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ISU Skating Awards premieres at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2020 in Montreal

The ISU Skating Awards is a brand-new and exciting event combining breathtaking Figure Skating performances, entertaining music acts, astonishing artistic shows and a dazzling Award ceremony.

The International Skating Union, Skate Canada and Art on Ice are proud to announce that the first ever ISU Skating Awards will be held on the occasion of the ISU World Figure Skating Championships® Montreal 2020.

Awards from seven categories will be given to outstanding athletes, Choreographer and Coach. Additionally, an innovative mix of Figure Skating, Dance and Cirque Nouveau will be showcased, featuring captivating music acts and several live performances – involving all 2020 ISU World Figure Skating Champions and medalists.

The ISU Skating Awards is a new format that will take place on Sunday, March 22, 2020 between 16:00 – 18:30 EDT (21:00 – 23:30 GMT) bringing a glamorous finish to the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2020. Guests, VIPs and ISU Skating Awards nominees will arrive on the red carpet at the famous Bell Center in Montreal.

A long list of candidates will be announced on December 1, 2019 and on-line voting will open, allowing the media, public and ISU Members to vote for their favorite candidates through a new on-line voting platform. On-line voting will be possible from December 1, 2019 to February 10, 2020.

Following the on-line vote, three nominees in each category will be selected and officially announced on March 10, 2020.

A star-studded Jury will determine the winner of each category and the winners will be revealed and presented with their Award on the occasion of ISU Skating Awards held on March 22, 2020.

ISU Skating Awards categories
There are 7 Award categories:

  • Most Valuable Skater: Honors the Single Skater or Pair or Ice Dance Couple who best managed to increase the level of popularity of Figure Skating related to the fan base involvement, media attention and sponsors appreciation
  • Best Costume: Honors the Single Skater or Pair or Ice Dance Couple presenting a costume reflecting creativity, contemporary implementation, fashion, style and originality
  • Most Entertaining Program: Honors the Single Skater or Pair or Ice Dance Couple for the music selection, expression, creativity, contemporary implementation, originality and overall performance
  • Best Newcomer: Honors a young talented Single Skater or Pair or Ice Dance Couple competing very successfully in ISU Events on the Senior level for the first season
  • Best Choreographer: Honors the choreographic work of a Choreographer who successfully inspired one or several Single Skaters and/or Pairs and/or ice Dance Couples
  • Best Coach: Honors a Coach who delivered professional and efficient work and achieved outstanding results with one or several Single Skaters and/or Pairs and/or ice Dance Couples
  • Lifetime Achievement Award: Honors a Figure Skating legend having achieved great success and popularity and is considered as a role model in the Figure Skating World.

The ISU, Skate Canada and Art on Ice held a press conference on October 26, 2019 to unveil the ISU Skating Awards. The panel included:

  • Ms. Patricia St Peter – ISU Representative
  • Mr. Benoit Lavoie – ISU Council Member
  • Mr. Oliver Höner – ISU Skating Awards Producer & Art on Ice CEO
  • Mr. Ari Zakarian – ISU Skating Awards Show Initiator
  • Ms. Leanna Caron – Skate Canada President

The full press conference is available on demand.

To receive the latest information on the #ISUSkatingAwards please subscribe to the ISU Newsletter here and for more information please visit www.isu.org and https://montreal2020.com. Click here to buy tickets for this exclusive event.

About International Skating Union
The International Skating Union (ISU), founded in 1892, is the oldest governing international winter sport federation and the exclusive international sport federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) administering the sports of Figure Skating (Single & Pair Skating and Ice Dance), Synchronized Skating, Speed Skating and Short Track Speed Skating worldwide. The objectives of the ISU are to regulate, govern, promote and develop its sports on the basis of friendship and mutual understanding between athletes. Currently three ISU disciplines are included in the Olympic Winter Games program (Figure Skating, Speed Skating and Short Track Speed Skating). For further information please visit isu.org.

About Skate Canada
A not-for-profit organization, Skate Canada is the oldest figure skating organization in the world and is recognized by the Government of Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the International Skating Union as the governing body for the sport of figure skating in Canada. As the largest learn-to-skate teaching organization in Canada, Skate Canada is dedicated to creating a nation of skaters both recreationally and competitively. Skate Canada is comprised of ten regional sections that are made up of over 1,200 skating clubs and 180,000 members, including over 10,000 volunteers and coaches who are dedicated to creating safe and healthy learning, training, and working environments in our communities. For further information please visit sc3staging.skatecanada.ca.

About Art on Ice
Internationally-renowned music stars performing their greatest hits live, the world’s elite Olympic and Championship ice skaters choreographed in perfect synchronization and an unforgettable show with spectacular special effects – this combination of superlatives is enough to melt the ice.

Year after year, millions of viewers, whether live in the stadium or at home in front of the TV, are enchanted by the passion and power of Art on Ice and its artists.

