Welcome to the Skate Canada Alumni blog

Welcome to the Skate Canada Alumni blog!

Looking back over our skating careers, it has been an honour to represent Canada on the international stage.  Now as members of the Alumni Committee, we feel privileged to be giving back.  Serving on the 2017-2018 Alumni Committee are Denise Benning, Ann Shaw, Nicholas Young, Barry Soper, Emery Leger, Frances McLellan, Sheri Moir and me, who together combine nearly 300 amazing years of skating experience as competitors, coaches, officials and volunteers!

 

Skate Canada skaters in Poland for Warsaw Cup

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have four entries, for a total of six skaters, competing at the 2017 Warsaw Cup in Warsaw, Poland, from November 16-19, 2017. Canada will have one entry per discipline in men and ladies, and two entries in ice dance at the eighth event on the 2017 ISU Challenger Series.

Liam Firus, 25, North Vancouver, B.C., will be the Canadian entry in men’s. He won the bronze medal at his first ISU Challenger Series assignment of the season, the 2017 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. Firus is coached by Bruno Marcotte in Sainte-Julie, Que.

Emy Decelles, 19, Baie-Comeau, Que., will be the sole Canadian entry in the ladies category. This will be her first ISU Challenger Series assignment. Last season, Decelles finished 10th at the 2017 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. She is coached by Yvan Desjardins in Rosemère, Que.

Sarah Arnold, 27, Waterloo, Ont., and Thomas Williams, 26, Okotoks, Alta., are the first of two Canadian entries in ice dance. This will also be their first ISU Challenger Series assignment. Last season, they placed sixth at the 2017 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Arnold and Williams are coached by Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe in Burnaby, B.C.

Molly Lanaghan, 18, Doncaster, England, and Dmitre Razgulajevs, 20, Ajax, Ont., will be the second Canadian entry in ice dance. This will be their first international assignment since teaming up. They are coached by Carol Lane, Jon Lane, and Juris Razgulajevs in Scarborough, Ont.

Carolyn Allwright of Waterloo, Ont., will be travelling with the Canadian team as team leader and physiotherapist Pat Stanziano of Oakville, Ont., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Reaghan Fawcett-Fortin of Aurora, Ont., will be the sole Canadian official at the event.

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

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2017 WARSAW CUP

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men Liam Firus 25 North Vancouver, B.C. Vancouver SC Bruno Marcotte
Ladies Emy Decelles 19 Baie-Comeau, Que. CPA Baie Comeau Yvan Desjardins
Ice Dance Sarah Arnold / Thomas Williams 27/26 Waterloo, Ont. / Okotoks, Alta. Champs International Skating Centre / Calalta FSC Megan Wing / Aaron Lowe
Ice Dance Molly Lanaghan / Dmitre Razgulajevs 18/20 Doncaster, England / Ajax, Ont. Scarboro FSC / Scarboro FSC Carol Lane / Jon Lane / Juris Razgulajevs

Canadians en route to France as ISU Grand Prix circuit continues

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have three entries, for a total of five skaters, competing at the fifth stop on the 2017 ISU Grand Prix series, the Internationaux de France. The event will take place from November 17-19, 2017, in Grenoble, France. Canada will have one entry per discipline in ladies, pairs and ice dance.

World silver medallist Kaetlyn Osmond, 21, Marystown, Nfld./Edmonton, Alta., will be the Canadian entry in the ladies category. This will be her first time competing at this event. Osmond won gold at her first ISU Grand Prix assignment this season, Skate Canada International. The three-time Canadian champion is coached by Ravi Walia in Edmonton, Alta.

Canadian silver medallists Lubov Ilyushechkina, 26, Toronto, Ont., and Dylan Moscovitch, 33, Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian pair entry. This will also be their first time competing at this event. Ilyushechkina and Moscovitch placed sixth at their first Grand Prix assignment of the season, Skate Canada International. They are coached by Lee Barkell, Bryce Davison and Tracy Wilson in Toronto, Ont.

Two-time world medallists Kaitlyn Weaver, 28, Toronto, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 30, Waterloo, Ont., will be the Canadian entry in ice dance. They last competed at this event ten years ago, in 2007, and placed seventh. This season, Weaver and Poje won silver at their first ISU Grand Prix assignment, Skate Canada International. The 2017 Canadian silver medallists are coached by Nikolai Morozov and train in Hackensack, NJ, USA.

