(February 27, 2004)

Ten-time Canadian Ice Dance Champions and 2003 World Ice Dance Champions Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz have been named finalists in the Partners of the Year category for the 31st Annual Canadian Sport Awards.

Bourne, 28, and Kraatz, 32, are coming off one of their best amateur seasons that was highlighted by their World Championship victory last March in Washington, D.C. Bourne and Kraatz’s victory in Washington put them in the record books as the first North American duo to ever win the World Ice Dance Championship title.

Bourne and Kraatz had a number of memorable moments throughout their skating career, including winning a total of six medals – one gold, one silver and four bronze – at the World Figure Skating Championships, and participating in both the 1998 and 2002 Winter Olympic Games, in which they placed fourth.

Now retired from skating, they are both still involved in the sport. Bourne has gone on to pursue a coaching career, and Kraatz has volunteered his time to work with some of Skate Canada’s international teams as a team manager.

Also nominated in the Partners of the Year category are the men’s rowing coxless four team and the men’s rowing eight team.

The 31st Annual Canadian Sport Awards will be presented on March 23, 2004 at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre in Toronto.