Six Canadian skaters en route to Cup of China

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send four entries, for a total of six skaters to the fourth stop of the 2019 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Cup of China takes place from November 8-10, 2019 in Chongqing, China. Canada will have two entries in men, one entry in pair and one entry in ice dance.

Keegan Messing, 27, Sherwood Park, Alta. / Brantford, Ont., will be the first Canadian entry in men. This will be Messing’s first time competing at Cup of China. Earlier this season, he finished second at Autumn Classic International and fourth at Skate America. He is coached by Ralph Burghart in Anchorage, AK, U.S.

Conrad Orzel, 19, Toronto, Ont., will be the second Canadian entry in men. This season, Conrad finished sixth at Autumn Classic International. He is coached by Tracy Wilson and Brian Orser in Toronto, Ont.

Newly formed pair team Lubov Ilyushechkina, 27, Toronto, Ont., and Charlie Bilodeau, 26, Trois-Pistoles, Que., will be the lone pair team representing Canada. The duo won bronze at Finlandia Trophy and finished fifth at Skate Canada International. They are coached by Richard Gauthier in Saint-Léonard, Que.

Laurence Fournier Beaudry, 27, Montreal, Que., and Nikolaj Sørensen, 30, Montreal, Que., will be the only Canadian entry in ice dance. Earlier this season, the two won gold at ISU Challenger series event Nebelhorn Trophy and bronze at Skate America. They are coached by Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon and Romain Haguenauer in Montreal, Que.

Gabrielle Daleman, 21, Newmarket, Ont., was originally assigned to this event but has withdrawn. Daleman is suffering post-concussion symptoms and will be unable to travel and compete at Cup of China.

Mike Slipchuk, Skate Canada High Performance Director and Cynthia Ullmark of Canmore, Alta., will be the team leaders at the event. Dr. Laura Cruz of Toronto, Ont. and physiotherapist Sylvia Ciurysek of Berwyn, Alta., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Cynthia Benson of Quispamsis, N.B., and Andre-Marc Allain of Ottawa, Ont., will be the Canadian officials attending the event.

For more information, please visit www.isu.org.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT CUP OF CHINA – CHONGQING, CHINA