2022–23 Canadian Pairs: News and Updates

[Karen-W]

Interesting at M/M not going to 4CC, I wonder if there’s some behind the scenes reason for that. Because otherwise it’s quite anomalous not to send the silver medalists.

My working theory is that Skate Canada wants to give Laurin/Ethier a chance to earn the Worlds SP TES min, which would then give them a Worlds alternate that isn't currently injured (Matte/Ferland), and they want to get Pereira/Michaud out in front of the international judges again before Worlds, which makes sense since they've only competed once internationally. If SDDes were set on going to 4CCs then McInMim would have been the obvious sacrificial lambs.

 

[RoseRed]

Interesting at M/M not going to 4CC, I wonder if there’s some behind the scenes reason for that. Because otherwise it’s quite anomalous not to send the silver medalists.

I think it's as simple as wanting to send both Pereira/Michaud (so they got another international before Worlds) and Laurin/Ethier (so they got an assignment given how close it was a Nats, and also a chance to get Worlds minimums to be an alternate, like @Karen-W said) and there only being 3 spots.

 

[Stephanie]

Laurin/Ethier could have been sent to Challenge Cup for the minimums, it didn’t have to be 4CC’s.

 

[honey]

I kind of get the logic, if that is what SC was thinking in trying to get L/E a chance for their minimums. But as was mentioned, they didn’t need to send them to 4CC to do it. If I were M/M I think I would be seething at placing second and not getting the 4CC spot.

 

[Karen-W]

Laurin/Ethier could have been sent to Challenge Cup for the minimums, it didn’t have to be 4CC’s.

I kind of get the logic, if that is what SC was thinking in trying to get L/E a chance for their minimums. But as was mentioned, they didn’t need to send them to 4CC to do it. If I were M/M I think I would be seething at placing second and not getting the 4CC spot.

True enough, but it's also an opportunity to earn more WS points as well as improve on the SB Top 75 and that will affect potential GP assignments next season.

Looking at the Canadian pairs on the ISU SB list right now -
3 - Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps
13 - Pereira/Michaud
15 - McIntosh/Mimar
27 - Laurin/Ethier

And the Canadian pairs WS rankings -
10 - Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps
21 - McIntosh/Mimar
33 - Panetta/Thrasher
36 - Laurin/Ethier

McInMim are looking pretty solid to remain in the SB Top 24 and WS Top 24, which should ensure they get two GPs next season. Laurin/Ethier have a chance, if they skate as well as they did at Challenge and Nats, of improving their SB to move into the Top 24, which would guarantee them at least one GP next season, possibly two.

 

[skategal]

There is always the possibility that M/M declined 4CCs for some reason that the fans aren’t privy too (and don’t need to know about.)

 

[RoseRed]

I imagine (assuming M/M didn't decline the spot), that SC doesn't only want L/E to get a chance at the minimums. As @Karen-W said, there are also SB and WS points. But additionally, competing at an ISU championship would be great experience for them, and Challenge Cup would obviously not be comparable. Honestly, I would think that the experience would be the most important part of the assignment.

 

[Skateforlive]

I imagine (assuming M/M didn't decline the spot), that SC doesn't only want L/E to get a chance at the minimums. As @Karen-W said, there are also SB and WS points. But additionally, competing at an ISU championship would be great experience for them, and Challenge Cup would obviously not be comparable. Honestly, I would think that the experience would be the most important part of the assignment.

From what I heard , M/M decline to go to four continents to get some rest before Wolrds.

 

[Sylvia]

The new national champions Deanna & Maxime spoke with Ted Flett for Golden Skate (uploaded on January 19): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia6hPkPlGlA

 

[Colonel Green]

Having watched the nationals performances a few more times, I have to say, it's been a long time since I've thought we had a woman in pairs with as much potential as Lia.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Cant Remember is Justine Brasseur still trying to find a partner? Skating? Or done?

 

[greenapple]

Cant Remember is Justine Brasseur still trying to find a partner? Skating? Or done?

She announced her retirement on Instagram in January 2022.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

She announced her retirement on Instagram in January 2022.

damn all sorts of retirements I have missed . Oh wait this was a year ago? I was so hoping to see her go far. Could she not find a reliable partner?

 

[shutterbug]

Having watched the nationals performances a few more times, I have to say, it's been a long time since I've thought we had a woman in pairs with as much potential as Lia.

Speaking of Lia...Purkiss 'thrilled' with her skaters' results at nationals

Last July, Michaud was without a partner after Evelyn Walsh announced she would step away from skating. Pereira, who skated with Purkiss several years ago as a novice, had lost her previous partner a while ago. After Walsh’s announcement, the coach thought about pairing Michaud, who was born in Belleville, and Pereira, who is a Milton native.

“I had it in the back of my mind about a week after Evelyn made her decision, that we should do that tryout,” said Purkiss. “And right from the get-go I could tell it was going to work.”

Pereira and Michaud have earned a spot on Canada’s international team that will compete at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championship in February in the U.S. and at the World Figure Skating Championships in Japan in March.

“This year, we’re going for experience,” Purkiss said about the expectation for those large events.

“We always joke that Lia learns 100 new things a day. Being able to put that stuff together at competitions is another step in their development.”

She said the ultimate goals is the Milano Cortina Winter Games.

“We hope to keep building into the 2026 Olympic season and hopefully they’re peaking for that.”

 

[Andora]

Having watched the nationals performances a few more times, I have to say, it's been a long time since I've thought we had a woman in pairs with as much potential as Lia.

Couldn't agree more. She's got star potential in spades. I'd also note she seems very cheerful, possibly unfazed by all the brouhaha around her, which is fantastic for both her and Trent.

 

[nuage]

Speaking of Lia...Purkiss 'thrilled' with her skaters' results at nationals

It also talks about Homick/Haubrich possibly having to split due to age ineligibility. (Her senior and him Junior).

 

[fan]

It also talks about Homick/Haubrich possibly having to split due to age ineligibility. (Her senior and him Junior).

i think it's great that they recognize this is a possibility and might help develop both of their skills more than if they stayed together

 

[nuage]

i think it's great that they recognize this is a possibility and might help develop both of their skills more than if they stayed together

Yes, if they are unable to compete together, they need to do that. I just wasn’t aware they were unable to compete internationally.

 

[Rock2]

Do we know if Deanna is feeling better? She seemed to be in better health in the short at 4CC, but quick search, and I can't immediately find anything.

 

[honey]

Do we know if Deanna is feeling better? She seemed to be in better health in the short at 4CC, but quick search, and I can't immediately find anything.

She said she’s been feeling better since week and that she got a proper diagnosis after nationals. I’m happy that she is feeling better!

https://twitter.com/goldenskate/status/1624146717015740425?s=46&t=GztABVKpAUWY4TXnm9Zq-w

 

[~tapdancer~]

Just watched the Pairs FS from 4CC, Lia and Trennt were great! Love their program and it was skated well. They ended up 4th which I think is a great result especially for not much time together. They were made to skate together and Trent seems so happy, much more expression than I have ever seen from him. Lia is a star!

 

[screech]

Just watched the Pairs FS from 4CC, Lia and Trennt were great! Love their program and it was skated well. They ended up 4th which I think is a great result especially for not much time together. They were made to skate together and Trent seems so happy, much more expression than I have ever seen from him. Lia is a star!

Their FP and total score are actually higher than ANY score he ever received with Evelyn, which kind of blows my mind (and their SP score was less than half a point off his best SP with Evelyn).
Kudos to Deanna and Max for putting in the triple salchow.

 

[Ena Grins]

I'm at 4CC live and was very impressed by Pereira/Michaud. They do not at all look like a pair who teamed up less than a year ago.

Edited to correct the spelling of Lia's name, which is the bare minimum if I'm going to be rooting for a team.

 

[clairecloutier]

An interview with Pereira/Michaud that I did at 4CCs:

Lia Pereira & Trennt Michaud: A perfect match - Figure Skaters Online

By Claire Cloutier, Team FSO contributing writer Photos by Robin Ritoss Trennt Michaud is a familiar face to pairs skating fans. The 26-year-old has represented Canada internationally since 2014, first in junior pairs with Hope MacLean and then in seniors with Evelyn Walsh. Last season, Walsh...

figureskatersonline.com

 

[AYS]

Thanks @clairecloutier Nice interview - they sound like they're very happy so far in the partnership! They're super promising, I really enjoyed both their 4CCs performances.

 

[~tapdancer~]

An interview with Pereira/Michaud that I did at 4CCs:

Lia Pereira & Trennt Michaud: A perfect match - Figure Skaters Online

By Claire Cloutier, Team FSO contributing writer Photos by Robin Ritoss Trennt Michaud is a familiar face to pairs skating fans. The 26-year-old has represented Canada internationally since 2014, first in junior pairs with Hope MacLean and then in seniors with Evelyn Walsh. Last season, Walsh...

figureskatersonline.com

Awesome interview! They are really on track and I am hoping for great things for them! They may be working on their connection, but I already see it with them, comes naturally. I know it will just get better.

 

[kalamalka]

This sounds like a very healthy pair's partnership relationship - and the pair is really promising. Also glad that the communication between coaches is so positive.

 

[Sylvia]

CTV Regina's news story on Ashlyn Schmitz & Tristan Taylor - Saskatchewan figure skaters capture bronze medal in first Junior Grand Prix [in Riga] - also featuring their coach, David Schultz (Sept. 20): https://regina.ctvnews.ca/saskatchewan-figure-skaters-capture-bronze-medal-in-first-junior-grand-prix-1.6076714

Regina Leader-Post article on Ashlyn Schmitz & Tristan Taylor before they make their debut at Junior Worlds this week in Calgary:

Schmitz, Taylor reach figure skating heights despite personal challenges

The Regina pair will be representing Canada in pairs at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Calgary next week.

leaderpost.com

Excerpts:

Robert Taylor, Tristan’s 59-year-old father, died in September. [...]
“He was a well-known person and everyone in skating knew who he was,’’ Tristan Taylor said. “He was a big fan of skating, so skating was a big distraction for me during that time. Honestly, it gave me something to do because it was kind of consuming everything. It was a good outlet for me for a little while there.” [...]
They were competing in their first Junior ISU Grand Prix in Riga, Latvia, while Robert Taylor was in the hospital. They finished third in that event before returning to Regina in time for Tristan to say farewell to his dad.

The two have been concentrating on the upcoming world championships. They recently travelled to Calgary for a pre-competition staging camp.
“A world championship on your home soil … it’s going to be unbelievable to hear their name called representing Canada,” David Schultz said.
“We’re trying to prepare them for that here at home. It’s a difficult thing until you feel it and until you hear a Canadian crowd behind you. I think they’ll look back on this when they’re finished their careers as, ‘Wow, we were at the right place at the right time.’ ’’

Also, here's a CBC article & video interview with them from earlier this month: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/schmitz-taylor-sask-figure-skating-1.6745101

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting here from the Pairs Discussion thread since I enjoyed Kemp/Elizarov's skating at Junior Worlds :

I am so happy for Ava Kemp and Yohatan Elizarov who placed 5th in both segments and ended up 6th overall at Junior Worlds skating mostly here in Winnipeg and representing Manitoba. I know Canada is a strong federation and most Canadian kids skate but Manitoba is not a figure skating destination. When my kids skated here in the "90's Brandon had a strong club and the Winnipeg Winter Club had a strong skating club, along with other rinks. Things have changed. Three cheers for the coaches who have continued to keep the sport alive here and skaters who take the resources at hand and make the best of it. Four of my children skated to various levels of success but I know they all benefitted hugely from their time in the sport. Also, happy to cheer for a wonderful team from Regina coached by David Schultz. My heart is full!!

ETA @kalamalka's reply to @puglover:

I too am very happy for Kemp and Elizarov. It's a great accomplishment for first year juniors, and they have a couple more years of eligibility. They caught my eye as novices last year, and they've made a lot of progress just since the beginning of the season.
(also cheers to the MB coaches - I've noticed other good young skaters coming out of there recently)

https://twitter.com/x/status/1631514254896504835

Full caption reads:

Ava Kemp / Yonathan Elizarov PB 149.03 “We have mixed feelings about this FP, but we are happy with what we achieved. Of course it’s also cool to be the best Canadian pair and skating here at home was a fun experience overall. We are looking forward to go back to work and improve on our triple jumps!”

 

[shutterbug]

Recent feature about Brooke and Summer McIntosh from Olympics.com: A Canadian sister act: The rise of Brooke and Summer McIntosh in two very different sports

It’s their mutual understanding, however, that has helped the sisters along in their paths as international athletes in two vastly different sports: They don’t often talk about specifics from their training day or go over their pre-competition plans, but having the other there to understand just what they’re going through is... priceless.

“We know each other well enough to know when we don't want to talk about [training],” said Brooke. “If one of us comes home from a practice that wasn’t amazing, the other one probably knows you don't want to talk about it. You just want to be distracted and go do something else, like the mall... yeah, usually it’s the mall.”

The sisters are thankful for each other, however, and Brooke – even as the older sister – has watched her younger sibling with an athlete’s eye, always open to the learnings she can glean, as well.

“I think we can learn a lot from each other,” she said. “Being able to learn from not only mine but also Summer’s experience... that's really good.”

As an only child I never gave much thought to the sibling experience, but having a glimpse into the the supportive and loving relationship these two you women have, for the first time I feel I missed out on something special.


Article about 2023 Canada Winter Games pre novice pair gold medalist Julia Xia and Keith Lau from the Winnipeg Free Press (registration require to read full article): Manitoba strikes gold at Canada Winter Games

Manitoba’s Julia Xiao and Keith Lau struck Canada Winter Games gold in figure skating pairs pre-novice mix event Friday at the Eliyahu Wellness Centre in P.E.I.

With the pair’s first-place finish, their cumulative score of 105.53 is a Canadian record for this event. In the short program, they scored 39.31 and in the free program, they scored 66.22.

“It feels really good to medal, I wasn’t expecting it. The biggest highlight is this! Winning first place, and my favourite part was the lifts and twists,” said Lau, 17.

Added Julia, 11: “It feels very nice to break the record, we didn’t know right away. I knew I could do it, so I just trusted myself. My favourite part of the skate was landing the third double Lutz, because it had been the element that was the hardest one all week.”

A shame that this isn't really a viable team given the age gap. Hopefully they'll find more suitably aged partners and continue in the the discipline.

Re-posting here from the Pairs Discussion thread since I enjoyed Kemp/Elizarov's skating at Junior Worlds :

Pre Junior Worlds article by Laurie Nealin: Winnipeg Pair Skaters Eager To Take On World

“This season, our goal was just for one international (assignment) and we got to worlds, so we’re kinda just grateful for that,” Elizarov (who goes by Yoni) said, ahead of their departure.

“It’s a surprise for us, but we put in the work — a lot of training sessions, a lot of dedication and a lot of help from other people,” he added, referencing the fact neither the young athletes nor their coach, Kevin Dawe, had any pairs experience when their journey began. “We are excited to go. It’s going to be fun to perform in Canada and have the home crowd.”

Kemp is looking forward to facing off against an international field again as a bona fide member of Team Canada.
Assessing the secret to their successful partnership, she described how the skaters complement each other.

“We bounce off each other pretty well. We can adapt, especially at competitions,” she said. “We can tell when we get nervous, what the other person needs and how they’re feeling about things.”

Very positive sign that they've developed a solid connection early in their partnership. Learning the new discipline together likely helped the process along.

Post Junior Worlds article from the Winnipeg Free Press (registration required to read full article): Winnipeg pair places sixth in world junior figure skating championship debut

“We’re both perfectionists, so every time we finish a program we’re always, like, ‘What could we have done better?’ We were talking about the (throw) salchow. We made a mistake on that, but it’s a difficult element so we’re not too upset about it,” said Elizarov, 19.
“I think that’s what makes us a really good pair because we’re both super intense and super analytical.”

The Winnipeggers will enjoy a short holiday after a long season that began in early fall with Grand Prix competitions in Europe. Full-on training for next season will begin in June.

On no, a pair of Meagan Duhamels. I would imagine they'll spend the summer at the Canadian Ice Academy again and get working on a new FP (and poor @Sylvia will no longer need to scramble for the mute button as soon as their music starts ).