Canadian team heads to Shanghai for 2015 ISU World Figure Skating Championships

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send 10 entries for a total of 16 skaters to the 2015 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Shanghai, China, from March 23-29. Canada will have two entries per category in men’s and ladies and three entries per category in pair and ice dance.

Leading the Canadian pair entries are Olympic silver medallists (team) Meagan Duhamel, 29, Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford, 30, Balmertown, Ont. The four-time Canadian champions have won two consecutive bronze medals at this event (2013 and 2014). Duhamel and Radford won gold at each of their events this season: Skate Canada International, NHK Trophy, ISU Grand Prix Final and Four Continents Championships. The representatives of Walden FSC and CPA Saint-Léonard are coached by Richard Gauthier, Bruno Marcotte, and Sylvie Fullum at CPA Saint-Léonard.

Lubov Ilyushechkina, 23, Moscow, Russia, and Dylan Moscovitch, 30, Toronto, Ont., will be Canada’s second pair entry, competing together in this event for the first time. In their first season together, the representatives of the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club won gold at the Warsaw Cup, silver at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, and placed fourth at the Four Continents Championships. Ilyusheshkina and Moscovitch are coached by Lee Barkell, Bryce Davison, and Tracy Wilson.

Canadian bronze medallists Julianne Séguin, 18, Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau, 21, Trois-Pistoles, Que., will be the third Canadian pair entry at this event. This will be their first senior international assignment. On the junior international circuit this season, Séguin and Bilodeau won gold at their junior grand prix assignments in Czech Republic and Germany, gold at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final, and silver at the World Junior Championships. They are coached by Josée Picard in Chambly, Que.

World silver medallists Kaitlyn Weaver, 25, Waterloo, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 28, Waterloo, Ont., are the first of three Canadian entries in ice dance. This will be their seventh time competing at this event. This season, they won gold at each of their events: Skate Canada International, NHK Trophy, ISU Grand Prix Final and Four Continents Championships. Representing Sault FSC and Kitchener-Waterloo SC, the 2015 Canadian champions are coached by Pasquale Camerlengo and Angelika Krylova in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Canadian silver medallists Piper Gilles, 23, Toronto, Ont., and Paul Poirier, 23, Unionville, Ont., will also represent Canada in ice dance. Last season, they placed eighth at this event. Earlier this season, they won silver at Skate Canada International and Trophée Eric Bompard, placed fifth at the ISU Grand Prix Final, and placed fourth at the Four Continents Championships. The representatives of Scarboro FSC are coached by Carol Lane, Juris Razgulajevs, Jon Lane, and Roy Bradshaw at Ice Dance Elite in Scarborough, Ont.

Alexandra Paul, 23, Midhurst, Ont., and Mitchell Islam, 25, Barrie, Ont., will round out the Canadian entries in ice dance. Last year, they placed 10th at this event. This season, Paul and Islam placed fifth at the Cup of China, sixth at Trophée Eric Bompard, and sixth at the Four Continents Championships. The representatives of Barrie SC train at the Detroit Skating Club with coaches Pasquale Camerlengo, Angelika Krylova, and Natalia Deller.

Canadian champion Nam Nguyen, 16, Toronto, Ont., is the first of two Canadian entries in men’s. Last year, Nguyen placed 12th at this event. This season, he won bronze at Skate America, placed fourth at the Cup of China, and placed 11th at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. The 2014 world junior champion is coached by Brian Orser and Ernest Pryhitka at the Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club.

Jeremy Ten, 26, Vancouver, B.C., will be the second Canadian entry in men’s. Ten previously competed at this event in 2009, placing 17th. This season, the representative of Grandview Skating Club placed eighth at the NHK Trophy, 10th at the Rostelecom Cup, and 12th at the Four Continents Championships. The 2015 Canadian silver medallist is coached by Joanne McLeod and Neil Wilson at the Champs International Skating Centre.

Gabrielle Daleman, 17, Newmarket, Ont., is one of two Canadian entries in ladies. The 2015 Canadian champion placed 13th at this event last year. This season, the representative of Richmond Hill FSC placed fifth at the Cup of China, sixth at the NHK Trophy, and seventh at the Four Continents Championships. Daleman is coached by Andrei Berezintsev and Inga Zusev and trains at the Richmond Training Centre in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Canadian silver medallist Alaine Chartrand, 18, Prescott, Ont., will be Canada’s second entry in the ladies category. This will be her first time competing at this event. This season, she won bronze at the Rostelecom Cup, placed seventh at Skate Canada International, and placed tenth at the Four Continents Championships. Chartrand is coached by Michelle Leigh and Brian Orser and represents the Nepean Skating Club.

Skate Canada High Performance Director Mike Slipchuk will be the team leader with Carolyn Allwright of Kitchener, Ont. Dr. Marni Wesner of Edmonton, Alta., and physiotherapist Agnes Makowski of Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian medical staff travelling with the team. Beth Crane of Burnaby, B.C., and Karen Howard of Regina, Sask., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For results and full entries please visit: www.isu.org

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2015 ISU WORLD FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS