Canada’s Les Suprêmes third after short program at Leon Lurje Trophy

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GOTHENBURG, Sweden – Les Suprêmes from St-Léonard, Que., are in third place after Saturday’s short program at the Leon Lurje Trophy synchronized skating competition.

Paradise from Russia stands first at 88.22, the Helsinki Rockettes from Finland are second at 82.67 and Les Suprêmes are third at 78.50. There are nine entries.

Skating for Les Suprêmes are Jessica Allaire, Rebecca Allaire, Karianne Bégin, Julia Bernardo, Laurie Désilets. Olivia Di Giandomenico, Molly Katherine Farber, Lisanne Foley, Laurie Raphaelle Gauthier, Peter Gerome, Giulia Hart-Lewis, Sora Hatano, Grace Carol LeTouzel, Dana Malowany, Agathe Sigrid Merlier, Andréanne Paradis, Martha Maria Pietrasik, Alessia Malissa Pollletta, Florene Poulin and Édouard Tremblay.

In junior competition, Sunrise from Russia is first after the short program at 78.45, Fintastic from Finland is second at 76.45 and Musketeers, also from Finland third at 71.92.

Les Supremes Juniors are sixth out of 15 entries at 65.94.

The skaters for les Supremes are Amelia Asparian, Solène Aymard, Émilie Beaucage, Julia Caponi, Lynnson Ceneston, Loriana Cocca, Alice Cormier, Jade Deschênes, Thea Julia Dimbu, Natasha Gligorijevic, Victoria Gligorijevic, Charlotte Grutter, Alessia Hart-Lewis, Frédérique Hébert-Mondragon, Joséphine Kawa, Astrid Kumpulainen, Morgane Launay-Boireau, Olivia Ronca, Lauren Santori and Anne-Laurence Trudeau.

Competition ends Sunday with the free skates.

Full results: http://www.skatesweden.wehost.se/18-19/Synchro/LeonLurje/html/index.htm

Canada’s les Suprêmes slip to fourth at Leon Lurje Trophy

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GOTHENBURG, Sweden – Les Suprêmes from St-Léonard, Que., finished fourth on Sunday at the Leon Lurje Trophy synchronized skating competition.

Paradise from Russia won the gold medal with 234.35 points, the Helsinki Rockettes from Finland were second at 225.13, Haydenettes from the U.S. fourth at 213.81 and les Suprêmes followed at 209.90.

The Canadians were third after Saturday’s short program.

Skating for les Suprêmes were Jessica Allaire, Rebecca Allaire, Karianne Bégin, Julia Bernardo, Laurie Désilets. Olivia Di Giandomenico, Molly Katherine Farber, Lisanne Foley, Laurie Raphaelle Gauthier, Peter Gerome, Giulia Hart-Lewis, Sora Hatano, Grace Carol LeTouzel, Dana Malowany, Agathe Sigrid Merlier, Andréanne Paradis, Martha Maria Pietrasik, Alessia Malissa Pollletta, Florene Poulin and Édouard Tremblay.

In junior competition, Sunrise from Russia won the gold, Fintastic from Finland was second and Starlights from the U.S. were third.

Les Suprêmes Juniors were sixth out of 15 entries.

The skaters for les Suprêmes were Amelia Asparian, Solène Aymard, Émilie Beaucage, Julia Caponi, Lynnson Ceneston, Loriana Cocca, Alice Cormier, Jade Deschênes, Thea Julia Dimbu, Natasha Gligorijevic, Victoria Gligorijevic, Charlotte Grutter, Alessia Hart-Lewis, Frédérique Hébert-Mondragon, Joséphine Kawa, Astrid Kumpulainen, Morgane Launay-Boireau, Olivia Ronca, Lauren Santori and Anne-Laurence Trudeau.

Full results: http://www.skatesweden.wehost.se/18-19/Synchro/LeonLurje/html/index.htm

Two Canadian Synchronized Skating teams headed to 2019 Leon Lurje Trophy

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OTTAWA, ON: Two Canadian synchronized skating teams are headed to the 2019 Leon Lurje Trophy in Gothenburg, Sweden from January 25-27. The event is an annual ISU (International Skating Union) sanctioned synchronized skating competition and Canada will be represented by Les Suprêmes senior and junior.

