Canadian ice dancers earn two medals at second stop of 2018 North American Series

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada’s novice ice dancers won two medals at the 2018 Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships this week. The Canadian novice teams claimed two of three podium positions winning the silver and bronze medals at the second stop on the 2018 North American Series, which was held at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, New York.

Isabel McQuilkin and Jacob Portz, of Calgary, Alta., were less than 1.5 points from the gold medal, finishing with a score of 113.44. They were edged out by Jordan Lin and Morgan Sletten of the U.S.A. who stood at the top of the podium with 114.82 points. Aya Hammond of Kingston, Ont., and Michael Barsoum of Toronto, Ont., won the bronze medal, scoring 99.86.

Finishing just off the podium in fourth place were Mia Saunders and William Oddson, of Calgary, Alta., with 99.31 points. Other Canadian results in the event included Juliette and Lucas Shadid, of Newport Beach, California, who scored 92.35 points to land in sixth place and Kiera Kam of Burnaby, B.C., and Mathew Carter of Langley, B.C., following in seventh with 86.80.

The final stop on the 2018 North American Series takes place in Canada at the Skate Ontario Summer Skate in Toronto (North York), Ontario, from August 16-19, 2018.

The 2018 North American Series was developed by U.S. Figure Skating and Skate Canada’s Athlete Development and High Performance Development Departments to provide international development competition opportunities for athletes that competed at the sectional or national level, to simulate an international competition, and compete against top novice-level athletes from both the U.S. and Canada.

Canadian novice skaters continue on 2018 North American Series in Lake Placid

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have five entries, for a total of 10 skaters competing at the 2018 Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships. The event taking place at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, New York, runs from July 24-27, 2018. Canada will have five entries in novice ice dance.

The event is the second in a series of three competitions on the 2018 North American Series. The novice-level series was developed by U.S. Figure Skating and Skate Canada’s Athlete Development and High-Performance Development Departments to provide international development competition opportunities for athletes that competed at the sectional or national level, to simulate an international competition, and compete against top athletes from both the U.S. and Canada.

Isabel McQuilkin, 15, Calgary, Alta., and Jacob Portz, 17, Calgary, Alta., are the first of five Canadian novice ice dance teams at the event. McQuilkin and Portz placed fifth in novice ice dance at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. They are coached by Kim Weeks in Calgary, Alta.

Canadian pre-novice bronze medallists Mia Saunders, 14, Calgary, Alta., and William Oddson, 15, Calgary, Alta., will be the second Canadian novice ice dance entry. They are also coached by Kim Weeks in Calgary, Alta.

Kiera Kam, 14, Burnaby, B.C., and Mathew Carter, 16, Langley, B.C., will also represent Canada in novice ice dance. Last season, they finished fourth in Canada in pre-novice ice dance. The duo are coached by Aaron Lowe in Burnaby, B.C.

Also representing Canada in novice ice dance are Juliette Shadid, 14, Newport Beach, CA, USA, and Lucas Shadid, 16, Newport Beach, CA, USA. The brother-sister team placed sixth in Canada in pre-novice ice dance last season. They are coached by Kim Weeks in Calgary, Alta.

Aya Hammond, 14, Kingston, Ont., and Michael Barsoum, 13, Toronto, Ont., round out the Canadian entries at the event. Last season, they placed seventh in Canada in pre-novice ice dance. They train in Scarborough, Ont., with coach Carol Lane.

