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Canadian pair a point from podium at Finlandia Open

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ESPOO, Finland – Lubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch of Toronto missed a berth on the podium by a point in pairs Saturday at the Finlandia Open figure skating competition. The event is the sixth stop on the ISU Challenger Series circuit.

Cheng Peng and Yang Jin of China won the gold medal with 198.03 points, Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise of Italy were second at 193.50 and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia third at 184.78.

Ilyushechkina and Moscovitch were fourth after Thursday’s short program and didn’t budge in the standings despite the third best free skate. They totalled 183.80.

‘’We pushed hard and did an OK job considering it is so early in the season.’’ said Moscovitch, sixth with his partner at the world championships last season. ‘’Both programs are new so we’re taking in information on what we need to improve on and focus on leading into the Grand Prix season.’’

Boyang Jin of China won the gold medal in men’s competition ahead of two Americans: Vincent Zhou in second and Adam Rippon in third.

Roman Sadovsky of Vaughan, Ont., and Kevin Reynolds of Coquitlam, B.C., were 10th and 11th.

In ice dancing Carolane Soucisse of Chateauguay, Que., and Shane Firus of North Vancouver are fourth after the short dance while world championship bronze medallist Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., is fifth after the women’s short program.

The free dance and women’s free skate are on Sunday.

Full results: Finlandia Trophy Espoo 2017

Chan produces solid third in short program/ Ilyushechkina and Moscovitch a career best sixth at worlds

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HELSINKI – Patrick Chan scored a personal best to stand third after the short program in men’s competition while Lubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch were a career-best sixth in pairs.

In the men’s short, two-time defending champion Javier Fernandez of Spain stands first after the short program with 109.05 points. Shoma Uno of Japan is second at 104.86 and Chan posted a personal best 102.13 – the first time he has cracked the 100-point barrier internationally.

Chan, a three-time world champion from Toronto, opened with a quad toe loop- triple toe loop combo and also cleanly executed his triple Axel and triple Lutz.

‘’Breaking 100 points with one quad is huge for me,’’ said Chan. ‘’I didn’t go into it thinking I needed to be first. I just wanted to get the marks I deserved if I put everything on the table.’’

Kevin Reynolds of Coquitlam, B.C., is 12th after producing a clean skate. He opened with a quad Salchow- triple toe combo and followed that up with a quad toe and triple Axel.

‘’I was able to refocus after a not so great warm-up,’’ said Reynolds, who had a 4:20 a.m.  wake-up call for a 6 a.m. practice being in the first group of skaters.  ‘’I trusted my training and turned things around.

‘’I couldn’t be happier with my performance today.’’

In pairs, there was no change in the top-three: Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China took gold, Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot of Germany the silver and Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov of Russia the bronze.

Ilyushechkina and Moscovitch remained in sixth spot with a personal best 206.19 points. They were seventh at last year’s worlds and 13th the year before.

‘’We worked hard through that program and the training paid off,’’ said Moscovitch.

‘’We did an amazing job on regrouping and refocusing for this program,’’ added Ilyushechkina. ‘’We were there in moment and worked hard from the beginning until the end.’’

Two-time defending world champions Meagan Duhamel of Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford of Balmertown, Ont., stayed in seventh spot. Radford has been dealing with a hip injury this month.

‘’After the practice this morning I never felt so afraid and unsure,’’ said Radford. ‘’It was very difficult. I was thinking of withdrawing but our team around us gave us the confidence to go out there and try.

‘’Our effort was beyond what we could have expected.’’

Julianne Séguin of Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau of Trois-Pistoles, Que., were 11th. Séguin has been dealing with a concussion in the new calendar year.

‘’We felt relief,’’ said Séguin. ‘’We had a really hard year but to finish on a strong note with our program was what we needed.’’

Competition continues Friday with the women’s free skate and the short dance. The men’s free skate is on Saturday.

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1617/wc2017/index.htm

Strong start for Canadian women at ISU World Figure Skating Championships

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HELSINKI – Canadians Kaetlyn Osmond and Gabrielle Daleman are in medal positions after Wednesday’s women’s short program which opened the 2017 ISU World Figure Skating Championships.

Defending champion Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia stands first with 79.01 points followed by Osmond in second with a personal best 75.98 and Daleman is third at 72.19.

It’s the first time Canada has two skaters in the top three after the women’s short program at worlds.

Both Canadians displayed bright smiles after the completion of their programs, flawlessly executing their required seven elements. Osmond inserted her three jumps (triple combo, triple Lutz and double Axel) in her first four elements before finishing with her spins and step sequences.

“I was just trying to stay calm, just stay over my feet,” said Osmond of Marystown, N.L., at her first worlds since 2014. “I’ve worked hard this year at loving that feeling to compete and perform in front of a crowd. I’ve had a lot of personal bests with this program this year and that’s a great way to finish the season with it.”

Daleman, from Newmarket, Ont., also opened with her triple toe-triple toe combo with her Lutz and Axel as her fourth and fifth elements.

“You can always improve on the quality of the spins, jumps, footwork and everything in between,” said Daleman, ninth at the worlds last season. “I’m always determined to find the little details where I can improve more. I’ve gained a lot of confidence and I knew just what I wanted to do, completely enjoyed myself and just stayed in the moment.’’

In pairs, Lubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch of Toronto, Ont., are the top Canadians in sixth with 73.14. Two-time world champions Meagan Duhamel of Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford of Balmertown, Ont., are seventh at 72.67 and Julianne Séguin of Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau of Trois-Pistoles, Que., are 12th.

Radford is battling a hip injury which struck last week and which he described as “extremely frustrating.” However they went out there and produced a clean skate and expected a better placement. They are just over six points from third place.

“We were a bit surprised with how low the score was,” said Radford. “We anticipated it would be higher after a performance like that. Still it builds confidence for us for the long program.”

Radford said he has never experienced competing while injured.

“It still doesn’t feel 100 percent,” said Radford about the hip. “I was going in with a lot ‘what ifs’ in my head but I thought the way we skated was excellent for the condition I was in.”

Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China are first at 81.23, Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot of Germany second at 79.84 and Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov of Russia third at 79.37.

Ilyushechkina and Moscovitch, competing at their third straight worlds, are looking to improve on last year’s seventh place finish. They are only five points back from third.

“We did exactly what we trained to do and came here to do,” said Moscovitch. “We continue to improve every time out. It’s a program we enjoy and it’s great to end it with a season’s best score.”

Seguin and Bilodeau competed for the first time since the Grand Prix Final in December where they placed fifth. Séguin had been dealing with a concussion in the new calendar year.

“We have an overall good feeling about our performance even though there were mistakes,” said Bilodeau. “The short program is more difficult for us right now and we are confident we can manage our free skate a lot better tomorrow (Thursday).”

Competition continues Thursday with the pairs’ free skate and men’s short program. The ladies’ free skate is Friday.

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1617/wc2017/index.htm.

Three medals for Canada at ISU Four Continents

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GANGNEUNG, South Korea – World champions Meagan Duhamel of Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford of Balmertown, Ont., and Lubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch of Toronto won silver and bronze in pairs and Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., added a silver in women’s singles on Saturday at the ISU Four Continents figure skating competition.

In pairs, Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China took the gold with 225.03 points. Duhamel and Radford followed at 212.23 and Ilyushechkina and Moscovitch were third at 205.31.

Duhamel and Radford started their free skate with an impressive triple twist but their side-by-side, throw quad Salchow and throw triple Lutz were not as smooth.

‘’It was one of those fighting skates for us which has been a theme for us this season,’’ said Radford. ‘’But considering how we were feeling coming into this long program we are both very proud of ourselves and did some pretty good things.

‘’It’s always an up and down through the season and we’ll take this as a step up towards the world championships in March.’’

Ilyushechkina and Moscovitch were on fire in their free skate landing a triple twist, side-by-side triple toe-double toe, side-by-side triple Salchow and throw triple flip. The only glaring mishap was Ilyushechkina falling on a throw triple loop near the end of the program.

‘’It got rough near the end and some spots were sticky but we got through it,’’ said Moscovitch. ‘’Each event this season we have been improving and we’ve worked very hard to keep moving in the right direction.’’

Kirsten Moore-Towers of St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont., were seventh.

