Canadian Junior Skaters in Hungary for 2016 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada has eight entries, for a total of 14 skaters competing at the 2016 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships this week from March 14-20 in Debrecen, Hungary. Canada will have one entry per discipline in men’s and ladies, and three entries per discipline in pair and ice dance. Competition begins Wednesday, March 16 with the men’s and pair short programs.

Nicolas Nadeau, 18, Boisbriand, Que., is Canada’s entry in men’s. Last year, he placed 25^th at this event. Earlier this season, he won silver in Croatia and placed fifth in Latvia at his ISU Junior Grand Prix assignments. Most recently, he placed fifth in the senior category at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Nadeau trains at École Excellence Rosemère and is coached by Yvan Desjardins.

Canadian junior champion Sarah Tamura, 15, Burnaby, B.C., is Canada’s lone entry in ladies. This will be her first time competing at this event. This season, the representative of Burnaby FSC placed 13^th at her ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment in Latvia. Tamura is coached by Joanne McLeod, Jill-Marie Harvey, and Neil Wilson at the Champs International Skating Centre.

Canadian junior pair champions Hope McLean, 16, Newbury, Ont., and Trennt Michaud, 19, Strathroy, Ont., will be the first of three Canadian entries in pair. This season, the representatives of Mount Brydges SC and Prince Edward SC placed sixth at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Poland. McLean and Michaud are coached by Alison Purkiss at the London Competitive Skating Centre.

Bryn Hoffman, 18, Calgary, Alta., and Bryce Chudak, 20, Calgary, Atla., are the second Canadian pair entry. This season, they placed fourth at both of their ISU Junior Grand Prix assignments (United States and Poland). Most recently, the representatives of Calalta FSC won silver in the junior category at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Hoffman and Chudak are coached by Anabelle Langlois and Cody Hay.

Justine Brasseur, 14, Brossard, Que., and Mathieu Ostiguy, 19, Granby, Que., round out the Canadian pair entries at the event. They competed on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit earlier this season placing sixth in Latvia and fifth in Austria. The representatives of CPA Brossard and CPA Saint-Césaire also placed fourth in the junior category at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, and most recently placed fourth at the Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway. Brasseur and Ostiguy train in Saint-Léonard, Que., with coach Bruno Marcotte.

Canadian junior champions Mackenzie Bent, 18, Uxbridge, Ont., and Dmitre Razgulajevs, 19, Ajax, Ont., are the first of three Canadian ice dance teams. In their first season competing together, the representatives of Uxbridge SC and Scarboro FSC won silver at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in the United States and placed sixth at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Spain. They are coached by Carol Lane, Jon Lane, and Juris Razgulajevs at Ice Dance Elite at Scarboro FSC.

Marjorie Lajoie, 15, Boucherville, Que., and Zachary Lagha, 16, Greenfield Park, Que., will also represent Canada in ice dance. This season they placed seventh at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Spain, and won the silver medal at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in the junior category. Most recently, they placed fourth at the Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway, and won the bronze medal as part of the mixed National Olympic Committee (NOC) team event. Lajoie and Lagha train in Montreal, Que., with coaches Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Romain Haguenauer and Pascal Denis.

Melinda Meng, 17, Montreal, Que., and Andrew Meng, 19, Montreal, Que., are the third Canadian entry in ice dance. Earlier this season, they placed fifth at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Latvia and fourth in Poland. Most recently, the representatives of CPA Laval won bronze in the junior category at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. The Mengs are coached by Shawn Winter in Pierrefonds, Que.

Terra Findlay of Echo Bay, Ont., and Paige Lawrence of Kennedy, Sask., will be the Canadian team leaders at the event. Dr. Ed Pilat of Winnipeg, Man., and physiotherapist Mike McMurray of Oak Bluff, Man., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Karen Howard of Regina, Sask., and Pam Chislett of Grand Prairie, Alta., are the Canadian officials at the event.

Skate Canada High Performance Director Mike Slipchuk will also be traveling with the team.

For results and full entries please visit www.isu.org.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT THE 2016 ISU WORLD JUNIOR FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS