Games, reflected on her journey back to skating after a long hiatus, expressing pride in their accomplishments.
Miura and Kihara, the reigning world champions, overcame a setback to clinch the gold medal with a flawless free program. Georgia’s Metelkina and Berulava claimed the silver, marking Georgia’s first-ever Winter Olympics medal. Hase and Volodin of Germany secured the bronze, battling through challenges in their performance.
The Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics witnessed remarkable performances and emotional journeys for the figure skaters, culminating in memorable moments on the ice.