Canadian juniors headed to Italy for final stop of 2017 ISU Junior Grand Prix

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send four entries, for a total of six skaters to Neumarkt (Egna), Italy, for the final event of the 2017 ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit. Canada will send one entry per discipline in men and ladies, and two entries in ice dance to the competition taking place from October 11-14, 2017.

Eric Liu, 16, Edmonton, Alta., will represent Canada in the men’s category. Liu started this season by winning the gold medal in the junior men’s category at the 2017 Autumn Classic International. He is coached by Ravi Walia in Edmonton, Alta.

Canadian junior bronze medallist Alison Schumacher, 14, Toronto, Ont., is the sole Canadian entry in ladies. Earlier this season in her first ISU Junior Grand Prix assignment, she placed ninth in Latvia. Schumacher is coached by Lee Barkell in Toronto, Ont.

Alicia Fabbri, 14, Terrebonne, Que., and Claudio Pietrantonio, 20, Laval, Que., are one of two Canadian entries in ice dance. The duo placed fifth at their first ISU Junior Grand Prix of the season, in Latvia. Fabbri and Pietrantonio are coached by Julien Lalonde, Mylène Girard and Lynn McKay and train in St. Hubert, Que.

Ellie Fisher, 16, Lower Coverdale, N.B., and Simon-Pierre Malette-Paquette, 19, Laval, Que., will be the second Canadian ice dance entry at the event. They placed fifth at their first international assignment earlier this season, the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Croatia. Fisher and Malette-Paquette are coached by Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon in Montreal, Que.

André Bourgeois, Skate Canada NextGen Director, and Nathalie Martin of Montreal, Que., will be the Canadian team leaders at the event. Siobhan Karam of Ottawa, Ont. will be the Canadian team medical staff on site. Pam Chislett of Grand Prairie, Alta., and Laura Carr of Kelowna, B.C., 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, full entries and more information please visit www.isu.org.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT ISU JGP #7 – EGNA/NEUMARKT, ITALY

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men Eric Liu 16 Edmonton, Alta. Ice Palace FSC Ravi Walia
Ladies Alison Schumacher 14 Toronto, Ont. Riverside SC Lee Barkell
Ice Dance Alicia Fabbri / Claudio Pietrantonio 14/20 Terrebonne, Que. / Laval, Que. CPA Terrebonne / CPA Laval Julien Lalonde / Mylène Girard / Lynn McKay
Ice Dance Ellie Fisher / Simon-Pierre Malette-Paquette 16/19 Lower Coverdale, N.B. / Laval, Que. CPA Lorraine / CPA Lorraine Marie-France Dubreuil / Patrice Lauzon

Soucisse and Firus near podium at Finlandia Open

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ESPOO, Finland – Carolane Soucisse of Chateauguay, Que., and Shane Firus of North Vancouver took fourth spot in ice dancing on Sunday to conclude the Finlandia Open figure skating competition. The event was the sixth stop on the ISU Challenger Series circuit.

Two-time world champions Gabriella Papadakis and Guilaume Cizeron of France won the gold at 188.25, Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin of Russia were second at 166.88 and Laurence Fournier-Beaudry and Nikolay Sorensen of Denmark were third at 158.21.

Soucisse and Firus were also fourth after the short dance and totalled 154.60. The result was one placing higher than at the season opening Challenger Series event last month in Salt Lake City.

‘’For the short dance we were pretty solid and happy about the scores,’’ said Soucisse. ‘’In the free dance we had a couple of stumbles but at the end of the day we were pleased with what we accomplished.’’

The couple felt they improved since Salt Lake.

‘’We focused more on good levels and just skating bigger,’’ added Firus. ‘’We showed a lot of good energy as well which is really awesome.’’

In women’s competition, Maria Sotskova of Russia won the gold medal with 205.30 points. Carolina Kostner of Italy was second at 193.76 and Elizaveta Tuktamysheva of Russia third at 189.13.

Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., the world championship bronze medallist, placed sixth at 174.83. She was fifth after the short program and produced the seventh best free skate.

She opened with a triple-triple combination and also landed a triple-double-double and double Axel. Two falls near the end hurt her overall result.

‘’It wasn’t my best but overall definitely a step in the right direction,’’ said Daleman. ‘’Both programs this year are much harder skating skill wise. There’s more choreography and difficulty. There was a lot of good stuff but also a lot I need to go home and work on.’’

Full results: Finlandia Trophy Espoo 2017

Canadian pair a point from podium at Finlandia Open

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ESPOO, Finland – Lubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch of Toronto missed a berth on the podium by a point in pairs Saturday at the Finlandia Open figure skating competition. The event is the sixth stop on the ISU Challenger Series circuit.

Cheng Peng and Yang Jin of China won the gold medal with 198.03 points, Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise of Italy were second at 193.50 and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia third at 184.78.

Ilyushechkina and Moscovitch were fourth after Thursday’s short program and didn’t budge in the standings despite the third best free skate. They totalled 183.80.

‘’We pushed hard and did an OK job considering it is so early in the season.’’ said Moscovitch, sixth with his partner at the world championships last season. ‘’Both programs are new so we’re taking in information on what we need to improve on and focus on leading into the Grand Prix season.’’

