Canadian novice skaters win four medals at final event of 2018 North American Series

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada skaters earned three silver medals and one bronze medal at the 2018 Skate Ontario Summer Skate last weekend. The North American series events, which took place at the Scotiabank Pond arena in North York, Ont., saw 22 athletes from the USA and 25 athletes from Canada competing.

Mackenzie Ripley of St. Thomas, Ont., and Owen Brawley of Waterloo, Ont., followed up their gold medal at Skate Milwaukee with their second medal on the 2018 North American Series, a silver medal. The pair claimed second with a score of 106.91. They were edged out by Isabelle Goldstein and Keyton Bearinger of the USA, who scored 112.11. The 2018 Skate Milwaukee silver medallists, Jamie Fournier of Brossard, Que., and Gabriel Farand of Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Que., finished in fourth placed with a score of 93.86. Canadians Caidence Derenisky of Regina, Sask., and Raine Eberl of Moose Jaw, Sask., scored a total of 71.95 points to place sixth.

In ice dance, Canadian pre-novice silver medallists Sophia Kagolovskaya and Kieran MacDonald, both of Wellesley, Ont., took home the silver medal with a score of 94.46. The American team of Elizabeth Tkachenko and Alexei Kiliakov won the gold with 99.62 points. Cordelia Pride and Benjamin Lawless, also of the USA, won the bronze medal with a score of 85.55, beating out Canadians Jordyn Lewis of Komoka, Ont., and Noah McMillan of Ilderton, Ont., who finished in fourth place with 81.40 points. Canadian ice dancers Angela Ling of Waterloo, Ont., and Quinn Bisson of Warwick, Ont., finished less than two point back of Lewis and McMillan in fifth with 79.61 points. Alyssa Robinson of Ridgetown, Ont., and Josh Andari of Chatham, Ont., finished in seventh with 77.48 points, followed by Canadian pre-novice champions Sydney Embro of Waterloo, Ont., and Eric Millar of Kitchener, Ont., with 74.67.

Canada’s third silver medal of the event was won by Doriela Lugo-Mayrand of Rouyn-Noranda, Que. Lugo-Mayrand earned 125.88 points, behind the USA’s Kate Wang who took home the gold medal. Samantha Liker of the USA followed in third place with a final score of 115.53. The other five Canadian women followed consecutively from sixth to tenth place: Alyson Thibault of Ste-Marie Beauce, Que., in sixth with 104.86 points, Jaime Gabbard of Mississauga, Ont., in seventh with a score of 101.92, Maja Jacobsen of Waterdown, Ont., in eighth with 95.37, Kyrstin Lavelle of Toronto, Ont., in ninth with 89.36, and Hannah Gray of Thorndale, Ont., in tenth with 84.98 points.

In the men’s category of the North American Series, Canadian pre-novice champion, Matthew Newnham of St. Albert, Alta., won the bronze medal with 123.65 points. Two skaters from the USA placed ahead of him: Matthew Nielsen, who scored 137. 96 points and Eric Prober, who scored 123.65 points. Canadian pre-novice bronze medallist, Jake Ellis of Essex, Ont., finished in sixth place with 102.28, and Rio Morita of Thornhill, Ont., finished in eighth place with a total score of 99.78.

For full results, please click here. For more information on the event, please click here.

The event was the third and final stop 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.

Canadian skaters in Slovakia to kick off 2018-2019 ISU Junior Grand Prix season

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have seven entries, for a total of 11 skaters, competing at the first stop on the 2018-2019 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Bratislava, Slovakia. Canada will have two entries per discipline in men, pairs and ice dance, and one entry in ladies at the competition which takes place from August 22-25, 2018.

Stephen Gogolev, 13, Toronto, Ont., is one of two Canadian entries in the men’s discipline. Gogolev placed 10th in senior at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. This will be his first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment. He is coached by Brian Orser and Lee Barkell in Toronto, Ont.

Canadian novice silver medallist Aleksa Rakic, 13, Burnaby, B.C., will also represent Canada in the men’s category and will also be competing at his first ISU Junior Grand Prix event. He is coached by Joanne McLeod in Burnaby, B.C.

Alison Schumacher, 15, Tecumseh, Ont., will be the only Canadian representative in the women’s category. Last season on the ISU Junior Grand Prix she placed eighth in Latvia and ninth in Italy. Schumacher also placed fifth in junior at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. She is coached by Lee Barkell in Toronto, Ont.

Canadian junior silver medallists Patricia Andrew, 13, London, Ont., and Paxton Fletcher, 19, Rodney, Ont., are the first of two Canadian pairs entries at the event. This will be their first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment. Andrew and Fletcher are coached by Alison Purkiss in Brantford, Ont.

Canadian novice champions Brooke McIntosh, 13, Toronto, Ont., and Brandon Toste, 15, Mississauga, Ont., will also represent Canada in pairs at their first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment. They are coached by Andrew Evans in Toronto, Ont.

Canadian novice champions Nadiia Bashynska, 14, Markham, Ont., and Peter Beaumont, 17, Unionville, Ont., are one of two Canadian ice dance teams at the event. This will be their first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment. Bashynska and Beaumont are coached by Carol Lane, Jon Lane, Juris Razgulajevs and Marc-André Servant in Scarborough, Ont.

Alicia Fabbri, 15, Terrebonne, Que., and Paul Ayer, 20, Brossard, Que., will also represent Canada in ice dance at the event. This will be their first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment since teaming up in the offseason. They are coached by Julien Lalonde in St. Hubert, Que.

André Bourgeois, Skate Canada NextGen Director, and Nathalie Martin of Montreal, Que., will be the Canadian team leaders at the event. Dr. Lee Schofield of Toronto, Ont., and physiotherapist Mireille Landry of Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian team medical staff on site. Susan Blatz of Burlington, Ont., and Jérôme Poulin of Montreal, Que., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For results and full entries please visit www.isu.org. All events on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit will be live streamed on the ISU Junior Grand Prix YouTube channel

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT ISU JGP #1 – BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men Stephen Gogolev 13 Toronto, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Brian Orser / Lee Barkell
Men Aleksa Rakic 13 Burnaby, B.C. Champs International Skating Centre of B.C. Joanne McLeod
Women Alison Schumacher 15 Tecumseh, Ont. Riverside SC Lee Barkell
Pairs Patricia Andrew / Paxton Fletcher 13/19 London, Ont. / Rodney, Ont. Brant FSC / London SC Alison Purkiss
Pairs Brooke McIntosh / Brandon Toste 13/15 Toronto, Ont. / Mississauga, Ont. Canadian Ice Academy / Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Andrew Evans
Ice Dance Nadiia Bashynska / Peter Beaumont 14/17 Markham, Ont. / Unionville, Ont. Scarboro FSC / Scarboro FSC Carol Lane / Jon Lane / Juris Razgulajevs / Marc-André Servant
Ice Dance Alicia Fabbri / Paul Ayer 15/20 Terrebonne, Que. / Brossard, Que. CPA Terrebone Inc. / Calalta FSC Julien Lalonde

Kaetlyn Osmond to take off 2018-2019 Competitive Season

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OTTAWA, ON: World champion Kaetlyn Osmond, 22, Marystown, Nfld./Edmonton, Alta., will not compete during the 2018-2019 skating season. In June, Osmond announced that she would sit out the ISU Grand Prix Circuit but ultimately decided to take the entire season off.

“I have had some time to reflect this summer on my future and believe taking this year off to evaluate my next steps is important in making the best personal decision,” said Osmond. “I am excited to be travelling across the country performing for my fans on the Thank You Canada Tour this autumn and look forward to pursing other opportunities during my time away from competition.”
In 2018, Osmond became the first Canadian woman to win the world championship title in 45 years. Osmond also won gold in the team event and bronze in women’s singles at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang. She is a three-time Canadian champion and is coached by Ravi Walia in Edmonton, Alta.

