Ninth place finishes for Canadians at ISU Junior Grand Prix

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ZAGREB, Croatia – Kim Decelles of Baie-Comeau Que., finished ninth in women’s singles while ice dancers Audrey Croteau-Villeneuve of Montreal and Jeff Hough of Russell, Ont., produced the same result at the seventh stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix figure skating circuit.

In women’s competition, Japan was 1-2 with Marin Honda and Wakaba Higuchi taking gold and silver. Diana Pervushkina of Russia was third.
Decelles was fifth after the short program on Friday but was unable to duplicate that strong performance in Saturday’s long.

In ice dancing, Rachael Parsons and Michael Parsons of the U.S. were the winners with Anastasia Skoptova and Kirill Aleshin of Russia second and their compatriots Sofia Shevchenko and Igor Eremenko third.

Croteau-Villeneuve and Hough, sixth at their previous assignment last month, were ninth after the short dance.

Nadeau excited about silver

Nicolas Nadeau was still excited about his silver medal performance on Friday where he smashed his previous personal best by almost 50 points.  He scored 223.46 and was less than half a point from gold. On Saturday, Nadeau said he just wanted a solid Grand Prix result on his resume.

“My success was because I finally put together and strong short program and strong free program,” said Nadeau, 18, the reigning Canadian junior champion. “Usually one or the other I tend to struggle with. I came into this competition with no hope of making the Grand Prix Final so I just wanted a strong international performance and impress the judges.”

The Grand Prix Final for the junior and seniors is December 10-13 in Barcelona.

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1516/jgpcro2015/index.htm

Weaver and Poje dance to gold at Challenger Series

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Weaver and Poje

ESPOO, Finland – Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont., opened their international season on Saturday with a gold medal performance at the Finlandia Trophy figure skating competition, the fourth stop on the ISU Challenger Series circuit.

Weaver and Poje, who won five gold medals last season in international competition, totalled 161.67 points placing first in both the short dance and free skate. Isabella Tobias and Ilia Tkachenko of Israel were second at 150.89 and Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen of Denmark were third at 147.65.

“We had two great programs although there were some mistakes,” said Weaver, third with her partner at the world championships this past March. “But these events are an opportunity to see the areas we need to improve and get some important feedback.”

The next event for Weaver and Poje is Skate Canada International October 30 to November 1 in Lethbridge, Alta.
Brianna Delmaestro of Port Moody, B.C., and Timothy Lum of Burnaby, B.C., were seventh.

In men’s competition, Liam Firus of North Vancouver is ninth after the short program. The men’s free skate is on Sunday.
Canada has no entries in women’s competition and there is no pairs event.

Full results: http://www.figureskatingresults.fi/results/1516/CSFIN2015/index.htm

Canada’s Nicolas Nadeau wins silver at ISU Junior Grand Prix

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ZAGREB, Croatia – Canadian junior champion Nicolas Nadeau of Boisbriand, Que., won the silver medal in a very close men’s competition on Friday at the seventh stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix figure skating circuit.

Alexander Samarin of Russia was the winner with 223.84 points edging the 18-year-old Nadeau who totalled 223.46. Tomoki Hiwatashi of Japan was third at 197.62.

Nadeau smashed his previous best international score by almost 50 points. He landed two triple Axels including one in combination with a triple toe to open the program.  He made an attempt at a quad toe but rushed it and stepped out in mid-flight.

In women’s competition, Wakaba Higuchi of Japan leads after the short program with Diana Pervushkina of Russia second and Marin Honda of Japan third.

Kim Decelles of Baie-Comeau, Que., is fifth less than six points behind Honda at 52.27.

In ice dancing after the short dance, Audrey Croteau-Villeneuve of Montreal and Jeff Hough of Russell, Ont., are ninth.

There is no pairs competition at this stop.

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

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1516/jgpcro2015/index.htm

Canadian skaters preparing for second annual Skate Canada Autumn Classic International

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send 14 entries, for a total of 21 skaters to the second annual Skate Canada Autumn Classic International (#ACI15). Canada will have 9 entries at the senior level including three in men’s, one in ladies, three in pair and two in ice dance. The junior category of the event will feature five Canadian entries including two in men’s and three in ladies. The event runs from October 12-15, 2015, at the Allandale Recreation Centre in Barrie, Ont.

Canadian champion Nam Nguyen, 17, Toronto, Ont., is the first of three Canadian entries in men’s. Last year, Nguyen won silver at this event. He also won bronze at Skate America, placed fourth at the Cup of China, 11th 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.

Mitchell Gordon, 19, Vancouver, B.C., is the second entry in men’s for Canada. This will be his first international assignment at the senior level. Last season, Gordon placed seventh at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Slovenia and 10th in Germany. He also placed eighth at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Gordon is coached by Eileen Murphy and Keegan Murphy at the Connaught Skating Club in Richmond, B.C.

Bennet Toman, 18, St. Lazare, Que., is the third Canadian entry in men’s. This will also be his first international assignment at the senior level. Last season, he placed 12th at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in France and 10th in Estonia. Representing CPAR Vaudreuil, Toman placed 13th at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. He is coached by Robert O’Toole at the Canadian Ice Academy in Mississauga, Ont.

Roxanne Rheault, 20, Victoriaville, Que., is the Canadian entry in ladies. Earlier this season she won the bronze medal at the 2015 Philadelphia Summer International. Last season, the representative of CPA Élites Sur Glace Drummond–Saint-Cyrille placed fourth at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Rheault is coached by Annie Barabé, Sophie Richard and Yvan Desjardins.

World champions and Olympic silver medallists (team) Meagan Duhamel, 29, Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford, 30, Balmertown, Ont., lead the Canadian team in pair. The four-time Canadian champions won at the inaugural Skate Canada Autumn Classic last season and went on to win gold at all of their events throughout the season including Skate Canada International, NHK Trophy, ISU Grand Prix Final and 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.

Hayleigh Bell, 19, Acton, Ont., and Rudi Swiegers, 28, Kipling, Sask., will be Canada’s second entry in the pair category. This will be their first competition since teaming up this summer. Representing Skate Regina, the pair train in Calgary, Alta., with coaches Anabelle Langlois and Cody Hay.

Brittany Jones, 19, Toronto, Ont., and Joshua Reagan, 25, Dallas, TX, USA, – Toronto, Ont., will be the third Canadian entry in pair. Last season, Jones and Reagan placed seventh at this event. They also placed fourth at the 2014 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, seventh at Skate Canada International and seventh at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Jones and Reagan are coached by Bryce Davison at the Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club.

Nicole Orford, 22, Burnaby, B.C., and Asher Hill, 24, Pickering, Ont., are the first of two Canadian entries in ice dance. This will be their first competition since teaming up this offseason. The representatives of Inlet SC and Scarboro FSC are coached by Carol Lane, Jon Lane and Juris Razgulajevs at Ice Dance Elite in Scarborough, Ont.

Andréanne Poulin, 20, L’Île-Bizard, Que., and Marc-André Servant, 24, Vaudreuil, Que., will also represent Canada in ice dance. Last season, they placed eighth at this event. The representatives of Club de Patinage des Deux-Rives also placed eighth at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Poulin and Servant are coached by Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs.

Canadian junior bronze medallist Edrian Paul Celestino, 17, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que., will represent Canada in the junior men’s category. Earlier this season, he placed 13th at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Austria. Last season, the representative of Saint Laurent FSC placed 11th at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Tallinn. He is coached by Daniel Beland at the Dollard Civic Centre.

Joseph Phan, 14, Laval, Que., will also represent Canada in the junior men’s category. This will be his first international assignment. Last season, he placed fifth in the junior category at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Representing CPA Laval, Phan is coached by Yvan Desjardins.

Alexis Dion, 16, Ottawa, Ont., is the first of three Canadian entries in the junior ladies category. This will be the first international assignment for the representative of Minto SC. Last season, Dion placed 14th in the junior category at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. She is coached by Shelley Kettles and Derek Schmidt at the Minto Skating Club.

Alicia Pineault, 16, Montreal, Que., will also represent Canada in the junior ladies category. This will be her first international assignment. Representing CPA Varennes, she won the silver medal in the novice category at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Pineault is coached by Stéphane Yvars and François Parisé in Boucherville, Que.

McKenna Colthorp, 14, Fort St. James, B.C., will be the final Canadian entry in the junior ladies category. This will be the first international assignment for the representative of Kelowna FSC. Last season, she placed fourth in the novice category at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. She is coached by Karen Mongrain in Kelowna, B.C.

