Stephen Gogolev from Canada competes during the men free skating at the Figure Skating World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

By The Canadian Press

Canada’s Stephen Gogolev finishes fourth at world figure skating championships

Mar 28, 2026 | 9:11 AM

PRAGUE — Canada’s Stephen Gogolev blocked out the noise and delivered yet another impressive performance to finish fourth in men’s singles Saturday at the world figure skating championships.

Fifth after Thursday’s short program, Gogolev scored a personal-best 186.66 in his free skate to “Piano Concerto No. 2” by Sergei Rachmaninov to move up one spot.

Competing at his first world championships, the 21-year-old from Toronto stepped onto the ice with the O2 Arena crowd buzzing after Yuma Kagiyama’s mesmerizing free skate, but still managed a clean program, even if he appeared tight on some jumps.

“Skating after Yuma, you could definitely hear how loud the crowd was. I even had to cover my ears before I got on the ice,” Gogolev told reporters in Prague. “As I was getting on ice after Yuma, I think I was a bit lost. Yuma was already exiting the ice and (coach Benoît Richaud) had to actually say, ‘Come on, get on the ice,’ because I was kind of lost.”

Gogolev lifted his total to 281.04 — a score that would have landed him on the podium last year.

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Self-proclaimed “Quad God” Ilia Malinin captured his third consecutive world title with 329.40 points, rebounding from a devastating free skate at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

Kagiyama won his fourth career silver medal with 306.67, climbing from sixth to second. Japanese teammate Shun Sato took bronze with 288.54.

Gogolev, a child prodigy once seen as Canada’s next big thing before back injuries derailed his trajectory, capped a breakout season that also included a fifth-place finish in his Olympic debut, a national title and a Grand Prix medal.

His fourth place at worlds also secured a second men’s entry for Canada at next year’s championships.

“It was quite a good week, especially setting a personal best,” he said. “I’m really, really happy to end the season this way.”

The world championships conclude later Saturday with the free dance. Canadian ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier sit second after Friday’s rhythm dance.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2026.

The Canadian Press