An athlete will never be at peace with the idea of regressing. Especially at 21.
However, this is the observation that emerges at the end of Madeline Schizas’ fourth world championships. At least, in terms of results.
Thirteenth in 2021, 12e in 2022, 13e in 2023 and 18e in 2024.
The Oakville skater with her usually candy-pink personality and contagious optimism was unrecognizable in the mixed zone, near the Martin St-Louis press conference room, after her program Friday evening.
Her paparnic dress and the large crown of flowers that covered her head were not enough to make her forget her moist eyes, and the disappointment on her face was visible more than her makeup, although intact.
Schizas managed to score 112.13 points for her free program, or a total of 171.78, if we add the result of her short program on Wednesday, also below expectations. Nearly 20 points below his best mark this season.
“I am very disappointed with my performance. That’s all there is to say. It wasn’t good,” she said, holding back tears between each breath in front of a horde of journalists curious to understand why the talented skater had crashed like that, in front of her family, what’s more.
Especially since his first two elements, two triple jumps, had been executed with a precision that Josh Anderson would be jealous of. The third figure, performed on the far right of the judges’ table, was fatal. The triple loop planned in the program became a double loop with a fragile landing.
Last-minute change
Afterwards, Schizas revealed that he had changed his program at the last minute. Which explains why his figures did not correspond to the list initially presented. In any case, this third figure will have been the first link in his program to break away from the chain. At least, according to the score given by the judges for this jump.
Nevertheless, the main interested party persists: “My first three elements were really successful. I really didn’t have any problems with the things I missed the day before yesterday, and the things that are easy for me in training were failures. »
It is difficult to draw any other conclusions. With the hopes placed in her by the Canadian figure skating federation, this type of result, especially in the context of a world championship at home, is unacceptable for the double national champion.
“That’s not what I practiced and that’s not what I wanted to show today. I think when I get home I will have to think about what happened and find answers. I was delighted to skate in front of a Canadian audience and I was absorbed by all this support and I was not able to perform well,” she whispered, huddled, still shaken by its poor performance.
Being able to rise
There is no doubt about the talent, passion, attention to detail and skills of Schizas. She had finished in the top 5 at two grands prix in addition to taking sixth position at the Four Continents in China earlier this season.
The main obstacle in the development of the Ontarian seems to be her inability to offer her best skating in big moments. Like in the World Championships.
To the point that an English-speaking journalist asked her, without wearing white gloves, if she consulted a sports psychologist to discuss her difficulty in keeping up when the tempo becomes too difficult to control.
“Yes, but I will have to consider it more, at least more seriously,” replied the skater.
A particular turnaround, notes Schizas.
For a long time, one of my strengths was the mental side of skating, but I think that’s because it was the beginning of my career and everything was new and challenging. I have to find this joy again and I think that will be my biggest challenge in the coming years.
Madeline Schizas
“I want to return to the Olympic Games, I want to respect the selection criteria,” she added.
Finishing 19e at the Beijing Games in 2022, which can be explained by the lack of experience of the teenager she was at the time, little has changed in two years. For an athlete supposedly on the rise, that’s not reassuring.
Giving up would be unreasonable
Not so long ago, the Canadian aspired to become one of the fiercest competitors in the world. Then, when we observe the level of generational talents like Kaori Sakamoto, Isabeau Levito and Chaeyeon Kim, the three medalists of the day, we realize that Schizas is not quite there.
But she still aims to join them. At 21, giving up so early would be unreasonable. “I hope that with the quality of my programs, I will be able to have scores to compete with the best in the world. I just have trouble putting it all together when it counts. I will have to find a solution to compete with the best skaters. »
This home performance will leave a bittersweet memory for Schizas, because despite a result far from her standards, she will have skated in front of her family.
She obviously wanted to do better for her parents, her cousins and her friends who came to watch her.
If this wish was not granted, she intends to remedy the situation in the near future, driven by a renewed wish launched at the very end of the conversation: “I want to be among the best in the world. »