‘It’s really cool how full circle it has become’

Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud’s spirits couldn’t be higher as they begin their fourth ISU Grand Prix season this weekend at Skate Canada International as Team Canada’s top medal prospects.

Fresh off a decisive victory at Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany last month, the reigning world pair skating bronze medallists were riding a wave of confidence and excitement — and feeling “a mom and dad energy” — as they contemplated the assignment ahead in Kelowna, B.C.

“To go out and win our first Challenger (event) was a great confidence boost in our back pocket,” said Pereira, who admitted to a case of jitters before taking the ice in Oberstdorf.

“No matter how many years you do this, you still always get the first competition nerves. We’re just glad we were able to remind ourselves how to handle that and put out two great skates.”

Beginning Friday at Prospera Place, the Maple Leaf-wearing duo intends to continue building on the momentum that vaulted them onto the world championship podium last March in Prague.

Their new, high-energy samba short program has already proven the perfect choice to get their competition party started.

The 2026 national champions’ strongest challengers for Skate Canada gold will likely come from their American counterparts Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, sixth at the world championships last season.

Winnipeggers Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov could also factor into the medal mix with two solid performances.

Skate Canada is the second of six events in the Grand Prix series that unfolds over consecutive weeks in France, Canada, China, the U.S., Finland and Japan. The world’s elite pairs, singles skaters and ice dancers each compete twice on the circuit with the top performers advancing to the Grand Prix Final in China in December.

Each Grand Prix has a total prize purse of US$240,000 while the Final offers US$438,000.

Pereira and Michaud qualified for the Final in 2023 when it was also held in China.

“It’s definitely a goal of ours to make it back to the Final. Obviously, with that, we need to be in a medal position at both of our events,” said Michaud, whose second start will be in Finland.

With the dawn of a new Olympic quadrennial, the ebullient duo has embraced their emerging leadership role with a transformed Team Canada that said goodbye to some veterans and hello to several senior competition newbies — among them world junior titleholders Kemp and Elizarov, who were fourth at Nebelhorn Trophy.

“It was very cute because you could tell they were excited and had that fresh junior energy, but they handled themselves really well,” Pereira noted.

“We were talking (with them) about how excited we are for them to experience Skate Canada because, especially for them as their first Grand Prix, it has a different vibe.”

Recalling their own debut at the 2023 Skate America, Pereira — a former singles competitor — said she had scant experience in international pairs competition going in.

“For rookies, (Kemp and Elizarov) they’re very seasoned in terms of international (junior) competition. It will be interesting to see if it feels much different for them on the senior Grand Prix compared to the junior,” she said.

Pereira, 22, and Michaud, 30, have competed seven times on Grand Prix ice, winning medals of every colour along the way.

“The excitement never really changes. We’re on our fourth season and we’re still excited to do the (Grands Prix), to enjoy the process and enjoy the event because not every skater gets to do a Grand Prix,” Michaud said.

For the couple, who trains in Milton, Ont., mentoring less experienced teammates comes naturally.

“With me being one of the oldest on the national team now, I definitely feel a little bit more of that role, and also that we are one of the more seasoned teams, as well. It’s fun,” he said.

“We also skate with some junior and novice pair teams at our club, so we kind of feel that mom and dad energy, if you will, every day,” Pereira added.

“We had so many great mentors and role models ahead of us, so to have that role I wouldn’t say it feels like pressure. It’s really cool how full circle it has become.”

Their teammate Stephen Gogolev, 21, is also a veteran competitor and the men’s top seed at Skate Canada thanks to his breakout Olympic season. He rang in the new year in 2026 by winning the Canadian title, then secured top-five finishes at both the Milan Cortina Games and world championships.

Although Gogolev’s off-season training was hampered by a nagging foot injury, the Toronto athlete is nonetheless determined to make his case for the podium beginning Friday.

Japanese sensation Mao Shimada promises to be the highlight of the women’s contest when she makes her senior Grand Prix debut on Saturday. The four-time world junior champion proved unbeatable in her junior career, going undefeated through 39 competition starts. Shimada, who celebrates her 18th birthday Friday, became age eligible for senior competition this year.

Fans can catch all the action on CBC and online streaming platforms.

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