2023/24 Canadian Pairs: News & Updates

[Sylvia]

Cross posting from the Canadian Men's news thread, here's an archived (slow loading) version of Laurie Nealin's article in today's Winnipeg Free Press that includes information about the injury impacting Kemp/Elizarov's season : Winnipeg skater Howes taking talents to Hungary

Meanwhile, pairs duo Ava Kemp and Yoni Elizarov were again rebuilding from injury as he recovered from an unexplained collapsed lung in mid-March, the week after they finished sixth at the world junior championships in Calgary.
“It’s been really tough. I think our (off-) season training really started in June instead of right after junior worlds. We had two or three months off because I couldn’t do anything because of my lung,” said Elizarov, 20, told the Free Press recently.

After re-inflating his lung, doctors recommended surgery to remove the damaged part of the organ. The surgery happened mid-April.

Poor Yoni, what a random and scary injury.

I was just about to post Nealin's article link but @shutterbug was faster!

Poor Charly, the ISU decided the second part of his surname had to go to keep the video titles a certain length.

The rest of Charly's hyphenated last name has appeared in their 2 JGP Linz videos ... though at the expense of their full first names.

 

[Sylvia]

Deanna and Maxime won their second Challenger Series event (first was 2022 Nebelhorn Trophy) in Pierrefonds QC and set 2 new ISU personal best scores: 203.62 (total) and 203.62 (FS). The season debut of their vampire-themed FS (music from the AMC TV series now streaming on Max) starts here in the replay: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8o3ngb?start=6735
ETA a photo from the mixed zone + a quote: https://twitter.com/LynnRutherford/status/1703037761219858758

Primal screams helped Deanna Stellato-Dudek & Maxime Deschamps win #ACI23....the skaters worked with a theatre coach to electrify their "Vampire" FS: "Just to bring out one emotion, there are 20 emotions behind it," Max said.
That caused fear in their rink one day: "One time (the theatre coach) told us to do a whole section of the program with madness & she wanted us to scream. So we were 'Waah!' And our practice mates were, 'What's going on?' We're like, it's OK, it's an exercise."

Today Deanna shared On Ice Perspectives' video (FS clips filmed by Jordan this summer at their training rink): https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxT5LGvLdra/

“Have you said your goodbyes to the light?” 2023/24 Freeskate, “Interview with the Vampire” # Thank you @oniceperspectives for the beautiful video! .

This Martina/Charly SP video was filmed by Jordan in July 2023 and uploaded on Sept. 11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgvo3IGI6zQ

“I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by @TheProclaimersOfficial is the final song of Martina Ariano Kent & Charly Laliberté-Laurent’s 2023 Pairs Junior Short Program. This Canadian pair team just won gold at their first Junior Grand Prix in Linz, Austria, after skating together for just 5 months!
Choreography by Joey Russell
Martina & Charly train under Marc-André Craig and David Alexandre Paradis at Académie Perfomance Isatis in Chambly, QC

They will compete again at the JGP in Budapest next week, along with Kemp/Elizarov who will skate back-to-back JGPs in Budapest and Gdansk.

Skate Canada shared on their social media the good news re. Ava Kemp & 'Yoni' Elizarov - they are two of "55 up-and-coming athletes and their coaches from across Canada to receive a FACE™, or Fuelling Athlete and Coaching Excellence, grant. We give the grants to athletes when they need it the most – when they are striving to represent Canada at the Paralympic or Olympic Games but don’t yet qualify for government funding.": https://www.petro-canada.ca/en/about-petro-canada/olympic-and-paralympic-sponsorship/face-program

 

[Colonel Green]

Martina and Charly are officially into the JGP Final.

Lia and Trennt miss the podium at Nebelhorn by a hair, but look really good to start the season.

 

[danafan]

Canada will send two junior pairs to the Trophée Metropole Nice Côte d'Azur in October: Annika Behnke and Kole Sauve http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00117815.htm (who are on the Nextgen team); and Beau Callahan and Christophe Roch http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00118172.htm who were third at the Quebec Summer Skate.
This is from the Skate Canada international assignments page.

Events

skatecanada.ca

 

[Colonel Green]

SGE this afternoon will see Izzo/Ferland and Bombardier/Farand's competitive debuts.

 

[Karen-W]

Canada will send two junior pairs to the Trophée Metropole Nice Côte d'Azur in October: Annika Behnke and Kole Sauve http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00117815.htm (who are on the Nextgen team); and Beau Callahan and Christophe Roch http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00118172.htm who were third at the Quebec Summer Skate.
This is from the Skate Canada international assignments page.

Events

skatecanada.ca

So, explain to me how it is cheaper to send these teams to France for a junior pairs international (presumably to get their TES mins) rather than sending them to NYC for the John Nicks IPC...

 

[Colonel Green]

Izzo/Ferland were no-shows, but Bombardier/Farand looked decent considering how early this is. They were going for a full set of triple elements, only big issue being a throw fall.

 

[Karen-W]

Izzo/Ferland were no-shows, but Bombardier/Farand looked decent considering how early this is. They were going for a full set of triple elements, only big issue being a throw fall.

That and the fact that their twist was 2.5 rev at best.

 

[Sylvia]

So, explain to me how it is cheaper to send these teams to France for a junior pairs international (presumably to get their TES mins) rather than sending them to NYC for the John Nicks IPC...

Why? Maybe the coaches felt that the extra training time (comp. is October 18-22) would be beneficial? Maybe they prefer to go to Nice? (I know I would! )

ETA:

I liked what I saw from Fiona & Gabriel in their debut today! They skated their Senior SP to The Beatles' "Oh Darling!" covered by Haley Reinhart (thanks for the ID, @Amy L).

 

[danafan]

You can watch Bombardier and Farand's program here: https://cssvideostreaming.blob.core...-4d4dfa2c5618/video_3500000_1280x720_4500.mp4

 

[Aaron MB Fan]

Congrats to Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov on winning their first JGP Gold Medal at the PGE Solidarity Cup in Poland! This qualifies them for the JGP Final in 5th place with 24 points. They earned PBs in the Free Program and Total Score, along with a SB in the Short Program!

And while the Free Program didn't go as well as they would have liked, backed by a PB in the Short Program, congrats to Jazmine Desrochers and Kieran Thrasher on winning their second JGP Bronze Medal at the PGE Solidarity Cup in Poland. This also qualifies them for the JGP Final in 6th place with 22 points.

Both teams will be joined in the JGP Final by Martina Ariano Kent and Charly Laliberté-Laurent who qualified in 2nd place with 26 points! Ava/Yohnatan and Martina/Charly's JGP Gold Medals are Canada's first JGP Gold Medals in Pairs since Julianne & Charlie in 2014.

It's unfortunate that Canada has only 2 spots at the Junior World Championships in Pairs as we truly have 3 Junior Pairs teams worthy of attending whom could challenge for the podium/Top 5. Hopefully they can build on the great momentum and success!!

Has Canada ever had 3 skaters/teams qualify for the JGP/Senior GP Final in one discipline ever before? This might be a first

 

[skatingguy]

Congrats to Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov on winning their first JGP Gold Medal at the PGE Solidarity Cup in Poland! This qualifies them for the JGP Final in 5th place with 24 points. They earned PBs in the Free Program and Total Score, along with a SB in the Short Program!

And while the Free Program didn't go as well as they would have liked, backed by a PB in the Short Program, congrats to Jazmine Desrochers and Kieran Thrasher on winning their second JGP Bronze Medal at the PGE Solidarity Cup in Poland. This also qualifies them for the JGP Final in 6th place with 22 points.

Both teams will be joined in the JGP Final by Martina Ariano Kent and Charly Laliberté-Laurent who qualified in 2nd place with 26 points! Ava/Yohnatan and Martina/Charly's JGP Gold Medals are Canada's first JGP Gold Medals in Pairs since Julianne & Charlie in 2014.

It's unfortunate that Canada has only 2 spots at the Junior World Championships in Pairs as we truly have 3 Junior Pairs teams worthy of attending whom could challenge for the podium/Top 5. Hopefully they can build on the great momentum and success!!

Has Canada ever had 3 skaters/teams qualify for the JGP/Senior GP Final in one discipline ever before? This might be a first

No, we've managed two before several times in pairs, and ice dance, but not 3 in one discipline. Now I'm wondering how they end up finishing 4th-6th at the Final.

