ISU Junior Grand Prix Action Continues Canada’s NextGen Skater’s Head to Poland

OTTAWA, ONT: Gdansk, Poland is the next stop for Canada’s NextGen skaters on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit. It has been an exciting season so far, capturing seven medals to date. At every stop on the circuit, Canada’s junior skaters are competing for a spot at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final. Skate Canada will have four entries for a total of seven skaters competing at the event. There will be one entry in women, one entry in pairs and two entries in ice dance. This event is scheduled to take place from September 29 to October 2, 2021.   

Catherine Carle, 18 from Georgetown, Ont., will be Canada’s only entry in the women’s discipline. Carle captured the silver medal in junior women at Skate Canada Challenge in 2020. She also placed fourth at the 2019 Volvo Open Cup in Riga, Latvia. Carle is coached by Bruno Marcotte and Brian Shales in Oakville, Ont.

Chloe Panetta, 18 from Oakville, Ont., and Kieran Thrasher, 17 from Amherstburg, Ont., are Canada’s only pairs entry. This duo previously placed first at the 2021 John Nicks Pairs Challenge in New York. This is their first Junior Grand Prix. Panetta and Thrasher are coached by Bruno Marcotte and Brian Shales in Oakville, Ont.

Hailey Yu, 16, Burnaby, B.C., and Brendan Giang, 18, Burnaby, B.C., are one of two teams representing Canada in the ice dance discipline. This ice dance team won a bronze medal in the novice division at the Bavarian Open in 2020. They are coached by Aaron Lowe and Meghan Wing in Burnaby, B.C.  

Chaima Ben Khelifa, 16, Laval, Que., and Everest Zhu, 18, Contestogo, Ont., are the second entry in the ice dance discipline at this event. This is their second Junior Grand Prix event, having previously competed at Courchevel, France #2 where they placed eigth. They are coached by Shawn Winter and Elise Hamel in Pierrefonds, Que.  

Dr. Shae Zukiwsky, Skate Canada Senior Director of Performance Excellence and Laura Baker, Skate Canada High Performance Manager will be the Canadian team leaders at this event. Physiotherapist Agnes Makowski of Toronto, Ont., and Dr. Delphine Boury-Simoes of Drummondville, Que., will be the Canadian medical staff on site. Glenn Fortin of Aurora, Ont., and Christine Bourdeau of Laval, Que., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For more information visit www.isu.org

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT ISU JGP #6 – GDANSK, POLAND

Women 
Catherine Carle (18) / Georgetown, Ont. / Skate Oakville / Coached by  Bruno Marcotte and Brian Shales

Pairs
Chloe Panetta (18) and Kieran Thrasher (17) / Oakville, Ont. and Amherstburg, Ont. / Skate Oakville and Skate Oakville / Coached by Bruno Marcotte and Brian Shales

Ice Dance 
Hailey Yu (16) and Brendan Giang (18) / Burnaby, B.C. and Burnaby, B.C. /  Inlet SC and Champs International Skating Centre of B.C / Coached by Aaron Lowe and Meghan Wing

Chaima Ben Khelifa (16) and Everest Zhu (18) / Laval QC. and Contestogo, Ont. / CPA Laval and Club de Patinage Des-Deux-Rives / Coached by Shawn Winter and Elise Hamel