Press Room: News Releases

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 

Canadian Skaters Compete in International Development Event

(February 16, 2001 - Gloucester, ON ) Four singles skaters will compete at the Mladost Trophy in Zagreb, Croatia from February 22 - 24, 2001, Skate Canada announced today.

The athletes have been assigned to the event by Skate Canada as part of an on-going initiative to offer further competitive opportunity to younger athletes.

Competing in the Ladies event are Courtney Sokal and Marie-Luc Jodoin, both of whom stood on the podium in the Junior Ladies category at the 2001 Bank of Montreal Canadian Championships.

Sokal, from Calgary, Alberta, finished second at the national championships, after finishing fourth in the short program and first in the free skate. This was her second time on a national podium in as many years, after finishing second in the Novice event in 2000. She trains at the Glencoe Club in Calgary under coach Michael Slipchuk, himself a former World and Olympic competitor. The 15-year old competed on the Junior Grand Prix Circuit last fall, finishing 13th at the Ukrainian Souvenir.

The third-place finisher from the national championships, Marie-Luc Jodoin of Trois-Rivières, Québec, also competed on the Junior Grand Prix circuit this season, finishing eighth at the event in Gdansk, Poland. Jodoin, who trains with Manon Perron and Nathalie Martin at CPA Trois-Rivières Ouest, recently turned 16. Like Sokal, Jodoin also stood on the national podium at the Novice level in 2000, finishing third.

Competing in the Men's event are Keegan Murphy and Alexandre Hamel.

Murphy, a 15-year old from Garibaldi Highlands, British Columbia, is currently ranked sixth in the country at the Junior level. He represents the Squamish Skating Club where he is coached by his mother, Eileen Murphy. This is Murphy's first appearance at the Mladost Trophy, though he has competed internationally on three previous occasions. He has completed twice at the Triglav Trophy, another international development event held each year, where he finished ninth in the Junior event last year, and on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit - finishing 19th at the Piruetten Cup in Norway in 1999.

Murphy is joined by 17-year old Alexandre Hamel. Hamel, who lives and trains in Boucherville, Québec, finished eighth at the 2001 Bank of Montreal Canadian Championships coming from 17th place in the short program with the seventh best free skate of the day. This is Hamel's first international event in Europe; he has competed in two North American Challenge Skate events. He is coached by Josée Normand and Daniel Berger.

Representing Canada as an official at this event is Leslie Keen. Keen, originally from Calgary, Alberta, currently resides in London, England. The Canadian Team Manager is Carol Hopper of Owen Sound, Ontario.