Bashynska and Beaumont continue dream season at 2023 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

OSHAWA, ON. (January 11, 2023) – After triumphing on the international stage in the first part of the 2022-23 season, Nadiia Bashynska and Peter Beaumont of Ajax, Ont., added the Canadian junior ice dance title to their resume on Wednesday at the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships.

Bashynska and Beaumont, runners-up last year, totalled 183.97 points, a Canadian junior record. They ranked first in both the short program and free skate.

Sandrine Gauthier of St-Constant, Que., and Quentin Thieren of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., followed at 161.52 and Hailey Yu and Brendan Giang of Burnaby, B.C., were third at 154.70.

Bashynska and Beaumont, world junior championship bronze medallists last March, won their three ISU Junior Grand Prix assignments this season including the Grand Prix Final in December.

‘’It’s been surreal to win every event so far,’’ said Beaumont. ‘’Considering it was a goal we threw out there at the beginning of the season. We’ve proven it’s been possible so far.’’

Three other junior free skates were also held Wednesday.

Edward Nicholas Vasii of Rivière-des Prairies, Que., upset two medallists from last year to win the gold medal in the men’s junior event.

Vasii ranked second in both Tuesday’s short program and Wednesday’s free skate but emerged as the victor with 191.00 points. Grayson Long of Toronto, first after short, took the silver with 178.93. Anthony Paradis of Boisbriand, Que., soared from 12^th after the short to third spot with the best score in the free skate totaling 178.90.

Paradis and Long were 1-2 in the same event last year.

‘’I wasn’t expecting this,’’ said Vasii, in his national junior debut. ‘’I was impressed with myself to have such a great performance with all the stress. I gained some confidence in the short program and I just continued to skate for myself.’’

Hetty Shi of Mississauga, Ont., last year’s novice national champ, posted the best skates in both the short and free to win the women’s junior gold with 165.61. Rose Théroux of Sorel, Que., followed for silver with 159.13 and Quebec’s Aleksa Volkova took the bronze at 155.40.

‘’It’s a bit overwhelming,’’ said Shi. ‘’I learned how to better control my emotions this year and that was one of my goals.’’

In junior pairs, Chloe Panetta of Laval, Que., and Kieran Thrasher of Amherstburg, Ont., took the title with a personal best 147.84. Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov of Winnipeg were second at 127.52 and Martina Ariano Kent and Alexis Leduc of Montreal third at 119.41.

‘’This is what we’ve been working for all season,’’ said Panetta. ‘’There have been a lot of ups and downs and we came through when it mattered.’’

Competition continues Thursday with junior and senior synchronized skating.

For full results click here.