Canadian novice skaters at Skate Ontario Summer Skate for final event of 2018 North American Series

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have seventeen entries, for a total of 25 skaters competing at the 2018 Skate Ontario Summer Skate. The event, which takes place at the Scotiabank Pond arena in North York, Ont., runs from August 16-19, 2018. Among the Skate Canada entries are three men, six women, three pair teams and five ice dance teams, all competing at the novice level.

The event is the third and final stop 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.

One of three Skate Canada entries in novice men is Rio Morita, 13, Thornhill, Ont. Morita placed 13th at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in novice and placed ninth at the first stop on the 2018 North American Series, Skate Milwaukee. He is coached by Karen Preston in Toronto, Ont.

Canadian pre-novice champion, Matthew Newnham, 15, St. Albert, Alta., is the second Skate Canada entry at the event. He trains in Edmonton, Alta., with coach Sylvie Wandzura.

Canadian pre-novice bronze medallist, Jake Ellis, 12, Essex, Ont., rounds out the Canadian novice men entries. He earned a fifth place finish at the first stop on the 2018 North American Series, Skate Milwaukee. Ellis trains in Windsor, Ont., with coach Lori Lafferty-Vilnef.

Alyson Thibault, 15, Ste-Marie Beauce, Que., is the first of six Skate Canada women’s entries. She placed ninth in novice at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Thibault is coached by Stéphane Yvars in Boucherville, Que.

Hannah Gray, 14, Thorndale, Ont., will also represent Canada in the North American Series event. She finished 12th in novice at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, and is coached by Leanne McQueen in Ilderton, Ont.

Also representing Canada on the North American Series is Jaime Gabbard, 15, Mississauga, Ont. Gabbard placed 13th in novice at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. She trains in Oakville, Ont., with coach Michelle Leigh.

Doriela Lugo-Mayrand, 13, Rouyn-Noranda, Que., is another Canadian women’s entry in the North American Series event. Lugo-Mayrand placed 16th in pre-novice in Canada last season. She trains in Rosemère, Que., with coach Yvan Desjardins.

Maja Jacobsen, 13, Waterdown, Ont., is the fifth Skate Canada women’s entry. She placed 17th in pre-novice in Canada last season. Jacobsen trains in Burlington, Ont., under coach Clare McIsaac.

Kyrstin Lavelle, 14, Toronto, Ont., rounds out the Canadian women entries in the North American Series. She is coached by Jonathan Mills in Toronto, Ont.

Mackenzie Ripley, 16, St. Thomas, Ont., and Owen Brawley, 18, Waterloo, Ont., are the first of three Canadian novice pair entries at the event. Last season, they placed sixth in novice at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. The pair won the first event on the North American Series, Skate Milwaukee. 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 won the silver medal at the 2018 Skate Milwaukee. They are coached by Bruno Marcotte in Saint-Leonard, Que.

Caidence Derenisky, 12, Regina, Sask., and Raine Eberl, 19, Moose Jaw, Sask., are the third Skate Canada entry at the event. They train in Regina, Sask., with coach David Schultz.

Canadian pre-novice champions Sydney Embro, 15, Waterloo, Ont., and Eric Millar, 16, Kitchener, Ont., are one of five Canadian ice dance entries in the North American Series. Embro and Millar train in Waterloo, Ont., under coach Paul McIntosh.

Canadian pre-novice silver medallists Sophia Kagolovskaya, 13, Wellesley, Ont., and Kieran MacDonald, 15, Wellesley, Ont., are the second Skate Canada entry in novice ice dance. They are coached by Carleigh McDonald in Ayr, Ont.

Jordyn Lewis, 14, Komoka, Ont., and Noah McMillan, 14, Ilderton, Ont., are the third Skate Canada ice dance entry at the event. They placed 13th in Canada in pre-novice last season, and are coached by Alma Moir in Ilderton, Ont.

Alyssa Robinson, 15, Ridgetown, Ont., and Josh Andari, 15, Chatham, Ont., will also represent Canada in the North American Series event. Last year, they placed 16th in Canada in pre-novice. They are coached by David Islam in Barrie, Ont.

Angela Ling, 14, Waterloo, Ont., and Quinn Bisson, 16, Warwick, Ont., are the final Canadian ice dance entry in the North American Series event. They are coached by Carol Moir in Ilderton, Ont.

Cynthia Ullmark of Canmore, Alta., will be the onsite Canadian team representative at the event.

For entry lists and start orders, please click here.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2018 SKATE ONTARIO SUMMER SKATE

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Novice Men Rio Morita 13 Thornhill, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Karen Preston
Novice Men Matthew Newnham 15 St. Albert, Alta. Ice Palace FSC Sylvie Wandzura
Novice Men Jake Ellis 12 Essex, Ont. South Windsor FSC Lori Lafferty-Vilnef
Novice Women Alyson Thibault 15 Ste-Marie Beauce, Que. CPA Sainte Marie Beauce Stéphane Yvars
Novice Women Hannah Gray 14 Thorndale, Ont. Ilderton SC Leanne McQueen
Novice Women Jaime Gabbard 15 Mississauga, Ont. Skate Oakville Michelle Leigh
Novice Women Doriela Lugo-Mayrand 13 Rouyn-Noranda, Que. CPA du Cuivre de Rouyn-Noranda Inc. Yvan Desjardins
Novice Women Maja Jacobsen 13 Waterdown, Ont. Burlington Skating Centre Clare McIsaac
Novice Women Kyrstin Lavelle 14 Toronto, Ont. Forest Hill FSC Jonathan Mills
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
Novice Pairs Caidence Derenisky / Raine Eberl 12/19 Regina, Sask. / Moose Jaw, Sask. Skate Regina / Skate Regina David Schultz
Novice Ice Dance Sydney Embro / Eric Millar 15/16 Waterloo, Ont. / Kitchener, Ont. Kitchener-Waterloo SC / Kitchener-Waterloo SC Paul McIntosh
Novice Ice Dance Sophia Kagolovskaya / Kieran MacDonald 13/15 Wellesley, Ont. / Wellesley, Ont. Ayr SC / Ayr SC Carleigh McDonald
Novice Ice Dance Jordyn Lewis / Noah McMillan 14/14 Komoka, Ont. / Ilderton, Ont. Ilderton SC / Ilderton SC Alma Moir
Novice Ice Dance Alyssa Robinson / Josh Andari 15/15 Ridgetown, Ont. / Chatham, Ont. Chatham FSC / Chatham FSC David Islam
Novice Ice Dance Angela Ling / Quinn Bisson 14/16 Waterloo, Ont. / Warwick, Ont. Kitchener-Waterloo SC / Ilderton SC Carol Moir

Skate Canada Announces 2018-2019 NextGen Team

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada is proud to announce the 2018-2019 NextGen Team. The team is made up of 36 entries, totalling 48 athletes. By category, the team includes 10 men, 14 women, six pair teams and six ice dance teams.

The Skate Canada NextGen program was established in 2016 to support the operations of Skate Canada’s high-performance development system. The purpose of the program is to ensure athletes and coaches advance at their maximum potential through development and training opportunities, in order to become the best in the world. The program is delivered in partnership with the skater’s respective Skate Canada Sections (PSO), Own The Podium, and the Canadian Sport Institutes. These skaters may be considered to represent Canada on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit, the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships and other international competitions.

MEN
Brian Chiem, 16, Edmonton, Alta.
Corey Circelli, 15, Toronto, Ont.
Beres Clements, 16, Gibson, B.C.
Stephen Gogolev, 13, Toronto, Ont.
Alec Guinzbourg, 13, Aurora, Ont.
Iliya Kovler, 15, Richmond Hill, Ont.
Eric Liu, 16, Burnaby, B.C.
Conrad Orzel, 18, Woodbridge, Ont.
Joseph Phan, 17, Laval, Que.
Aleksa Rakic, 13, Burnaby, B.C.

WOMEN
Emily Bausback, 16, Vancouver, B.C.
Sarah-Maude Blanchard, 17, Sherbrooke, Que.
Victoria Bocknek, 16, Richmond Hill, Ont.
Sandrine Bouchard, 16, Lévis, Que.
Emma Bulawka, 15, Kelowna, B.C.
Catherine Carle, 14, Georgetown, Ont.
Daria Carr, 14, Kelowna, B.C.
Aurora Cotop, 16, Thornhill, Ont.
Hannah Dawson, 17, Vankleek Hill, Ont.
Olivia Gran, 15, Kelowna, B.C.
Leah Lee, 14, Vancouver, B.C.
Lissa Anne McGaghey, 17, Campbellton, N.B.
Amelia Orzel, 15, Woodbridge, Ont.
Alison Schumacher, 15, Tecumseh, Ont.

PAIRS
Patricia Andrew, 13, London, Ont., and Paxton Fletcher, 19, Rodney, Ont.
Olivia Boys-Eddy, 15, Brampton, Ont., and Mackenzie Boys-Eddy, 20, Brampton, Ont.
Gabrielle Levesque, 15, Bridgewater, N.S., and Pier-Alexandre Hudon, 19, Saint-Roc-Des-Aulnaies
Brooke McIntosh, 13, Etobicoke, Ont., and Brandon Toste, 15, Mississauga, Ont.
Camille Perreault, 14, Orford, Que., and Bryan Pierro, 17, Saint-Hubert, Que.
Marine Pouliot, 13, Lorraine, Que., and Alexandre Simard, 17, Rivière-Ouelle, Que.

ICE DANCE
Nadiia Bashynska, 14, Unionville, Ont., and Peter Beaumont, 17, Markham, Ont.
Amelia Boone, 14, Calgary, Alta., and Malcolm Kowan, 18, Calgary, Alta.
Natalie D’Alessandro, 14, Toronto, Ont., and Bruce Waddell, 16, Toronto, Ont.
Ellie Fisher, 16, Lasalle, Que., and Simon-Pierre Malette-Paquette, 20, Montreal, Que.
Marjorie Lajoie, 17, Boucherville, Que., and Zachary Lagha, 19, Saint-Hubert, Que.
Miku Makita, 15, Anmore, B.C., and Tyler Gunara, 15, Burnaby, B.C.

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.

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.

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.

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

Canadian Olympians headline the 2018 Skate Canada International in Laval

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ISU announces line-up for Grand Prix events

OTTAWA, ON: The International Skating Union (ISU) has announced the line-ups for the six 2018 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating events. Canada will host the second stop on the circuit, the 2018 Skate Canada International in Laval, Quebec, from October 26-28, 2018, at Place Bell.

The line-up in Laval features members of the 2018 Canadian Olympic Team, including Gabrielle Daleman, Keegan Messing, Larkyn Austman, Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier. They will be joined by various current and former world medallists including Shoma Uno of Japan, Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia, Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès of France, and more.

Skate Canada International is the second competition in the annual ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. The other events take place in the United States (Skate America), Finland, Japan (NHK Trophy), Russia (Rostelecom Cup) and France (Internationaux de France).

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, women, pair and ice dance) qualify for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final to be held in Vancouver, B.C., from December 6-9, 2018.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

All-Event ticket packages are on sale now! All-event ticket packages will include all competitions as well as practices. Fans will be able to choose from four levels of all-event ticket packages that are priced at:

  • $136.25 ($120 ticket + $16.25 venue service fee)
  • $177.75 ($160 ticket + $17.75 venue service fee)
  • $220.75 ($200 ticket + $20.75 venue service fee)
  • $298.75 ($275 ticket + $23.75 venue service fee)

Tickets can be purchased online at placebell.ca, by phone at 1-855-634-4472 or in person at the Place Bell Box Office.

