Canadian Skaters Continue on ISU Junior Grand Prix Circuit in Germany

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send eight entries, for a total of 12 skaters to Dresden, Germany, for the sixth stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit. Canada will have two entries per category in men’s, ladies, pair, and ice dance at the event which takes place from October 1-5, 2014.

Roman Sadovsky, 15, Vaughan, Ont., is the first of two Canadian entries in the men’s division. Sadovsky won the ISU Junior Grand Prix event earlier this season in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Last season, he placed 14th at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Riga, Latvia, eighth in Minsk, Belarus, and 13th at the 2014 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships. He is coached by Tracey Wainman and Gregor Filipowski at the YSRA Winter Club.

Mitchell Gordon, 18, Vancouver, B.C., is the second entry in men’s for Canada. Gordon placed seventh at the second stop on this year’s ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Last season, he placed 11th at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Gordon is coached by Eileen Murphy and Keegan Murphy at the Connaught Figure Skating Club in Richmond, B.C.

Kim DeGuise-Léveillée, 16, Sorel-Tracy, Que., is one of two Canadian entries in ladies. She placed eighth at her first international assignment, the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Ostrava, Czech Republic, earlier this season. Representing CPA Sorel-Tracy, she is the 2014 Canadian junior champion. DeGuise-Léveillée is coached by Josée Picard and Marc-André Craig in Chambly, Que.

Selena Zhao, 16, Varennes, Que. – Colorado Springs, USA, is the second Canadian entry in the ladies division. Representing CPA Varennes, she placed 10th in her international debut for Canada, at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Ljubljana, Slovenia this season. She is coached by Christy Krall and Damon Allen in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Julianne Séguin, 17, Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau, 21, Trois-Pistoles, Que., will be the first of two Canadian entries in pair. Séguin and Bilodeau won their first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment this season in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Last season, they placed fourth at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Ostrava and fifth at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Minsk, Belarus. The representatives of CPA Longueuil and CPA De Drummondville Inc., are the 2014 Canadian junior pair silver medallists. They are coached by Josée Picard and Patrice Archetto in Chambly, Que.

Hope McLean, 15, Glencoe, Ont., and Trennt Michaud, 18, Trenton, Ont., are the second Canadian pair entry. The newly formed team will be competing at their first international assignment since teaming up in February 2014. The representatives of Mount Brydges SC and Prince Edward SC are coached by Alison Purkiss and Scott Rachuk at the London Competitive Skating Centre.

Brianna Delmaestro, 18, Port Moody, B.C., and Timothy Lum, 19, Burnaby, B.C., are one of two entries in ice dance for Canada. Delmaestro and Lum won the silver medal at their first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment this season in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Representing Coquitlam SC and Burnaby FSC, they placed fifth at both of their ISU Junior Grand Prix Assignments last season in Gandsk, Poland, and Tallinn, Estonia. The 2014 Canadian junior ice dance bronze medallists are coached by Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe at the BC Centre of Excellence.

Danielle Wu, 16, Burnaby, B.C., and Spencer Soo, 17, Burnaby, B.C., will also represent Canada in ice dance. Wu and Soo placed sixth at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Ostrava, Czech Republic, earlier this seaosn. Last season, the representatives of Burnaby FSC placed fifth at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Ostrava. Wu and Soo are coached by Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe at the BC Centre of Excellence.

Bev Viger of Abbotsford, B.C., will be the Canadian team leader at the event. Dr. Erika Persson of Edmonton, Alta., and physiotherapist Josiane Roberge of Sillery, Que., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Janice Hunter of West Vancouver, B.C., and Reaghan Fawcett of Aurora, Ont., are the Canadian officials at the event.

