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Heartbreak for Bent and MacKeen at world juniors

TALLIN, Estonia – Mackenzie Bent of Uxbridge, Ont., and Garrett MacKeen of Oshawa, Ont., took fifth spot in ice dancing on Saturday at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Anna Yanovskaya and Sergey Mozgov of Russia won the gold medal, Lorraine McNamara and Quinn Carpenter of the U.S. were second and Alexandra Nazarova and Maxim Nikitin of Ukraine third.

Bent and MacKeen were second after Thursday’s short dance and appeared in contention for a medal until with seconds left in their free dance, MacKeen slipped and fell on both knees causing a major point deduction. Their free dance was ranked eighth.

Madeline Edwards of Port Moody, B.C., and ZhaoKai Pang of Burnaby, B.C., remained sixth despite posting the fourth best free dance.

In men’s competition, Shoma Uno of Japan took the gold with Boyang Jin of China second and Sota Yamamoto of Japan third.

Roman Sadovsky of Vaughan, Ont., was 14th.

Canada ends the competition with one silver earned by Julianne Séguin of Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau of Trois-Pistoles, Que., in pairs on Thursday.

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/wjc2015/index.htm

Roman Sadovsky advances to men’s free skate at world juniors

TALLIN, Estonia – Roman Sadovsky of Vaughan, Ont., was 13th in the men’s short program on Friday to advance to free skate at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Shoma Uno of Japan is in first place with Adian Pitkeev and Alexandre Petrov, both of Russia, second and third.

Sadovsky, 15 and already competing at his second world juniors, was 13th last year and stands 13th as well after the short program nearing his personal best with 66.36 points. This season he won a Junior Grand Prix event and was also fourth and fifth at two others. He was fourth in the senior men’s event at nationals in January.

Nicolas Nadeau of Boisbriand, Que., missed qualifying for the free skate by one spot placing 25th.

Competition ends Saturday with the men’s free skate and the free dance featuring Mackenzie Bent of Uxbridge, Ont., and Garrett MacKeen of Oshawa, Ont., who stand second after Thursday’s short dance.

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/wjc2015/index.htm

Canada’s Seguin and Bilodeau win silver at ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships

TALLIN, Estonia – Canada’s Julianne Seguin and Charlie Bilodeau won the silver medal in pairs on Thursday at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Xiaoyu Yu and Yang Jin of China successfully defended their world junior crown with 178.79 points. The Canadians followed with a personal best 176.32 and Lina Fedorova and Maxim Miroshkin of Russia were third at 154.33.

‘’We came out here and did what we had to do and it is a very satisfying performance,’’ said Séguin, from Longueuil, Que. ‘’We are proud of ourselves.’’

Séguin and Bilodeau will also compete at the world seniors-set for later this month in Shanghai. They’ve had a super season winning their three ISU Junior Grand Prix assignments including the Final in December and placing third in senior pairs at nationals in January.

In their skate to “In Your Eyes” and “Wallflower” by Peter Gabriel, Seguin and Bilodeau produced a side by side triple Salchow, double Axel-double toe combination, throw triple Salchow and toeloop as well as six level-four elements.

‘’This is a marvelous end to our junior season,’’ said Bilodeau from Trois-Pistoles, Que. ‘’The go out there at every event and deliver clean performances was a big thrill for us

Shalena Rau of Waterloo, Ont., and Sébastian Arcieri of Montreal were ninth and Mary Orr of Brantford, Ont., and Phelan Simpson of Lunenberg, N.S., 10th.

Canada appears on track for another medal in ice dancing. Mackenzie Bent of Uxbridge, Ont., and Garrett MacKeen of Oshawa, Ont., are in second spot after the short dance with 61.09 points, also a personal best. Anna Yanovskaya and Sergey Mozgov of Russia hold a slight lead at 62.22 and Lorraine McNamara and Quinn Carpenter of the U.S., are third at 59.10.

