2014-2015 Skating Season Kicks Off with ISU Junior Grand Prix Courchevel

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send eight skaters, for a total of six entries to Courchevel, France, for the first stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating. Canada will have two entries in men’s, ladies, and ice dance (there is no pair event), at the competition which will run from August 20-24, 2014.

World junior bronze medalists Madeline Edwards, 18, Port Moody, B.C., and ZhaoKai Pang, 19, Burnaby, B.C., are the first of two teams representing Canada in ice dance. Last season, they won silver at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Mexico, and bronze at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in the Czech Republic, and placed seventh at the 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in the senior category. The representatives of Burnaby FSC are coached by Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe at the BC Centre of Excellence.

Melinda Meng, 15, Montreal, Que., and Andrew Meng, 17, Montreal, Que., are the second Canadian entry in ice dance. Representing CPA Laval, the Mengs won silver at the 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in the junior category, and placed eighth at their ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment last season in Poland. The Mengs are coached by Shawn Winter in Pierrefonds, Que.

Bennet Toman, 17, St. Lazare, Que., is one of two Canadian entries in men’s. This is his first international assignment. Representing CPA Vaudreuil, Toman is the 2014 Canadian junior silver medalist. He is coached by Robert O’Toole at the Canadian Ice Academy.

Daniel-Olivier Boulanger-Trottier, 18, Montreal, Que., the second Canadian entry in men’s, will also be competing at his first international assignment. Last season, the representative of CPA Ste-Anne-des-Plaines placed fifth at the 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in the junior category. Boulanger-Trottier is coached by Yvan Desjardins and Violaine Émard at CPA Rosemère.

Larkyn Austman, 16, Coquitlam, B.C., will represent Canada in the ladies division. Last season, she finished eighth at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Estonia, 10th in the senior category at the 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, and 16th at the 2014 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships. She is coached by Heather Austman and Eileen Murphy at the Connaught Skating Club in B.C.

Roxanne Cournoyer, 17, Sorel-Tracy, Que., will also represent Canada in the ladies division. From CPA Sorel, Cournoyer placed 20th at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Slovakia, and ninth in the senior category at the 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships last season. She is coached by Annie Barabé and Sophie Richard at CTC Contrecoeur.

Mike Slipchuk, Skate Canada High Performance Director, will be the Canadian team leader, and physiotherapist Paige Larson of North Vancouver, B.C., will also accompany the team. Susan Blatz of Troy, Ont., and Veronique Gosselin of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

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

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT ISU JGP #1 – Courchevel, France

DISCIPLINE NAME AGE HOMETOWN CLUB COACH
Men’s Bennet Toman 17 St. Lazare, Que. CPA Vaudreuil Robert O’Toole
Men’s Daniel-Olivier Boulanger-Trottier 18 Montreal, Que. CPA Rosemère Yvan Desjardins / Violaine Émard
Ladies Larkyn Austman 16 Coquitlam, B.C. Connaught SC Heather Austman / Eileen Murphy
Ladies Roxanne Cournoyer 17 Sorel-Tracy, Que. CPA Sorel Annie Barabé / Sophie Richard
Ice dance Madeline Edwards / ZhaoKai Pang 18/19 Port Moody, B.C. / Burnaby, B.C. Inlet SC / Inlet SC Megan Wing / Aaron Lowe
Ice Dance Melinda Meng / Andrew Meng 15/17 Montreal, Que. / Montreal, Que. CPA Laval / CPA Laval Shawn Winter
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