News

Three-Way Battle Brewing For Bronze

By Laurie Nealin
Reporting for Skate Canada

HALIFAX -- A three-way battle is shaping up for the third ice-dance berth available for the 2007 ISU World Championships in Tokyo in March.

After the compulsory dance round at the BMO Canadian Championships, world silver medallist ice dancers Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon appear to be unbeatable in their quest for a fifth national title. Their score of 41.16 points gave them a comfortable lead ahead of reigning world junior champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, whose 34.98 points for their Golden Waltz gives them a firm hold on second spot.

Quebec-based Chantal Lefebvre and Arseny Markov are third (30.82), the B.C./Manitoba pairing of Lauren Senft and Leif Gislason fourth (30.70) and Ottawa natives Siobhan Karam and Joshua McGrath fifth (29.00).

The second, fourth and fifth-ranked teams all train together in Canton, Michigan, under the direction of Igor Shpilband and Marina Zoueva.

"It's exciting for us to come here. We feel a little bit like parents," said Dubreuil, 32, who trains in France. "It's exciting to see what's under us (in the standings.)"

Virtue, 17, and Moir, 19, are the youngest among the podium contenders but favourites for the silver medal here.

"It's a different role than last year when we were definitely the underdogs trying to make the Olympic team," Moir said of their feisty third-place finish in 2006 which means the rest of the field is now chasing them.

Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe, who edged Virtue and Moir for the ticket to Turin, have since retired.

"We like to think we're still chasing Patrice and Marie-France, the best in the world, so obviously we still have more work to do so we can catch them," added Moir, who came very close to upsetting Wing and Lowe for the coveted Olympic team berth a year ago.

The ice dancers compete again tomorrow and Sunday.


Copyright 2007 Laurie Nealin - This article may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission of the author.