The ISU will be live streaming the competition via the ISU Junior Grand Prix YouTube channel. For results and full entries please visit www.isu.org.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT ISU JGP #6 – Dresden, Germany

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men’s Roman Sadovsky 15 Vaughan, Ont. YRSA Winter Club Tracey Wainman / Gregor Filipowski
Men’s Mitchell Gordon 18 Vancouver, B.C. Connaught Figure Skating Club Eileen Murphy / Keegan Murphy
Ladies Selena Zhao 16 Varennes, Que. – Colorado Springs, USA CPA Varennes Christy Krall / Damon Allen
Ladies Kim DeGuise-Léveillée 16 Sorel-Tracy, Que. CPA Sorel-Tracy Josée Picard / Marc-André Craig
Pairs Julianne Séguin / Charlie Bilodeau 17/21 Longueuil, Que. / Trois-Pistoles, Que. CPA Longueuil / CPA De Drummondville Inc. Josée Picard / Patrice Archetto
Pairs Hope McLean / Trennt Michaud 15/18 Glencoe, Ont. / Trenton, Ont. Mount Brydges SC / Prince Edward SC Alison Purkiss / Scott Rachuk
Ice Dance Brianna Delmaestro / Timothy Lum 18/19 Port Moody, B.C. / Burnaby, B.C. Coquitlam SC / Burnaby FSC Megan Wing / Aaron Lowe
Ice dance Danielle Wu / Spencer Soo 16/17 Burnaby, B.C. / Burnaby, B.C. Burnaby FSC / Burnaby FSC Megan Wing / Aaron Lowe

Patrick Chan will return to competing in 2015-2016

OTTAWA, ON: Two-time Olympic silver medalist and three-time world champion, Patrick Chan, 23, Toronto, Ont., plans to return to the competitive figure skating circuit for the 2015-2016 season.

After some down time over the summer, the seven-time Canadian men’s champion has developed a new free program, although he doesn’t plan to unveil it in international competition until next year’s ISU Grand Prix season.

The competitive fire still burns in the heart of the world champion. “My goal is to return to a full competitive schedule after this year,” said Chan. “I am proud of my accomplishments in Sochi and my world championship titles, but I do feel that there is still more that I can achieve. I will return to competition having learned new ways of training and preparing from this year off.”

He has been working on a new free program, choreographed by David Wilson to a Chopin medley. “This program uses very contemporary movements in my skating. I’m taking the time to enjoy building out the program and working on the flow of the artistry. And I’m experimenting with different things in my training cycle, without feeling that same intensity to do full run-throughs of each program every day that I felt building to the Olympics.” As a result Chan feels “I’m learning how to accomplish the same results from a more relaxed, less intense training regimen, that I feel will help me going forward next year.”

Chan’s new free program will be revealed when he competes as part of the North American team at the Japan Open invitational event, to be held in Saitama, Japan later this week. He is also slated to perform exhibition programs with Stars on Ice and is planning to participate in other activities, including An Evening with Scott Hamilton & Friends Ice Show & Gala in Cleveland and SKATEMANIA in Quebec City, Que.

His main training base continues to be in Detroit and he is working with Kathy Johnson. Although eligible, he has declined Sport Canada and Own the Podium funding, allowing several other athletes to benefit from the financial assistance.

Jump by jump Gabby Daleman is shooting for the stars

A trip through Gabby Daleman’s twitter account leaves you breathless with inspiration.

There’s a thread that runs through them all, and it’s easy to decipher.

“The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do,” she says in one of them.

“Tell me I can’t, then watch me work twice as hard to prove you wrong. #WatchMe,” reads another.

And this: “There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.”

It has always been thus for the 16-year-old who trains in Richmond Hill, Ont. She will allow nothing to stand in her way.

A stress fracture in her right foot last season hobbled her efforts at the Olympics (she placed 17th). And just as she was ramping up for the Thornhill Summer Skate, Daleman contracted strep throat. Her throat numb, she powered through a short program to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons – all frothed up in white gown and lace, and landing a triple toe loop – triple toe loop and a triple flip. She’ll do the triple Lutz – triple toe loop through the rest of the season.  She said she scaled back the trick because she wanted to focus on the component mark in Thornhill. She’s also working on a triple Salchow – triple toe loop.

The long routine, where her ability to breathe came more into play, was a rougher go. Skating to “Aranjuez” vocals, she scored 103.36.

Never mind that she popped a jump, rolled and turned out of some others. She was wearing some boots that were on their last legs. The way Daleman trains, she’s hard on them. It seems there isn’t a women’s boot on this planet that can match Daleman’s fierce intent to succeed.

Daleman admitted that she broke those boots she wore at Thornhill the Monday before the competition. She has to get a new pair, and she’ll get a second pair by sometime in September and they will be very different indeed. They will be custom made for her in Italy – and they will be constructed from a more robust male model. When she gets those skates, it will be the first time she’ll have two in hand at once. She’s taking no chances. She’ll have about a month to break them in before the Skate Canada Autumn Classic International in Barrie, Ontario in mid-October.

After all, she’s setting her cap boldly to win the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships this year, she said, and she’s working on unleashing a triple Axel.

This summer, Daleman has already gone through three pairs of skates. Shortly after her international exploits last spring, the heel broke off one of her boots. The ones she wore in Thornhill had been in action only about seven weeks.

“It’s never happened before,” she said. “It’s just because I’ve been working on my jumps and my speed and we’ve been working on the triple Axel, too, so it’s more jumping, higher jumps. It’s just more padding on the skates.”

She says she trains triple Axels for about an hour a day – for about 20 minutes a session. She’s landed some in the past, but now she’s been doing nine or 10 out of 10 attempts, using a harness. Currently she cheats the landing by about a quarter or a half rotation on the ice. “That’s really good, because we started it about two weeks ago,” she said at Thornhill.

The jump that is rare to women will be in her program this season, she said. Only five women in history have landed the jump in competition: Midori Ito, Tonya Harding, Yukari Nakano, Ludmila Nelidina and Mao Asada. Over the past decade, Asada has been the only one toying with the difficult jump.

Once again, Daleman has turned to Lori Nichol for vehicles that will pull as many component marks out of judges as possible. Daleman cherishes her free program to Aranjuez. The vocals don’t distract her; they carry her.

“The thing I love about it is the lyrics,” Daleman said. “I really feel I can do this program, where it just feels like a show program. I’m having fun with it.

“It’s a love story and I love it because it doesn’t get faster, it just gets more intense, so it’s really pushing my limits.”

Aranjuez is a small city in Spain, where Joaquin Rodrigo wrote the music for the world-famous song in 1939. Figure skating aficionados have heard the haunting and beautiful music many times, but not the exquisite lyrics. It starts like this: “Aranjuez, a place of dreams and love/where a rumour of crystal fountains in the garden/seems to whisper to the roses.” And it becomes more wistful from there.

As beautiful as the music is, Daleman will be doing plenty of work throughout this routine. Instead of putting three jumps in the second half, like last year, she’ll put five. (No wonder she had troubles breathing at Thornhill.) She figures she was at only 70 per cent of her readiness at Skate Detroit, and 85 per cent in Thornhill. That encourages her; she’s improving.

Canadians will not see Daleman at Skate Canada International in Kelowna, B.C. this season. After the Autumn Classic, she’ll prepare for the Cup of China and NHK.

She comes into this season having learned much from her dramatic Olympic season. (She’s still wearing that team jacket.) “Just set your goals and don’t expect too much of yourself,” she said. “We’re all human and just have fun with your skating. Just show the people what you do every day, and how much you love the sport.”

She skated at the world championships with two shin splints and the stress fracture, and took it easy, took time to enjoy the ride. It seemed to work. She finished 13th. “I just tried to relax and have more fun with it and not really worry about anything,” she said. It seemed like a good strategy.

Weaver and Poje win gold in season debut

OBERSTDORF, Germany – Canadian ice dancers Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje won the gold medal on Saturday at the Nebelhorn Trophy, the traditional opener to the senior figure skating season.

The world championship silver medallists from Waterloo, Ont., unveiled their new short and free programs to the international judges and it appears they aced the test scoring 165.32 points.  Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the U.S. were second at 163.73 and Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexander Gazsi of Germany were third at 147.10.

‘’We were very happy with how the competition concluded,’’ said Weaver.  ‘’We were very calm in our free dance and although it’s new and fresh and early in the season we were able to put out a solid performance.