Manon Perron of Boucherville, Que., will be the Canadian team leader at the event. Mike Slipchuk, Skate Canada High Performance Director, will also be travelling with the Canadian team. Dr. Cole Beavis of Saskatoon, Sask., and physiotherapist Mike McMurray of Oak Bluff, Man., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Cynthia Benson of Quispamsis, N.B., and Jean Senft of West Vancouver, B.C., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For results and full entries please visit www.isu.org. For photos of Canadian entries, please contact [email protected].

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2017 INTERNATIONAUX DE FRANCE

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Ladies Kaetlyn Osmond 21 Marystown, Nfld. & Edmonton, Alta. Ice Palace FSC Ravi Walia
Pairs Lubov Ilyushechkina / Dylan Moscovitch 26/33 Toronto, Ont. / Toronto, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club / Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Lee Barkell / Bryce Davison / Tracy Wilson
Ice Dance Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje 28/30 Toronto, Ont. / Waterloo, Ont. Sault FSC / Kitchener-Waterloo SC Nikolai Morozov

Ticket Info: 2018 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships

OSHAWA, ON: Tickets for the 2018 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships will go on sale on November 14, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. ET. The championships will take place from February 23-25, 2018 at the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa, Ont.

TICKETS

All Event tickets are priced at $60 and single tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday at $25 for adults and $20 for children. All tickets are subject to applicable taxes and venue surcharges. Tickets can be purchased online tributecommunitiescentre.com or 1-877-436-8811.

EVENT

The 2018 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships will bring approximately 40 teams and over 800 skaters from across the country to Oshawa. The city previously hosted the event in 2009.

Teams will compete for national titles in the senior, junior, open, intermediate and novice categories. The top two senior teams will represent Canada at the 2018 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships.

Virtue and Moir soar to gold at NHK Trophy

OSAKA, Japan – Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won the gold medal in ice dancing Sunday at the NHK Trophy figure skating competition – the fourth stop on the ISU Grand Prix circuit.

The Canadian couple earned 198.64 points for the gold with Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue of the U.S. second at 188.35 and Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte of Italy third at 186.56.

‘’We really wanted to come out this week and have the speed and power come to us a bit more in both of our programs,’’ said Moir, from Ilderton, Ont. ‘’I feel like we accomplished that.’’

Virtue/Moir delivered a confident, passionate performance to the ‘Moulin Rouge soundtrack, completing spectacular lifts, well-synchronized twizzles and smooth step sequences.

They earned six perfect 10.00s in the components – three of them for music interpretation and timing.

‘’There were a couple of technical errors in both programs and that cost us a couple of points,’’ added Moir. ‘’We’re not super happy about that.’’

The Canadians have been unbeatable since returning to the competitive scene last winter including five straight Grand Prix wins. They’ll return to Japan, in Nagoya, for the Grand Prix Final December 7-10.

The next Grand Prix competition is the Nov. 17-19 Grand Prix of France in Grenoble.

Full results: ISU GP NHK Trophy 2017

Classic Virtue and Moir take lead after short dance at NHK Trophy

OSAKA, Japan – Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir came within two points of their world record score in the short dance on Saturday to grab an early lead at the NHK Trophy figure skating competition- the fourth stop on the ISU Grand Prix circuit.

The Canadian couple gave another stirring performance of their routine to classic rock tunes tabulating 80.92 points. That was just off the 82.64 they skated two weeks ago at Skate Canada in Regina.

‘’We made a step forward today in a lot of our elements,’’ said Virtue. ‘’We were pleased with the attack we had and our technical proficiency. It’s always a joy to perform here in Japan and we try to relish it and take advantage of every moment.’’

Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue of the U.S. are second at 76.31 and Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte of Italy third at 75.87. The free dance is on Sunday.

The free skates in the other three events were held on Saturday.

In pairs, Julianne Séguin of Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau of Trois-Pistoles, Que., continued to show improvement from a difficult season last winter moving from fifth to fourth with 194.37 points. Their clean program included two successful side-by-side triple jumps including one in combo and two triple throws.

World champions Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China won the gold over two Russian pairs. Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov were second and Kristina Astakhova and Alexei Rogonov third.

In men’s competition, the top-three were Sergei Voronov of Russia first, Adam Rippon of the U.S. second and Alexei Bychenko of Israel third.

