| Lia Pereira | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud at the2024 World Figure Skating Championships | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | (2004-03-05)March 5, 2004 (age 21) Milton, Ontario, Canada | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.59 m (5 ft2+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Figure skating career | |||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Canada | ||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Pair skating (2017–18; since 2022) Women's singles (until 2023) | ||||||||||||||||
| Partner | Trennt Michaud (since 2022) James Robart-Morgan (2017–18) | ||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Alison Purkiss Nancy Lemaire Derek Schmidt Michael Marinaro | ||||||||||||||||
| Skating club | Milton Skating Club | ||||||||||||||||
| Began skating | 2012 | ||||||||||||||||
| Medal record | |||||||||||||||||
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Lia Pereira (born March 5, 2004) is a Canadiansingle skater andpair skater. With her skating partner,Trennt Michaud, she is the2025 Four Continents bronze medalist, a three-timeGrand Prix medalist (including gold at the2023 Grand Prix de France), the2022 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb bronze medalist, and a three-timeCanadian national medalist.
Pereira was born on March 5, 2004, inMilton, Ontario, Canada.[1]
In September 2023, she began commerce studies at theUniversity of Guelph'sGordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics.[2]
Pereira began learning to skate in 2012.[1] During the2017–18 season, while still competing at the pre-novice level as a singles skater, she formed a pairs skating partnership with James Robart-Morgan. Pereira/Robart-Morgan qualified to the2018 Canadian Novice Championships, where they finished ninth.[3] The partnership ended after one season, and she made her novice debut as a singles skater in the2018–19 season. In an early international foray, she won the gold medal at Skate Milwaukee on the 2018 North American Series.[4] Pereira was sixteenth at the2019 Canadian Novice Championships.[5]
In her second season as a novice, Pereira was the silver medallist at the 2020 Skate Canada Challenge in that category.[6] She went on to win the bronze medal at the2020 Canadian Novice Championships.[7] With the onset of theCOVID-19 pandemic, both domestic and international competitions were heavily impeded, as was skater training. Pereira moved up to the junior level, with her most notable competition being a virtual Skate Canada Challenge, where she won the bronze medal.[8][9]
With the resumption of international junior competition, Pereira began her international junior debut at theCranberry Cup International inNorwood, Massachusetts, placing fifth in the junior women's division.[5] She was then assigned bySkate Canada to make herJunior Grand Prix debut at the2021 JGP Russia inKrasnoyarsk. After finishing tenth overall, she called it "an amazing experience," adding "I learned a lot more about myself about how to handle the pressure of an event like this."[10]
Pereira competed at the senior level domestically, coming tenth in her debut at the2022 Canadian Championships. She was chosen to represent Canada at the2022 World Junior Championships, alongside national junior championJustine Miclette.[11] Both she and Miclette were first sent to theInternational Challenge Cup, where Pereira finished sixth, including a third-place finish in the free skate.[12] She achieved personal best scores in the short program and overall at the World Junior Championships, where she finished fourteenth overall despite being twelfth and thirteen in the two segments.[13]
Pereira again opened her season at theCranberry Cup International, winning gold in the junior women's competition.[14] Returning as well to theJunior Grand Prix, she finished sixth at the2022 JGP France inCourchevel, setting a new personal best score in the free skate in the process.[15] She was then assigned to make her senior international debut at the2022 CS Finlandia Trophy, where she placed fifteenth.[16]