Les Suprêmes senior, from CPA Saint-Leonard, Que., will be the senior team representing Canada. The team finished fifth at the 2018 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships last season. They are coached by Marilyn Langlois, Pascal Denis and Amelie Brochu.

Les Suprêmes junior, from CPA Saint-Leonard, Que., will be the junior team representing Canada. They are the reigning 2018 Canadian junior champions.. They are coached by Marilyn Langlois, Pascal Denis, Cathy Dalton, Amelie Brochu, Kassandra Patenaude.

Carmen Perron will be the team leader for Les Suprêmes senior and Josie Di Ioia of Saint Leonard, Que., will be the team leader for Les Suprêmes junior. Marion Dyke of Mississauga, Ont.. will be the Canadian official at the event.

For results and full entries, please visit isu.org

Canada’s Nova shines gold at ISU Mozart Cup

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SALZBERG, Austria – Nova from Brossard, Que., didn’t win the short program or the free program but took first spot overall to win the gold medal at the Mozart Cup synchronized skating competition.

Nova ranked third in the short program and second in the free but its overall score of 215.86 was tops. Marigold Ice Unity from Finland won the free skate to climb from fourth to second with 215.04. Crystal Ice from Russia was third at 213.50. Team Unique from Finland dropped from first to fourth. There were 14 entries.

“We knew we had great potential to do some high level skating,” said Nova team member Laurence Darveau. “We really wanted to make sure we were in the game and do two performances that show our skills.”

Other skaters on Nova were: Dominic Barthe, Sarah Bousquet-Saint-Laurent, Maya Cardillo, Josyane Cholette, Laura Derome, Véronica Dowse, Gabrielle Gauthier-Roy, Audrey Hébert, Maude Héon-Grandchamp, Valérie Magnan Lévesque, Audrey Martel, Élizabeth Morin, Alycia O’Leary, Gabrielle Paul, Simon Proulx-Sénécal Tessa Sarret and Émillie Villeneuve.

In junior competition, Canada’s two entries placed fourth and fifth.

Crystal Ice Junior from Russia was first with 194.46 points, Skyliners Junior from the U.S. were second at 181.41 and Team Mystique from Finland followed at 170.62.

Nexxice Junior from Burlington, Ont., produced the third best free program but remained fourth at 162.01. Nova Junior was fifth at 142.40. There were 13 entries.

The skaters for Nexxice Junior were Christina Sze Wai Au, Ashley Sophie Bona, Savana Bosco, Avery Nasha Clark, Abbey Elaine Ana Glumpak, Lauren Elizabeth Hatfield, Amanda Talia Kauffman, Vasiliki Victoria Kiriakou, Natalie Leung, Nellie Charlotte Meijer, Victoria, Maria Morgado, Mya Isabelle Napier, Madeleine Margaret North, Desiree Melissa Perry, Lauren Samantha Pollack, Meghan Marguerite Tiplady, Sophia Tong, Emily Kristine Van Berkel and Milja Amilda Wilamo.

“We weren’t at our best in the short program,” said Van Berkel. “We definitely redeemed ourselves in the free and did a really good program. It was a really good learning experience to show that anything can happen on the ice.”

The skaters for Nova Junior were Chloé Au, Meghane Beaudry, Janie Bréard, Sophie Caron, Justine Fournier, Alexia Gaudet, Éloise Goupil, Evelynn Janacek, Marie-Noelle Jean, Noémie Julien, Marie-Noelle Lemay, Mélody Nadeau, Élise Potvin, Élodie Roy, Lili-Anne Tellier, Naomi Tessier and Noémie Tremblay.

“Our skates were really great and we are proud of ourselves,” said Julien. “It was our first international competition so we just came here to do our best and skate clean.”

Full results: 2019 Mozart Cup

Nam’s back, Chartrand soars, Weaver/Poje prevail, Moore-Towers/Marinaro untouchable at 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

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SAINT JOHN, N.B.– Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont., broke the Canadian ice dance record and Alaine Chartrand made a comeback for the ages for the women’s gold to highlight Saturday’s action at the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships.

Not to be outdone, Nam Nguyen of Toronto returned to the top in the men’s event while Kirsten Moore-Towers of St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont., dominated in pairs.

In ice dancing, Weaver and Poje won the gold medal with 213.78 points and Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Toronto were second at 212.31. Both scores were over the previous Canadian record of 209.82 set by Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir at last year’s nationals.

The top-two couples not only wowed the crowd with excellence but moved them with emotional routines.

“It’s a different kind of year for us,” said Poje. “We want to do what pleases us and show what we’ve learned throughout our entire career with all the ups and downs.”

It was a third career national crown for Weaver and Poje, world championship bronze medallists last year. They also won in 2015 and 2016.

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen of Montreal were third at 198.41.

Chartrand soared from fifth place to win the women’s gold. She opened with a triple-triple combo and never looked back en route to a total score of 185.91 points. Aurora Cotop of Thornhill, Ont., was also on the comeback train jumping from sixth to second with 169.35. Véronik Mallet of Sept-Iles, Que., was third at 168.53.

Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., and Larkyn Austman of Vancouver, 1-2 after the short, had rough free skates. Austman was fourth and Daleman, the defending champ, fifth.

It was a second career national crown for Chartrand and first since 2016. Her free skate on Saturday was 16 points better than her closest pursuer.

“Today was the redemption I was looking for,” said Chartrand. “It felt really special. I was working through being methodical and not looking too far ahead. It worked well  for me. Once I was done all the jumps I could really let it go and hear the crowd roar as I came around the end.”

In the men’s event, Nguyen landed his seven jumps which included two quad Salchows to open his free skate for 258.01 points. Stephan Gogolev of Toronto, looking to become the youngest Canadian men’s champion ever at 14, followed at 253.56. Keegan Messing of Sherwood Park, Alta., was third at 247.44.

“I was so nervous,” said Nguyen, whose previous national title was in 2015 at age 16. “My first thought before the first quad was don’t have any regrets. That helped me push through. The take off was shaky, I didn’t know where I was in the air.”

“I just thought: ‘Please help me.”

There was no surprise in pairs as Moore-Towers and Marinaro placed first with 202.75. Evelyn Walsh of London, Ont., and Trennt Michaud of Trenton, Ont., followed at 189.87 and Camille Ruest of Rimouski Que., and Drew Wolfe of Calgary were third at 166.84.

“It was a little bit harder out there than we anticipated,” said Marinaro. “We laboured from the starting pose to the ending pose. Evelyn and Trennt laid it down before us and put some pressure on us.”

Full results: 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

Skate Canada names teams for 2019 ISU Championships

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SAINT JOHN, NB: After completion of the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, Skate Canada has named the teams for the three upcoming ISU Championships. The week-long championships were held in Saint John, N.B., at the Harbour Station from January 14-20, 2019.

2019 ISU WORLD FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
SAITAMA, JAPAN – MARCH 18-24, 2019
MEN
Nam Nguyen
Keegan Messing		 WOMEN
Alaine Chartrand
TBD*
TBD*
PAIR
Kirsten Moore-Towers / Michael Marinaro
Evelyn Walsh / Trennt Michaud		 ICE DANCE
Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje
Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier
Laurence Fournier Beaudry / Nikolaj Sørensen
*To be determined after the 2019 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships
2019 ISU FOUR CONTINENTS FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
ANAHEIM, CA, USA – FEBRUARY 4-10, 2019
MEN
Nam Nguyen
Keegan Messing
Nicolas Nadeau		 WOMEN
Alaine Chartrand
Véronik Mallet
Larkyn Austman
PAIR
Kirsten Moore-Towers / Michael Marinaro
Evelyn Walsh / Trennt Michaud
Camille Ruest / Andrew Wolfe		 ICE DANCE
Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje
Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier
Laurence Fournier Beaudry / Nikolaj Sørensen
2019 ISU JUNIOR WORLD FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
ZAGREB, CROATIA – MARCH 4-10, 2019
MEN
Stephen Gogolev
Joseph Phan		 WOMEN
Alison Schumacher
PAIR
Brooke McIntosh / Brandon Toste
Gabrielle Levesque / Pier-Alexandre Hudon		 ICE DANCE
Marjorie Lajoie / Zachary Lagha
Alicia Fabbri / Paul Ayer

Stephen Gogolev grabs spotlight at 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

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SAINT JOHN, N.B. – Fourteen-year-old Stephen Gogolev of Toronto is in first place after the men’s short program at the at the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships.