Bent and Mackeen’s smooth dance to “Vida Loca” and “Straight to Memphis” was highlighted by precise footwork and a straight line lift. The Canadians picked up a level four for the lift, the twizzles and both Samba sequences.

“The skate – we couldn’t have asked for much more”, Bent commented. “For us, this season was just a bunch of different stepping stones. Our first Junior Grand Prix Final, was also a big learning lesson and as well senior nationals which was a big part of this season.

Madeline Edwards of Port Moody, B.C., and ZhaoKai Pang of Burnaby, B.C., are sixth at 52.34.

Competition continues Friday with the women’s free skate and men’s short program. The free dance is Saturday.

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/wjc2015/index.htm

Séguin and Bilodeau stand second after personal best short program at world juniors

TALLIN, Estonia – Canadians Julianne Séguin and Charlie Bilodeau are in second spot after Wednesday’s pairs short program at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Defending champion Xiaoyu Yu and Yang Jin of China lead with 62.56 points, the Canadians follow at 61.32 – a personal best score – and Lina Fedorova and Maxim Miroshkin of Russia are third at 58.27. The Canadians are undefeated internationally this season winning their three Junior Grand Prix assignments including the Fiinal.

Performing to “The Grand Hotel Budapest” soundtrack, Seguin and Bilodeau landed a well synchronized side by side double Lutz, triple twist and also earned a level four for five elements.

“We reached 60 points and that was a nice goal to achieve”, said Seguin of Longueuil, Que., who joined forces with Bilodeau, from Trois-Pistoles, Que., last season. ‘We want to approach the free skate the same way and not worry about our opponents.’’

Shalena Rau of Waterloo, Ont., and Sébastian Arcieri of Montreal are eighth and Mary Orr of Brantford, Ont., and Phelan Simpson of Lunenberg, N.S., 11th.

In the women’s short program, Selena Zhao of Varennes, Que., and Kim Deguise-Léveillée of Sorel-Tracy, Que., did not crack the top-24 to advance to the free skate.

Competition continues Thursday featuring the pairs final.

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/wjc2015/index.htm

Canadian Juniors head to Estonia for the 2015 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send nine entries to the 2015 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships this week from March 2-8 in Tallinn, Estonia. The fourteen person Canadian team will compete in all four disciplines: men’s, ladies, pair and ice dance. Competition begins Wednesday with the ladies and pair short programs.

Roman Sadovsky, 15, Vaughan, Ont., placed fourth at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in senior men’s. He competed on the ISU Junior Grand Prix Circuit winning gold in Czech Republic and then placing fourth in Germany. He qualified for the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final, placing fifth. This will be his second trip to the world juniors; in 2014 he placed 13th. Sadovsky is coached by Tracey Wainman and Gregor Filipowski at the YSRA Winter Club.

Nicolas Nadeau, 17, Boisbriand, Que., is the 2015 Canadian Junior Champion, having won the title earlier this year in Kingston, Ont. Nadeau placed fifth and 10th at his ISU Junior Grand Prix assignments in Japan and Croatia. Training at the École Excellence Rosemère he is coached by Yvan Desjardins.

Selena Zhao, 16, Varennes, Que., – Colorado Springs, USA., will be one of two entries in the ladies category. Zhao won the Canadian junior title in January and place 10th and ninth at her junior grand prix events this season in Slovenia and Germany. She is coached by Christy Krall and Damon Allen in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Kim DeGuise-Léveillée, 17, Sorel-Tracy, Que., competed in senior at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships and placed fifth. Previously this season she placed eighth and 10th on the junior grand prix circuit in Czech Republic and Germany. DeGuise-Léveillée is coached by Josée Picard and Marc-André Craig in Chambly, Que.