In the midst of her singles career, Pereira also received an opportunity to return to pairs skating, opting to form a partnership with three-time national silver medallistTrennt Michaud following the retirement of his previous partnerEvelyn Walsh. She was sought out on the recommendation of coach Alison Purkiss, who had previously coached her with Robart-Morgan in novice pairs.[17] Pereira/Michaud made their competitive debut at the Skate Ontario sectional qualifier in November, winning the gold medal.[18] They went on to win the final national qualifying event, Skate Canada Challenge, as well. Pereira said afterward that they were "just growing together and each competition is a new learning experience."[19] Pereira finished eighth in the senior's women event at Challenge, qualifying to the national championships in two disciplines.[5] Shortly thereafter, Pereira/Michaud were assigned to make their international debut at the2022 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb. Fourth after the short program, they rose to third place in the free skate, winning the bronze medal and securing the international minimum scores to compete at futureISU championships.[20]
Due to the scheduling of the2023 Canadian Championships, Pereira was required to compete two short programs and two free skates on consecutive days. On the first day, she finished second in the women's short program with a score of 61.21 points, 7.11 points behind the reigning national champion, her longtime friend and training partnerMadeline Schizas.[21] Pereira/Michaud were fourth in the pairs short program, 1.01 points behind third-placeLaurin/Éthier.[22] She dropped to fifth in the women's event after the free skate, then taking "an afternoon nap" before returning for the pairs finale.[23] There, Pereira/Michaud overtook Laurin/Éthier for the bronze medal. She said afterwards that as this was still only their fourth competition as a team, "we're learning a lot every time we come out."[22] The team was assigned to compete at both the2023 Four Continents andWorld championships.[24]
At the Four Continents Championships inColorado Springs, Pereira/Michaud placed fourth in the short program with a clean skate.[25] They were fourth in the free skate as well, the only error being Michaud doubling their planned triple Salchow. They both indicated that they were pleased with how the competition had gone, as they continued to gain experience.[26] Pereira said that she was uncertain whether she would continue competing as a singles skater in future seasons.[25] Concluding their season at the2023 World Championships inSaitama, Pereira/Michaud ranked sixth overall, including a notable fourth-place finish in the free skate segment of the competition. This was Pereira's first visit to Japan.[27]
In advance of the2023–24 season, Pereira opted to focus only on competing in pairs, explaining that "after our success last season, we have big goals together, so I want to put my 100 per cent all into that."[28] At their first competition, the2023 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, Pereira/Michaud came fourth, 0.07 points behind German bronze medalistsHocke/Kunkel. She commented after that the "whole experience was really enjoyable and we're happy with both of our programs and the outcome."[29]
Pereira and Michaud were invited to make theirGrand Prix debut at the2023 Skate America. She remarked on the occasion that "this time last year I was watching the Skate America pairs event to learn the pair rules, so to be here is pretty cool." They skated a clean short program, placing second in the segment.[30] They were second in the free skate as well, despite Pereira botching her jump combination and putting a foot down on a throw jump, winning the silver medal.[31] At their second assignment, the2023 Grand Prix de France, Pereira/Michaud skated a clean short program with a new personal best score of 65.97, coming 0.66 ahead of the pre-event favourites, reigningEuropean championsConti/Macii of Italy.[32] In the free skate, Michaud fell on the end of his jump combination and stepped out of his triple Salchow, but the team still set another personal best to win that segment as well, taking their first Grand Prix gold medal. Michaud said that "to know that what we've been putting into it is paying off is a super rewarding feeling."[33]
