Lethbridge, Alberta, set to host 2015 Skate Canada International

OTTAWA, ON: Canada’s top figure skaters will compete against many of the world’s best at the 2015 Skate Canada International this week in Lethbridge, Alta. The event, which takes place October 29-November 1, 2015, at the ENMAX Centre will feature 12 Canadian entries (three per category in men’s, ladies, pair and ice dance) for a total of 18 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 10-13 in Barcelona, Spain.

Three-time World Champion and double Olympic silver medallist (men’s and team) Patrick Chan, 24, Toronto, Ont., is one of three Canadian entries in men’s. The representative of the Granite Club has previously competed at this event six times, winning in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2013. This event marks Chan’s return to competition after taking the 2014-2015 season off. He is coached by Kathy Johnson and trains at the Detroit Skating Club.

Canadian champion Nam Nguyen, 17, Toronto, Ont., is will also represent Canada in men’s. This will be his first time competing at this event. Nguyen began this season winning silver at the Skate Canada Autumn Classic International. Last season, he won bronze at Skate America, placed fourth at the Cup of China, 11^th at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, and fifth at the World Championships. Nguyen is coached by Brian Orser and Ernest Pryhitka at the Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club.

Keegan Messing, 23, Girdwood, Alaska, USA, rounds out the Canadian entries in men’s. This will also be his first time competing at this event. Earlier this season, Messing placed fifth at the Ondrej Nepela Trophy. Last season, Messing placed fifth at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. The representative of Sherwood Park FSC is coached by Ralph Burghart at in Anchorage, Alaska, USA.

Canadian champion Gabrielle Daleman, 17, Newmarket, Ont., is the first of three Canadian entries in ladies. Daleman will be competing at this event for the first time. Earlier this season, she placed fourth at the Ondrej Nepela Trophy. Last season she placed fifth at the Cup of China, sixth at the NHK Trophy, seventh at the Four Continents Championships, and 21^st at the World Championships. Daleman is coached by Lee Barkell and Brian Orser at the Toronto Cricket, Skating & Curling Club.

Two-time Canadian champion and Olympic silver medallist (team) Kaetlyn Osmond, 19, Marystown, Nfld., will also represent Canada in ladies. She previously competed at this event in 2012, winning gold. Earlier this season, she won gold at the Nebelhorn Trophy. Osmond is coached by Ravi Walia and represents the Ice Palace Figure Skating Club.

Canadian bronze medallist 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 eighth in 2013 and 10^th in 2014. Earlier this season, she placed ninth at the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. Last season, the representative of CPA Sept-Îles placed 10^th at Trophée Eric Bompard and finished 14^th at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. Mallet is coached by Annie Barabé at CTC Varennes.

World champions and Olympic silver medallists (team) Meagan Duhamel, 29, Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford, 30, Balmertown, Ont., lead the Canadian pair entries. The four-time Canadian champions have reached the podium four times at this event and are current defending champions. Duhamel and Radford began this season winning gold at the Skate Canada Autumn Classic International. Last season, they won gold at all of their events including the NHK Trophy, ISU Grand Prix Final, Four Continents Championships and World Championships. The representatives of Walden FSC and CPA Saint-Léonard are coached by Richard Gauthier, Bruno Marcotte, and Sylvie Fullum at CPA Saint-Léonard.

Kirsten Moore-Towers, 23, St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro, 23, Sarnia, Ont., are the second Canadian entry in pair. Last season, the representatives of Kitchener-Waterloo SC and Point Edward SC placed sixth at this event. Moore-Towers and Marinaro won bronze at their first international assignment this season, the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. Last season they placed seventh at Trophée Eric Bompard, ninth at the ISU Four Continents Championships, and fourth at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Moore-Towers and Marinaro are coached by Bruno Marcotte, Richard Gauthier, Sylvie Fullum, Julie Marcotte and Cynthia Lemaire in CPA Saint-Léonard.

Vanessa Grenier, 23, Johnville, Que., and Maxime Deschamps, 23, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., will also represent Canada in pair. Earlier this season, Grenier and Deschamps placed fourth at the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. Last season, the representatives of CPA Sherbrooke and CPAR Vaudreuil placed fifth at the Nebelhorn Trophy, fifth at the Skate Canada Autumn Classic International, sixth at Skate America, and fifth at the 2015 Canadian Championships. They are coached by Richard Gauthier and Bruno Marcotte at CPA Saint-Léonard.

Canadian champions and 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. The current defending champions have reached the podium four times at this event. Earlier this season, they won gold at the Finlandia Trophy. Last season, they won gold at each of their events (Nebelhorn Trophy, Skate Canada International, NHK Trophy, ISU Grand Prix Final and Four Continents Championships) and won the bronze medal at the World Championships. Representing Sault FSC and Kitchener-Waterloo SC, they are coached by Angelika Krylova, Pasquale Camerlengo and Shae-Lynn Bourne in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Three time Canadian bronze medallists Alexandra Paul, 24, Midhurst, Ont., and Mitchell Islam, 25, Barrie, Ont., are the second Canadian entry in ice dance. This will be their third time competing at this event, having placed fourth in 2010 and fifth in 2013. Paul and Islam began this season winning silver at the Nebelhorn Trophy. Last season, they placed fifth at the Cup of China, sixth at Trophée Eric Bompard, sixth at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships and 13^th at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships. The representatives of Barrie SC train in Montreal, Que., with coaches Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon and Romain Haguenauer.

Élisabeth Paradis, 23, Loretteville, Que., and François-Xavier Ouellette, 23, Laval, Que., are the third Canadian ice dance entry. Last season, they placed seventh at this event. This season, they won bronze at the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. Paradis and Ouellette also placed fifth at the Nebelhorn Trophy, fourth at Skate America, and fifth at the 2015 Canadian Championships last season. The representatives of CPA Loretteville and CPA Les Lames D’Argent De Laval Inc., train in in Montreal, Que., with coaches Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon and Romain Haguenauer.

Cynthia Ullmark, of Canmore, Alta., and Carolyn Allwright of Kitchener, Ont., will be the Canadian team leaders at the event. Dr. Erika Persson of Edmonton, Alta., and physiotherapist Agnes Makowski of Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian medical staff. Andrea Derby of Windsor, Ont., Beth Crane of Burnaby, B.C., Cynthia Benson of Quispamsis, N.B., and Leslie Keen of Vancouver, B.C., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For results and full entries please visit 2015 Skate Canada International.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2015 SKATE CANADA INTERNATIONAL