Canada Misses Podium on Day 2 of Milano Cortina Olympics

Figure skaters, curlers, and other Canadian athletes come up short in their medal bids

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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While there were no medals added to Canada's tally on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, several Canadian athletes put up memorable performances. The figure skating team event saw Canada finish fifth, with Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud coming close to fourth place. In other events, cross-country skier Xavier McKeever had Canada's best individual result, finishing 13th in the men's 20km skiathlon, while snowboarder Arnaud Gaudet was the top Canadian in the parallel giant slalom, finishing sixth. The mixed doubles curling team of Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant were eliminated from playoff contention.

Why it matters

The second day of the Olympics saw Canada struggle to reach the podium, raising questions about the country's winter sports program and its ability to compete at the highest level. While there were some encouraging individual performances, the lack of medals will be a disappointment for Canadian fans and put pressure on the team to bounce back in the second week of the Games.

The details

In figure skating, Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud had a strong pairs free skate, finishing just shy of fourth place. Madeline Schizas had a fall in the women's singles, but recovered to finish fifth, while Stephen Gogolev was fourth in the men's singles. The U.S. won gold in the team event. Speed skater Ted-Jan Bloemen, the 2018 silver medalist, finished 13th in the men's 5,000m. In cross-country skiing, Xavier McKeever had Canada's best individual result, finishing 13th in the men's 20km skiathlon. Snowboarder Arnaud Gaudet was the top Canadian in the parallel giant slalom, finishing sixth. The mixed doubles curling team of Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant were eliminated from playoff contention after losing twice on Sunday.

  • On Sunday, February 9, 2026, the second day of competition at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics took place.
  • The figure skating team event final was held on Sunday.
  • The men's 5,000m speed skating final was also on Sunday.
  • The cross-country skiing men's 20km skiathlon was contested on Sunday.
  • The snowboard parallel giant slalom events were held on Sunday.

The players

Lia Pereira

A Canadian figure skater who competed in the pairs free skate for Canada in the team event.

Trennt Michaud

A Canadian figure skater who competed in the pairs free skate for Canada in the team event.

Madeline Schizas

A Canadian figure skater who competed in the women's singles event.

Stephen Gogolev

A Canadian figure skater who competed in the men's singles event.

Ted-Jan Bloemen

A Canadian speed skater who competed in the men's 5,000m event.

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What they’re saying

“I'm really proud that I have showed my kids to do that in life, to just put yourself in the position (to win), that you can find the glory if it's there.”

— Ted-Jan Bloemen (substack.com)

What’s next

On Monday, February 10th, Canadian athletes will have another chance to medal, with the women's 1000m speed skating event, the women's ski slopestyle final, and the men's individual normal hill ski jumping event all taking place.

The takeaway

While Canada came up short of the podium on day two, the performances of athletes like Pereira/Michaud, Schizas, Gogolev, and McKeever show that the country still has promising winter sports talent. The lack of medals, however, will put pressure on the team to bounce back in the second week of the Games.