National Team member Kharis Ralph retires from competitive skating

OTTAWA, ON:  Kharis Ralph, 22, Toronto, Ont., who had a long career in ice dance with Asher Hill, 23, Pickering, Ont., has retired from skating.  The duo trained at the Scarborough Figure Skating Club’s Ice Dance Elite with coaches Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs.  They competed at one ISU World Figure Skating Championships, finishing 13th at the 2012 event in Nice, France, and were 6th at this year’s Canadian Tire National Skating Championships.

In making her decision, Ralph said, “It has been both a privilege and a challenge to be on the National Team for the last five years and I am grateful for the opportunity. I would like to thank Skate Canada for all the support through the years, and wish everyone well for the future.”

“For eight years Kharis and Asher were mainstays on the international scene. Their hard work and determination resulted in them being one of very few teams to have ever represented Canada at both a junior and a senior world championship”, said Mike Slipchuk, High Performance Director, Skate Canada.  “Kharis’ positive attitude and charismatic personality made her a role model for other skaters and she will be truly missed.”

Ralph’s immediate plans include finishing her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, majoring in History, and minoring in Political Science and Philosophy, and then to pursue graduate studies. She hopes to stay involved in the sport, possibly in the area of judging or as a technical specialist. Hill is currently looking for a new partner and hopes to continue competing in ice dance.

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