Canadians head to Japan to compete with world’s best at ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating® Final

OTTAWA, ON: Canada will send five entries, for a total of nine skaters, to compete against the top figure skaters in the world at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating® Final in Fukuoka, Japan. The culminating event of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating® series takes place at the Marine Mess Fukuoka, from December 5-8, 2013.

The ISU Grand Prix Final is the concluding event of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating® circuit.  The series hosts six stops: United States (Skate America), Canada (Skate Canada International), China (Cup of China), France (Trophée Eric Bompard), Russia (Rostelecom Cup), and Japan (NHK Trophy). Skaters are awarded points based on their placements at their assigned events and the top six in each of the four disciplines advance to the Final.

Three-time defending World Champion Patrick Chan, 22, Toronto, Ont., qualified in first place in men’s. The representative of the Granite Club has previously competed at this event five times, winning in 2010 and 2011, and earning bronze in 2012. This season, Chan competed at Skate Canada International and Trophée Eric Bompard, winning gold at both events. He is coached by Kathy Johnson and trains at the Detroit Skating Club.

In the pair discipline, Kirsten Moore-Towers, 21, St. Catharines, Ont., and Dylan Moscovitch, 29, Toronto, Ont., qualified in fourth. This will be their third time competing at this event, having placed sixth in 2010 and fifth in 2012. Moore-Towers and Moscovitch won silver at Skate America and bronze at the Rostelecom Cup to qualify for this event. The pair train with Kris Wirtz and Kristy Wirtz at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club.

World bronze medalists Meagan Duhamel, 27, Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford, 28, Balmertown, Ont., qualified in fifth in pair. This will be their third consecutive year competing at this event, placing fifth in 2011 and fourth in 2012. The representatives of Walden FSC and CPA Saint-Léonard won bronze at Skate Canada International and silver at Trophée Eric Bompard on the ISU Grand Prix circuit this season. They are coached by Richard Gauthier and Bruno Marcotte at CPA Saint-Léonard.

Tessa Virtue, 24, London, Ont., and Scott Moir, 26, Ilderton, Ont., will be Canada’s first entry in ice dance, having qualified in second. Representing Ilderton SC, the 2010 Olympic Champions have previously competed at this event four times, winning silver in 2009, 2011, and 2012 and placing fourth in 2007. Virtue and Moir won gold at both of their ISU Grand Prix assignments this season, Skate Canada International and Trophée Eric Bompard. They are coached by Marina Zoueva, Johnny Johns, and Oleg Epstein at Artic Edge Ice Arena in Canton, Michigan.

Kaitlyn Weaver, 24, Waterloo, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 26, Waterloo, Ont., will also represent Canada in ice dance. This will be their third time competing at this event, having placed fifth in 2010 and fourth in 2011. Representing Sault FSC and Kitchener-Waterloo SC, Weaver and Poje won silver at both Skate Canada International and the Rostelecom Cup this season to qualify in fifth for this event. They are coached by Pasquale Camerlengo and Angelika Krylova in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Skate Canada Director of Corporate Communications, Barb MacDonald, will be the media contact at the event. To arrange onsite interviews please contact her by email at [email protected].

Skate Canada High Performance Director, Mike Slipchuk, will be the Canadian team leader at the event. Dr. Bob Brock of Toronto, Ont., and physiotherapist Scott Fraser of Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Karen Butcher of Nepean, Ont., and Jodi Abbott of Edmonton, Alta., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

Skate Canada President, Leanna Caron, and Chief Executive Officer, Dan Thompson, will also travel to the event to represent Skate Canada.

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