Laura Baker, Skate Canada High Performance Manager, will be the onsite Canadian team representative at the event. Sabrina Wong of Toronto, Ont., and Marisa Gravino of Kirkland, Que., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2018 LAKE PLACID ICE DANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Novice Ice Dance Isabel McQuilkin / Jacob Portz 15/17 Calgary, Alta. / Calgary, Alta. Calalta FSC / Calalta FSC Kim Weeks
Novice Ice Dance Mia Saunders / William Oddson 14/15 Calgary, Alta. / Calgary, Alta. Calalta FSC / Huntington Hills SC Kim Weeks
Novice Ice Dance Kiera Kam / Mathew Carter 14/16 Burnaby, B.C./ Langley, B.C. Inlet SC / Champs International Skating Centre of B.C. Aaron Lowe
Novice Ice Dance Juliette Shadid / Lucas Shadid 14/16 Newport Beach, California / Newport Beach, California Calalta FSC / Calalta FSC Kim Weeks
Novice Ice Dance Aya Hammond / Michael Barsoum 14/13 Kingston, Ont. / Toronto, Ont. Scarboro FSC / Scarboro FSC Carol Lane

Canadian pair skaters Séguin and Bilodeau end skating partnership

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OTTAWA, ON:  Following a ninth-place finish at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, the pair team of Julianne Séguin, 21, Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau, 24, Trois-Pistoles, Que., have decided to end their skating partnership. Séguin and Bilodeau teamed up in November of 2012 and quickly ascended national and international pair rankings.

Early in their partnership, Séguin and Bilodeau became Canadian junior silver medallists in 2014, won the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in 2014, and became world junior silver medallists in 2015.

At the senior level, the pair were three-time Canadian medallists (silver in 2016 and 2018 and bronze in 2015), two-time medallists on the ISU Challenger Series (gold in 2016 and bronze in 2017 – both at Autumn Classic International), and three-time medallists on the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating circuit (bronze at 2015 Skate America, bronze at 2015 Trophée Éric Bompard and gold at 2016 Skate America). They also competed at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships three times, with their best result, an eighth-place finish, coming in 2015.

As of now, Séguin and Bilodeau have not announced any further plans and will be taking time to reflect on their future paths.

Skate Canada novice skaters win four medals at Skate Milwaukee

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada’s novice skaters claimed four medals at the 2018 Skate Milwaukee this week. The Canadian novice skaters earned two golds, one silver and one bronze at the first stop on the 2018 North American Series, which was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and hosted by the Wisconsin Figure Skating Club.

Canada’s novice pairs led the way, taking the top two spots on the podium. Mackenzie Ripley of St. Thomas, Ont., and Owen Brawley of Waterloo, Ont., won with a total of 107.56 points, ahead of Canadian teammates Jamie Fournier of Brossard, Que., and Gabriel Farand of Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Que., who scored 86.66. Katie Han Luong and Nathan Han Luong of the U.S.A. won bronze with a score of 80.86.

In the novice women division, Canadian Lia Pereira of Milton, Ont., took home the gold with a total score of 116.73. Alena Budko and Ava Raiter of the U.S.A. won silver and bronze respectively, with scores of 114.84 and 111.39. Mélaurie Boivin of Alma, Que., was the next closest Canadian, finishing in fifth place with 104.79 points. Vienna Harwood of West Kelowna, B.C., placed ninth with 97.48 points, followed by Emma Szeto of Vancouver, B.C., in 10th with 95.26, and 11th place finisher Melody Zhu of Vancouver, B.C., with 92.01. Alexa Matveev of Thornhill, Ont., had the seventh-best short program with 35.96 points, before withdrawing from the event.

In novice men, Wesley Chiu of Vancouver, B.C., was the top Canadian skater, winning the bronze medal with 130.69 points. Ahead of Chiu was Ilia Malinin and Daniel Argueta, both from the U.S.A., who totalled 142.94 and 134.50 points, respectively. Jake Ellis of Essex, Ont., scored 112.69 points to earn a fifth-place finish. Shuma Mugii of Vancouver, B.C., placed seventh with 109.39, Rio Morita of Thornhill, Ont., placed ninth with 100.66, and Tim Pomares of Okotoks, Alta., placed 11th with 84.57.

Competition in other categories continues at the 2018 Skate Milwaukee until Sunday, July 15. For more information on Skate Milwaukee, please click here.

The remaining stops on the 2018 North American Series are the Lake Placid Ice Dance Competition in Lake Placid, New York, from July 24-27, 2018, and the Skate Ontario Summer Skate in Toronto (North York), Ontario, from August 16-19, 2018.

The 2018 North American Series was developed by U.S. Figure Skating and Skate Canada’s Athlete Development and High-Performance Development Departments to provide international development competition opportunities for athletes that competed at the sectional or national level, to simulate an international competition, and compete against top novice-level athletes from both the U.S. and Canada.

Richmond, British Columbia, to host ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Canada 2018

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RICHMOND, BC: Skate Canada has announced that Richmond, B.C., will host a qualifying competition on the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2018/19 series. The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Canada 2018 will take place at the Minoru Arenas, from September 12-15, 2018.

“The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating series is a critical growth stage for skaters and we know they will be motivated to deliver remarkable performances at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Canada in September,” said Debra Armstrong, CEO, Skate Canada. “We are proud to be able to welcome some of the top junior skating talent from around the world, including members of our Skate Canada NextGen team, to Richmond for this event. We hope to see many of the skaters at this event earn their spots at the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, which we will also be hosting in nearby Vancouver, B.C., in December.”

Skate Canada last hosted a qualifying event on the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating series in 2005 in Montreal, Quebec. Most recently, Skate Canada hosted the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in 2011 in Quebec City, Quebec, which took place in conjunction with the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final ®. Skate Canada will once again be hosting the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final ® this season, which will take place in Vancouver, B.C., from December 6-9, 2018.

“We are excited and proud to host the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Canada 2018,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “Through our Richmond Sport Hosting program, our City has become a destination of choice for world class competitions. We welcome the competitors, officials and fans who will take part in this great event and look forward to watching these outstanding young athletes take the next step in their development.”

The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating series began in 1997. Each year, various ISU member nations host a total of seven qualifying events which conclude with the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final ®. This year’s events take place in: Slovakia, Austria, Lithuania, Canada, Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Armenia, with the final taking place in Canada.

Each skater/team can be assigned a maximum of two events. Skaters are awarded points based on their placements at their events. The top six from each discipline (men, ladies, pairs and ice dance) qualify for the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.eventbrite.ca. All tickets are general admission and ticket prices are $10 per day or $25 for a full (three day) pass. Admission is free for children ages 12 and under.

Canadian novice figure skaters in Wisconsin for Skate Milwaukee

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have 13 entries, for a total of 15 skaters competing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the 2018 Skate Milwaukee. The event, hosted by the Wisconsin Figure Skating Club, takes place July 11-15, 2018. Canada will have five entries in novice men, six entries in novice women and two novice pairs.

The event is the first in a series of three competitions on the 2018 North American Series. The novice-level series was developed by U.S. Figure Skating and Skate Canada’s Athlete Development and High-Performance Development Departments to provide international development competition opportunities for athletes that competed at the sectional or national level, to simulate an international competition, and compete against top athletes from both the U.S. and Canada.

The 2018 North American Series will be comprised of three events: Skate Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from July 11-15, 2018, Lake Placid Ice Dance Competition in Lake Placid, New York, from July 24-27, 2018 and the Skate Ontario Summer Skate in Toronto (North York), Ontario, from August 16-19, 2018.

Wesley Chiu, 13, Vancouver, B.C., is one of five Canadian novice men entries. Chiu placed ninth in novice at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. He is coached by Keegan Murphy and trains in Richmond, B.C.

Tim Pomares, 15, Okotoks, Alta., is the second Canadian novice men entry at the event. He placed 10th in novice at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Pomares is coached by Kerri Roberts in Okotoks, Alta.

Shuma Mugii, 15, Vancouver, B.C., will also represent Canada in the novice men category. Mugii finished 11th at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in novice. He is coached by Joanne McLeod in Burnaby, B.C.

Also representing Canada in novice men is Rio Morita, 13, Thornhill, Ont. Morita placed 13th at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in novice. He is coached by Karen Preston in Toronto, Ont.

Canadian pre-novice bronze medallist, Jake Ellis, 12, Essex, Ont., rounds out the Canadian novice men entries. Ellis trains in Windsor, Ont., with coach Lori Lafferty-Vilnef.

Mélaurie Boivin, 14, Alma, Que., is one of six Canadian representatives in novice women. Last season, Boivin placed seventh in novice women at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships and won the silver medal in novice women at the 2018 Egna Spring Trophy. She trains in Chicoutimi, Que., with coach Marlène Picard.

Vienna Harwood, 13, West Kelowna, B.C., is the second Canadian novice women entry. Harwood placed 10th among novice women at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. She is coached by Karen Mongrain and Jason Mongrain in Kelowna, B.C.

Canadian pre-novice champion, Melody Zhu, 13, Vancouver, B.C., will be the third Canadian entry in the novice women category. Zhou trains in Burnaby, B.C., with coach Joanne McLeod.

Canadian pre-novice silver medallist, Alexa Matveev, 11, Thornhill, Ont., will also represent Canada in the novice women category. Matveev trains in Toronto, Ont., with coach Jamie Forsythe.

Also representing Canada in the novice women’s category is Lia Pereira, 14, Milton, Ont. Pereira placed 11th in Canada in the pre-novice women category last season. She is coached by Nancy Lemaire in Milton, Ont.

Emma Szeto, 13, Vancouver, B.C., completes the Canadian novice women entries at this event. Szeto placed fourteenth in Canada in the pre-novice women category last season. She is coached by Joanne McLeod in Burnaby, B.C.

Mackenzie Ripley, 16, St. Thomas, Ont., and Owen Brawley, 18, Waterloo, Ont., are the first of two Canadian novice pair entries at the event. Last season, they placed sixth in novice at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Ripley and Brawley are coached by Kris Wirtz in Waterloo, Ont.

Canadian pre-novice silver medallists Jamie Fournier, 13, Brossard, Que., and Gabriel Farand, 17, Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Que., will be the second Canadian novice pair entry at the event. Fournier and Farand are coached by Bruno Marcotte in Saint-Leonard, Que.

Manon Perron of Boucherville, Que., will act as the Canadian team representative at the event. Stephanie Lafleur Morin of Ignace, Ont., and Karen Butcher of Greely, Ont., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For schedule and more information please click here.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2018 SKATE MILWAUKEE

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Novice Men Wesley Chiu 13 Vancouver, B.C. Connaught SC Keegan Murphy
Novice Men Tim Pomares 15 Okotoks, Alta. Okotoks FSC Kerri Roberts
Novice Men Shuma Mugii 15 Vancouver, B.C. Champs International Skating Centre of B.C. Joanne McLeod
Novice Men Rio Morita 13 Thornhill, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Karen Preston
Novice Men Jake Ellis 12 Essex, Ont. South Windsor FSC Lori Lafferty-Vilnef
Novice Women Mélaurie Boivin 14 Desbiens, Que. CPA Chicoutimi Marlène Picard
Novice Women Vienna Harwood 13 West Kelowna, B.C. Kelowna FSC Jason Mongrain / Karen Mongrain
Novice Women Melody Zhou 13 Vancouver, B.C. Champs International Skating Centre of B.C. Joanne McLeod
Novice Women Alexa Matveev 11 Thornhill, Ont. Greater Toronto Skating Academy Jamie Forsythe
Novice Women Lia Pereira 14 Milton, Ont. Milton SC Nancy Lemaire
Novice Women Emma Szeto 13 Vancouver, B.C. Champs International Skating Centre of B.C. Joanne McLeod
Novice Pairs Mackenzie Ripley / Owen Brawley 16/18 St. Thomas, Ont. / Waterloo, Ont. St. Thomas FSC / Kitchener-Waterloo SC Kris Wirtz
Novice Pairs Jamie Fournier / Gabriel Farand 13/17 Brossard, Que. / Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Que. CPA Brossard / CPA Beloeil Bruno Marcotte