In women’s competition, Mai Mihara of Japan moved from fourth after the short program to top spot with 200.85. Daleman followed in second – a career-best international result – at 196.91, Mirai Nagasu of the U.S. was third at 194.95 and Kaetlyn Osmond of Maystown, N.L. fourth at 184.17.

Daleman produced a strong start and ending with a little blip in the middle on which she stepped out of a jump and put her hand down after landing a double Axel.

‘’I’d never been at a big championship leading after the short so it was a whole new experience,’’ said Daleman. ‘’It’s wasn’t my best skate at all but I’m happy to be leaving here with an international medal.’’

Daleman and Osmond were 1-2 after Thursday’s short program. In her free skate, Osmond struggled after opening with a powerful triple flip-triple toe and double Axel-triple toe combos.

‘’The beginning went super well,’’ she said. ‘’I’ve been getting a lot better and being able to refocus after I miss an element and today that just didn’t happen.’’

Alaine Chartrand of Prescott, Ont., climbed from 14th to 11th after producing the eighth best free skate.

Competition ends Sunday morning with the men’s free program (9 p.m. Saturday evening EST on cbc.ca)

Full results: ISU Four Continents Championships 2017

Led by Patrick Chan’s gold, Canadians fill their Cup of China with medals

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BEIJING – Three-time world champion Patrick Chan won the gold medal in comeback fashion in men’s singles on Saturday to highlight a four-medal day for Canadians at the Cup of China figure skating competition, the fifth stop on the ISU Grand Prix circuit.

Chan, third after a shaky short program, roared to the title in his free skate with 279.72 points overcoming a 13-point deficit on Boyang Jin of China, second at 278.54. Sergei Voronov of Russia was third at 243.76.

‘’The program felt very methodical,’’ said Chan, also the Skate Canada International winner three weeks ago. ‘’I didn’t give it more energy than it needed. I told myself to relax and not try and rush through the program.’’

Chan made sure to keep an even keel during the skate.

‘’Even the fall during the quad Salchow I made sure I didn’t panic and just continued to do the program as I did at home and forget about the mistake.’’

In women’s competition, Kaetlyn Osmond of Marystown, N.L., took the silver with 196.00. Elena Radionova of Russia was the winner at 205.90 and her compatriot Elizaveta Tuktamysheva third at 192.57.

‘’I started the program really strong,’’ said Osmond. ‘’Then I did two mistakes that were really uncharacteristic for me. That’s something I just have to work on leading into the next big competitions. I need to keep my focus a little bit longer even if the program is going really well.’’

In ice dancing, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont., were the silver medallists with 181.54. Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani of the U.S., took gold at 185.13. Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin of Russia were third at 177.41.

‘’This season is all about building,’’ said Weaver. ‘’There are many new things for us. We are learning from the beginning and that takes time and it’s not always an instantaneous result. Everything can get better even though we didn’t make any major mistakes.’’

In pairs, Lubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch of Toronto added a bronze behind two Chinese teams with 191.54. Xiaoyu Yu and Hao Zhang took the gold at 203.76 and Cheng Peng and Yang Jin were second at 197.96.

The sixth stop on the circuit is next weekend in Sapporo, Japan.

Full results: ISU GP Audi Cup of China 2016

Canadian skaters en route to ISU Grand Prix Cup of China

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send five entries, for a total of eight skaters, to the fifth stop on the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, the Cup of China. The event takes place from November 18-20, 2016, at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China. Canada will have one entry per discipline in men, ladies and pairs and two entries in ice dance.

Three-time World Champion and double Olympic silver medallist (men’s and team) Patrick Chan, 25, Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian entry in the men’s discipline. This will be his first time competing at this event. This season, Chan won the silver medal at his first event, the Finlandia Trophy, followed by the gold medal at Skate Canada International. The eight-time Canadian champion is coached by Marina Zoueva, Oleg Epstein and Johnny Johns and trains in Canton, MI, USA.

Olympic silver medallist (team) Kaetlyn Osmond, 20, Marystown, Nfld./Edmonton, Alta., will be the Canadian entry in the ladies’ category. This will also be her first time competing at this event. This season, she won the Finlandia Trophy, and won the silver medal at Skate Canada International. The 2016 Canadian bronze medallist is coached by Ravi Walia and trains in Edmonton, Alta.

