The Athletes

Senior Pair

Valérie Marcoux & Craig Buntin
2006 Canadian champions

The three-time Canadian Pair Champions Valérie Marcoux and Craig Buntin qualified for their first ISU Grand Prix Final after winning two bronze medals on the 2006-2007 ISU Grand Prix Series circuit. Boosted with their success on the international scene this season, Marcoux and Buntin, who began skating together in July 2002, go to Halifax determined to defend their national title and be crowned Canadian champions for a fourth consecutive year. They hope to use that momentum to get onto the podium at the 2007 ISU World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, in March. Marcoux started skating when she was three-years-old and was a singles skater until 1999, placing fifth in the junior women’s event at the 1999 national championships. Buntin began skating at the age of 10 and skated singles until he reached the sectional level.

Jessica Dubé & Bryce Davison
2006 Canadian silver medallists

In just three years, the pair team of Jessica Dubé and Bryce Davison, who teamed up in July of 2003, has made a significant mark on the international pair skating scene. Dubé and Davison had a very impressive 2005-2006 season. In addition to their silver medal at the national championships, they placed 10th at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games and seventh at the 2006 ISU World Figure Skating Championships. It was their first time competing at both events. Due to a knee injury to Dubé, the pair had to withdraw from both of their International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix events this season. Dubé and Davison are confident they will make a strong comeback at the national championships in Halifax. Parallel to their pair career, both Dubé and Davison are also competitive singles skaters at the national level. Davison will be competing in senior Men’s singles in Halifax.

Utako Wakamatsu & Jean-Sébastien Fecteau
2006 Canadian bronze medallists

Utako Wakamatsu and Jean-Sébastien Fecteau had two top-five finishes on this season’s ISU Grand Prix Series circuit, and will compete in Halifax with the highest step on the podium in mind. Placing as high as eighth at the world championships (2005), Wakamatsu and Fecteau have quickly climbed the international rankings since teaming up in 2003. Entering their third year on the Skate Canada national team, Wakamatsu and Fecteau have medalled in two of the three national championships in which they’ve participated. Wakamatsu, originally from Sendai, Japan, competed internationally as a singles skater for Japan before deciding to skate pairs with Fecteau. Fecteau, who skated both singles and pairs, but gave up singles skating to concentrate on pairs, was a member of the national team with Valérie Saurette before Saurette retired from eligible skating. Fecteau also does some coaching in his spare time.

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