(March 14, 2006)

Two Canadian men placed in the top-10 at the 2006 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Patrick Chan, who stood third after the short program, was sixth in the free skate to finish sixth overall. The 2005 Canadian Junior Champion, who skated first in the final group, landed five triple jumps, including a triple toeloop-triple toeloop combination, but missed a triple Axel and a triple Lutz. His overall score of 168.19 was a new personal best.

Chan’s placement this year was an improvement on his seventh-place finish at the 2005 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Reynolds, who was competing in his first world junior championship, was 11th after the short program. He delivered a very strong free skate, which included a quadruple Salchow and a triple Lutz-triple toeloop-double toeloop combination, to place fifth in that portion of the event and seventh overall. Reynolds’ technical elements mark of 66.12 in the free skate was the highest technical elements score of all the competitors in the free skate. His overall score of 165.14 was a new personal best.

Takahiko Kozuka, of Japan, won the junior world title with a combined score of 180.05. Russia’s Sergei Voronov was second with a total of 172.92 points, while France’s Yannick Ponsero won the bronze medal with a total score of 170.97.

The strong finish from both Chan and Reynolds secured three sports for Canada in the men’s event at next year’s world junior championships.

Canada will also send thee ice dance teams, two pair teams and one lady to the 2007 event based on the Canadian performances at the Halla Tivoli in Ljubljana, Slovenia.