Keegan Messing of Sherwood Park, Alta., remained fifth after a clean Charlie Chaplin themed program. Messing landed two triple Axels including one in a triple combination and was just slightly low on his quad toe landing.

In women’s competition, Alaine Chartrand of Prescott, Ont., took 11th. World champion Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia won the gold.

Full results: ISU GP NHK Trophy 2017

Messing, Seguin/Bilodeau fifth after short programs at NHK Trophy

OSAKA, Japan – Keegan Messing of Sherwood Park, Alta., and the pairs combo of Julianne Séguin of Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau of Trois-Pistoles, Que., stand fifth after Friday’s short programs at the NHK Trophy figure skating competition – the fourth stop on the ISU Grand Prix circuit.

In men’s competition, Sergei Voronov of Russia is first at 90.06 with Alexei Bychenko of Israel second at 85.52 and Jason Brown of the U.S. third at 85.36. Messing is still in the medal hunt at 80.13.

‘’My main goal for today was to go out there and have a blast,’’ said Messing. ‘’The crowd was very receptive to my performance. I was glad to land the quad triple-toe and it was the first time this week I’d fallen on my triple Axel.’’

Nam Nguyen of Toronto is 11th.

In pairs, world champions Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China are first at 79.43 followed by two Russian teams. Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov are second at 75.05 and Kristina Astakhova and Alexei Rogonov third at 70.47.

Séguin and Bilodeau totalled 63.98. They had trouble on the side-by-side jumps but looked strong on the triple twist lift and triple throw.

‘’It wasn’t a performance that shows what we can do,’’ said Séguin, who missed part of last season due to a concussion. ‘’Overall though we have a good feeling. It’s a work in progress.’’

In women’s competition, world champion Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia tops the field. Alaine Chartrand of Prescott, Ont., is 12th.

Competition continues Saturday with the free skates for men, women and pairs and the short dance featuring Canadian world champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. The free dance is Sunday.

Full results: ISU GP NHK Trophy 2017

Canadian skaters in Japan for fourth stop on 2017 ISU Grand Prix circuit

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have five entries, for a total of seven skaters competing at the 2017 NHK Trophy, the fourth event on the 2017 ISU Grand Prix circuit. Canada will have one entry per discipline in ladies, pairs and ice dance, and two entries in the men’s discipline. The event takes place from November 10-12, 2017, in Osaka, Japan.

Canadian bronze medallist Nam Nguyen, 19, Toronto, Ont., will be the first of two Canadian men’s entries. Last year, he came eighth at this event. Nguyen placed seventh at his first ISU Grand Prix assignment this season, the Rostelecom Cup. He is coached by Tracey Wainman and Gregor Filipowski in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Keegan Messing, 25, Girdwood, AK, USA, is the second Canadian men’s entry. This will be his first time competing at this event. Messing placed eighth at his first Grand Prix this season, Skate Canada International. He is coached by Ralph Burghart in Anchorage, AK, USA.

Canadian bronze medallist Alaine Chartrand, 21, Prescott, Ont., is the Canadian entry in ladies. She placed 10th at this event last year. Chartrand finished in 11th place at her first Grand Prix this season, Skate Canada International. She is coached by Michelle Leigh and Christy Krall.

Julianne Séguin, 21, Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau, 24, Trois-Pistoles, Que., will represent Canada in pairs and will be competing at this event for the first time in their career. This season, they placed fifth at their first Grand Prix, the Rostelecom Cup. Séguin and Bilodeau are coached by Josée Picard in Chambly, Que.

Olympic champions and three-time world champions Tessa Virtue, 28, London, Ont., and Scott Moir, 30, Ilderton, Ont., will be the Canadian entry in ice dance. They are the defending champions at this event and also won the silver medal at this event in 2007. Virtue and Moir won the gold medal at Skate Canada International in their first Grand Prix this season. The seven-time Canadian champions are coached by Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon and Romain Haguenauer in Montreal, Que.

Mike Slipchuk, Skate Canada High Performance Director, and Cynthia Ullmark of Canmore, Alta., will travel with the team as team leaders. Dr. Albert Schumacher of Tecumseh, Ont., and physiotherapist Meghan Buttle of Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Leanna Caron of Timmins, Ont., and Sally Rehorick of Vancouver, B.C., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For results and full entries please visit www.isu.org or the official event website. For photos of Canadian entries, please contact [email protected].

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2017 NHK TROPHY

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men Nam Nguyen 19 Toronto, Ont. York Region Skating Academy Tracey Wainman / Gregor Filipowski
Men Keegan Messing 25 Girdwood, Alaska, USA Sherwood Park FSC Ralph Burghart
Ladies Alaine Chartrand 21 Prescott, Ont. Prescott FSC Michelle Leigh / Christy Krall
Pairs Julianne Séguin / Charlie Bilodeau 21/24 Longueuil, Que. / Trois-Pistoles, Que. CPA Longueuil / CPA Chambly Josée Picard
Ice Dance Tessa Virtue / Scott Moir 28/30 London, Ont. / Ilderton, Ont. Montreal International Skating School / Montreal International Skating School Marie-France Dubreuil / Patrice Lauzon / Romain Haguenauer

Single Session Tickets Info: 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

Vancouver, BC: Single Session Tickets for the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships will go on sale on Wednesday, November 8 at 10 a.m. PST. The event will take place in Vancouver, B.C., at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre from January 8-14, 2018. The 2018 event will serve as a qualification event for the team that will compete at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea later that same year.

TICKETS
Single event ticket prices for the senior short programs are priced $30-$65. Prices for the senior free programs and gala are priced from $39.99-$75. Novice and junior tickets are $19.99 per day. All tickets are subject to applicable venue and Ticketmaster surcharges.

The Super Fan Section is sold out, however, fans not seated in the Super Fan Section may purchase the Super Fan Bag for an additional $60 each, plus applicable surcharges until November 12.

Tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.ca and by phone at 1-855-985-5000.

EVENT INFO
The pre-eminent all-Canadian sporting event will feature approximately 250 skaters in the men, women, pair, and ice dance disciplines, competing in three levels: senior, junior, and novice. Athletes will vie for spots on the Skate Canada National Team and the Canadian teams that will compete at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, 2018 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, 2018 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, and 2018 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

This will be Vancouver’s sixth time hosting the national championships. Most recently they hosted the event a decade ago in 2008. They also hosted in 1997, 1973, 1968 and 1951. The city has also hosted several international figure skating events: the 2009 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, 2001 & 1960 ISU World Figure Skating Championships and the 1978 Skate Canada International.

Moore-Towers and Marinaro win bronze in pairs at Cup of China

BEIJING – Canada’s Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro produced a personal best free skate to win the bronze medal on Saturday in pairs to conclude the Cup of China figure skating competition – the third stop on the ISU Grand Prix circuit.

It was a 1-2 Chinese finish. World champions Wenjing Sui and Cong Han took the gold with 231.07 and Xiaoyu Yu and Hao Zhang were second at 205.54. Moore-Towers and Marinaro, fourth after the short program, followed at 194.52.

“We did a clean skate although we missed some levels,” said Moore-Towers of St. Catharines, Ont. “So to still get a personal best, we feel pretty good about that.”

It was a second career Grand Prix medal for the Canadian pair and first since 2015.

“We definitely know we have more than that,” added Marinaro, from Sarnia, Ont. “We’re going to go back for the next three weeks and plan to put out an even higher number for our next event.”

In women’s competition, Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., dropped from first after the short to sixth overall.

“It was nowhere near where it was when I competed it three weeks ago,” said Daleman, 19. “There’s a lot more room for improvement. All I can do is go back home and get ready for Skate America (her next event).”

Alina Zagitova of Russia took the gold, Wakaba Higuchi of Japan was second and Elena Radionova of Russia third.

There was a lot of bouncing around in the men’s standings after the free skate. Mikhail Kolyada of Russia jumped from third to first for the gold. Boyang Jin of China remained second and Max Aaron of the U.S. surged from fifth to third, winning the free skate.

Kevin Reynolds of Coquitlam, B.C., moved from 10th to eighth with the seventh best long.

“The free program was more of an indication of how I’ve been practicing,” said Reynolds. “It’s been going very well in training but just a bit disappointed today with my opening loop attempt in competition.”

The next stop on the circuit is the NHK Trophy November 10-12 in Osaka, Japan.

Full results: ISU GP Audi Cup of China 2017.

