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Gogolev fifth at ISU Junior Grand Prix

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RICHMOND, B.C. – Stephen Gogolev of Toronto climbed to fifth place in men’s competition on Saturday to conclude the fourth stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix figure skating circuit.

Petr Gumennik of Russia won the gold, Tomoki Hiwatashi of Japan was second and Adam Siao Him Fa of France third.

The 13-year-old Gogolev, who won gold at the season opening event last month, was seventh after the short program but climbed the standings with the fifth best free skate.

Iliya Kovler of Richmond Hill, Ont., third after the short, dropped to seventh and Beres Clements of Richmond B.C. was eighth.

“I’m not going to sugar coat it. I did very bad,” said Kovler. “I felt good after warm-up but it was the first time I was skating in the last flight so I might have overdone it. It’s a good learning experience.”

For Clements, his performance was a success.

“It was a big improvement over my last competition,” he said, “I learned to cope with my nerves and show what I normally do in training. I overcame some challenges this week.”

Russia swept the medals in the pairs competition with Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov earning the gold.

Patricia Andrew of London, Ont. and Paxton Fletcher of Rodney, Ont., were seventh, Chloe Panetta of Laval, Que., and Benjamin Mimar of Terrebonne, Que., ninth and Camille Perreault of Orford, Que., and Bryan Pierro of St-Hubert, Que., 10th.

“We did the best that we could have today,” said Andrew. “Pulling it together in competition was a good thing for us.”

Overall, the competition was a major success.

“Congratulations to all the talented young skaters who competed in the ISU Junior Grand Prix competition this week,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “Qualifying for this event is a tremendous accomplishment. Our government is proud to support this event, which enables young skaters to build skills and confidence through top international competition.”

The fifth stop on the circuit is in two weeks in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1819/jgpcan2018/.

Lajoie and Lagha win gold at ISU Junior Grand Prix

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RICHMOND, B.C. – Marjorie Lajoie of Boucherville, Que., and Zachary Lagha of Greenfield Park, Que., won the gold medal Friday in ice dancing at the fourth top on the ISU Junior Grand Prix figure skating circuit.

The couple posted a personal best 166.52 points for the victory. Russian couples followed with Polina Ivanenko and Daniil Karpov second at 149.39 and Ksenia Konkina and Alexander Vakhnov third at 147.92.

Lajoie and Lagha earned silver two weeks ago at the second stop in Linz, Austria.

‘’We made a few changes since the last junior Grand Prix and it has already paid off,’’ said Lagha. ‘’The beginning could have been a little bit better. But after the spin we just calmed down.’’

Natalie D’Alessandro and Bruce Waddell of Toronto were sixth and Miku Makita of Anmore, B.C., and Tyler Gunara of Burnaby, B.C. were eighth.

‘’We are continuing to build with these junior Grand Prix experiences,’’ said D’Alessandro. ‘’We were quite nervous but we were able to turn those nerves into really good energy.’’

‘’We were very excited with how we skated today although we were nervous,’’ said Makita. ”It was a whole new experience for us.’’

Russia was 1-2 in women’s competition. Anna Shcherbakova took the gold and Anastasia Tarakanova the silver. Rion Sumiyoshi of Japan was third.

Sarah Maude-Blanchard of Sherbrooke, Que., was ninth, Hannah Dawson of Vankleek Hill, Ont., 10th and Alison Schumacher of Tecumseh, Ont., 12th.

‘’It was definitely a learning experience after coming back from a disappointing short program,’’ said Schumacher. ‘’I really had to dig deep today for the free and trust my training. I was really glad I persevered and fought through it.’’

Russian couples are 1-2-3 after the pairs short program. Patricia Andrew of London,Ont. and Paxton Fletcher of Rodney, Ont., are seventh, Chloe Panetta of Laval, Que., and Benjamin Mimar of Terrebonne, Que., eighth and Camille Perreault of Orford, Que., and Bryan Pierro of St-Hubert, Que., are 10th.

In Thursday’s men’s short program, Ilya Kovler of Richmond Hill, Ont., stands third with 72.16. Tomoki Hiwatashi of the U.S. leads at 76.81 and Yuma Kagiyama of Japan second at 75.60.