Boyang Jin of China won the gold medal in men’s competition ahead of two Americans: Vincent Zhou in second and Adam Rippon in third.

Roman Sadovsky of Vaughan, Ont., and Kevin Reynolds of Coquitlam, B.C., were 10th and 11th.

In ice dancing Carolane Soucisse of Chateauguay, Que., and Shane Firus of North Vancouver are fourth after the short dance while world championship bronze medallist Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., is fifth after the women’s short program.

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

Full results: Finlandia Trophy Espoo 2017

Canada’s Conrad Orzel completes big comeback for bronze

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GDANSK, Poland – Conrad Orzel of Woodbridge, Ont., won the bronze medal in comeback style on Saturday to conclude the sixth stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit.

Alexey Erokhov of Russia took gold with 221.89 points, Camden Pulkinen of the U.S. was second at 209.35 and Orzel followed for third at 196.05. His 134.98 for his long program was a personal best.

Orzel, 17, was ninth after the short program on Thursday. It was his second career medal on the circuit.

While his free skate wasn’t perfect he launched his performance by landing a triple Axel- double toe combination followed by a quad toe loop-triple toe combo. He fell on a second quad attempt but recovered to finish strong.

Russia was 1-2 in ice dancing with Anastasia Skoptcova and Kirill Aleshin first at 150.78 followed by Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva and Nikita Nazarov in second at 133.85. Caroline Green and Gordon Green of the U.S. were third at 131.23.

Olivia McIsaac of Burlington, Ont., and Elliott Graham of Angus, Ont., moved from fifth to fourth at 122.40 while Seungyun Han of Waterloo, Ont., and Grayson Lockhead of Sweaburg, Ont., were seventh.

Full results: ISU JGP Baltic Cup 2017

Aurora Cotop top Canadian at Junior Grand Prix

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GDANSK, Poland – Canadian junior champion Aurora Cotop of Toronto placed ninth on Friday at the sixth stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit.

Alena Kostornaia led Russia to a 1-2 finish with Daria Panenkova second. Rino Kasakake of Japan was third.

Cotop, 15, opened the competition placing eighth in her short program Thursday and produced the 12th best free skate on Friday. She was seventh last month at the season opening event in Brisbane, Australia.

In pairs, Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya and Harley Windsor of Australia took the gold  ahead of two Russian entries. Daria Pavliuchenko and Denis Khodykin were second and Anastasia Poluianova and Dmitry Sopot were third.

Lori-Ann Matte and Thierry Ferland of Lévis, Que., were 12th and Canadian novice champions Chloé Panetta of Laval, Que., and Steven Lapointe of Acton Vale, Que., were 14th.

In ice dancing after the short dance, Olivia McIsaac of Burlington, Ont., and Elliott Graham of Angus, Ont., are fifth with 53.44 points, just two points from third spot. Seungyun Han of Waterloo, Ont., and Grayson Lockhead of Sweaburg, Ont., are sixth at 51.15.

In men’s competition after the short program, Conrad Orzel of Woodbridge, Ont., is ninth.

The men’s free skate and the free dance are on Saturday.

Full results: ISU JGP Baltic Cup 2017

Canadian skaters continue on ISU Challenger Series in Finland

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send five skaters entries, for a total of seven skaters to the 22nd annual Finlandia Trophy, the sixth event on the 2017 ISU Challenger Series. The competition runs from October 6-8, 2017, in Espoo, Finland. Canada will have two men’s entries and one entry per discipline in ladies, pairs and ice dance.

Olympic silver medallist (team) Kevin Reynolds, 27, Coquitlam, B.C., is the first of two Canadian men entries. Last season on the ISU Challenger Series, he won the silver medal at the Ondrej Nepela Trophy. Reynolds also placed ninth at the 2017 ISU World Figure Skating Championships. The Canadian silver medallist is coached by Joanne McLeod in Burnaby, B.C.

Roman Sadovsky, 18, Vaughan, Ont., is the second Canadian entry in men’s. Last season, he placed seventh at the ISU Challenger Series Golden Spin of Zagreb. He also placed 17th at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships. Sadovsky is coached by Tracey Wainman in Richmond Hill, Ont.

World bronze medallist Gabrielle Daleman, 19, Newmarket, Ont., will represent Canada in ladies. Last season on the ISU Challenger Series, Daleman won bronze at the Nebelhorn Trophy. The 2017 Canadian silver medallist is coached by Lee Barkell and Brian Orser in Toronto, Ont.

Canadian silver medallists Lubov Ilyushechkina, 25, Moscow, Russia, and Dylan Moscovitch, 33, Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian pair entry. Last season, Ilyushechkina and Moscovitch won the silver medal at the Nebelhorn Trophy on the ISU Challenger Series. They also placed sixth at the 2017 ISU World Figure Skating Championships. They are coached by Lee Barkell, Bryce Davison and Tracy Wilson in Toronto, Ont.

Carolane Soucisse, 22, Châteauguay, Que., and Shane Firus, 23, North Vancouver, B.C., will represent Canada in ice dance. Soucisse and Firus placed fifth at their first ISU Challenger Series event of the season, the 2017 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. They are coached by Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon in Montreal, Que.

Skate Canada High Performance Director Mike Slipchuk will travel with the team as Canadian team leader. Physiotherapist Karen Seymour of Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Karen Butcher of Greely, Ont., and Karen Howard of Regina, Sask., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

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

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2017 FINLANDIA TROPHY

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men Kevin Reynolds 27 Coquitlam, B.C. Vancouver SC Joanne McLeod
Men Roman Sadovsky 18 Vaughan, Ont. York Region Skating Academy Tracey Wainman
Ladies Gabrielle Daleman 19 Newmarket, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Lee Barkell / Brian Orser
Pairs Lubov Ilyushechkina / Dylan Moscovitch 25/33 Moscow, Russia / Toronto, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club / Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Lee Barkell / Bryce Davison / Tracy Wilson
Ice Dance Carolane Soucisse / Shane Firus 22/23 Châteauguay, Que. / North Vancouver, B.C. CPA Repentigny / CPA Ahuntsic Marie-France Dubreuil / Patrice Lauzon

Canadians in Poland for sixth stop on 2017 ISU Junior Grand Prix

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have seven entries, for a total of twelve skaters at the sixth stop on the 2017 ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit, in Gdansk, Poland. The event takes place from October 4-7, 2017, and will feature one Canadian entry per discipline in men and ladies, three entries in pairs and two entries in ice dance.

Canadian junior silver medallist Conrad Orzel, 17, Woodbridge, Ont., will be the sole Canadian men entry. Orzel placed seventh at his first ISU Junior Grand Prix this season, in Austria. He is coached by Eva Najarro and trains in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Canadian junior champion Aurora Cotop, 15, Toronto, Ont., will represent Canada in ladies. This season, she placed seventh at the first ISU Junior Grand Prix, which took place in Australia. Cotop is coached by Jonathan Mills and Myke Gillman in Thornhill, Ont.

Canadian junior silver medallists Lori-Anne Matte, 18, Lévis, Que., and Thierry Ferland, 20, Lévis, Que., are the first of three Canadian pairs entries at the event. Matte and Ferland placed eighth earlier this season at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Belarus. 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 season, they placed sixth at their first ISU Junior Grand Prix, in Belarus. Panetta and Lapointe are also coached by Richard Gauthier and Bruno Marcotte in St. Leonard, Que.

Gabrielle Levesque, 14, Bridgewater, N.S., and Pier-Alexandre Hudon, 19, Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies, Que., will be the third Canadian pair entry. This will be the first international assignment for the pair who teamed up less than a year ago. Levesque and Hudon are coached by Charleen Cameron in Upper Tantallon, N.S.

Olivia Han, 15, Waterloo, Ont., and Grayson Lochhead, 17, Sweaburg, Ont., will be one of two Canadian entries in ice dance. Last season on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit, Han and Lochhead placed eighth in Japan. They are coached by Carol Lane, Jon Lane and Juris Razguliaevs in Scarborough, Ont.

Olivia McIsaac, 15, Burlington, Ont., and Elliott Graham, 19, Angus, Ont., are the second Canadian ice dance entry at the event. This will be their first international assignment since teaming up less than a year ago. McIsaac and Graham are coached by David Islam in Barrie, Ont.

André Bourgeois, Skate Canada NextGen Director, and Greg Folk of Calgary, Alta., will be the Canadian team leaders at the event. Dr. Ghislaine Robert of Montreal, Que., and physiotherapist Paige Larson of North Vancouver B.C., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Lorna Schroder of Georgetown, Ont., and Erica Topolski of Fredericton, N.B., 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 #6 – GDANSK, POLAND

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men Conrad Orzel 17 Woodbridge, Ont. York Region Skating Academy Eva Najarro
Ladies Aurora Cotop 15 Toronto, Ont. Thornhill FSC Jonathan Mills / Myke Gillman
Pairs Lori-Anne Matte / Thierry Ferland 18/20 Lévis, Que. / Lévis, Que. CPA St. Romuald – St. Jean / CPA St. Romuald – St. Jean Richard Gauthier / Bruno Marcotte
Pairs Chloé Panetta / Steven Lapointe 14/20 Laval, Que. / Acton Vale, Que. CPA Les Lames d’Argent de Laval Inc. / CPA Les Étincelles d’Acton Vale Richard Gauthier / Bruno Marcotte
Pairs Gabrielle Levesque / Pier-Alexandre Hudon 14/19 Bridgewater, N.S. / Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies, Que. St. Margaret’s Bay SC / CPA La Pocatière Inc. Charleen Cameron
Ice Dance Olivia Han / Grayson Lochhead 15/17 Waterloo, Ont. / Sweaburg, Ont. Scarboro FSC / Woodstock SC Carol Lane / Jon Lane / Juris Razguliaevs
Ice Dance Olivia McIsaac / Elliott Graham 15/19 Burlington, Ont. / Angus, Ont. Burlington Skating Centre / Barrie SC David Islam