Patrick Chan, right, chats with William Thompson, left, Skate Canada CEO, and Mike Slipchuk, high performance director, during a practice session at the Canadian figure skating championships in Moncton, N.B. on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

By The Canadian Press

Skate Canada’s Slipchuk to step down after 20th season as high-performance director

Aug 12, 2026 | 11:46 AM

OTTAWA — Skate Canada announced Wednesday that Mike Slipchuk will step down as high-performance director after the 2026-27 season, following 20 years in the role.

Slipchuk joined Skate Canada in 2006, and under his leadership, Canadian figure skaters won 10 Olympic and 24 world championship medals.

Canada won four of its Olympic medals under Slipchuk at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, with ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and the skaters in the team event claiming gold.

The gold from Virtue and Moir made them the most decorated Olympic figure skaters of all time (three gold, two silver).

The Canadians have had less Olympic success lately, however, with no medals in Beijing in 2022 and one bronze — Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier in ice dance — earlier this year in Milan Cortina.

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Canada has produced world champions across multiple disciplines over the last 20 years, led by Patrick Chan’s three straight men’s world titles from 2011-13 and Virtue and Moir’s three gold medals.

The country’s last world champions were pairs skaters Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps in 2024.

Skate Canada says Slipchuk will remain in an advisory role after stepping down to assist with the transition to a new high-performance director.

“Twenty years ago, Skate Canada gave me the opportunity to lead their high-performance programming, and it’s been the job of a lifetime to get to work alongside such an amazing group of athletes and coaches,” Slipchuk said in a release. “There are so many memories I cherish deeply, but seeing our athletes reach the podium with their medals and the Canadian flag draped over their shoulders will stay with me forever.” 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Skate Canada’s Slipchuk to step down after 20th season as high-performance director

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