 

[happycamper2554]

It's unfortunate that Canada has only 2 spots at the Junior World Championships in Pairs as we truly have 3 Junior Pairs teams worthy of attending whom could challenge for the podium/Top 5. Hopefully they can build on the great momentum and success!!

No way D/T are podium or a top 5 team at Junior Worlds. I have all 5 teams here ahead of them and the 2nd U.S team if they can make it back in time from injury.

 

[shutterbug]

Congrats to Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov on winning their first JGP Gold Medal at the PGE Solidarity Cup in Poland! This qualifies them for the JGP Final in 5th place with 24 points. They earned PBs in the Free Program and Total Score, along with a SB in the Short Program!

Sept. 29/23 Kemp/Elizarov Winnipeg Free Press article by Laurie Nealin (no email required): Winnipeg skaters take gold at junior Grand Prix competition

“I’m happy about (the win), but Ava and I are very analytical and we can always do better,” Elizarov said after the victory Friday in Gdansk.

“Once you have that super good skate and a gold medal, then we’ll be happy.”

Clarifying what a “super good skate” would include, the pair cited adding a second throw triple jump, improved flow throughout their programs and attaining the highest difficulty level on all spins, lifts and footwork.

Re: the second triple throw jump, they're making some good progress on the loop: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxJdFPbLYql/?img_index=2

 

[Sylvia]

Ava Kemp/Yohnatan Elizarov's winner's interview in Gdansk : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGOLdX1Dt5E

From Skate Canada's JGP Gdansk recap:

Double podium for Canadian Pair Skaters at Junior Grand Prix in Poland

Gdansk, Poland (October 1, 2023) – Canadian junior pair skaters had a fantastic competition in Gdansk, Poland this week at the sixth stop on the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating circuit, coming home with two medals – a gold for Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov, both of Winnipeg, and bronze...

skatecanada.ca

It was definitely a fun experience with a lot of learning,” said Desrochers, who together with Thrasher also won bronze at the Junior Grand Prix in Hungary. “The short program went well, even though we didn’t feel as great going into it, we were able to put in a good skate with good results which we were happy about. The long program didn’t go as we hoped – we hoped to put out something closer to what we do in practice, which unfortunately we weren’t able to do this time.”
Canada has now qualified three pair teams for the Grand Prix Final which will be held in Beijing, China from December 7th to 10th – Martina Ariano Kent, of Montreal and Charly Laliberté Laurent of Boucherville, Que., Kemp and Elizarov, and Desrochers and Thrasher.

 

[Sylvia]

Limitless Skating: Age is Just a Number (ft. Deanna Stellato-Dudek)
Polina Edmunds' October 17, 2023 podcast episode:

The Iron Butterfly: Limitless Skating: Age is Just a Number (ft. Deanna Stellato-Dudek)

I interview 2023 Canadian Pairs National Champion Deanna Stellato-Dudek about her fascinating career.

bleav.com

ETA:

Link to read Hiro Yoshida's article on S-D/D that was published before CS Autumn Classic (Sept. 14):

Stellato-Dudek & Deschamps: Passion for Skating Gives Canadian Pair Purpose

By Hiro Yoshida Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps had mixed fortunes last season with early success being followed by illness and disappointment at just missing out on a medal at the 2023 …

europeonice.com

 

[shutterbug]

Online article by Bev Smith released earlier today: Pereira and Michaud: Golden Retrievers

The Pereira-Michaud partnership could have gone in any direction, but they were similar in all the right ways. “It happened so fast,” Pereria said. “We did click right away. We have similar positive personalities.”

In fact, around the rink, Pereira-Michaud are known as “The Golden Retrievers.”

They skate to “Gladiator” for the free skate. “There are so many different pieces from “Gladiator” that you can use,” Michard said. “I really love the selection that we have.” They choreographed it with other ice dancers Madison Hubbell and Adrian Diaz in London, Ont. – and Scott Moir has worked on it too.

“That’s been fun,” Michaud said. “We’ve been training with them every few weeks.”