Lubov Ilyushechkina, 25, Moscow, Russia, and Dylan Moscovitch, 32, Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian pairs entry. Last season, the duo placed seventh at this event. Earlier this season, Ilyusechkina and Moscovitch won the silver medal at the Nebelhorn Trophy and the bronze medal at Skate Canada International. The 2016 Canadian bronze medallists are coached by Lee Barkell, Bryce Davison and Tracy Wilson in Toronto, Ont.

Two-time world medallists Kaitlyn Weaver, 27, Toronto, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 29, Waterloo, Ont., are the first of two Canadian entries in ice dance. This will be their fourth time competing at this event, having won the bronze medal in 2012 and placed sixth in both 2008 and 2009. This season, Weaver and Poje won the bronze medal at their first ISU Grand Prix assignment, the Rostelecom Cup. The two-time consecutive Canadian champions are coached by Nikolai Morozov and train in Hackensack, NJ, USA.

Alexandra Paul, 25, Midhurst, Ont., and Mitchell Islam, 26, Barrie, Ont., are the second Canadian entry in ice dance. This will be their second time competing at this event, having placed fifth in 2014. This season, they won the bronze medal at the 2016 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic and placed eighth at Skate Canada International. Paul and Islam train in Montreal, Que., with coaches Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon and Romain Haguenauer.

Mike Slipchuk, Skate Canada High Performance Director, will travel with the team as team leader. Dr. Cole Beavis of Saskatoon, Sask., and physiotherapist Karen Seymour of Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian medial staff onsite. Jeff Lukasik of Calgary, Alta., and Karen Butcher of Greely, Ont., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For results and full entries please visit www.isu.org.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2016 CUP OF CHINA

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men Patrick Chan 25 Toronto, Ont. Granite Club Marina Zoueva / Oleg Epstein / Johnny Johns
Ladies Kaetlyn Osmond 20 Marystown, Nfld. & Edmonton, Alta. Ice Palace FSC Ravi Walia
Pairs Lubov Ilyushechkina / Dylan Moscovitch 25/32 Moscow, Russia / Toronto, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club / Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Lee Barkell / Bryce Davison / Tracy Wilson
Ice Dance Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje 27/29 Toronto, Ont. / Waterloo, Ont. Sault FSC / Kitchener-Waterloo SC Nikolai Morozov
Ice Dance Alexandra Paul / Mitchell Islam 25/26 Midhurst, Ont. / Barrie, Ont. Barrie SC / Barrie SC Marie-France Dubreuil / Patrice Lauzon / Romain Haguenauer

Gold for Duhamel and Radford at Skate Canada International

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MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Two-time Canadian world champions Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford won the gold medal in pairs on Saturday at Skate Canada International.

Kaetlyn Osmond of Marystown, N.L., added a silver in women’s competition while Lubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch of Toronto were third in pairs.

In pairs, Duhamel and Radford had a mishap on their throw quadruple Salchow but otherwise wowed the crowd with their side-by-side triple Lutz and remarkable lifts performed to Non, je ne regrette rien by Patricia Kaas.

They totalled 218.30 points for their third consecutive Skate Canada International crown and fifth career victory on the ISU Grand Prix circuit.

‘’After the fall I was little worried was Meagan OK,’’ said Radford, from Balmertown, Ont. ‘’But I was really happy with how we fought back and I think we finished the program really strong.’’

Duhamel, from Lively, Ont., felt they continued to improve.

‘’I think that performance was a major step up from what we did three weeks ago at an event in Finland,’’ she said. ‘’The program is growing and we are doing a really good job with our lifts and spins and those are points we are always looking to collect as well.’’

Ilyushechkina and Moscovitch made two errors in their program but the high difficulty of the performances kept them in the medals finishing with 190.22. Xiaoyu Yu and Hao Zhang of China were second at 202.08

‘’It wasn’t an ideal run through,’’ said Moscovitch. ‘’But we stuck to our training and we kept refocusing throughout the program and working as a team. By not letting the other points slip away we were able to keep the integrity of the program and get on the podium.’’

In women’s competition, world champion Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia won the gold medal with 220.65 points. Osmond landed five triple jumps and followed at 206.45 and Satoko Miyahara of Japan was third at 192.08.