‘’Of course we have our work cut out for us for Skate Canada (October 31 to November 2 in Kelowna, B.C.). This is a program that is more difficult than what we’ve done in the past.  It requires harder training and harder concentration and we are glad to see we are going in the right direction.’’

It was the second career international victory for the couple.  They also won the Four Continents event in 2010.

‘’This is a great starting point,’’ said Poje.  ‘’We still have much growth to go through from now until the end of the season.  We’re glad we got to present it here and see what the skating community thought of it.  With that feedback we can now work away at it even more for the Grand Prix season.’’

Elisabeth Paradis of Loretteville, Que., and François-Xavier Ouellette of Laval, Que., were fifth.

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva led Russia to a 1-2 finish in women’s competition while Veronik Mallet of Sept-Iles, Que., was seventh.

Canada also placed third in the team standings behind the U.S., in first and Russia.

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/nt2014/

Bent & MacKeen win silver in Estonia

TALLINN, Estonia – Ice dancers Mackenzie Bent of Uxbridge, Ont., and Garrett MacKeen of Oshawa, Ont., won the silver medal on Saturday at the Tallinn Cup, the fifth stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix figure skating circuit.

Anna Yanovskaya and Sergey Mozgov of Russia slipped by the Canadians in the free dance tabulating 152.00 points.  Bent and MacKeen, first after the short dance, followed at 144.51 and Alexandra Nazarova and Maxim Nikitin of Ukraine were third at 128.59.

It was the second medal performance this season on the circuit for Bent and MacKeen.  Earlier this month they won gold at the third stop in Ostrava, Czech Republic but improved their overall score by six points on Saturday.

The performances put them in an excellent position to advance to the Junior Grand Prix Final December 11-14 in Barcelona.

‘’We are super excited about our performances this week,’’ said Bent, 17.  ‘’Our skating was much better than a couple of weeks ago.  It is very important for us to get to the Junior Grand Prix final after just falling short last season.’’

The couple now have five career Junior Grand Prix podium finishes.

‘’The key to our success today was duplicating what we’ve been doing in training,’’ said MacKeen.  ‘’For me, I felt our expression was a lot stronger.  To be this consistent early on in the season is a very good sign.’’

Canada stands a great chance to ice two dance teams at the Junior Grand Prix Final for the first time since 2004. Madeline Edwards of Port Moody, B.C., and ZhaoKai Pang of Burnaby, B.C., have also won two medals this season on the circuit.  Back in 2004, the eventual Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir as well as Allie McCurdy and Michael Coreno were the Canadian ice dance entries.

In women’s competition twin sisters Kim Decelles and Emy Decelles were 13th and 19th respectively.

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/jgpest2014/

Great start for Bent & MacKeen in Estonia

TALLINN, Estonia – Mackenzie Bent of Uxbridge, Ont., and Garrett MacKeen of Oshawa, Ont., hold a slight lead after the short dance on Friday at the Tallin Cup, the fifth stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix figure skating circuit.

The Canadians tabulated 59.83 points with Anna Yanovskaya and Sergey Mozgov of Russia second at 59.56 and Carolina Moscheni and Adam Lukacs of Hungary third at 51.61.

Audrey Croteau-Villeneuve of Montreal and Jeff Hough of Russell,Ont., are seventh.

In pairs, Maria Vigalova and Egor Zakroev led a Russian medal sweep winning gold.  Mary Orr of Brantford, Ont., and Phelan Simpson of Lunenberg, N.S., were sixth and first-year partners Shalena Rau of Waterloo, Ont., and Sebastian Arcieri of Montreal seventh.

In men’s competition, Alexander Petrov of Russia was the winner.  Bennet Toman of St.Lazare, Que., was 10th and Edrian Paul Celestino of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que., 11th.

In women’s competition after the short program, Kim Decelles and her twin sister Emy Decelles of Baie-Comeau, Que., are 11th and 18th. It is the international debut for both skaters.

