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D’Alessandro and Waddell one point short of the podium

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LAUSANNE, Switzerland – It was a close call for Toronto ice dancers Natalie D’Alessandro and Bruce Waddell at the Youth Olympic Winter Games on Monday as they took fourth spot missing the podium by less than a point.

Irina Khavronina and Dario Cirisano led Russia to a 1-2 finish with 164.63 points followed by Sofya Tyutyunina and Alexander Shustitskiy at 159.15. Katarina Wolfkostin and Jeffrey Chen of the U.S. overtook the Canadians for third spot at 152.43.

D’Alessandro and Waddell, third after Saturday’s rhythm dance, earned the fifth best score for their free dance to drop a spot at 151.52. Meanwhile their compatriots Miku Makita of Anmore, B.C., and Tyler Gunara of Burnaby, B.C., moved from sixth to fifth at 148.49.

“We gave it everything we had,” said Waddell. “There were a few technical errors but I definitely still had a blast. We were able to stay calm with the massive crowds and the big lights and that’s going to help us for the future.”

Makita and Gunara also overcame their nerves to produce a satisfying performance.

“The crowd was really big,” said Makita. “We skated pretty well despite some errors.”

The women’s event was won by Young You of South Korea. Catherine Carle of Georgetown, Ont., finished 11th.

“My programs didn’t go as planned but I learned so much,” said Cale. “You definitely have to be more clear on your footwork at this level especially with your turns and spins.”

The team event concludes the figure skating competition at the Games on Wednesday.

Full results: Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games

Photo by: Jed Leicester/OIS

Two fourth place finishes for Canada at Youth Olympic Winter Games

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LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Pairs skaters Brooke McIntosh of Toronto and Brandon Toste of Mississauga, Ont. and men’s entry Aleksa Rakic of Burnaby, B.C., finished fourth in figure skating action Sunday at the Youth Olympic Winter Games.

Brooke McIntosh / Brandon Toste – 2020 Youth Olympic Games – Free Skate (Photo: Thomas Skrlj/COC/CBC)

In pairs, McIntosh and Toste, Canada’s number-two junior team, climbed to fourth overall with a personal best 146.15 points. They were fifth after Friday’s short program.

“We’ve been training really hard leading into this moment,” said Toste, 17. “We definitely wanted to move up in the standings. We adjusted some elements to make our overall program better and despite a shaky warm-up were able to nail those elements.”

Apollinariia Panfilova and Dmitry Rylov led Russia to a 1-2 finish with 199.21 followed by Diana Mukhametzianova and Ilya Mironov at 175.42. Alina Butaeva and Luka Berulava of Georgia were third at 157.29.

Aleksa Rakic – 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games – Free Skate (Photo: Thomas Skrlj/COC/CBC)

In men’s competition, Yuma Kagiyama of Japan soared ahead of two Russians to take the gold with 239.17. Andrei Mozalev of Russia was second at 237.94 and his compatriot Daniil Samsonov third at 215.21.

Rakic remained in fourth spot with a personal best 205.23.

“I feel great with how I skated and that I was able to show my abilities,” said Rakic, 15, the 2019 national junior champion. “I didn’t think about the possibility of a podium and just focused on myself and nothing else. I stayed calm and didn’t get ahead of myself.”

Competition continues Monday with the free dance and women’s free skate.

Full results: Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games

Top featured image by: OIS/Joe Toth

Canadian ice dancers open Youth Olympics with strong performances

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LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Toronto ice dancers Natalie D’Alessandro and Bruce Waddell continued to build on a strong season on Saturday to stand third after the rhythm dance in figure skating action at the Youth Olympic Games.

As was the case in men’s and pairs competition Friday, the Russians are 1-2 after the rhythm dance. Irina Khavronina and Dario Cirisano lead with 63.52 points followed by Sofya Tyutyunina and Alexander Shustitskiy at 62.64.

D’Alessandro and Waddell scored 59.61 just ahead of compatriots Miku Makita of Anmore, B.C., and Tyler Gunara of Burnaby, B.C., in fourth at 58.47.

