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Gabrielle Daleman top Canadian at ISU Four Continents

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SEOUL – Canadian champion Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., produced the best international performance of her career on Sunday to finish seventh in women’s competition at the ISU Four Continents figure skating event.

Polina Edmunds of the U.S. soared from fourth after the short program to win the gold medal ahead Japanese skaters Satoko Miyahara in second and Rika Hongo.

The 17-year-old Daleman, a 2014 Olympian, delivered a clean program and earned a personal best international score with 167.09 points. At the end of her free skate, Daleman raised her arms in triumph and added a couple of fist pumps to show she was delighted with the performance.

Alaine Chartrand of Prescott, Ont., was 10th and Veronik Mallet of Sept-Iles, Que., 14th.

Canada ends the competition with two gold medals earned by Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont., in ice dancing and Meagan Duhamel of Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford of Balmertown, Ont. in pairs. Both couples continued undefeated seasons with their wins.

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/fc2015/index.htm

Perfect season continues for Duhamel and Radford

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Duhamel and Radford win gold medal at Four Continents Cup.

SEOUL – Canada’s Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford remained undefeated this season as they won the gold medal in pairs on Saturday at the ISU Four Continents figure skating competition.

Duhamel and Radford produced the best scores in both the short program and free skate to finish with 219.48 points. Three Chinese pairs followed including Cheng Peng and Hao Zhang in second at 201.45 and Qing Pang and Jian Tong in third at 199.99.

‘’I’m really proud we how we handled the pressure,’’ said Radford, from Balmertown, Ont.. ’’We kept it together and still executed a strong performance and what I`m most excited about it that we had such a strong score here and we know we can do that much better. Heading into the world championships we’ll be looking to improve upon that.’’

The Canadians have won their four international assignments so far this season, including the ISU Grand Prix Final, as well as the national title last month.

‘’We’re very proud of our effort here,’’ said Duhamel, from Lively, Ont. ‘’The highlight was landing the throw quad after we had a small mistake on the side-by-side triple Lutz. That’s very difficult to do but we kept our focus and composure and that was very important for the rest of the program.’’

Next assignment for Duhamel and Radford: the world championships in March.

‘’Going into the worlds we’ll be looking to add more sharpness to the technical elements as well as more speed and energy throughout the program,’’ said Duhamel.

Lubov Iliushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch of Toronto were sixth and Kirsten Moore-Towers of St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont., ninth.

In men’s competition, Denis Ten of Kazakhstan took the gold with Joshua Farris of the U.S. second and Han Yan of China third.

Nam Nguyen of Toronto was 11th, Jeremy Ten of Vancouver 12th and Liam Firus of North Vancouver 14th.

Competition ends Sunday with the women’s free skate.

http://www.isuresults.com/results/fc2015/index.htm

Gold for Weaver and Poje at ISU Four Continents

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4Cont-Weaver-Poje-GoldSEOUL – Canadian ice dancers Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje earned one of their most satisfying victories in an undefeated season on Friday at the ISU Four Continents figure skating competition.

The Waterloo, Ont., couple climbed from third after the short dance to top spot totalling 177.46 points for their second career Four Continents title. They edged Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the U.S. in second at 176.18 and another American couple, Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani, third at 170.79.

‘’It wasn’t easy coming from behind, but that’s a position that we’ve been in for seemingly our whole career so it was nothing new to feel like we had to fight for this free dance,’’ said Weaver. ‘’ There is a little bit of extra gusto in there, because the desire to move up and that helped us to perform today.’’

The Canadians skated to “The Four Seasons” and the routine was highlighted by intricate footwork and beautiful lifts. The world silver medalists earned a level four for the twizzles, lifts and the spin while the step sequences garnered a level three. The Canadian champions picked up 109.15 points, just short of their seasons best and totalled 177.46 points.

Since the start of the 2014-15 season, Weaver and Poje have four international victories including the Grand Prix title and also won the national crown last month.

‘’We are building on our success,’’ said Poje. ‘’It’s a good way to end our last competition before the world championships. We’re going to head home with some good feedback. Now we just need to keep working hard to insure we have our strongest performance in Shanghai. ‘’

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Toronto were fourth and Alexandra Paul of Midhurst, Ont., and Mitchell Islam of Barrie, Ont., sixth.

In the women’s short program, Alaine Chartrand of Prescott, Ont., kept herself in medal contention standing sixth at 58.50 less than three points from third place. Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., is sixth and Veronik Mallet of Sept-Iles, Que., 13th.

