2022–23 Canadian Pairs: News and Updates

[Colonel Green]

A rollercoaster quadrennial came to an end with a drama-filled season of accusations of betrayal and a surprise World medal, and now a new quadrennial begins. James & Radford have gone on to pro skating, while we say a fond farewell to Kirsten Moore-Towers, a staple of the scene for many, many seasons.

As far the future, the pairs discipline is kind of on life support globally at the moment, and the Canadian scene is not really an exception. Lots of question marks domestically, but also lots of opportunities for anyone ready to step up. I'm most interested in following McIntosh and Mimar in their transition to senior (it'll be a tall order for Brooke to keep place with her sister's explosive 2022), and the debut of Proft and Nadeau, the latter having followed years of FSU advice to switch disciplines.

National team
TBD

NextGen team
Ava Kemp & Yohnatan Elizarov
Lily Napier & Joshua Dore
Chloe Panetta & Kieran Thrasher
Ashlyn Schmitz & Tristan Taylor

 

[skategal]

I can’t wait to see Proft/Nadeau.

P.S. I just have to add….Deanna Stellato Canadian National Pairs Champion 2023.

 

[puglover]

I am so happy to see a Manitoba team on the NextGen Team!!

 

[Bouffantrex]

James & Radford have gone on to pro skating

Have James/Radford confirmed they aren't competing next season? Last I heard it seemed rather ambiguous. I hold out hope they decide to compete at Nationals and Worlds.

 

[Colonel Green]

Have James/Radford confirmed they aren't competing next season? Last I heard it seemed rather ambiguous. I hold out hope they decide to compete at Nationals and Worlds.

They haven’t formally announced it, but they were removed from the World Standings, which would only happen if the ISU was notified they had retired.

 

[Winnipeg]

Whatever happened to Justine Brasseur?

 

[danafan]

Whatever happened to Justine Brasseur?

She had partnered with Zachary Daleman and they skated in a few virtual events, but she recently announced her retirement from skating.

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[Sylvia]

Caidence Derenisky/Raine Eberl (SK) are registered to compete as the only Senior pair at the Skate Ontario Sectional Series #1 event in Waterloo, July 22-24.
All 4 NextGen Junior pairs are scheduled to compete there on July 23-24.

7 Senior pairs are registered to compete at the Quebec Summer Championships in Pierrefonds, August 6-7:
Émy Carignan/Bryan Pierro
Kelly Ann Laurin/Loucas Ethier
Lori-Ann Matte/Thierry Ferland
Brooke McIntosh/Benjamin Mimar (ON) - their SP was choreo. by David Wilson & FS choreo. by Carol Lane & Juris Razgulajevs
Emmanuelle Proft/Nicolas Nadeau - debut
Deanna Stellato/Maxime Deschamps
Elizabeth Thibodeau-Mailhot/Daniel Villeneuve

The 2 Junior pairs registered for Quebec are:
Ava Kemp/Yohnatan Elizarov (MB)
Martina Ariano Kent/Alexis Leduc - debut

Summer Homick & Marty Haubrich attended the Skate Ontario High Performance Camp last month: https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cejr1SPJAQp/

Walsh/Michaud's FS was choreographed by Carol Lane & Juris Razgulajevs (again) this year and they recently worked with Kaitlyn Weaver in NYC (new SP choreo?).

 

[shutterbug]

I am so happy to see a Manitoba team on the NextGen Team!!

Andrew Evans just posted an Insta story clip of Kemp/Elizarov working on a throw 3S. Not bad after only a year in pair skating!

It seems Skate Canada's National Pair Initiative is starting to bear fruit. Not only are Ava and Yohnatan a product of the program, but there were 13 pre-novice pair teams at last season's Challenge, and 7 pre-novice teams registered for Championnats québécois d'été this year. Interestingly, 4 of those 7 (plus 1 novice pair team) are from St. Margaret's SC in Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia. Who knew Nova Scotia would become a hotbed of pair skating?

 

[skategal]

Andrew Evans just posted an Insta story clip of Kemp/Elizarov working on a throw 3S. Not bad after only a year in pair skating!

It seems Skate Canada's National Pair Initiative is starting to bear fruit. Not only are Ava and Yohnatan a product of the program, but there were 13 pre-novice pair teams at last season's Challenge, and 7 pre-novice teams registered for Championnats québécois d'été this year. Interestingly, 4 of those 7 (plus 1 novice pair team) are from St. Margaret's SC in Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia. Who knew Nova Scotia would become a hotbed of pair skating?

I knew about the NS pairs incubator because my friend has a son in figure skating and his mom and coaches have been trying to get him to go into pairs for years here in NS. He keeps saying no.

She told me many of the kids are being encouraged towards pairs instead of singles as they don’t need to leave home at super early ages to progress and some training costs can be spilt between two families. As well some good pair coaches (don’t ask me who, I have no idea) have set up a practice here.

 

[emilieh]

I knew about the NS pairs incubator because my friend has a son in figure skating and his mom and coaches have been trying to get him to go into pairs for years here in NS. He keeps saying no.

She told me many of the kids are being encouraged towards pairs instead of singles as they don’t need to leave home at super early ages to progress and some training costs can be spilt between two families. As well some good pair coaches (don’t ask me who, I have no idea) have set up a practice here.

Here's a little bit from Jan 2021 about the pairs program in NS. John Mattatall is one of the coaches, he moved back after retiring from competition. http://skatecanada.ns.ca/2021/01/skate-canada-nova-scotias-growing-pairs-program/

 

[shutterbug]

As per Andrew Evans' most recent Instagram post, it seems Steven Adcock may have partnered with Hye Jin Cho from the Ice Palace Skating Club.

Here's a little bit from Jan 2021 about the pairs program in NS. John Mattatall is one of the coaches, he moved back after retiring from competition. http://skatecanada.ns.ca/2021/01/skate-canada-nova-scotias-growing-pairs-program/

Wonderful! I did a little sleuthing and noted John's LinkedIn profile lists him as Nova Scotia's coaching rep, so I was hoping he was involved.

 

[Colonel Green]

James & Radford have officially confirmed their retirement.

I look forward to Eric returning again in 2025.

 

[jmtfti]

If already posted, I missed it, but Kaitlyn Weaver has posted a few Instagram stories in the last couple of weeks (one can be seen in the "Choreography" highlights tab at the top of her Instagram) about choreographing something for Evelyn Walsh and Trennt Michaud.

 

[Sylvia]

^^^ I assume it's Walsh/Michaud's SP?

Walsh/Michaud's FS was choreographed by Carol Lane & Juris Razgulajevs (again) this year and they recently worked with Kaitlyn Weaver in NYC (new SP choreo?).

Natalia Zabiiako & Zachary Daleman are registered to compete as the only Senior pair at Skate Ontario Sectional Series #2 in Mississauga, August 18-21 (thanks for the heads up in the Kiss & Cry section, @shutterbug!): https://skateontario.org/results/23AUG/23AUGSeniorPairEL.pdf

 

[airgelaal]

Natalia Zabiiako & Zachary Daleman are registered to compete as the only Senior pair at Skate Ontario Sectional Series #2 in Mississauga, August 18-21 (thanks for the heads up in the Kiss & Cry section, @shutterbug!): https://skateontario.org/results/23AUG/23AUGSeniorPairEL.pdf

Kogan said that Canada is no longer interested in Zabiiako

Канада отозвала запрос по поводу выступления Забияко за их страну

Федерация фигурного катания Канады отозвала ранее отправленный запрос на выступление серебряного призера Олимпийских игр 2018 года в командных соревнованиях... РИА Новости Спорт, 19.07.2022

rsport.ria.ru

 

[4rkidz]

Kogan said that Canada is no longer interested in Zabiiako

Канада отозвала запрос по поводу выступления Забияко за их страну

Федерация фигурного катания Канады отозвала ранее отправленный запрос на выступление серебряного призера Олимпийских игр 2018 года в командных соревнованиях... РИА Новости Спорт, 19.07.2022

rsport.ria.ru

any reason why?

 

[Sk8mom123]

any reason why?

I am wondering that also. I've also seen some pair group photos on Skate Oakville and they are missing from the photos

 

[Gris]

FWIW as Russian FS forum is not the most credible source of information: The posts there say that Zabiiako has changed her idea and decided to live in Spain (where her girlfriend Daria Kasatkina resides AFAIK) instead.

Again, just FWIW, not sure how true this is.

 

[Sylvia]

FWIW as Russian FS forum is not the most credible source of information: The posts there say that Zabiiako has changed her idea and decided to live in Spain (where her girlfriend Daria Kasatkina resides AFAIK) instead.

An article (for context) was posted here yesterday (I also posted Zabiiako's tweet today in the Russia thread in PI): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/lgbtq-in-figure-skating.108407/page-3#post-6276129

ETA on July 20 from Russian media - “Natalia flew to Europe. I'm sorry, because she added every day,” TASS quotes coach Bruno Marcotte.

 

[Sylvia]

National team
TBD

Skate Canada announced the 4 pairs on the 2022-2023 National Team today (July 25) - link to the GSD thread: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/skate-canada-announces-2022-2023-national-team.109802/

Evelyn Walsh, 21, London, Ont. & Trennt Michaud, 25, Trenton, Ont. (this is their 5th straight season on the NT)
Deanna Stellato, 39, Chicago, Illinois, USA & Maxime Deschamps, 30, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. (first time! )
Lori-Ann Matte, 22, Lévis, Que. & Thierry Ferland, 23, Lévis, Que. (their 2nd season on the NT)
Brooke McIntosh, 17, Toronto, Ont. & Benjamin Mimar, 21, Terrebonne, Que. (first time! )

Grand Prix Assignments (1 TBD pair at Skate Canada International):

Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps: #1 Skate America in Norwood, MA & #3 in Angers, France
Walsh/Michaud: #2 Skate Canada International & #4 MK John Wilson Trophy in Sheffield GBR
McIntosh/Mimar: #2 Skate Canada International & #5 NHK Trophy in Sapporo, JPN
Matte/Ferland: #4 MK John Wilson Trophy in Sheffield GBR & #6 in Espoo FIN

ETA that Skate Canada tweeted the total scores & photos of the top 3 of 4 pairs in the NextGen Camp's competition simulation that finished on Sunday (Panetta/Thrasher deliberately skipped some elements due to her injury): https://twitter.com/SkateCanada/status/1551406391587491840

 

[Colonel Green]

In a bit of a surprise, Evelyn has announced that she's retiring. She'll be focusing on university. Trennt intends to seek a new partner and continue on.

 

[shutterbug]

In a bit of a surprise, Evelyn has announced that she's retiring. She'll be focusing on university. Trennt intends to seek a new partner and continue on.

Did not see this one coming......

 

[4rkidz]

yes Skate Canada posted it earlier. I'm glad Trennt is going to continue - so any suggestions for a new pair partner?

 

[danafan]

I was just coming to post that wow. There was already a TBD for Skate Canada International and this opens up another spot, but I wonder if there are enough pairs in Canada to fill those spots.

 

[Habs]

Wow. This surprises me. Didn't they post on social not long ago about working on their new programs?

Trennt is such a good pairs skater. I hope he can find a partner and continue.

 

[Karen-W]

WOW! Did not see THIS coming, especially since they received GP assignments. Good luck to Trennt - hopefully he can find a new partner soon.

 

[Colonel Green]

Wow. This surprises me. Didn't they post on social not long ago about working on their new programs?

Yes, they were getting choreo from Lane & Razgulajevs.

It's surprising for a decision like this to be made this late in the off-season, but I'd guess she realized that the motivation just wasn't there. That can be hard to reckon with, but once you've gotten to that point, it's hard to do anything but retire.

 

[RoseRed]

I was just coming to post that wow. There was already a TBD for Skate Canada International and this opens up another spot, but I wonder if there are enough pairs in Canada to fill those spots.

There are four senior teams in the start order at the Quebec event who don't currently have GP spots (Proft/Nadeau, Laurin/Ethier, Carigan/Pierro and Thibodeau‐Mailhot/Villeneu), so I do think they can fill two host spots if they want to. Now I don't know what level all those pairs will be at and which ones SC will decide are ready to be sent out. We'll probably have a better idea after this weekend when we see them compete.

 

[Sylvia]

Yes, they were getting choreo from Lane & Razgulajevs.

And worked with Kaitlyn Weaver in NYC before Canada Day.

It's surprising for a decision like this to be made this late in the off-season, but I'd guess she realized that the motivation just wasn't there. That can be hard to reckon with, but once you've gotten to that point, it's hard to do anything but retire.

Yes, sometimes skaters need extra time to decide whather or not they have enough desire to continue for another season (or 4). All the best to Evelyn at university!