The team's results qualified them to the2023–24 Grand Prix Final inBeijing. Pereira/Michaud finished sixth in the short program after Pereira fell on their throw jump, which she called an "untypical" error. They were sixth in the free skate as well after a lift error, which Michaud said he was "annoyed" by, but "overall, we are pretty pleased." Pereira viewed it as a new experience for the team to be coming back after a disappointing short program.[34]
Following the conclusion of the Grand Prix series, Pereira and Michaud opted to revise their "River" short program to a softer version with different choreography, based on feedback from judges and other coaches. They finished narrowly second in the short program at the2024 Canadian Championships, narrowly behind reigning national championsStellato-Dudek/Deschamps. Jump and throw issues in the free skate saw them more distantly second in that segment, winning the silver medal.[35]
Michaud injured his back shortly after the national championships, limiting the team's training heading into the2024 Four Continents Championships, where they finished fifth after performing "downgraded" content in the free skate.[36]
At the2024 World Championships, held on home ice inMontreal, Pereira/Michaud placed ninth in the short program, having skated cleanly but receiving only a level 1 on the triple twist.[37] In the free skate, despite Pereira falling on a throw landing, they were seventh in the segment, moving up to eighth overall. Pereira called the fall "quite disappointing, just because we hoped for such a great moment, but there's still a lot of great things I can take away from this. It's an experience I'll remember forever."[38][39]
Pereira/Michaud began the season at the2024 CS Nebelhorn Trophy. They struggled in the short program, coming seventh in that segment, but came third in the free skate and rose to fifth overall.[40] On the2024–25 Grand Prix circuit, the team entered the2024 Grand Prix de France as the defending champions, which Pereira cited as a new experience. Third in the short program with a clean performance, the free skate proved more difficult, with her falling on both throw jumps. They dropped to fifth overall.[41] At their second assignment, the2024 Cup of China, they fared better, placing third in both segments (including a new personal best in the short program) and winning the bronze medal. Pereira called it a "steppingstone" week.[42]
At the2025 Canadian Championships, Pereira/Michaud came second in the short program behind reigning championsStellato-Dudek/Deschamps. Scoring 70.43 points, it their first time breaking the 70-point threshold at either domestic or international competition. They went on to win the free skate over Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps, despite a throw fall, but remained second overall and won their second consecutive silver medal.[43][44]
Upon arrival inSeoul for the2025 Four Continents Championships, Pereira became "violently sick" and was unable to participate in the first practice session. She felt able to compete, and Pereira/Michaud placed third in the short program with a clean skate, only 0.13 points clear of Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps in fourth and 0.53 points back of AmericansKam/O'Shea in second. They were third in the free skate as well, being overtaken by their Canadian teammates but themselves surpassing the Americans, and won the bronze medal with a new personal best score of 198.40. This was Pereira's first international championship medal.[45]
| Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–2025 [46][47] |
|
|
|
| 2023–2024 [48] |
|
| |
| 2022–2023 [1] |
|
|
|
| Season | Short program | Free skating |
|---|---|---|
| 2022–2023 [1] |
|
|
| 2021–2022 [49] |
|
| Season | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Championships | 6th | 8th | TBD |
