Your Complete Guide to Figure Skating at Milano Cortina 2026 

The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games are here, and Canada’s figure skaters are ready to shine on the world’s biggest stage! Whether you’re a longtime skating fan or new to the sport, this guide has everything you need to follow Team Canada’s journey. Bookmark this page, we’ve got you covered with answers to the most frequently asked questions about figure skating at the Games. 

When does figure skating start at the 2026 Olympics? 

Figure skating runs from Friday, Feb. 6 to Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 at the Milano Ice Skating Arena (Unipol Forum) in Milano, Italy. The competition kicks off with the team event, starting before the Opening Ceremony on Day 0, and concludes with the women’s free skate on Day 13. 

That’s 11 days of figure skating action across all four disciplines! 

What time do the figure skating events start in Canada? 

Italy is six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST). Most figure skating events take place in the evening hours in Italy, which means Canadian fans will be watching in the early afternoon EST, typically between 12:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET. 

Check the complete schedule below or visit olympic.ca for event-by-event times in your local time zone. 

Where can I watch figure skating in Canada? 

Canadian fans can watch all figure skating action on CBC Sports, Canada’s official Olympic broadcaster. Live coverage and replays will be available on TV and online through CBC Gem. 

Official sources: 

• CBC Olympics coverage: cbc.ca/sports/olympics 
• Stream on CBC Gem: gem.cbc.ca 
• Team Canada schedule: olympic.ca/figure-skating-schedule-2026-winter-olympics 

For real-time updates and behind-the-scenes content, follow Skate Canada on Instagram (@skatecanada). 

Who’s competing for Canada in figure skating?

Team Canada’s figure skating roster for Milano Cortina 2026 features 12 athletes competing across four disciplines: 

Ice Dance 

• Piper Gilles (Toronto, Ont.) & Paul Poirier (Unionville, Ont.) 
• Marjorie Lajoie (Boucherville, Que.) & Zachary Lagha (St-Hubert, Que.) 
• Marie-Jade Lauriault (Ste-Anne-des-Plaines, Que.) & Romain Le Gac (Laval, Que.) 

Men 

• Stephen Gogolev (Toronto, Ont.) 

Pairs 

• Deanna Stellato-Dudek (Chicago, Illinois) & Maxime Deschamps (Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.) 
• Lia Pereira (Milton, Ont.) & Trennt Michaud (Trenton, Ont.) 

Women 

• Madeline Schizas (Oakville, Ont.) 

For more details, read: Team Canada’s Milano Cortina 2026 Figure Skating Team Unveiled 

What’s the complete figure skating schedule? 

Figure skating competitions run from Feb. 6–19, 2026. Here’s the event breakdown: 

Team Event: Feb. 6–8 

• Friday, Feb. 6: 
  • Rhythm dance: 9:55 a.m. Milano / 3:55 a.m. ET 
  • Pairs short program: 11:35 a.m. Milano / 5:35 a.m. ET 
  • Women’s short program: 1:35 p.m. Milano / 7:35 a.m. ET 
• Saturday, Feb. 7: 
  • Men’s short program: 7:45 p.m. Milano / 1:45 p.m. ET 
  • Free dance: 10:05 p.m. Milano / 4:05 p.m. ET 
• Sunday, Feb. 8: 
  • Pairs free skate: 7:30 p.m. Milano / 1:30 p.m. ET 
  • Women’s free skate: 8:45 p.m. Milano / 2:45 p.m. ET 
  • Men’s free skate (medal event): 9:55 p.m. Milano / 3:55 p.m. ET 

Ice Dance: Feb. 9 & 11 

• Monday, Feb. 9: 
  • Rhythm dance: 7:20 p.m. Milano / 1:20 p.m. ET 
• Wednesday, Feb. 11: 
  • Free dance (medal event): 7:30 p.m. Milano / 1:30 p.m. ET 

Men: Feb. 10 & 13 

• Tuesday, Feb. 10: 
  • Short program: 6:30 p.m. Milano / 12:30 p.m. ET 
• Friday, Feb. 13: 
  • Free skate (medal event): 7:00 p.m. Milano / 1:00 p.m. ET 

Pairs: Feb. 15 & 16 

• Sunday, Feb. 15: 
  • Short program: 7:45 p.m. Milano / 1:45 p.m. ET 
• Monday, Feb. 16: 
  • Free skate (medal event): 8:00 p.m. Milano / 2:00 p.m. ET 

Women: Feb. 17 & 19 

• Tuesday, Feb. 17: 
  • Short program: 6:45 p.m. Milano / 12:45 p.m. ET 
• Thursday, Feb. 19: 
  • Free skate (medal event): 7:00 p.m. Milano / 1:00 p.m. ET 

For the full schedule, visit Team Canada’s 2026 Winter Olympics Figure Skating Schedule or the Olympics.com Figure Skating Schedule.  

