McMaster student becomes viral sensation after requesting extension on assignment to compete in Olympics

Madeline Schizas of Canada competes during the figure skating women's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

MILAN — Her snarling face made Canadian figure skater Madeline Schizas an internet meme on Friday, as she reacted to some confusing scores in the kiss and cry after her short program at Milano Ice Skating Arena.

On Sunday, she returned to the team event ice as a viral sensation, this time for requesting a university assignment extension in hilarious fashion — and having it granted.

“I didn’t think anyone would care so much,” Schizas said. “I thought it would just be my friends and, I don’t know, other students laughing. Then all of a sudden, there were millions of people who had seen this email I sent.

“The Olympics are a big deal. I kind of forgot.”

Canada finished fifth in the Olympic figure skating team event at the Milan Cortina Games on Sunday, a day after Schizas’s Instagram story spread like wildfire, with news stories by everyone from TMZ to TSN and Italian daily newspaper il Fatto Quotidiano.

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The McMaster University student posted a screenshot of the email to her professor Saturday, the morning after she competed in the women’s team event short program, asking for an extra day to complete her sociology assignment.

“Wondering if I could get a short extension on this week’s reflection,” her message read. “I was competing in the Olympic Games yesterday and thought it was due on Sunday, not Friday.”

For good measure, Schizas attached a link to the Canadian Olympic Committee’s press release to prove her participation.

On Sunday morning, Schizas updated her growing legion of fans — her follower count grew by thousands in just a few hours — to say she had received the extension, and then McMaster University shared the professor’s email for everyone to see.

“Hi Madeline. Wow! What a special moment. Yes, in the circumstances, an extension is perfectly fine,” the professor wrote. “I’d say focus on the competition right now, and submit it directly to me when it is done.”

“The triple lutz triple toe combo is a pretty hard move to master, but you’ve got this. Good luck — the whole country is rooting for you and your teammates. PS, When I was ten, I scored a goal in hockey and that was challenging enough for me.”

The 22-year-old from Oakville, Ont., ultimately fell on her opening triple lutz in the women’s free program, scoring 125.00 in her “Butterfly Lovers” program as Canada fell out of medal contention.

Earlier, teammates Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud delivered a stellar pairs free skate, shattering their personal-best score but still placing fifth in the segment with 134.42 points to music from the film “Gladiator.” They high-fived, hugged and pumped their fists in joy after nailing every element except their throw triple loop.

Pereira and Michaud train with Schizas at the Milton Skating Club and got a kick out of Schizas’s internet moment.

“It’s funny to see it popping up on everything. For us, it’s very Maddie-coded,” Michaud said. “It’s funny, because I go to McMaster too. So it’s just like, oh, my school’s getting a little extra recognition right now. I feel a little bit of pride in that.”

Mike Slipchuk, Skate Canada’s high-performance director, said it was just another example of Schizas’s deadpan humour.

“When she does something like that, she doesn’t do it with the intent that it’s going to go viral like it did,” he said.

But not all members of Canada’s team were aware of the online phenomenon Schizas became.

“No, I’m not sure…I don’t think so,” said Toronto’s Stephen Gogolev when asked if he’d seen it, before jogging his memory. “Oh yeah, I saw it briefly, but I didn’t know it was a big thing.”

Gogolev sent Canada into the final with an outstanding short program performance Saturday. He posted 171.93 points to “Piano Concerto No. 2” by Sergei Rachmaninov in the men’s free program to end the team event.

Canada totalled 54 points across the three-day, eight-segment competition. A powerhouse United States team captured gold with 69 to edge Japan by one point. The two countries were tied with 59 points apiece heading into the men’s free program, where self-proclaimed “Quad God” Ilia Malinin prevailed over Shun Sato despite landing awkwardly on multiple jumps.

And host Italy claimed bronze to a raucous applause after Matteo Rizzo’s electric free skate. Georgia finished fourth with 56 points.

As for Schizas, who is set to graduate in May with a major in Environment and Society, she’ll turn her attention to the women’s individual event beginning Feb. 17.

But first, more homework.

“I’m writing a midterm next week, on the 12th. For the same class,” she said. “I think I can get out of the midterm, but I don’t think I’m going to want to write it when I go home either. So it’s kind of a lose-lose.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2026.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press