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Nam’s back, Chartrand soars, Weaver/Poje prevail, Moore-Towers/Marinaro untouchable at 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

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SAINT JOHN, N.B.– Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont., broke the Canadian ice dance record and Alaine Chartrand made a comeback for the ages for the women’s gold to highlight Saturday’s action at the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships.

Not to be outdone, Nam Nguyen of Toronto returned to the top in the men’s event while Kirsten Moore-Towers of St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont., dominated in pairs.

In ice dancing, Weaver and Poje won the gold medal with 213.78 points and Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Toronto were second at 212.31. Both scores were over the previous Canadian record of 209.82 set by Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir at last year’s nationals.

The top-two couples not only wowed the crowd with excellence but moved them with emotional routines.

“It’s a different kind of year for us,” said Poje. “We want to do what pleases us and show what we’ve learned throughout our entire career with all the ups and downs.”

It was a third career national crown for Weaver and Poje, world championship bronze medallists last year. They also won in 2015 and 2016.

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen of Montreal were third at 198.41.

Chartrand soared from fifth place to win the women’s gold. She opened with a triple-triple combo and never looked back en route to a total score of 185.91 points. Aurora Cotop of Thornhill, Ont., was also on the comeback train jumping from sixth to second with 169.35. Véronik Mallet of Sept-Iles, Que., was third at 168.53.

Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., and Larkyn Austman of Vancouver, 1-2 after the short, had rough free skates. Austman was fourth and Daleman, the defending champ, fifth.

It was a second career national crown for Chartrand and first since 2016. Her free skate on Saturday was 16 points better than her closest pursuer.

“Today was the redemption I was looking for,” said Chartrand. “It felt really special. I was working through being methodical and not looking too far ahead. It worked well  for me. Once I was done all the jumps I could really let it go and hear the crowd roar as I came around the end.”

In the men’s event, Nguyen landed his seven jumps which included two quad Salchows to open his free skate for 258.01 points. Stephan Gogolev of Toronto, looking to become the youngest Canadian men’s champion ever at 14, followed at 253.56. Keegan Messing of Sherwood Park, Alta., was third at 247.44.

“I was so nervous,” said Nguyen, whose previous national title was in 2015 at age 16. “My first thought before the first quad was don’t have any regrets. That helped me push through. The take off was shaky, I didn’t know where I was in the air.”

“I just thought: ‘Please help me.”

There was no surprise in pairs as Moore-Towers and Marinaro placed first with 202.75. Evelyn Walsh of London, Ont., and Trennt Michaud of Trenton, Ont., followed at 189.87 and Camille Ruest of Rimouski Que., and Drew Wolfe of Calgary were third at 166.84.

“It was a little bit harder out there than we anticipated,” said Marinaro. “We laboured from the starting pose to the ending pose. Evelyn and Trennt laid it down before us and put some pressure on us.”

Full results: 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

Stephen Gogolev grabs spotlight at 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

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SAINT JOHN, N.B. – Fourteen-year-old Stephen Gogolev of Toronto is in first place after the men’s short program at the at the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships.

Gogolev landed a quad Salchow-triple toe combo to open his routine and added a triple Lutz and triple Axel in his skate to the song Run Boy Run. He earned 88.77 points to put himself ahead of Olympian Keegan Messing of Sherwood Park, Alta., in second at 87.18 while Nam Nguyen of Toronto, the 2015 champion, is third at 85.73.

This past fall, Gogolev won two of his international junior events including the Junior Grand Prix Final in December in Vancouver. He turned 14 on December 22.

“I feel more confident and comfortable this year,” said Gogolev, 10th in his nationals senior level debut last winter. “Last year was the first time I was in front of a really big crowd so I got that experience.”

The other three short programs were also on Friday.

Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont., hold a slight lead after the rhythm dance. The world championship bronze medallists competed for the first time in four months and tabulated 85.19 points.

Not to be outdone, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Toronto are a close second at 83.08 and Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen of Montreal are third at 79.41.

Weaver and Poje were busy this past fall on the 28-stop cross country Thank You Canada Tour for Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.

