Denis Margalik

2.1. Birth and Family Background

Denis Margalik was born on June 3, 1997, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His parents, both born in Ukraine, decided to relocate their family after Margalik, at the age of two, was involved in a kidnapping incident. In late December 1999, the family moved to New York, United States, before settling in Canada shortly thereafter. He is the second of three sons; his elder brother was born in Ukraine, and his younger brother was born in Canada.

2.2. Upbringing and Education

Margalik grew up primarily in Mississauga, Ontario, before moving to Richmond Hill, Ontario. He attended Silverthorn Collegiate Institute and later graduated from Richmond Green Secondary School in June 2016. Following his secondary education, he pursued higher academic studies at Western University in London, Ontario, where he earned a Bachelor of Medical Sciences (BMSc) degree. During his time at Western University, he was an assistant coach and captain of the Varsity Figure Skating Team and a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He furthered his education at the University of Toronto, completing a Master of Applied Science (MASc) in the field of biomedical engineering. He is currently studying Medicine at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine. Margalik stands at 5 feet 9 inches (5.7 ft ^{(1.75 m)}).

3.1. Early Skating and Canadian Representation

Margalik began skating in 2005. His first coach was Robert O'Toole, who coached him for eight years, primarily at the Woodbine Winter Club in Toronto. He later skated for AREPH. His early career faced challenges due to Osgood-Schlatter disease, a condition affecting his knees. Competing at the junior level for Canada, he achieved a silver medal at the 2013 Canadian Figure Skating Championships and won gold at the 2013 Mladost Trophy, which was his only international appearance representing Canada. Later in 2013, he changed coaches, joining Andrei Berezintsev and Inga Zusev at the Richmond Training Centre in Richmond Hill, Ontario. He subsequently won the national junior title at the 2014 Canadian Figure Skating Championships.

3.2. Transition to Argentina

In September 2014, Margalik made his debut representing Argentina, placing fourth at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Japan. He then made his senior international debut, finishing seventh at the 2014 Skate Canada Autumn Classic, which was part of the ISU Challenger Series. At this event, he achieved a personal best combined total score of 193.44 points and a free skate score of 131.50 points.

3.3. Historic Contributions for Argentina

Margalik's representation of Argentina marked a new era for the country in figure skating. In February 2015, he competed at his first ISU Championship, the 2015 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul, South Korea. This marked the first time an Argentine skater had participated in the Four Continents Championships, and he became the first male skater to represent Argentina in an ISU Championship. He ranked 18th in the short program, qualifying for the free skate, where he placed 15th, ultimately rising to 16th overall. At the Junior Worlds that same year, he achieved 12th place.

In August 2015, Margalik secured Argentina's first ever ISU Junior Grand Prix medal, taking bronze at the 2015 JGP in Bratislava, Slovakia. During this competition, he also achieved a personal best short program score of 63.83 points and successfully landed his first triple Axel. In February 2016, he placed 17th at the 2016 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Taipei. In March 2016, he participated in the 2016 World Figure Skating Championships in Boston, becoming the first skater in history to represent Argentina at the World Championships.

3.4. Programs

Margalik's competitive programs featured a variety of musical selections and choreographers throughout his career.

J. = Junior level; N. = Novice level

4.2. For Argentina

5.1. Retirement

Denis Margalik announced his retirement from competitive figure skating on July 12, 2016. The decision was influenced by an ankle injury he sustained, which ultimately led to his departure from the sport.

5.2. Medical Studies

Following his retirement from competitive skating, Margalik fully dedicated himself to his medical education. He is currently pursuing studies in Medicine at the University of Toronto, building upon his previous degrees in Medical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering.