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Canadian skaters in Salt Lake City for U.S. International Figure Skating Classic

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OTTAWA, ON: Canada will have eight entries, for a total of 11 skaters at the 2016 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, the second event on the International Skating Union’s (ISU) 2016 Challenger Series. Canada will have three entries in men’s, two entries per discipline in ladies and ice dance, and one entry in pair at the event which runs from September 14-18, 2016, in Salt Lake City, UT.

Nam Nguyen, 18, Toronto, Ont., is the first of three Canadian entries in men’s. This will be the 2015 Canadian Champion’s first time competing at this event. Last season, Nguyen placed fifth at Skate Canada International, seventh at the Rostelecom Cup, 27th at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships and fourth at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. He is coached by David Glynn in San Jose, CA, USA.

Elladj Baldé, 25, Montreal, Que., will be the second Canadian entry in the men’s category and will also be competing at this event for the first time. Last season, he won gold at the Nebelhorn Trophy, placed 11th at both the Cup of China and NHK Tophy, and placed seventh at the Canadian championships. Baldé trains in Montreal, Que., with coaches Bruno Marcotte and Manon Perron.

Mitchell Gordon, 20, Vancouver, B.C., will be the third entry in men’s for Canada. Last season, Gordon placed eighth at the 2015 Autumn Classic International and 13th at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Gordon is coached by Joanne McLeod, Neil Wilson, Eileen Murphy and Keegan Murphy and represents the Connaught Skating Club.

Véronik Mallet, 22, Sept-Îles, Que., is one of two Canadian entries in the ladies division. Mallet finished ninth at this event in 2015. Last season, the representative of CPA Sept-Îles also placed 10th at Skate Canada International, 14th at the ISU Four Continents championships and fourth at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Mallet is coached by Annie Barabé at CTC Varennes.

Kim Decelles, 18, Baie-Comeau, Que., is the second Canadian entry in the ladies discipline. Last season, she placed ninth at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Croatia. The representative of CPA Baie-Comeau also placed 10th in the junior women’s category at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. She is coached by Yvan Desjardins and Violaine Émard at CPA Baie-Comeau.

Brittany Jones, 20, Toronto, Ont., and Joshua Reagan, 26, Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian entry in pair. Jones and Reagan placed fourth at this event in 2014. Last season, they placed fourth at the 2015 Autumn Classic International and sixth at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Jones and Reagan are coached by Bryce Davison and represent Hamilton SC.

Three-time Canadian bronze medallists Alexandra Paul, 24, Midhurst, Ont., and Mitchell Islam, 26, Barrie, Ont., are one of two Canadian entries in ice dance. In 2012, they won silver at this event. Last season, Paul and Islam won silver at the Nebelhorn Trophy, placed sixth at the 2015 Skate Canada International, and placed fourth at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. The representatives of Barrie SC train in Montreal, Que., with coaches Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon and Romain Haguenauer.

Canadian junior champions Mackenzie Bent, 19, Uxbridge, Ont., and Dmitre Razgulajevs, 19, Ajax, Ont., are the second Canadian entry in ice dance. In their first season competing together, the representatives of Uxbridge SC and Scarboro FSC won silver at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in the United States, placed sixth at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Spain, and placed ninth at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships. They are coached by Carol Lane, Jon Lane, and Juris Razgulajevs at Ice Dance Elite at Scarboro FSC.

Paige Lawrence of Kennedy, Sask., will be the Canadian team leader at the event and physiotherapist Karen Seymour of Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Susan Morriss of Victoria, B.C., and Pam Chislett of Grand Prairie, Alta., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For more information and full entries please visit www.isu.org.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2016 U.S. INTERNATIONAL FIGURE SKATING CLASSIC

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Mens Nam Nguyen 18 Toronto, Ont. Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club David Glynn
Mens Elladj Baldé 25 Montreal, Que. CPA Anjou Kinsmen Bruno Marcotte / Manon Perron
Mens Mitchell Gordon 20 Vancouver, B.C. Connaught Skating Club Joanne McLeod / Neil Wilson / Eileen Murphy / Keegan Murphy
Ladies Véronik Mallet 22 Sept- Îles, Que. CPA Sept-Îles Annie Barabé / Maximin Coïa
Ladies Kim Decelles 18 Baie-Comeau, Que. CPA Baie Comeau Yvan Desjardins / Violaine Émard
Pair Brittany Jones / Joshua Reagan 20/26 Toronto, Ont. / Toronto, Ont. Hamilton SC / Hamilton SC Bryce Davison
Ice Dance Alexandra Paul / Mitchell Islam 24/26 Midhurst, Ont. / Barrie, Ont. Barrie SC / Barrie SC Marie-France Dubreuil / Patrice Lauzon / Romain Haguenauer
Ice Dance Mackenzie Bent / Dmitre Razgulajevs 19/19 Uxbridge, Ont. / Ajax, Ont. Uxbridge SC / Scarboro FSC Carol Lane / Jon 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

Canadian team en route to 2016 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Chinese Taipei

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OTTAWA, ON: Canada will send 12 entries, for a total of 18 skaters, to the 2016 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei. The event takes place from February 16-21, 2016, at the Taipei Arena. The Canadian team will have three entries per category in men’s, ladies, pair and ice dance.

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 season, Chan won gold at Skate Canada International and placed fifth in the short program at Trophée Éric Bompard to earn a berth at the ISU Grand Prix Final, where he placed fourth. The representative of the Granite Club has previously competed at this event twice, winning it on both occasions (2009 and 2012). He is coached by Kathy Johnson and trains at the Detroit Skating Club.

Canadian silver medallist Liam Firus, 23, North Vancouver, B.C., is the second Canadian entry in men’s. Last year, he placed 15th at this event. This season, the representative of Vancouver SC placed seventh at the Finlandia Trophy and eighth at the Golden Spin of Zagreb. Firus is coached by Christy Krall and Damon Allen in Colorado Springs, CO, USA.

Olympic silver medallist (team) Kevin Reynolds, 25, Coquitlam, B.C., is the final Canadian entry in the men’s discipline. Also representing Vancouver SC, Reynolds has previously competed at this event four times, winning bronze in 2010 and gold in 2013. This season, Reynolds returned to competition after a year off to win the bronze medal at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. He is coached by Joanne McLeod at the Champs International Skating Centre in Burnaby, B.C.

Newly-crowned Canadian champion Alaine Chartrand, 19, Prescott, Ont., is one of three Canadian entries in the ladies category. She placed 10th at this event last year and seventh in 2014. This season, she placed fourth at the Nebelhorn Trophy and 12th at Skate America, and sixth at the Rostelecom Cup. The representative of the Nepean Skating Club is coached by Michelle Leigh and Brian Orser.

The second Canadian entry in ladies is two-time Canadian champion and Olympic silver medallist (team) Kaetlyn Osmond, 20, Marystown, Nfld./Edmonton, Alta. She previously competed at this event in 2013, placing seventh. This season, she won gold at the Nebelhorn Trophy, placed 11th at Skate Canada International and placed sixth at the NHK Trophy. She is coached by Ravi Walia and represents the Ice Palace Figure Skating Club.

Véronik Mallet, 21, Sept-Îles, Que., is the final Canadian entry in the ladies division. This will be her third time competing at this event, having placed 13th in 2014 and 14th in 2015. Earlier this season, the representative of CPA Sept-Îles placed ninth at the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, 10th at Skate Canada International and fourth at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Mallet is coached by Annie Barabé at CTC Varennes.

In pair, world champions and Olympic silver medallists (team) Meagan Duhamel, 30, Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford, 31, Balmertown, Ont., lead off the Canadian entries. The representatives of CPA Saint-Léonard have previously competed at this event four times winning gold last year and in 2013. This season, they won gold at Skate Canada International and at the NHK Trophy, and won silver at the ISU Grand Prix Final, as well as their fifth consecutive Canadian title. Duhamel and Radford are coached by Richard Gauthier, Bruno Marcotte, and Sylvie Fullum.

Lubov Ilyushechkina, 24, Moscow, Russia, and Dylan Moscovitch, 31, Toronto, Ont., are the second Canadian pair entry at the competition. Last year, they placed sixth at this event. Earlier this season, the representatives of the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club placed fourth at the Ondrej Nepela Trophy, seventh at the Cup of China and fifth at the NHK Trophy. The two time Canadian medallists are coached by Lee Barkell, Bryce Davison and Tracy Wilson.

Vanessa Grenier, 23, Johnville, Que., and Maxime Deschamps, 24, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., will also represent Canada in pair. Grenier and Deschamps will be competing at this event for the first time. This season, the representatives of CPA Sherbrooke and CPAR Vaudreuil placed fourth at the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, seventh at Skate Canada International and eighth at the Cup of China. Most recently, they placed fifth at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. They are coached by Richard Gauthier and Bruno Marcotte at CPA Saint-Léonard.

Two time world medallists Kaitlyn Weaver, 26, Toronto, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 28, Waterloo, Ont., are the first of three Canadian entries in ice dance. They are the 2015 and 2010 champions of this competition and will be competing at this event for the seventh time. This season, the representatives of Sault FSC and Kitchener-Waterloo SC have won gold at all of their events: Finlandia Trophy, Skate Canada International, Rostelecom Cup and the ISU Grand Prix Final. Most recently, they won their second consecutive Canadian championship. Weaver and Poje are coached by Angelika Krylova, Pasquale Camerlengo and Shae-Lynn Bourne in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Canadian silver medallists Piper Gilles, 24, Toronto, Ont., and Paul Poirier, 24, Unionville, Ont., will be the second Canadian entry in ice dance. This will be their fourth time competing at this event, at which they won the silver medal in 2014. This season, they have medalled at all of their competitions: gold at the Ondrej Nepela Trophy, bronze at Skate America and silver in the short program at Trophée Éric Bompard. The representatives of Scarboro FSC also won their second consecutive Canadian silver medal. Gilles and Poirier are coached by Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs at Ice Dance Elite in Scarborough, Ont.

Canadian bronze medallists Élisabeth Paradis, 23, Loretteville, Que., and François-Xavier Ouellette, 23, Laval, Que., are the third Canadian ice dance entry. This will be their first time competing at this event. Earlier this season, they won bronze at the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic and placed eighth at Skate Canada International. The representatives of CPA Loretteville and CPA Les Lames D’Argent De Laval Inc., are coached by Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon and Romain Haguenauer.

Skate Canada High Performance Director Mike Slipchuk will be onsite with the Canadian team. Carolyn Allwright of Kitchener, Ont., and Bev Viger of Abbotsford, B.C., will be the Canadian team leaders at this event. Dr. Lee Schofield of Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian team doctor and Josiane Roberge of Sillery Que., will be the team physiotherapist.

Canadian officials at the event are Sally Rehorick of Vancouver, B.C., Nicole Leblanc-Richard of Dieppe, N.B., Cynthia Benson of Quispamsis, N.B., and Leslie Keen of Vancouver, B.C.

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

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2016 ISU FOUR CONTINENTS FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Mens Patrick Chan 25 Toronto, Ont. Granite Club Kathy Johnson
Mens Liam Firus 23 North Vancouver, B.C. Vancouver SC Christy Krall / Damon Allen
Mens Kevin Reynolds 25 Coquitlam, B.C. Vancouver SC Joanne McLeod
Ladies Alaine Chartrand 19 Prescott, Ont. Nepean Skating Club Michelle Leigh / Brian Orser
Ladies Kaetlyn Osmond 20 Marystown, Nfld. & Edmonton, Alta. Ice Palace FSC Ravi Walia
Ladies Véronik Mallet 21 Sept- Îles, Que. CPA Sept-Îles Annie Barabé / Maximin Coïa
Pair Meagan Duhamel / Eric Radford 30/31 Lively, Ont. / Balmertown, Ont. CPA Saint-Léonard / CPA Saint-Léonard Richard Gauthier / Bruno Marcotte / Sylvie Fullum
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
Pair Vanessa Grenier / Maxime Deschamps 23/24 Johnville, Que. / Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. CPA Sherbrooke / CPAR Vaudreuil Richard Gauthier / Bruno Marcotte
Ice Dance Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje 26/28 Toronto, Ont. / Waterloo, Ont. Sault FSC / Kitchener-Waterloo SC Angelika Krylova / Pasquale Camerlengo / Shae-Lynn Bourne
Ice Dance Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier 24/24 Toronto, Ont. / Unionville, Ont. Scarboro FSC / Scarboro FSC Carol Lane / Juris Razgulajevs
Ice Dance Élisabeth Paradis / François-Xavier Ouellette 23/23 Loretteville, Que. / Laval, Que. CPA Loretteville / CPA Les Lames d’Argent de Laval Inc. Marie-France Dubreuil / Patrice Lauzon / Romain Haguenauer

Meet the Senior Women

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GABRIELLE DALEMAN

At just 16 years of age, Gabrielle was the youngest member of the entire Canadian Olympic Team at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. A former gymnast, “Gabby”, the defending Canadian women’s champion, uses her lightning speed as the springboard for her powerful jumps. Her favourite motto? “Play like you’re in first, but train like you’re in second.”