SUPER FAN SECTION

The 2018 Skate Canada International will feature a special Super Fan Section! This section includes the first three rows of the arena, allowing fans to be closest to the action. All fans purchasing tickets in this section will receive a limited edition scarf, event program, event pin and a keepsake bag.  All-event ticket packages in the Super Fan Section which includes the deluxe super fan kit are priced at $298.75 ($275 ticket + $23.75 venue service fee).  Fans sitting outside the first three rows of seating may also purchase a Super Fan Bag for only $60.

2018 SKATE CANADA INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES*

MEN
Brendan Kerry(AUS)
Keegan Messing (CAN)
Roman Sadovsky (CAN)
TBD (CAN)
Kevin Aymoz (FRA)
Daniel Samohin (ISR)
Shoma Uno (JPN)
Kazuki Tomono (JPN)
Junhwan Cha (KOR)
Alexander Samarin (RUS)
Alexander Majorov (SWE)
Jason Brown (USA)

WOMEN
Larkyn Austman (CAN)
Alaine Chartrand (CAN)
Gabrielle Daleman (CAN)
Wakaba Higuchi (JPN)
Yura Matsuda (JPN)
Mako Yamashita (JPN)
Elizabet Tursynbaeva (KAZ)
Dabin Choi (KOR)
Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS)
Daria Panenkova (RUS)
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva(RUS)
Mariah Bell (USA)

PAIR
Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya / Harley Windsor (AUS)
Kirsten Moore-Towers/ Michael Marinaro (CAN)
Camille Ruest / Andrew Wolfe (CAN)
Evelyn Walsh / Trennt Michaud (CAN)
Cheng Peng / Yang Jin (CHN)
Vanessa James / Morgan Cipres (FRA)
Aleksandra Boikova / Dmitrii Kozlovskii (RUS)
Haven Denney / Brandon Frazier (USA)

ICE DANCE
Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier (CAN)
Haley Sales / Nikolas Wamsteeker (CAN)
Carolane Soucisse / Shane Firus (CAN)
Shiyue Wang / Xinyu Liu (CHN)
Marie-Jade Lauriault / Romain Le Gac (FRA)
Robynne Tweedale / Joseph Buckland (GBR)
Anastasia Skoptcova / Kirill Aleshin (RUS)
Victoria Sinitsina / Nikita Katsalapov (RUS)
Olivia Smart / Adrian Diaz (ESP)
Madison Hubbell / Zachary Donohue (USA)

CANADIAN ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE 2018 ISU GRAND PRIX OF FIGURE SKATING SERIES*

SKATE AMERICA – Everett, Washington, USA – October 19-21, 2018

MEN:
Nam Nguyen

SKATE CANADA INTERNATIONAL — Laval, Quebec – October 26-28, 2018

MEN: Keegan Messing / Roman Sadovsky / TBD
WOMEN: Gabrielle Daleman / Alaine Chartrand / Larkyn Austman
PAIR: Kirsten Moore-Towers & Michael Marinaro / Camille Ruest & Andrew Wolfe / Evelyn Walsh & Trennt Michaud
ICE DANCE: Piper Gillis & Paul Poirier / Carolane Soucisse & Shane Firus / Haley Sales & Nikolas Wamsteeker

ISU GRAND PRIX OF FIGURE SKATING – Helsinki, Finland — November 2-4, 2018

PAIR: Julianne Seguin & Charlie Bilodeau

NHK TROPHY — Hiroshima, Japan — November 9-11, 2018

MEN: Kevin Reynolds
WOMEN: Gabrielle Daleman
PAIR: Kirsten Moore-Towers & Michael Marinaro
ICE DANCE: Carolane Soucisse & Shane Firus

ROSTELECOM CUP — Moscow, Russia — November 16-18, 2018

MEN: Keegan Messing

INTERNATIONAUX DE FRANCE — Grenoble, France — November 23-25, 2018

MEN: Nicolas Nadeau
PAIR: Julianne Seguin & Charlie Bilodeau
ICE DANCE: Piper Gillis & Paul Poirier