2023–24 Canadian Ice Dance: News and Updates

[The Observer]

Wild. In a matter of days the Canadian dance podium just went from the most settled to the most open.

Yup. 2 out of 3 of Canada's top ice dance teams have withdrawn in a matter of days. What a lot of drama surrounding the dance event at Canadian Nationals.

 

[Alilou]

According to this article Marjorie Lajoie has a concussion.

Canadian Championships: Welcome to the deep freeze

Winter has descended upon Calgary with a blast of Arctic air, but there should be plenty to warm the insides of skating fans here this weekend

rwbrodiewrites.substack.com

The official word is that Lajoie is currently in Skate Canada’s concussion protocol and cannot compete here.

 

[Karen-W]

According to this article Marjorie Lajoie has a concussion.

Canadian Championships: Welcome to the deep freeze

Winter has descended upon Calgary with a blast of Arctic air, but there should be plenty to warm the insides of skating fans here this weekend

rwbrodiewrites.substack.com

Oh, no. This could very likely take them out of 4CCs also.

 

[leilaofpaper]

Oh, no. This could very likely take them out of 4CCs also.

Skate Canada’s concussion protocol says 1-4 weeks of recovery in non-severe cases. Hopefully this is just an abundance of caution and Marjorie is fine.

 

[Karen-W]

Skate Canada’s concussion protocol says 1-4 weeks of recovery in non-severe cases. Hopefully this is just an abundance of caution and Marjorie is fine.

I wish I could be that hopeful. But, realistically, this is an IAM skater we're talking about. When are concussions with them ever something simple?

 

[BlueRidge]

According to this article Marjorie Lajoie has a concussion.

Canadian Championships: Welcome to the deep freeze

Winter has descended upon Calgary with a blast of Arctic air, but there should be plenty to warm the insides of skating fans here this weekend

rwbrodiewrites.substack.com

damn that was what I was afraid of

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

Concussions are so weird. I recovered pretty quickly from mine but I have a friend who's still suffering from symptoms 7 years later. I really hope ML's has a quick and complete recovery.

 

[BlueRidge]

Concussions are so weird. I recovered pretty quickly from mine but I have a friend who's still suffering from symptoms 7 years later. I really hope ML's has a quick and complete recovery.

Its so scary because you just don't know and there is the issue for skaters of possible repeat concussions.

On the one hand this probably won't take them out of Worlds but on the other its very concerning and of course we don't have much information.

I wish Marjorie a complete and quick recovery and am glad SC has concussion protocols.

 

[Wyliefan]

So we could very well end up with both the silver and the bronze medalists staying home from Worlds. Has that ever happened before? (I'm sure someone here will know!)

We could also very well end up with a two-time national medalist team staying home from Worlds both times.

 

[aliona22]

Lajoie Lagha are on the Four Continents team so hopefully Marjorie is already on the road to recovery!

 

[puglover]

I loved Piper and Paul's free dance. I wiped tears at the end - a similar reaction as I had to "Starry Starry Night". The technical specialists and judges will do their jobs and compare turns and speed and whatever to declare winners at Worlds but one of the things that draws me to ice dance is I have decided it doesn't matter much, at least to me. I watch because I chase the powerful feelings skaters can bring out of me.

 

[~tapdancer~]

I loved Piper and Paul's free dance. I wiped tears at the end - a similar reaction as I had to "Starry Starry Night". The technical specialists and judges will do their jobs and compare turns and speed and whatever to declare winners at Worlds but one of the things that draws me to ice dance is I have decided it doesn't matter much, at least to me. I watch because I chase the powerful feelings skaters can bring out of me.

I was thinking of that very thought about why I love ice dance. It's the feelings, emotion, and excitement. The ice dance purists on here can tell me all day long about the tech aspect but for me as well, it's how they make me feel and the connection on the ice. There are teams I love and don't make the podium and teams that bore me that do make the podium. Perspective, I guess, but with ice dance it is way more about the passion of the team, imo.

And I adore Piper and Paul and always have since I first saw them together on the ice.

 

[puglover]

I was thinking of that very thought about why I love ice dance. It's the feelings, emotion, and excitement. The ice dance purists on here can tell me all day long about the tech aspect but for me as well, it's how they make me feel and the connection on the ice. There are teams I love and don't make the podium and teams that bore me that do make the podium. Perspective, I guess, but with ice dance it is way more about the passion of the team, imo.

And I adore Piper and Paul and always have since I first saw them together on the ice.

Thanks - you said it way better than I did!

 

[Colonel Green]

Marjorie just posted on Instagram about her family’s dogs passing away, in the course of which she confirms that she had a concussion/neck injury. She says she’s “still not really supposed to be on my phone”, which…really does not sound like the condition of someone who will (or should) be at 4CC at month’s end.

 

[Wyliefan]

Poor girl, that's an awful lot to deal with all at once.