61 coaching leaders to be celebrated at the Petro-Canada Sport Leadership Awards Gala

Calgary, AB – Canada’s most deserving and influential coaches and sports administrators will be honoured this evening at the 2017 Petro-Canada Sport Leadership Awards Gala. The class of 2017 award recipients includes Diving Coach Dany Boulanger, Canada Soccer’s John Herdman, Calgary’s own Duane Bratt (lacrosse), and Baseball Canada.

Hosted by the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) at the Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire, the Gala recognizes those who live out the values and competencies of the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) and the positive impact they have within the Canadian sport community. More information on the deserving winners is posted on the Awards & Recognition page of the CAC’s website, coach.ca. Please follow #SLS17 for photos of the evening.

“We are all inspired by the coaches and coach developers who ignite change and encourage growth for our athletes within an ever-changing landscape,” said Lorraine Lafrenière, Chief Executive Officer of the CAC. “It takes leadership to bring out the best in our coaches and athletes, and the Coaching Association of Canada is thrilled to recognize this year’s award winners and the impact they’ve had within the Canadian sport community.”

Attending for the first time this evening is the Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities.

“Coaches don’t have the chance to step on the podium and live the glory attached to it, even though they have also invested much of their time and energy. Tonight, I am very proud to support the Coaching Association of Canada in its efforts to recognize the dedication of coaches who allow our Canadian athletes to grow,” said the Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities. “Coaches have an impact not just on athletes’ performances—the mark they leave on the sport community and the history of sport in Canada testifies to a commitment to sport and this country that deserves to be widely acknowledged tonight, and all year long.”

THE WINNERS ARE:

Geoff Gowan Award
The Geoff Gowan Award was created by the Coaching Association of Canada in 1996 and recognizes lifetime contributions to coaching development. It is awarded to coaches who have presented a positive public image of coaching and who have enhanced the role of the coach with the Canadian public. The award resides at Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in Calgary, Alberta.

Dany Boulanger – Diving (Lévis, QC)
“With more than 40 years of coaching experience at varied competitive levels, Dany’s collaborative coaching philosophy has garnered attention and respect throughout the diving community. He has demonstrated a dedication to his athletes that is second to none as he encourages partnership and encouragement among divers. It’s a true honour to highlight Dany’s four-decade-long coaching career,” said Paul Carson, Chair of the CAC Board of Directors.

“I’ve been in coaching for 42 years now and never expected anything like this to happen. I was totally surprised to receive this award,” states Dany Boulanger. “I know how Dr. Gowan was instrumental into developing the NCCP and I find it an honour to be presented this award. I always thought that we, the coaches, needed to keep learning more, needed to become more concerned about the long-term development of the athletes, and be way more concerned about their personal, academic and emotional development. It’s really nice to know that somebody thought that my involvement in sport had such an effect!”

Jack Donohue “Coach of the Year” Award
The Jack Donohue “Coach of the Year” Award is presented to a Chartered Professional Coach (ChPC) for their outstanding contributions as one of Canada’s top coaches. The award recognizes a coach’s dedication to the profession of coaching, commitment to continual improvement, and the successful performances of his or her athletes during the past competitive season.

John Herdman, ChPC – Canada Soccer (Vancouver, BC)
“John’s leadership has impacted not just Canada’s performance at back-to-back Olympic Games, but has also raised the profile of women’s soccer throughout the country,“ said Lorraine Lafrenière. John’s work ethic, passion, and preparation combined with his dedication to the team, the program, and the country make him the well-rounded coach any leader would strive to emulate. We’re honoured to present John Herdman with the Jack Donohue Coach of the Year Award.”

“I’m humbled by this honour. I’ve worked in coaching for over 20 years but have never felt like I’ve done a day’s work, so to be recognized for doing something you love and is your absolute passion, it feels strange, in a good way. When I read about Jack Donohue, who he really was and what he contributed to people, I honestly feel like I’ve still got a long way to go to be that good. There’s a lot of amazing people in this country working in sport who bring their passion every day and receive little recognition other than the smiles of their athletes; for me it’s always been that simple,” says John Herdman. “It means that I have some amazing people around me and through their dedication and commitment to a shared vision for soccer in this country, they’ve raised me and our sport up on their shoulders. It means my kids get to see their dad achieving something and that’s important to me. Hopefully they’ll bring me a cup of tea in bed at the weekend.”

