Canadian team headed to Seoul for 2015 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships

OTTAWA, ON: Canada will send 12 entries, for a total of 18 athletes, to the 2015 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul, Korea. The event takes place from February 10-15, 2015, at the Mokdong Ice Rink. The Canadian team will have three entries per category in men’s, ladies, pair and ice dance.

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

Also representing Canada in pair, Lubov Ilyushechkina, 23, Moscow, Russia, and Dylan Moscovitch, 30, Toronto, Ont., will be competing at this event for the first time since teaming up in the summer of 2014. This season, the representatives of the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club won gold at the Warsaw Cup and silver at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Ilyusheshkina and Moscovitch are coached by Lee Barkell, Bryce Davison, and Tracy Wilson.

Kirsten Moore-Towers, 22, St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro, 23, Sarnia, Ont., will be the third Canadian entry in pair. Both skaters have competed at this event with previous partners, but this will be their first time competing at this event together since teaming up in June of 2014. This season, the representatives of Kitchener-Waterloo SC and Point Edward SC placed sixth at Skate Canada International, seventh at Trophée Eric Bompard, and fourth at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Moore-Towers and Marinaro are coached by Kristy Wirtz and Kris Wirtz at the Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club.

World silver medallists Kaitlyn Weaver, 25, Waterloo, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 27, Waterloo, Ont., are the first of three Canadian entries in ice dance. This will be their sixth time competing at this event, previously winning gold in 2010 and bronze in 2012. This season they won gold at Skate Canada International, the NHK Trophy, and the ISU Grand Prix Final. The 2015 Canadian champions representing Sault FSC and Kitchener-Waterloo SC, Weaver and Poje are coached by Pasquale Camerlengo and Angelika Krylova in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Piper Gilles, 23, Toronto, Ont., and Paul Poirier, 23, Unionville, Ont., are the second Canadian entry in ice dance. Last season, they won silver at this event. This season, they captured silver medals at both their grand prix assignments, Skate Canada International and Trophée Eric Bompard, and placed fifth at the ISU Grand Prix Finals. Representing Scarboro FSC, the three-time Canadian medallists 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 also represent Canada in ice dance. They previously competed at this event in 2012, placing sixth. This season, they placed fifth at the Cup of China, and sixth at Trophée Eric Bompard. Representing the Barrie SC, Paul and Islam train at the Detroit Skating Club with coaches Pasquale Camerlengo, Angelika Krylova, and Natalia Deller.

Newly crowned Canadian champion Nam Nguyen, 16, Toronto, Ont., is the first of three Canadian entries in men’s. Last year, Nguyen placed 10th at this event. This season, he won bronze at Skate America, and placed fourth at the Cup of China. The 2014 world junior champion is coached by Brian Orser and Ernest Pryhitka at the Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club.

Jeremy Ten, 25, Vancouver, B.C., will also represent Canada in men’s. Ten has previously competed at this event in 2009, 2012, and 2014 placing seventh, 14th, and ninth, respectively. This season, the representative of Grandview Skating Club placed eighth at the NHK Trophy and 10th at the Rostelecom Cup. The 2015 Canadian silver medallist is coached by Joanne McLeod and Neil Wilson at the Champs International Skating Centre.

Liam Firus, 22, North Vancouver, B.C., is the third Canadian entry in men’s. This will be his first time competing at this event. This season, the representative of Vancouver SC placed 11th at Skate Canada International and won the bronze medal at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Firus is coached by Christy Krall in Colorado Springs, CO, USA.

In ladies, 2015 Canadian champion Gabrielle Daleman, 17, Newmarket, Ont., is one of three Canadian entries. This will be her first time competing at this event. This season, the representative of Richmond Hill FSC placed fifth at the Cup of China, and sixth at the NHK Trophy. Daleman is coached by Andrei Berezintsev and Inga Zusev and trains at the Richmond Training Centre in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Alaine Chartrand, 18, Prescott, Ont., will also represent Canada in the ladies category. Last year, she placed seventh at this event. Earlier this season, she won bronze at the Rostelecom Cup, and placed seventh at Skate Canada International. Most recently, she won silver at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Chartrand is coached by Michelle Leigh and represents the Nepean Skating Club.

Véronik Mallet, 20, Sept-Îles, Que., rounds out the Canadian entries in the ladies division. Last season, she placed 13th at this event. This season, the representative of CPA Sept-Îles placed 10th at both of her Grand Prix assignments, Skate Canada International and Trophée Eric Bompard. Mallet is coached by Annie Barabé and Maximin Coïa at CTC Contrecoeur.

Skate Canada High Performance Director Mike Slipchuk will be onsite with the Canadian team. Petra Burka of Toronto, Ont., and Cynthia Ullmark of Canmore, Alta., will be the team leaders for this event. Dr. Ed Pilat of Winnipeg, Man., will be the Canadian team doctor and Josiane Roberge of Sillery Que., will be the team physiotherapist.

Canadian officials at the event are Susan Blatz of Burlington, Ont., Janice Hunter of West Vancouver, B.C., Karen Butcher of Greely, Ont., and Leanna Caron of Timmins, Ont.

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

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2015 ISU FOUR CONTINENTS FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS