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Canada’s Beresford Clements wins silver at Egna Spring Trophy

EGNA, Italy – Beresford Clements of Gibsons, B.C., overcame an injury-plagued season to win the silver medal on Sunday in the men’s junior event at the Egna Spring Trophy figure skating competition.

Gabriele Frangipani of Italy took the gold with 179.93 to edge the Canadian who earned 179.89. Nikolaj Memola of Italy was third at 124.15.

“I reached my goal by doing a clean free skate,” said Clements. “I got all my spins and just competed the way I trained. It was exciting to show off my abilities on the ice.”

This was Clements’ first career international assignment. He withdrew from an event earlier this season and didn’t qualify for the national championships.

“For this event I wanted to make sure I was fully healed,” said Clements. “I just trained really hard and focused on getting better. It was a slow process. It took about six months and required a lot of physio and days off.”

Matthew Markell of Prescott, Ont., second after the short program, withdrew from the free skate.

In junior women competition, Sarah-Maude Blanchard of Sherbrooke, Que., dropped from first to fourth overall with 139.46 points.

Full results: http://www.fisg.it/upload/result/4597/index.html.

Canadians dominating their events at Egna Spring Trophy

EGNA, Italy – Canada’s junior and novice skaters produced strong results in Friday’s short programs at the Egna Spring Trophy figure skating competition.

In junior women, Sarah-Maude Blanchard of Sherbrooke, Que., tops the 22-entry field with 58.77 points. Hanna Harrel of the U.S. is second at 50.80 and Marina Piredda of Italy third at 48.30.

In junior men’s competition, Gabriel Frangipani of Italy is first with 72.98. Matthew Markell of Prescott, Ont., follows at 63.00 and Beresford Clements of Gibsons, B.C. is third at 62.06.

Canada stands 1-2-3 in novice men with Aleksa Rakic of Burnaby, B.C., first at 43.39, Alexei Guinzbourg of Kingston, Ont., second at 37.84 and Brian Chiem of Edmonton third at 37.72.

In novice women group 1, Canada has four in the top-five with Sandrine Bouchard of Levis, Que., first at 42.21, Amelia Orzel of Woodbridge, Ont., second at 37.87, Daria Carr of Kelowna, B.C. fourth at 34.02 and Mélaurie Boivin of Alma, Que., fifth at 33.93.

Leah Lee of Vancouver is sixth in novice women group 2.

Canada has the only three entries in novice pairs. Brooke McIntosh of Toronto and Brandon Toste of Mississauga, Ont., lead with 35.83, Marine Pouliot of Lorraine, Que., and Alexandre Simard of Rivière-Ouelle, Que., are second at 35.05 and Camille Perrault of Orford, Que., and Bryan Pierro of St-Hubert, Que., are third at 30.24.

The novice free skates are Saturday and the junior free skates are Sunday.

Full results: Egna Spring Trophy.

Medal bonanza for Canadian novice skaters at Egna Spring Trophy

EGNA, Italy – Canada swept the medals in novice women competition on Saturday to cap a productive day at the Egna Spring Trophy figure skating competition.

Sandrine Bouchard of Lévis, Que., won the gold in novice women Group 1 with 106.97 points. Mélaurie Boivin of Alma, Que., won the free skate to surge from fifth to second at 106.50 and Amelia Orzel of Woodbridge, Ont., was third at 105.29.

“It was a wonderful experience and we learned a lot,” said Bouchard. “It’s going to beneficial for us in our upcoming competitions. My Salchow today wasn’t on because I was feeling a bit nervous.”

Boivin picked up big points with a double Axel-triple toe combination.

“They are my two favorite jumps and I love doing combinations,” she said.

Orzel’s highlight was a triple Lutz and a triple toe combination.

“The Lutz is my first jump so I was a bit nervous going into it,” she said. “But it worked out and that gave me a lot of confidence for the rest of the program.”

Daria Carr of Kelowna, B.C., was fifth at 91.42.

Canada was 1-2 in novice men competition. Aleksa Rakic of Burnaby, B.C., won the gold medal with 129.62 points with Brian Chiem of Edmonton taking the silver with 117.16 and Maxim Knorr of Germany third at 110.70.

“I tried to replicate what I did in training,” said Rakic. “It was great to end that program on a high note. Now I’ll start preparing new programs with new elements with more jumps and more jumps in combination.”

Alec Guinzbourg of Kingston, Ont., second after the short program on Friday, withdrew.

Canada fielded all three entries in novice pairs. Brooke McIntosh of Toronto and Brandon Toste of Mississauga, Ont., took gold with 94.48, Marine Pouliot of Lorraine, Que., and Alexandre Simard of Rivière-Ouelle, Que., were second at 92.58 and Camille Perrault of Orford, Que., and Bryan Pierro of St-Hubert, Que., were third at 86.61.

“It was amazing and a lot of fun,” said McIntosh. “The crowd was really supportive for us. That really motivated and inspired us.”

Leah Lee of Vancouver was sixth in novice women group 2.

The junior free skates are Sunday.

Full results: http://www.fisg.it/upload/result/4597/index.html.

Canadian figure skaters in Italy for Egna Spring Trophy

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have 14 entries, for a total of 17 skaters competing in Egna, Italy, for the 2018 Egna Spring Trophy. The international event takes place April 5-8, 2018, with competition for men, women and pairs at the novice, junior and senior levels. Canada will have entries in novice and junior, including two junior men, one junior woman, three novice men, five novice women and three novice pairs.

