Ljubljana, Slovenia is the Next Stop for Canada’s Junior Skaters

OTTAWA, ON: The ISU Junior Grand Prix continues this weekend in Lujbljana, Slovenia. Canada’s junior skaters have secured six medals on the circuit thus far and continue to compete for a spot at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final. Skate Canada will have four entries for a total six skaters competing at the event. There will be one entry in men, one entry in women, and two entries in ice dance. This event is scheduled to take place from September 22 to 25, 2021.   

Alec Guinzbourg, 17, from Aurora, Ont., will be Canada’s only entry in the men’s discipline for Canada at this event. Guinzbourg placed fourth at the 2019 Junior Grand Prix in Chelyabinsk, Russia. Guinzbourg also won a bronze medal in junior men’s at the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Alec is coached by Lee Barkell and Jeffrey Buttle. 

Audréanne Foster, 17, from Forestville, Que., will be Canada’s only entry in the women’s discipline at the event. Foster won a bronze medal at the Bavarian Open in 2020. She was the novice women’s silver medallist at the 2020 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Foster is coached by Karen Sauvageau and Kim Decelles. 

Keep an eye out for Natalie D’Alessandro, 17, Toronto, Ont., and Bruce Waddell, 19, Toronto, Ont., as they head to their second Junior Grand Prix event this season. This ice dance team is on the heels of their gold medal win at the Junior Grand Prix in Kosice, Slovakia earlier in September. D’Alessandro and Waddell also won a silver medal in 2019 at the Junior Grand Prix in Egna-Bolanza, Italy and a bronze medal at the 2020 Bavarian Open. They are coached by Andrew Hallam, Joey Russell and Tracy Wilson.  

Alyssa Robinson, 18, Ridgetown, Ont., and Jacob Portz, 20, Calgary, Alta., are Canada’s second ice dance entry at the event. This is their first Junior Grand Prix. They are coached by Kim Weeks and Tyler Myles in Calgary, Alta.  

Manon Perron of Boucherville, Que., and Raoul LeBlanc of Milton, Ont., will be the Canadian Team Leaders at the event. Physiotherapist, Sylvia Ciurysek of Berwyn, Alta., and Dr. Marianne Chabot of Boucherville, Que., will be the Canadian medical staff on-site. Ron Conacher of Toronto, Ont., and Jacqueline Wickett-Warren of Ottawa, Ont., will be the Canadian officials at the event.  

For more information www.isu.org 

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT ISU JGP #5 – LJUBLJANA,SLOVENIA 

Men  
Alec Guinzbourg (17) / Aurora, Ont. / Granite Club / Coached by Lee Barkell and Jeffrey Buttle

Women 
Audréanne Foster (17) / Forestville, Que. / Patinage Baie-Comeau / Coached by Karen Sauvageau and Kim Decelles.

Ice Dance 
Natalie D’Alessandro (17) and Bruce Waddell (19) / Toronto, Ont. and Toronto, Ont. / Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club and Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club / Coached by Andrew Hallam, Joey Russell and Tracy Wilson.

Alyssa Robinson (18) and Jacob Portz (20) / Ridgetown, Ont. and Calgary, Alta.. / Calata FSC and Calata FSC / Coached by Kim Weeks and Tyler Myles.