Novice Champions Crowned at the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

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CALGARY – Ice dancers Layla Veillon and Alexander Brandys of Ilderton, Ont., opened Sunday’s free skates at the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in the novice division with a golden performance.

Veillon and Brandys took the title with 104.86 points. Dana Sabatini-Speciale  and Nicholas Buelow of Barrie, Ont., were second at 102.68 and Kaitlyn Ho and Daniel Yu of Calgary were third at 90.53.

Hetty Shi of Mississauga, Ont., took the women’s title with 131.71. Kara Yun of Burnaby, B.C., hung on to second spot with 123.88 and Abbie Baltzer of Hamilton climbed to third at 122.74.

It was a close battle for gold in pairs but Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov of Winnipeg stayed in first with 95.46. Lilly Napier and Joshua Dore of Ottawa won the free skate but remained second at 94.14 and Jessie Sun and Victor Lum of Richmond, B.C., were third at 71.05.

The men’s free skate closed the session with David Shteyngart of Ottawa posting a decisive victory with 131.84 points. Edward Nicholas Vasii of Rivière-des-Prairies, Que., jumped from fourth to second with 122.66 and Jacob Cote of Dartmouth, N.S., moved from sixth to third with 199.31.

Full results: https://skatecanada.ca/2022-canadian-tire-national-skating-championships-novice-division/#tab-id-3

Newfoundland and Labrador team wins gold at 2022 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships

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CALGARY – Starlites from Mount Pearl, N.L., took the gold medal in the open event on Sunday at the 2022 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships

Starlites totalled 125.26 points over two free programs with Quebec’s Rythmiks Lanaudière second at 114.91 and Black Gold from Calgary third at 114.89.

‘’We’re feeling amazing, we are so proud of what we accomplished,’’ said Jillian Whiteway of the Starlites. ‘’It was our first competition since 2020 so we we’re super happy with what we put out on the ice.’’

In intermediate competition, Nexxice from Burlington, Ont., collected its fourth medal of the competition placing first with 101.57. Team Unity from Tavistock, Ont., won the second free skate and was second at 96.88 while Meraki of Leaside, Ont., was third at 90.15.

‘’We definitely fought through our program,’’ said Nyah Tripp of Nexxice. ‘’But we’re still feeling pretty good with what we put out for this season. We came together as a team and achieved our goals.’’

Gold Ice from Brampton, Ont., placed first in the second free program to win the gold medal in the novice division.

Gold Ice was second after Saturday’s first free skate behind Golding Ice from Blainville, Que., but emerged first over all with 99.93 points. Nova from St-Hubert, Que., was second at 95.80 and Nexxice from Burlington, Ont., third at 94.95. Golding Ice was fourth.

‘’I’m so happy with our team,’’ said Gold Ice’s Ishani Sama. ‘’I think we were all nervous at first, but we knew we had each other and in the end we all succeeded. Our skates here couldn’t have gone any better.’’

On Saturday, Les Suprêmes from St-Léonard, Que., and Nexxice won gold and silver in both the senior and junior events.

Full results: https://skatecanada.ca/2022-skate-canada-synchronized-skating-championships/#tab-id-2

Canadians Fourth and Sixth at Challenge Cup

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TILBURG, Netherlands – Justine Miclette of Chambly, Que., and Lia Pereira of Milton, Ont., were fourth and sixth in the junior women’s event on Sunday at the Challenge Cup figure skating competition.

Mone Chiba led Japan to a 1-2 finish with 175.29 points with Ayumi Shibayama second at 165.03 and Anna Pezzetta of Italy third at 155.04.

The 16-year-old Miclette, crowned the Canadian junior champion last month, was sixth after the short program and produced the fourth best free skate to climb within one spot of the podium with 149.66.

Pereira, 18, also made an impressive comeback surging from seventh after the short with the third best free skate for 148.51. There were 22 entries.

Miclette and Pereira were Canada’s only two entries at the competition.

Full results: https://knsbfigureskatingresults.nl/2021-2022/20220224/CAT005RS.HTM

Les Suprêmes Reign at 2022 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships

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CALGARY – Les Suprêmes from St-Léonard, Que., and Nexxice from Burlington, Ont., won gold and silver in both the senior and junior events on Saturday at the 2022 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships being held at WinSport Arena.

In the senior event, Les Suprêmes took the crown with 235.16 points followed by Nexxice at 222.44. Nova Senior from St-Hubert, Que., was third at 207.12.

‘’We feel super proud of our team,’’ said Marie-Ève Comtois of Les Suprêmes. ‘’After two years of no competition we decided to go out there and have a blast. There are definitely some improvements we can make, and we are going to work harder than before.’’

Canada hosts the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships April 7-9 in Hamilton.

