Nexxice in third spot after short program at ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships

COURMAYEUR, Italy – Nexxice from the Burlington (Ont.) Skating Club is in third place after Friday’s short program at the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships.

Two teams from Finland lead the field with Marigold Ice Unity first at 76.14 points and Rockettes second at 74.98 points. Nexxice, which performed the Midnight Waltz from Cinderella, produced five level-four elements and follows closely at 74.85.

“We were pleased with how we skated,” said Nexxice co-captain Lee Chandler, the first male ever to skate with a senior team in Canada. “We took to the ice very confident. We displayed great teamwork and showed some calm moves and effortless glides. We want to come out with the same kind of focus for the free skate.”

The other Nexxice skaters are Shannon Aikman-Jones, Maria Albanese, Ellicia Beaudoin, Kelly Britten, Courtney Broadhurst, Anna Cappuccitti, Carla Coveart, Samantha Defino, Yu Hanamoto, Victoria Kwan, Katia Leininger, Kristen Loritz, Bethany Rees, Renee Richardson, Victoria Smith, Kiersten Tietz, Jillian Tyler, Emily Van Den Akker and Julia Uhlitzsch.

Nexxice were the 2009 world champions and have earned silver the past two years at worlds.

A second Canadian entry, Les Suprêmes from St-Léonard, Que., are in eighth spot at 63.63 out of 23 entries. The Suprêmes skaters are Élodie Acheron, Audrey Bédard, Karyane Bélisle, Lydia Bergeron, Jessica Bernardo, Lou-Ann Bezeau-Tremblay, Josyane Cholette, Sara Irma Corona, Alexandra DelVecchio, Laurie Desilets, Maria-Victoria Langon, Sarah Leblond, Sophie-Anne Lemay, Clémence Lea Marduel, Agathe Sigrid Merlier, An Kim Nguyen, Chloé Perrin, Geneviève Rougeau, Marina Rousseau and Claudia Sforzin.

Competition ends Saturday with the free skate.

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/wcsys2014/index.htm

Louis Daignault