Canadian NextGen Skaters to Break onto the International Scene in Gdansk, Poland

OTTAWA, ON (September 20, 2023) – Canada is proud to announce its talented lineup of athletes who will be representing the country at the sixth ISU Junior Grand Prix, set to take place in Gdansk, Poland, from September 27-30, 2023. The Canadian team comprises a diverse group of young and promising athletes across various categories, including women, men, pair, and ice dance. 

Lulu Lin, silver medalist at the 2023 NextGen Competition, will compete in the women’s event at her first-ever Junior Grand Prix, while 2022 Cranberry Cup International bronze medalist Alec Guinzbourg will be taking part in the men’s competition.  

The pair event will be led by 2023 NextGen Competition silver medalists Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov, in back-to-back competitions following their performances at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Budapest, Hungary. Jazmine Desrochers and Kieran Thrasher will also be competing after winning bronze at the ISU Grand Prix in Istanbul, Turkey. 

Two newly formed ice dance teams comprised of Jamie Fournier and Everest Zhu, as well as Audra Gans and Michael Boutsan, will be competing together for the first time on the world stage. 

The competition kicks off on Thursday, September 28 with the women’s, pair and men’s short programs. The following day, athletes will tackle the rhythm dance, as well as the pair and women’s free programs. The event will wrap up on Saturday with the men’s free program and the free dance. 

Team Canada    

Name | Age | Hometown | Coach | Training Location    

Women
Lulu Lin | 13 | Mississauga, Ont. | Paul Parkinson & Andrew Evans | Mississauga, Ont. 

Men
Alec Guinzbourg | 18 | Aurora, Ont. | Lee Barkell | Toronto, Ont. 

Pair
Jazmine Desrochers | 16 | Mississauga, Ont. & Kieran Thrasher | 19 | Amherstburg, Ont. | Jeff Langdon | Oakville, Ont.
Ava Kemp | 15 | Winnipeg, Man. & Yohnatan Elizarov | 19 | Winnipeg, Man. | Andrew Evans & Kevin Dawe | Mississauga, Ont. 

Ice Dance
Jamie Fournier | 18 | Brossard, Que. & Everest Zhu | 20 | Waterloo, Ont. | Benjamin Brisebois & Patrice Lauzon | Montreal, Que.
Audra Gans | 15 | Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Que. & Michael Boutsan | 14 | Thornhill, Ont. | Benjamin Brisebois, Ariane Emard-Lauzon & Julien Lalonde | Montreal, Que. 

Team Leaders – Andre Bourgeois & Laurene Collin-Knoblauch
Officials – Cynthia Benson & Leslie Keen
Medical Team – Scott Fraser & Lydia Schultz 

For the full competition schedule, entries and results, please visit www.isu.org.