ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit resumes as Team Canada heads to Belarus

OTTAWA, ON: Canada will have four entries, for a total of eight skaters at the fourth ISU Junior Grand Prix of the season, taking place in Minsk, Belarus. Canada will have two entries per discipline in pairs and ice dance at the event which takes place from September 20-23, 2017.

Canadian junior silver medallists Lori-Anne Matte, 17, Lévis, Que., and Thierry Ferland, 19, Lévis, Que., are the first Canadian pairs entry at the event. Last season, they placed sixth at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in the Czech Republic and fourth in Russia. Matte and Ferland also won the silver medal in the junior competition at the Bavarian Open, and placed ninth at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships. They are coached by Richard Gauthier and Bruno Marcotte in St.-Leonard, Que.

Canadian novice champions Chloé Panetta, 14, Laval, Que., and Steven Lapointe, 20, Acton Vale, Que., are the second Canadian pairs entry at the event. This will be their first international assignment. Panetta and Lapointe are also coached by Richard Gauthier and Bruno Marcotte in St.-Leonard, Que.

Canadian junior silver medallists Ashlynne Stairs, 17, Calgary, Alta. and Lee Royer, 19, St. Albert, Alta., are the first of two Canadian ice dance entries at the event. Last season, they finished seventh and fifth respectively at their ISU Junior Grand Prix assignments in France and Slovenia, won the bronze medal in junior at the 2017 Bavarian Open and placed 14^th at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships. This season, they placed fifth at their first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment in Austria. Stairs and Royer are coached by Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe in Burnaby, B.C.

Nina Mizuki, 16, Burnaby, B.C., and Veniamins Volskis, 16, Burnaby, B.C., are the second Canadian entry in ice dance. This will be their first international assignment. Last season, they placed fifth in the novice category at the 2017 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Mizuki and Volskis are also coached by Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe in Burnaby, B.C.

Scott Rachuk of Strathroy, Ont., and Bev Viger of Abbotsford, B.C., will be the Canadian team leaders at the event. Dr. Ed Pilat of Winnipeg, Man., and physiotherapist Meghan Buttle of Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Andrew Bosco of Thorold, Ont., and Patty Klein of Mt. Royal, Que., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

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

The ISU will be live streaming the competition via the ISU Junior Grand Prix YouTube channel.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT ISU JGP #4 – MINSK, BELARUS