Large Canadian Contingent Travels to France for Trophée Eric Bompard

OTTAWA, ON:  Skate Canada will send six entries, for a total of ten skaters, to the 2013 Trophée Eric Bompard, the fifth stop on the ISU Grand Prix circuit. The event will run from November 15-17, 2013, in Paris, France. Canada will have one entry each in men’s and ladies, and two entries each in pair and ice dance.

Three-time and reigning World Champion Patrick Chan, 22, Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian entry in men’s. Chan, who represents the Granite Club, has won this event three times previously (2007, 2008, 2011) and placed fifth in 2006. In his first ISU Grand Prix assignment this season, he won gold at Skate Canada International. Chan is coached by Kathy Johnson and trains at the Detroit Skating Club.

In ladies, Amélie Lacoste, 24, Delson, Que., is the sole Canadian entry. Representing CPA du Roussillon, she is the 2012 Canadian Champion. This season, she placed fifth at the 2013 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, and fifth at Skate Canada International. Lacoste is coached by Christy Krall in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

World bronze medalists and two-time defending Canadian champions Meagan Duhamel, 27, Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford, 28, Balmertown, Ont., are the first of two Canadian entries in pair. This will be their third time competing at this event, having won bronze in 2011 and silver in 2012. The representatives of Walden FSC and CPA Saint-Léonard won bronze at their first ISU Grand Prix assignment this season, Skate Canada International. They are coached by Richard Gauthier and Bruno Marcotte at CPA Saint-Léonard.

Natasha Purich, 18, Sherwood Park, Alta., and Mervin Tran, 23, Regina, Sask., will also represent Canada in pair. Earlier this season, the duo representing Ice Palace FSC and CPA Saint-Léonard placed sixth in their first international assignment together, at Nebelhorn Trophy. The pair train out of CPA Saint-Léonard and are coached by Richard Gauthier and Bruno Marcotte.

Tessa Virtue, 24, London, Ont., and Scott Moir, 26, Ilderton, Ont., will be Canada’s first entry in ice dance. Representing Ilderton SC, the 2010 Olympic Champions have previously competed at this event three times, winning gold in 2009 and 2011, and placing fourth in 2006. This will be their third event this season, having won gold at both Finlandia Trophy and Skate Canada International. Virtue and Moir are coached by Marina Zoueva, Johnny Johns, and Oleg Epstein at Artic Edge Ice Arena in Canton, Michigan.

Canadian bronze medalists Nicole Orford, 21, Burnaby, B.C., and Thomas Williams, 22, Okotoks, Alta, will also represent Canada in ice dance. This will be their first ISU Grand Prix assignment of the season. The dance duo representing Inlet SC and Calalta Community FSC won bronze at the 2013 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic earlier this season. They are coached by Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe at the B.C. Centre of Excellence.

Skate Canada Director High Performance, Mike Slipchuk, will be the Canadian team leader and Dr. John Philpott of Toronto, Ont., and physiotherapist Mike McMurray of Oak Bluff, Man., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Jodi Abbott of Edmonton, Alta, and Karen Howard of Regina, Sask., will be the Canadian officials at the event.