Seven Canadians Kick Off ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Las Vegas

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have four entries for a total of seven skaters competing at Skate America 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Canada will have one entry in men, one entry in pairs and two entries in ice dance. This is the first event in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating and the event takes place from October 22 to 24, 2021.    

Nam Nguyen, 23, Ajax, Ont., will be the lone Canadian entry in men. Nguyen finished second at the 2021 Skate Canada Challenge and finished sixth at the 2020 ISU Four Continents Championships. He is coached by Robert Burk, Danielle Rose and Ken Rose in Richmond Hill, Ont.   

Evelyn Walsh, 20, London, Ont., and Trennt Michaud, 25, Trenton, Ont., will be the only Canadian entry in pairs. Last season, Walsh and Michaud placed twelfth at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships.  They are coached by Alison Purkiss, Andrew Evans and Paul Macintosh in Brantford, Ont.   

Laurence Fournier Beaudry, 29, Montreal, Que., and Nikolaj Sørensen, 32, Montreal, Que., are the first Canadian entry in ice dance. They finished second at the 2021 Lombardia Trophy in Bergamo, Italy and placed eighth at the 2021 ISU World Figure Skating Championships They are coached by Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon and Romain Haguenauer in Montreal, Que. 

Carolane Soucisse, 26, Châteauguay, Que., and Shane Firus, 27, North Vancouver, BC., are the second entry in ice dance. This season they finished eleventh at the 2021 Finlandia Trophy and fifth at the 2021 Autum Classic International. They are coached by Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs in Toronto, Ont.  

Mike Slipchuk, Skate Canada High Performance Director and Cynthia Ullmark, of Canmore, Alta., will be the Canadian team leaders at the event. Physiotherapist Paige Larson of North Vancouver, B.C., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Lynne Dey, Edmonton, Alta., and Erica Topolski, Fredericton, N.B., will be the team officials at the event.   

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT ISU GRAND PRIX OF FIGURE SKATING
SKATE AMERICA – LAS VEGAS, USA 

MEN
Nam Nguyen (23) / Ajax, Ont. / Richmond Hill Training Centre / Coached by Robert Burk, Danielle Rose, and Ken Rose 

PAIRS
Evelyn Walsh (20) and Trennt Michaud (25) / London, Ont., and Trenton, Ont. / Brantford Skating Club and Trenton Skating Club / Coached by Alison Purkiss, Andrew Evans and Paul Macintosh 

ICE DANCE
Laurence Fournier Beaudry (29) and Nikolaj Sørensen (32) / Montreal, Que. / Town of Mount Royal FSC / Coached by Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Romain and Haguenauer  

Carolane Soucisse (26) and Shane Firus (27) / Châteauguay, Que. and North Vancouver, BC. / CPA Repentigny / Coached by Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs