Olympic Spotlight : Gabrielle Daleman

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Fierce and energetic,  Gabrielle Daleman, from Newmarket, Ont., claimed her second Canadian women’s title at the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships on the same day she celebrated her 20th birthday.

The 2017 world bronze medallist, known for her breathtaking flexibility and powerful jumps, will be making her second appearance at the Olympic Winter Games.

The youngest member of the entire Canadian team in Sochi four years ago, Daleman has never placed lower than second at the national championships. Daleman, the 2012 Canadian junior champions, says the Olympic moment forever etched in her mind was watching Joannie Rochette compete at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver following the sudden passing of her mother, and heads to PyeongChang looking to follow in her mentor’s footsteps by capturing an Olympic medal.

Olympic Spotlight : Patrick Chan

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With two Olympic silver medals from the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games in his trophy case, the three-time world champion looks to cap off a brilliant career in PyeongChang.

Chan capped off an emotional free program at the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships earlier this month, bringing the crowd to its feet as he clinched his record tenth Canadian senior men’s title, breaking Montgomery Wilson’s mark that had stood since 1939.

Chan has been nothing short of dominant throughout most of his career. After capturing silver at the world championships in 2009 and 2010, the Toronto native would claim world titles in 2011, 2012 and 2013. He became the first skater to win three straight men’s world championships since Alexei Yagudin did it from 1998 to 2000, and the first Canadian to win three straight since Kurt Browning (1989-91).

In 2010-11, the season he won his first world title, Chan set world records and also claimed the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canadian Athlete of the Year and the Lionel Conacher Award as Canadian Male Athlete of the Year.

Following his performance at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Chan took a year off before returning to competition.

In PyeongChang, he is hoping that comeback comes full circle with another Olympic medal.

Soucisse and Firus win silver at ISU Four Continents

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TAIPEI CITY – Carolane Soucisse of Chateauguay, Que., and Shane Firus of North Vancouver smashed their personal best score en route to the silver medal in ice dancing on Thursday at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.

Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker of the U.S. won the gold medal with 174.29 points. Soucisse and Firus, third after the short dance, followed at 164.96 bettering their previous best of 154.60 set this past October. They overtook Kana Muramoto and Chris Reed of Japan, third at 163.86

‘’We’re pretty ecstatic,’’ said Firus. ‘’The goal coming in was a medal and we accomplished that. We’re psyched and super pumped right now.’’

Sarah Arnold and Thomas Williams of Vancouver were eighth and Haley Sales of Burnaby, B.C., and Nikolas Wamsteeker of Langley, B.C. ninth.

In men’s competition after the short program, Nam Nguyen of Toronto is the top Canadian in seventh spot. Elladj Baldé of Montreal is 12th and Kevin Reynolds of Coquitlam, B.C. 13th.

‘’I felt really good with the skate,’’ said Nguyen. ‘’The practices have been a little bit rocky this week so to put out such a solid performance for everybody is a great feeling and I hope to continue this for the long program.’’

Shoma Uno of Japan is first.

Competition continues Friday with the pairs and women’s free programs. The men’s free skate is Saturday.

Full results: ISU Four Continents Championships 2018

Personal best puts Soucisse and Firus third after short dance at ISU Four Continents

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TAIPEI CITY – Carolane Soucisse of Chateauguay, Que., and Shane Firus of North Vancouver produced a personal best score to stand in third place after Wednesday’s short dance at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.

Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker of the U.S. lead the 14-couple field with 69.08 points followed by Kana Muramoto and Chris Reed of Japan at 65.27 while the Canadians scored 65.11.

‘’We did what we had to do today,’’ said Soucisse. ‘’We are just coming from nationals and we were ready and pumped to go. It was a short turnover time but I think we delivered.’’

Haley Sales of Burnaby, B.C., and Nikolas Wamsteeker of Langley, B.C. are eighth and Sarah Arnold and Thomas Williams of Vancouver are ninth.

In pairs, Lubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch of Toronto are fifth after the short at 64.50 but only 2.26 points from top spot held by Ashley Cain and Timothy Leduc of the U.S.

‘’Our goal was to go out there and have fun today,’’ said Moscovitch. ‘’We kept an upbeat feeling throughout the program. We really committed ourselves to the choreography and the characters and we felt that came out.’’

Sydney Kolodziej of Montreal and Maxime Deschamps of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., are eighth and Camille Ruest of Rimouski, Que., and Drew Wolfe of Calgary are ninth.

In the women’s short, Japan is 1-2-3 with Satoko Miyahara in first. Alaine Chartrand of Prescott, Ont., is eighth, Alicia Pineault of Varennes, Que., 14th and Michelle Long of Newmarket, Ont., 17th.

‘’It wasn’t perfect but I was happy with my fight,’’ said Chartrand. ‘’It’s good to have that kind of feeling in my last short program of the season.’’

On Thursday, the men’s competition gets underway followed by the free dance.

Full results: ISU Four Continents Championships 2018

Olympic Spotlight : Tessa Virtue / Scott Moir

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Just hours after notching their eighth national ice dance title at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in Vancouver, three-time world champions Virtue and Moir were announced as the Canadian team flag bearers for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

“This is, undoubtedly, the pinnacle of our career,” said Virtue of the honour.

“The honour of carrying the Canadian flag into the opening ceremony of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang brings with it a sense of duty, privilege and, above all, great pride.”

“In accepting this unparalleled honour, we commit to embodying the values and the standards that make Canada such a special place,” added Moir. “And we vow to embrace the Olympic spirit in its purest form. Team Canada is ready, and we cannot wait to be in PyeongChang with the Maple Leaf on our back, and in our hearts.”

Following a two-year break, Virtue and Moir returned to the ice last year, capping an undefeated season with their third world championship. Eight years after winning gold in their home country at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Virtue and Moir, who won silver medals in ice dance and the inaugural team event at the 2014 Sochi Games, head to PyeongChang looking to stand atop the Olympic podium for a second time.

Canadian skaters in Taiwan for 2018 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have 12 entries, for a total of 18 skaters, competing at the 2018 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Taipei City, Taiwan. Competition begins January 24 and runs through to January 27, 2018. The Canadian team will have three entries per discipline in men, ladies, pairs and ice dance.

Canadian bronze medallist Nam Nguyen, 19, Toronto, Ont., will be the first of three Canadian men’s entries. Last year, he placed eighth at this event. The three-time Canadian medallist is coached by Robert Burk in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Elladj Baldé, 27, Montreal, Que., is the second Canadian men entry. Baldé has previously placed 11th at this event in 2014 and 18th in 2013. This season, he placed fourth at the 2018 Canadian championships. Baldé trains in Montreal, Que., with Bruno Marcotte.

Olympic silver medallist (team) Kevin Reynolds, 27, Coquitlam, B.C., is the third Canadian men’s entry. This will be his seventh time competing at this event, having won in 2013. Reynolds placed fifth at the 2018 Canadian championships. The four-time Canadian silver medallist is coached by Joanne McLeod in Burnaby, B.C.

Alaine Chartrand, 21, Prescott, Ont., is the first of three Canadian entries in ladies. This will be her fifth time competing at this event; she placed 11th last year. Chartrand placed fourth at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. The four-time Canadian medallist is coached by Joanne McLeod.

Michelle Long, 25, Newmarket, Ont., is the second Canadian entry in the ladies discipline. She will be competing at this event for the first time. Long placed fifth at the 2018 Canadian Championships. She is coached by Robert Burk and Danielle Rose in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Alicia Pineault, 18, Varennes, Que., is the final Canadian entry in the ladies category. This will also be her first time competing at this event. Most recently, she placed eighth at the 2018 Canadian championships. Pineault is coached by Stéphane Yvars in Boucherville, Que.

Lubov Ilyushechkina, 26, Toronto, Ont., and Dylan Moscovitch, 33, Toronto, Ont., will be the first of three Canadian pairs entries. This will be their fourth time competing at this event; last year they won the bronze medal. Ilyushechkina and Moscovitch placed fourth at the 2018 Canadian championships. The three-time Canadian medallists are coached by Lee Barkell, Bryce Davison and Tracy Wilson in Toronto, Ont.

Camille Ruest, 24, Rimouski, Que., and Drew Wolfe, 22, Calgary, Alta., will be the second Canadian entry in pairs. This will be their first time competing at this event. This season, they placed sixth at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Ruest and Wolfe are coached by Richard Gauthier and Bruno Marcotte in Montreal, Que.