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

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/jgpest2014/

Best international showing for Balde

OBERSTDORF, Germany – Elladj Balde of Montreal posted his best international result at the senior level on Friday placing fifth in men’s singles at the Nebelhorn Trophy figure skating competition.

Jason Brown of the U.S., took the gold with 237.17 points, Michal Brezina of the Czech Republic was second at 228.48 and Konstantin Menshov of Russia third at 211.03.  Balde, third after the short program, took fifth at 186.78.

Liam Firus of North Vancouver was ninth.

It was a 1-2 Russian finish in pairs as Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov sailed to gold with 195.89 points. Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov were second at 178.98 and Alexa Scimeca and Chris Knierim of the U.S., were third at 166.10.

Canadian junior champions Vanessa Grenier of Sherbrooke, Que., and Maxime Deschamps of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., were fifth in their international debut scoring 157.06.

In Thursday’s short dance, world championship silver medallists, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont., unveiled their new short program and grabbed the lead with 65.59 points. Madison Chok and Evan Bates of the U.S., follow at 62.80 and Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexander Gazsi of Germany are third at 58.67.

“It was important for us to get off to a good start with a new program,” said Poje. “Obviously this is an event for which we can get some feedback so we can be ready for the start of the Grand Prix season.”

Weaver and Poje are poised to carry last season’s success into 2014-15.

“Our goal this year is to be the top team in the world,” said Weaver.  “Our new programs are a departure from last season with an increase in difficulty.”

Elisabeth Paradis of Loretteville, Que., and François-Xavier Ouellette of Laval, Que., are fifth.

In women’s competition, Veronik Mallet of Sept-Iles, Que., is seventh after the short program.

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

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/nt2014/

Nicole Mickelow joins Skate Canada as Content Director

OTTAWA, ON:  Nicole Mickelow is the newly named Content Director for Skate Canada. The native of Edmonton, Alta. is excited to bring her wide-ranging experience in digital media, video production and live streaming to lead a new department for the organization.

A graduate of the Radio and Television Arts program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, she is a two-time Gemini Award nominated producer. Nicole joins Skate Canada from the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) where she was Director, Content Management for the past three years. Prior to TIFF, Nicole spent eight years with Astral Television Networks working on brands such as HBO Canada, Teletoon, Playhouse Disney and Family Channel.

Skate Canada’s content department will focus on telling the stories that inspire all Canadians to embrace the joy of skating, from frozen ponds to the Olympic podium. Particular emphasis will be placed on Canada’s premiere learn-to-skate program CanSkate, and how it prepares Canadians to participate in all skating sports, as well as providing the fundamentals of skating for fun as a family activity.

Mickelow learned to skate as a child growing up in Alberta. She is also an avid runner, having completed many half and full marathons, and is very involved in the Toronto running community. She will be based in Skate Canada’s Toronto office.

Canadian Skaters Head to Germany for Nebelhorn Trophy

OTTAWA, ON:Skate Canada will send six entries, for a total of nine skaters to Oberstdorf, Germany, for the Nebelhorn Trophy, a senior international competition part of the ISU’s new Challenger Series. The event is held from September 25-27, 2014, at the Eissportzentrum Oberstdorf. Canada will have two entries per category in men’s and ice dance, and one entry per category in ladies and pair.

World silver medallists Kaitlyn Weaver, 25, Waterloo, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 27, Waterloo, Ont., lead the Canadian entries in ice dance. Last season, they earned two silver medals on the ISU Grand Prix circuit at Skate Canada International and the Rostelecom Cup, and they placed seventh at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Representing Sault FSC and Kitchener-Waterloo SC, the seven-time Canadian medallists are coached by Pasquale Camerlengo and Angelika Krylova in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Élisabeth Paradis, 22, Loretteville, Que., and François-Xavier Ouellette, 22, Laval, Que., will also represent Canada in ice dance. This will be their second international assignment. Last season, the representatives of CPA Loretteville and CPA Les Lames D’Argent De Laval Inc., placed fifth at the 2013 Cup of Nice and eighth at the 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. They are coached by Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon in Montreal, Que.

