Conrad Orzel wins the silver medal at ISU Junior Grand Prix

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DRESDEN, Germany – Conrad Orzel of Woodbridge, Ont., climbed from fifth spot after the short program to win the silver medal on Friday at the seventh and final stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix figure skating circuit.

Jun Hwan Cha of South Korea took the gold with 220.54 points, Orzel followed with a personal best 196.30 and Mitsuki Sumoto of Japan was third at 195.74. It was only Orzel’s second career international assignment.

‘’This was a breakthrough for my long program,’’ said Orzel. ‘’I’ve never really put all my elements together as I did today and I think I finally learned how too compete with all these elements in competition.’’

The 16-year-old Orzel produced a clean free skate which included a quad jump and two triple Axels in combination.

‘’The big difference to today compared to my last competition is I didn’t stress so much about my placement,’’ he said. ‘’I don’t think anyone expected me to earn a medal here but it happened because I finally showed what I’m capable of.’’

Thirteen-year-old Iliya Kovler of Richmond Hill, Ont., gained seven placings after his short program for 19th overall.

‘’It’s quite exciting to come back strong after a disappointing short program,’’ said Kovler. ‘’I was able to shake off my nervousness for the free. I’m positive I’ll bring a lot more to the rink next time and be much better.’’

Lajoie/Lagha

Lajoie / Lagha

Ice dancers Marjorie Lajoie of Boucherville, Que., and Zachary Lagha of Greenfield Park, Que., finished less than point from a medal position placing fourth.

Rachel Parsons and Michael Parsons of the U.S. won the gold medal with 157.63 points. Anastasia Shpilevaya and Grigory Smirnov of Russia were second at 148.02 and their compatriots Arina Ushakova and Maxim Nekrasov were third at 140.21.

Lajoie and Lagha were third after the Thursday’s short program but couldn’t hang on finishing with a personal best 139.67 for their second fourth this season on the circuit. Alicia Fabbri of Terrebonne, Que., and Claudio Pietrantonio of Laval, Que., were sixth.
‘’It went exceptionally well for us, it’s unfortunate we couldn’t have placed higher,’’ said Lajoie, 15. ‘’It’s been a good season for us so far but there’s still a lot of work to do in order to increase our scores even more.’’

In women’s competition, Sarah Tamura of Burnaby, B.C. is sixth after the short program.

In pairs after the short program, Evelyn Walsh of London, Ont., and Trennt Michaud of Strathroy, Ont., are eighth and Justine Brasseur of Brossard, Que., and Mathieu Ostiguy of Ste-Angèle-de-Monnoir, Que., are ninth.

Competition ends Saturday with the free skates for women’s and pairs.

Full results: ISU JGP Pokal der Blauen Schwerter 2016

Behind the Blades with Michelle Long: Autumn Classic International 2016

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On any given day, I am a pretty emotional person. But when I stood out on the ice, took off my team Canada jacket, and heard the announcer call “from Canada, Michelle Long”, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with emotions: pride, anticipation, and pure joy. With only 30 seconds to hit my beginning pose, I had to focus on the short program, at my first international event, representing Canada.

This experience is one I have been waiting and working for, my entire career as a senior level skater. Before making it onto the ice as a National Team member, I was a skating fan, attending as many events in the area as possible, to watch the best skaters in the world. Now, I was sharing the ice with some of those skaters I have been watching for years. That was pretty cool!

michelle-pic-2Although my competition week consisted mainly of early mornings, healthy meals, naps and a little bit of skating, some very interesting things happened. After my very first official practice, as all of us skaters were exiting the ice I went to grab my team jacket – and noticed there was a spider on it. Now it doesn’t sound scary, but to someone like me who is terrified of spiders, it was! I shrieked in front of an arena full of spectators and my fellow competitors. I felt my heart racing but it was a good way to break the ice, and we all had a good laugh about it after.