Holly Henderson of Lethbridge, Alta., and Scott Rachuk of Strathroy, Ont., will be the Canadian team leader onsite. Physiotherapist Glenn Wark of Collingwood, Ont., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Veronique Gosselin of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., Susan Morriss of Victoria, B.C., Beth Crane of Burnaby, B.C., and Jacqueline Wickett Warren of Ottawa, Ont., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

CANADIAN SENIOR ENTRIES AT 2015 SKATE CANADA AUTUMN CLASSIC INTERNATIONAL

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Mens Nam Nguyen 17 Toronto, Ont. Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club Brian Orser / Ernest Pryhitka
Mens Mitchell Gordon 19 Vancouver, B.C. Connaught Skating Club Eileen Murphy / Keegan Murphy
Mens Bennet Toman 18 St. Lazare, Que. CPA Vaudreuil Robert O’Toole
Ladies Roxanne Rheault 20 Longueuil, Que. CPA Élites Sur Glace Drummond – Saint-Cyrille Annie Barabé / Sophie Richard / Yvan Desjardins
Pair Meagan Duhamel / Eric Radford 29/30 Lively, Ont. / Balmertown, Ont. Walden FSC / CPA Saint-Léonard Richard Gauthier / Bruno Marcotte / Sylvie Fullum
Pair Hayleigh Bell / Rudi Swiegers 19/28 Acton, Ont. / Kipling, Sask. Skate Regina / Skate Regina Anabelle Langlois / Cody Hay
Pair Brittany Jones / Joshua Reagan 19/25 Toronto, Ont. / Dallas, TX, USA – Toronto, Ont. Kitchener-Waterloo SC / Kitchener-Waterloo SC Bryce Davison
Ice Dance Nicole Orford / Asher Hill 22/24 Burnaby, B.C. / Pickering, Ont. Inlet SC / Scarboro FSC Carol Lane / Jon Lane / Juris Razgulajevs
Ice Dance Andréanne Poulin / Marc-André Servant 20/24 L’Île-Bizard, Que. / Vaudreuil, Que. Club de Patinage des Deux-Rives / Club de Patinage des Deux-Rives Carol Lane / Juris Razgulajevs

CANADIAN JUNIOR ENTRIES AT 2015 SKATE CANADA AUTUMN CLASSIC INTERNATIONAL

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Mens Edrian Paul Celestino 17 Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que. Saint Laurent FSC Daniel Beland
Mens Joseph Phan 14 Laval, Que. CPA Laval Yvan Desjardins
Ladies Alexis Dion 16 Ottawa, Ont. Minto SC Shelley Kettles / Derek Schmidt
Ladies Alicia Pineault 16 Montreal, Que. Richmond Hill FSC Andrei Berezintsev / Inga Zusev
Ladies McKenna Colthorp 14 Fort St. James, B.C. Kelowna FSC Karen Mongrain

ISU Challenger Series continues as Canada sends three entries to Finlandia Trophy

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send three entries, for a total of five skaters to the 20th annual Finlandia Trophy, the fourth event on the 2015 ISU Challenger Series. The competition runs from October 8-11, 2015 at the Barona Arena in Espoo, Finland. Canada will have one entry in men’s and two entries in ice dance.

Two-time Canadian bronze medallist Liam Firus, 23, North Vancouver, B.C., will be the Canadian entry in men’s. This will be his first time competing at this event. Last season, the representative of Vancouver SC placed ninth at the Nebelhorn Trophy, 11th at Skate Canada International and 15th at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. Firus is coached by Christy Krall and Damon Allen in Colorado Springs, CO, USA.

Canadian champions and two time world medallists Kaitlyn Weaver, 26, Toronto, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 28, Waterloo, Ont., are the first of two Canadian entries in ice dance. This will also be their first time competing at this event. 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 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.

Canadian junior champions Brianna Delmaestro, 19, Port Moody, B.C., and Timothy Lum, 20, Burnaby, B.C., are the second entry in ice dance for Canada. Earlier this season they placed sixth in their first international assignment at the senior level, the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. Last season, the representatives of Coquitlam SC and Burnaby FSC won the silver medal at their ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment in Slovenia and the bronze medal in Germany. They are coached by Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe at the Champs International Skating Centre of B.C.

Skate Canada High Performance Director Mike Slipchuk will travel with the team as Canadian team leader. Physiotherapist Agnes Makowski of Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Leslie Keen of Vancouver, B.C., will be the sole Canadian official at the event.

For results and full entries please visit www.isu.org or the official event website.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 20th Annual Finlandia Trophy

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Mens Liam Firus 23 North Vancouver, B.C. Vancouver SC Christy Krall / Damon Allen
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 Brianna Delmaestro / Timothy Lum 19/20 Port Moody, B.C. / Burnaby, B.C. Coquitlam SC / Burnaby FSC Megan Wing / Aaron Lowe

Gilles and Poirier complete golden comeback at Challenger Series

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BRATISLAVA, Slovakia – Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Toronto won the gold medal Saturday in ice dancing at the 23rd Ondrej Nepela Trophy figure skating competition, the third stop on the ISU Challenger Series circuit.

Gilles and Poirier, third after Friday’s short dance, were the last skaters to perform and shot to the top of the standings with a strong free dance to finish first with 159.14 points. It is the first international victory for the couple which formed in 2011. They have finished second three times on the Grand Prix circuit and second at the 2014 Four Continents.

Penny Coomes and Nicholas Buckland of Britain were second at 156.22 and Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani of the U.S. third at 154.34.

Russian skaters swept the women’s event with Evgenia Medvedeva first, Anna Pogorilaya second and Maria Artemieva third. Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., was fourth less than six points from the podium with 171.72 points.

In men’s competition, Jason Brown of the U.S. prevented another Russian sweep placing first.  Three Russians followed including Mikhail Kolyada in second and Gordei Gorshkov in third.

Keegan Messing of Sherwood Park, Alta., was fifth.

The fourth stop on the Challenger Series circuit is this upcoming weekend in Espoo, Finland.

Full results: http://www.kraso.sk/wp-content/uploads/sutaze/2015_2016/20151001_ont/

Canadians stay put at ISU Junior Grand Prix

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LOGRONO, Spain – Canada’s two ice dancing entries at the sixth stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix figure skating circuit placed sixth and seventh on Saturday.

Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac of France won the gold medal with Betina Popova and Yuri Vlasenko of Russia second and Elliana Pogrebinsky and Alex Benoit of the U.S. third.

Mackenzie Bent of Uxbridge, Ont., and Dmitre Razgulajevs of Ajax, Ont., were sixth and Marjorie Lajoie of Boucherville, Que., and Zachary Lagha seventh.

Bent and Razgulajevs, a new partnership this season, won the silver medal at the season’s second stop in Colorado.

“We achieved our goals this weekend,” said Bent, 17. “The result wasn’t what we had hoped for so we have to examine why that happened. But our goal for these junior Grand Prix is to show improvement and combined with our hard work in practice that is definitely happening.”

Lajoie and Lagha were pleased with their international debut. They produced the sixth best free dance of the day.

“It went super well, and I didn’t expect us to do this well,” said Lajoie, 14. “But we’ve been skating together for four years so I think that showed today. We weren’t as nervous as a couple which may have been together for a short time.”

Canada had no entries in men’s and women’s competition and there is no pairs event at this stop.  The seventh and last stop before the Final is this Thursday to Saturday in Zagreb, Croatia.

Full results: 2015 Logrono

Canadian ice dancers need to play catch-up at ISU Junior Grand Prix

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LOGRONO, Spain – Canada’s two ice dance entries at the sixth stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix figure skating circuit are in sixth and seventh place after the short dance on Friday.

Mackenzie Bent of Uxbridge, Ont., and Dmitre Razgulajevs of Ajax, Ont., silver medallists earlier this season, are in sixth place with 55.76 points while Marjorie Lajoie of Boucherville, Que., and Zachary Lagha, at their first international assignment,  are seventh at 52.20.

Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac of France lead with 61.83, Betina Popova and Yuri Vlasenko of Russia are second at 60.40 and Elliana Pogrebinsky and Alex Benoit of the U.S. third at 59.13.

Canada has no entries in men’s and women’s competition and there is no pairs event at this stop.
The free dance is on Saturday.

Full results: http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1516/jgpesp2015/index.htm

Canadian pair takes fourth spot at ISU Challenger Series event

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BRATISLAVA,  Slovakia– Canadians Lubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch of Toronto placed fourth in pairs on Friday at the Ondrej Nepela figure skating competition, the third stop on the ISU Challenger Series.

Russia swept the medals with Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov winning gold at 190.28, Kristina Astakhova and Alexei Rogonov silver at 185.00 and Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov third at 184.25.

Ilyushechkina and Moscovitch, in their second season together, totalled 169.04 ranking fourth in both the short and long programs.
Canada is in the medal hunt in the three other events.

In ice dancing, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Toronto sit in third spot after the short dance with 62.56 points. Sixth at the world championships last winter, the Canadians are less than a point from top spot. Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani of the U.S. are first at 63.24 and Penny Coomes and Nicholas Buckland of Britain second at 62.70.

The women’s competition is also very close after the short program.  2014 Olympian Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., is fourth at 60.76 but less than three points from first place held by Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia at 62.72.  Riona Kato of Japan is second at 61.84 and Maria Artemieva of Russia third at 61.21.

Keegan Messing of Sherwood Park, Alta., is also fourth in men’s competition after the short program at 73.16.  Mikhail Kolyada of Russia leads at 84.33, Jason Brown of the U.S. is second at 76.98 and Gordei Gorshkov of Russia third at 76.25.

The free skates in ice dancing, men and women are all on Saturday.

Full results: http://www.kraso.sk/wp-content/uploads/sutaze/2015_2016/20151001_ont/