Walsh and Michaud End Partnership

[gsk8]

OTTAWA, ON: Evelyn Walsh, 21, from London, Ont., and Trennt Michaud, 25, from Trenton, Ont., have ended their pair partnership. They teamed up in 2016 and represented Canada internationally throughout their partnership.

Walsh and Michaud began their career together winning the 2017 junior national pair title and would go on to win three silver medals at the senior national championships. Their best international placement at the senior level was a bronze medal at the 2022 ISU Four Continents Championships.

“Although earlier than I envisioned within my skating career, I am stepping away from the sport that I love. I wish to thank the current and past members of the National Team for their ongoing support and to all other individuals, especially Trennt Michaud and Alison Purkiss who significantly impacted my career,” said Walsh.

This September, Walsh plans to continue her university studies. Michaud plans to continue skating and will search for a new partner.

 

[gsk8]

A possible matchup for Zabiiako? My understanding was that the previous potential partnership with Daleman didn't pan out. Not because Skate Canada declined.....?

 

[4everchan]

A possible matchup for Zabiiako? My understanding was that the previous potential partnership with Daleman didn't pan out. Not because Skate Canada declined.....?

i hope not. Evelyn Walsh and Natalia Zabiiako are exactly the same height.... and Trennt is on the shorter spectrum for a male partner for a 1.64cm woman. It probably actually was a factor in their technical limitations... so i don't see that happening at all.

 

[gsk8]

True...plus she's tall for a female pair skater at 5'5.

 

[4everchan]

Zabiiako went to Zach Daleman because he is 1,83 m. Aleks Enbert is 1,89 m. Trennt is only 1,75, which is actually shorter than most of the current Canadian singles skaters... Nic Nadeau for instance, is 1,86 m...

 

[Dreamer57]

Hope Evelyn is ok, social media suggests the decision was quite abrupt

Chloe Choinard and Meghan Fredette are still listed on icepartnersearch and are based in Canada.

(Although I would like Mukhametzianova and Kostiukovich to change feds)

 

[iluvtodd]

Sorry to hear of the end of their partnership. So glad we got to see them @ 2021 Skate America. Wishing them both all the best.

 

[BearryBear]

Timing is so weird. There were posts of them learning their new coreo, that’s a huge expense, also assignments and national teams were already announced. I feel like something had to happen to change their minds, I wonder what?

 

[Sackie]

This will make the summer skates very important for CAN pairs to establish themselves as the front runners for the National Title. But it also means with 3 entries at worlds we will be sending 3 teams with very little international experience.

 

[4everchan]

Hope Evelyn is ok, social media suggests the decision was quite abrupt

Chloe Choinard and Meghan Fredette are still listed on icepartnersearch and are based in Canada.

Yeah... "leaving early the sport I love" ... could lead to tragic interpretations... I hope Evelyn is OK.

I do not think Chloe and Meghan are at the level of Trennt. One of them could try out with Zach if it hasn't been done yet... Chloe has some experience and was very motivated when she started pairs. She had a number of partners already and I think she was representing Austria lately...with Livio Mayr.

ETA Chloe is 1m63. She would need a much taller partner.

 

[4everchan]

This will make the summer skates very important for CAN pairs to establish themselves as the front runners for the National Title. But it also means with 3 entries at worlds we will be sending 3 teams with very little international experience.

yeah.. but the good news : it's the start of the cycle... that's when the teams without experience need to get out...

 

[SnowWhite]

I hope Evelyn is okay and happy with her decision. But if it was just about no longer having motivation, if can take a while to figure that out sometimes.

 

[4everchan]

I hope Evelyn is okay and happy with her decision. But if it was just about no longer having motivation, if can take a while to figure that out sometimes.

and this can happen when the new season starts.. and it just doesn't feel right anymore.. especially when athletes go 4 years at a time... you see yourself in the rink for four more years... while others go to university full-time, work, have friends etc i can totally understand how anyone would suddenly have a switch of minds about such a commitment.

