Canadians stay in sixth spot after second day of World Team Trophy

OSAKA, Japan – Canada remained in sixth place Friday as the 2021 ISU World Team Trophy wrapped up its second day of competition.

The Canadian team has a total of 42 points and is 11 points back of Italy for fifth spot with one day remaining. This is the first international competition of the year for every member of the Team Canada.

Team Russia moved into first place Friday with 91 points, followed by the United States with 83. Japan holds down third with 78 points.

Team points are awarded based on finishing positions at the conclusion of each segment (12 points for first, 11 points for second, etc.…) Individual competitor scores are added together to calculate a cumulative team score.

The event, which started in 2009, is staged every two years. In six trips to the ISU World Team Trophy prior to this season, Canada has finished on the podium three times, most recently winning a silver medal in 2013.

The men’s event closed out Friday, with 2020 Canadian champion Roman Sadovsky earning 134.80 in his free program to finish 10^th. Nam Nguyen of Ajax, Ont., a two-time national champion, scored 133.04.

A day after claiming top spot in the men’s short program, three-time world champion Nathan Chen of the United States followed suit by winning the free program with 203.24. Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu was second and Mikhail Kolyada of Russia placed third.

Carolane Soucisse (Châteauguay, Que.) and Shane Firus (North Vancouver, B.C.), the 2020 Canadian bronze medallists, also concluded their competition Friday, finishing sixth in the free dance.

World champions Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov of Russia won the free dance competition, followed by Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri of Italy. Americans Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker placed third.

In the pair short program, Lori-Ann Matte and Thierry Ferland of Lévis, Que. scored 54.91 and are in sixth spot. Russia’s Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov earned 73.77 to lead going into the free program.

The World Team Trophy competition concludes Saturday with the pair and women’s free programs. To view start times and results, visit the ISU website.