Once the competition was underway, the nerves started to set in.  I am generally not a skater who gets nervous for competitions, but with the new experience in front of me, I started to feel some pressure to perform well.  Knowing that I had nothing to lose and everything to gain, I went for it and gave it my best performance.  Although these programs were not my best technically, I can take so many positives from this event, and can honestly say that I am so excited to get back to training for whatever comes next.

The highlight of my weekend came after my competition had finally ended. Since the Ladies event was the first to finish, I was able to sit back and watch, and cheer on the rest of my team! I was amazed and overwhelmed by the amount of support from the audience, my competitors, and my fellow Canadian teammates.  Since Montreal is a popular training location, many of the skaters that train in the area also came to watch and cheer on the team. So many of them took the time to talk to me about my performance, the experience, and to give me advice for the future. Those are words that I will never forget! That and, “from Canada, Michelle Long!”

michelle-pic1

Behind the Blades with Kevin Reynolds: Ondrej Nepela 2016

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We were a small but lively team of four Canadian athletes competing at the 24th Ondrej Nepela Memorial in Bratislava for the 5th stop in the ISU Challenger Series. It was an exciting week, and marked a nice way to start off my season with invaluable overseas competition experience.

After landing in Vienna and just a short shuttle across the Austria-Slovakia border, we arrived in downtown Bratislava. We stayed at the Hotel Lindner – a comfortable, modern hotel connected to an upscale shopping mall – which was a convenient 10-minute walk from the Ondrej Nepela Stadium and Arena. The venue itself was beautiful, with numerous small historical photographs decorating the halls and pillars, including the iconic home-ice victory of Ondrej Nepela at the 1973 World Figure Skating Championships.

kevin-pic-1Despite our focus and spending majority of our time on competition preparations, the time we did have exploring what we could of Bratislava was quite enjoyable, with the last days of summer seemingly lingering around for us until we departed (it was a balmy 26˚C on our days there).

After the free programs had finished and the competition had come to a close, we had some time to head to the historic Old Town at night via tram. Having a chance to walk around and see the beautiful aged buildings amongst bustling Saturday night crowds was definitely a highlight of the trip. We concluded with an idyllic team dinner overlooking the cobblestoned city avenues, where we tasted some local Slovak dishes. Bryndzové Halušky (small potato dumplings with goat cheese and smoked bacon bits) was a popular choice, and we tried a dessert that we had thought would be apple-filled by the photographs, but ended up being Makovník (a sweet pastry/roll made with ground poppy seeds and milk). It was interesting – mainly because we couldn’t for the life of us guess what the filling was – but still delightful.

At the suggestion of Joanne, our team leader for the week, we decided to commemorate our final night by taking a few team pictures before we left –Mackenzie and Dmitre tried their hand at some dance lifts, drawing considerable attention and a group of female photo bombers at one point. It was a fun way and a great note to end our trip on.

Had a great team dinner with some awesome new friends! ????

A photo posted by Dmitre Razgulajevs (@dmitre_r) on

So now, after nearly 24 hours of travel (and many irregular sleep intervals later), I am back home in Vancouver and ready to resume training. I can’t wait to see what the season holds ahead!

Until next time,

Kevin

Canadian juniors travel to Dresden for final event of ISU Junior Grand Prix

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send seven entries, for a total of eleven skaters to Dresden, Germany, for the final event of the 2016-2017 ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit. Canada will send two entries per discipline in men’s, pair and ice dance, and one entry in ladies to the competition taking place from October 5-9, 2016.

Conrad Orzel, 16, Woodbridge, Ont., finished fourth in St. Gervais, France at the first event of the 2016 season, which also marked his debut on the junior circuit. Orzel also placed fourth at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in the junior category, and third in the junior category of the 2016 Coupe de Printemps. He is coached by Eva Najarro and trains in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Iliya Kovler, 13, Richmond Hill, Ont., is the second Canadian entry in men’s. Kovler earned his first international medal, a bronze, at the 2016 Autumn Classic International. Last season, he placed fourth in the novice category at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. He is coached by Andrei Berezintsev in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Sarah Tamura, 15, Burnaby, B.C., will represent Canada as the lone female entry. Tamura will be competing in her second ISU Junior Grand Prix event of the season after finishing eighth in Slovenia. After capturing the 2016 Canadian junior title, Tamura earned a berth at the 2016 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, where she placed 13th. She is coached by Joanne McLeod in Burnaby, B.C.

