OTTAWA, ON: Olympic Champions Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, one of the most decorated pair teams in Canadian figure skating history will serve as Athlete Ambassadors during the 2017 Skate Canada International. The event will take place in Regina, Saskatchewan, from October 26-29, 2017, at the Brandt Centre.

“I am thrilled to be co-ambassador with my partner David Pelletier for this years’ Skate Canada! I look forward to being a part of the skating family again and seeing some wonderful competition,” expressed Salé.

“We are very honoured to be back at Skate Canada International as athlete ambassadors. It is a competition we grew up watching and has a great history of fantastic skating. It is also where Jamie and I debuted as a team on the international circuit. We are very excited to be watching the best skaters in the world getting ready for their Olympic journey,” added Pelletier.

In their role of Athlete Ambassadors, Salé and Pelletier will handle speaking engagements and media interviews, conduct appearances on behalf of the competing athletes and, of course, make time for their legion of fans.

“We are thrilled to have Jamie and David back at a Skate Canada event and thank them for making time to represent the athletes during this important season. They know firsthand the pressures of competition, and by using their experiences they will help us create an exciting event for all participants,” said Debra Armstrong, CEO, Skate Canada.

Salé and Pelletier’s outstanding career was highlighted by their gold-medal performance at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. The pair officially started competing together in 1998, placing third at Skate Canada International before going on to win the event in 2000 and 2001. In 2001 they claimed their first and only world championship in Vancouver. Salé and Pelletier were officially inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame in 2008, and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame the following year.

Salé and Pelletier will act as the Athlete Ambassadors over the course of the four-day event in Regina.

TICKETS
Single session tickets begin at $25 (plus applicable taxes and surcharges) and prices range by session. Tickets for the Thursday practices are only $10. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.ca, or by phone at 1-855-985-5000 or in person at Brandt Centre Box Office. Groups of nine or more can purchase by calling the box office directly 1-306-781-9300.

EVENT INFO
This will be Regina’s second time hosting this event; they last hosted in 1986. Most recently, the city hosted Skate Canada Challenge, a qualifying event for the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Skate Canada International is the second competition in the annual ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. The other events take place in the United States (Skate America), Russia (Rostelecom Cup), France (Internationaux de France), China (Cup of China) and Japan (NHK Trophy).

Each skater/team can be assigned a maximum of two events. Skaters are awarded points based on their placements at their events. The top six from each discipline (men’s, ladies, pair and ice dance) qualify for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.