FUN FACT: Gabby always has to have her special travel companion with her when she is on the road: her purple blanket.

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KAETLYN OSMOND

Just weeks after winning Skate Canada Challenge to qualify for the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in 2012, Kaetlyn turned a lot of hands with a bronze medal performance at nationals. Later that year, she added titles at Nebelhorn Trophy and Skate Canada International before winning Canadian championships in 2013 and 2014. The affable Osmond, who always seems to have a smile on her face, missed last season following surgery for a broken leg.

FUN FACT: Kaetlyn has to tie her skates twice – and drink orange juice – before she competes.

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ALAINE CHARTRAND

A bronze medal finish at the Rostelecom Cup in 2014 set the table for Alaine at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, where she finished second, less than two points behind champion Gabrielle Daleman. Although she says she was too young to remember, Alaine has been told she landed her first axel when she was just six years old.

FUN FACT: On long skating trips, Alaine often rides in the family RV, a step up from her previous mode of transportation: her father racked up more than 500,000 km on his six-seat pickup truck in Alaine’s younger years.

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VÉRONIK MALLET

When she isn’t finishing on the podium at the national championships, Véronik, the reigning Canadian bronze medallist, is setting up for her future. The native of Sept-Îles, Quebec would love to remain in skating as a coach, but she is currently studying Human Science at CEGEP in Sorel-Tracy, Que. in the hopes of one day becoming a primary school professor.

FUN FACT: In addition to skating and school, Veronik finds time to juggle in her spare time.

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ROXANNE RHEAULT

A rookie on the national team, Roxanne has dealt with injury issues over the past few seasons. She made her mark on the national scene in 2011, winning the Canadian junior women’s title. In 2007, Roxanne also won the national juvenile title – the same year a young Nam Nguyen won the juvenile men’s crown.

FUN FACT: An avid dancer, Roxanne has also studied ballet to help improve her artistry and presentation on the ice.

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KIM DEGUISE LÉVEILLÉE

Thanks to a fifth-place showing at the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships last year, Kim, the 2014 junior champion, punched her ticket on to the national team for first time. The young skater, who enjoyed a pair of top-ten finishes on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit in 2014, has worked hard with coaches Josée Picard and Marc-André Craig to boost her confidence as she makes the transition to the senior level.

FUN FACT: Kim ties her skates standing up, not sitting down.

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Skaters headed to 2016 Skate Canada Challenge in Edmonton

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OTTAWA, ON: Approximately 500 skaters from across Canada are headed to Edmonton, Alta., for the 2016 Skate Canada Challenge. This year’s event will be taking place from December 2-6, 2015, at the Terwillegar Community Recreation Centre.

This is the sole qualifying event for novice, junior, and senior skaters to earn entries to the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships taking place in Halifax, N.S., from January 18-24, 2016. Skaters have qualified for the 2016 Skate Canada Challenge by advancing through their home sectional championships.

The 2016 Skate Canada Challenge will also see the crowning of the 2016 Canadian Pre-Novice Champions in men’s, women’s, pair, and ice dance.

National team member and Alberta/Northwest Territories/Nunavut Section representative Keegan Messing, 23, Girdwood, AK., will be competing in his home section in the senior men’s competition. Other national team members entered in the competition are Canadian champion Gabrielle Daleman, 17, Newmarket, Ont., (senior women’s), Canadian bronze medallist Véronik Mallet, 21, Sept-Îles, Que., (senior women’s), Roxanne Rheault, 20, Victoriaville, Que., (senior women’s), Kim DeGuise-Léveillée, 17, Sorel-Tracy, Que., (senior women’s), and Vanessa Grenier, 23, Johnville, Que., and Maxime Deschamps, 23, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., (senior pair).

Local Edmonton skating clubs will have a strong representation at the event with a total of 25 entries across all categories and disciplines, including six senior entries, five junior entries, three novice entries and 11 pre-novice entries.

For schedule, entries and start orders please click here.

General admission tickets will be available for purchase at the Terwillegar Community Recreation Centre throughout the event. All-event tickets are $50, day tickets will be available for purchase for $10 on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and $20 on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free for children ages 12 and under.

Media who have not already applied for accreditation are asked to contact Allan Gordon, Communications Coordinator. He will be the media contact at the event and can be reached at [email protected].