 

[Sylvia]

According to screenshots from what looks like Norm Proft’s Facebook page, his daughter Emmanuelle (Emma) and Nic Nadeau have signed a 6-month contract with Holiday on Ice’s 80th Anniversary show NO LIMITS: https://x.com/amberelibrennan/status/1716657262075244656

This looks like Proft & Nadeau on the publicity poster for the Munich show in early January 2024:

Holiday on Ice | Olympic Park Munich

www.olympiapark.de

 

[Gris]

According to screenshots from what looks like Norm Proft’s Facebook page, his daughter Emmanuelle (Emma) and Nic Nadeau have signed a 6-month contract with Holiday on Ice’s 80th Anniversary show NO LIMITS: https://x.com/amberelibrennan/status/1716657262075244656

This looks like Proft & Nadeau on the publicity poster for the Munich show in early January 2024:

Holiday on Ice | Olympic Park Munich

www.olympiapark.de

Combined with this thread on X: https://x.com/SkatingScores/status/1716640772382949617?s=20 (Proft and Nadeau are not on the World Standings or the TES list anymore.)

 

[Wyliefan]

Wow, that surprises me. I thought they had a lot of promise.

 

[honey]

I am surprised and I’m also not surprised. I don’t know what their specific goals were in the partnership, but it’s possible that long term they were hoping for enough competitive success to be able to have some kind of professional career.

If they got an offer for a professional gig with their current competitive results, the path for them may have been clear. I think they would make a great addition to a show like Holiday, and offers like that don’t necessarily come around every day.

Or they may have been realistic about their competitive future. They could have been a top 10 in the world team in the future, but I’m not sure if there was more than that as a possibility. To be clear that is nothing to sneeze at, but if you look at the effort and time that it takes to achieve that and the theoretical pay off from that success, the show opportunities may be about the same right now compared to if they did achieve a top 10 in the world result.

In any case, I’ll miss seeing them compete again. It would have been interesting to see how they developed. Wishing them success and fulfilment as professionals though!

 

[airgelaal]

So they have retired

https://twitter.com/x/status/1716894865668415694

 

[Andora]

It's too bad, but good points are made.

I'm sure switching to pairs extended Nic's competitive career a couple years. Good for them.

 

[overedge]

Or they may have been realistic about their competitive future. They could have been a top 10 in the world team in the future, but I’m not sure if there was more than that as a possibility. To be clear that is nothing to sneeze at, but if you look at the effort and time that it takes to achieve that and the theoretical pay off from that success, the show opportunities may be about the same right now compared to if they did achieve a top 10 in the world result.

Being in the show also means a guaranteed income, which may have been a big incentive.

 

[Sylvia]

The veteran Canadian pairs team [of Deanna & Maxime] say the World Championships in Deschamps’ hometown is like “a dream come true” for them after working through her illness and his ADHD.
Pre-Skate Canada International article by Nick McCarvel (Oct. 25): https://olympics.com/en/news/figure...ge-illness-adhd-worlds-championships-montreal

 

[honey]

Anyone know what Lubov and Zach Daleman are doing on Instagram? There was a story the other day with them together off the ice and another this morning of them together on the ice doing a pairs spin. Both posts also tagged Zach’s mother. Playing around for fun? Teaming for some shows? Giving it one last effort competitively? Enquiring minds want to know.

 

[Sylvia]

Lubov & Zachary Daleman skated together last year in the Busch Gardens (Williamsburg, VA) holiday show: https://www.instagram.com/p/CnF5-AQuIZj/

ETA - Deanna/Maxime’s fan thread was bumped up after their decisive win at Skate Canada Int’l this past weekend : https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...schamps-hot-cheer-thread.108626/#post-6494468

 

[coppertop1]

It's insane that Deanna finished fifth at Skate Canada in 2000 as a single skateer, at now here she is back as a pair skater i her late 30s. What a legend!

 

[Rhumba d’Amour]

It's insane that Deanna finished fifth at Skate Canada in 2000 as a single skateer, at now here she is back as a pair skater i her late 30s. What a legend!

In her forties, actually, but who’s counting? Certainly not Deanna

 

[coppertop1]

In her forties, actually, but who’s counting? Certainly not Deanna

Nope. She's amazing