Tag Archive for: 2024 ISU Four Continents Championships

Canadian Figure Skaters in Medal Contention at Four Continents

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Shanghai, China (February 2, 2024) – Canadian figure skaters sit in medal contention in both the ice dance and pair competitions following the first two days of competition at the ISU Four Continents Championships taking place in Shanghai, China, while Madeline Schizas and Sara-Maude Dupuis both finished in the top-10 in the women’s competition.

Schizas, from Oakville, Ontario, the 2023 Canadian senior women’s champion, was sitting in ninth following the short program, and then had a fantastic free skate to move up to finish sixth overall with a total score of 185.69 – her best finish at this competition to date.

“I’m happy with my skate, I’m happy with my score, and it’s a big step up from Canadian Nationals. I’m hoping to add a few more points at World Championships if I get that nomination,” said Schizas who wasn’t satisfied with finishing second at Canadian Championships last month. So much so, she debuted a new costume in Shanghai: “I wanted a new one anyway, and I had a bad nationals, so I decided that I needed new vibes.”

Sara-Maude Dupuis of Montreal, Que., posted a massive new personal best score in her free skate (118.99) to finish in 9th with a new personal best total score as well of 172.45. Justine Miclette of Chambly, Que., finished in 14th (151.30).

Mone Chiba of Japan won gold (214.98), while Chaeyeon Kim of Korea took silver (204.68), and Rinka Watanabe of Japan took bronze (202.17).

Piper Gilles of  Toronto, Ont., and Paul Poirier of Unionville, Ont., look on track to win their first Four Continents Championships title in ice dance on Sunday as they have a healthy lead following the rhythm dance that took place today. Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen of Montreal, Que., sit just behind them in second, while Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac of Ste-Anne-des-plaines, Que., sit in seventh.

“We skate everyday with commitment and passion, even when we don’t feel good, and so I think we just really enjoy flipping the switch and really seeing that energy, and I think that’s what makes us special. You see a lot of the top athletes able to do that, and we did that today,” said Gilles following their performance.

Canada has the top spot currently in the pair competition as well with Deanna Stellato-Dudek of Chicago, USA and Maxime Deschamps of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., having a comfortable lead heading into the free skate taking place on Saturday.

“It was fun to go out there. I’m disappointed in my mistake, but really happy with the rest of the performance. We accomplished a lot of our upgrades and have been working really hard,” said Deschamps who has been struggling with his jumps at the last couple of competitions.

Lia Pereira of Milton, Ont., and Trennt Michaud of Trenton, Ont., are sitting in sixth after the short program, and Kelly Ann Laurin of St-Jerôme, Que., and Loucas Éthier of Deux-Montagnes, Que., are in eighth.

The men’s competition will wrap up on Saturday. Wesley Chiu of Vancouver, B.C., is the top-ranked Canadian in sixth following the short program which took place on Thursday. Roman Sadovsky of Vaughan, Ont., is sitting in 11th, and Conrad Orzel of Toronto, Ont., is sitting in 17th.

For full results please click here.

Canadian Team Ready to Challenge for the Podium at 2024 ISU Four Continents Championships

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OTTAWA, ON (January 22, 2024) – Canada will be represented by 18 talented skaters at the 2024 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships taking place in Shanghai, China from February 1-4, 2024. The Championships, which are one of the International Skating Union’s (ISU) most significant events, will feature athletes from the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania competing in men’s, women’s, pair, and ice dance events. 

In the women’s field, the Canadian team will be led by two-time national champion and 2023 Nepela Memorial bronze medallist, Madeline Schizas. She will be joined by Sara-Maude Dupuis, who finished in the top-10 at the 2023 ISU Four Continents competition, and Justine Miclette, who brought home a bronze medal from the 2023 Autumn Classic International in Montreal. 

Newly minted senior national champion Wesley Chiu will make his Four Continents debut in the men’s competition. He will be joined by 2023 Skate Canada Challenge gold medallist Conrad Orzel, who finished eighth at the 2023 ISU Four Continents competition, and by 2022 Olympian Roman Sadovsky who will be competing in his first international competition this season after a series of travel mishaps earlier in the season. 

In the pair competition, Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps will be looking to add to their growing medal collection after the duo recently won their second national title and brought home bronze from the ISU Grand Prix Final. Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud, who took home a gold medal from the Grand Prix de France earlier this season, will also be aiming for a spot on the podium, as will national bronze medallists Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Éthier. 

As always, Canada will be well-represented in ice dance, with three-time Canadian Champions and 2023 World Championship bronze medallists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier leading the charge. Joining them will be 2023 Four Continents silver medallists Laurence Fournier-Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen, and Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac, who recently finished second at the 2024 Canadian National Skating Championships. 

The competition kicks off Thursday, February 1, with the women’s, men’s, and pair short programs. Friday, February 2, will feature the rhythm dance and women’s free program, while Saturday will feature the men’s and pairs free skate. The competition will wrap up on Sunday, February 4, with the free dance. 

Women 
Sara-Maude Dupuis | 18 | Montreal, Que. | Stephane Yvars | Boucherville, Que.
Justine Miclette | 17 | Chambly, Que. | Yvan Desjardins, Violaine Émard, Vanessa Sauriol | Chambly, Que.
Madeline Schizas | 19 | Oakville, Ont. | Nancy Lemaire & Derek Schmidt | Milton, Ont.      

Men 
Wesley Chiu | 18 | Vancouver, B.C. | Keegan Murphy & Eileen Murphy | Richmond, B.C.
Conrad Orzel | 23 | Toronto, Ont. | Ravi Walia | Edmonton, Alta. 
Roman Sadovsky | 24 | Vaughan, Ont. | Tracey Wainman & Grzegorz Filipowski | Richmond Hill, Ont.  

Pair 
Kelly Ann Laurin | 18 | St-Jérôme, Que. & Loucas Éthier | 23 | Deux-Montagnes, Que. | Stéphanie Valois | Rosemère, Que.  
Lia Pereira | 19 | Milton, Ont. & Trennt Michaud | 27 | Trenton, Ont. | Alison Purkiss & Nancy Lemaire| Milton, Ont.  
Deanna Stellato-Dudek | 40 | Chicago, USA & Maxime Deschamps | 32 | Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. | Josée Picard | Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.    

Ice Dance 
Laurence Fournier Beaudry | 31 | Montreal, Que. & Nikolaj Soerensen | 34 | Montreal, Que. | Marie-France Dubreuil & Patrice Lauzon | Montreal, Que.    
Piper Gilles | 32 | Toronto, Ont. & Paul Poirier | 32 | Unionville, Ont. | Carol Lane & Juris Razgulajevs | Scarborough, Ont.
Marie-Jade Lauriault | 27 | Ste-Anne-des-plaines, Que. & Romain Le Gac | 28 | Ste-Anne-des-plaines, Que. | Marie-France Dubreuil & Patrice Lauzon | Montreal, Que.  

Team Leaders – Mike Slipchuk & Shae Zukiwsky
Medical Team – Scott Fraser & Erika Persson
Officials – André-Marc Allain, Andrew Bosco, Glenn Fortin & Karen Howard  

For more information about the event, click here.