“This week we’re here just to show ourselves, we’re having fun showing off, if you will,” Weaver said. “We’ve worked so hard, we have so much experience in front of audiences, and we’ve done our homework with the technical rules and now we get to let it loose with no worries.”

“This is a great start for us.”

In women’s competition, defending champion Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., leads after the short program with 70.18 points. Larkyn Austman of Vancouver follows at 64.53 and Véronik Maillet of Sept-Iles, Que., is third at 60.55.

This was a return to competition for Daleman, who delivered a clean skate to a selection from Bizet’s Carmen. She had announced publicly that she would miss the first half of the season to focus on her mental health.

Meanwhile Austman, who withdrew from two competitions this past fall due to injury, landed a double Axel en route to a clean skate as well.

“That was really amazing, I’m not super well known for doing great short programs,” said Austman, a 2018 Olympian. “This season has been a change for dialing in my technical content. It’s working and I’m excited about it.”

In pairs, Kirsten Moore-Moore Towers of St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont., are first after the short program with 71.47. Evelyn Walsh of London, Ont., and Trennt Michaud of Trenton, Ont., follow at 65.20 and Camille Ruest of Rimouski Que., and Drew Wolfe of Calgary are third at 62.46.

Despite the clean program, the first place team was hoping for a more polished skate.

“Our goal here was to focus on the small points and unfortunately we did not do that,” said Marinaro. “So that was a little bit of a disappointment. We cannot be leaving those marks on the table in the future.”

All four free skates are on Saturday.

Full results: 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

Dawson wins women’s junior title in comeback style at 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

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SAINT JOHN, N.B. – Hannah Dawson of Ottawa improved from 15th place last year to top spot on Thursday in junior women’s competition at the 2019 Canadian Tire Nationals Skating Championships being held this week at Harbour Station.

Dawson was standing third after the short progam, but produced a powerful free skate to take the title with 140.92 points. Madeline Schizas of Oakville, Ont., also made a nice comeback climbing from sixth to second with 134.59. In third was Reagan Scott of Lancaster, Ont., at 134.46.

“It’s so unreal,” said Dawson. “I’ve had a lot of rough skates and reflecting back those really helped me become mentally strong. You can’t take things for granted. You still have to go out and attack. You can’t let one mistake affect you. You rally have to bring it back.”

In junior men, Aleksa Rakic of Burnaby, B.C., placed first with 199.10. Beres Clements of Richmond, B.C., surged from fourth for the silver at 191.02 and Corey Circelli of Toronto, the leader after the short, was third at 181.98.

In junior pairs, Chloe Chouinard of Frankford, Ont., and Mathieu Ostiguy of St-Angele-de-Monnoir, Que., fifth last year, took the gold with 142.03. Brooke McIntosh and Brandon Toste of Toronto followed at 137.91 and Gabrielle Levesque of Bridgewater, N.S. and Pier-Alexandre Hudon of St.-Roch-des-Aulnaies, Que., were third at 135.67.

“We said we were going to have fun with that program and took one element at a time,” said Chouinard. “We had a blast. This is like a dream.”

In novice pairs, Quebec teams were 1-2 with Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Ethier of Rosemere first, Jamie Fournier and Gabriel Farand of Brossard second while Mackenzie Ripley and Owen Brawley of Kitchener, Ont., third.

“It’s good to see all the hard work pay off at the final competition of the year,” said Ethier. “This is our first year together and we really wanted to go out there and enjoy the moment.”

The senior competition gets underway Friday with the four short programs. The free skates are on Saturday.

Full results: 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

Lajoie and Lagha win third straight junior title 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

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ST JOHN, N.B. – Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha won their third straight national junior ice dance title on Tuesday at the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships being held this week at Harbour Station.

Lajoie, from Boucherville, Que., and Lagha, from Greenfield Park, Que. continued a solid season earning 179.71 points. Alicia Fabbri of Terrebonne, Que., and Paul Ayer of Calgary were second at 158.57 and Natalie D’Alessandro and Bruce Waddell of Toronto were third at 155.79.

