Retired Olympic ice skaters perform together to push for inclusion of same-sex pairs
Two world renowned ice skaters are using their retirement to push for same-sex skating pairs to be permitted in major competitions. And they’re doing so by skating together.
Gabriella Papadakis and Madison Hubbell are returning to the ice as part of the Art on Ice Gala throughout Switzerland in February. The two have known each other for seven years, competing as rivals but also going on to train together at Montreal’s Ice Academy.
According to Papadakis, this whole thing started when they decided to pair up after skating together "for fun" during training one day.
"We realised that it was quite cool and that it was quite enjoyable and we said to ourselves, when we’re finished with our competitive career, we’ll try it for real," she told AFP.
Hubbell retired from competitive skating after the 2022 World Championships, although she and partner Zachary Donohue were belatedly awarded a gold medal for the 2022 Winter Olympics last year. But it wasn’t until December 2024 that Papadakis — who also took home a gold medal in the 2022 Olympics — officially followed suit, paving the way for this new partnership between the women.
Part of their interest in changing the status quo sounds practical — a way to allow for more women and girls to pursue ice skating at a competitive level.
"I see a lot of young women who want to pursue ice dance in a certain way and there's not that many young boys or men who are competing," Hubbell told Reuters, "so there's a limit to how many people right now are participating."
Right now, Skate Canada is the only governing body that allows for same-sex couples to compete nationally, a rule that’s only been in place since 2022.
But as the skating champions have pursued this path, they’ve come to realize inspiring change in this manner could mean even more than they initially knew.
"It wasn't our basic intention but we realise what it can represent, what it can show, for us, it's something that is close to our hearts too," Papadakis told AFP. "I also realised while skating with Madison, is that there were codes that I had never really questioned all my life."
"With this project, we dream of a future where everyone can find their place on the ice," Hubbell added, "regardless of their vision or identity."
