Madeline Schizas gets university assignment extension at the Olympics

Canadian figure skater and McMaster student Madeline Schizas was granted an extension on a sociology assignment after she emailed her professor noting she competed at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics and shared the exchange on Instagram.

Madeline Schizas, a Canadian figure skater and McMaster University student, received a short extension on a sociology assignment after asking her professor for more time following Olympic competition. She posted a screenshot of the email to her Instagram account the morning after she skated in the women's team event short program at Milano Cortina 2026. Schizas included a link to the Canadian Olympic Committee press release to confirm her participation. Her post drew significant attention from followers as she prepared to skate in the team event free program. What is known: - Schizas emailed her professor asking for "a short extension" and noted she had been competing at the Olympic Games the day before and thought the assignment was due later. - She posted a screenshot of the professor's reply and included a link to the Canadian Olympic Committee press release to verify her participation. - The professor granted the extension, and Schizas reported the outcome on Instagram. - Schizas competed in the women's team event short program at Milano Cortina 2026 and was scheduled to skate in the team event free program the following day. - The 22-year-old from Oakville, Ont., majors in Environment and Society at McMaster and is set to graduate in May. Summary: Schizas's request for extra time was accepted and became a small viral moment as she balanced Olympic competition with university coursework. She remained scheduled to compete in the team event free program, while Canada sat fourth heading into that day's action.