Lajoie and Lagha won gold and silver in their two ISU Junior Grand Prix appearances this season then placed fourth at the Junior Grand Prix Final in Vancouver.

“This year we wanted to skate like we belonged in the senior level,” said Lagha. “There was some pressure to win again so this is a good feeling.”

Their coach Marie-France Dubreuil says the couple can contend for a medal at the world junior championships later this season.

“There was no urgency to switch them to senior,” she said. “We would like to see them stay at this level right through to the world juniors.”

There were three finals in novice competition Tuesday.

In women’s novice, Kaiya Ruiter of Calgary set a national category record with 139.57. That was almost six points better than the previous best of 133.73 set by Catherine Carle in 2017. Mélaurie Boivin of Alma, Que., followed at 131.34 and Emily Millard of Vancouver was third at 125.67.

“I always go out every time to try and get a personal best,” said Ruiter.

In ice dancing, Sophia Kagolovskaya and Kieran MacDonald of Waterloo, Ont., won the gold medal with 110.55. Kiera Kam and Mathew Carter of Vancouver were second at 105.39 and Isabel McQuilkin and Jacob Portz of Calgary were third at 103.76.

“After yesterday’s skate we really wanted to do our best in the free dance,” said Kagolovskaya.

On the men’s side, Wesley Chiu of Richmond, B.C., was the winner with 146.83, Shuma Mugii of Burnaby, B.C., second at 118.39 and Matthew Newnham of Edmonton third at 116.49.

“This is a big relief for me,” said Chiu. “I’ve been thinking about this competition all season. I really wanted to win.”

Competition continues through to Saturday.

Full information: 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

Canada’s best skaters headed to Saint John for the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

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SAINT JOHN, NB: The nation’s best figure skaters are headed to Saint John, N.B. for the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. The week-long championships held at Harbour Station from January 14-20, 2019 will feature approximately 250 skaters in the men, women, pairs, ice dance disciplines, competing in three levels: senior, junior, and novice.

“Every year, this event continues to showcase Canada’s brightest skaters and this year will be no different,” said Debra Armstrong, CEO, Skate Canada. “We are excited to be in Saint John for this important event and look forward to having the support of the community as skaters strive for gold at Harbour Station.”

The all-Canadian competition will begin with the novice and junior events taking place from Monday, January 14 to Thursday, January 17, followed by the senior events beginning on Friday, January 18 to Saturday, January 19, and finishing with an Exhibition Gala on Sunday, January 20. Athletes will aim for spots on the Skate Canada National Team and the Canadian teams that will compete at the 2019 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, 2019 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, and 2019 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

The senior events will be the highlight of the week as Canada’s top skaters will look to add to their resume’s. Keegan Messing, 26, Sherwood Park, Alta./Brantford, Ont., earned a silver medal at last year’s Nationals and will be aiming for a gold medal finish this year. Nam Nguyen, 20, Ajax, Ont., will also be looking to make the podium after winning the bronze medal in 2018 and previously winning the national title in 2015. Stephen Gogolev, 13, Toronto, Ont., is coming off a gold medal finish at ISU Junior Grand Prix Final in Vancouver and will be looking to continue that momentum into Nationals.

Gabrielle Daleman, 20, Newmarket, Ont., 2018 National Champion, will be looking to keep her spot on top of the podium. Larkyn Austman, 20, Coquitlam, B.C., will also be looking to medal after finishing third last year.

Senior ice dancers Piper Gilles, 26, Toronto, Ont., and Paul Poirier, 27, Unionville, Ont., finished second in 2018 and will be aiming for the top spot this year. They will be challenged by three-time World medalists Kaitlyn Weaver, 29, Toronto, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 31,Waterloo, Ont.

Bronze medalists at last year’s event, senior pair Kirsten Moore-Towers, 26, St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro, 27, Sarnia, Ont., will also have their eyes set on the gold medal spot.

The junior and novice categories will display Canada’s emerging talent as they look to make their statement at the national level. All novice and junior competition, and select senior events, will be live streamed on the Skate Canada Dailymotion page. For full entries and the event start orders, please click here.

