The top figure skaters in the country are set to converge on Ottawa, Ont., for the 100th anniversary 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, taking place from January 9-15 at the Canadian Tire Centre.
This year’s event celebrates 100 Years of Champions by returning to the host city of the first Canadian championships in 1914.
Dan Thompson, Skate Canada CEO stated “Ottawa is where it all began 100 years ago in 1914 and we are so excited to be back in the birthplace of the Canadian championships for the tenth time. Skate Canada is proud to be sending the biggest figure skating team in the world to Sochi and the largest Canadian team since 1988.”
“The Canadian Tire National Skating Championships embodies a spirit of hard work and dedication. We applaud the athletes, families, coaches and supportive communities, for their tremendous work in getting these athletes here today,” said Landon French, Vice President, Sport Partnerships, Canadian Tire. “.
Approximately 250 skaters in the men’s, women’s, pair and ice dance disciplines at the senior, junior and novice level will compete for the title of Canadian champion.
Athletes will vie for spots on the Skate Canada National Team and the Canadian teams that will compete at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, the 2014 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, the 2014 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships and the 2014 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
Leading the way in the men’s category is three-time defending World Champion, six-time defending Canadian champion and 2010 Olympian Patrick Chan (23) Toronto, Ont.
In women’s, 2013 Canadian champion Kaetlyn Osmond (18) Marystown, Nfld. & Sherwood Park, Alta., looks to defend the title and secure a debut berth at the 2014 Games.
The 2010 Olympic Champions, two-time world champions and five-time Canadian champions Tessa Virtue (24) London, Ont., and Scott Moir (26) Ilderton, Ont., will compete for their sixth Canadian title in ice dance.
The pair discipline will feature 2013 world bronze medalists and two-time defending Canadian champions Meagan Duhamel (28) Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford (28) Balmertown, Ont.
Other Canadians ranking among the top-10 at the 2013 ISU World Figure Skating Championships® include three-time men’s Canadian medallist Kevin Reynolds (23) Coquitlam, 2011 Canadian pair champions and 2013 Canadian pair silver medalists Kirsten Moore-Towers (21) St. Catharines, and Dylan Moscovitch (29) Toronto, and six-time Canadian ice dance medallists Kaitlyn Weaver (24) Waterloo and Andrew Poje (26) of Waterloo.
Thanks to http://www.skatecanada.ca/