 

[chuckm]

I saw this coming right from the beginning of this past season. Evelyn just got too tall for Trennt, and their lifts and throws looked awkward. He needs a petite partner.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

A possible matchup for Zabiiako? My understanding was that the previous potential partnership with Daleman didn't pan out. Not because Skate Canada declined.....?

Zabiiako would be way too tall a pairs girl for Trennt, with long legs and arms to boot. Their differing proportions would not work, IMO. He needs a smaller partner with a skill-set at his level, and the athleticism, flair, and fearlessness required from a strong pairs diva.

While Evelyn worked very hard and got along well with Trennt, together they were unlikely to be competitive at the highest level, which is what Skate Canada needs from their top teams. They were fun to watch as juniors, and fairly competitive (and gritty) in the second tier as seniors. But they didn't have explosive elements, and tech inconsistencies were beginning to weigh them down.

It would have been nice to see what they may have been able to do this season, but the long-term outlook wasn't stellar. Trennt is so good that at age 25, he needs to make the push now. I'm surprised they didn't call it quits closer to post-Worlds aftermath, so Trennt could get a head start searching.

I'm hopeful for Trennt because he is par excellence as a pairs guy. Chef's kiss, in fact! Even now though, Trennt could still end up the Canadian version of Rockne Brubaker -- one of the best pairs guys in the world never to make it to the top because of bad luck, not lack of talent. Of course, Brubaker had wonderful and highly promising partnerships with Mary Beth Marley and (in juniors) with Keauna McLaughlin. For different reasons and bad luck, those partnerships ended prematurely.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

Evelyn just got too tall for Trennt,

I don't think Evelyn got too tall for Trennt. She was always the same height AFAIK. They were close in height and not the best physical match overall, but to their credit, they made it work to a degree, especially as juniors. I never expected them to go very far together as seniors. But they tried hard and they got along well together.

Unfortunately, Evelyn/Trennt just didn't handle well the Vanessa/Eric partnership. I think it's hard to realize that maybe it won't be as easy as you thought to make the Olympics. But the fact is: it's never easy. Sometimes, it's important for mindset to stay positive and sportsmanlike. Canada actually needed a team with the individual and combined experience that V&E brought. It was extremely hard for V&E as new partners in a one-shot Olympics season, but they achieved what Canada needed: three spots this season to continue rebuilding in pairs.

Facing all that goes into another four years can be daunting, especially if you find the same motivation and enthusiasm is no longer there to draw on. So I guess Evelyn/ Trennt worked on new programs and the intention was there to compete, but something changed. I hope Trennt can find a promising new partner soon. He can go farther with the right partner. But, it's never a given, never easy.

 

[Skater Boy]

Michael Slipchuk must be pulling out his hair Top three Canadian teams in pairs gone. No real dominant male. A female with promise who failed t get the job done at worlds when she actually lost places from the olympics a month earlier even withot the Russians. I hope Trennt finds the right partner. I guess his ex girlfriendn istoo tall ?? Kaetlyn Osmond could probably get the individual jumps done.

 

[gsk8]

Liubov Ilyushechkina.........? I know she is 30, but....

 

[4everchan]

Liubov Ilyushechkina.........? I know she is 30, but....

every time a Canadian pair woman retires, someone mentions Lubov... if we hope for Trennt to get a partner that will bring the team further than what he was able to do with Evelyn, let's wish him a woman who can land her jumps with consistency. Lubov is wonderful. I adore her skating. But yeah. And seriously @Skater Boy , Kaetlyn? come on.... she is 1.63... i remember at ACI, she was a head taller than all the other women on the ice in the warm up... for comparison, Duhamel is 1m48... that's the kind of partner Trennt would need. (not Duhamel but the frame, and why not, the stable jumps)

 

[4everchan]

PS there are many good skaters with stable 3toes and 3salchows in Canada... Actually, there are more who can do this than those who are really able to compete in singles... the question is " do they want to switch to pairs?" Emma Proft did it... I am not too worried for Trennt. He will find someone.