Gogolev landed a quad Salchow-triple toe combo to open his routine and added a triple Lutz and triple Axel in his skate to the song Run Boy Run. He earned 88.77 points to put himself ahead of Olympian Keegan Messing of Sherwood Park, Alta., in second at 87.18 while Nam Nguyen of Toronto, the 2015 champion, is third at 85.73.

This past fall, Gogolev won two of his international junior events including the Junior Grand Prix Final in December in Vancouver. He turned 14 on December 22.

“I feel more confident and comfortable this year,” said Gogolev, 10th in his nationals senior level debut last winter. “Last year was the first time I was in front of a really big crowd so I got that experience.”

The other three short programs were also on Friday.

Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont., hold a slight lead after the rhythm dance. The world championship bronze medallists competed for the first time in four months and tabulated 85.19 points.

Not to be outdone, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Toronto are a close second at 83.08 and Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen of Montreal are third at 79.41.

Weaver and Poje were busy this past fall on the 28-stop cross country Thank You Canada Tour for Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.

“This week we’re here just to show ourselves, we’re having fun showing off, if you will,” Weaver said. “We’ve worked so hard, we have so much experience in front of audiences, and we’ve done our homework with the technical rules and now we get to let it loose with no worries.”

“This is a great start for us.”

In women’s competition, defending champion Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., leads after the short program with 70.18 points. Larkyn Austman of Vancouver follows at 64.53 and Véronik Maillet of Sept-Iles, Que., is third at 60.55.

This was a return to competition for Daleman, who delivered a clean skate to a selection from Bizet’s Carmen. She had announced publicly that she would miss the first half of the season to focus on her mental health.

Meanwhile Austman, who withdrew from two competitions this past fall due to injury, landed a double Axel en route to a clean skate as well.

“That was really amazing, I’m not super well known for doing great short programs,” said Austman, a 2018 Olympian. “This season has been a change for dialing in my technical content. It’s working and I’m excited about it.”

In pairs, Kirsten Moore-Moore Towers of St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont., are first after the short program with 71.47. Evelyn Walsh of London, Ont., and Trennt Michaud of Trenton, Ont., follow at 65.20 and Camille Ruest of Rimouski Que., and Drew Wolfe of Calgary are third at 62.46.

Despite the clean program, the first place team was hoping for a more polished skate.

“Our goal here was to focus on the small points and unfortunately we did not do that,” said Marinaro. “So that was a little bit of a disappointment. We cannot be leaving those marks on the table in the future.”

All four free skates are on Saturday.

Full results: 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

Dawson wins women’s junior title in comeback style at 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

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SAINT JOHN, N.B. – Hannah Dawson of Ottawa improved from 15th place last year to top spot on Thursday in junior women’s competition at the 2019 Canadian Tire Nationals Skating Championships being held this week at Harbour Station.

Dawson was standing third after the short progam, but produced a powerful free skate to take the title with 140.92 points. Madeline Schizas of Oakville, Ont., also made a nice comeback climbing from sixth to second with 134.59. In third was Reagan Scott of Lancaster, Ont., at 134.46.

“It’s so unreal,” said Dawson. “I’ve had a lot of rough skates and reflecting back those really helped me become mentally strong. You can’t take things for granted. You still have to go out and attack. You can’t let one mistake affect you. You rally have to bring it back.”

In junior men, Aleksa Rakic of Burnaby, B.C., placed first with 199.10. Beres Clements of Richmond, B.C., surged from fourth for the silver at 191.02 and Corey Circelli of Toronto, the leader after the short, was third at 181.98.

In junior pairs, Chloe Chouinard of Frankford, Ont., and Mathieu Ostiguy of St-Angele-de-Monnoir, Que., fifth last year, took the gold with 142.03. Brooke McIntosh and Brandon Toste of Toronto followed at 137.91 and Gabrielle Levesque of Bridgewater, N.S. and Pier-Alexandre Hudon of St.-Roch-des-Aulnaies, Que., were third at 135.67.

“We said we were going to have fun with that program and took one element at a time,” said Chouinard. “We had a blast. This is like a dream.”

In novice pairs, Quebec teams were 1-2 with Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Ethier of Rosemere first, Jamie Fournier and Gabriel Farand of Brossard second while Mackenzie Ripley and Owen Brawley of Kitchener, Ont., third.

“It’s good to see all the hard work pay off at the final competition of the year,” said Ethier. “This is our first year together and we really wanted to go out there and enjoy the moment.”

The senior competition gets underway Friday with the four short programs. The free skates are on Saturday.

Full results: 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

Mississauga to host 2020 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

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MISSISSAUGA, ON: Skate Canada is pleased to announce that Mississauga, ON, will host the 2020 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. The event will take place at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre from January 13-19, 2020. The event will feature approximately 250 of the best Canadian figure  skaters in the men, women, pairs and ice dance disciplines, competing in three levels: senior, junior, and novice.

“We are ecstatic to be heading back to the Paramount Fine Foods Centre, a familiar place for Skate Canada events,” said Debra Armstrong, CEO, Skate Canada. “The Canadian Tire National Skating Championships always welcome Canada’s best figure skaters and we are excited to showcase the nation’s top talent in Mississauga. We are enthusiastic about working with our partners in Mississauga and putting on an excellent event.”

“Mississauga is excited to once again be hosting Skate Canada’s 2020 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “As Canada’s sixth largest city, we pride ourselves on our reputation as a welcoming city that is home to world-class, accessible sporting facilities such as the Paramount Fine Foods Centre. These top-notch facilities give us the ability to host national and international competitions and make us a destination for sport tourism. We look forward to welcoming Canada’s top skaters, their coaches, families and fans to our great City.”

The pre-eminent all-Canadian competition will see athletes vie for spots on the Skate Canada National Team and the Canadian teams that will compete at the 2020 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, the 2020 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships and the 2020 ISU World Figure Skating Championships.

This will be Mississauga’s second time hosting the championships after previously hosting the event in 2013. The city has also previously hosted Skate Canada International on four occasions (2000, 2003, 2011, 2016).

Join our exclusive mailing list to receive event and ticket information for the 2020 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships.

Lajoie and Lagha win third straight junior title 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

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ST JOHN, N.B. – Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha won their third straight national junior ice dance title on Tuesday at the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships being held this week at Harbour Station.

Lajoie, from Boucherville, Que., and Lagha, from Greenfield Park, Que. continued a solid season earning 179.71 points. Alicia Fabbri of Terrebonne, Que., and Paul Ayer of Calgary were second at 158.57 and Natalie D’Alessandro and Bruce Waddell of Toronto were third at 155.79.

Lajoie and Lagha won gold and silver in their two ISU Junior Grand Prix appearances this season then placed fourth at the Junior Grand Prix Final in Vancouver.

“This year we wanted to skate like we belonged in the senior level,” said Lagha. “There was some pressure to win again so this is a good feeling.”

Their coach Marie-France Dubreuil says the couple can contend for a medal at the world junior championships later this season.

“There was no urgency to switch them to senior,” she said. “We would like to see them stay at this level right through to the world juniors.”

There were three finals in novice competition Tuesday.

In women’s novice, Kaiya Ruiter of Calgary set a national category record with 139.57. That was almost six points better than the previous best of 133.73 set by Catherine Carle in 2017. Mélaurie Boivin of Alma, Que., followed at 131.34 and Emily Millard of Vancouver was third at 125.67.

“I always go out every time to try and get a personal best,” said Ruiter.

In ice dancing, Sophia Kagolovskaya and Kieran MacDonald of Waterloo, Ont., won the gold medal with 110.55. Kiera Kam and Mathew Carter of Vancouver were second at 105.39 and Isabel McQuilkin and Jacob Portz of Calgary were third at 103.76.

“After yesterday’s skate we really wanted to do our best in the free dance,” said Kagolovskaya.

On the men’s side, Wesley Chiu of Richmond, B.C., was the winner with 146.83, Shuma Mugii of Burnaby, B.C., second at 118.39 and Matthew Newnham of Edmonton third at 116.49.

“This is a big relief for me,” said Chiu. “I’ve been thinking about this competition all season. I really wanted to win.”

Competition continues through to Saturday.

Full information: 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

Three Canadian Synchronized Skating teams headed to 2019 Mozart Cup

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Ottawa, ON: Canada will have three teams competing at Mozart Cup this week from January 17-20, 2019 in Salzburg, Austria. This event is an annual ISU (International Skating Union) sanctioned synchronized skating competition. Canada will be sending one senior team and two junior teams.