In junior competition, Les Suprêmes were champions with 187.95 points. Nexxice was second at 184.70 and Gold Ice from Brampton, Ont., was third at 161.77. Seven teams were entered.

‘’We feel really proud of both our skates,’’ said Simona Ronca of Les Suprêmes. ‘’Even though we had some mistakes it was a success for us considering it was a first competition in two years. We kept pushing through and really trusted our training.’’

Les Suprêmes and Nexxice were named earlier this month as Canada’s entries for the world junior championships March 17-19 in Innsbruck, Austria.

Competition ends Sunday with the second free skates in the novice, intermediate and open divisions. Golding Ice of Blainville, Que., Nexxice and Starlite of Mount Pearl, N.L., lead in those respective divisions after the first free skate.

Full results: https://skatecanada.ca/2022-skate-canada-synchronized-skating-championships/#tab-id-2

Battle Lines Drawn for Free Skates at Canadian Tire National Skating Championships – Novice Division

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CALGARY – Hetty Shi of Mississauga, Ont., David Shteyngart of Ottawa, ice dancers Layla Veillon and Alexander Brandys of Ilderton, Ont., and pairs skaters Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov of Winnipeg are all in first place after Saturday’s short programs at the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in the novice division.

The novice portion of the nationals last month was postponed due to pandemic issues.

In the women’s short, Shi tabulated 47.08 points for top spot. Kara Yun of Burnaby, B.C., is second at 46.09 and Kayla Halliday of Coquitlam, B.C., stands third at 44.95. There are 18 entries.

There are also 18 entries in the men’s event. Shteyngart stands first with 45.61, Herman Lau of Toronto is second at 42.06 and David Li of Richmond, B.C., third at 41.87.

Kemp and Elizarov are first in pairs with 36.71 with Lilly Napier and Joshua Dore of Ottawa second at 33.70 and Jessie Sun and Victor Lum of Richmond, B.C., third at 27.03.

In ice dancing, Veillon and Brandys lead after the pattern dance with 32.72. Dana Sabatini-Speciale  and Nicholas Buelow of Barrie, Ont., are second at 31.44 and Kaitlyn Ho and Daniel Yu of Calgary are third at 29.69.

Competition ends Sunday at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex with the free skates. The program kicks-off with the free dance at 10 a.m. (local time).

Full results: https://skatecanada.ca/2022-canadian-tire-national-skating-championships-novice-division/#tab-id-3

The Nation’s Best Synchronized Skating Teams head to Calgary for the National Championships

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OTTAWA, ON: Calgary, Alta., is set to welcome the best synchronized skating teams from across Canada for the 2022 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships, taking place from February 25-27, 2022, at WinSport Arena at Canada Olympic Park. 

The 2022 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships will bring dozens of teams and hundreds of skaters from across the country to Calgary. Teams will compete for national titles in the senior, junior, novice, intermediate, and open categories. The city of Calgary most recently hosted the Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships in 2020. 

The competition will be streamed live in English and in French for fans to watch from home. 

EVENT INFO 

Calgary has played host to several Skate Canada events, including the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in 2000, 1977, 1965, 1954 and 1948. They have also hosted Skate Canada International three times (1987, 1980, 1973). 

2022 marks the 38th annual Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships (first held in 1983). Synchronized skating is a discipline of figure skating performed in a team format, where unison and precision are critical (formerly called precision skating). Combined with music, costumes and innovative choreography, synchronized skating enjoys an immense popularity in Canada. Internationally, the ISU (International Skating Union) introduced the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships® in 2000. 

 

Canada Sends Two Junior Women to the Netherlands for Competition

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have two entries for a total of two skaters competing at the 2022 Challenge Cup. Both entries for Canada will be in junior women, and the event will take place from February 24 to 27, 2022 in Tilburg, Netherlands, at the IJssportcentrum Tilburg.  

Justine Miclette, 16, Chambly, Que., is the first entry in junior women. This season, Miclette placed first in junior at both the 2022 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships and the 2022 Skate Canada Challenge. Internationally, Miclette competed in the third junior grand prix event in Kosice, Slovakia, where she finished fifteenth. She is coached by Stéphanie Fiorito in Chambly, Que. 

Lia Pereira, 18, Milton, Ont., will be the second entry in junior women. This season, Pereira finished in tenth place at the 2021 ISU Junior Grand Prix in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. She also competed at the senior level domestically, finishing fourth at the 2022 Skate Canada Challenge and tenth at the 2022 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Pereira is coached by Nancy Lemaire and Derek Schmidt in Milton, Ont.  

Manon Perron of Boucherville, Que., will be the Canadian Team Leader at the event. 

