Nine Promising Skaters to Compete at Coupe du Printemps This Weekend
OTTAWA, ON (March 15, 2023) – A team of nine Canadian skaters will be competing at the Coupe du Printemps competition set to take place in Luxembourg from March 17 – 19, 2023. The Coupe du Printemps is an international figure skating competition targeted towards single novice, junior and senior athletes and Canada will be represented in all three categories.
2023 Junior/Senior Skate Canada Challenge winner Matthew Newnham will be the sole Canadian to compete in the senior category after 2023 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships bronze medalist Fiona Bombardier had to withdraw due to an injury.
In the junior events, David Howes, who won both the 2023 Novice Canadian Championships and the 2023 Novice Skate Canada Challenge, will be a strong contender, as well as Vladimir Furman, who finished second at the same two events. In the women’s field, 2023 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships junior bronze medalist Aleksa Volkova will be leading the team. She will be joined by Reese Rose and Megan Woodley.
Lucille Yang, winner of the 2023 Novice Canadian Championships, will be competing in the advanced novice girls category alongside bronze medalist Mely-Anne Gagner. 2023 Novice Skate Canada Challenge bronze medalist William Chan will be competing in the men’s events.
The competition begins on Friday, March 17 with the short programs for senior men, junior women and junior men. The following day, advanced novice girls and boys will perform their short programs, while the junior categories will complete their free programs. The competition wraps up on Sunday, March 19 with the free programs for advanced novice boys and girls, as well as senior men.
Team Canada
Name | Age | Hometown | Coach | Training Location
Advanced Novice Girls
Mély-Anne Gagner | 15 | Sherbrooke, Que. | Amelie Fortin | Sherbrooke, Que.
Lucille Yang | 13 | Ottawa, Ont. | Darlene Joseph | Ottawa, Ont.
Advanced Novice Boys
William Chan | 14 | Vancouver, B.C. | Eileen Murphy | Richmond, B.C.
Junior Women
Reese Rose | 14 | Gananoque, Ont. | Darlene Joseph | Ottawa, Ont.
Megan Woodley | 14 | Oro Station, Ont. | Paul Parkinson | Mississauga, Ont.
Aleksa Volkova | 14 | Lac Brome, Que. | Martine Dagenais | Boucherville, Que.
Junior Men
Vladimir Furman | 15 | Saint-Hubert, Que. | Marc-André Craig | Saint-Hubert, Que.
David Howes | 16 | Winnipeg, Man. | Kevin Dawe | Winnipeg, Man.
Senior men
Matthew Newnham | 20 | St Albert, Alta. | Jessica Gosse | Edmonton, Alta.
Team Leaders – Andre Bourgeois & Marie Bowness
Medical Team – Shirley Kushner
Judge – Debbie Islam
For more information about Coupe du Printemps, click here.