Justine Brasseur, 15, Brossard, Que., and Mathieu Ostiguy, 19, Sainte-Angèle-de-Monnoir, Que, are one of two pairs representing Canada at the event. The pair finished eleventh at their first assignment of the season in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Last season on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit, Brasseur and Ostiguy finished sixth in Latvia and fourth in Austria. The duo from Quebec also finished fourth in junior at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships and placed seventh at the 2016 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships. Brasseur and Ostiguy train in Saint-Leonard, Que., and are coached by Richard Gauthier and Bruno Marcotte.

Evelyn Walsh, 15, London, Ont., and Trennt Michaud, 20, Strathroy, Ont., are the second Canadian pair competing in Germany. Earlier this season, the pair competed in their first Junior Grand Prix event together in Estonia and placed 11th. Walsh and Michaud are coached by Alison Purkiss and Margaret Purdy, and train in London, Ont.

Marjorie Lajoie, 15, Boucherville, Que., and Zachary Lagha, 17, Greenfield Park, Que., are the first of two Canadian ice dance entries. They will be competing at their second ISU Junior Grand Prix event of the season, after finishing fourth at the event in Japan. Last season, Lajoie and Lagha claimed the silver medal in junior at the 2016 national championships and placed 13th at the 2016 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships. The ice dancers train in Montreal, Que., with coaches Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Romain Haguenauer and Pascal Denis.

Alicia Fabbri, 13, Terrebonne, Que., and Claudio Pietrantonio, 19, Laval, Que., are the second Canadian entry in ice dance. This will be their second ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment, having placed fourth in Russia earlier this season. Last season, they won silver in the novice category at the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Fabbri and Pietrantonio are coached by Julien Lalonde, Mylène Girard and Lynn McKay.

André Bourgeois, Skate Canada NextGen Director, and Nathalie Martin of Montreal, Que., will be the Canadian team leaders at the event. Dr. Erika Persson of Edmonton, Alta., and Karen Seymour of Toronto, Ont. will be the Canadian team medical staff on site. Susan Morriss of Victoria, B.C., and Sylvain Guibord of Brossard, Que., will be 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 #7 – Dresden, Germany

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Mens Conrad Orzel 16 Woodbridge, Ont. York Region Skating Academy Eva Najarro
Mens Iliya Kovler 13 Richmond Hill, Ont. Richmond Hill FSC Andrei Berezintsev
Ladies Sarah Tamura 15 Burnaby, B.C. Champs International SC Joanne McLeod
Pairs Justine Brasseur / Mathieu Ostiguy 15/19 Brossard, Que. / Sainte-Angèle-de-Monnoir, Que. CPA Brossard / CPA Saint-Césaire Richard Gauthier / Bruno Marcotte
Paris Evelyn Walsh / Trennt Michaud 15/20 London, Ont. / Strathroy, Ont. London SC / Prince Edward SC Alison Purkiss / Margaret Purdy
Ice Dance Marjorie Lajoie / Zachary Lagha 15/17 Boucherville, Que. / Greenfield Park, Que. CPA De Boucherville / CPA St. Lambert Marie-France Dubreuil / Patrice Lauzon / Romain Haguenauer / Pascal Denis
Ice Dance Alicia Fabbri / Claudio Pietrantonio 13/19 Terrebonne, Que. / Laval, Que. CPA Terrebonne / CPA Laval Julien Lalonde / Mylène Girard / Lynn McKay

Canadian skaters continue on ISU Challenger Series at Finlandia Trophy

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send three entries, for a total of four skaters to the 21st annual Finlandia Trophy, the sixth event on the 2016 ISU Challenger Series. The competition runs from October 6-10, 2016, at the Espoo Metro Arena in Espoo, Finland. Canada will have one entry per discipline in men’s, ladies and pair.

Three-time World Champion and double Olympic silver medallist (men’s and team) Patrick Chan, 25, Toronto, Ont., is the Canadian entry in men’s. This will be his first time competing at this event. Last season, Chan won gold at Skate Canada International, placed fifth at Trophée Éric Bompard, and fourth at the ISU Grand Prix Final. He also won gold at the ISU Four Continents Championships and placed fifth at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships. The eight-time Canadian champion is coached by Marina Zoueva, Oleg Epstein and Johnny Johns and trains in Canton, MI, USA.

Olympic silver medallist (team) Kaetlyn Osmond, 20, Marystown, Nfld./Edmonton, Alta., will be the Canadian entry in the ladies discipline. Last season, she won gold at the Nebelhorn Trophy, placed 11th at Skate Canada International, sixth at the NHK Trophy and sixth at the ISU Four Continents championships. The 2016 Canadian bronze medallist is coached by Ravi Walia and trains in Edmonton, Alta.

Two-time World Champions and Olympic silver medallists (team) Meagan Duhamel, 30, Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford, 31, Balmertown, Ont., will be the Canadian pair entry at the event. Last season on the ISU Challenger Series they won gold at the Autumn Classic International. Duhamel and Radford also won gold at Skate Canada International and the NHK Trophy, won silver at the ISU Grand Prix Final, and won gold at the world championships. The five-time consecutive Canadian champions are coached by Richard Gauthier, Bruno Marcotte, and Sylvie Fullum.

Skate Canada High Performance Director Mike Slipchuk will travel with the team as Canadian team leader. Physiotherapist Sylvia Ciurysek of Berwyn, Alta., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Cynthia Benson of Quispamsis, N.B., and Nicole Leblanc-Richard of Dieppe, N.B., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For results and full entries please visit the official event website.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 21st FINLANDIA TROPHY

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Mens Patrick Chan 25 Toronto, Ont. Granite Club Marina Zoueva / Oleg Epstein / Johnny Johns
Ladies Kaetlyn Osmond 20 Marystown, Nfld. & Edmonton, Alta. Ice Palace FSC Ravi Walia
Pair Meagan Duhamel / Eric Radford 30/31 Lively, Ont. / Balmertown, Ont. CPA Saint-Léonard / CPA Saint-Léonard Richard Gauthier / Bruno Marcotte / Sylvie Fullum

Week in Skating Photos: New Beginnings

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Canada kicked off the first skating event of the 2016/2017 season with the Autumn Classic International #ACI16

Meanwhile Piper and Paul sees Uniqlo’s thread that connects us all, at the first Canadian store.

Lacing up our skates for another week

With great friends to share the ice with.

#canskate #skatemom #threeamigos

A photo posted by Dana (@sneekydd) on

Look both ways then stop, turn or spin.

#CanSkate starts tonight @ #Rec Complex

A photo posted by Selkirk Skating Club (@selkirk_skating_club) on

Ice skating is beaver tested and approved.

The next step is to join the parachute bubble with our CanSkaters.

Thank you to all the #ACI16 volunteers, we could not have done it without you.

#skatecanada #kissandcry #volunteering #alwaysbusy

A photo posted by Sandra Ercoli (@s.ercoli2909) on

Like Tessa and Scott, you don’t have to cool to rule our world.

Welcome back. #tessaandscott #danielleearlphotography

A photo posted by Danielle Earl (@danielleearlphotography) on

We hope to see you again at future events.

More greatness at #aci16 @meaganduhamel @ericradford85 @jayde0425 @skate_canada

A photo posted by Maria Gilker (@mgilker0202) on

Have you seen last week’s Week in Skating Photos: “Thanks Coach” blog? Tag #SkateCanada and #CanSkate to be featured in our next blog.

Follow Skate Canada on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more pics all week long!

Elvis Stojko named as Athlete Ambassador for Skate Canada International

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TORONTO, ON: Three-time World Champion Elvis Stojko, 44, of Richmond Hill, Ontario is returning to the ice, but this time as the 2016 Skate Canada International Athlete Ambassador. Representing his fellow athletes, Stojko will lend his engaging personality and time to public appearances, media interviews and in-venue fan activities.

The 2016 Skate Canada International will take place in Mississauga, Ont., from October 27-30, 2016 at the Hershey Centre. The event is the second competition in the annual ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series.

As an athlete Stojko has competed at Skate Canada International eight times. Medaling at all of his appearances, winning five gold and three silver medals.

“I am thrilled to be back at Skate Canada International. This event holds many memories for me and I’m looking forward to reflecting on my time as a skater, while supporting the competing athletes. I know firsthand the pressure these skaters are under and I’m happy to be able to advocate for them through my role as athlete ambassador,” said Stojko.

Stojko first joined the Skate Canada National Team in 1990 and went on to become one of Canada’s most successful skaters. He is a three-time World Champion, two-time Olympic silver medallist and seven-time Canadian Champion.

He was also the first to perform a quadruple combination jump (quadruple-toe/double-toe) in competition, at the 1991 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Munich, Germany, and he was also the first to do a quadruple-toe/triple-toe loop combination, in the free program of the 1997 ISU Champions Series Final in Hamilton, Ontario.

Stojko will act as the Athlete Ambassador over the course of the four-day event in Mississauga.

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), Russia (Rostelecom Cup), France (Trophée Eric Bompard), China (Cup of China) and Japan (NHK Trophy).

Each skater/team can be assigned a maximum of two events. Skaters are awarded points based on their placements at their events. The top six from each discipline (men’s, ladies, pair and ice dance) qualify for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final to be held in Marseille, France from December 8-11, 2016.

TICKET INFORMATION

Single event tickets range from $35-$60, plus applicable surcharges. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.ca, or by phone at 1-855-985-5000.

Golden comeback for Virtue and Moir; Séguin and Bilodeau win pairs

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PIERREFONDS, Que. – Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir completed a triumphant return to competition on Saturday winning the gold medal in ice dancing at the 2016 Autumn Classic International.

It was also a golden return for Julianne Séguin of Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau of Trois-Pistoles, Que., in pairs. Alaine Chartrand of Prescott, Ont., added a silver in women’s competition.

In their first competition since a silver medal performance at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Virtue and Moir totalled 189.20 points, just under two points from their personal best. Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker of the U.S. were second at 160.50 and Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen of Denmark third at 152.00.

‘’We are so pleased with how we skated,’’ said Moir, from Ilderton, Ont. ‘’I had to work a lot harder than I have in the past three weeks for this program just to get through it. That was just nerves and pressure that comes with this quote-unquote comeback.’’

‘’What’s so exciting about our material this season is that it has so much room to grow,’’ added Virtue, from London, Ont. ‘’We’ve been really focused on the technical side. Now it’s a great opportunity in the next little while to get back to the emotional connection.’’

Carolane Soucisse of Chateauguay, Que., and Shane Firus of Barrie, Ont., were seventh and Haley Sales of Burnaby, B.C., and Nikolas Wamsteeker of Langley, B.C., ninth.

In pairs, Séguin and Bilodeau took the title with 208.30. Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès of France followed at 198.90, Marissa Castelli and Mervin Tran of the U.S. were third at 173.62 and Camille Ruest of Rimouski, Que., and Drew Wolfe of Montreal, Que., were fourth at 159.28.

‘’For our first competition since nationals (January 2016) it was a success,’’ said Séguin. ‘’We really wanted to have a strong start to the season.’’

In their first season at the senior level last winter, they won two Grand Prix medals. However just prior to the world championships, Séguin was injured in training and the pair didn’t go to Boston.

‘’There’s always a certain worry when you comeback from an injury,’’ said Bilodeau. ‘’We felt today we picked up where we left off and will continue to progress. This is preparatory competition for us but it gives us a big boost in confidence.’’

Chartrand made a spectacular comeback to nearly snare the gold in women’s competition. She jumped from sixth after the short program producing the best score in the free skate to rocket up the standings.

