Roman Sadovsky is ready to fight.
The reigning national men's champion didn't flinch when Keegan Messing announced his return to figure skating, and he greets Steven Gogolev's resurgence with the same equanimity.
A battle is brewing for Canada's lone men's spot at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, and Sadovsky wouldn't have it any other way.
“I do it because I enjoy the excitement of competition,” he said. “Honestly, the more competition the better. And if it wasn't for the competition, I wouldn't be doing this, so I welcome it – and definitely every competition gives you more motivation.”
Sadovsky will be among 18 all-event Canadian athletes competing this weekend at the Skate Canada International in Saskatoon, the third leg of the Grand Prix.
The 26-year-old from Vaughan, Ont., won his second national title last January in Laval, Que., and appeared to be the early favorite for Canada's Olympic spot until Messing, a two-time Olympian, announced his return in August.
Messing's best results exceed those of any Canadian since he retired in 2023. The 33-year-old will be the country's top contender if he returns to his previous form, although that remains to be seen.
Although the news of his return surprised many, Sadovsky saw it coming.
“It’s such a small world, and you can hear everything from afar. I've been hearing that since last season, so it wasn't a shock,” he said. “I was fully prepared and expecting this, but it doesn’t change my focus, my goals or how I will train.
“He definitely added fuel to the fire.”
Tracy Wainman, Sadovsky's longtime coach at the York Skating Center in Richmond Hill, Ont., says the 6-foot-6 skater has learned to expect the unexpected.
Sadovsky has faced his share of setbacks, replacing the team event at the 2022 Olympics after Messing's positive COVID-19 test delayed his arrival in Beijing. He missed back-to-back competitions in the 2023-24 season, first because he lost luggage, including his skates, and then because his plane was unable to land due to a snowstorm.
“We flew around the world and didn’t even get to our competitions. There is always something in figure skating, there are things that you can never predict,” Wainman said. “(Messing’s return) is a huge event, and even more so the public. This doesn't change anything for us. This is not something that is under our control.
“We said, ‘You know what? Okay, whatever.” We moved on. There was simply no lull in training. We were just keeping an eye on what our mission was this year.”
Messing shows improvement
Messing, who showed room for improvement earlier this month at the season opener inside Dallas, will not compete at Skate Canada International. His next event is the Ice Challenge, which will take place November 5-9 in Graz, Austria.
Sadovsky will face Gogolev for the third time this season in Saskatoon.
Sadovsky won gold at the Cranberry Cup in Norwood, Massachusetts, in August, and Gogolev took bronze. At the Nebelhorn Trophy in September, 20-year-old Gogolev took first place, and Sadovsky fifth.
It's an encouraging start to the Olympic season for Sadovsky after a strong second half to the 2024-25 season, including a Canadian title. Both he and Wainman credit his mental maturity for the improvement. Early in his career, mistakes could derail his programs.
“Sometimes in the past, if I missed, say, the first quad (jump), I had a hard time refocusing,” he said. “It was easier for me to just refocus, get back into the program and not let the mistake be a big deal. One error really shouldn’t have any correlation with another, right?”
Sadovsky says he simply enjoys skating and “enjoys every moment,” dreaming of another trip to the Olympic Games.
While most careers are just beginning at 26, he knows he is not a youngster in youth skating and admits this could be his last season, although that decision will be made later.
“After this season, I’ll definitely have to reflect and decide where I want to take my skating, where I want to take my life,” he said. “I'm fine. Honestly, I feel like I'm at the peak of my mental maturity, consistency, and even technical ability. I feel very strong on and off the ice.
“I don't know, I might have to take it year by year and see how my body reacts because I don't know what's going to happen when 27, 28 and 29 come around. But yeah, I'm definitely enjoying as much as I can this season.”
And additional competition only enhances this pleasure.
“Honestly, it's very, very good,” he said. “It would be very boring if there was no competition.”