Liam Firus, 22, North Vancouver, B.C., is one of two Canadian entries in men’s. Last season, the representative of Vancouver SC placed sixth at the 2013 Cup of Nice, won bronze at the 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, and placed 28th at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Firus is coached by Christy Krall in Colorado Springs, CO, USA.

Elladj Baldé, 23, Pierrefonds, Que., will also represent Canada in the men’s category. Baldé has previously competed at this event in 2011, placing 10th, and 2012, placing 14th. Last season, he placed seventh at Skate Canada International, 11th at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, and 18th at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships. The representative of CPA Anjou Kinsmen trains at the Detroit Skating Club with coaches Yuka Sato and Jason Dungjen.

Véronik Mallet, 20, Sept-Îles, Que., is the Canadian entry in ladies. Last season, the representative of CPA Sept-Îles placed fourth at this event. Mallet also placed eighth at the 2013 Skate Canada International, fourth at the 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, and 13th at the 2014 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. She is coached by Annie Barabé and Maximin Coïa at CTC Contrecoeur.

Vanessa Grenier, 22, Sherbrooke, Que., and Maxime Deschamps, 22, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., will represent Canada in pair. The 2014 Canadian junior pair champions from CPA Sherbrooke and CPA Vaudreuil will be competing at their first international assignment. Grenier and Deschamps are coached by Richard Gauthier and Bruno Marcotte at CPA Saint- Léonard.

Skate Canada High Performance Director Mike Slipchuk will be travelling with the Canadian team as team leader. Jodi Abbott of Edmonton, Alta., will be the sole Canadian official at the event.

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

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2014 NEBELHORN TROPHY

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men’s Liam Firus 22 North Vancouver, B.C. Vancouver SC Christy Krall
Men’s Elladj Baldé 23 Pierrefonds, Que. CPA Anjou Kinsmen Yuka Sato / Jason Dungjen
Ladies Véronik Mallet 20 Sept- Îles, Que. CPA Sept-Îles Annie Barabé / Maximin Coïa
Pair Vanessa Grenier / Maxime Deschamps 22/22 Sherbrooke, Que. / Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. CPA Sherbrooke / CPA Vaudreuil Richard Gauthier / Bruno Marcotte
Ice Dance Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje 25/27 Waterloo, Ont. – Houston, TX / Waterloo, Ont. Sault FSC / Kitchener-Waterloo SC Pasquale Camerlengo / Angelika Krylova
Ice dance Élisabeth Paradis / François-Xavier Ouellette 22/22 Loretteville, Que. / Laval, Que. CPA Loretteville / CPA Les Lames D’Argent De Laval Inc. Marie-France Dubreuil / Patrice Lauzon

Tallinn Cup Marks Fifth Event of Season for Canadian Skaters on the ISU Junior Grand Prix Circuit

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send eight entries, for a total of 12 skaters to Tallinn, Estonia, for the fifth stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit. Canada will have two entries per category in men’s, ladies, pair, and ice dance at the event which takes place from September 24-27, 2014.

Canadian junior champions Mackenzie Bent, 17, Uxbridge, Ont., and Garrett MacKeen, 20, Oshawa, Ont., are the first of two entries in ice dance. Bent and MacKeen won gold at their first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment this season in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Last season, the representatives of Uxbridge SC and Bowmanville FSC won gold at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Riga, Latvia, placed seventh at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Kosice, Slovakia, and placed 12th at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships. They train at Scarboro Ice Dance Elite with coaches Juris Razgulajevs and Carol Lane.

Audrey Croteau-Villeneuve, 17, Montreal, Que., and Jeff Hough, 18, Russell, Ont., will also represent Canada in ice dance. The newly formed team representing the Town of Mt. Royal FSC and Minto Skating Club will be competing at their first international assignment. They are coached by Darryl VanLuven at the Minto Skating Club in Ottawa, Ont.

Bennet Toman, 17, St. Lazare, Que., is one of two Canadian entries in men’s. Earlier this season, he placed 12th at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Courchevel, France. Representing CPA Vaudreuil, Toman is the 2014 Canadian junior silver medallist. He is coached by Robert O’Toole at the Canadian Ice Academy in Mississauga, Ont.

