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Canadian team set to compete in 2004 ISU World Figure Skating Championships

Representing Canada in the Ladies event is 18-year-old Joannie Rochette. Rochette, of Ile Dupas, Que., won the silver medal in the Senior Ladies event at the 2004 BMO Financial Group Canadian Championships. Last year was Rochette's first time competing at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships. She finished the event in 17th place. Rochette gained international experience this season, competing in two ISU Grand Prix events. She placed fourth at the 2003 Cup of Russia Gallina Blanca, and placed 10th at the 2003 MasterCard Skate Canada International. Rochette also competed at the 2003 Bofrost Cup on Ice, a senior international event, where she won the gold medal. In addition, Rochette competed in the 2004 ISU Four Continents Championships, in which she placed fourth. Manon Perron and Nathalie Martin coach Rochette out of the Club de Patinage Artistique St-Leonard.

Joining Rochette in the Ladies event is Jennifer Robinson. Robinson, 27, of Windsor, Ont., won the bronze medal in the Senior Ladies event at the 2004 BMO Financial Group Canadian Championships. Robinson placed ninth at the 2003 ISU World Figure Skating Championships. She competed in two ISU Grand Prix events this season - the 2003 MasterCard Skate Canada International, where she finished in fifth-place, and the 2003 Cup of China, in which she placed ninth. Robinson also competed in the 2004 ISU Four Continents Championships, where she finished in fifth-place. Robinson is a six-time Canadian Ladies Champion. Michelle Leigh coaches Robinson at the Mariposa School of Skating in Barrie, Ont.

Representing Canada in the Men's event is 23-year-old Emanuel Sandhu, of Richmond Hill, Ont., who captured the gold medal in the Senior Men's event at the 2004 BMO Financial Group Canadian Championships. Sandhu placed eighth at last year's ISU World Figure Skating Championships. He has had an impressive season so far, winning the gold medal at the ISU Grand Prix Final, where he beat 2003 World Champion Evgeni Plushenko. He also won the silver medal at the 2004 ISU Four Continents Championships. Sandhu competed in two ISU Grand Prix events this season, placing fourth at the 2003 MasterCard Skate Canada International, and finishing in fifth-place at the 2003 Cup of China. Sandhu is aiming for a podium finish at this year's ISU World Figure Skating Championships. Joanne McLeod coaches Sandhu out of the BC Centre of Excellence in Burnaby, B.C.

Also representing Canada in the Men's event is Ben Ferreira. Ferreira, 24, of Edmonton, won the silver medal in the Senior Men's event in front of a hometown crowd at the 2004 BMO Financial Group Canadian Championships. This will be Ferreira's first trip to the ISU World Figure Skating Championships since 2002, when he placed 15th. Ferreira competed in a number of international events this season. He placed seventh at the 2004 ISU Four Continents Championships, and he also competed in two ISU Grand Prix events, the 2003 NHK Trophy and the 2003 Cup of Russia Gallina Blanca, in which he placed sixth and seventh, respectively. Doug and Michelle Leigh coach Ferreira at the Mariposa School of Skating.

Representing Canada in the Pair event is the team of Valerie Marcoux and Craig Buntin. The 23-year-old Marcoux, of Gatineau, Que., and Buntin, 23, of Kelowna, B.C., won the gold medal in the Senior Pair event at the 2004 BMO Financial Group Canadian Championships. Marcoux and Buntin gained international experience this season, winning the bronze medal at the 2004 ISU Four Continents Championships. They also competed in two ISU Grand Prix events, finishing in fourth-place at the 2003 Cup of Russia Gallina Blanca, and placing seventh at the 2003 MasterCard Skate Canada International. Marcoux and Buntin competed at the 2003 Bofrost Cup on Ice, in which they won the gold medal. Richard Gauthier and Manon Perron coach Marcoux and Buntin out of the Club de Patinage Artistique St-Leonard.

Joining Marcoux and Buntin in the Pair event are Anabelle Langlois and Patrice Archetto. Langlois, 22, of Grand Mére, Que., and Archetto, 31, of Montreal, won the silver medal in the Senior Pair event at the 2004 BMO Financial Group Canadian Championships. The duo competed at last year's ISU World Figure Skating Championships, where they finished a personal best fifth-place. They added to their international experience this season, competing in three ISU Grand Prix events. They won the silver medal at the 2003 NHK Trophy, and placed fourth at both the 2003 MasterCard Skate Canada International and the 2003 Trophée Lalique. On the strength of their strong results on the ISU Grand Prix circuit, Langlois and Archetto qualified for the ISU Grand Prix Final, in which they placed fourth. The duo is currently ranked fourth in the ISU world standings. Jan Ullmark coaches Langlois and Archetto at the Royal Glenora Club in Edmonton.

Representing Canada in the Ice Dance event are Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon. Dubreuil, 29, of Montreal, and Lauzon, 28, of Boisbriand, Que., won the gold medal in the Senior Ice Dance event at the 2004 BMO Financial Group Canadian Championships. They placed 10th at the 2003 ISU World Figure Skating Championships. The duo competed at a number of international events this season. They captured the silver medal at the 2004 ISU Four Continents Championships. Dubreuil and Lauzon also competed in two ISU Grand Prix events, winning the silver medal at the 2003 Trophée Lalique, and capturing the bronze medal at the 2003 MasterCard Skate Canada International. Dubreuil and Lauzon's strong performance on the ISU Grand Prix circuit qualified them for the ISU Grand Prix Final, at which they placed sixth. The duo also competed at the 2003 Bofrost Cup on Ice, where they won the gold medal. Muriel Boucher-Zazoui coaches Dubreuil and Lauzon in Lyon, France.

Joining Dubreuil and Lauzon in the Ice Dance event is the team of Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe. Wing, 28, and Lowe, 29, both of Vancouver, won the silver medal in the Senior Ice Dance event at the 2004 BMO Financial Group Canadian Championships. They also competed at the 2003 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, at which they placed 12th. This season, Wing and Lowe have competed in a number of international events. The duo won the bronze medal at the 2004 ISU Four Continents Championships. In addition, Wing and Lowe competed in two ISU Grand Prix events, placing fifth at both the 2003 MasterCard Skate Canada International and the 2003 NHK Trophy. Igor Shpilband and Marina Zoueva coach Wing and Lowe in Detroit.

Also taking to the ice in the Ice Dance event are Josée Piché and Pascal Denis. The 29-year-old Piché, of Le Gardeur, Que., and Denis, 28, of Repentigny, Que., placed fourth in the Senior Ice Dance event at the 2004 BMO Financial Group Canadian Championships. This will be the duo's first time competing in the ISU World Figure Skating Championships. Piché and Denis added to their international experience this season, placing seventh at the 2004 ISU Four Continents Championships. They also competed in two ISU Grand Prix events, finishing in fifth-place at the 2003 Cup of China, and placing 10th at the 2003 MasterCard Skate Canada International. Bruno Yvars and Martine Patenaude coach Piché and Denis out of the Boucherville Centre Elite.

The Canadian officials at the event are Jean Senft, of Barrie, Ont., Ottawa's Elizabeth Clark, and Sally Rehorick, of Fredericton. The team managers are Skate Canada National Teams Director Gayle McClellend, and William Thompson, of Kitchener, Ont. The medical staff travelling to the event are Dr. Don Newhouse, of Kamloops, B.C., and Colin Moore, of Charlottetown.

Skate Canada, the national governing body responsible for the development and administration of figure skating in Canada, is the largest figure skating association in the world. With skating programs for athletes of all ages, offered at 1,475 clubs and schools across the country, Skate Canada is an association dedicated to providing every Canadian the opportunity to experience the passion, spirit and triumph of skating. Primarily self-supporting, Skate Canada is able to provide direct athlete funding, which reaches approximately 1 in 7 competitive athletes and 1 in 3 synchronized skating teams each year through various training and performance-related grants.