International skaters en route to Montreal for 2017 Autumn Classic International

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send 17 entries, for a total of 22 skaters to the fourth annual Skate Canada Autumn Classic International (#ACI17). Canada will have 11 entries at the senior level including three entries per discipline in men’s, ladies and ice dance, and two entries in pairs. Canada will also have six entries in the junior category of the event: three in men’s and three in ladies. The third event on the 2017 ISU Challenger Series runs from September 20-23, 2017, at the Sportplexe Pierrefonds in Montreal, Que.

The competition lineup will feature past and current world medallists including: Yuzuru Hanyu, Javier Fernandez, Kaetlyn Osmond, Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, and Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje.

Canadian bronze medallist Nam Nguyen, 19, Toronto, Ont., is one of three Canadian men’s entries. Nguyen won the silver medal at this event in both 2014 and 2015. Last season, he placed fifth at the 2016 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, sixth at Skate America, eighth at the NHK Trophy, and eighth at the Four Continents Championships. He is coached by Tracey Wainman and Gregor Filipowski in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Keegan Messing, 25, Girdwood, Alaska, USA, is the second Canadian entry in men’s. Last season, Messing placed fourth at this event. He also won the bronze medal at the Golden Spin of Zagreb and placed fifth at the 2017 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. He is coached by Ralph Burghart in Anchorage, Alaska, USA.

Elladj Baldé, 26, Montreal, Que., rounds out the Canadian men entries. Last season, he placed eighth at the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, sixth at the Rostelecom Cup, 10th at the NHK Trophy, and sixth at the 2017 Canadian championships. Baldé trains in Montreal, Que., under his coach Bruno Marcotte.

World silver medallist Kaetlyn Osmond, 21, Marystown, Nfld./Edmonton, Alta., is the first of three Canadians in the ladies category. Last season, Osmond won gold at the Finlandia Trophy, silver at both Skate Canada International and the Cup of China, and placed fourth at both the ISU Grand Prix Final and the ISU Four Continents Championships. The three-time Canadian champion is coached by Ravi Walia in Edmonton, Alta.

Canadian bronze medallist Alaine Chartrand, 21, Prescott, Ont., is the second Canadian entry in the ladies category. Chartrand is the defending silver medallist at this event. Last season, she placed fifth at Skate Canada International, 10th at the NHK Trophy, 11th at the ISU Four Continents Championships and won bronze at the Canadian championships. Chartrand is coached by Michelle Leigh.

Sarah Tamura, 16, Burnaby, B.C., is the third Canadian entry in ladies. Last season, Tamura placed eighth at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Slovenia and sixth in Germany, won the junior competition at the Bavarian Open, placed 17th at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships and placed fifth in the senior level at the 2017 Canadian championships. Tamura is coached by Joanne McLeod in Burnaby, B.C.

Two-time world champions Meagan Duhamel, 31, Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford, 32, Balmertown, Ont., are one of three Canadian entries in the pairs discipline. They previously competed at this event in 2014 and 2015, winning on both occasions. Last season, Duhamel and Radford won gold at the Finlandia Trophy, Skate Canada International and the NHK Trophy, won bronze at the ISU Grand Prix Final, won silver at the ISU Four Continents Championships and placed seventh at the world championships. The six-time consecutive Canadian champions are coached by Bruno Marcotte in St.Leonard, Que.

Julianne Séguin, 20, Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau, 24, Trois-Pistoles, Que., will also represent Canada in pairs. They are the defending champions at this event. Last season, the pair also won gold at Skate America, placed fifth at both the Rostelecom Cup and the ISU Grand Prix Final, and placed 11th at the world championships. Séguin and Bilodeau are coached by Josée Picard in Chambly, Que.

Olympic and world champions Tessa Virtue, 28, London, Ont., and Scott Moir, 30, Ilderton, Ont., will be the first of three Canadian entries in ice dance. They are the defending champions at this event. Last season, Virtue and Moir won gold at each of their events: Autumn Classic International, Skate Canada International, NHK Trophy, ISU Grand Prix Final, ISU Four Continents Championships, and added their third world title. The seven-time Canadian champions are coached by Marie-France Dubreuil,Patrice Lauzon and Romain Haguenauer in Montreal, Que.

Two-time world medallists Kaitlyn Weaver, 28, Toronto, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 30, Waterloo, Ont., are the second Canadian entry in ice dance. Last season, Weaver and Poje won the bronze medal at the Rostelecom Cup, silver at the Cup of China, placed fifth at the ISU Four Continents Championships and placed fourth at the world championships. The 2017 Canadian silver medallists are coached by Nikolai Morozov and train in Hackensack, NJ, USA.

Piper Gilles, 25, Toronto, Ont., and Paul Poirier, 25, Unionville, Ont., are the third Canadian entry in ice dance. They previously competed at this event in 2014, winning silver. Last season, Gilles and Poirier won the bronze medal at the Nebelhorn Trophy, Skate Canada International, and Trophée de France, placed sixth at the ISU Four Continents Championships and placed eighth at the world championships. The 2017 Canadian bronze medallists are coached by Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs in Scarborough, Ont.

