Figure skating fans will pack the UBC Sports Centre in the new year to witness some of Canada鈥檚 best flip, jump and loop their way onto the Skate Canada National Team.
From Jan. 8 to 14, approximately 250 senior, junior and novice skaters in the men鈥檚, women鈥檚, pair鈥檚 and ice dance divisions will compete in the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. On the line is a chance to represent Canada at the 2018 Olympic Games and the ISU World Figure Skating Championships.
The biggest names in Canadian figure skating will be on hand to showcase their talents, including three-time World champion Patrick Chan, Olympic silver medalist Kaetlyn Osmond and the recently undefeated ice dance pair of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.
Last chance to see Chan
Chan announced earlier in the year that the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, his third Winter Games, would be his last. He will be going for his 10th Canadian title here in Vancouver, which would break the current record. When speaking with Donnovan Bennett of Sportsnet, Chan said that he is partnering with Hockey Canada to create a skating academy based in Vancouver.
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Silver lining
Osmond will look to finish on the podium again after coming second at the World Championships earlier this year in Helsinki. That silver medal finish was the highest result by a Canadian ladies鈥� single at the World鈥檚 since 2009. She also contributed to Canada鈥檚 silver medal in the figure skating team event.
Mining for gold
Virtue and Moir, seen as the gold-medal favourites in Pyeongchang, are already Canadian ice dance legends and will put on a show for the crowd in 麻豆传媒映画before donning the red and white in Korea. The two became the first North Americans to win the gold medal for ice dance, and the youngest to do so, at the 2010 麻豆传媒映画Olympics. Following a two-year break, the pair made an epic return this season by winning all seven events they entered, including their third World title.
Local to look for
The Lower Mainland will be represented by six senior team members; Coquitlam鈥檚 Kevin Reynolds and Larkyn Austman, Burnaby鈥檚 Haley Sales and Sarah Tamura, Langley鈥檚 Nikolas Wamsteeker and North Vancouver鈥檚 Shane Firus.
Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe are directors of the 麻豆传媒映画Ice Dance Academy and competed at the 2006 Olympic Games. They coach the ice dance pair of Haley Sales and Nikolas Wamsteeker and are looking forward to the national event coming to Vancouver.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great boost for skaters already skating here,鈥� Wing said. 鈥淕reat for all the upcoming skaters to see this caliber of event.鈥�
Lowe spoke about what it felt like to represent Canada on the Olympic stage.
鈥淭o make it was huge for us after years of heartache, pain and turmoil,鈥� Lowe said. 鈥淚t was an awesome time, friends were made, and times were had.鈥�
This will be the sixth time 麻豆传媒映画has hosted the National Skating Championships, the last being a decade ago. Tickets are ticketmaster.ca.