Thirteen-year-old Stephen Gogolev of Toronto is seventh and Beres Clements of Richmond, B.C. ninth.

The men’s and pairs free skates are on Saturday.

Full results: ISU JGP Canada 2018

Richmond, British Columbia, ready to host fourth stop of 2018 ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit

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RICHMOND, B.C.: The City of Richmond, British Columbia, is set to welcome athletes from across the world for the fourth stop on the 2018-2019 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating. Skate Canada will send 12 entries, for a total of 18 skaters to the event taking place at the Minoru Arenas from September 12-15, 2018. Canada will have three entries per discipline in men, women, pairs and ice dance.

Stephen Gogolev, 13, Toronto, Ont., is the first of three Canadian entries in the men’s discipline. Gogolev won the gold medal at his first ISU Junior Grand Prix last month in Slovakia. He is coached by Brian Orser and Lee Barkell in Toronto, Ont.

Iliya Kovler, 15, Richmond Hill, Ont., is the second Canadian entry in men. Last season, he placed fourth in junior at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. In 2016, he placed 19th at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Germany. He is coached by Andrei Berezintsev and Inga Zusev in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Beres Clements, 16, Richmond, B.C., will also represent Canada in the men’s discipline. Clements placed 12th in Austria at his first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment of the season. He is coached by Joanne McLeod in Burnaby, B.C.

Canadian junior silver medallist Sarah-Maude Blanchard, 17, Sherbrooke, Que., is the first of three Canadian entries in junior women. This will be her first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment. She trains in Sherbrooke, Que., with coaches Marie-Christine Grenier and Odrée Grenier.

Alison Schumacher, 15, Tecumseh, Ont., will also represent Canada in the women’s category. Schumacher placed ninth at her first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment of the season in Slovakia. She is coached by Lee Barkell in Toronto, Ont.

Hannah Dawson, 17, Vankleek Hill, Ont., will round out the Canadian women entries. Last season, she placed 15th in the junior women’s category at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Dawson is coached by Annie Barabé in Varennes, Que.

Canadian junior silver medallists Patricia Andrew, 13, London, Ont., and Paxton Fletcher, 19, Rodney, Ont., are the first of three Canadian pairs entries at the event. They placed fourth at their first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment in Slovakia earlier this season. Andrew and Fletcher are coached by Alison Purkiss in Brantford, Ont.

Canadian novice bronze medallists Camille Perreault, 14, Orford, Que., and Bryan Pierro, 18, Saint-Hubert, Que., will also represent Canada in pairs. This will be their first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment. They train in Chambly, Que., with coach Marc-André Craig.

Also representing Canada in pairs are Chloé Panetta, 15, Laval, Que., and Benjamin Mimar, 17, Terrebonne, Que. This will be their first international assignment since teaming up in the offseason. Panetta and Mimar are coached by Richard Gauthier, Bruno Marcotte and Sylvie Fullum in Montreal, Que.

Two-time Canadian junior champions Marjorie Lajoie, 17, Boucherville, Que., and Zachary Lagha, 19, Greenfield Park, Que., are the first of three Canadian ice dance entries. They duo who placed fourth at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships in 2018 began their ISU Junior Grand Prix 2018-2019 season with a silver medal in Austria. They train in Montreal, Que., with coaches Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Romain Haguenauer and Pascal Denis.

Natalie D’Alessandro, 14, Toronto, Ont., and Bruce Waddell, 16, Toronto, Ont., are the second Canadian entry in ice dance. They placed fourth at their first ISU Junior Grand Prix this season, in Austria. They are coached by Andrew Hallam and Siobhan Karam in Toronto, Ont.

Canadian novice silver medallists Miku Makita, 15, Anmore, B.C., and Tyler Gunara, 16, Burnaby, B.C., round out the Canadian ice dance entries at the event. This will be their first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment. They are coached by Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe in Burnaby, B.C.

Annie Thibodeau of Montreal, Que., and David Schultz of Regina, Sask., will be the Canadian team leaders at the event. Dr. Ed Pilat of Winnipeg, Man., and physiotherapist Sylvia Ciurysek of Berwyn, Alta., will be the Canadian team medical staff on site. Susan Blatz of Burlington, Ont., Andrew Bosco of Thorold, Ont., Pam Chislett of Grand Prairie, Alta., and Patty Klein of Mt. Royal, Que., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For results and full entries please visit www.isu.org. All events on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit will be livestreamed on the ISU Junior Grand Prix YouTube channel.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT ISU JGP #4 – RICHMOND, CANADA

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men Stephen Gogolev 13 Toronto, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Brian Orser / Lee Barkell
Men Iliya Kovler 15 Richmond Hill, Ont. Richmond Training Centre Andrei Berezintsev / Inga Zusev
Men Beres Clements 16 Richmond, B.C. Champs International Skating Centre of B.C. Joanne McLeod
Women Sarah-Maude Blanchard 17 Sherbrooke, Que. CPA Sherbrooke Marie-Christine Grenier / Odrée Grenier
Women Alison Schumacher 15 Tecumseh, Ont. Riverside SC Lee Barkell
Women Hannah Dawson 17 Vankleek Hill, Ont. CPA Hawkesbury FSC Annie Barabé
Pairs Patricia Andrew / Paxton Fletcher 13/19 London, Ont. / Rodney, Ont. Brant FSC / Brant FSC Alison Purkiss
Pairs Camille Perreault / Bryan Pierro 14/18 Orford, Que. / Saint-Hubert, Que. CPA Magog / CPA De St. Hubert Marc-André Craig
Pairs Chloé Panetta / Benjamin Mimar 15/17 Laval, Que. / Terrebonne, Que. CPA Les Lames d’Argent de Laval Inc. / CPA St-Michel Richard Gauthier / Bruno Marcotte / Sylvie Fullum
Ice Dance Marjorie Lajoie / Zachary Lagha 17/19 Boucherville, Que. / Greenfield Park, Que. CPA De Boucherville / CPA St. Lambert Marie-France Dubreuil / Patrice Lauzon / Romain Haguenauer / Pascal Denis
Ice Dance Natalie D’Alessandro / Bruce Waddell 14/16 Toronto, Ont. / Toronto, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club / Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Andrew Hallam / Siobhan Karam
Ice Dance Miku Makita / Tyler Gunara 15/16 Anmore, B.C. / Burnaby, B.C. Inlet SC / Champs International Skating Centre of B.C. Megan Wing / Aaron Lowe

Three top-10’s for Canada at ISU Junior Grand Prix

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KAUNAS, Lithuania – Canadian ice dance teams placed sixth and seventh on Saturday to conclude the third stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix figure skating circuit.

Arina Ushakova and Maxim Nekrasov of Russia won the gold with 168.17 points, Avonley Nguyen and Vadym Kolesnik of the U.S. took the silver with 161.84 and Darya Popova and Volodymyr Byelikov of Ukraine were third at 142.29.

Ashlynne Stairs of Barrie, Ont., and Elliott Graham of Angus, Ont., remained sixth at 136.75 and Irina Galiyanova of Toronto and Grayson Lochhead of Sweaburg, Ont., climbed from eighth after the short dance to seventh at 132.58.

‘’Our free dance was a pretty strong program today,’’ said Graham. ‘’It was probably the best we could have skated it this early in the season. The key was keeping a positive attitude after what we felt was a disappointing short dance.’’

Galiyanova and Lochhead also felt they improved in their free skate.

‘’We were much more into our feet’’ said Galiyanova. ‘’We were working well together. We pushed through and I feel that’s what works well for us.’’

In men’s competition, Andrew Torgashev of the U.S. won the gold, Kirill Iakovlev of Russia was second and Yuto Kishina of Japan third.

Joseph Phan of Toronto, fifth after the short program on Thursday, wound up ninth with the 10th best free skate.

‘’Today was really hard for me,’’ said Phan, 17. ‘’When I fell on my second quad toe I lost my confidence. It was a tough lesson. Now I need to bounce back at the next event.’’