It was the first time, Osmond surpassed the magic 200-point barrier.

‘’I’m beyond excited to be where I am right now,’’ said Osmond, 20, who skated to music from La Bohème. ‘’I made two personal best scores this weekend and there is still a lot of room for improvement so I’m super happy to compete at this level this early in the season.’’

Canadian champion Alaine Chartrand of Prescott, Ont., was fifth at 185.56.

‘’There were things that could have been improved,’’ said Chartrand. ‘’But I was happy with how I attacked my program and didn’t let anything get to me.’’

Competition continues this evening with the men’s free skate and the free dance.

Full results: 2016 Skate Canada International

Skaters from around the world headed to Mississauga, Ontario, for 2016 Skate Canada International

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OTTAWA, ON: Canada’s top figure skaters are headed to Mississauga, Ont., this week to compete against some of world’s best at the 2016 Skate Canada International. The event takes place October 28-30, 2016, at the Hershey Centre. Canada will have 11 entries (three entries per discipline in men, pairs and ice dance, and two entries in ladies) for a total of 17 skaters.

Skate Canada International is the second of six competitions on the International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating circuit, which qualifies skaters for the ISU Grand Prix Final, taking place December 8-11 in Marseille, France.

Three-time World Champion and double Olympic silver medallist (men’s and team) Patrick Chan, 25, Toronto, Ont., is the first of three Canadian entries in men’s. This will be his eighth time competing at this event, having previously won the gold medal five times and the silver medal once. Chan won silver at his first event this season, the Finlandia Trophy. The eight-time Canadian champion is coached by Marina Zoueva, Oleg Epstein and Johnny Johns and trains in Canton, MI, USA.

Canadian silver medallist Liam Firus, 24, North Vancouver, B.C., is the second Canadian entry in men’s. He placed 11th at this event in 2014 and 10th in 2012. This season, Firus placed fifth at his first event, the Nebelhorn Trophy. Firus is coached by Bruno Marcotte in Sainte-Julie, Que.

Olympic silver medallist (team) Kevin Reynolds, 26, Coquitlam, B.C., rounds out the Canadian entries in the men’s discipline. Reynolds previously competed at this event in 2010 and placed fourth. This season, Reynolds won the silver medal at his first event, the Ondrej Nepela Trophy. He is coached by Joanne McLeod in Burnaby, B.C.

Canadian champion Alaine Chartrand, 20, Prescott, Ont., is the first of two Canadian entries in the ladies’ category. Chartrand previously competed at this event in 2014 and placed seventh. She began this season winning the silver medal at the 2016 Autumn Classic International. Chartrand is coached by Michelle Leigh and Brian Orser.

Olympic silver medallist (team) Kaetlyn Osmond, 20, Marystown, Nfld./Edmonton, Alta., will be the second Canadian entry in the ladies’ discipline. Osmond won this event in 2012 and placed 11th at this event last season. This season, she won the gold medal at her first event, the Finlandia Trophy. The 2016 Canadian bronze medallist is coached by Ravi Walia and trains in Edmonton, Alta.

Two-time World Champions and Olympic silver medallists (team) Meagan Duhamel, 30, Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford, 31, Balmertown, Ont., lead the Canadian pair entries. This will be their seventh time competing at this event, having won gold in 2014 and 2015 and medalled five years consecutively. Duhamel and Radford won their first event this season, the Finlandia Trophy. The five-time consecutive Canadian champions are coached by Richard Gauthier, Bruno Marcotte, and Sylvie Fullum in Saint-Léonard, Que.

Lubov Ilyushechkina, 24, Moscow, Russia, and Dylan Moscovitch, 32, Toronto, Ont., are the second Canadian pair entry, and will be competing at this event for the first time. The 2016 Canadian bronze medallists won the silver medal at their first event this season, the Nebelhorn Trophy. Ilyushechkina and Moscovitch are coached by Lee Barkell, Bryce Davison and Tracy Wilson in Toronto, Ont.

Brittany Jones, 20, Toronto, Ont., and Joshua Reagan, 26, Toronto, Ont., will be the third Canadian entry in pair. Jones and Reagan placed seventh at this event in 2014. This season, they won the gold medal at the 2016 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. Jones and Reagan are coached by Bryce Davison in Hamilton, Ont.

Olympic and World champions Tessa Virtue, 27, London, Ont., and Scott Moir, 29, Ilderton, Ont., are the first of three Canadian entries in ice dance. They have previously competed at this event six times, winning the gold medal on five occasions and the silver medal once. Virtue and Moir returned to international competition at the 2016 Autumn Classic International where they won the gold medal. They are coached by Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon in Montreal, Que.

Canadian silver medallists Piper Gilles, 24, Toronto, Ont., and Paul Poirier, 24, Unionville, Ont., will be the second Canadian entry in ice dance. They have previously competed at this event twice, winning the silver medal in 2014 and placing fourth in 2012. Gilles and Poirier won the bronze medal at their first event this season, the Nebelhorn Trophy. They are coached by Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs in Scarborough, Ont.

Alexandra Paul, 25, Midhurst, Ont., and Mitchell Islam, 26, Barrie, Ont., are the third Canadian entry in ice dance. This will be their fourth time competing at this event, having placed sixth in 2015, fifth in 2013 and fourth in 2010. This season, Paul and Islam won the bronze medal at the 2016 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. They train in Montreal, Que., with coaches Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon and Romain Haguenauer.

Carolyn Allwright of Kitchener, Ont., and Manon Perron of Boucherville, Que., will be the Canadian team leaders at the event. Dr. Julia Alleyne of Toronto, Ont., and physiotherapist Agnes Makowski of Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Karen Howard of Regina, Sask., Sylvain Guibord of Brossard, Que., Lynne Dey of Edmonton, Alta., and Andrea Derby of Windsor, Ont., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

Practices will be streamed live on the Skate Canada Dailymotion page.

For results and full entries please visit www.sc3staging.skatecanada.ca or www.isu.org.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2016 SKATE CANADA INTERNATIONAL

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men Patrick Chan 25 Toronto, Ont. Granite Club Marina Zoueva / Oleg Epstein / Johnny Johns
Men Liam Firus 24 North Vancouver, B.C. Vancouver SC Bruno Marcotte
Men Kevin Reynolds 26 Coquitlam, B.C. Vancouver SC Joanne McLeod
Ladies Alaine Chartrand 20 Prescott, Ont. Nepean Skating Club Michelle Leigh/ Brian Orser
Ladies Kaetlyn Osmond 20 Marystown, Nfld. & Edmonton, Alta. Ice Palace FSC Ravi Walia
Pairs Meagan Duhamel / Eric Radford 30/31 Lively, Ont. / Balmertown, Ont. CPA Saint-Léonard / CPA Saint-Léonard Richard Gauthier / Bruno Marcotte / Sylvie Fullum
Pairs Lubov Ilyushechkina / Dylan Moscovitch 24/32 Moscow, Russia / Toronto, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club / Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Lee Barkell / Bryce Davison / Tracy Wilson
Pairs Brittany Jones / Joshua Reagan 20/26 Toronto, Ont. / Toronto, Ont. Hamilton SC / Hamilton SC Bryce Davison
Ice Dance Tessa Virtue / Scott Moir 27/29 London, Ont. / Ilderton, Ont. Ilderton SC / Ilderton SC Marie-France Dubreuil / Patrice Lauzon
Ice Dance Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier 24/24 Toronto, Ont. / Unionville, Ont. Scarboro FSC / Scarboro FSC Carol Lane / Juris Razgulajevs
Ice Dance Alexandra Paul / Mitchell Islam 25/26 Midhurst, Ont. / Barrie, Ont. Barrie SC / Barrie SC Marie-France Dubreuil / Patrice Lauzon / Romain Haguenauer

Silver for Lubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch at Nebelhorn Trophy

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OBERSTDORF, GERMANY: Lubov Ilyushechkina, 24, Moscow, Russia, and Dylan Moscovitch, 31, Toronto, Ont., won the silver medal in pair at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany. The team scored 118.42 in the free for an overall score of 184.40.

“We felt pretty good about our program. We are very happy with how it went. It went from the beginning to the end with one smooth motion and we kept the chemistry and togetherness throughout the whole performance,” said Ilyushechkina.

Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot of Germany won gold with 203.04 points and their teammates Mari Vartmann and Ruben Blommaert won the bronze with 162.38 points.

In women’s, Gabrielle Daleman, 18, Newmarket, Ont., won the bronze medal after scoring 60.15 in the short and 115.25 in the free for a total of 175.40.

“I am very happy with how it went. No matter what happened it was my third full long I’ve done since I have been back, due to injuries this summer. I didn’t give up the program one bit, I kept the story and the skating going. It went much better than I could have imaged and I am happy to start off my season like this,” said Daleman.

Mai Mihara of Japan won gold with 189.03 points and Russia’s Elizaveta Tuktamysheva claimed the silver with 185.93 points.

On Friday, Piper Gilles, 24, Toronto, Ont., and Paul Poirier, 24, Unionville, Ont., won the bronze medal in ice dance and Liam Firus, 24, North Vancouver, B.C., placed fifth in men’s.

Team Canada won the Fritz Geiger Memorial Trophy, which is presented to the country with the highest placements across all disciplines. The US was second and Russia third.

Full results: http://www.deu-event.de/results/Nebelhorn_2016/index.html

Canadian skaters in Germany for Nebelhorn Trophy

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send four entries, for a total of six skaters to Oberstdorf, Germany, for the Nebelhorn Trophy, the third stop on the 2016-2017 ISU Challenger Series. Canada will have one entry in each discipline (men’s, ladies, pair and ice dance) at the event which takes place September 22-24, 2016.

Canadian silver medallist Liam Firus, 24, North Vancouver, B.C., is the Canadian entry in men’s. In 2014, he placed ninth at this event. Last season, the representative of Vancouver SC won the Triglav Trophy, placed seventh at the Finlandia Trophy, eighth at the Golden Spin of Zagreb, and 13th at the ISU Four Continents Championships. Firus is coached by Bruno Marcotte in Sainte-Julie, Que.

Gabrielle Daleman, 18, Newmarket, Ont., will be the Canadian entry in ladies and will be competing at this event for the first time. Last season, she placed fifth at Skate Canada International, sixth at Trophée Éric Bompard, ninth at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships and won silver at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Daleman is coached by Lee Barkell and Brian Orser at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club.

Lubov Ilyushechkina, 24, Moscow, Russia, and Dylan Moscovitch, 31, Toronto, Ont., are the Canadian pair entry, and will also be competing at this event for the first time. Last season, they placed seventh at the Cup of China, fifth at the NHK Trophy, fifth at the ISU Four Continents Championships and seventh at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships. The two-time Canadian medallists are coached by Lee Barkell, Bryce Davison and Tracy Wilson at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club.

Canadian silver medallists Piper Gilles, 24, Toronto, Ont., and Paul Poirier, 24, Unionville, Ont., will be the Canadian entry in ice dance. This will be their first time competing at this event. Last season, they won bronze at Skate America, silver at Trophée Éric Bompard, placed fifth at the ISU Four Continents Championships and eighth at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships. The representatives of Scarboro FSC are coached by Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs.

Skate Canada High Performance Director Mike Slipchuk will be travelling with the Canadian team as team leader and Shirley Kushner of Westmount, Que., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Reaghan Fawcett-Fortin of Aurora, Ont., and Leslie Keen of Vancouver, B.C., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For results and full entries please visit 2016 Nebelhorn Trophy.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2016 NEBELHORN TROPHY

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Mens Liam Firus 24 North Vancouver, B.C. Vancouver SC Bruno Marcotte
Ladies Gabrielle Daleman 18 Newmarket, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Lee Barkell / Brian Orser
Pair Lubov Ilyushechkina / Dylan Moscovitch 24/31 Moscow, Russia / Toronto, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club / Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Lee Barkell / Bryce Davison / Tracy Wilson
Ice Dance Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier 24/24 Toronto, Ont. / Unionville, Ont. Scarboro FSC / Scarboro FSC Carol Lane / Juris Razgulajevs

Skate Canada Announces 2016-2017 National Team

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada is pleased to announce the 2016-2017 National Team. The team is comprised of 28 senior members, which includes five men, five women, four pair teams and five ice dance teams.