Off the ice, three-time World champion, two-time Olympic silver medalist and seven-time Canadian champion, Elvis Stojko, will be this year’s Athlete Ambassador. During the event, Stojko will handle speaking engagements, media interviews, make appearances on behalf of the competing athletes and interact with his fans.

Tickets are available and single event ticket prices for the senior events are priced $25-$65. Novice and junior as well as senior practice tickets are $10 per day. Fans will be able to choose from four levels of all-event ticket packages that are only available by phone, they are priced at $125, $165, $195 and $295, plus applicable surcharges and taxes. All tickets are subject to applicable taxes and venue/Ticketmaster surcharges.

Tickets can be purchased online at harbourstation.ca, by phone at 1-800-267-2800 and in person at the Harbour Station Box Office.

This will be Saint John’s first time hosting this event. The city has previously hosted Skate Canada International three times (2013, 1999 and 1995). They have also hosted the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships in December of 1997.

Elvis Stojko named Athlete Ambassador for 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

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SAINT JOHN, NB: Skate Canada is pleased to announce that three-time World Champion, two-time Olympic silver medalist and seven-time Canadian Champion Elvis Stojko will serve as the official Athlete Ambassador during the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. The event takes place from January 14-20 in Saint John, N.B., at Harbour Station.

“It is such a privilege to be named the Athlete Ambassador for the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships,” said Stojko. “I am thrilled to be at this wonderful event with such great skaters and I am so grateful to now be able to represent the future of Canadian figure skaters in Saint John. Fans have a lot to look forward to as the best skaters in the nation compete for gold.”

Stojko began his success at the Canadian Championships in 1994 when he won a gold medal, followed by six more gold medals from 1996-2000 and then again in 2002. He won gold at the World Championships in 1994,1995 and 1997 and won two Olympic silver medals in 1994 and 1998. He is well known for his jumping, having become the first man to land a quadruple toe loop, double toe loop combination during competition in 1991.

“We are excited to have Elvis as our Athlete Ambassador for this event. He has made significant contributions to figure skating in this country throughout his career, and he understands the level it takes to be successful,” said Debra Armstrong, CEO, Skate Canada. “We know Elvis will inspire the fans at Harbour Station.”
In his role as the Athlete Ambassador, Stojko will handle engagements and media interviews, conduct appearances on behalf of all the athletes competing and engage with fans throughout the event.

Stojko announced his retirement from competitive figure skating in 2006 but continues to entertain through ice shows. He recently participated in the Thank You Canada Tour alongside fellow Canadian skaters Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir, Patrick Chan, Kaetlyn Osmond, Meagan Duhamel, Eric Radford, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje.

Event Info
Approximately 250 skaters in the women’s, men’s, pair and ice dance disciplines will compete at the senior, junior and novice levels at the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Athletes will vie for spots on the Skate Canada National Team that will compete at the 2019 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, the 2018 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships and the 2019 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Ticket Info
Tickets can be purchased online at harbourstation.ca, by phone at 1-800-267-2800 and in person at the Harbour Station Box Office. Single event ticket prices for the senior events are priced $25-$65. Novice and junior as well as senior practice tickets are $10 per day. Fans will be able to choose from four levels of all-event ticket packages that are only available by phone, they are priced at $125, $165, $195 and $295, plus applicable surcharges and taxes. All tickets are subject to applicable taxes and venue/Ticketmaster surcharges.

Single Event Ticket Info: 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

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SAINT JOHN, N.B: Single event tickets for the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships go on sale this Thursday, October 18 at 10:00 a.m. (AT). The event will be held in Saint John, New Brunswick, from January 13-20, 2019, at Harbour Station. The championships will feature approximately 250 of the nation’s best skaters in the men, women, pairs, and ice dance disciplines, competing in three levels: senior, junior, and novice.

Single event ticket prices for the senior events are priced $25-$65. Novice and junior as well as senior practice tickets are $10 per day. All tickets are subject to applicable taxes and venue and Ticketmaster surcharges.

Tickets can be purchased online at harbourstation.ca, by phone at 1-800-267-2800 or in person at the Harbour Station box office.

