Canadian Teams Battle in Halifax
y Katie Tetzloff / photo by Melanie Hoyt
This year’s Canadian Tire National Figure Skating Championships will be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, during the week of January 18. Although the championships begin on Monday with novice and junior events, senior competition does not begin until Friday, January 22. In this event, 14 teams from across Canada will compete against each other for three medals, along with spots at this year’s Four Continents and World Championships, as well as the national team.
The definite favorites heading into Halifax are Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje, the reigning national champions. Weaver & Poje undoubtedly have the most experience and have been internationally competitive for many years. Their short dance this season exhibits classic and traditional ballroom dance, featuring a polka surrounded by a waltz; both music selections are composed by Johann Strauss. Differing from their short dance, Weaver & Poje’s free dance, which is skated to “On the Nature of Daylight” by Max Richter and “Run” by Ludovico Einaudi, is contemporary, lyrical, and emotional. With these programs, this couple is undefeated this season, having won Skate Canada, Rostelecom Cup, and the Grand Prix Final. Their season’s best score, earned at the Grand Prix Final, is an impressive 182.66, over 23 points above their closest competitors, Piper Gilles & Paul Poirer.
Gilles & Poirier (pictured), three-time Canadian medalists, will be fighting for a top podium spot as well. Known for their creativity, their short dance this season is a Beatles-themed “dream” waltz, while their free dance, titled “Saudade” (meaning melancholy or nostalgia) has a new-age flavor, with modern movement. After winning Nepela Trophy with a combined season’s best score of 159.14, they placed third and second at their two Grand Prix events, Skate America and Trophée Eric Bompard. After qualifying for the Grand Prix Final last season, they just missed it this year.
Unlike first and second place, presumably, third place is up for grabs. Alexandra Paul & Mitchell Islam, the reigning bronze medalists, recently moved to Montréal in order to train with world-class coaches, Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, and Romain Haguenauer. They are the favorites for the bronze, and their season’s best score, from Nebelhorn Trophy, is 148.12.
The newly-formed team of Nicole Orford & Asher Hill could also contend for the bronze medal. Though this is their first Nationals together, Orford and Hill have competed internationally with their previous partners. Due to their status as a new team, they were not sent to any Grand Prix events, but they did compete at Autumn Classic, where they won the competition and earned a total of 146.65. Last month at Skate Canada Challenge, though, Orford & Hill only finished fifth, scoring 136.34.
Other teams to watch include Carolane Soucisse & Simon Tanguay, Lauren Collins & Shane Firus, Andréanne Poulin & Marc-André Servant, and Brianna Delmaestro & Timothy Lum, the top four teams at Skate Canada Challenge. They all scored over 140 points and were separated by less than two points.
The senior ice dance event is set to begin with the short dance on Friday, January 22, at 2:55 p.m. (Atlantic Time). The free dance will be divided on Saturday, January 23, with the first nine teams taking the ice at 1:20 p.m. and the final five teams competing at 3:50 p.m.