The official competition was over, in January in Oshawa, when the top five skaters from the national championships were invited to the gala of champions.
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“I was a little stressed about being on the ice for the gala des champions when Madeline [Schizas] approached to tell me to relax and that it was just a show, it made me feel good. Madeline is really super nice,” said Quebecer Sara-Maude Dupuis, fourth at the recent Canadian Championships.
“Madeline is a role model for me, she’s the top of the top in Canada,” Dupuis said of the 19-year-old Ontarian, who represented the country at the last Winter Olympics in Beijing. I would obviously like to reach her level one day or even exceed her. »
The Quebecer does not hide her ambitions: she dreams more than ever of participating in the 2026 Olympic Games scheduled for Italy, in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Maturity on and off the ice
During the competitions, the skaters are necessarily opposed to each other, but the time of the great rivalries, the most terrible having obviously opposed Tonya Harding to Nancy Kerrigan in the United States, seems far away.
“It’s still competition, but we want the best for the others, we know that everyone is working hard in training,” said Dupuis.
In Quebec, Dupuis has long been in direct competition with Justine Miclette, but the two athletes have developed a healthy relationship over the years.
They were also roommates, in Austria, during an ISU Ice Challenge event.
“You have to be more mature when you go to seniors, off the ice, but also on the ice. It’s no longer just the one that will make the best jumps. Everything becomes important between the jumps. You need more glide, more speed, a better connection with the music…”
“The goal is to set personal goals. The ranking and the medal follow, as we achieve our objectives. »