Investors Group National NCCP Coach Developer Award
This award recognizes an outstanding individual who has gone above and beyond to inspire and develop NCCP coaches in their community. In 2017, Investors Group presented nine Community NCCP Coach Developer Awards, while one national winner will be recognized this evening.

Duane Bratt – Lacrosse (Calgary, Alberta)
“Duane Bratt has invested time and commitment to the game of lacrosse, and he’s had such a positive impact on the lacrosse community across Canada,” said Trevor Krahn, Director, Sponsorship & Community Engagement at Investors Group. “He’s been such a leader within the sports community and has had such an impact on providing valuable resources to aspiring coaches. We’re honoured to present the Investors Group National NCCP Coach Developer Award to him this year.”

“To be selected as the 2017 award recipient is quite significant to me. I was surprised, and then I was deeply honoured,” said Duane Bratt. “This is a tribute to all the other coach developers I have worked with in lacrosse and in the CAC, and to all of the coaches who have taken my many clinics over the years. And, ultimately, it’s a tribute to all the players who have benefited from better coaching practices.”

Sheila Robertson Award
The Sheila Robertson Award recognizes a deserving National Sport Organization or Multi-Sport Service Organization that demonstrates a consistent approach in valuing and recognizing the role of the coach within the organization, the media, and the public.

Baseball Canada
“Receiving the Sheila Robertson Award means so much to Baseball Canada as we work hard to serve the needs of our coaches at the various stages of development,” said André Lachance of Baseball Canada. “We are fortunate that we can count on our provincial members and also on our cross-country team of coach developers to activate our innovations, while also recognizing how other sports organizations have made us better through knowledge-sharing collaboration.”

Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Awards
These prestigious awards recognize coaches whose athletes have excelled at World Championships, Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the Special Olympics World Games. Petro-Canada, a Suncor business, has honoured close to 1,100 coaches since 1986 with a Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Award.

“Whether it’s on the field, on the ice, on the court, in the gym, or in the water, every athlete has a coach to thank for their experience in sport,” says Kim von Eicken, general manager, marketing services, Suncor. “It’s important that we recognize these coaches who have played such a vital role in both our athletes’ lives and within the sport industry. Congratulations to this year’s award winners.”

The 57 deserving coaches are:

Alberta
Barb Prystai: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Figure Skating Team

Bart Schouten, ChPC: Speed Skating Canada
Athletes: Vincent De Haitre, Ivanie Blondin, and Olivier Jean

Burkhard Schaffer: Alpine Canada Alpin
Athletes: Erik Guay and Manuel Osborne-Paradis

Kim Cousins, ChPC: Athletics Canada
Athlete Alister McQueen

Ravi Walia: Skate Canada
Athlete: Kaetlyn Osmond

Wolfgang Staudinger, ChPC: Canadian Luge Association
Athlete: Kimberley McRae

British Columbia
Bruce Deacon, ChPC: Athletics Canada
Athlete: Liam Stanley

David Wilkinson: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Snowshoeing Team

Donna Bilous: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Speed Skating Team

Elizabeth Roman: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Figure Skating Team

Mark Schnurr: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Alpine Skiing Team

Maureen Brinson: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Snowshoeing Team

Randy Scott: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Alpine Skiing Team

Rob Kober, ChPC: Freestyle Canada
Athlete: Mikaël Kingsbury

Trennon Paynter: Freestyle Canada
Athlete: Mike Riddle

William Marshall: Alpine Canada Alpin
Athlete: Alana Ramsay

Manitoba
Joanne Zahaiko: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Snowshoeing Team

Ron Struch: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Alpine Skiing Team

Sabrina Klassen: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Snowshoeing Team

Vlastimil Cerny, ChPC: Swimming Canada
Athlete: Kelsey Wog

New Brunswick
Sacha LeBlanc: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Speed Skating Team

Mario Richard: Special Olympics Canada
Athlete: Special Olympics Canada Figure Skating Team

Nova Scotia
Cyril MacDonald: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Speed Skating Team

Jan Kruk, ChPC: Canoe Kayak Canada
Athlete: Katie Vincent

Ontario
Adam Kingsbury: Curling
Athletes: Team Homan

Anne Schelter: Skate Canada
Athletes: Team Canada – Nexxice

Ben Titley, ChPC: Swimming Canada
Athletes: Chantal Van Landeghem, Michelle Williams, Penny Oleksiak, Richard Funk, and Sandrine Mainville

Cameron Jennings: Cycling Canada Cyclisme
Athlete: Ross Wilson

David White: Alpine Canada Alpin
Athlete: Kirk Schornstein

Hellaina Rothenburg: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Cross Country Team

Janet Collins: Special Olympics Canada
Athlete: Special Olympics Canada Figure Skating Team

Lee Barkell, ChPC: Skate Canada
Athlete: Gabrielle Daleman

Linda Kiefer, ChPC: Swimming Canada
Athlete: Kylie Masse

Rachel Mathews: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Snowshoeing Team

Ronald Cambridge: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Floor Hockey Team East

Shelley Barnett: Skate Canada
Athletes: Team Canada – Nexxice

Tracey Zwiers: Special Olympics Canada
Athlete: Special Olympics Canada Figure Skating Team

Quebec
Aaron Dziver, ChPC: Diving Plongeon Canada
Athlete: François Imbeau-Dulac

Arturo Miranda, ChPC: Diving Plongeon Canada
Athlete: Jennifer Abel

Derrick Campbell, ChPC: Speed Skating Canada
Athletes: Charles Hamelin and Samuel Girard

Eric Van den Eynde, EPA: Cycling Canada Cyclisme
Athlete: Marie-Claude Molnar

Félix-Antoine Lapointe: Athletics Canada
Athlete: Guillaume Ouellet

César Henderson, EPA: Diving Plongeon Canada
Athlete: Melissa Citrini-Beaulieu

Claude St-Jean, EPA: Swimming Canada
Athletes: Sandrine Mainville and Katerine Savard

Frédéric Blackburn, EPA: Speed Skating Canada
Athlete: Marianne St-Gelais

Guillaume Plourde: Cycling Canada Cyclisme
Athlete: Tristen Chernove

Jean-Sébastien Labrie: Alpine Canada Alpin
Athlete: Mac Marcoux

Louis Bouchard, EPA: Cross Country Canada
Athlete: Alex Harvey

Marie-France Dubreuil: Skate Canada
Athletes: Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir

Mathieu Pelletier: Canoe Kayak Canada
Athlete: Laurence Vincent-Lapointe

Maxime Henault: Canada Snowboard
Athlete: Laurie Blouin

Michel Hamelin, EPA: Freestyle Canada
Athelete: Justine Dufour-Lapointe

Patrice Lauzon: Skate Canada
Athletes: Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir

Tom Johnson, ChPC: Swimming Canada
Athletes: Yuri Kisil and Markus Thormeyer

Saskatchewan
Abigail Frasz: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Floor Hockey Team West

Ryan Unruh: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Floor Hockey Team West

Sheldon Dean: Special Olympics Canada
Athletes: Special Olympics Canada Floor Hockey Team West

Gabrielle Daleman first after women’s short program

BEIJING – Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., opened with a dazzling triple-triple combo en route to a first place finish in Friday’s women’s short program at the Cup of China figure skating competition, the third stop on the ISU Grand Prix circuit.

Barely a point separates the top-four. Daleman, last season’s world championship bronze medallist, totalled 70.65 points. Wakaba Higuchi of Japan is second at 70.53, Elena Radionova of Russia third at 70.48 and her compatriot Alina Zagitova fourth at 69.44.

‘’I was very happy with how today went,’’ said Daleman, 19. ‘’It’s another stepping stone in a long season and it’s a great way to start my year on the Grand Prix. There’s lots more to improve and I can’t wait to keep building on it.’’

In pairs, Kirsten Moore-Towers of St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont., are fourth after the short program with 62.56.

‘’I have mixed feelings about the performance,’’ said Moore-Towers. ‘’We had some good elements and had some uncharacteristic mistakes. We need to get our levels up a little bit. But it’s a solid step in the right direction.’’

China stands 1-2 with Wenjing Sui and Cong Han first at 80.14 and Xiaoyu Yu and Hao Zhang second at 71.37. Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise of Italy are third at 63.76.

In men’s competition, Mikhail Kolyada of Russia is first, Boyang Jin of China second and two-time world champion Javier Fernandez of Spain third.

Kevin Reynolds of Coquitlam, B.C. is 10th.

Competition ends Saturday with all four free skates.

Full results: ISU GP Audi Cup of China 2017