Top Social Media Moments of the Games
The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games weren’t just happening on the ice—they were unfolding in real time on our feeds. From birthday celebrations in the Athlete Village to surprise flower deliveries and chocolate lava cake diplomacy, Canada’s figure skaters gave us a front-row seat to their Olympic journey.
And while a lot of us were at home writing emails while watching the Games, Pereira and Michaud showed us that this was, in fact, easier than writing emails for them.
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Here are the moments that had us glued to our phones.
Along for the Ride: Madeline Schizas’ Olympic Vlogs
If you weren’t following Madeline Schizas during the Games, you missed out. She literally took us with her every step of the way, from her very first day in the Athlete Village to practice sessions and everything in between.
She showed us what arriving at the Athlete Village for the first time looks like.
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She documented her birthday celebrations.
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Even got her hair braided while she was at it.
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And let’s not forget the moment she got a deadline extension on a school assignment while the entire world was watching her compete at the Olympics.
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Honestly, Madeline, we don’t know how you do it. Check out Madeline’s Instagram for more Olympic vlogs.
Life After the Podium
Life gets busy when you become an Olympic medallist! Piper Gilles took us along on her post-medal journey, and it was a lot.
It always starts with an intense media day.
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Sometimes, you just need to take a moment to celebrate with a four-legged friend.
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And then things got busy again. Gilles squeezed in a cooking class and even made time to cheer on the long track speed skating team, who took gold in the women’s team pursuit. Multi-tasking at its finest.
@pipergilles Can’t stop won’t stop with all the things here in Milan. #milanocortina2026 #dayinthelife #winterolympics #olympics #teamcanada ♬ Home sped up full song – .
Valentine’s Day, Olympic Style
Feb. 14 in Milano might’ve been the most wholesome day of the entire Games.
We all loved this moment when Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud received the most beautiful flower bouquet from Jessie Ware, the artist behind their short program song. It clearly brought them good luck, as they ranked third after a flawless short program.
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While Pereira and Michaud were receiving roses, Gilles and Paul Poirier (Unionville, Ont.) were out on the streets of Milan giving them away to strangers.
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And because Valentine’s Day calls for a great outfit.
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Olympic Pin Trading Is a Serious Business
If you’ve never witnessed competitive pin trading, allow Schizas and Gilles to show you how it’s done. Both athletes proudly showed off their impressive hauls from the Games, and the collections speak for themselves.
Madeline’s collection:
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Piper’s collection:
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Athlete Village Chronicles
Did you know you can adopt a plant in the Athlete Village? Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac did exactly that, and their new leafy companion became their best friend, following them everywhere.
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And in true Canadian fashion, Michaud was spotted walking around in shorts more than once during the Games. The Italian winter didn’t stand a chance.
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Food Brings Nations Together
One thing that’s sure to unite the world? Food. For the Milano Cortina 2026 Games, the chocolate lava cake stole the show. Here’s Michaud sharing a piece of the heavenly dessert with a Canadian-Australian athlete, international diplomacy at its best.
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And for Schizas, the first order of business after competing was exactly right: a proper slice of pizza. Earned, deserved, and very Italian.
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Post-Competition Highlights
Zachary Lagha and Marjorie Lajoie took on a very different kind of challenge after their competition, teaching American football star Laurent Duvernay-Tardif how to skate in Milan.
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Canada was so proud to see Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps compete at Milano Cortina 2026, and hearing them reflect on the experience in this interview is truly special. Everything they’ve worked for, in their own words:
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And then there was the reunion we were all waiting for: Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, back together in Milan for a photo. Because yes, eight years later, everyone is still obsessed with their Moulin Rouge free dance from PyeongChang 2018, and we always will be.
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The Milano Cortina 2026 Games gave us incredible skating, unforgettable podium moments, and a social media feed we’ll be scrolling back through for years. Follow Skate Canada’s Instagram to relive it all, and keep cheering them on until the next Winter Olympic Games.