Junior Entries

Eric Liu, 16, Edmonton, Alta., will represent Canada in the junior men category. Last season, Liu placed 15th at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in France and 14th in Japan. Liu is coached by Ravi Walia at Ice Palace FSC.

Iliya Kovler, 14, Richmond Hill, Ont., is the second Canadian entry in the junior men category. Kovler won the bronze medal in the junior category at this event last season. Last season, he also placed 19th at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Germany and fifth in junior at the 2017 Canadian championships. He is coached by Andrei Berezintsev in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Beresford Clements, 15, Gibsons, B.C., is the third Canadian entry in junior men. This will be his first international assignment. Last season, he placed fifth in the novice category at the Canadian championships. He is coached by Joanne McLeod in Burnaby, B.C.

Lissa Anne McGaghey, 17, Campbellton, N.B., is the first of three Canadian entries in junior ladies. Last year, she placed seventh in the junior category at this event. McGaghey also placed sixth in the junior women’s category at the 2017 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. McGaghey is coached by Stéphane Yvars in Boucherville, Que.

Hannah Dawson, 16, Johnstown, Ont., will also represent Canada in junior ladies. This will be her first international assignment in singles. Last season, she placed eighth in the junior women’s category at the 2017 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Dawson is coached by Annie Barabé in Varennes, Que.

Canadian novice silver medallist Emma Bulawka, 14, West Kelowna, B.C., is the final Canadian entry in junior ladies. This will be her first international assignment. Bulawka is coached by Karen and Jason Mongrain in Kelowna, B.C.

Carolyn Allwright of Waterloo, Ont., and David Schultz of Regina, Sask., will be the Canadian team leaders onsite. Dr. Daphne Anderson of Calgary, Alta., and physiotherapist Sylvia Ciurysek of Berwyn, Alta., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Leanna Caron of Timmins, Ont., Nicole Leblanc-Richard of Dieppe, N.B., Lynne Dey of Edmonton, Alta., and Beth Crane of Burnaby, B.C., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

The event will be live streamed on Skate Canada’s Dailymotion page.

For more information and full entries please visit the Skate Canada website.

CANADIAN SENIOR ENTRIES AT 2017 AUTUMN CLASSIC INTERNATIONAL

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men Nam Nguyen 19 Toronto, Ont. York Region Skating Academy WC Tracey Wainman/ Gregor Filipowski
Men Keegan Messing 25 Girdwood, Alaska, USA Sherwood Park FSC Ralph Burghart
Men Elladj Baldé 26 Montreal, Que. CPA Anjou Kinsmen Bruno Marcotte
Ladies Kaetlyn Osmond 21 Marystown, Nfld. & Edmonton, Alta. Ice Palace FSC Ravi Walia
Ladies Alaine Chartrand 21 Prescott, Ont. Nepean Skating Club Michelle Leigh
Ladies Sarah Tamura 16 Burnaby, B.C. Champs International SC Joanne McLeod
Pairs Meagan Duhamel / Eric Radford 31/32 Lively, Ont. / Balmertown, Ont. CPA Saint-Léonard / CPA Saint-Léonard Bruno Marcotte
Pairs Julianne Séguin / Charlie Bilodeau 20/24 Longueuil, Que. / Trois-Pistoles, Que. CPA Longueuil / CPA Chambly Josée Picard
Ice Dance Tessa Virtue / Scott Moir 28/30 London, Ont. / Ilderton, Ont. Regroupement élite de patinage artistique de Montréal / Regroupement élite de patinage artistique de Montréal Marie-France Dubreuil / Patrice Lauzon / Romain Haguenauer
Ice Dance Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje 28/30 Toronto, Ont. / Waterloo, Ont. Sault FSC / Kitchener-Waterloo SC Nikolai Morozov
Ice Dance Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier 25/25 Toronto, Ont. / Unionville, Ont. Scarboro FSC / Scarboro FSC Carol Lane / Juris Razgulajevs

CANADIAN JUNIOR ENTRIES AT 2017 AUTUMN CLASSIC INTERNATIONAL

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men Eric Liu 16 Edmonton, Alta. Ice Palace FSC Ravi Walia
Men Iliya Kovler 14 Richmond Hill, Ont. Richmond Hill FSC Andrei Berezintsev
Men Beresford Clements 15 Gibsons, B.C. Champs International SC Joanne McLeod
Ladies Lissa Anne McGaghey 17 Campbellton, N.B. Campbellton FSC Stéphane Yvars
Ladies Hannah Dawson 16 Johnstown, Ont. CPA Hawkesbury FSC Annie Barabé
Ladies Emma Bulawka 14 West Kelowna, B.C. Kelowna FSC Karen Mongrain / Jason Mongrain
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