Canadian team en route to Italy for 2018 ISU World Figure Skating Championships

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send 11 entries, for a total of 17 skaters to the 2018 ISU World Figure Skating Championships. The event will take place from March 19-25, 2018, in Milan, Italy, at the Mediolanum Forum. Canada will have three entries per discipline in women, pairs and ice dance and two entries in men.

Canadian silver medallist Keegan Messing, 26, Sherwood Park, Alta./Brampton, Ont., is the first of two Canadian men entries. This will be his first time competing at this event. In February, Messing placed 12th at the Olympic Winter Games. He is coached by Ralph Burghart in Anchorage, AK, USA.

Canadian bronze medallist Nam Nguyen, 19, Toronto, Ont., will be the second Canadian men entry. This will be his fourth time competing at this event; he earned his best result, fifth place, in 2015. Most recently, he placed ninth at the ISU Four Continents Championships. The three-time Canadian medallist is coached by Robert Burk in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Olympic gold medallist (team) and defending world bronze medallist Gabrielle Daleman, 20, Newmarket, Ont., is the first of three Canadian entries in women’s. In February, Daleman won gold in the Olympic team event and placed 15th in women’s singles at the Olympic Winter Games. The two-time Canadian champion is coached by Lee Barkell and Brian Orser in Toronto, Ont.

Three-time Olympic medallist and defending world silver medallist Kaetlyn Osmond, 22, Marystown, Nfld./Edmonton, Alta., will also represent Canada in the women’s category. Osmond won gold in the team event and bronze in women’s singles at the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang. The three-time Canadian champion is coached by Ravi Walia in Edmonton, Alta.

Canadian bronze medallist Larkyn Austman, 20, Coquitlam, B.C., rounds out the Canadian women’s entries. This will be her first time competing at this event. Most recently, Austman placed 25th at the Olympic Winter Games. She is coached by Zdenek Pazdirek and Liz Putnam in Coquitlam, B.C.

Canadian silver medallists Julianne Séguin, 21, Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau, 24, Trois-Pistoles, Que., will be the first of three Canadian pairs at the event. Last year, they placed 11th at this event. In February, they placed ninth at the Olympic Winter Games. Séguin and Bilodeau are coached by Josée Picard in Chambly, Que.

Canadian bronze medallists Kirsten Moore-Towers, 25, St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro, 26, Sarnia, Ont., are the second Canadian entry in pairs. This will be their second time competing at this event, having placed eighth in 2016. Most recently, Moore-Towers and Marinaro placed 11th at the Olympic Winter Games. They are coached by Bruno Marcotte, Richard Gauthier and Sylvie Fullum in Montreal, Que.

Camille Ruest, 24, Rimouski, Que., and Drew Wolfe, 22, Calgary, Alta., will round out the Canadian entries in pairs. This will be their first time competing at this event. Earlier this season, they placed seventh at the ISU Four Continents Championships. Ruest and Wolfe are coached by Richard Gauthier and Bruno Marcotte in Montreal, Que.

Canadian silver medallists Piper Gilles, 26, Toronto, Ont., and Paul Poirier, 26, Unionville, Ont., will be one of three Canadian entries in ice dance. This will be their sixth time competing at this event, with consecutive top-ten finishes the past four years. Most recently, they placed eighth at the Olympic Winter Games. They are coached by Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs in Scarborough, Ont.

Two-time world medallists Kaitlyn Weaver, 28, Toronto, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 31, Waterloo, Ont., will also represent Canada in ice dance. This will be their 10th time competing at this event; last season they placed fourth. In February, Weaver and Poje placed seventh at the Olympic Winter Games. The two-time Canadian champions are coached by Nikolai Morozov and train in Hackensack, NJ, USA.

Carolane Soucisse, 23, Châteauguay, Que., and Shane Firus, 24, North Vancouver, B.C., will be the third Canadian entry in ice dance. This will be their first time competing at this event. Earlier this season, they won silver at the ISU Four Continents Championships. Soucisse and Firus are coached by Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon in Montreal, Que.

Mike Slipchuk, Skate Canada High Performance Director, will be travelling with the team. Cynthia Ullmark of Canmore, Alta., and Carolyn Allwright of Kitchener, Ont., will be the Canadian team leaders at the event. Dr. Ed Pilat of Winnipeg, Man., and physiotherapist Josiane Roberge, of Sillery, Que., will be the Canadian medical staff at the event.

Susan Blatz of Burlington, Ont., Lynne Dey of Edmonton, Alta., Karen Howard of Regina, Sask., and Jean Senft of West Vancouver, B.C., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For results and full entries please visit isu.org.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2018 ISU WORLD FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Discipline Name Age Hometown Club Coach
Men Keegan Messing 26 Sherwood Park, Alta. & Brampton, Ont. Sherwood Park FSC Ralph Burghart
Men Nam Nguyen 19 Toronto, Ont. Richmond Training Centre Robert Burk
Ladies Gabrielle Daleman 20 Newmarket, Ont. Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club Lee Barkell / Brian Orser
Ladies Kaetlyn Osmond 22 Marystown, Nfld. & Edmonton, Alta. Ice Palace FSC Ravi Walia
Ladies Larkyn Austman 20 Coquitlam, B.C. Coquitlam SC Zdenek Pazdirek/ Liz Putnam
Pairs Julianne Séguin / Charlie Bilodeau 21/24 Longueuil, Que. / Trois-Pistoles, Que. CPA Longueuil / CPA Chambly Josée Picard
Pairs Kirsten Moore-Towers / Michael Marinaro 25/26 St. Catharines, Ont. / Sarnia, Ont. Kitchener-Waterloo SC / Point Edward SC Inc. Bruno Marcotte / Richard Gauthier / Sylvie Fullum
Pairs Camille Ruest / Drew Wolfe 24/22 Rimouski, Que. / Calgary, Alta. CPA De Rimouski / Glencoe Club Richard Gauthier / Bruno Marcotte
Ice Dance Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier 26/26 Toronto, Ont. / Unionville, Ont. Scarboro FSC / Scarboro FSC Carol Lane / Juris Razgulajevs
Ice Dance Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje 28/31 Toronto, Ont. / Waterloo, Ont. Sault FSC / Kitchener-Waterloo SC Nikolai Morozov
Ice Dance Carolane Soucisse / Shane Firus 23/24 Châteauguay, Que. / North Vancouver, B.C. CPA Repentigny / CPA Ahuntsic Marie-France Dubreuil / Patrice Lauzon
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