Competition continues Saturday with the pairs free program featuring Meagan Duhamel of Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford of Balmertown, Ont., who are first after Thursday’s short program. The men’s free is also on Saturday and the women’s free on Sunday.

http://www.isuresults.com/results/fc2015/index.htm

Duhamel and Radford stand first after pairs short program at Four Continents

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SEOUL – Recently crowned Grand Prix champions Meaghan Duhamel of Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford of Balmertown, Ont., are in first place after the pairs short program on Thursday at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.

Duhamel and Radford, bronze medallists at the last two world championships, totalled a season’s best 75.67 points to place ahead of three Chinese pairs. Cheng Peng and Hao Zhang are second at 69.81 and Wenjing Sui and Cong Han third at 69.19. The Canadian also earned their best ever artistic scores internationally for their short program.

“We are really proud of our skate today, it’s an indication of how we train at home,” said Duhamel. “We weren’t 100 percent comfortable at the start but when the music started our training and muscle memory kicked-in. Our artistic score is something we are always striving to improve upon. The best feeling is when you can keep improving as the season goes on. A good long program here will set us up well for the world championships.”

Lubov Iliushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch of Toronto are sixth at 60.13 and Kirsten-Moore Towers of St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont., seventh at 59.30.

The standings are tight in ice dancing after the short dance. American couples stand 1-2 with Madison Chock and Evan Bates first at 70.38 and Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani second at 69.65.

Three Canadian couples follow: Grand Prix champions Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont., are third at 68.31, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Toronto fourth at 63.45 and Alexandra Paul of Midhurst, Ont., and Mitchell Islam of Barrie, Ont., fifth at 61.34.

“We felt great heading into the performance,” said Weaver. “We skated really well. We felt it was our best this season in terms of our interpretation and performance quality but the execution of the levels were not up to par. We’re not worried about our position and feel very confident with our free dance for tomorrow.”

After the short program in men’s competition, Jeremy Ten of Vancouver is eighth, Liam Firus of North Vancouver 11th and Nam Nguyen of Toronto14th.

Competition continues Friday with the free dance and women’s short program.

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/fc2015/index.htm

Canadian team headed to Seoul for 2015 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships

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OTTAWA, ON: Canada will send 12 entries, for a total of 18 athletes, to the 2015 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul, Korea. The event takes place from February 10-15, 2015, at the Mokdong Ice Rink. The Canadian team will have three entries per category in men’s, ladies, pair and ice dance.

Olympic silver medallists (team) Meagan Duhamel, 29, Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford, 30, Balmertown, Ont., lead the Canadian pair entries. The representatives of Walden FSC and CPA Saint-Léonard have won two consecutive bronze medals at this event (2013 and 2014). Duhamel and Radford won gold at both of their grand prix assignments this season, Skate Canada International and the NHK Trophy, and at the ISU Grand Prix Final. The four-time Canadian champions are coached by Richard Gauthier, Bruno Marcotte and Sylvie Fullum at CPA Saint-Léonard.

Also representing Canada in pair, Lubov Ilyushechkina, 23, Moscow, Russia, and Dylan Moscovitch, 30, Toronto, Ont., will be competing at this event for the first time since teaming up in the summer of 2014. This season, the representatives of the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club won gold at the Warsaw Cup and silver at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Ilyusheshkina and Moscovitch are coached by Lee Barkell, Bryce Davison, and Tracy Wilson.

Kirsten Moore-Towers, 22, St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro, 23, Sarnia, Ont., will be the third Canadian entry in pair. Both skaters have competed at this event with previous partners, but this will be their first time competing at this event together since teaming up in June of 2014. This season, the representatives of Kitchener-Waterloo SC and Point Edward SC placed sixth at Skate Canada International, seventh at Trophée Eric Bompard, and fourth at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Moore-Towers and Marinaro are coached by Kristy Wirtz and Kris Wirtz at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club.

World silver medallists Kaitlyn Weaver, 25, Waterloo, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 27, Waterloo, Ont., are the first of three Canadian entries in ice dance. This will be their sixth time competing at this event, previously winning gold in 2010 and bronze in 2012. This season they won gold at Skate Canada International, the NHK Trophy, and the ISU Grand Prix Final. The 2015 Canadian champions representing Sault FSC and Kitchener-Waterloo SC, Weaver and Poje are coached by Pasquale Camerlengo and Angelika Krylova in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Piper Gilles, 23, Toronto, Ont., and Paul Poirier, 23, Unionville, Ont., are the second Canadian entry in ice dance. Last season, they won silver at this event. This season, they captured silver medals at both their grand prix assignments, Skate Canada International and Trophée Eric Bompard, and placed fifth at the ISU Grand Prix Finals. Representing Scarboro FSC, the three-time Canadian medallists are coached by Carol Lane, Juris Razgulajevs, Jon Lane, and Roy Bradshaw at Ice Dance Elite in Scarborough, Ont.