 

[BlueRidge]

Marjorie just posted on Instagram about her family’s dogs passing away, in the course of which she confirms that she had a concussion/neck injury. She says she’s “still not really supposed to be on my phone”, which…really does not sound like the condition of someone who will (or should) be at 4CC at month’s end.

I'm really expecting them to withdraw.

 

[honey]

Marjorie just posted on Instagram about her family’s dogs passing away, in the course of which she confirms that she had a concussion/neck injury. She says she’s “still not really supposed to be on my phone”, which…really does not sound like the condition of someone who will (or should) be at 4CC at month’s end.

I really really wish for her that she would let herself heal as much as possible Realistically picking up the phone for a second isn’t going to probably do much to her, but speaking as someone who didn’t put their phone away, didn’t stop working and didn’t rest when they should have after a concussion, it makes me so worried for her. It’s been over a decade for me and I’m still not the same as I was before.

I wholeheartedly agree it doesn’t sound like she should be going to 4CC in a week or so.

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

I really really wish for her that she would let herself heal as much as possible Realistically picking up the phone for a second isn’t going to probably do much to her, but speaking as someone who didn’t put their phone away, didn’t stop working and didn’t rest when they should have after a concussion, it makes me so worried for her. It’s been over a decade for me and I’m still not the same as I was before.

I wholeheartedly agree it doesn’t sound like she should be going to 4CC in a week or so.

Much of the new thinking on concussions is to do some regular/normal things as part of the healing process, albeit at reduced percentages. Apparently, the old lie in a dark room with no stimulation at help doesn't help the brain to recover properly. That said ML's concussion sounds pretty bad and it doesn't sound like she should be at 4CC.

 

[Karen-W]

That definitely does not sound like we should expect to see them at 4CCs in a couple weeks (and leaving in just about 10 days). Best wishes to her that she is able to heal quickly and that they'll still be able to compete at Worlds.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Hopefully Lajoie/Lagha with WD from 4C's, and she will have time to recover. If she can't be on her phone now, I don't see how she can be on the ice to practice.

This would be a great opportunity for Lauriault/LeGac: the lowest they should place is 6th, and their SB is within a few points of Carreira/Ponomarenko. They announced championship prize money in Oct 2022 (#2516) for the 2022/2023 season, but I don't see anything so far this year. Last year a team would win $5K for 6th and 7K for 6th. WS points are 496 for 6th and 551 for 5th. Plus, their traveling coaching team will be at 4C's for Harris/Chan, Fournier Beaudray/Sorensen, Komatsubara/Koleto, Tanaka/Nishiyama, Lim/Quan, and Chock/Bates, which is a good way to distribute those expenses. (Nette/Westwood and Carreira/Ponomarenko have to split Ontario.)

 

[Karen-W]

@skatingguy noticed this and posted in the 4CCs entries thread in KnC that Gilles/Poirier are no longer listed on Skate Canada's assignments page...

Events

skatecanada.ca

 

[Rhumba d’Amour]

@skatingguy noticed this and posted in the 4CCs entries thread in KnC that Gilles/Poirier are no longer listed on Skate Canada's assignments page...

Events

skatecanada.ca

Presumably someone deleted the wrong entry? I could see where either of the other two entries might find it necessary to withdraw

 

[Wyliefan]

That CANNOT be right. Get it together, website people!!

 

[tony]

Presumably someone deleted the wrong entry? I could see where either of the other two entries might find it necessary to withdraw

That CANNOT be right. Get it together, website people!!

Why is that? The hypotheticals are going to start flowing if there’s no press release tonight anyways so who is to say they are either not wanting to make the long trip… or maybe this is some kind of ‘statement’?

 

[Wyliefan]

No, I suppose you're right -- it just seemed like such a coincidence to have that pop up just as we find out how serious Marjorie's injury is and how low her chances of going are, it seemed like it had to be a mistake. But it is 4CCs and not Worlds, so I guess it's not unheard of that Piper and Paul WD.

 

[Colonel Green]

Piper posted a clip of them training today, so them withdrawing would be a really odd decision unless there’s some non-health reason.

 

[victorskid]

Piper posted a clip of them training today, so them withdrawing would be a really odd decision unless there’s some non-health reason.

Agreed. Given that Piper posted on Instagram earlier today "working hard for 4CC" with video of practice, it sounds like an error!

 

[danafan]

I hadn't noticed the 4CC and jr worlds assignments on the Skate Canada website yet. Did anyone see if they had listed Gilles/Poirier there earlier and now they are removed?

 

[kwanfan1818]

WS points-wise, Gilles/Poirier could only be passed by Fournier Beaudry/Sorensen, since none of the other 4C's teams below them can earn more than incremental championship points or are so far out that a win wouldn't catch them. They are guaranteed to be in the last starting group at Worlds.

 

[skategal]

Agreed. Given that Piper posted on Instagram earlier today "working hard for 4CC" with video of practice, it sounds like an error!

There is one IG story there now showing practice that was posted 9hrs ago, that says “Back to work.”

No mention of 4CCs.

Maybe she changed it?