| Four Continents Championships | 4th | 5th | 3rd |
| Canadian Championships | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd |
| Grand Prix Final | 6th | ||
| GPCup of China | 3rd | ||
| GPFrance | 1st | 5th | |
| GPSkate America | 2nd | ||
| CSGolden Spin of Zagreb | 3rd | ||
| CSNebelhorn Trophy | 4th | 5th | |
| Skate Canada Challenge | 1st |
| International[5] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Event | 20–21 | 21–22 | 22–23 |
| CSFinlandia | 15th | ||
| International: Junior[5] | |||
| Junior Worlds | 14th | ||
| JGPFrance | 6th | ||
| JGPRussia | 10th | ||
| Challenge Cup | 6th | ||
| Cranberry Cup | 5th | 1st | |
| National[5] | |||
| Canadian Champ. | C | 10th | 5th |
| SC Challenge | 3rd J | 4th | 8th |
| C = Cancelled J = Junior | |||
| Segment | Type | Score | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | TSS | 194.67 | 2023 Grand Prix de France |
| Short program | TSS | 66.90 | 2024 Cup of China |
| TES | 37.59 | 2023 World Championships | |
| PCS | 30.73 | 2024 Cup of China | |
| Free skating | TSS | 128.70 | 2023 Grand Prix de France |
| TES | 67.54 | 2023 Grand Prix de France | |
| PCS | 62.16 | 2023 Grand Prix de France |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Nov 30 – Dec 3, 2022 | 2023 Skate Canada Challenge | 2 | 61.49 | 1 | 120.73 | 1 | 182.22 |
| Dec 7–10, 2022 |  2022 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | 4 | 61.13 | 3 | 115.75 | 3 | 176.88 |
| Jan 9–15, 2023 | 2023 Canadian Championships | 4 | 64.60 | 3 | 111.93 | 3 | 176.53 |
| Feb 7–12, 2023 |  2023 Four Continents Championships | 6 | 65.31 | 4 | 127.69 | 4 | 193.00 |
| Mar 20–26, 2023 |  2023 World Championships | 6 | 65.31 | 4 | 127.69 | 4 | 193.00 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 20–23, 2023 |  2023 CS Nebelhorn Trophy | 4 | 62.38 | 2 | 126.56 | 4 | 188.94 |
| Oct 20–22, 2023 | 2023 Skate America | 2 | 63.22 | 2 | 119.37 | 2 | 182.59 |
| Nov 3–5, 2023 |  2023 Grand Prix de France | 1 | 65.97 | 1 | 128.70 | 1 | 194.67 |
| Dec 7–10, 2023 |  2023–24 Grand Prix Final | 6 | 61.78 | 6 | 123.38 | 6 | 185.16 |
| Jan 8–14, 2024 | 2024 Canadian Championships | 2 | 66.04 | 2 | 127.10 | 2 | 193.14 |
| Jan 30 – Feb 4, 2024 | 2024 Four Continents Championships | 6 | 59.89 | 5 | 122.16 | 5 | 182.05 |
| Mar 18–24, 2024 | 2024 World Championships | 9 | 64.83 | 7 | 122.10 | 8 | 186.93 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 18-21, 2024 | 2024 CS Nebelhorn Trophy | 7 | 57.04 | 3 | 119.24 | 5 | 176.28 |
| Nov 1-3, 2024 | 2024 Grand Prix de France | 3 | 64.38 | 5 | 106.29 | 5 | 170.67 |
| Nov 22–24, 2024 | 2024 Cup of China | 3 | 66.90 | 3 | 121.84 | 3 | 188.74 |
| Jan 14–19, 2025 | 2025 Canadian Championships | 2 | 70.43 | 1 | 134.53 | 2 | 204.96 |
| Feb 19–23, 2025 |  2025 Four Continents Championships | 3 | 69.79 | 3 | 128.61 | 3 | 198.40 |
| 2022–23 season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| January 9–15, 2023 | 2023 Canadian Championships | Senior | 2 61.21 | 7 104.62 | 5 165.83 |
| October 4–9, 2022 | 2022 CS Finlandia Trophy | Senior | 8 56.98 | 18 85.09 | 15 142.07 |
| August 24–28, 2022 | 2022 JGP France | Junior | 10 50.63 | 6 103.96 | 6 154.59 |
| August 11–14, 2022 | 2022 Cranberry Cup International | Junior | 1 56.41 | 1 112.64 | 1 169.05 |
| 2021–22 season | |||||
| Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| April 13–17, 2022 | 2022 World Junior Championships | Junior | 12 58.69 | 13 100.17 | 14 158.86 |
| February 24–27, 2022 | 2022 International Challenge Cup | Junior | 7 48.08 | 3 100.43 | 6 148.51 |
| January 6–12, 2022 | 2022 Canadian Championships | Senior | 13 48.37 | 9 95.99 | 10 144.36 |
| December 1–5, 2021 | 2022 Skate Canada Challenge | Senior | 10 48.85 | 3 111.39 | 4 160.24 |
| September 15–18, 2021 | 2021 JGP Russia | Junior | 9 53.51 | 11 88.92 | 10 142.43 |
| August 11–15, 2021 | 2021 Cranberry Cup International | Junior | 6 44.52 | 5 85.38 | 5 129.90 |
| 2020–21 season | |||||
| Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| January 8–17, 2021 | 2021 Skate Canada Challenge | Junior | 4 49.27 | 4 87.58 | 3 136.85 |
