Canadian Skaters Gear Up for September Challenger Series Events

OTTAWA, ON (August 29, 2024) – Canadian figure skaters across all four disciplines are set to start their 2024-2025 competitive season this September at two ISU Challenger Series events.  

The pairs team of Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Éthier, bronze medallists at the 2024 Canadian Championships, will begin their season at the John Nicks International Pairs Competition from September 3-4, 2024 in New York, USA. 

The Nebelhorn Trophy which will take place in Oberstdorf, Germany from September 19-21, 2024 will see reigning pairs World Champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps debut their new programs alongside Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud who won gold at the Grand Prix de France in 2023. 

Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, who finished a strong fifth at the 2024 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal, will be Canada’s lone entries in ice dance. The men’s competition will feature reigning Canadian champion Wesley Chiu, as well as Stephen Gogolev and Roman Sadovsky, while the women’s competition will see two-time Canadian Champion Madeline Schizas take to the ice along with Sara-Maude Dupuis. 

The Challenger Series is an International Figure Skating Series designed to give skaters adequate opportunities to compete at the international senior level and to earn precious World Standing Points. For full competition schedules, entries and results for Challenger Series events, please click here. 

Team Canada 
Name | Age | Hometown | Coach | Training Location    

JOHN NICKS INTERNATIONAL PAIRS COMPETITION 

Pairs 
Kelly Ann Laurin | 18 | St-Jérôme, Que. & Loucas Éthier | 24 | St-Alphonse, Que. | Yvan Desjardins | Rosemère, Que.    
Official – Cynthia Benson 

NEBELHORN TROPHY  

Women 
Sara-Maude Dupuis | 19 | Montreal, Que. | Stéphane Yvars | Boucherville, Que. 
Madeline Schizas | 21 | Oakville, Ont. | Nancy Lemaire | Milton, Ont.  

Men 
Wesley Chiu | 19 | Vancouver, B.C. | Keegan Murphy | Richmond, B.C. 
Stephen Gogolev | 19 | Toronto, Ont. | Lee Barkell | Toronto, Ont. 
Roman Sadovsky | 25 | Vaughan, Ont. | Tracey Wainman | Richmond Hill, Ont. 

Pairs
Lia Pereira | 20 | Milton, Ont. & Trennt Michaud | 28 | Brantford, Ont. | Alison Purkiss | Brantford, Ont.      
Deanna Stellato-Dudek | 41 | Chicago, USA & Maxime Deschamps | 32 | Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. | Josée Picard | Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. 

Ice Dance 
Marjorie Lajoie | 23 | Boucherville, Que. & Zachary Lagha | 25 | Saint-Hubert, Que. | Romain Haguenauer | Montreal, Que.  

Team Leader – Mike Slipchuk 
Medical Team – Mireille Landy  
Officials – Jodi Abbott & Veronique Gosselin