Alexandra Paul, 23, Midhurst, Ont., and Mitchell Islam, 25, Barrie, Ont., will also represent Canada in ice dance. They previously competed at this event in 2012, placing sixth. This season, they placed fifth at the Cup of China, and sixth at Trophée Eric Bompard. Representing the Barrie SC, Paul and Islam train at the Detroit Skating Club with coaches Pasquale Camerlengo, Angelika Krylova, and Natalia Deller.

Newly crowned Canadian champion Nam Nguyen, 16, Toronto, Ont., is the first of three Canadian entries in men’s. Last year, Nguyen placed 10th at this event. This season, he won bronze at Skate America, and placed fourth at the Cup of China. The 2014 world junior champion is coached by Brian Orser and Ernest Pryhitka at the Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club.

Jeremy Ten, 25, Vancouver, B.C., will also represent Canada in men’s. Ten has previously competed at this event in 2009, 2012, and 2014 placing seventh, 14th, and ninth, respectively. This season, the representative of Grandview Skating Club placed eighth at the NHK Trophy and 10th at the Rostelecom Cup. The 2015 Canadian silver medallist is coached by Joanne McLeod and Neil Wilson at the Champs International Skating Centre.

Liam Firus, 22, North Vancouver, B.C., is the third Canadian entry in men’s. This will be his first time competing at this event. This season, the representative of Vancouver SC placed 11th at Skate Canada International and won the bronze medal at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Firus is coached by Christy Krall in Colorado Springs, CO, USA.

In ladies, 2015 Canadian champion Gabrielle Daleman, 17, Newmarket, Ont., is one of three Canadian entries. This will be her first time competing at this event. This season, the representative of Richmond Hill FSC placed fifth at the Cup of China, and sixth at the NHK Trophy. Daleman is coached by Andrei Berezintsev and Inga Zusev and trains at the Richmond Training Centre in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Alaine Chartrand, 18, Prescott, Ont., will also represent Canada in the ladies category. Last year, she placed seventh at this event. Earlier this season, she won bronze at the Rostelecom Cup, and placed seventh at Skate Canada International. Most recently, she won silver at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Chartrand is coached by Michelle Leigh and represents the Nepean Skating Club.

Véronik Mallet, 20, Sept-Îles, Que., rounds out the Canadian entries in the ladies division. Last season, she placed 13th at this event. This season, the representative of CPA Sept-Îles placed 10th at both of her Grand Prix assignments, Skate Canada International and Trophée Eric Bompard. Mallet is coached by Annie Barabé and Maximin Coïa at CTC Contrecoeur.

Skate Canada High Performance Director Mike Slipchuk will be onsite with the Canadian team. Petra Burka of Toronto, Ont., and Cynthia Ullmark of Canmore, Alta., will be the team leaders for this event. Dr. Ed Pilat of Winnipeg, Man., will be the Canadian team doctor and Josiane Roberge of Sillery Que., will be the team physiotherapist.

Canadian officials at the event are Susan Blatz of Burlington, Ont., Janice Hunter of West Vancouver, B.C., Karen Butcher of Greely, Ont., and Leanna Caron of Timmins, Ont.