Eric Liu of Edmonton, 17th after the short program, withdrew from the free skate due a sprained ankle suffered in Thursday’s performance.

The fourth stop on the circuit is this Thursday to Saturday in Richmond, B.C. at the Minoru Arenas.

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1819/jgpltu2018/index.htm

Emily Bausback surges to 12th at ISU Junior Grand Prix

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KAUNAS, Lithuania – Emily Bausback of Vancouver gained five spots in the overall standings on Friday to place 12th in women’s competition at the third stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix figure skating circuit.

Alexandra Trusova of Russia won the gold medal, Yelim Kim of South Korea was second and Kseniia Sinitsyna of Russia third.

Bausback was 17th after Thursday’s short program and produced the 10th best free skate on Friday to surge in the standings.

‘’The free program was a reflection of how I’ve been training the past two weeks,’’ said Bausback, 16. ‘’The short was pretty disappointing but today I felt I put it together and was much more focused.’’

In ice dancing after the short dance, Ashlynne Stairs of Barrie Ont., and Elliott Graham of Angus, Ont., are sixth and Irina Galiyanova of Toronto and Grayson Lochhead of Sweaburg, Ont., are eighth.

In Thursday’s short program, Joseph Phan of Laval, Que., is in fifth spot and Eric Liu of Edmonton 17th.

Competition ends Saturday with the free dance and men’s free skate.

Full results: ISU JGP Amber Cup 2018

Canadian skaters continue on 2018-2019 ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit in Lithuania

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have five entries, for a total of seven skaters, competing at the third stop of the 2018-2019 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating. The event is taking place in Kaunas, Lithuania, at the Zalgirio Arena from September 5-8, 2018. Canada will have two entries per discipline in men and ice dance, and one entry in women.

Joseph Phan, 17, Toronto, Ont., is the first of two Canadian men entries. Last year on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit Phan placed fourth in Australia and won silver in Croatia. He also placed sixth in senior at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships and fourth at the 2018 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships. Phan is coached by Brian Orser in Toronto, Ont.

Eric Liu, 17, Edmonton, Alta., will be the second Canadian entry in the men’s category. Last season on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit, Liu placed 12th in Italy. He also placed 14th in senior at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. He is coached by Ravi Walia in Edmonton, Alta.

Emily Bausback, 16, Vancouver, B.C., will be the Canadian entry in women. Last season on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit, she placed 11th in Croatia. Bausback is coached by Joanne McLeod in Burnaby, B.C.

Ashlynne Stairs, 18, Barrie, Ont., and Elliott Graham, 20, Angus, Ont., are one of two Canadian entries in ice dance. This will be their first international assignment since teaming up this year. They are coached by David Islam, Kelly Johnson and James Callan in Barrie, Ont.

Irina Galiyanova, 16, Toronto, Ont., and Grayson Lochhead, 18, Sweaburg, Ont., will also represent Canada in ice dance, and this will also be their first international assignment since teaming up in the offseason. They are coached by Carol Lane, Jon Lane, Juris Razgulajevs and Marc-André Servant in Scarborough, Ont.

Mike Slipchuk, Skate Canada High Performance Director, and Manon Perron of Boucherville, Que., will be the Canadian team leaders at the event. Physiotherapist Shirley Kushner of Westmount, Que., will be the Canadian team medical staff on site. Susan Morriss of Victoria, B.C., and Erica Topolski of Fredericton, N.B., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For results and full entries please visit www.isu.org. All events on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit will be livestreamed on the ISU Junior Grand Prix YouTube channel.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT ISU JGP #3 – KAUNAS, LITHUANIA

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men Joseph Phan 17 Toronto, Ont. CPA Laval Brian Orser
Men Eric Liu 17 Edmonton, Alta. Ice Palace FSC Ravi Walia
Women Emily Bausback 16 Vancouver, B.C. Champs International Skating Centre Joanne McLeod
Ice Dance Ashlynne Stairs / Elliott Graham 18/20 Barrie, Ont. / Angus, Ont. Champs International Skating Centre / Barrie SC David Islam / Kelly Johnson / James Callan
Ice Dance Irina Galiyanova / Grayson Lochhead 16/18 Toronto, Ont. / Sweaburg, Ont. Scarboro FSC / Woodstock SC Carol Lane / Jon Lane / Juris Razgulajevs / Marc-André Servant

Canada’s Lajoie and Lagha win silver at ISU Junior Grand Prix

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LINZ, Austria – Marjorie Lajoie of Boucherville, Que., and Zachary Lagha of Greenfield Park, Que., won the silver medal with a personal best international score in ice dancing Saturday to conclude the second stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix figure skating circuit.