To be named to the National Team a skater must finish in the top five in senior singles, pair and ice dance disciplines at the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, or be added at the discretion of the Skate Canada. These skaters may be considered to represent Canada at international competitions.

Their appointment to the national team is effective from June 1, 2016 through to April 30, 2017. Skate Canada also announced the three teams that will make up the Skate Canada Synchronized Skating National Team.

MEN
Patrick Chan, 25, Toronto, Ont.
Liam Firus, 23, North Vancouver, B.C.
Kevin Reynolds, 25, Coquitlam, B.C.
Nam Nguyen, 18, Toronto, Ont.
Nicolas Nadeau, 18, Boisbriand, Que.

WOMEN
Alaine Chartrand, 20, Prescott, Ont.
Gabrielle Daleman, 18, Newmarket, Ont.
Kaetlyn Osmond, 20, Marystown, Nfld. & Sherwood Park, Alta.
Véronik Mallet, 22, Sept-Iles, Que.
Michelle Long, 24, Newmarket, Ont.

PAIR
Meagan Duhamel, 30, Lively, Ont. & Eric Radford, 31, Balmertown, Ont.
Julianne Séguin, 19, Longueuil, Que. & Charlie Bilodeau, 22, Trois-Pistoles, Que.
Lubov Ilyushechkina, 24, Moscow, Russia & Dylan Moscovitch, 31, Toronto, Ont.
Kirsten Moore-Towers, 24, St. Catharines, Ont. & Michael Marinaro, 24, Sarnia, Ont.

ICE DANCE
Kaitlyn Weaver, 27, Waterloo, Ont. & Andrew Poje, 29, Waterloo, Ont.
Piper Gilles, 24, Toronto, Ont. & Paul Poirier, 24, Unionville, Ont.
Élisabeth Paradis, 23, Loretteville, Que. & François-Xavier Ouellette, 23, Laval, Que.
Alexandra Paul, 24, Midhurst, Ont. & Mitchell Islam, 26, Barrie, Ont.
Tessa Virtue, 27, London, Ont. & Scott Moir, 28, Ilderton, Ont.

SYNCHRONIZED SKATING
Les Suprêmes, of CPA Saint-Léonard
NEXXICE, of the Burlington Skating Centre
Meraki, of the Leaside Skating Club

World title for Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford

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BOSTON – Meagan Duhamel of Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford of Balmertown, Ont., struck gold for the second straight year in pairs on Saturday at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships.

It is first time Canada has repeat champions in pairs since Barbara Wagner and Robert Paul won four straight from 1957-1960.

Duhamel and Radford posted a personal best 231.99 with Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China second at 224.47 and Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot of Germany third at 216.17.

“We are so happy and so proud to come here and deliver the performances that we worked so hard for,” said Duhamel. “We believed in ourselves and we knew this result was possible.”

While on paper it appears the Canadians enjoyed a strong season with two gold and silver on the Grand Prix circuit and a national title, it wasn’t as smooth as the previous winter.  They felt that made them underdogs in Boston.

“We weren’t considered as strong contenders as compared to last season,” said Radford. “It feels great because it is difficult not to doubt yourself when everybody else has that expectation of you. As long you can believe you can do it, you can make it happen.”

Lubov Iliushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch of Toronto were seventh at 199.52 and Kirsten Moore-Towers of St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont., followed in eighth at 190.90. It was also personal bests for both.

“It was a bit of work but a lot of fun,” said Moscovitch. “We did a great job of working our way through the program. We kept our focus on the choreography and enjoyment of the program and that really pulled us through.”

Moore-Towers and Marinaro climbed form 10th after the short.

“With two personal best performances here it sets us up well for next season,” said Moore-Towers. ” I’m thrilled.”

Daleman shines in women’s final

Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia won the gold medal in the women’s free skate with 223.86 points. Ashley Wagner of the U.S. followed at 215.39 for silver and Anna Pogorilaya of Russia was third at 211.29.

Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., completed an impressive showing finishing ninth. She smashed her personal best earning 195.68 points.

“I was very nervous going in and I decided I was skating for myself and country,” she said. “I just stayed in the moment throughout and took one element at a time.”

Canadian champion Alaine Chartrand of Prescott, Ont., was 17th.

Full results: ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2016