Top Men’s Moments from the 2023/2024 Season

From snowstorms to broken skate laces, new titles to breakout performances, the men kept us on the edge of our seats this season. Here are a few of our top Canadian men’s moments from the 2023/2024 skating season.

When we think of an athlete who seizes every opportunity to shine, Aleksa Rakic immediately comes to mind. Rakic kicked off his standout season at Skate Canada International – his senior Grand Prix debut – where he put up an impressive score of 189.38. He harnessed the momentum to capture silver medals at the 2023/24 Skate Canada Challenge and at the 2024 Canadian National Skating Championships. Rakic’s performance at Nationals was a noteworthy leap from his 10th place finish the previous year.

Wesley Chiu also had a breakout performance at the 2024 Canadian National Skating Championships. For years, Canadian figure skating fans have been watching Chiu rise through the ranks and develop his confidence on the ice. With the retirement of Keegan Messing making way for a new Canadian men’s champion, Chiu rose to the occasion and captured his first National title. Chiu then went on to compete at Four Continents and the 2024 ISU World Figure Skating Championships – his first ever Championship events.

The triumphs of our senior men offer a lot of inspiration for Canada’s up-and-coming athletes. Take Parker Heiderich for example, a novice skater from Alberta who is competing as part of Skate Canada’s podium pathway. After attending the 2023 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, Heiderich was motivated to improve his program and tackle new elements. He skated into the new season with a triple lutz under his belt and walked away with the novice men’s silver medal at the 2023/24 Skate Canada Challenge.

Every season has its challenges and Roman Sadovsky faced his fair share. After falling on a triple axel during summer training, Sadovsky suffered a knee and ankle injury that took him off the ice for a few months. When he finally returned to competition, Sadovsky was sidelined once again by series of travel mishaps, including lost luggage and a snowstorm. Sadovsky’s path finally took an upturn at Nationals, where he qualified for the Four Continents and World Championships teams. He was able to cap off his season on a high note competing in front of the home crowd at Worlds in Montreal.

Anthony Paradis also delt with a surprising stroke of bad luck last season. While competing at Nationals, Paradis’ lace broke in the middle of his free skate. Paradis asked the referee for a three-minute break to fix his lace. With his lace repaired, Paradis jumped back on the ice with tremendous force to skate the remainder of his program and to capture the bronze medal at his first senior men’s Nationals, despite the five-point deduction he incurred for the interruption.

Through all the highs and lows, Canada’s men put on an amazing show of grit and determination last season. We are excited to see what they accomplish in 2024/2025!