OTTAWA, ON (Oct. 1, 2025) – The international competition season continues this October with two more events and two more opportunities for senior Canadian figure skaters to perfect their routines ahead of the start of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series.   

Five athletes will kick off the month at the ISU Challenger Series Denis Ten Memorial Challenge taking place in Almaty, Kazakhstan from Oct. 1-4. National champion Madeline Schizas, fresh off a top-ten finish at the Kinoshita Group Cup in Japan last month, will compete in the women’s event, while Alicia Fabbri and Paul Ayer, who placed fifth at the same event, will compete in ice dance. In the men’s event, Matthew Newnham and John Kim will represent Canada internationally for the first time this season.  

The month will continue at the Budapest Trophy, a senior international competition, taking place in Budapest, Hungary from Oct. 10-12 with two Canadian ice dance teams competing. Kicking off their Olympic season, Four Continents Championships bronze medallists Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha will showcase their new programs for the first time. They will be joined by junior national silver medallists Sandrine Gauthier and Quentin Thieren, who will return to senior international competition in Budapest.  

For full competition schedules, entries and results, please click here. 

Team Canada
Name | Age | Hometown | Coach 

Denis Ten Memorial Challenge
Women
Madeline Schizas | 22 | Oakville, Ont. | Nancy Lemaire | Milton, Ont. 

Men
John Kim | 19 | Mississauga, Ont. | Jonathan Mills | Thornhill, Ont. 
Matthew Newnham | 22 | Edmonton, Alta. | Ravi Walia | Edmonton, Alta.  

Ice Dance
Alicia Fabbri | 22 | Terrebonne, Que. & Paul Ayer | 27 | Brossard, Que. | Pascal Denis | Montreal, Que.  

Team Leader: Mike Slipchuk
Officials: Laura Carr & Limin Jao
Medical Team: Paige Larson  

Budapest Trophy 
Ice Dance
Sandrine Gauthier | 21 | Saint-Constant, Que. & Quentin Thieren | 21 | Montreal, Que. Marie-France Dubreuil | Montreal, Que.
Marjorie Lajoie | 24 | Boucherville, Que. & Zachary Lagha | 26 | Saint-Hubert, Que. | Marie-France Dubreuil | Montreal, Que. 

Team Leader: Mike Slipchuk
Official: Karen Butcher