Home magic: A spotlight on Team Canada figure skaters in training
For Training Tuesdays, we’re curating some of the most interesting and creative training moments from athletes. Check out the others here.
In a typical autumn, Team Canada fans watch our country’s top figure skaters compete for medals around the world at ISU Grand Prix events.
COVID-19 threw a curveball this season though, turning the events into primarily domestic competitions and then forcing the cancellation of Skate Canada International where most Canadian figure skaters would have taken to centre ice.
With no judges to perform for, those same Canadian figure skaters have shown their ingenuity on social media, carrying us with them on and off the ice as they created their own magic at home.
1. Roman Sadovsky
The reigning men’s national champion took to YouTube to give us an incredible on-ice look at his new free skate program. The frequent vlogger on his Romsky channel wowed us more than once last year when he won bronze at the NHK Trophy, capturing his first career Grand Prix podium.
2. Nam Nguyen
Looking at this choreography, we can say that Nam Nguyen is in full force this year. The two-time national champion takes the heat up a notch as he tangos though a breathtaking step sequence. The skater stood out at Skate Canada International in British Columbia last year with his best ever score and a silver medal.
3. Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro
This little sneak peek at Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro’s short program definitely makes you want to see more. The two-time national champions have become regulars on Grand Prix podiums, winning silvers at the NHK Trophy and Skate Canada International in 2019, which qualified them for their first Grand Prix Final. Kirsten recently appeared in the documentary Disorder, which aired on TSN, showing lots of courage in opening up about her eating disorder and body image issues.
4. Evelyn Walsh and Trennt Michaud
Evelyn Walsh and Trennt Michaud took a break from jumps on the ice to showcase their versatility off the ice. The pair qualified for the ISU World Championships in 2019 and 2020 (although the 2020 Worlds planned for Montreal were canceled) after claiming back-to-back silvers at the nationals championships.
5. Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier have perfected the art of making people believe what they do on the ice or in the gym is easy! This is far from the first time they have impressed us. The ice dance duo had an incredible season last year, winning Skate Canada International and clinching silver at the ISU Four Continents Championships, as well as the ISU Grand Prix in Moscow. Giles and Poirier, who have been skating together for almost ten years, also became national champions for the first time last season.
6. Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha
Do you recognize the man with the mask? Yes, the team called on none other than “Coach Scott” for inspiration. Lajoie and Lagha were crowned junior world champions in 2019 and were preparing to participate in their first senior world championships in Montreal this year. These rising ice dance stars from Quebec will be ones to watch closely in the future.
Enjoy this performance of their West Side Story rhythm dance they gave during I.AM LIVE, a showcase by skaters who train at the Ice Academy of Montreal, in September.
6. Laurence Fournier-Beaudry and Nikolaj Sørensen
The I.AM LIVE demonstration gave us exclusive access to the rhythm dance of Laurence Fournier-Beaudry and Nikolaj Sørensen, to songs from the musical Bonnie and Clyde. The Canadian ice dance couple won bronze at Skate America in Las Vegas last year and also had several other podium finishes on the Challenger circuit earlier in the season. We recommend you keep a close eye on what’s to come with this duo.
The next competition on the calendar is the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, pencilled in for February 8-14 in Vancouver. In the meantime, our favourite Canadian skaters will continue to work hard and amaze us. Don’t forget to check out our freestyle ski training Tuesday list.
