Canadian Skaters Seek Their Olympic Moment in Beijing
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
I hope Keegan’s second test came back negative and it’s a go for Keegan to make for the long program of the Team Event in Beijing! Go Canada Go!!!!!!!!!!!!