After a winning year, Montreal’s Les Suprêmes eyeing more success on the ice in 2024
Posted December 22, 2023 10:25 am.
Last Updated December 22, 2023 6:45 pm.
It’s been quite the year for Montreal’s Les Suprêmes.
The synchronized skating team from St-Leonard won its second consecutive gold at the ISU world championships in April.
“It was our second world title, which is the first time for a Canadian team to achieve double titles, back to back,” head coach Marylin Langlois said.
That world title followed two international medals, including a victory at the Spring Cup in Italy in February.
“It was insane,” recounted Olivia Di Giandomenico, one of two team captains. “It was the first time that I went to Italy, believe it or not, but it just felt like home. Everybody was so welcoming. The food was so amazing, the gelato was so good. The crowd also at the arena was so welcoming and cheerful and they just wanted everybody to do well.”
Synchronized skating requires hard work and dedication but it’s not as recognized as it should be, according to Julia Bernardo, the other team captain on Les Suprêmes.
“I think it would be amazing to see it just a bit more popular in Canada and worldwide,” Bernardo said. “But already state candidates include synchronized skating in the national championships with the other disciplines, which before we had our own nationals that were separate, so I think that’s a huge step already to including us with the other disciplines and letting other people that don’t usually watch synchro give them the opportunity to watch it.”
“We try to seize every occasion or opportunity that we can get to promote it because… it’s one of the most beautiful sports in the world,” added Langlois.
For the athletes on the team, skating is a true passion – regardless of titles and medals.
Alessia Polletta says it’s possible to follow their passions thanks to the support from their families.
“Even if not every year is our golden year – some years are better than others or even just some competitions – but my parents, my whole family are always there for us and they’re really my pillars,” Polletta said. “Without them I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Far from resting on their laurels, Les Suprêmes have a goal for 2024: keep improving while having fun on the ice.
“It’s a brand new season, brand new team,” said Bernardo. “I think we just want to have fun and at every competition we want to do better than the last one. And we also just want to have fun on the ice and do exactly the same thing in practice and competition.”
“We’re a very hard-working team, so just to work as hard as we can to achieve those goals and hopefully it’s like last year,” added Di Giandomenico. “But we’ll just keep working there.”
“Our hopes is to obviously keep our world title, always working for the top spot,” said Polletta. “Ultimately it’s to just have fun and just be the best that we can be, be more innovative and just having fun.”