How does figure skating competition work at the Olympics? 

Figure skating at the Olympics consists of individual events in four disciplines (women, men, pairs, ice dance) plus a team event. 

Individual Events 

Singles (women and men) and pairs consist of a short program and a free skate. Ice dance consists of a rhythm dance and a free dance. 

• Short program/rhythm dance: A condensed performance with required technical elements. All skaters compete in this segment. 
• Free skate/free dance: A longer performance showcasing artistry and more difficult technical elements. Only the top 24 skaters advance to this round in singles, 20 teams in ice dance and 16 teams in pairs. 

Scores from both segments are combined to determine final placements and medal winners. 

Team Event

The team event features the top 10 countries competing across all four disciplines. Each country fields one entry per discipline, earning placement points that count toward the team total. The top five teams after the short program/rhythm dance advance to the free skate/free dance, where final team medals are awarded. 

How is figure skating scored? 

Figure skating uses the International Judging System (IJS), which has two main components: 

• Technical Element Score (TES): Points for jumps, spins, step sequences, and other technical elements. Each element has a base value, with judges adding grades of execution (GOE) ranging from -5 to +5. 
• Program Components Score (PCS): Points for skating skills, presentation, and composition. These artistic marks are scored on a scale of 0.25 to 10.00. 

The two scores are added together for the skater’s total segment score. 

Where can I find live results and scores? 

Official results will be available from multiple sources: 

• Team Canada results: olympic.ca/results-2026-winter-olympics 
• Olympics official results: olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/results 
• International Skating Union (ISU): isu.org 
• Skate Canada updates: skatecanada.ca 
• Real-time updates on Skate Canada’s Instagram (@skatecanada) 

Will Canada compete in the team event? 

Yes! Team Canada has qualified for the team event at Milano Cortina 2026. The roster of figure skaters competing in the team event will be announced on a daily basis during the Games. Canada’s strong depth across all four disciplines, with three ice dance teams, two pairs teams, and experienced competitors in singles, positions them well for team medal contention. 

What’s Canada’s Olympic figure skating history? 

Canada has a rich Olympic figure skating history with a total of 29 Olympic medals won (six gold, 13 silver, 10 bronze): 

• Most decorated Olympic figure skaters: Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir with five Olympic medals, including three golds (2010 Vancouver ice dance, 2018 PyeongChang team event and ice dance) 
• Recent success: Canada won gold in the team event at PyeongChang 2018 and finished fourth at Beijing 2022 
• Legacy athletes: Barbara Ann Scott (1948 gold), Kurt Browning, Elvis Stojko, Jamie Salé & David Pelletier (2002 gold), Patrick Chan and Kaetlyn Osmond (both 2014-2018 medalists) among others 

Figure skating is one of Canada’s most successful sports at the Olympic Winter Games. 

What should I watch for at Milano Cortina 2026? 

Key storylines to follow: 

• Age-defying excellence: Deanna Stellato-Dudek’s Olympic debut at 42 years old after becoming world pairs champion in 2024. 
• Olympic veterans: Paul Poirier is estimated to be one of the few four-time Olympians on Team Canada, having competed at Vancouver 2010, PyeongChang 2018, Beijing 2022, and now Milano Cortina 2026. 
• Olympic newcomers: Five athletes making their Olympic debut, including first-time senior Canadian champions Stephen Gogolev, Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud. 
• Team depth: Canada’s three strong ice dance teams give them a competitive edge in the team event. 
• Fashion moments: Watch for Deanna Stellato-Dudek’s custom Oscar de la Renta competition dresses. 

How can I stay updated during the Games? 

Follow Skate Canada for the latest news, results, and behind-the-scenes content: 

• Website: skatecanada.ca 
• Instagram: @skatecanada 
• Facebook: facebook.com/SkateCanada 
• X/Twitter: @SkateCanada 
• TikTok: @skatecanada 

We’ll be sharing live updates, athlete reactions, photo galleries, and exclusive content throughout the Games! 

Mark your calendars for Feb. 6–19 and make sure to subscribe to our Olympic Newsletter for daily updates, news, and highlights from the Milano Cortina 2026 Games. 

Last updated: January 29, 2026 
For questions or corrections, contact skatecanada.ca