Mirai Nagasu of the U.S. won the gold medal with 189.11 points, Chartrand earned 186.11 and Elizabet Tursynbaeva of Kazakhstan took the bronze with 172.46.

‘’To have a long program like this at my first international this season is a really good starting place,’’’ said Chartrand. ‘’It’ll only get better. I felt in both programs I really attacked everything and I kept that fighting attitude all the way through.’’

Michelle Long of Newmarket, Ont., was 11th and Larkyn Austman of Coquitlam, B.C., 12th.

In men’s competition, Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan won the gold medal decisively with 260.57 points.

Keegan Messing of Sherwood Park, Alta., was fourth and Bennet Toman of Brampton, Ont., fifth.

Full results: 2016 Autumn Classic International.

Great start for Séguin and Bilodeau; Canadian juniors with two gold at 2016 Autumn Classic International

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PIERREFONDS, Que. – Canadian pairs Julianne Séguin of Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau of Trois-Pistoles, Que., showed fine form in their season debut on Friday to stand first after the short program at the 2016 Autumn Classic International figure skating competition.

Séguin and Bilodeau, who produced an impressive first-season at the senior level last winter only to miss the world championships due to injury, earned 71.40 points. Marissa Castelli and Mervin Tran of the U.S. are second at 67.50 and Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres of France third at 65.58.

“It was pretty amazing, the crowd was with us before we even skated. We’re glad to be back in full force with an excellent performance,’’ said Séguin who suffered a bone bruise in a fall last winter at nationals and says she is now pain-free. “We delivered a program like we are used to, so we can finally put the injuries behind us and look forward!”

After winning the silver at the world juniors two seasons ago, they won two medals on ISU Grand Prix circuit in 2015-16 and were fourth at the Grand Prix Final.

Camille Ruest of Rimouski, Que., and Andrew Wolfe of Balmertown, Ont., are fourth at 64.40.

In the men’s short program, Keegan Messing of Sherwood Park, Alta., is third with Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan in the lead. Bennet Toman of Brampton, Ont., is fourth.

In the women’s short program, Mirai Nagasu of the U.S. stands first followed by Elizabet Tursynbaeva of Kazakhstan and Na Hyun Kim of South Korea.

Alaine Chartrand of Prescott, Ont., is sixth, Michelle Long of Newmarket, Ont., 10th and Larkyn Austman of Coquitlam, B.C. 13th.

Virtue and Moir dazzle

In Thursday’s short dance, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir made a spectacular return to competition producing 77.72 points. Laurence Fournier-Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen of Denmark are second at 63.26 and Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker of the U.S. third at 62.70.

‘’What’s surprised me is how much we still enjoy it and we’re hoping we can keep that way all the way through to Korea [the 2018 Olympics],’’ said Moir from Ilderton, Ont. ‘’We want to enjoy every second, even the high pressure situations like this.”

Virtue and Scott, the 2010 Olympic champions and two-time world champs, were competing for the first time since earning silver at the 2014 Sochi Games.

“We’re thrilled to share our material and be back in the swing of things,” said Virtue, 27 of London, Ont. “Emotionally, mentally and physically our approach was right.

Carolane Soucisse of Chateauguay, Que., and Shane Firus of Barrie, Ont., are seventh while Haley Sales of Burnaby, B.C. and Nikolas Wamsteeker of Langley, B.C., are ninth.

Canada wins two gold in junior competition

In junior competition, Edrian Paul Celestino of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que., won the gold medal in men’s competition while Iliya Kovler of Richmond Hill, Ont., was third.

‘’I was really exhausted after the free program but relieved as well,’’ said Celestino. ‘’This was my last junior international competition and I’m excited about the next step forward.’’

In women’s junior competition, Aurora Cotop of Toronto was the winner and Olivia Gran of Kelowna, B.C. second.

‘’I knew the other scores going into my free skate and I just did what I had to do,’’ said Cotop, 14. ‘’There’s still a lot to work on in my program but I felt I connected well with the music and the overall performance was strong.’’

Competition ends Saturday.

Full results: 2016 Autumn Classic International.