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

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2015 ISU FOUR CONTINENTS FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Mens Nam Nguyen 16 Toronto, Ont. Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club Brian Orser / Ernest Pryhitka
Mens Jeremy Ten 25 Vancouver, B.C. Grandview SC Joanne McLeod / Neil Wilson
Mens Liam Firus 22 North Vancouver, B.C. Vancouver SC Christy Krall
Ladies Gabrielle Daleman 17 Newmarket, Ont. Richmond Hill FSC Andrei Berezintsev / Inga Zusev
Ladies Alaine Chartrand 18 Prescott, Ont. Nepean Skating Club Michelle Leigh
Ladies Véronik Mallet 20 Sept- Îles, Que. CPA Sept-Îles Annie Barabé / Maximin Coïa
Pairs Meagan Duhamel / Eric Radford 29/30 Lively, Ont. / Balmertown, Ont. Walden FSC / CPA Saint-Léonard Richard Gauthier / Bruno Marcotte / Sylvie Fullum
Pairs Lubov Ilyushechkina / Dylan Moscovitch 23/30 Moscow, Russia / Toronto, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club / Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Lee Barkell / Bryce Davison / Tracy Wilson
Pairs Kirsten Moore-Towers / Michael Marinaro 22/23 St. Catharines, Ont. / Sarnia, Ont. Kitchener-Waterloo SC / Point Edward SC Inc. Kristy Wirtz / Kris Wirtz
Ice Dance Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje 25/27 Waterloo, Ont. / Waterloo, Ont. Sault FSC / Kitchener-Waterloo SC Pasquale Camerlengo / Angelika Krylova
Ice Dance Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier 23/23 Toronto, Ont. / Unionville, Ont. Scarboro FSC / Scarboro FSC Carol Lane / Juris Razgulajevs / Roy Bradshaw
Ice dance Alexandra Paul / Mitchell Islam 23/25 Midhurst, Ont. / Barrie, Ont. Barrie SC / Barrie SC Pasquale Camerlengo / Angelika Krylova / Natalia Deller

Skate Canada names teams for ISU Junior and Senior Worlds and Four Continents

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KINGSTON, ON – At the conclusion of the highly successful 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships Skate Canada named the teams for three upcoming ISU Championships.

ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships – Seoul, Korea – February 9 – 15, 2015

Men
Nam Nguyen, 16, Toronto, Ont.
Jeremy Ten, 25, Vancouver, B.C.
Liam Firus, 22, North Vancouver, B.C

Ladies
Gabrielle Daleman, 17, Newmarket, Ont.
Alaine Chartrand, 18, Prescott, Ont.
Véronik Mallet, 20, Sept-Îles, Que.,

Ice Dance
Kaitlyn Weaver, 25, Waterloo, Ont. / Andrew Poje, 27, Waterloo, Ont.
Piper Gilles, 23, Toronto, Ont. /Paul Poirier, 23, Unionville, Ont.
Alexandra Paul, 23, Midhurst, Ont. / Mitchell Islam, 24, Barrie, Ont.

Pair
Meagan Duhamel, 29, Lively, Ont. / Eric Radford, 29 Balmertown, Ont.
Lubov Ilyushechkina, 23, Moscow, Russia, Dylan Moscovitch, 30, Toronto, Ont.
Kirsten Moore-Towers, 22, St. Catharines, Ont. / Michael Marinaro, 23, Sarnia, Ont.

ISU Junior World Figure Skating Championships – Tallinn, Estonia – March 2-8, 2015

Men
Roman Sadovsky, 15, Vaughan, Ont.
Nicolas Nadeau, 17, Boisbriand, Que.

Ladies
Selena Zhao, 16, Varennes, Que. – Colorado Springs, USA
Kim DeGuise-Léveillée, 16, Sorel-Tracy, Que

Ice Dance
Mackenzie Bent, 17, Uxbridge, Ont./ Garrett MacKeen, 20, Oshawa, Ont.
Madeline Edwards, 18, Port Moody, B.C./ ZhaoKai Pang, 19, Burnaby, B.C.

Pair
Julianne Séguin, 18, Longueuil, Que. / Charlie Bilodeau, 21, Trois-Pistoles, Que.
Mary Orr, 18, Brantford, Ont. / Phelan Simpson, 18, Lunenburg, N.S.,
Shalena Rau, 15, Waterloo, Ont. / Sébastien Arcieri, 20, Montreal, Que.

ISU World Figure Skating Championships – Shanghai, China – March 23-29, 2015

Men
Nam Nguyen, 16, Toronto, Ont.
Jeremy Ten, 25, Vancouver, B.C.

Ladies
Gabrielle Daleman, 17, Newmarket, Ont.
Alaine Chartrand, 18, Prescott, Ont.

Ice Dance
Kaitlyn Weaver, 25, Waterloo, Ont. / Andrew Poje, 27, Waterloo, Ont.
Piper Gilles, 23, Toronto, Ont. /Paul Poirier, 23, Unionville, Ont.
Alexandra Paul, 23, Midhurst, Ont. / Mitchell Islam, 24, Barrie, Ont.

Pair
Meagan Duhamel, 29, Lively, Ont. / Eric Radford, 29 Balmertown, Ont.
Lubov Ilyushechkina, 23, Moscow, Russia, Dylan Moscovitch, 30, Toronto, Ont.
Julianne Séguin, 18, Longueuil, Que. / Charlie Bilodeau, 21, Trois-Pistoles, Quebec