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Grand Prix gold medal for Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje

MOSCOW – Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont., won the gold medal in ice dancing on Saturday at the Rostelecom Cup, the fifth stop on the ISU Grand Prix figure skating circuit.

Weaver and Poje earned 173.58 points for their fifth straight victory on the circuit. It was just 0.21 points lower than the score they received three weeks ago in their victory at Skate Canada. Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte of Italy were second at 171.61 and Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov of Russia third at 167.40.

“We can feel very strong here about our competition in Moscow,” said Weaver. “We had two clean performances.  Both can be better of course. The free was a little bit conservative but it is still early in the season and we are growing so much with this program.”

Weaver said the program can look even more effortless.

“We could have been a little bit more free,” she said. “Especially with the emotions and also with the speed.  But we got the job done, we did the important things, we build each time we are out.”

In women’s competition, Alaine Chartrand of Prescott, Ont., struggled with her jumps and dropped from second after the short program to sixth.  She finished with a season’s best 173.42 points.

Elena Radionova led a Russian medal sweep.

In men’s competition, 17-year-old Nam Nguyen of Toronto finished seventh. He landed two quad jumps and a triple Axel in his demanding program.  His most noticeable mistake was touching his hand on the ice after his triple Lutz.

“It was a good fight from yesterday,” said Nguyen, seventh in Friday’s short program. “But I felt my energy level was really low so my performance suffered on that front.”

Javier Fernandez of Spain won the gold medal.

In pairs, Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov led Russia to a 1-2 finish. Kirsten Moore-Towers of St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont., were seventh and Hayleigh Bell and Rudi Swiegers of Regina were eighth.

The sixth and last stop before the Grand Prix Final is Friday and Saturday at the NHK Trophy in Nagano, Japan.

Full results : ISU GP Rostelecom Cup 2015

Season’s best for Weaver/Poje and Chartrand second after short

MOSCOW – Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont., lead in ice dancing and Alaine Chartrand of Prescott, Ont., stands second in women’s singles after Friday’s short programs at the Rostelecom Cup, the fifth stop on the ISU Grand Prix figure skating circuit.

Weaver and Poje produced a season best 69.49 points in their program skated to Johann Strauss waltzes. Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte of Italy are second at 67.82 and Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov of Russia third at 63.63.

“I think that we skated fairly well,’’ said Weaver. ‘’We’ve doubled the amount of training time for this program since Skate Canada. So that feels great to have a little bit more mileage. We definitely can perform it better and we’re looking forward to growing on this program and make it the best it can be.’’

In women’s competititon, Elena Radionova of Russia is first at 71.79. Chartrand earned 67.38 and Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia is third at 67.03.  Chartrand opened with a perfect triple Lutz-triple toe combo and never looked back roaring to a personal best score.

“I’m excited to be back in Russia,’’ said Chartrand, 19, a bronze medallist here last season. ‘I’ve been training really well and I’m glad I showed that today”,

On the men’s side 17-year-old Nam Nguyen of Toronto landed a quad jump and triple Axel but fell in the second part of his triple Lutz combo to stand seventh.

Adian Pitkeev of Russia (87.54 points) Spain’s Javier Fernandez (86.99), and  Ross Miner of the U.S. (85.36.) are holding down the top three spots, respectively.

In pairs Kirsten Moore-Towers of St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont., are seventh and Hayleigh Bell of Rudi Swiegers of Regina are eighth.

The four free skates are on Saturday.

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1516/gprus2015/index.htm

Rostelecom Cup marks fifth stop for Canadian team on ISU Grand Prix circuit

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send five entries, for a total of eight skaters, to Moscow, Russia, for the 2015 Rostelecom Cup. Canada will have one entry per discipline in men’s, ladies and ice dance, and two entries in pair at the event which takes place from November 20-22, 2015.

Canadian champion Nam Nguyen, 17, Toronto, Ont., will represent Canada in men’s. This will be his first time competing at this event. Earlier this season, Nguyen won silver at the Skate Canada Autumn Classic International and placed fifth at Skate Canada International. He is coached by Brian Orser and Ernest Pryhitka at the Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club.

Canadian silver medallist Alaine Chartrand, 19, Prescott, Ont., will be Canada’s entry in the ladies category. Last season, she won the bronze medal at this event. Earlier this season, she placed fourth at the Nebelhorn Trophy and 12th at Skate America. The representative of the Nepean Skating Club is coached by Michelle Leigh and Brian Orser.

Kirsten Moore-Towers, 23, St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro, 23, Sarnia, Ont., are the second Canadian entry in pair. This will be their first time competing at this event. Earlier this season, Moore-Towers and Marinaro won bronze at the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic and also won bronze at Skate Canada International. The representatives of Kitchener-Waterloo SC and Point Edward SC are coached by Bruno Marcotte, Richard Gauthier, Sylvie Fullum, Julie Marcotte and Cynthia Lemaire at CPA Saint-Léonard.

Hayleigh Bell, 19, Acton, Ont., and Rudi Swiegers, 28, Kipling, Sask., will be Canada’s second entry in the pair category. This will be their second international assignment since teaming up this summer. Earlier this season, they placed fifth at the Skate Canada Autumn Classic International. Representing Skate Regina, the pair train in Calgary, Alta., with coaches Anabelle Langlois and Cody Hay.

Canadian champions and two time world medallists Kaitlyn Weaver, 26, Toronto, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 28, Waterloo, Ont., will be the Canadian entry in ice dance. This will be their third time competing at this event, having won silver in 2011 and 2013. Earlier this season, they won gold at the Finlandia Trophy and gold at Skate Canada International. The representatives of Sault FSC and Kitchener-Waterloo SC are coached by Angelika Krylova, Pasquale Camerlengo and Shae-Lynn Bourne in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Bev Viger of Abbotsford, B.C., will be the Canadian team leader at the event. Dr. Lee Schofield of Toronto, Ont., and physiotherapist Scott Fraser of Kingston, Ont., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Leanna Caron of Timmins, Ont., and Reaghan Fawcett of Aurora, Ont., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

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

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2015 ROSTELECOM CUP

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Mens Nam Nguyen 17 Toronto, Ont. Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club Brian Orser / Ernest Pryhitka
Ladies Alaine Chartrand 19 Prescott, Ont. Nepean Skating Club Michelle Leigh / Brian Orser
Pair Kirsten Moore-Towers / Michael Marinaro 23/23 St. Catharines, Ont. / Sarnia, Ont. Kitchener-Waterloo SC / Point Edward SC Inc. Bruno Marcotte / Richard Gauthier / Sylvie Fullum / Julie Marcotte / Cynthia Lemaire
Pair Hayleigh Bell / Rudi Swiegers 19/28 Acton, Ont. / Kipling, Sask. Skate Regina / Skate Regina Anabelle Langlois / Cody Hay
Ice Dance Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje 26/28 Toronto, Ont. / Waterloo, Ont. Sault FSC / Kitchener-Waterloo SC Angelika Krylova / Pasquale Camerlengo / Shae-Lynn Bourne