A star-studded line-up, breathtaking performances and a show rich in emotion all converge to create an unsurpassable experience. That is Art on Ice. For Further information please visit www.artonice.com.

Canadians Benoît Lavoie & Nathalie Lambert both successfully elected to ISU positions

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA: Skate Canada and Speed Skating Canada are thrilled to announce that Canadians Benoît Lavoie and Nathalie Lambert have both been elected individually to positions at the International Skating Union (ISU) following elections which took place Friday, June 10th, at the 56th ISU Congress in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Lavoie has been elected to a seat on the ISU Council and Lambert was elected to the Chair of the Short Track Speed Skating Technical Committee.

Benoît Lavoie is a former President of Skate Canada and currently sits on the Skate Canada Board of Directors. Lavoie has been a volunteer for over 30 years, and he has held many roles in his career including competitor, world judge, referee, and technical controller.

“I have always believed that when you are passionate about something you need to be prepared to step forward to be a part of the organization. I believe in the ISU and I am proud to now be working towards its continued revitalization,” said Benoît Lavoie, ISU Council Member. “I thank my many mentors and the entire Skate Canada organization for believing in me and providing invaluable support over the years.”

“We are thrilled to have Benoît elected to the ISU Council. His passion for skating, deep and broad set of experiences and skills will serve all ISU members, large, small, and developing, extremely well. The ISU is fortunate to gain such a passionate sport leader,” stated Leanna Caron, President, Skate Canada.

Nathalie Lambert, three-time Olympic medallist in short track speed skating, including gold in the women’s relay at the 1992 Games, will now be the chair of the ISU Short Track Technical Committee after being a member of this committee since 2010. She has become the first-ever woman to be elected as a chair in one of the ISU speed skating technical committees.

“I’m really proud and happy to have the privilege of leading the Short Track Technical Committee,” said Lambert. “I’m also proud about being the first woman to lead a speed skating committee, and I’m also very happy to see another woman being part of the Speed Skating Council, Yang Yang from China.”

“I’m glad that Nathalie Lambert was elected as the chair of the ISU Short Track Technical Committee,” added Speed Skating Canada’s Interim President, Susan Auch. “Her experience as an athlete, coach and member of the technical committee speaks for itself. Nathalie makes history today as the first woman chair person for a speed skating technical committee, along with Chinese Olympic medallist Yang Yang who is the first woman elected to the ISU Speed Skating Council.”

“It was also a great day for Canada when Benoît Lavoie was voted in as ISU Figure Skating Council Member. On behalf of Speed Skating Canada’s community, congratulations to Nathalie Lambert and Benoît Lavoie.”

Skate Canada and Speed Skating Canada would also like to congratulate Jan Dijkema, the new ISU President succeeding to Ottavio Cinquanta who was president since 1994, as well as Alexander Lakernik, the new ISU Vice President Figure Skating, and Tron Espeli, the new ISU Vice President Speed Skating.

“Benoît and Nathalie are both great Canadian sport leaders who put the interests of the sport first at all times,” stated jointly Dan Thompson and Ian Moss, respectively Skate Canada and Speed Skating Canada’s CEO. “We are so proud of the Canadian efforts to gain two influential positions at the ISU. We also have confidence that Mr. Dijkema, Mr. Lakernik and Mr. Espeli will bring a fresh energy to the ISU and we look forward to collaborating to grow all disciplines of skating.”

Skate Canada would also like to acknowledge Canadians David Dore and Ann Shaw who were both named as ISU Honorary Members. Dore was elected post-mortem as Honorary Vice President and Shaw a former member of the ISU Ice Dance Technical Committee was selected as an ISU Honorary Member.

About Skate Canada
Skate Canada is the nation’s governing body for competitive figure skating and is dedicated to creating a nation of skaters, both recreationally and competitively. Over 125 years old, Skate Canada is one of the world’s oldest skating organization and Canada’s preeminent leader in skating instruction and education. Over 130,000 Canadians participate in Skate Canada educational programs each year, including our flagship CanSkate program that teaches beginners of every age the basic skills of skating and fundamental movements.

About Speed Skating Canada
Speed Skating Canada (SSC) is the governing body for competitive long track and short track speed skating in Canada. Founded in 1887, the association is comprised of 13 provincial and territorial branches representing more than 14,000 individual members, and counting. SSC believes that sport is an apprenticeship for life and prizes respect for others, integrity, excellence of effort, as well as a safe, healthy environment. SSC recognizes and values its outstanding volunteers who give freely of their time and expertise. It also celebrates the 63 Olympic medals won by Canadian athletes since 1932, as well as the coaches, officials and other dedicated individuals who helped them on their journey.

SSC is proud to be affiliated with partners that share the same vision and values including our premium sponsors Intact Insurance, as well as our funding partners, the Government of Canada, Own the Podium, City of Montreal, Calgary Olympic Oval and WinSport Canada.