Madeline Schizas asks for Sociology extension from the 2026 Olympic Village

Imagine the scene: You’re a Canadian figure skater, Madeline Schizas and just stepped off the ice at one of the most prestigious sporting events on the planet. The lights are blinding, the crowd is roaring, and you are wearing the colors of your country. You’ve just completed a high-stakes performance in the women’s short program at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. You sit down to catch your breath, check your phone, and suddenly, the adrenaline crash is replaced by a very different kind of panic.

You have a sociology assignment due. And you missed the deadline.

This isn’t a recurring anxiety dream; it’s the reality for Schizas. While most of us struggle to balance laundry with a 9-to-5, Schizas is currently trying to balance a university degree with the hunt for Olympic glory. The skater recently took to social media to share a hilarious and painfully relatable email she sent to her professor at McMaster University, requesting a deadline extension. Her excuse? She was a little busy competing in the Olympics.

The post has since ignited a firestorm of engagement online, resonating with students and sports fans alike. It pulls back the curtain on the “glamorous” life of an Olympian, revealing that even world-class athletes still have to worry about hitting “submit” on Canvas before 11:59 PM.

The Email That Went Viral

Schizas, who is currently enrolled in Sociology 2FF3 at McMaster University in Ontario, realized she had misread her syllabus. She thought her reflection assignment was due on Sunday. It was actually due on Friday.

Most students would panic and conjure up a vague excuse about a family emergency or Wi-Fi issues. Schizas, however, had the ultimate trump card. She drafted an email to her professor explaining the mix-up, noting that on the day the assignment was due, she was occupied with the small matter of competing in the Olympic Games.

To ensure her professor didn’t think she was pulling a fast one, Schizas attached a link to an official Canadian Olympic Committee press release confirming her participation. It was the academic equivalent of a mic drop. She captioned the social media post sharing the exchange with a sarcastic, “LOLLLL I ❤️ being a student athlete,” capturing the chaotic energy of her current situation.

Trading Skates for Syllabi

This moment highlights the often-overlooked grind of the student-athlete. We see them on the podium or in the highlight reels, but we rarely see them in the Olympic Village lobby, trying to connect to Eduroam to upload a PDF.

Schizas isn’t a rookie to this pressure. She competed at the 2022 Beijing Games and has been a fixture in Canadian figure skating. At Milan Cortina 2026, her schedule is packed. She had just finished the women’s single skating short program, a performance critical enough to keep her in contention and help Canada advance to the team final.

Yet, immediately after leaving the ice, her focus had to pivot from triple lutzes to sociology reflections. The timeline tells the story of her mental load:

1. Competition Mode: Schizas skates for her life and her country.
2. Reality Check: She realizes the deadline error.
3. Damage Control: She fires off the email to her professor with the ultimate “doctor’s note.”

The Internet Weighs In

As soon as the post went live, it circulated through student-athlete circles and general sports fandoms like wildfire. The reaction was largely a mix of amusement and respect. Fans praised her for maintaining her academic commitments while literally on the world stage.

The comment section became a debate forum on the nature of fairness in academia.

• The Supporters: The vast majority of comments were rallying behind her, hoping the professor would grant the extension. The consensus was clear: If representing your nation at the Olympics isn’t a valid excuse for a late paper, nothing is.
• The Skeptics: A smaller subset of commenters questioned the fairness of the request, asking if elite athletes should be held to the same rigid standards as regular students who juggle jobs and family commitments.

Despite the buzz, neither McMaster University nor the Canadian Olympic Committee has issued a formal statement. The post stands as the primary record of this collision between higher education and high-performance sport.

What Happens Next?

Now, we wait for the decision.

Granting the extension is typically at the instructor’s discretion and depends on the specific course policies regarding late work. However, given the public visibility of this request and the undeniable magnitude of the reason for the delay, it would be a bold move to deny it.

In the short term, Schizas has to shake off the academic stress and refocus. Her competition schedule at Milan Cortina continues, including the high-pressure team event. She will likely have to fit her coursework into the rare quiet moments between training sessions and media availability.

The Final Score

Regardless of whether she gets the extension, Madeline Schizas has already scored a victory with the public. Her candid, humorous approach to the situation has strengthened her image, which will give her more notoriety. She isn’t just an untouchable elite athlete; she’s a relatable student trying to keep her head above water.

This story serves as a reminder that the athletes we cheer for on TV are human beings with lives, stressors, and homework that exist outside the arena. As we watch her next performance, we’ll be rooting for her to stick the landing—and hopefully, get that passing grade in Sociology 2FF3.