Ice dancers Mackenzie Bent, 17, Uxbridge, Ont., and Garrett MacKeen, 20, Oshawa, Ont., will make their second trip to this event, having placed 12th is 2014. Bent and MacKeen won gold and silver on the junior grand prix circuit in Czech Republic and Estonia, which qualified them for the Final, where they placed fourth. They placed sixth at the national championships this year in senior. Training at Scarboro Ice Dance Elite, they are coached by Juris Razgulajevs and Carol Lane.

The 2014 world junior bronze medallists Madeline Edwards, 18, Port Moody, B.C., and ZhaoKai Pang, 19, Burnaby, B.C., will make their third trip to this event. Their season began at the first ISU Junior Grand Prix event in France with a silver medal performance and then a gold medal in Japan. They qualified for the Final were they placed fifth. At the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships they placed seventh in senior. They are coached by Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe at the Champs International Skating Centre.

In pair Julianne Séguin, 18, Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau, 21, Trois-Pistoles, Que., will compete at the world junior championships for the first time. They have had a successful undefeated season internationally. They won gold at both their junior grand prix assignments in Czech Republic and Germany and then went on to win the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final title. They won the bronze medal in senior at the national championships in January. Séguin and Bilodeau are coached by Josée Picard in Chambly, Que.

Mary Orr, 18, Brantford, Ont., and Phelan Simpson, 19, Lunenburg, N.S., are the 2015 Canadian Junior Pair Champions. This will be their second trip to the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships; they placed sixth in 2014. On the junior grand prix circuit this season, they placed sixth and seventh in Estonia and Croatia. Orr and Simpson train at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club with coaches Kristy Wirtz and Kris Wirtz.

This will be the second international event for Shalena Rau, 15, Waterloo, Ont., and Sebastien Arcieri, 20, Montreal, Que.; they placed seventh at the junior grand prix event in Estonia earlier this season. In January, they won the silver medal at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in junior pair. They are coached by Kristy Wirtz and Kris Wirtz at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club.

Manon Perron of Boucherville, Que., and Scott Rachuk of Strathroy, Ont., will be the Canadian team leaders at the event. Dr. Bob Brock of Toronto, Ont., and physiotherapist Cathy Striowski of Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Nicole Leblanc-Richard of Dieppe, N.B., Jeff Lukasik of Calgary, Alta., and Debbie Islam of Barrie, Ont., are the Canadian officials at the event.

Skate Canada High Performance Director Mike Slipchuk will also be traveling with the team.

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

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT THE 2015 ISU WORLD JUNIOR FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Mens Roman Sadovsky 15 Vaughan, Ont. YRSA Winter Club Tracey Wainman / Gregor Filipowski
Mens Nicolas Nadeau 17 Boisbriand, Que. CPA Boisbriand Yvan Desjardins
Ladies Selena Zhao 16 Varennes, Que. – Colorado Springs, USA CPA Varennes Christy Krall / Damon Allen
Ladies Kim DeGuise-Léveillée 17 Sorel-Tracy, Que. CPA Sorel-Tracy Josée Picard / Marc-André Craig
Ice dance Mackenzie Bent / Garrett MacKeen 17/20 Uxbridge, Ont. / Oshawa, Ont. Uxbridge SC / Bowmanville FSC Juris Razgulajevs / Carol Lane
Ice dance Madeline Edwards / ZhaoKai Pang 18/19 Port Moody, B.C. / Burnaby, B.C. Inlet SC / Inlet SC Megan Wing / Aaron Lowe
Pairs Julianne Séguin / Charlie Bilodeau 18/21 Longueuil, Que. / Trois-Pistoles, Que. CPA Longueuil / CPA De Drummondville Inc. Josée Picard
Pairs Mary Orr / Phelan Simpson 18/19 Brantford, Ont. / Lunenburg, N.S. Kitchener-Waterloo SC / Kitchener-Waterloo SC Kristy Wirtz / Kris Wirtz
Pairs Shalena Rau / Sébastian Arcieri 15/20 Waterloo, Ont. / Montreal, Que. Kitchener-Waterloo SC / CPA St. Leonard Kristy Wirtz / Kris Wirtz