Canadian skaters headed to Helsinki for 2017 ISU World Figure Skating Championships

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send 10 entries, for a total of 16 skaters to the 2017 ISU World Figure Skating Championships. The event takes place from March 29-April 2, 2017, in Helsinki, Finland, at the Hartwall Arena. Canada will have two entries per discipline in men and ladies and three entries per discipline in pairs and ice dance.

Three-time world champion Patrick Chan, 26, Toronto, Ont., is the first of two Canadian men entries. This will be his eighth time competing at this event, having medalled on five occasions. This season, Chan won the silver medal at the Finlandia Trophy, gold medals at both Skate Canada International and the Cup of China, placed fifth at the ISU Grand Prix Final and fourth at the ISU Four Continents Championships. The nine-time Canadian champion is coached by Marina Zoueva, Oleg Epstein and Johnny Johns in Canton, MI, USA.

Kevin Reynolds, 26, Coquitlam, B.C., is the second Canadian men entry. This will be his sixth time competing at this event; his best result came in 2013 when he placed fifth. This season, Reynolds won silver at the Ondrej Nepela Trophy, bronze at Skate Canada International, silver at the 2017 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, and placed 12th at the ISU Four Continents Championships. He is coached by Joanne McLeod in Burnaby, B.C.

Kaetlyn Osmond, 21, Marystown, Nfld./Edmonton, Alta., is the first of two Canadian representatives in the ladies’ category. She has previously competed at this event in 2013, placing eighth, and 2014, placing 11th. This season, Osmond won gold at the Finlandia Trophy, silver at both Skate Canada International and the Cup of China, and placed fourth at both the ISU Grand Prix Final, and the ISU Four Continents Championships. The three-time Canadian champion is coached by Ravi Walia in Edmonton, Alta.

Gabrielle Daleman, 19, Newmarket, Ont., will also represent Canada in ladies. This will be her fourth consecutive appearance at the world championships, with her best placement (ninth) coming last season. This season, Daleman won bronze at the Nebelhorn Trophy, placed fourth at Skate America and the Trophée de France, and won silver at the ISU Four Continents Championships. The 2017 Canadian silver medallist is coached by Lee Barkell and Brian Orser in Toronto, Ont.

Two-time consecutive world champions Meagan Duhamel, 31, Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford, 32, Balmertown, Ont., are one of three Canadian entries in the pairs discipline. This will be their seventh time competing at this event, having medalled the past four years. This season, Duhamel and Radford won gold at the Finlandia Trophy, Skate Canada International and the NHK Trophy, won bronze at the ISU Grand Prix Final, and won silver at the ISU Four Continents Championships. The six-time consecutive Canadian champions are coached by Richard Gauthier, Bruno Marcotte and Sylvie Fullum in St. Leonard, Que.

Lubov Ilyushechkina, 25, Moscow, Russia, and Dylan Moscovitch, 32, Toronto, Ont., will be the second Canadian pairs entry. This will be their third time competing at this event; last season they placed seventh. This season, Ilyushechkina and Moscovitch won the silver medal at the Nebelhorn Trophy, bronze at Skate Canada International, bronze at the Cup of China, and bronze at the ISU Four Continents Championships. The two-time Canadian silver medallists are coached by Lee Barkell, Bryce Davison and Tracy Wilson in Toronto, Ont.

Julianne Séguin, 20, Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau, 23, Trois-Pistoles, Que., will round out the Canadian pairs teams at the event. They have only competed at this event once in their careers, in 2015, when they placed eighth. This season, the pair won gold at Autumn Classic International and Skate America and placed fifth at both the Rostelecom Cup and the ISU Grand Prix Final. Séguin and Bilodeau are coached by Josée Picard in Chambly, Que.

Two-time world champions Tessa Virtue, 27, London, Ont., and Scott Moir, 29, Ilderton, Ont., will be the first of three Canadian entries in ice dance. They have previously competed at this event seven time, medalling six times. This season, Virtue and Moir have won gold at each of their events: Autumn Classic International, Skate Canada International, NHK Trophy, ISU Grand Prix Final, and the ISU Four Continents Championships. The seven-time Canadian champions are coached by Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon in Montreal, Que.

Two-time world medallists Kaitlyn Weaver, 27, Toronto, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 30, Waterloo, Ont., are the second Canadian entry in ice dance. This will be their ninth time competing at this event, having won the silver medal in 2014 and the bronze medal in 2015. This season, Weaver and Poje won the bronze medal at the Rostelecom Cup, silver at the Cup of China, and fifth at the ISU Four Continents championships. The 2017 Canadian silver medallists are coached by Nikolai Morozov and train in Hackensack, NJ, USA.

Piper Gilles, 25, Toronto, Ont., and Paul Poirier, 25, Unionville, Ont., are the third Canadian entry in ice dance. This will be their fifth time competing at this event; their best placement (sixth) came in 2015. This season, Gilles and Poirier won the bronze medal at the Nebelhorn Trophy, Skate Canada International, and Trophée de France, and placed sixth at the ISU Four Continents Championships. The 2017 Canadian bronze medallists are coached by Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs in Scarborough, Ont.

Skate Canada High Performance Director Mike Slipchuk will be the team leader along with Cynthia Ullmark of Canmore, Alta. Dr. Laura Cruz of Toronto, Ont., and physiotherapist Mike McMurray, of Oak Bluff, Man., will be the Canadian medical staff at the event. Leanna Caron of Timmins, Ont., Jeff Lukasik of Calgary, Alta., Sally Rehorick of Vancouver, B.C., and Nicole Leblanc-Richard of Dieppe, N.B., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

Emma Bowie, Skate Canada Communications Manager, will be the media contact at the event. She can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 613-914-2607.

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

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2017 ISU WORLD FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men Patrick Chan 26 Toronto, Ont. Granite Club Marina Zoueva / Oleg Epstein / Johnny Johns
Men Kevin Reynolds 26 Coquitlam, B.C. Vancouver SC Joanne McLeod
Ladies Kaetlyn Osmond 21 Marystown, Nfld. & Edmonton, Alta. Ice Palace FSC Ravi Walia
Ladies Gabrielle Daleman 19 Newmarket, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Lee Barkell / Brian Orser
Pairs Meagan Duhamel / Eric Radford 31/32 Lively, Ont. / Balmertown, Ont. CPA Saint-Léonard / CPA Saint-Léonard Richard Gauthier / Bruno Marcotte/ Sylvie Fullum
Pairs Lubov Ilyushechkina / Dylan Moscovitch 25/32 Moscow, Russia / Toronto, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club / Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Lee Barkell / Bryce Davison / Tracy Wilson
Pairs Julianne Séguin / Charlie Bilodeau 20/23 Longueuil, Que. / Trois-Pistoles, Que. CPA Longueuil / CPA Chambly Josée Picard
Ice Dance Tessa Virtue / Scott Moir 27/29 London, Ont. / Ilderton, Ont. Regroupement élite de patinage artistique de Montréal / Regroupement élite de patinage artistique de Montréal Marie-France Dubreuil / Patrice Lauzon
Ice Dance Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje 27/30 Toronto, Ont. / Waterloo, Ont. Sault FSC / Kitchener-Waterloo SC Nikolai Morozov
Ice Dance Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier 25/25 Toronto, Ont. / Unionville, Ont. Scarboro FSC / Scarboro FSC Carol Lane / Juris Razgulajevs
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