Canadian Team Converging in East for 2013 Skate Canada International

OTTAWA, ON: Eighteen of Canada’s elite figure skaters will be heading to Saint John, New Brunswick to compete against many of the world’s best figure skaters at the 2013 Skate Canada International. The event takes place October 25-27, 2013, at the Harbour Station.

Skate Canada International is the second of six competitions on the International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating circuit, which qualifies skaters for the ISU Grand Prix Final, taking place December 5-8 in Fukuoka, Japan. This year’s edition of Skate Canada International features many skaters hoping to compete at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

Three-time and reigning World Champion Patrick Chan, 22, Toronto, Ont., is the first of three Canadian entries in men’s. Chan, who represents the Granite Club, has won this event three times previously. Last season, he won silver at Skate Canada International, gold at Rostelecom Cup, and bronze at the ISU Grand Prix Final. He is coached by Kathy Johnson and trains at the Detroit Skating Club.

Canadian bronze medallist Andrei Rogozine, 20, Richmond Hill, Ont., will also represent Canada in men’s. Rogozine previously competed at this event in 2011, placing seventh. The 2011 World Junior Champion placed 10th at the 2013 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships and 13th at the 2013 ISU World Figure Skating Championships last season. He is coached by Inga Zusev and Andrei Berezintsev and trains at the Richmond Hill Figure Skating Club.

Representing Club de Patinage des Deux-Rives and competing in the men’s division is Elladj Baldé, 22, Pierrefonds, Que. He finished 10th at this event in 2011, and seventh in 2012. Last season, Baldé placed fourth at the 2013 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, and 18th at the 2013 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. He trains out of the Detroit Skating Club with coaches Yuka Sato and Jason Dungjen.

Canadian champion Kaetlyn Osmond, 17, Marystown, Nfld. & Sherwood Park, Alta., will be returning to defend her title at Skate Canada International. Last season, she won gold at Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany, placed seventh at the 2013 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, and placed eighth the 2013 ISU World Figure Skating Championships. Osmond is coached by Ravi Walia and represents the Ice Palace Figure Skating Club.

Amélie Lacoste, 24, Delson, Que., will also represent Canada in the ladies category. Lacoste has competed at this event four times, winning bronze in 2010. Representing CPA du Roussillon, she is the 2012 Canadian Champion. Last season, she placed eighth at Skate Canada International, sixth at the Cup of China, and ninth at the 2013 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. Lacoste is coached by Christy Krall in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Veronik Mallet, 19, Sept-Îles, Que., is the third Canadian entry in ladies. Earlier this season, she placed fourth at Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany. Last season, the representative of CPA Sept-Îles placed fifth at the 2013 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Mallet is coached by Annie Barabé and Sophie Richard at CTC Contrecoeur.

World bronze medalists and two-time defending Canadian champions Meagan Duhamel, 27, Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford, 28, Balmertown, Ont., are one of three Canadian entries in pair. This will be their fourth time competing at this event, having won bronze in 2011 and silver in 2012. Representing Walden FSC and CPA St. Léonard, Duhamel and Radford won gold at the 2013 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. They are coached by Richard Gauthier and Bruno Marcotte at CPA Saint-Léonard.

Paige Lawrence, 23, Kennedy, Sask., and Rudi Swiegers, 26, Kipling, Sask., are the second entry in pair for Canada. Lawrence and Swiegers have competed at this event three times previously, winning bronze in 2010. The 2013 Canadian bronze medalists both represent Wawota FSC. Last season, they placed fourth at Skate Canada International and the Cup of Russia, as well as sixth at the 2013 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. Lawrence and Swiegers train in Melville, Sask., and Virden, Man., and are coached by Patricia Hole and Lyndon Johnston.

Margaret Purdy, 18, Strathroy, Ont., and Michael Marinaro, 21, Sarnia, Ont., will round out the Canadian pair entries. Representing Watford FSC and Point Edward SC, the pair placed eighth last week at the 2013 Skate America. Last season, Purdy and Marinaro won silver at the 2013 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships, and placed fifth at the 2013 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. They are coached by Scott Rachuk and Alison Purkiss at the Competitive Skating Centre of Strathroy.

Ice dancers Tessa Virtue, 24, London, Ont., and Scott Moir, 26, Ilderton, Ont., are four-time Skate Canada International Champions, winning the title most recently in 2012. The 2010 Olympic Champions won silver last season at the 2013 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, 2013 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, and 2012 Grand Prix Final. Representing Ilderton SC, Virtue and Moir are five-time Canadian Champions. They are coached by Marina Zoueva, Johnny Johns, and Oleg Epstein at Artic Edge Ice Arena in Canton, Michigan.

Kaitlyn Weaver, 24, Waterloo, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 26, Waterloo, Ont., will also represent Canada in ice dance. Last season, Weaver and Poje placed fifth at the 2013 ISU World Figure Skating Championships. They also won bronze at both of their assignments on the ISU Grand Prix circuit, Cup of China and Skate America. The duo representing Sault FSC and Kitchener-Waterloo SC won silver at their first event this season, the 2013 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. They are coached by Pasquale Camerlengo and Angelika Krylova in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Alexandra Paul, 22, Barrie, Ont., and Mitchell Islam, 23, Barrie, Ont., are the third Canadian entry in the ice dance category. The representatives of Barrie SC previously competed at this event in 2010, placing fourth. Last season, Paul and Islam placed fourth at the 2013 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. They began this season with a bronze medal at the Nebelhorn trophy in Germany. Paul and Islam train at the Detroit Skating Club under coaches Pasquale Camerlengo, Angelika Krylova, and Massimo Scali.

The team leaders for this event are Petra Burka of Toronto, Ont., and Carolyn Allwright of Kitchener, Ont. Dr. Marni Wesner of Edmonton, Alta., and physiotherapist Cathy Striowski of Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian medical staff. Canadian officials at the event are Karen Butcher of Greely, Ont., Beth Crane of Burnaby, B.C., and Benoît Lavoie of Baie St-Paul, Que.

Tickets are still available for the event and can be purchased online at http://www.harbourstation.ca/, by phone at 1.800.267.2800, or in person at the Harbour Station Box Office.