Sofia Shevchenko and Igor Eremenko of Russia took the gold with 158.70 points to edge the Canadians, second at 153.70. Another Russian couple Eva Kuts and Dmitrii Mikhailov of Russia were third at 142.79. Natalie D’Alessandro and Bruce Waddell of Toronto moved from fifth to fourth at 135.42.

It was the third career Junior Grand Prix medal for Lajoie and Lagha, fourth at the world juniors last season. Despite the result and score they didn’t seems particularly pleased with the performance.

‘’The presentation was good but there’s a lot of work to do at the technical level,’’ said Lajoie. ‘’One of our elements did not count and the whole performance in general was a bit of a battle for us. Basically it wasn’t an easy day but we camouflaged it well.’’

In pairs, Russians were 1-2-3 led by Polina Kostiukovich and Dmitrii Ialin with 180.59. Gabrielle Levesque of Bridgewater, N.S. and Pier-Alexandre Hudon of St-Roch-des-Aulnaies, Que., were eighth.

‘’It’s already a big improvement on last season,’’ said Levesque. ‘’We were pleased with how we rebounded from a disappointing short program. We need to work on our consistency in our jumps and throws for the next event.’’

The Russians were 1-2 in the women’s event won by Alena Kostornaia. Emma Bulawka of Kelowna, B.C., posted the eighth best free skate to climb from 11th to ninth overall.

The third stop on the circuit is this Thursday to Saturday in Kaunas, Lithuania.

Full results: ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2018

Canada’s Conrad Orzel takes fourth at ISU Junior Grand Prix

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LINZ, Austria – A quirky fall after landing a quad jump disoriented Canada’s Conrad Orzel as he tumbled from first to fourth in men’s competition Friday at the second stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix figure skating circuit.

Camden Pulkinen of the U.S. won the gold with 223.95 points, Koshiro Shamada of Japan was second at 220.45 and Roman Savosin of Russia third at 211.10.

The 18-year-old Orzel from Woodbridge, Ont., was first after Thursday’s short program with a personal best. He produced the sixth best free skate to fall out of medal contention with 200.46.

Skating to the 1968 Romeo and Juliet soundtrack, he hung on to his opening quadruple Salchow then slipped and fell after landing the quad toe.

‘’My long program was quite disappointing,’’ admitted Orzel, 13th at the world juniors last season. ‘’I was really zoned in after the warm-up. But the slip up on the quad toe really threw me off. After that my skating just went down and I got more panicky.’’

Still with his success in the short program, Orzel knows he can’t dwell on Friday’s performance.

‘’In the short program I showed that I can pay more attention to detail and be calm,’’ he said. ‘’The skating skills were there and I could feel my edges a lot easier. There are tweaks needed to the long but mainly it needs more run-throughs every day.’’

Beresford Clements of Richmond, B.C., was 12th out of 21 entries in his junior Grand Prix debut.

‘’It was a great experience to compete on such a bigger stage,’’ said the 16-year-old. ‘’I know going forward I’ll have to be more aggressive and confident and put it all on the ice.’’

Canada is also in medal contention in ice dancing. Marjorie Lajoie of Boucherville, Que., and Zachary Lagha of Greenfield Park, Que., fourth at the world juniors last season, are second after the short dance with 63.95.

Sofia Shevchenko and Igor Eremenko of Russia hold a slight lead at 64.26. Eva Kuts and Dmitrii Mikhailov of Russia are third at 58.63. Natalie D’Alessandro and Bruce Waddell of Toronto are fifth at 50.45.

In pairs after the short program, Gabrielle Levesque of Bridgewater, N.S. and Pier-Alexandre Hudon of St-Roch-des-Aulnaies, Que., stand ninth less than five points from fifth spot.

In women’s competition after the short Emma Bulawka of Kelowna, B.C. is 11th.

Competition ends Saturday with the free skates in pairs, women’s and ice dancing.

Full results: ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2018

Canadian junior skaters in Austria for second stop of 2018 ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have six entries, for a total of nine skaters at the second stop of the 2018-2019 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Linz, Austria. Canada’s entries include two men and two ice dance teams as well as one woman and one pair team. The competition takes place from August 29-September 1, 2018.

Conrad Orzel, 18, Woodbridge, Ont., leads the Canadian entries in men. Last season on the Junior Grand Prix circuit, Orzel placed seventh in Austria and won the bronze in Poland. He also placed 11th in senior at the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships and 13th at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships. Orzel is coached by Lee Barkell and trains in Toronto, Ont.

Beres Clements, 16, Richmond, B.C., is the second Canadian junior men entry. Last season, he won the silver medal at both the Autumn Classic International (junior level) and the 2018 Egna Spring Trophy (junior level). He is coached by Joanne McLeod in Burnaby, B.C.

Emma Bulawka, 15, Kelowna, B.C., is the Canadian entry in the women category. Last season she placed fifth at the 2017 Autumn Classic International (junior level) and sixth in junior at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Bulawka is coached by Karen and Jason Mongrain in Kelowna, B.C.

Canadian junior bronze medallists Gabrielle Levesque, 15, Bridgewater, N.S., and Pier-Alexandre Hudon, 19, Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies, Que., will be the Canadian pairs entry. Last year on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit they placed 17th in Poland. Levesque and Hudon are coached by Charleen Cameron and John Mattatall in St. Margaret’s Bay, N.S.

Canadian junior champions Marjorie Lajoie, 17, Boucherville, Que., and Zachary Lagha, 19, Greenfield Park, Que., are the first of two Canadian ice dance entries. Last season on the ISU Grand Prix circuit, Lajoie and Lagha won the silver medal in Australia, gold in Croatia and placed sixth at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final. They also placed fourth at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships. They train in Montreal, Que., with coaches Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Romain Haguenauer and Pascal Denis.

Natalie D’Alessandro, 14, Toronto, Ont., and Bruce Waddell, 16, Toronto, Ont., are the second Canadian entry in ice dance. Last season, they placed sixth at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Australia and eighth at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. They are coached by Andrew Hallam and Siobhan Karam in Toronto, Ont.

André Bourgeois, Skate Canada NextGen Director, and Danielle Williams of Surrey, B.C., will be the Canadian team leaders at the event. Dr. Erika Persson of Edmonton, Alta., and physiotherapist Shirley Kushner of Westmount, Que., will be the Canadian team medical staff on site. Lorna Schroder of Georgetown, Ont., and Leslie Keen of Vancouver, B.C., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For results and full entries please visit www.isu.org. All events on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit will be livestreamed on the ISU Junior Grand Prix YouTube channel

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT ISU JGP #2 – LINZ, AUSTRIA

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men Conrad Orzel 18 Woodbridge, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Lee Barkell
Men Beresford Clements 16 Richmond, B.C. Champs International SC Joanne McLeod
Women Emma Bulawka 15 Kelowna, B.C. Kelowna FSC Karen Mongrain / Jason Mongrain
Pairs Gabrielle Levesque / Pier-Alexandre Hudon 15/19 Bridgewater, N.S. / Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies, Que. St. Margaret’s Bay SC / CPA La Pocatière Inc. Charleen Cameron / John Mattatall
Ice Dance Marjorie Lajoie / Zachary Lagha 17/19 Boucherville, Que. / Greenfield Park, Que. CPA De Boucherville / CPA St. Lambert Marie-France Dubreuil / Patrice Lauzon / Romain Haguenauer / Pascal Denis
Ice Dance Natalie D’Alessandro / Bruce Waddell 14/16 Toronto, Ont. / Toronto, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club / Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Andrew Hallam / Siobhan Karam

Canadian ice dancers fourth at ISU Junior Grand Prix

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BRATISLAVA, Slovakia – Alicia Fabbri of Terrebonne, Que., and Paul Ayer of Brossard, Que., took fourth place in their international debut as a team on Saturday in ice dancing to conclude the first stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix figure skating circuit.

It was a 1-2 Russian finish with Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva and Nikita Nazarov first with 160.24 points and Elizaveta Shanaeva and Devid Naryzhnyy second at 152.42. Eliana Gropman and Ian Sommerville of the U.S. were third at 148.96.

Fabbri and Ayer, who both skated with different partners last year, produced the sixth best free dance but remained in fourth place in 136.04 less than three points ahead of a French couple.

‘’We showed a bit of stress skating our first free dance together internationally,’’ said Fabbri, 15, whose skates were lost in travel but eventually arrived in time. ‘’We were pleased with the free dance minus one error.’’

The couple says they are pleased with the progress of the partnership.

‘’We connected pretty quickly,’’ said Ayer, 20. ‘’There were so many changes I wasn’t sure initially how we were going to click right off the start but I don’t remember being a time we didn’t click even in the try-out.’’

Nadiia Bashynska of Markham, Ont., and Peter Beaumont of Unionville, Ont., scored the fifth best free dance but remained in ninth at 124.64. The couple remained unfazed after someone threw a toy stuffed animal on the ice in the middle of their performance.

‘’We noticed it right away, said Bashynska. ‘’We talked to each other and guided each other where we were going. It actually happened to us once before so we knew what to do in the situation. Just no matter what, keep calm and do your thing.’’

In women’s competition, Russians were 1-2 again with Anna Shcherbakova first and Anna Tarusina second. Young You of South Korea was third.

Alison Schumacher of Tecumseh, Ont., was ninth.

‘’I feel like it was a good start to my international season,’’ said Schumacher. ‘’I fought through my program today. But I feel I’m ready for the rest of the season.’’

Canada ends the competition with one gold medal earned by 13-year-old Stephen Gogolev in the men’s event on Friday.

The second stop on the circuit runs this Thursday to Saturday in Linz, Austria.

Full results: ISU JGP Bratislava 2018

Canada’s Stephen Gogolev wins gold in junior Grand Prix debut

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BRATISLAVA, Slovakia –Thirteen-year-old Stephen Gogolev of Toronto burst onto the international stage in spectacular style Friday as he landed three quadruple jumps en route to a golden performance in men’s competition at the season opening stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix figure skating circuit.

In his skate to excerpts from the Sherlock Holmes soundtrack Gogolev also became the first Canadian, of any age group, to land a quad Lutz in competition.

Gogolev totalled 226.13 points for the victory with Mitsuki Sumoto of Japan second at 210.31 and Daniel Grassl of Italy third at 199.26.

‘’To land those three quads really brings up my confidence,’’ said Gogolev, who is coached by Brian Orser and Lee Barkell. “I still need to get some runs though done so I can improve the second half of my skate.’’

Aleksa Rakic, also 13, from Burnaby, B.C. was eighth in 180.13.  ‘’I feel really good about how I skated and how I was able to connect with the audience,’’ said Rakic. ‘’I reached my goal to get into the top-10.’’

Russian couples swept the medals in pairs competition. Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov were first, Apollinarria Panfilova and Dmitry Rylov second and Ksenila Akhanteva and Valerii Kolesov third.

Patricia Andrew of London, Ont., and Paxton Fletcher of Rodney, Ont., were fourth with a clean free skate and Brooke McIntosh of Toronto and Brandon Taste of Mississauga, Ont., were fifth.

‘’The Russian pairs were really impressive,’’ said Fletcher. ‘’They were fast with big and strong elements and their style and look was superb. For a young team like ours it’s fun to see what’s possible and it just motivates us to go back and work harder.’’

In ice dancing after the short dance, Alicia Fabbri of Terrebonne, Que., and Paul Ayer of Brossard, Que., are fourth at 58.91 less than two points behind third spot. Nadiia Bashynska of Markham, Ont., and Peter Beaumont of Unionville, Ont., are ninth.

In Thursday’s women’s short program, Alison Shumacher of Tecumseh, Ont., was eighth.

The women’s free skate and the free dance are on Saturday.

Full results: ISU JGP Bratislava 2018

Canadian skaters in Slovakia to kick off 2018-2019 ISU Junior Grand Prix season

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have seven entries, for a total of 11 skaters, competing at the first stop on the 2018-2019 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Bratislava, Slovakia. Canada will have two entries per discipline in men, pairs and ice dance, and one entry in ladies at the competition which takes place from August 22-25, 2018.

Stephen Gogolev, 13, Toronto, Ont., is one of two Canadian entries in the men’s discipline. Gogolev placed 10th in senior at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. This will be his first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment. He is coached by Brian Orser and Lee Barkell in Toronto, Ont.

Canadian novice silver medallist Aleksa Rakic, 13, Burnaby, B.C., will also represent Canada in the men’s category and will also be competing at his first ISU Junior Grand Prix event. He is coached by Joanne McLeod in Burnaby, B.C.

Alison Schumacher, 15, Tecumseh, Ont., will be the only Canadian representative in the women’s category. Last season on the ISU Junior Grand Prix she placed eighth in Latvia and ninth in Italy. Schumacher also placed fifth in junior at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. She is coached by Lee Barkell in Toronto, Ont.

Canadian junior silver medallists Patricia Andrew, 13, London, Ont., and Paxton Fletcher, 19, Rodney, Ont., are the first of two Canadian pairs entries at the event. This will be their first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment. Andrew and Fletcher are coached by Alison Purkiss in Brantford, Ont.

Canadian novice champions Brooke McIntosh, 13, Toronto, Ont., and Brandon Toste, 15, Mississauga, Ont., will also represent Canada in pairs at their first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment. They are coached by Andrew Evans in Toronto, Ont.

Canadian novice champions Nadiia Bashynska, 14, Markham, Ont., and Peter Beaumont, 17, Unionville, Ont., are one of two Canadian ice dance teams at the event. This will be their first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment. Bashynska and Beaumont are coached by Carol Lane, Jon Lane, Juris Razgulajevs and Marc-André Servant in Scarborough, Ont.

Alicia Fabbri, 15, Terrebonne, Que., and Paul Ayer, 20, Brossard, Que., will also represent Canada in ice dance at the event. This will be their first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment since teaming up in the offseason. They are coached by Julien Lalonde in St. Hubert, Que.

André Bourgeois, Skate Canada NextGen Director, and Nathalie Martin of Montreal, Que., will be the Canadian team leaders at the event. Dr. Lee Schofield of Toronto, Ont., and physiotherapist Mireille Landry of Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian team medical staff on site. Susan Blatz of Burlington, Ont., and Jérôme Poulin of Montreal, Que., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For results and full entries please visit www.isu.org. All events on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit will be live streamed on the ISU Junior Grand Prix YouTube channel

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT ISU JGP #1 – BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men Stephen Gogolev 13 Toronto, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Brian Orser / Lee Barkell
Men Aleksa Rakic 13 Burnaby, B.C. Champs International Skating Centre of B.C. Joanne McLeod
Women Alison Schumacher 15 Tecumseh, Ont. Riverside SC Lee Barkell
Pairs Patricia Andrew / Paxton Fletcher 13/19 London, Ont. / Rodney, Ont. Brant FSC / London SC Alison Purkiss
Pairs Brooke McIntosh / Brandon Toste 13/15 Toronto, Ont. / Mississauga, Ont. Canadian Ice Academy / Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Andrew Evans
Ice Dance Nadiia Bashynska / Peter Beaumont 14/17 Markham, Ont. / Unionville, Ont. Scarboro FSC / Scarboro FSC Carol Lane / Jon Lane / Juris Razgulajevs / Marc-André Servant
Ice Dance Alicia Fabbri / Paul Ayer 15/20 Terrebonne, Que. / Brossard, Que. CPA Terrebone Inc. / Calalta FSC Julien Lalonde