Canadians Head to Salt Lake City for U.S. International Figure Skating Classic

OTTAWA, ON: Canada will send six entries to the 2013 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, a senior international competition. The event runs from September 11-15, 2013, in Salt Lake City, UT. Canada will have entries in all four disciplines: men’s, ladies, pair, and ice dance.

Kirsten Moore-Towers, 21, St. Catharines, Ont., and Dylan Moscovitch, 28, Toronto, Ont, are the first of two Canadian pair teams at this event. Moore-Towers and Moscovitch are defending pair champions at this event. Last season, the Canadian silver medalists also won silver at the NHK Trophy in Japan and the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, and placed fourth at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships.  The pair trains with Kris Wirtz and Kristy Wirtz at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club.

Paige Lawrence, 23, Kennedy, Sask., and Rudi Swiegers, 25, Kipling, Sask., are the second entry in pair for Canada. Lawrence and Swiegers won silver at this event in 2012. The 2013 Canadian bronze medalists also placed fourth at Skate Canada International and the Cup of Russia, as well as sixth at the 2013 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships last season. Lawrence and Swiegers train in Melville, Sask., and Virden, Man., and are coached by Patricia Hole and Lyndon Johnston.

Kaitlyn Weaver, 24, Waterloo, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 26, Waterloo, Ont., will lead the way for Canada in the ice dance category. Last season, Weaver and Poje placed fifth at the 2013 ISU World Figure Skating Championships. They also won bronze at both of their assignments on the ISU Grand Prix circuit, Cup of China and Skate America. They are coached by Pasquale Camerlengo and Angelika Krylova in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Canadian bronze medalists Nicole Orford, 20, Burnaby, B.C., and Thomas Williams, 22, Okotoks, Alta, will also represent Canada in ice dance. Last season, they placed eighth at the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow, and fourth at the NHK Trophy in Japan. They are coached by Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe at the B.C. Centre of Excellence.

Canadian bronze medallist Andrei Rogozine, 20, Richmond Hill, Ont, will represent Canada in men’s. The 2011 World Junior Champion placed 10th at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships and 13th at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships last season. He is coached by Inga Zusev and Andrei Berezintsev and trains at the Richmond Hill Figure Skating Club.

Amélie Lacoste, 24, Delson, Que., is the sole entry in the ladies category for Canada. Lacoste earned a bronze medal at this event in 2012. She also placed eighth at Skate Canada International, sixth at the Cup of China, and ninth at the 2013 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships last season. Lacoste is coached by Nathalie Martin, Sylvie Fullum, and Denis Beaudoin at CPA Saint-Léonard in Montreal, Que.

Petra Burka of Toronto, Ont., will be travelling with the team as team leader, and Agnes Makowski, also of Toronto, Ont., will be the team physiotherapist. Lynne Dey of Edmonton, Alta., and Nicole Leblanc-Richard of Dieppe, N.B., will be the Canadian officials at the event.