Canadian junior champion Matthew Markell, 18, Prescott, Ont., is the first of two junior Canadian men entries. Markell trains in Prescott, Ont., with coaches Allie Hann-McCurdy and Michael Coreno.

Beresford Clements, 16, Gibsons, B.C., is the second Canadian junior men entry. This season, Clements won the silver medal in junior at the Autumn Classic International. He is coached by Joanne McLeod and Neil Wilson in Burnaby, B.C.

Canadian junior silver medallist Sarah-Maude Blanchard, 17, Sherbrooke, Que., is the Canadian entry in junior women. She trains in Sherbrooke, Que., with coaches Marie-Christine Grenier and Odrée Grenier.

Canadian novice champion Alec Guinzbourg, 13, Kingston, Ont., is the first of three Canadian novice men entries. He trains in Richmond Hill, Ont., with coaches Andrei Berezintsev and Inga Zusev.

Canadian novice silver medallist Aleksa Rakic, 13, Burnaby, B.C., is the second Canadian novice men entry. Rakic trains in Burnaby, B.C., with coaches Joanne McLeod and Neil Wilson.

Canadian novice bronze medallist Brian Chiem, 16, Edmonton, Alta., rounds out the Canadian novice men entries. He trains in Edmonton, Alta., with coach Ravi Walia.

Canadian novice champion Amelia Orzel, 14, Woodbridge, Ont., is the first of five Canadian novice women entries. Orzel trains in Richmond Hill, Ont., with coach Eva Najarro.

Canadian novice silver medallist Daria Carr, 14, Kelowna, B.C., is the second Canadian novice women entry. She trains in Kelowna, B.C., with coaches Karen Mongrain and Jason Mongrain.

Canadian novice bronze medallist Sandrine Bouchard, 15, Lévis, Que., is the third Canadian novice women entry. Bourchard trains in Lévis, Que., with coaches Lise Bellemare and Martine Simard.

Leah Lee, 13, Vancouver, B.C., is the fourth Canadian novice women entry. Lee trains in Vancouver, B.C., with coach Jennifer Yibing Jiang.

Mélaurie Boivin, 14, Alma, Que., will also represent Canada in novice women. She trains in Chicoutimi, Que., with coach Marlène Picard.

Canadian novice champions Brooke McIntosh, 13, Toronto, Ont., and Brandon Toste, 15, Mississauga, Ont., are one of three Canadian novice pairs entries. They train in Mississauga, Ont., with coach Andrew Evans.

Canadian novice silver medallists Marine Pouliot, 13, Lorraine, Que., and Alexandre Simard, 17, Rivière-Ouelle, Que., will also represent Canada in novice pairs. Pouliot and Simard train in Rosmère, Que., under coaches Yvan Desjardins and Violaine Émard.

Canadian novice bronze medallists Camille Perreault, 13, Orford, Que., and Bryan Pierro, 17, St-Hubert, Que., are the final Canadian novice pairs entry. They train in Chambly, Que., with coach Marc-André Craig.

André Bourgeois, Skate Canada NextGen Director, and Manon Perron of Boucherville, Que., are the Canadian team leaders at the event. André-Marc Allain of Gatineau, Que., is the sole Canadian official at the event.

For results, full entries and more information please visit isu.org.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2018 EGNA SPRING TROPHY

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Junior Men Matthew Markell 18 Prescott, Ont. Prescott FSC Allie Hann-McCurdy / Michael Coreno
Junior Men Beresford Clements 16 Gibsons, B.C. Champs International SC Joanne McLeod / Neil Wilson
Junior Women Sarah-Maude Blanchard 17 Sherbrooke, Que. CPA Sherbrooke Marie-Christine Grenier / Odrée Grenier
Novice Men Alec Guinzbourg 13 Kingston, Ont. Richmond Training Centre Andrei Berezintsev / Inga Zusev
Novice Men Aleksa Rakic 13 Burnaby, B.C. Champs International SC Joanne McLeod / Neil Wilson
Novice Men Brian Chiem 16 Edmonton, Alta. Ice Palace FSC Ravi Walia
Novice Women Amelia Orzel 14 Woodbridge, Ont. York Region Skating Academy WC Eva Najarro
Novice Women Daria Carr 14 Kelowna, B.C. Kelowna FSC Karen Mongrain / Jason Mongrain
Novice Women Sandrine Bouchard 15 Lévis, Que. CPA St-Romuald/St-Jean Lise Bellemare / Martine Simard
Novice Women Leah Lee 13 Vancouver, B.C. Sunset FSC Jennifer Yibing Jiang
Novice Women Mélaurie Boivin 14 Alma, Que. CPA Chicoutimi Marlène Picard
Novice Pairs Brooke McIntosh / Brandon Toste 13/15 Toronto, Ont. / Mississauga, Ont. Canadian Ice Academy / Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Andrew Evans
Novice Pairs Marine Pouliot / Alexandre Simard 13/17 Lorraine, Que. / Rivière-Ouelle, Que. CPA Lorraine / CPA La Pocatière Yvan Desjardins / Violaine Émard
Novice Pairs Camille Perreault / Bryan Pierro 13/17 Orford, Que. / St-Hubert, Que. CPA Magog / CPA St-Hubert / Centre Jeunesse Performance Plus Marc-André Craig