Sydney Kolodziej, 24, Montreal, Que., and Maxime Deschamps, 26, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., will also represent Canada in pairs. This will also be their first time competing at this event. This season, they placed seventh at the 2018 Canadian Championships. Kolodziej and Deschamps are coached by Richard Gauthier and Bruno Marcotte in Montreal, Que.

Carolane Soucisse, 22, Châteauguay, Que., and Shane Firus, 23, North Vancouver, B.C., will represent Canada in ice dance. This will be their first time competing at this event. This season, they placed fourth at the 2018 Canadian championships. Soucisse and Firus are coached by Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon in Montreal, Que.

Sarah Arnold, 27, Vancouver, B.C., and Thomas Williams, 26, Vancouver, B.C., will also represent Canada in ice dance. This will be their first time competing at this event. This season, they placed fifth at the 2018 Canadian championships. Arnold and Williams are coached by Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe in Burnaby, B.C.

Haley Sales, 21, Burnaby, B.C., and Nikolas Wamsteeker, 21, Langley, B.C., will be the final Canadian ice dance entry at the event, and will also be competing at this event for the first time. This season, they placed sixth at the 2018 Canadian championships. Sales and Wamsteeker are coached by Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe in Burnaby, B.C.

Bev Viger of Abbotsford, B.C., and Cynthia Ullmark of Canmore, Alta., will be the Canadian team leaders at this event. Dr. John Philpott of Toronto, Ont., and physiotherapist Paige Larson of North Vancouver, B.C., will be the team medical staff onsite.

Leslie Keen of Vancouver, B.C., Reaghan Fawcett-Fortin of Aurora, Ont., Andrea Derby of Windsor, Ont., and Sylvain Guibord of Brossard, Que., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

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

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2018 ISU FOUR CONTINENTS FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men Nam Nguyen 19 Toronto, Ont. Richmond Training Centre Robert Burk
Men Elladj Baldé 27 Montreal, Que. CPA Anjou Kinsmen Bruno Marcotte
Men Kevin Reynolds 27 Coquitlam, B.C. Vancouver SC Joanne McLeod
Ladies Alaine Chartrand 21 Prescott, Ont. Prescott FSC Joanne McLeod
Ladies Michelle Long 25 Newmarket, Ont. Richmond Training Centre Robert Burk / Danielle Rose
Ladies Alicia Pineault 18 Varennes, Que. CPA Varennes Stéphane Yvars
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
Pairs Camille Ruest / Drew Wolfe 24/22 Rimouski, Que. / Calgary, Alta. CPA De Rimouski / Glencoe Club Richard Gauthier / Bruno Marcotte
Pairs Sydney Kolodziej / Maxime Deschamps 24/26 Montreal, Que. / Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. CPA St. Léonard / CPAR Vaudreuil Richard Gauthier / Bruno Marcotte
Ice Dance Carolane Soucisse / Shane Firus 22/23 Châteauguay, Que. / North Vancouver, B.C. CPA Repentigny / CPA Ahuntsic Marie-France Dubreuil / Patrice Lauzon
Ice Dance Sarah Arnold / Thomas Williams 27/26 Vancouver, B.C. / Vancouver, B.C. Champs International Skating Centre / Calalta FSC Megan Wing / Aaron Lowe
Ice Dance Haley Sales / Nikolas Wamsteeker 20/20 Burnaby, B.C. / Langley, B.C. Kelowna SC / Champs International Skating Centre Megan Wing / Aaron Lowe

Ticket Info: 2018 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final

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VANCOUVER, BC: All-event tickets for the 2018 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final will go on sale Friday, January 19, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. PT. The event will take place in Vancouver, B.C., at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre from December 5-9, 2018.

TICKETS

All-Event ticket packages will include all competitions in junior and senior and the exhibition gala, as well as all official practices. Fans will be able to choose from four levels of all-event ticket packages that are priced at $175, $225, $275, $375 (includes a Super Fan Bag voucher), plus applicable surcharges. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.ca and by phone at 1-855-985-5000.

SUPER FAN SECTION

Become a Super Fan by purchasing tickets in the first five rows of the arena and be closest to the action! All fans purchasing tickets in this section will receive a commemorative blanket, event pin, event program and stylish bag. All-event ticket packages in the Super Fan Section, which includes the super fan bag, are priced at $375, plus applicable surcharges.

Fans not seated in the Super Fan Section may purchase the Super Fan Bag for an additional $75 each until October 1, plus applicable surcharges.

Join our exclusive mailing list to receive event and ticket information for the 2018 ISU Grand Prix Final.

EVENT INFO

The ISU Grand Prix Final is the concluding event of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating circuit. The series hosts six stops: United States (Skate America), Canada (Skate Canada International), Russia (Rostelecom Cup), France (Internationaux de France), China (Cup of China), and Japan (NHK Trophy). Skaters are awarded points based on their placements at their assigned events and the top six in each of the four disciplines advance to the final.

The event will also include the 2018 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final. The world’s top junior skaters also collect points to qualify, through seven events which change location yearly. The top six in men’s, ladies, pair and ice dance, based on the results of the Junior Grand Prix series, advance to the Junior Final.

In total, there will be 48 entries and 72 skaters taking part in the event in both senior and junior.

This will be the city’s first time hosting this event. Vancouver has hosted the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships six times. The have 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.

The ISU Grand Prix Final began in 1995 and the first three editions of the competition were titled the Champions Series Final. During the 1998-99 season the name changed to the current title.

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir named Team Canada’s PyeongChang 2018 Flag Bearers

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Three-time Olympic medalists to lead Team Canada into Opening Ceremony

OTTAWA (January 16, 2018) – On Tuesday, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) announced that Olympic Champions, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, will lead Team Canada into the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. The announcement was made in Ottawa on Parliament Hill with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

As flag bearers, Virtue and Moir will lead a team of approximately 230 Canadian athletes when they parade in the Opening Ceremony on February 9, 2018. They will both be following in the footsteps of Sochi 2014 flag bearer, Hayley Wickenheiser.

Virtue and Moir had international success from early in their careers. After winning the world junior title in 2006, they went on to win silver in just their second senior world championships in 2008, followed by bronze at the 2009 World Championships. Their career highlights came at Vancouver 2010 when they became not only the first North Americans to win Olympic ice dance gold, but also the youngest at the ages of 20 and 22.

The 2016-17 season was one of Virtue and Moir’s best, as they went undefeated, winning their first-ever title at the ISU Grand Prix Final and collecting their third career world title, following their previous victories in 2010 and 2012. That success came after they took a two-year hiatus following their Olympic silver medals in the team and ice dance events at Sochi 2014.

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir become the first-ever pair in Canadian Olympic history to lead a team into an Opening Ceremony.

The Flag Bearer Selection Committee is comprised of an athlete representative, selected by the COC Athletes’ Commission, Jeff Christie; PyeongChang 2018 Chef de Mission, Isabelle Charest; COC President, Tricia Smith; COC Executive Director of Sport, (who is a non-voting member), Eric Myles; and three-time Olympian Brittany Schussler, a representative of the Team Selection Committee.

QUOTES:

“The privilege of carrying the flag comes with great responsibility that we do not take lightly. We commit to embodying the values and standards that make Canada such a special place, and vow to embrace the Olympic spirit in its purest form.”

– Tessa Virtue, Olympic Champion and PyeongChang 2018 Flag Bearer

“Being named flag bearers for Canada is the highest honour of our careers, and we couldn’t be more grateful to the COC for their belief in us. We will be marching into the Opening Ceremony with a strong, confident and inspired team of Canadian athletes – a group that will fearlessly represent our great nation on the world’s biggest stage.”

– Scott Moir, Olympic Champion and PyeongChang 2018 Flag Bearer

“Tessa and Scott are champions who have always represented Canada with such strength and grace. They have become two of our country’s greatest ambassadors to the Olympic Movement. They are admired by their teammates, respected by their opponents and adored by their fans, congratulations Tessa and Scott, you make us all extremely proud.”

– Tricia Smith, President, Canadian Olympic Committee

“Congratulations to Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir who were named Canada’s flag-bearers for the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang today. In this role, which is considered one of the greatest honours for athletes, they will lead Team Canada as they enter the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on February 9. Canadians will be watching as they proudly wave the flag to mark the beginning of an unforgettable journey for our athletes.”

– The Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities

Photo: Canadian Olympic Committee

Canadian figure skating team named for PyeongChang 2018

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VANCOUVER (January 14, 2018) — The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Skate Canada officially announced the 17 athletes and 12 coaches nominated to represent Team Canada in figure skating at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.

Skaters qualified for the team based on their performances during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons as well as their results at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships.

The skaters nominated are:

Name Event Hometown
Patrick Chan Men’s singles Toronto, ON
Keegan Messing Men’s singles Sherwood Park, AB / Brampton, ON
Gabrielle Daleman Women’s singles Newmarket, ON
Kaetlyn Osmond Women’s singles Sherwood Park, AB / Marystown, NL
Larkyn Austman Women’s singles Coquitlam, BC
Meagan Duhamel Pairs Lively, ON
Eric Radford Pairs Balmertown, ON
Julianne Séguin Pairs Longueuil, QC
Charlie Bilodeau Pairs Trois-Pistoles, QC
Kirsten Moore-Towers Pairs St. Catharines, ON
Michael Marinaro Pairs Sarnia, ON
Tessa Virtue Ice dance London, ON
Scott Moir Ice dance Ilderton, ON
Piper Gilles Ice dance Toronto, ON
Paul Poirier Ice dance Unionville, ON
Kaitlyn Weaver Ice dance Toronto, ON
Andrew Poje Ice dance Waterloo, ON

The coaches nominated are:

Name Position Hometown
Lee Barkell Coach Kirkland Lake, ON
Ralph Burghart Coach Vienna, Austria
Marie-France Dubreuil Coach Sainte-Catherine, QC
Oleg Epstein Coach Chicago, Illinois, USA
Richard Gauthier Coach Mont Tremblant, QC
Patrice Lauzon Coach Boisbriand, QC
Bruno Marcotte Coach Beloeil, QC
Nikolai Morozov Coach Edgewater, New Jersey, USA
Zdenek Pazdirek Coach Coquitlam, BC
Josée Picard Coach Hull, QC
Juris Razgulajevs Coach Riga, Latvia
Ravi Walia Coach Vancouver, BC

Figure skating is one of Canada’s most successful sports at the Olympic Winter Games. Since 1924, Canada has won 25 Olympic medals, including four golds.

The team heading to PyeongChang has been hugely successful in recent years. Vancouver 2010 gold medallists Virtue and Moir returned from a two-year hiatus last season to win their third world title. While they were away, Weaver and Poje won two world medals. Osmond and Daleman became the first Canadian women to share a world championship podium in 2017, winning silver and bronze. Duhamel and Radford captured back-to-back world titles in 2015 and 2016. Three-time world champion Chan is coming off winning his record-setting 10th national title.

With 17 skaters, Canada has qualified the largest figure skating team of any country for PyeongChang 2018. Figure skating will take place February 9-23 (Days 0-14) at the Gangneung Ice Arena.

QUOTES:

 “I’m impressed by the depth of this team. There are so many strong contenders and we have tremendous hope for them heading into the Games. Congratulations to all athletes nominated. Best of luck to them as they enter the final stage of their preparation.”

– Isabelle Charest, PyeongChang 2018 Team Canada Chef de Mission

“Tessa and I are honoured to be representing Canada at our third Olympic Games. It is especially a privilege to be named to the team with this group of skaters. We have grown up together and its going to be a special moment to take the ice with them and go for gold. We are looking forward to embracing the Olympic spirit and proudly cheering on our teammates in PyeongChang.”

– Scott Moir, PyeongChang 2018 nominated athlete

“I am thrilled to be named to the Olympic team for the second time. It is always a source of pride to wear the red-and-white and to do it on the biggest sporting stage in the world will be truly an honour. Our entire team has worked hard to be the best and I know Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast will be cheering on our journey as we take on the world.”

– Gabrielle Daleman, PyeongChang 2018 nominated athlete

“Figure Skating is one of the most watched Olympic events, and for good reason. These new team members are looking to earn their spot in PyeongChang amongst previous champions. As they dance, spin and jump, the Canadian fans back home will be supporting them in their quest for the podium. Let’s go Canada!”

– The Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities

Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the COC’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Federations in late January 2018.

Skate Canada names teams for 2018 ISU Championships

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VANCOUVER, BC: After the senior events at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, Skate Canada named the teams for three upcoming ISU Championships. The week-long championships were held in Vancouver, B.C., at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre from January 8-14, 2018.

The 2018 Olympic Figure Skating Team that will compete in PyeongChang, South Korea was named earlier today at a press conference in Vancouver. Click here for entries.

2018 ISU WORLD FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Milan, Italy – March 19-25, 2018
MEN
Patrick Chan
Keegan Messing
Alternate 1 – Nam Nguyen
Alternate 2 – Elladj Balde
Alternate 3 – Kevin Reynolds

WOMEN
Larkyn Austman
Gabrielle Daleman
Kaetlyn Osmond
Alternate 1 – Alaine Chartrand
Alternate 2 – Michelle Long
Alternate 3 – Alicia Pineault

PAIR
Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford
Kirsten Moore-Towers/Michael Marinaro
Julianne Seguin/Charlie Bilodeau
Alternate 1 – Lubov Ilyushechkina/Dylan Moscovitch
Alternate 2 – Camille Ruest/Drew Wolfe
Alternate 3 – Sydney Kolodziej/Maxime Deschamps

ICE DANCE
Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier
Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir
Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje
Alternate 1 – Carolane Soucisse/Shane Firus
Alternate 2 – Sarah Arnold/Thomas Williams
Alternate 3 – Haley Sales/Nikolas Wamsteeker

2018 ISU FOUR CONTINENTS FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Taipei City, Chinese Taipei – January 22-27, 2018

MEN
Elladj Balde
Nam Nguyen
Kevin Reynolds
Alternate 1 – Roman Sadovsky
Alternate 2 – Liam Firus
Alternate 3 – Nicolas Nadeau

WOMEN
Alaine Chartrand
Michelle Long
Alicia Pineault
Alternate 1 – Sarah Tamura
Alternate 2 – Emy Decelles

PAIR
Lubov Ilyushechkina/Dylan Moscovitch
Sydney Kolodziej/Maxime Deschamps
Camille Ruest/Drew Wolfe

ICE DANCE
Sarah Arnold/Thomas Williams
Haley Sales/Nikolas Wamsteeker
Carolane Soucisse/Shane Firus
Alternate 1 – Molly Lanaghan/Dmitre Razgulajevs

2018 ISU JUNIOR WORLD FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Sofia, Bulgaria – March 5-11, 2018
MEN
Conrad Orzel
Joseph Phan
Alternate 1 – Corey Circelli
Alternate 2 – Eric Liu

WOMEN
Aurora Cotop
Alternate 1 – Alison Schumacher
Alternate 2 – Olivia Gran

PAIR
Lori-Ann Matte/Thierry Ferland
Evelyn Walsh/Trennt Michaud
Alternate 1 – Gabrielle Levesque/Pier-Alexandre Hudon
Alternate 2 – Chloe Choinard/Mathieu Ostiguy
Alternate 3 – Chloe Panetta/Steven Lapointe

ICE DANCE
Marjorie Lajoie/Zachary Lagha
Olivia McIsaac/Elliott Graham
Alternate 1 – Ashlynne Stairs/Lee Royer
Alternate 2 – Ellie Fisher/Simon-Pierre Malette-Paquette

Chan’s 10th title caps a big night for veterans at 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

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VANCOUVER – Three-time world champion Patrick Chan won a record 10th Canadian men’s singles title on Saturday to conclude the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships.

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir notched an eighth ice dancing crown and it was number-seven for Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford in pairs. Gabrielle Daleman celebrated her 20th birthday with the women’s title.

Chan placed first in both the short and long programs for 272.24 points. Keegan Messing of Sherwood Park, Alta., took the silver at 259.25 and Nam Nguyen of Toronto was third at 258.16.

‘’I would have loved to have landed and nailed every single jump,’’ said Chan. ‘’But I did what I had to do. I had a lot of my own demons to battle and I was able to accomplish a big goal and a big step forward.’’

Messing said he was charged up after Elladj Baldé’s stirring performance just before him. Baldé was fourth.

‘’This means everything to me,’’ said Messing. ‘’Every day of hard work, every day I didn’t want to skate that I pushed through. I took every hard fall and kept pushing my body what I felt like was extreme.

‘’I did it.’’

Nguyen produced the second best free skate of the night to move from fifth.

‘’Today was really special for me’’ he said. ‘’I felt relieved after skating. It’s been a tough year. It’s kind of taken it’s toll on me and it’s been hard to skate through those hard days.’’

Duhamel and Radford won the pairs event with 234.55 returning to their Adele soundtrack from two years ago.  Julianne Séguin of Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau of Trois-Pistoles, Que., followed at 213.00 and Kirsten Moore-Towers of St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont. were third at 209.85.

‘’The short and long programs we did here are two of the best we’ve done in a long time,’’ said Duhamel, from Lively, Ont. ‘’But we’re still fine-tuning what we need to do for the Olympics. We’re in a good place. We feel more confident than we have throughout the season.’’

Séguin and Bilodeau missed last year’s nationals due to injury. They also produced their best performance of the season.

‘’We were second two years ago so we’re really happy to get back to that position,’’ said Bilodeau. ‘’What happened last year helped us so much today. We’ve learned a lot from all the things we dealt with.’’

After a slow start, Moore-Towers and Marinaro soared to the finish to maintain third position.

‘’It started out a little rough,’’ said Moore-Towers. ‘’Our jump series was not very good at all. Personally I’m much more comfortable with the second half of our program. When we get to that death spiral in the middle we can kind of breathe, take it down and segue-way into our last half.’’

In ice dancing, Virtue and Moir totalled a whopping 209.82 points. Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Toronto hung on to second spot at 192.08 while Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont., climbed to the all important third spot at 191.09.

‘’We were trying to feel the program rather than approach it so technically,’’ said Virtue, from London, Ont. ‘’Most of the season we were trying to squeeze every point out and sometimes that can be all consuming.’’

‘’What a great set-up for the Olympic Games,’’ added Moir, from Ilderton, Ont. ‘’It’s a similar feeling because you got so much pressure. This was a big moment for Tessa and I. We got a lot of support from the Canadian fans and we wanted to make sure we had good performances.’’

A gutsy decision to change their free skate for the nationals paid off for Gilles and Poirier.

‘’It was a bit scary to do a new program at this point in the season,’’ said Poirier. ‘’We’ve had our fair share of doubts throughout the last month. We had to go into this competition confident with what we were doing.’’

A major mistake in the short program had shockingly put Weaver and Poje in fourth heading into the free dance. They received an emotional lift right from their introduction.

‘’We know we have the support from the crowd but it was special today,’’ said Poje. ‘’It created a special moment that we definitely will never forget.’’

In women’s competition, Daleman produced a flawless performance for gold with 229.78. Defending champion Kaetlyn Osmond of Marystown, N.L., took the silver at 218.73.

‘’After I skated that program I couldn’t be more proud of myself,’’ said Daleman. ‘’I’ve had ups and downs through the entire year. This is the way to start 20.’’

Osmond made two jumping errors in her Black Swan routine.

‘’I made silly mistakes again,’’ she said. ‘’It’s probably the most flips I’ve missed in one event so that’s a little frustrating. Still I feel I’m on the right path and I’ll be ready for the Olympics.’’

Larkyn Austman of Coquitlam, B.C., had the skate of her life to climb from sixth to third at 169.62, a performance which may send her to the Olympics next month.

‘’It hasn’t totally hit me yet,’’ she said. ‘’I was just so happy to show what I could do and even prove to myself that I could go out there under incredible pressure and still do what I know I can do.’’

The event was also a qualification for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. The Canadian Olympic Committee and Skate Canada will announce the Canadian figure skating team nominated to compete at the Games on Sunday (January 14) at 11 a.m. (Pacific) at the The Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre in Vancouver.

Battle lines drawn for free skates at 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

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VANCOUVER – Ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, pairs Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, Gabrielle Daleman and Patrick Chan are the leaders after Friday’s short programs at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships.

The event also serves as a qualification event for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

World champions Virtue and Moir once again brought the house down with their rock flavored rhumba number to build a solid first place lead with 85.12 points. Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Toronto are second at 78.37 and Carolane Soucisse of Chateauguay, Que., and Shane Firus of North Vancouver are an unexpected third at 70.97.

‘’We had to fight for it,’’ said Virtue, from London, Ont. ‘’The elements didn’t come easily. It’s a testament to our training that we were able to maintain our composure and execute as well as we did.’’

Moir, from Ilderton, Ont., says their familiarity with one another kicked in.

‘’I felt the same as Tessa,’’ he said. ‘’What kept us together were our cues and being so connected. You want those gritty performances going into an Olympic Games.’’

Gilles and Poirier wanted to produce a cleaner skate than in their last outing at Skate America in November.

‘’We just wanted to come out this time and just enjoy performing it,’’ said Poirier. ‘’That’s what is really going to make this program work.’’

Medal favorites Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont., are fourth at 70.31, Poje made a major error when he stumbled executing a twizzle.

‘’It was kind of deflating,’’ said Poje. ‘’But we are going to treat it as a learning experience and as a jumping off point to come out really strong in the free dance.’’

In women’s competition, Daleman produced a sterling short program which earned her an instant standing ovation for 77.88 points. Defending champion Kaetlyn Osmond of Marystown, N.L., fell on her opening combo and follows at 71.41.

Osmond and Daleman were silver and bronze medallist at the world championships last season and are way ahead of the rest of the field.

Daleman showed no signs she was suffering from pneumonia. She skated with amazing speed going into her opening combo and was perfect on her triple Lutz and double Axel.

‘’If I can do this feeling this crappy, then I can do anything,’’ said Daleman, who turns 20 on Saturday. ‘’I’m just so happy. I couldn’t have asked for a better short program and I’m really excited.’’

Osmond fell on her opening triple toe to botch the combo. However she did her triple Lutz in combination with a double toe.

‘’I’m not overly pleased with it,’’ said Osmond. ‘’I haven’t messed up my toe in the last couple of years so that was frustrating. I was happy I was able to comeback from the fall and focus for the rest of the program.’’

Sarah Tamura of Burnaby, B.C., is currently third at 54.34 but less than three points separates 10th from third.

In pairs, Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford built an impressive lead in their flawless short program totalling 81.78. Julianne Séguin of Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau of Trois-Pistoles, Que., are second at 68.51 just ahead of Kirsten Moore-Towers of St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont., at 68.28.

‘’Overall it was a heartfelt performance,’’ said Duhamel. ‘’We couldn’t have asked for a better emotional interpretation and it was the best we’ve done it this year especially with the stress involved.’’

Séguin fell on the side-by-side jump but that didn’t deter either skater.

‘’This was the first time this year where we were really enjoying the program,’’ said Bilodeau. ‘’In the past competitions we had some problems with the energy so the changes we made for here really worked out.’’

Moore-Towers and Marinaro were also pleased.

‘’We knew this competition would go down to the long program,’’ said Moore-Towers. ‘’We were able to stay in our moment.’’
In men’s competition, Patrick Chan, vying for a record 10th national title, overcame a fall on the quad to stand first with 90.98 points. Kevin Reynolds of Coquitlam, B.C., follows at 86.20 and Keegan Messing of Sherwood Park, Alta., is third at 85.65.

‘’The quad didn’t have as much height and lightness,’’ said Chan, a three-time world champion. “It was a bit of a shock but I got up and recovered nicely. There were nerves but that’s when I can look back on my experience.’’
Reynolds opened with a triple-triple combo and landed a toe quad later in the program as well.

‘’The program was a huge improvement for me and I was really happy with the scores,’’ said Reynolds. ‘’I worked very hard to improve my skating skills and getting those levels. To see that in the marks today I was very pleased.’’

Messing also opened with a triple-triple rather than the planned quad-triple combo.

‘’The skate was great,’’ said Messing. ‘’I wish I had all the technical but I was able to fight through the program and put up as many points as I could. After the mistake, I just wanted to perform for the crowd and give it everything I got.’’

On Thursday night, Olivia Gran of Kelowna, B.C. won the gold medal in junior women’s competition. Sarah-Maude Blanchard of Sherbrooke, Que., took silver just a little over a point behind the winner and Victoria Bocknek of Richmond Hill, Ont., was third.

‘’I had a good morning practice and I was really pumped for the free skate,’’ said Gran. ‘’I wanted to carry that into the program today. It was great to have my family here to watch me compete.’’

Competition ends Saturday with the free skates.

Photo Credit: Greg Kolz/Skate Canada