Canadian figure skater Gogolev still discovering full potential after breakout season

Stephen Gogolev, the Canadian figure skater, is still amazed by the heights he reached during his breakout season last year. His coach, Benoît Richaud, believes there is even more potential left for the top men's figure skater from Canada. Gogolev's journey began in 2019 with a series of injury setbacks, but his fifth-place finish at the Milan Cortina Olympics and fourth-place showing at the world championships marked a cathartic breakthrough.

This summer, Gogolev spent time training with Richaud in Italy and France, working on two new programs and incorporating more quadruple jumps into his repertoire. Despite having only landed two quads in his free skate last season due to back problems, Gogolev is now practicing the quad flip, loop, and lutz. He is also considering adding the elusive quad axel, a jump currently performed by only a few skaters, including American star Ilia Malinin.

While technically gifted and already capable of executing several quad jumps, Gogolev is also aiming to expand his artistic boundaries. He will skate to the energetic synth-pop anthem "Smalltown Boy" by Bronski Beat in his short program and to the dramatic soundtrack of "Moulin Rouge!" in his free skate. These choices reflect Gogolev's growth as a performer, as he has become more comfortable expressing himself on the ice and embodying a character-driven program.

Despite a left foot injury that surfaced during the 2019 season and persisted through the summer, Gogolev remains determined to make his mark in the figure skating world.