Edrian Paul Celestino, 16, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que., is the second Canadian entry in men’s. This is his first international assignment. Representing Saint Laurent FSC, he is the 2014 Canadian novice silver medallist. He is coached by Daniel Beland at the Dollard Civic Centre.

Emy Decelles, 16, Baie-Comeau, Que., is one of two Canadian entries in the ladies category. This is her first international assignment. Representing CPA Baie-Comeau, she placed 6th in the junior women’s competition at the 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. She is coached by Karen Sauvageau and Fanny Jean at CPA Baie-Comeau.

Emy’s twin sister Kim Decelles, 16, Baie-Comeau, Que., is the second Canadian entry in the ladies category. This is also her first international assignment. Representing CPA Baie-Comeau, she is the 2014 Canadian novice silver medallist. She is coached by Karen Sauvageau and Fanny Jean at CPA Baie-Comeau.

Mary Orr, 18, Brantford, Ont., and Phelan Simpson, 18, Lunenburg, N.S., are one of two Canadian pair entries. Last season, they earned a seventh place finish at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Riga, Latvia, and placed sixth at the 2014 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships. Orr and Simpson also won bronze in junior pair at the 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. They train at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club where they are coached by Kristy Wirtz and Kris Wirtz.

Shalena Rau, 15, Waterloo, Ont., and Sebastien Arcieri, 20, Montreal, Que., will be the second Canadian entry in pair. The newly formed team will be competing at their first international assignment together, but the representatives of the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club and CPA St. Leonard each have experience on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit with past partners. They are coached by Kristy Wirtz and Kris Wirtz at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club.

Manon Perron of Boucherville, Que., and Terra Findlay of Echo Bay, Ont., will be the Canadian team leaders at the event. Dr. Ghislaine Robert of Montreal, Que., and physiotherapist Paige Larson of North Vancouver, B.C., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Jerome Poulin of Montreal, Que., and Sally Rehorick of Vancouver, B.C., are the Canadian officials at the event.

The ISU will be live streaming the competition via the ISU Junior Grand Prix YouTube channel. For results and full entries please visit www.isu.org.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT ISU JGP #5 – Tallinn, Estonia

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Mens Bennet Toman 17 St. Lazare, Que. CPA Vaudreuil Robert O’Toole
Mens Edrian Paul Celestino 16 Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que. Saint Laurent FSC Daniel Beland
Ladies Emy Decelles 16 Baie-Comeau, Que. CPA Baie Comeau Karen Sauvageau / Fanny Jean
Ladies Kim Decelles 16 Baie-Comeau, Que. CPA Baie Comeau Karen Sauvageau / Fanny Jean
Pair Mary Orr / Phelan Simpson 18/18 Brantford, Ont. / Lunenburg, N.S. Kitchener-Waterloo SC / Kitchener-Waterloo SC Kristy Wirtz / Kris Wirtz
Pair Shalena Rau / Sebastian Arcieri 15/20 Waterloo, Ont. / Montreal, Que. Kitchener-Waterloo SC / CPA St. Leonard Kristy Wirtz / Kris Wirtz
Ice Dance Mackenzie Bent / Garrett MacKeen 17/20 Uxbridge, Ont. / Oshawa, Ont. Uxbridge SC / Bowmanville FSC Juris Razgulajevs / Carol Lane
Ice Dance Audrey Croteau-Villeneuve / Jeff Hough 17/18 Montreal, Que. / Russell, Ont. Town of Mt. Royal FSC / Minto SC Darryl VanLuven

Virtue and Moir announce plans for 2014-2015 season

OTTAWA, ON: Canada’s most decorated ice dance team, Tessa Virtue, 25, London, Ont. and Scott Moir, 27, Ilderton, Ont. have decided not to compete during the upcoming skating season. The 2010 Olympic champions and double 2014 Olympic silver medalists are not ruling out future competitions, but plan to sit out this season.

They will still be seen on the ice, as they have plans to perform in several ice shows over the coming months. Tessa and Scott are looking forward to performing in Art On Ice in Switzerland this winter, as well as Stars on Ice this spring in Canada.

The two are anxious to work with different choreographers and create new show programs. “It will be really exciting to push ourselves in new directions, and have more creative freedom with these show programs,” said Moir. “We love competing, but the opportunity to work outside the confines of the competitive rules is really refreshing and should add a new dimension to our skating.”

They are still members of Skate Canada’s 2014-2015 National Team and enjoyed attending the recent High Performance Camp as spectators, watching their teammates run through their programs. “After watching free dances at the High Performance Camp, we feel confident that Canada is in a good place this season and can’t wait to watch our teammates flourish. We want to do everything we can to stay connected to the team and ensure our support and encouragement is felt,” said Virtue.

Although eligible, they have declined their funding available from Sport Canada and Own the Podium, thereby allowing several other athletes to benefit.

Virtue and Moir hosted their second annual charity golf tournament during the summer, and enjoyed the opportunity to participate in a number of other charity events and corporate activities. In addition to their skating commitments, they also have individual plans they hope to pursue in the months to come.

Olympian Craig Buntin returns home to Kelowna to act as the 2014 Skate Canada International Athlete Ambassador

OTTAWA, ON: Olympic figure skater and Kelowna native Craig Buntin, 34, will return to his hometown to act as the Athlete Ambassador for the 2014 Skate Canada International. The prestigious international competition will take place at Prospera Place from October 30 – November 2, 2014.

Buntin will make a stop in Kelowna this weekend leading up to the event. He will be available for media interviews on Friday, September 19 and will attend the Kelowna Rockets home opener on Saturday, September 20. Buntin has special ties to the team; he was the original ‘Rocky’ the Kelowna Rockets mascot.

“Hosting Skate Canada International is a huge milestone for figure skating in Kelowna and I am both honoured and proud to be a part of it. The last time it was held in the Okanagan, I was a teenager with big dreams and watching the event was an early step in what would become an unbelievable journey. It will be inspiring to see that same spark in the eyes of Kelowna’s next generation of athletes as the best skaters in the world take to the ice in October,” said Buntin.

Buntin is a three-time Canadian Pair Champion, first finding success with partner Valérie Marcoux. Together they won three Canadian pair titles from 2004-2006 and competed at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.  In 2007 he teamed up with Meagan Duhamel.  At their first world championships in 2008 they placed 6th and landed on the podium three times at the national championships.

Since retiring from skating in 2010 Buntin has completed an MBA at McGill University and worked as an entrepreneur. His most recent project is VeriSkate, a software app that is used to analyze the movements of figure skaters: how high they jump or throw, the distance the move travels, the speed at which it travels, the flow, the ice coverage.

Over the course of the four-day event Buntin will step into the role of athlete ambassador, handling speaking engagements, media interviews, making appearances on behalf of the competing athletes, and making time for his fans.

TICKETS

Tickets are on sale now! The single event ticket prices range from $15-$60, plus applicable surcharges. Children under 12 are free on Thursday for practice sessions. Tickets may be purchased online at www.selectyourtickets.com, by phone at 250.762.5050 or in person at the Prospera Place Box Office.

WHO TO WATCH

Headlining the field in Kelowna are four members of the Canadian 2014 Olympic silver medal team: Kevin Reynolds; Meagan Duhamel; Eric Radford; and Kirsten Moore-Towers.

Joining them will be Canada’s reigning world silver medalists in ice dance, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, along with a number of world-class skaters including Spain’s Javier Fernandez, USA’s Ashley Wagner, Japan’s Takahiko Kozuka and many other Olympic and world competitors.

EVENT INFO

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), China (Cup of China), France (Trophée Eric Bompard), Russia (Rostelecom Cup) and Japan (NHK Trophy). Skaters are awarded points based on their placements in the series’ events.

At the conclusion of all the events, the top-six men and ladies and the top-six pair and ice dance teams qualify for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final to be held in Barcelona, Spain from December 11-13, 2014.