Canadian Skaters Set for Two Challenger Series Events in October
OTTAWA, ON (Oct. 1, 2026) – Canadian figure skaters will take to the ice at two ISU Challenger Series events this October, with athletes competing across women’s, men’s, and ice dance. The ISU Challenger Series provides senior skaters with opportunities to gain international experience and earn World Standing Points throughout the season.
The month gets underway with the Trialeti Trophy in Batumi, Georgia, from October 1–4, featuring Canadian entries in women’s and ice dance.
Following strong performances at domestic competitions this summer, Uliana Shiryaeva and Breken Brezden will open their international seasons in Georgia. The athletes finished 11th and 12th, respectively, in the women’s event at the 2026 Canadian National Skating Championships last season.
In ice dance, Alyssa Robinson and Jacob Portz will get valuable experience as they prepare for their ISU Grand Prix debut later this month at Skate Canada International. The event also marks Nadiia Bashynska and Noé Perron’s first international competition together after joining forces domestically last season.
The Budapest Trophy, taking place October 15–18 in Budapest, Hungary, will feature Canadian skaters in the women’s, men’s, and ice dance events.
Four-time Canadian women’s champion Madeline Schizas will showcase her programs for the first time this season in Budapest. She will compete alongside 2025 Warsaw Cup champion Sara-Maude Dupuis, who made headlines last year as the first Canadian woman to land a triple axel in international competition.
In the men’s event, 2024 Canadian champion Wesley Chiu will start his international season at the Budapest Trophy after a recent coaching change. He will be joined by John Kim, who finished sixth at the 2026 Canadian National Championships.
Rounding out the Canadian delegation in Budapest are two ice dance teams. Jamie Fournier and Everest Zhu will look to build on their momentum from last season, when they earned silver at the 2025 Icechallenge and made their ISU Four Continents Championships debut. The 2024 Canadian junior ice dance champions, Chloe Nguyen and Brendan Giang, will also compete in Budapest.
For full competition schedules, entries and results, click here.
TEAM CANADA
Name | Age | Hometown | Coach
TRIALETI TROPHY Women
Breken Brezden | 20 | Dauphin, Man. | Bryce Davison
Uliana Shiryaeva | 19 | Coquitlam, B.C. | Zdenek Pazdirek
Ice Dance
Alyssa Robinson | 23 | Calgary, Alta & Jacob Portz | 25 | Calgary, Alta | Adrian Diaz
Nadiia Bashynska | 22 | Ajax, Ont. & Noé Perron | 25 | Lyon, FRA | Adrian Diaz
Team Leader – Mike Slipchuk
Official – Nicole LeBlanc-Richard
Medical Team – Ghislaine Robert & Paige Larson
BUDAPEST TROPHY Men
Wesley Chiu | 21 | Vancouver, B.C. | Tracy Wilson
John Kim | 20 | Mississauga, Ont. | Tracy Wilson
Women
Madeline Schizas | 23 | Oakville, Ont. | Nancy Lemaire
Sara-Maude Dupuis | 21 | Montréal, Que. | Stephane Yvars
Ice Dance
Chloe Nguyen | 21 | Burnaby, B.C. & Brendan Giang | 23 | Burnaby, B.C. | Aaron Lowe
Jamie Fournier | 21 | Montréal, Que. & Everest Zhu | 23 | Waterloo, Ont. | Patrice Lauzon
Team Leader – Mike Slipchuk
Officials – Andre-Marc Allain & Guylaine Seguin
Medical Team – Paige Larson