Fans not seated in the Super Fan Section but wishing to purchase the Super Fan Bag can buy the bag for an additional $60 each, plus applicable taxes and surcharges. This offer is available until November 5, 2018.

EVENT INFO
This will be Saint John’s first time hosting this event. The city has previously hosted Skate Canada International three times (2013, 1999 and 1995). They also hosted the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships® in December of 1997.

The pre-eminent all-Canadian competition will see athletes will vie for spots on the Skate Canada National Team and the Canadian teams that will compete at the 2019 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, 2019 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, and 2019 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Join our exclusive mailing list to receive event and ticket information for the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships.

Ticket Info: 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

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SAINT JOHN, N.B: All-event tickets for the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships go on sale this Thursday, March 15, at 10:00 a.m. (AT). The event will be held in Saint John, New Brunswick, from January 13-20, 2019, at Harbour Station. The championships will feature approximately 250 of the nation’s best skaters in the men, women, pairs, and ice dance disciplines, competing in three levels: senior, junior, and novice.

All-Event ticket packages will include all competitions in novice, junior and senior and the exhibition gala, as well as all practices (excluding the gala practice which is closed to the public). Fans will be able to choose from four levels of all-event ticket packages that are priced at $125, $165, $195, and $295, plus applicable surcharges and taxes.

Tickets can be purchased online at harbourstation.ca, by phone at 1-800-267-2800 or in person at the Harbour Station box office.

SUPER FAN SECTION
Be a Super Fan this season! The Super Fan Section includes the first four rows of the arena, allowing fans to be closest to the action. All fans purchasing tickets in this section will receive the Super Fan Bag, packed with exclusive souvenirs including a keepsake blanket, event program, event pin and branded bag. All-event ticket packages in the Super Fan Section, which includes the super fan bag, are priced at $295, plus applicable surcharges.

Fans not seated in the Super Fan Section may purchase the Super Fan Bag for an additional $60 each, plus applicable surcharges. This offer is available until November 5, 2018.

EVENT INFO
This will be Saint John’s first time hosting this event. The city has previously hosted Skate Canada International three times (2013, 1999 and 1995). They also hosted the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships® in December of 1997.

The pre-eminent all-Canadian competition will see athletes will vie for spots on the Skate Canada National Team and the Canadian teams that will compete at the 2019 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, 2019 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, and 2019 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Join our exclusive mailing list to receive event and ticket information for the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships.

2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships headed to Saint John, N.B.

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SAINT JOHN, N.B: Skate Canada announced today that the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships will be held in Saint John, New Brunswick, from January 13-20, 2019, at Harbour Station. The championships will feature approximately 250 of the nation’s best skaters in the men, women, pairs, and ice dance disciplines, competing in three levels: senior, junior, and novice.

“Skate Canada is excited to host the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in Saint John for the first time. This event is the highlight of the national skating calendar and we are thrilled to be able showcase Canada’s top figure skating talent at Harbour Station,” Debra Armstrong, CEO, Skate Canada. “We are looking forward to working with our partners in Saint John to put on a fantastic event and bring the joy of skating to the community.”

“I am thrilled Saint John will host the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championship next January. I look forward along with our Common Council and our residents to welcoming 500+ coaches, athletes and officials from across the country,” says Don Darling, Mayor of the City of Saint John. “Saint John is becoming a City of choice for hosting major sporting event because of our hospitality, expertise, infrastructure and sport fans.”

This will be Saint John’s first time hosting this event. The city has previously hosted Skate Canada International three times (2013, 1999 and 1995). They also hosted the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships® in December of 1997.

“Quispamsis is delighted to be part of the 2019 Canadian Tire Skate Canada Nationals,” said Quispamsis Mayor Gary Clark. “The qplex will be an ideal practice facility for this event.”

The pre-eminent all-Canadian competition will see athletes will vie for spots on the Skate Canada National Team and the Canadian teams that will compete at the 2019 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, 2019 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, and 2019 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Join our exclusive mailing list to receive event and ticket information for the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships.