Canadian Juniors Travel to Slovakia for Third Stop on ISU Junior Grand Prix

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send six entries to the third stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Kosice, Slovakia, from September 12-15, 2013. Canada will be represented in all four disciplines: ladies, men’s, pair, and ice dance.

Mackenzie Bent, 16, Uxbridge, Ont., and Garrett MacKeen, 19, Oshawa, Ont., are one of two Canadian entries in ice dance. Bent and MacKeen won gold at the first stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit this season in Riga, Latvia. Last season, they placed fifth at the 2013 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships, and second at the Canadian championships, in the junior category. Bent and MacKeen train at Scarboro Ice Dance Elite with coaches Juris Razgulajevs and Carol Lane.

Lauren Collins, 17, Minesing, Ont., and Danny Seymour, 19, Port Elgin, Ont., will also represent Canada in ice dance. Last season, they placed 10th at the Canadian Tire National Figure Skating Championships in the junior category. Collins and Seymour are coached by David Islam and Kelly Johnson at the Mariposa School of Skating in Barrie, Ont.

Roxanne Cournoyer, 16, Sorel-Tracy, Que., is one of two Canadian entries in the ladies division. This is her first international assignment. Cournoyer placed 10th at the 2013 Canadian Tire National Figure Skating Championships. She is coached by Annie Barabé and Sophie Richard at CTC Contrecoeur.

Marianne Rioux Ouellet, 18, Montreal, Que., will also represent Canada in the ladies division in her first international assignment. Rioux Ouellet placed fifth as a junior at the 2013 Canadian Tire National Figure Skating Championships. She is coached by Michele Godbout and Sonia Zapitosky at CPA Rosemont.

Leslie Ip, 18, Markham, Ont., is the Canadian entry in the men’s division. This is Ip’s first international assignment. Last season, he placed fourth as a junior at the 2013 Canadian Tire National Figure Skating Championships. He is coached by Katerina Papafotiou at Thornhill FSC.

Tara Hancherow, 17, Tisdale, Sask., and Wesley Killing, 20, Woodstock, Ont., will be the Canadian entry in pair. This is Hancherow and Killing’s first season competing together. They are coached by Annie Barabé and Maximin Coïa at CTC Contrecoeur.

Louis Stong of Etobicoke, Ont., is the team leader at the event and physiotherapist Paige Larson of North Vancouver, B.C., will be the Canadian medical staff. Pam Chislett of Grand Prairie, Alta., and Jeff Lukasik of Calgary, Alta., are the Canadian officials at the event.