Nova, from Brossard, Que., will be the senior team representing Canada. They finished third at the 2018 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships. The team is coached by Marie-France Sirois.

Nexxice junior will represent Canada in the junior category. They train at the Burlington Skating Centre. The team won a silver medal at the 2018 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships and finished eighth at the 2018 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships. The team is coached by Trish Perdue-Mills.

Nova junior from Brossard, Que., will also represent Canada in the junior category. Nova junior finished fourth at the 2018 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships and they are coached by Nadine Tougas.

Mary Ellen McDonald, Skate Canada Senior Director, Operations will be the Canadian leader at the event. Cheryl Goldie from Ottawa, Ont. will be the lone Canadian judge attending the event.

For results and full entries, please visit the official event website or 2019 Mozart Cup.

Canada’s best skaters headed to Saint John for the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

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SAINT JOHN, NB: The nation’s best figure skaters are headed to Saint John, N.B. for the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. The week-long championships held at Harbour Station from January 14-20, 2019 will feature approximately 250 skaters in the men, women, pairs, ice dance disciplines, competing in three levels: senior, junior, and novice.

“Every year, this event continues to showcase Canada’s brightest skaters and this year will be no different,” said Debra Armstrong, CEO, Skate Canada. “We are excited to be in Saint John for this important event and look forward to having the support of the community as skaters strive for gold at Harbour Station.”

The all-Canadian competition will begin with the novice and junior events taking place from Monday, January 14 to Thursday, January 17, followed by the senior events beginning on Friday, January 18 to Saturday, January 19, and finishing with an Exhibition Gala on Sunday, January 20. Athletes will aim for spots on the Skate Canada National Team and the Canadian teams that will compete at the 2019 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, 2019 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, and 2019 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

The senior events will be the highlight of the week as Canada’s top skaters will look to add to their resume’s. Keegan Messing, 26, Sherwood Park, Alta./Brantford, Ont., earned a silver medal at last year’s Nationals and will be aiming for a gold medal finish this year. Nam Nguyen, 20, Ajax, Ont., will also be looking to make the podium after winning the bronze medal in 2018 and previously winning the national title in 2015. Stephen Gogolev, 13, Toronto, Ont., is coming off a gold medal finish at ISU Junior Grand Prix Final in Vancouver and will be looking to continue that momentum into Nationals.

Gabrielle Daleman, 20, Newmarket, Ont., 2018 National Champion, will be looking to keep her spot on top of the podium. Larkyn Austman, 20, Coquitlam, B.C., will also be looking to medal after finishing third last year.

Senior ice dancers Piper Gilles, 26, Toronto, Ont., and Paul Poirier, 27, Unionville, Ont., finished second in 2018 and will be aiming for the top spot this year. They will be challenged by three-time World medalists Kaitlyn Weaver, 29, Toronto, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 31,Waterloo, Ont.

Bronze medalists at last year’s event, senior pair Kirsten Moore-Towers, 26, St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro, 27, Sarnia, Ont., will also have their eyes set on the gold medal spot.

The junior and novice categories will display Canada’s emerging talent as they look to make their statement at the national level. All novice and junior competition, and select senior events, will be live streamed on the Skate Canada Dailymotion page. For full entries and the event start orders, please click here.

Off the ice, three-time World champion, two-time Olympic silver medalist and seven-time Canadian champion, Elvis Stojko, will be this year’s Athlete Ambassador. During the event, Stojko will handle speaking engagements, media interviews, make appearances on behalf of the competing athletes and interact with his fans.

Tickets are available and single event ticket prices for the senior events are priced $25-$65. Novice and junior as well as senior practice tickets are $10 per day. Fans will be able to choose from four levels of all-event ticket packages that are only available by phone, they are priced at $125, $165, $195 and $295, plus applicable surcharges and taxes. All tickets are subject to applicable taxes and venue/Ticketmaster surcharges.

Tickets can be purchased online at harbourstation.ca, by phone at 1-800-267-2800 and in person at the Harbour Station Box Office.

This will be Saint John’s first time hosting this event. The city has previously hosted Skate Canada International three times (2013, 1999 and 1995). They have also hosted the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships in December of 1997.