Moments after clinching her first Canadian figure skating title, teenager Madeline Schizas was asked about her goal for the Beijing Olympics.

B次元官网网址淢y biggest goal is to avoid catching Covid,B次元官网网址� Schizas said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 my biggest goal, for the next three weeks IB次元官网网址檓 going to do everything in my power to stay healthy.B次元官网网址�

Skating to PucciniB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淢adama Butterfly,B次元官网网址� and dressed in dusty blue - with a sequined COVID-19 mask that she wore in warm-up to match - the 18-year-old from Oakvile, Ont., wasnB次元官网网址檛 flawless in SaturdayB次元官网网址檚 free skate. But with a 12-point cushion from FridayB次元官网网址檚 short program, her total score of 198.24 was good enough for gold and to all but clinch her spot on CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Olympic team.

Beijing was barely on her radar until she finished 13th at the world championships last spring.

B次元官网网址淚 am a very logical person,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淩ealistically one person is going to Olympics and the chances it was going to be me were very slim. Obviously, now that IB次元官网网址檝e won a Canadian title the Olympics are on my radar but I never like to get too far ahead of myself. I think one moment at a time and I think that makes it even better qualifying.

B次元官网网址淚n a way I donB次元官网网址檛 think people expected it to be me,B次元官网网址� she added. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 from a smaller club (Milton Skating Club), a smaller community. I donB次元官网网址檛 have coaches who have necessarily done this before. We have a really great relationship and I just won my first national title.B次元官网网址�

Veronik Mallet of Sept-Iles, Que., scored 170.65 for silver, while two-time Olympic and world bronze medallist Gabrielle Daleman was third (167.50).

Because of safety concerns and provincial crowd restrictions due to the recent COVID-19 surge, the event is being held in front of no fans at TD Place Arena.

The pandemic has cast a pall over sports in the final weeks before Beijing.

Stephen Gogolev, who won silver at the 2019 nationals, withdrew on Friday after he tested positive in a PCR test upon landing in Ottawa. Pairs skaters Vanessa James and Eric Radford, who contracted the virus over the holidays, withdrew before SaturdayB次元官网网址檚 free program.

The championships determine CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Beijing Olympic figure skating team, which will be announced Sunday. Canada has one berth in womenB次元官网网址檚 singles, two in pairs and menB次元官网网址檚 singles, and three in ice dance.

The menB次元官网网址檚 singles, pairs and ice dance free programs were scheduled for later Saturday.

B次元官网网址� Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press