“We were able to show what we can do,” said Waddell, who won a silver medal with his partner this past fall on the Junior Grand Prix circuit. “We had a few technical issues with some turns and some key points but that’s just another learning curve for us this year.”

Makita and Gunara posted two fourth place finishes on the Junior Grand Prix.

“We had one small error but apart from that we were happy with the performance,” said Makita. “I lost my balance on the twizzle and certainly intend to do that better in the free dance.”

In women’s competititon, Young You of South Korea leads after the short program. Catherine Carle of Georgetown, Ont., is 12th.

Competition continues Sunday with the men’s and pairs free skates.

Full results: Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games

Photo by: Joe Toth

Rakic in medal chase at Youth Olympics

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LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Aleksa Rakic of Burnaby, B.C., posted a personal best score to stand in fourth place after Friday’s men’s short program as figure skating got underway at the Youth Olympics.

Russia is 1-2 with Andrei Mozalev first at 79.72 and Daniil Samsonov second at 76.62. Yuma Kagiyama of Japan is third at 72.76 followed by Rakic who earned 70.96.

The Russians are also in the top-two positions after the pairs short led by Apollinariia Panfilova and Dmitry Rylov.

Brooke McIntosh of Toronto and Brandon Toste of Mississauga, Ont., are fifth.

“We made one small error but overall we’re pleased with our performance,” said Toste. “For us our goal is to come in here and do as best as we can and enjoy the moment.”

“This is a really unique experience for us to be at the Games with athletes from other sports, bigger crowds and the great atmosphere.”

Competition continues Saturday with the short programs in ice dancing and women’s competition.

Full results: Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games

Photo by: Joe Toth

Canadian figure skating team named for the 2020 Youth Olympic Winter Games

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OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Skate Canada officially announced the eight athletes and four coaches that will represent Team Canada in figure skating at the Youth Olympic Winter Games in Lausanne, Switzerland from January 9-22, 2020.

Skaters qualified for the team based on their performances during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.

2020 Youth Olympic Winter Games – Figure Skating Team:

Name Event Hometown
Aleksa Rakic Men’s singles Burnaby, BC
Catherine Carle Women’s singles Georgetown, ON
Brooke Mcintosh & Brandon Toste Pairs Toronto, ON/Mississauga, ON
Natalie D’Alessandro & Bruce Waddell Ice dance Toronto, ON/Toronto, ON
Miku Makita & Tyler Gunara Ice dance Anmore, BC/Burnaby, BC

“We’re very excited about our figure skating team going into the 2020 Youth Olympic Winter Games,” said Debra Armstrong, CEO, Skate Canada. “We have no doubt that our skaters in Lausanne will make us proud. Canada will be cheering them on as they head into the Games.”

“We’ve been aiming for the Youth Olympics for over a year now and it’s crazy to believe it’s already here,” said Natalie D’Alessandro and Bruce Waddell, junior ice dance team. “We’ve followed the amazing preparations for Lausanne 2020 on social media and are excited to be a part of this experience representing Canada. We are extremely proud to be team members of Canada’s next generation for this new decade!”

“Our NextGen athletes have been focused on training for the Youth Olympic Winter Games and we are proud to have a strong team representing Team Canada in Lausanne,” said Andre Bourgeois, NextGen Director, Skate Canada. “All our skaters are solid contenders and we are looking forward to hitting the ice at the Games.”

2020 Youth Olympic Winter Games – Figure Skating Coaches:

Name Event Hometown
Andrew Evans Coach Toronto, ON
Andrew Hallam Coach Toronto, ON
Aaron Lowe Coach Vancouver, BC
Manon Perron Coach Boucherville, QC

The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) are an elite sporting event for young people from all over the world. The Games are aimed at bringing together talented young teenage athletes from around the world. Like the Olympic Games, the YOG are held every four years. The first winter edition was held in Innsbruck, Austria in 2012.

The YOG is distinct from other youth sports competitions, as they also include a series of educational activities with three areas of focus: protecting the athletes, working on performance, and assisting the athletes outside sport.