 

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT THE 2022 CHALLENGE CUP – TILBURG, NETHERLANDS 

JUNIOR WOMEN 

Justine Miclette (16) / Chambly, Que. / CPA Chambly / Coached by Stéphanie Fiorito 

Lia Pereira (18) / Milton, Ont. / Milton Skating Club / Coached by Nancy Lemaire and Derek Schmidt 

Skate Canada Names Teams for ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships 2022

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada has selected the teams that will represent Canada at the ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships 2022. 

The entries for the ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships 2022 are: Les Suprêmes (junior) from CPA Saint-Léonard and Nexxice (junior) of the Burlington Skating Centre.  

Les Suprêmes (junior) and Nexxice (junior) will travel to Innsbruck, Austria to compete at the championships, which take place from March 17 – 19, 2022. In 2018, when the event was last hosted in Zagreb, Croatia, Les Suprêmes (junior) finished in fourth place, while Nexxice (junior) finished in eighth place.  

Mary Ellen McDonald, Skate Canada Senior Director, Operations, and Joanne Shaw of Guelph, Ont., will be the team leaders for this event. Albert Shumacher of Tecumseh, Ont., and Paige Larson of North Vancouver, B.C., will be the Canadian medical staff on-site. Andrew Bosco of Thorold, Ont., will be the Canadian official at the event.  

For more information on the event, please visit www.isu.org. 

D’Alessandro and Waddell Continue Fantastic Season at Egna Dance Trophy with Silver

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SOFIA, Bulgaria- Natalie D’Alessandro and Bruce Waddell of Toronto are now four-for-four in international podium performances this season after a silver medal in junior ice dancing on Sunday at the Egna Dance Trophy figure skating competition.

Katerina Mrázková and Daniel Mrázek of the Czech Republic won the gold medal with 167.06 points. D’Alessandro and Waddell followed at 159.71 and Elizabeth Tkachenko and Alexei Kiliakov of Israel were third at 153.02.

There were 21 entries.

‘’We’re pretty happy with our performance,’’ said Waddell, 20. ‘’We know what we want to improve on and ramp up for junior worlds. We went out and did what we could today and we are pretty happy with it.’’

D’Alessandro said she was happy with the progress they showed.

‘’We felt like our performance definitely took a step forward from some of our others throughout the season,’’ said D’Alessandro.  ‘’But we still have lots of areas to improve with our technical scores, so we’ll go back to training and evaluate all the areas we need to improve.’’

On the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit, the Canadian couple collected gold and silver in their two assignments and earned a berth in the Junior Grand Prix Final. The Final was cancelled due to COVID-19 issues in Japan.

They also won an international event in Austria and took gold in junior ice dance at the 2022 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. They are coached by Andrew Hallam, Joey Russell, and Tracy Wilson in Toronto.  

Their next competition is the world juniors set for March 7-13, also in Sofia. Waddell was able to pinpoint some elements that need more polish.

‘’Cleaner turns, more for sure on each element so there’s nothing to be questioned technically,’’ he said.

‘’We want to maintain the same level of performance while adding the technical aspects to that and of course just improving our speed across the ice,’’ added D’Alessandro.

D’Alessandro and Waddell were the only Canadian entries in Sofia.

Full results: https://www.fisg.it/upload/result/5601/index.html

Canada Sends one Junior Ice Dance Team to Italy

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have one entry for a total of two skaters competing at the 2022 Egna Dance Trophy. This event takes place from February 4 to 6, 2022, in Egna, Italy. The 2022 Egna Dance Trophy is part of the team’s preparations for the upcoming ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships® 2022, in Sofia, Bulgaria, from March 7 to 13, 2022. 

Natalie D’Alessandro, 17, Toronto, Ont., and Bruce Waddell, 20, Toronto, Ont., are the lone entry for this event. D’Alessandro and Waddell have had a great season thus far and most recently captured gold in junior ice dance at the 2022 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. They are coached by Andrew Hallam, Joey Russell, and Tracy Wilson in Toronto, Ont.   

André Bourgeois, Skate Canada NextGen Director, will be the team leader for this event. Ron Conacher of Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian official on-site. 

 

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT THE 2022 EGNA DANCE TROPHY – EGNA, ITALY 

ICE DANCE 

Natalie D’Alessandro (17) and Bruce Waddell (20) / Toronto, Ont. / Toronto Cricket, Skating & Curling Club and Granite Club / Coached by Andrew Hallam, Joey Russell, and Tracy Wilson 

Canadian Skaters Seek Their Olympic Moment in Beijing

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have eight entries for a total of thirteen skaters at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China. Canada will have two entries in men, two entries pairs, one entry in women, and three entries in ice dance. Competition begins on Friday, February 4, with the team event, and runs through to Saturday, February 19, 2022, with all events taking place at the Capital Indoor Stadium. 

Canadian champion Keegan Messing, 30, Girdwood, Alaska, USA, is the first Canadian entry in men. Messing will be competing at his second Olympic Winter Games, having placed 12th in 2014. This season, he finished fifth at Skate Canada International, sixth at Internationaux de France, and first at the 53rd Golden Spin of Zagreb. Messing is coached by Ralph Burghart in Anchorage, Alaska, USA. 

Roman Sadovsky, 22, Vaughan, Ont., is the second Canadian entry in men. This will be his first Olympic Games. This season, Sadovsky placed second at the 2022 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, 12th at Skate Canada International, and fourth at Rostelecom Cup. The 2020 Canadian champion is coached by Tracey Wainman and Grzegorz Filipowski in Richmond Hill, Ont.  

Madeline Schizas, 18, Oakville, Ont., will be the lone entry for Canada in women. At only 18 years old, this will be her first Olympic Games. Most recently, she won gold at the 2022 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. This season, Schizas also placed eighth at Skate Canada International and sixth at Rostelecom Cup. She is coached by Nancy Lemaire and Derek Schmidt in Milton, Ont. 

Three-time Canadian champions Kirsten Moore-Towers, 29 St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro, 30, Sarnia, Ont., are the first Canadian entry in pairs. This will be the third Olympic Games for Moore-Towers and second for Marinaro. The pair finished 11th at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. This season, they placed sixth at Skate Canada International and fifth at Rostelecom Cup. Moore-Towers and Marinaro are coached by Bruno Marcotte, Alison Purkiss, and Brian Shales in Oakville, Ont., and Brantford, Ont. 

National pairs team, Vanessa James, 34, Scarborough, Ont., and Eric Radford, 37, Balmertown, Ont., will be the second Canadian entry in pairs. This will be the fourth Olympic Games for James and the third for Radford. This season, they placed fourth at both Skate Canada International and Internationaux de France and garnered a silver medal at the 2021 Autumn Classic International. James and Radford are coached by Julie Marcotte in Montreal, Que. 

World bronze medallists Piper Gilles, 30, Toronto, Ont., and Paul Poirier, 30, Unionville, Ont., will be the first Canadian entry in ice dance. This will be the second Olympic Games for Gilles and the third for Poirier. They finished eighth at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. This season, Gilles and Poirier placed first at Skate Canada International and second at Internationaux de France. The two-time Canadian champions are coached by Carol Lane, Juris Razgulajevs, and Jon Lane in Scarborough, Ont.   

Canadian silver medallists Laurence Fournier Beaudry, 29, Montreal, Que., and Nikolaj Soerensen, 32, Montreal, Que., are the second Canadian entry in ice dance. This will be their first Olympic Games. This season, Fournier Beaudry and Soerensen placed third at Skate America and third at Rostelecom Cup. They are coached by Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, and Romain Haguenauer in Montreal, Que. 

Marjorie Lajoie, 21, Boucherville, Que., and Zachary Lagha, 22, Saint-Hubert, Que., will be the third ice dance entry representing Canada. This will be the first Olympic Games for Lajoie and Lagha. This season, they placed sixth at Skate Canada International and fifth at NHK Trophy. The Canadian bronze medallists are coached by Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Romain Haguenauer, Pascal Denis, and Josée Piché in Montreal, Que. 

Dr. Shae Zukiwsky, Senior Director, Performance Excellence and Mike Slipchuk, Skate Canada High Performance Director will be the team leaders at the event. Dr. Laura Cruz and Physiotherapist Josiane Roberge will be the medical team on-site.   

 

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT THE 2022 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES – BEIJING, CHINA 

MEN 

Keegan Messing (30) / Girdwood, Alaska, USA / Ice Palace FSC / Coached by Ralph Burghart 

Roman Sadovsky (22) / Vaughan, Ont. / York Region Skating Club / Coached by Tracey Wainman and Grzegorz Filipowski 

WOMEN 

Madeline Schizas (18) / Oakville, Ont. / Milton Skating Club / Coached by Nancy Lemaire and Derek Schmidt 

PAIRS 

Kirsten Moore-Towers (29) and Michael Marinaro (30) / St. Catharines, Ont. and Sarnia, Ont. / Skate Oakville / Coached by Bruno Marcotte, Alison Purkiss, and Brian Shales 

Vanessa James (34) and Eric Radford (37) / Scarborough, Ont. and Balmertown, Ont. / EPJM and C.P.A. Saint-Léonard / Coached by Julie Marcotte 

ICE DANCE 

Piper Gilles (30) and Paul Poirier (30) / Toronto, Ont. / and Unionville, Ont. / Ice Dance Elite, Scarboro FSC / Coached by Carol Lane, Juris Razgulajevs, and Jon Lane 

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

Marjorie Lajoie (21) and Zachary Lagha (22) / Boucherville, Que. and Saint-Hubert, Que. / CPA Boucherville and CPA Saint Lambert / Coached by Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Romain Haguenauer, Pascal Denis, and Josée Piché