2025–26 Canadian Pairs: News and Updates

[Winnipeg]

I get that but it did not really take away from the actual lift itself? Thanks for your info BTW

 

[Sylvia]

Looking at the GOE given by the judges it could have been worse - ranged from -3 to -5. Errors in the short program are generally judged more harshly.

Bringing over this helpful info from the Pairs SP PBP thread in Kiss & Cry (thank you @Aussie Willy):

Because Deanna fell, and it was deemed to have happened on an element, I would have thought that was mandatory -5, but apparently not. Is that new?

A fall doesn't necessarily mean an automatic -5. You start with the GOE you would have given the element if completed successfully then apply the reduction. A fall means you cannot be positive GOE but you don't have to be -5. So a judge could have been giving a +3 if completed without error, then apply the reduction which can take it back to -2.
It is in this communication - page 11.
https://isu-d8g8b4b7ece7aphs.a03.az...ls-and-GOE-Season-2025-26-1745584466-4032.pdf

Jessie Ware ("Say You Love Me" singer) sent flowers to Lia & Trennt 2 days ago!

Lia Pereira, OLY on Instagram: "POV @jessieware and her team send you this HUGE bouquet of flowers as a thank you for performing to her song “say you love me” at the Olympics! 💐✨ Thank you so much!! This was such a thoughtful gift, we could not be m

1,181 likes, 33 comments - _lia.pereira on February 13, 2026: "POV @jessieware and her team send you this HUGE bouquet of flowers as a thank you for performing to her song “say you love me” at the Olympics! 💐✨ Thank you so much!! This was such a thoughtful gift, we could not be more thankful 💗...

www.instagram.com

Pereira/Michaud's 3rd place 74.60 is almost 4 points higher than their previous ISU personal best SP score!

 

[~tapdancer~]

Honestly, I thought P/M were better than the Georgians. Trennt is a far better lifter, Luka's turns are hair-raising. Plus Lia and Trennt seemed more solid and on point with every element. Then again, there is only a point difference so that's quite a plus. P/M showed how hard work and believing in yourself pays off.

 

[tangerine dream]

I've never really been a P/M fan, they just don't do a lot for me. And I think they should absolutely be second after the short. They couldn't have done any better! At least they'll probably get a final group PCS bump in the free.

 

[princeton123]

Trennt doing so well just makes me annoyed he didn't get to go to Beijing. And for what? For a pair with absolutely no future and no medal prospects unless everyone else ate the ice like James/Radford?

 

[Colonel Green]

Trennt doing so well just makes me annoyed he didn't get to go to Beijing. And for what? For a pair with absolutely no future and no medal prospects unless everyone else ate the ice like James/Radford?

James & Radford ended up winning a World bronze that year. I wouldn't say the fed regrets anything about how that worked out.

 

[Desperado]

Love DSD / MD but their performance did nothing to prove to me that Maxime does not have some type of injury/health issue.

Still very happy they were able to compete after everything. Sad that they missed the TE because it would've gone a long way to tame any jitters.

I wonder if that was their swan song or if they might think of Worlds now to finish on a higher note.

 

[princeton123]

James & Radford ended up winning a World bronze that year. I wouldn't say the fed regrets anything about how that worked out.

Nurture young talent or let an old team with no future fumble their way to a bronze in a depleted Worlds field?

They should have regrets

 

[Colonel Green]

Nurture young talent or let an old team with no future fumble their way to a bronze in a depleted Worlds field?

They should have regrets

Walsh/Michaud ended after that season, so I'm not sure "no future" is a valid critique of favouring James/Radford over them. As it turned out, neither of those teams had a future, but one of them got a World bronze.

 

[dramagrrl]

Walsh/Michaud ended after that season, so I'm not sure "no future" is a valid critique of favouring James/Radford over them. As it turned out, neither of those teams had a future, but one of them got a World bronze.

Who knows if they would have ended if they had gone to the Olympics and skated well? I think the disappointment of not making the team had a big role to play in Evelyn's decision to retire. It wasn't just about her going to uni, because IIRC, they were planning to compete and even had GP events scheduled before she made the decision in the late summer. I also remember her saying that she was retiring sooner than she thought she would or would've liked to. I know they obviously had some big limitations due to the lack of height difference, but they had been doing fairly well despite that, being sixth at Worlds that season and twelfth at Worlds with full attendance the year before. Trennt and Lia have never placed higher than sixth at Worlds, in an arguably weaker quad.

 

[Andora]

am I the only one who remembers how unwatchable Walsh & Michaud were? The decision to send the better pair was valid then. Trennt has a more dynamic partnership now, with higher ceiling. Even if he had gone to the Olympics 4 years ago, Lia had not, so experience would only be so helpful.

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

am I the only one who remembers how unwatchable Walsh & Michaud were? The decision to send the better pair was valid then. Trennt has a more dynamic partnership now, was higher ceiling. Even if he had gone to the Olympics 4 years ago, Lia had not, so experience would only be so helpful.

Walsh and Michaud's lifts scared me so much that I couldn't watch them. And thanks to James and Radford's bronze medal at 2022 worlds, Canada got to send 3 teams to 2023 worlds.

 

[coppertop1]

Walsh and Michaud's lifts scared me so much that I couldn't watch them. And thanks to James and Radford's bronze medal at 2022 worlds, Canada got to send 3 teams to 2023 worlds.

It was also thanks to W/M finishing sixth since it's the total of placements.

 

[manhn]

I will also add that Vanessa and Eric were arguably the second best that competition. I always remember when I can wuzrob Canadian skaters. I am not suggesting it was an injustice like Czechia’s 3rd goal, but Vanessa and Eric were wuzrob-worthy, in my view.

 

[Karen-W]

I will also add that Vanessa and Eric were arguably the second best that competition. I always remember when I can wuzrob Canadian skaters. I am not suggesting it was an injustice like Czechia’s 3rd goal, but Vanessa and Eric were wuzrob-worthy, in my view.

2nd best of the teams that finished the competition, sure, but 3rd best of the teams that finished the SP, IMO. I do recall thinking at the time, before Cain/LeDuc had to withdraw, that Vanessa & Eric should have beat Miura/Kihara.

 

[Karen-W]

Not surprisingly, Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps are not going to Worlds. Laurin/Ethier & Pereira/Michaud were named to the team.

Canadian Figure Skating Team Announced for 2026 ISU Figure Skating World Championships

Ottawa, ON (Feb. 23, 2026) – Following the conclusion of the [...]

skatecanada.ca

 

[Winnipeg]

I hope Canada can qualify 3 pairs teams but hmm..........

Glad to see GM are going in dance. That will make it more likely we can qualify 3 dance teams.

SG has a shot to get in top ten to Q 2 men but MS in women..............not likely a top ten finish there.

 

[honey]

For the decision on worlds to have been made already, it makes me think Deanna and Max were really, really lucky to have made it to the Olympics. I feel very happy for them that they were able to do that and really skated very well considering the circumstances. But they are likely far more beat up than we even know right now.

I know Lia and Trennt have said they need to reevaluate before committing to more seasons, but I do hope they give it a go for at least another year. They’ve really developed nicely in the last year or so, and I think they can continue to grow.

And then on that same token, it Trennt decides he is done (which would be totally understandable), one naturally starts to wonder about who Lia might be a good match with. Decisions, decisions…

 

[pointbleu]

I hope Canada can qualify 3 pairs teams but hmm..........

Glad to see GM are going in dance. That will make it more likely we can qualify 3 dance teams.

SG has a shot to get in top ten to Q 2 men but MS in women..............not likely a top ten finish there.

Who is GM?

 

[victorskid]

Who is GM?

I suspect it was supposed to be G/P

 

[Sylvia]

Fiona Bombardier is back on the ice after her surgery (clip via Benjamin Mimar's Instagram stories): https://x.com/CanadianFSNews/status/2026026843565166825

Cristina Lyons, 22, is looking for a new partner (competed in Senior Pairs at 2025 Canadians with Marty Haubrich) - IPS profile: https://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=7832

@cristina_lyons10 on Instagram: "Hi everyone, I’m sharing this post as I’m searching for a pairs partner to continue my skating journey ⛸️🤍 As a 4x Canadian National Competitor in singles, and a 1x Senior Pairs National Competitor, I’m looking for

255 likes, 0 comments - cristina_lyons10 on February 23, 2026: "Hi everyone, I’m sharing this post as I’m searching for a pairs partner to continue my skating journey ⛸️🤍 As a 4x Canadian National Competitor in singles, and a 1x Senior Pairs National Competitor, I’m looking for a motivated and...

www.instagram.com

 

[Winnipeg]

Yes, I meant GP...........sorry!

 

[Aceon6]

Yes, I meant GP...........sorry!

Grichuk/Platov
Green/Parsons
Gilles/Poirier
Yes, this is a Canadian thread and I should have immediately thought of the last set of names, but it’s the Pairs thread, so I wasted several brain cells trying to come up with a pair.

 

[puglover]

Remembering some of these initialisms is almost as hard as Kaetlyn/Kaitlin, Meagan/Meghan, Alissa/Alysa. This is challenging for some of us with aging brain cells!

 

[Skate Talker]

Too many same/same initials combinations. For my senior brain it's much easier to go with the first 3 letters of the last names and doesn't take a ton of extra time. (Can also make some fun "words".)

 

[shutterbug]

Laurie Nealin's latest article in advance of Kemp/Elizarov's final Jr. World's appearance: Olympics-inspired Winnipeg pair looks to revisit past at world juniors

“Over the years, pressure and expectations have risen (along with our goals), but one of our goals going into this junior worlds is to bring more of that 2023 junior worlds Ava and Yoni back in a way,” Kemp continued. “We want to enjoy the experience, skate freely, and the results will land where they land.”

Their coach Kevin Dawe said seeing how successful that mindset can be was the big takeaway from the Winter Games. The Olympians who skated well in Milan focused on performance and not outcome.

Women’s gold medallist Alysa Liu is the epitome of that approach.

“That’s something (Kemp and Elizarov) continue to work on and apply to their own competitions,” Dawe noted.

Meeting expectations at major competitions has not been one of K/E's strengths to date, so good to see they're aware of the issue and looking for ways to improve.

 

[Sylvia]

Good job, Desrochers/Thrasher and Kemp/Elizarov!

Golden Skate on Instagram: "Canadian power 💪🏻🇨🇦 Jazmine Desrochers / Kieran Thrasher 🇨🇦 62.84 Ava Kemp / Yohnatan Elizarov 🇨🇦 62.22 Are sitting in first and second after the SP at this year’s Junior Word Championships 💪🏻 #JWFigure #FigureSkating

26 likes, 0 comments - goldsk8 on March 4, 2026: "Canadian power 💪🏻🇨🇦 Jazmine Desrochers / Kieran Thrasher 🇨🇦 62.84 Ava Kemp / Yohnatan Elizarov 🇨🇦 62.22 Are sitting in first and second after the SP at this year’s Junior Word Championships 💪🏻 #JWFigure #FigureSkating #JuniorWorlds".

www.instagram.com

First time breaking 60 in SP for Jazmine/Kieran!

Golden Skate on Instagram: "Jazmine Desrochers / Kieran Thrasher 🇨🇦 62.84 Jazmine: “I am really happy about this skate today.” Kieran: “For me, today felt a little bit different. Personally, my practices haven’t gone as they usually do, so that kin

45 likes, 0 comments - goldsk8 on March 4, 2026: "Jazmine Desrochers / Kieran Thrasher 🇨🇦 62.84 Jazmine: “I am really happy about this skate today.” Kieran: “For me, today felt a little bit different. Personally, my practices haven’t gone as they usually do, so that kind of messed me up a bit...

www.instagram.com

Ava/Yohnatan:

Golden Skate on Instagram: "Ava Kemp / Yohnatan Elizarov 🇨🇦 62.22 Yohnatan: “We are really happy about this performance. Practices were going really well.” Ava: “I think the program itself, we were a little bit cautious. Everything felt slightly of

31 likes, 0 comments - goldsk8 on March 4, 2026: "Ava Kemp / Yohnatan Elizarov 🇨🇦 62.22 Yohnatan: “We are really happy about this performance. Practices were going really well.” Ava: “I think the program itself, we were a little bit cautious. Everything felt slightly off, so that definitely...

www.instagram.com

 

[Colonel Green]

Champions of the (junior) world!

 

[Sylvia]

Rob Brodie’s Substack article on Kemp/Elizarov’s win (March 7):

How Canada got back on top of the junior pairs world

The gold medal earned by Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov in Estonia marked an achievement this country hadn't seen in nearly half a century

rwbrodiewrites.substack.com

Laurie Nealin’s article on K/E (March 6):

Winnipeg figure skating pair inspired after storybook ending to juniors career

Winnipeg duo Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov have enjoyed remarkable success since they burst onto the international figure skating scene four years ago with only a year of pair skating experience on t...

www.winnipegfreepress.com

Excerpt from the end:

The Winnipeggers are Canadian team alternates for the senior world championships in Prague the last week of March, so they have to keep training in case either of the two pairs currently slated to compete are unable to do so.
Kemp and Elizarov tested the senior competition waters earlier this season.
“We’re pretty happy with how (our three senior events) went and we want to be up there with those other senior teams,” Elizarov said.
“We’re happy to move on to senior.”

Lia Pereira Q&A in Milton Today by Steve LeBlanc (Feb. 28):

https://www.miltontoday.ca/local-sports/felt-very-surreal-milton-figure-skater-reflects-on-her-olympic-debut-11938338

We always knew if Team Canada made the free program in the team event that we would have skated the pairs free. So to hear so close to our departure that we would also be participating in the short program was surprising, yet we were ready for it. We knew we were trained, we felt ready, we just had to talk with our team when managing energy levels and maintain mind and body health so we could still be ready for the individual event.

How challenging will it be to put the Olympics behind you and refocus for the upcoming world championships in Prague in late March?

I think it will be interesting. Every athlete who has done this talks about how hard it is, but for us I think it’s exciting. To finally be putting up scores we have been working towards and to be placed as high as third in the short program was very motivating and confirming that we are on the right path to success. So with a little more time and preparation I believe we can perform well once again for the final time of this season.

Check out @danafan’s post in the Canadian Women’s news thread today : https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...-news-and-updates.112810/page-12#post-6911871