Stephen Gogolev readies for first full senior season after a series of injury setbacks: '17 is not really that old' 

It’s felt like a lifetime since Stephen Gogolev last competed at an international figure skating event in Canada.

The Toronto native was just 13 years old when he became the youngest men’s winner in history at the Junior Grand Prix Final, held in Vancouver in 2018.

But what was meant to be a launching pad soon felt like a blip: The teenager faced a series of injuries and was hampered by growth spurts as he shot up to 6-feet (185cm) tall. He missed the entirety of the 2020-21 season due to growth-related injuries.

And just when it looked like he would have a chance to sneak onto the Canadian Olympic team for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 at the nationals championships in January, he tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival at the event.

“It seems that it's been a very long time I've been doing [this], and that I'm older than I really am,” Gogolev said in a recent interview with Olympics.com. “Being 17 is not really that old for figure skating.”

About his long layoffs due to injury, he added with a laugh: “I’d like to show people I’m still alive.”

His success at such a young age has made Gogolev a familiar name for many in the sport over the last few years, and he said he’s been free of any major injuries for close to a year now. That healthy spell has helped him build his consistency – which, in turn, he hopes will strengthen his results on competitive ice.

Arriving on the senior scene

Before he was the surprise Junior Grand Prix Final champ, Gogolev was already making waves with his jumping prowess, including becoming the youngest skater to land a quadruple Lutz in competition.

Having been just 13 at the time, it does feel like a long time that he's been at it, as Gogolev himself notes. He has been waiting for his arrival on the senior Grand Prix since then, and it comes in Mississauga, just outside of his hometown of Toronto, this weekend (28 and 29 Oct.).

“It's really exciting because pretty much every time I go on the ice and train, I constantly think about upcoming competitions and Skate Canada,” he said. “I want to compete well in front of the Canadian crowd. I got a Grand Prix assignment a couple of years back for Skate America, and it was just frustrating because I had to withdraw due to the injuries that I had.”

That’s been a common theme for Gogolev, who in 2019 moved from the Toronto Cricket Club where he trained under Brian Orser to Irvine, Calif., to work with Rafael Arutunian, alongside the likes of eventual Olympic champion Nathan Chen, among others.

“It was very motivating to watch Nathan and the way he trains,” Gogolev said of sharing practice ice with Chen. “Because it really was hard work that he was putting in.”

Nothing could prepare Gogolev, however, for missing Canadian nationals in an Olympic season. He had tested negative upon leaving California, but then positive when he arrived in Ottawa.

He watched the Beijing Games from home but was still fervently training after taking a week off. He eventually closed out his season with a fifth-place finish at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Eyes on global success

“Hopefully I’m in the top six [in the world] by the end of the year – hopefully,” Gogolev said when asked about goals for the upcoming season.

“Currently I'm just trying to improve as much as I can this year and next year. I think it's just working up to [that goal]. Ultimately, it's doing the best that you can at competitions and then the placement comes after.”

While the 17-year-old once possessed a myriad of quadruple jumps, including the aforementioned quad Lutz, he currently is only doing quad toe-loop and quad Salchow on a consistent basis while working on the others in practice.

His growth spurts not only challenged his body, but also the technique he used to complete the sport’s hardest of elements. While a cadre of quads is not imperative in men’s singles skating, the more variety a skater owns the better chance he has to – like Gogolev says – be in the world’s top six.

Chen has been one skater to look up to for Gogolev, and before that it was Javier Fernandez and Hanyu Yuzuru at the Cricket Club. He also remains under the watchful eye of Lee Barkell, the well-known Canadian coach, when he returns home for spells of training.

The long-distance goal? Milano Cortina 2026 sounds nice.

“If I’m healthy and everything is good, it should be the goal,” Gogolev confirmed of the next Winter Olympics.

Mountain biking and latte making

It’s been three years since Gogolev made the move to Southern California, where he said the weather tends to be the same nearly every day of the year. Another added bonus: The vast mountain biking trail system that exists in the area.

Gogolev has a YouTube channel dedicated to his mountain biking videos.

“I love the adrenaline that you get through it,” he said with a smile. “It's a nice activity to keep your mind off things and focus on something else other than skating. And it also serves as good off-ice training, to be honest.”

Gogolev appreciates the outdoor time coupled with physical activity, but also the mental focus challenge of being on the trails: “If you make a mistake then it can get pretty dangerous,” he added, smirking again.

A less-risky passion of Gogolev’s? His espresso machine, where he makes himself a daily latte (or two) – with old-fashioned dairy milk.

Is he a good barista?

“I wouldn’t say the lattes are good... but I wouldn’t say they are bad either,” he said, laughing.

When it comes to his skating, Gogolev sees this upcoming season as one of transition. It’s his first full year as a senior – and a chance to stay healthy while making his mark on the international scene.

“I think this year will be more of a development year,” he said. “And getting back to... I guess you could say where I used to be.”