MILANO, Italy — On this Saturday, February 07, 2026, the eyes of the figure skating world are fixed on the ice at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, where Canada’s newly crowned national champion, Stephen Gogolev, is making his highly anticipated Olympic debut.
The 21-year-old Toronto native, who trains at the Granite Club, entered the 2026 Games carrying the momentum of a career-defining season. Just weeks ago, Gogolev clinched his first senior Canadian national title in Gatineau, finishing a staggering 20 points clear of the field. His victory was punctuated by a dominant short program score of 99.60 and a technically masterful free skate that earned 175.90 points.
From Wunderkind to Olympian
Gogolev’s journey to the Olympic stage has been a decade-long saga of immense promise and physical resilience. Once a child prodigy who set five junior world record scores and won the Junior Grand Prix Final at just 13, Gogolev faced significant challenges during a massive growth spurt that saw him reach a height of 6’1″ (185 cm). After years of battling inconsistency and injury, the University of St. Michael’s College student has finally found the “new energy and love” for the sport that experts say has transformed his skating.
“He’s always enjoyed jumping, but you can really see now he’s starting to focus more on the second mark and the overall performance,” noted analysts following his recent international success, which included a gold medal at the 2025 Nebelhorn Trophy and a bronze at the Finlandia Trophy.
Olympic Team Event Impact
Gogolev’s first task in Milano involves the critical Olympic team event. Representing Team Canada, Gogolev took to the ice for the men’s short program segment, aiming to secure Canada’s position in the top five to advance to the final phase of the competition. Skating to his “Mugzy’s Move” medley, Gogolev has relied on his signature technical arsenal, which includes multiple quadruple jumps and a high-scoring triple axel.
A Student of the Game
Off the ice, Gogolev balances the rigors of elite athletics with his studies as a political science student at the University of Toronto. Born into an athletic family—his parents were gymnasts and his brother a competitive kayaker—Gogolev chose figure skating over a potential career in downhill alpine skiing at age six. That decision has now led him to the pinnacle of international sport.
As the individual men’s event approaches later this week, Gogolev is regarded as a dark horse contender. With his newfound consistency and the highest technical ceiling of any Canadian man in years, he represents Canada’s best hope for a top-tier finish in the post-Patrick Chan era.