Skate Canada Announces 2020-21 National Team

[gsk8]

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada is pleased to announce the 2020-21 National Team. The team is consisted of 18 members, which includes three men, three women, two pair teams and four ice dance teams. To be named to the National Team, a skater must finish in the top three in senior men, women, pair and ice dance disciplines at the 2020 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships and/or a ranking of top 24 in the ISU World Standings, and must be competing in the 2020-21 season. Athletes can be added at the discretion of Skate Canada based on new partnerships of current and former national team members. Their appointment to the national team is effective from September 1, 2020 through to June 30, 2021. Skate Canada also announced the three teams that will make up the Skate Canada Synchronized Skating National Team. The Synchronized National Team comprises those teams finishing in the top three in senior discipline at the 2020 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships. MEN Roman Sadovsky, 21, Vaughn, Ont. Nam Nguyen, 22, Ajax, Ont. Keegan Messing, 28, Sherwood Park, Alta. WOMEN Emily Bausback, 18, Vancouver, BC Alison Schumacher, 17, Tecumseh, Ont. Madeline Schizas, 16, Oakville, Ont. PAIR Kirsten Moore-Towers, 28, St. Catharines, Ont. & Michael Marinaro, 28, Sarnia, Ont. Evelyn Walsh, 19, London, Ont. & Trennt Michaud, 24, Trenton, Ont. ICE DANCE Piper Gilles, 28, Toronto, Ont. & Paul Poirier, 28, Unionville, Ont. Marjorie Lajoie, 19, Boucherville, Que. & Zachary Lagha, 21, Saint-Hubert, Que. Carolane Soucisse, 25, Chateauguay, Que. & Shane Firus, 26, North Vancouver, B.C. Laurence Fournier Beaudry, 28, Montreal, Que. & Nikolaj Sorensen, 31, Montreal, Que. SYNCHRONIZED SKATING Les Suprêmes, of CPA Saint- Léonard NEXXICE, of the Burlington Skating Centre Nova, of CPS NOVA

 

[TallyT]

The men's team is sheer likability personified

 

[Colonel Green]

I keep forgetting how young Nam still is. Feels like he's been around forever.

 

[lariko]

No surprises, I guess. Good luck to all in the upcoming season

 

[mrrice]

Did Gabby Retire? It's good to see Keegan still out there skating. I hope he has a great year.

 

[snowflake]

Did Gabby Retire? It's good to see Keegan still out there skating. I hope he has a great year.

Me too always cheering for Keegan. I was disappointed for him not qualifying for worlds in Canada. Another chance and he might come to Sweden :thumbsup:

 

[Colonel Green]

Did Gabby Retire?

No, she’s still competing. It’s that last season was so rough that by most metrics (including the ones Skate Canada chose) it would be hard to justify putting her on the team.

 

[mrrice]

No, she’s still competing. It’s that last season was so rough that by most metrics (including the ones Skate Canada chose) it would be hard to justify putting her on the team.

:sad21: I sure hope she can pull herself up this season.

 

[slider11]

Still mourning the break-up of the pair team of Ilyschekina and Bilodeau but I understand that Lubov has been approved as a coach. Looking forward to seeing her talents shared with others!

 

[Sabrina]

Still mourning the break-up of the pair team of Ilyschekina and Bilodeau but I understand that Lubov has been approved as a coach. Looking forward to seeing her talents shared with others!

I still can't understand why did they split. They were such a new promising pair, and neither of them were too old for pair figure skating. Whatever the reason, I feel sorry for the pair, and especially for the to partners of Charlie. Why did he quit both times, I don't know.

 

[mrrice]

I may be way behind on this but, did Kevin Reynolds retire?

 

[Sabrina]

AFAIK, he has already retired last year.

 

[mrrice]

 

[rain]

This team seems totally self-explanatory with no controversy. The only big question mark is Gabby Daleman, but she had such a meltdown year last season and I have no idea where she is in her training now.

It's only too bad that the national team is so small. There are a lot of promising skaters coming up who could do with the funding, I'm sure.

Can't wait to see them all skate!

 

[TontoK]

This team seems totally self-explanatory with no controversy. The only big question mark is Gabby Daleman, but she had such a meltdown year last season and I have no idea where she is in her training now.

It's only too bad that the national team is so small. There are a lot of promising skaters coming up who could do with the funding, I'm sure.

Can't wait to see them all skate!

That was exactly what I thought. No surprises... with the caveat that I know nothing of synchro.

I don't like to "retire" an athlete before they say it, but Gabby has to show me something to maintain my interest, and apparently Skate Canada feels the same way. It seems AGES ago, but it is really only a few years since she was a World medalist. I think she can still be relevant, but she's got to decide.

 

[eterislouisvuitton]

I'm a bit late and of course it's no surprise based on results, but based on how the federation has invested in him previously, I'm surprised to see Stephen Gogolev off the team completely. Is there a reserve team or is he staying in juniors? Always seemed a little ridiculous to make him go into seniors full time at 15.

 

[Amei]

That was exactly what I thought. No surprises... with the caveat that I know nothing of synchro.

I don't like to "retire" an athlete before they say it, but Gabby has to show me something to maintain my interest, and apparently Skate Canada feels the same way. It seems AGES ago, but it is really only a few years since she was a World medalist. I think she can still be relevant, but she's got to decide.

If you look at Daleman's results she's been competing on the international senior circuit for 7 years and has 4 podium finishes only 2 of those were at major competitions including the bronze at 2016 Worlds, other than that she's been a mid-level skater in terms of results she's never podiumed at a GP event - The only explanation that I've been able to come up with to explain the last couple years with the Daleman bandwagon about her being some type of contender is so that there is a Canadian lady talked about as a contender.

 

[SnowWhite]

I'm a bit late and of course it's no surprise based on results, but based on how the federation has invested in him previously, I'm surprised to see Stephen Gogolev off the team completely. Is there a reserve team or is he staying in juniors? Always seemed a little ridiculous to make him go into seniors full time at 15.

He's on the Next Gen team.

 

[TontoK]

If you look at Daleman's results she's been competing on the international senior circuit for 7 years and has 4 podium finishes only 2 of those were at major competitions including the bronze at 2016 Worlds, other than that she's been a mid-level skater in terms of results she's never podiumed at a GP event - The only explanation that I've been able to come up with to explain the last couple years with the Daleman bandwagon about her being some type of contender is so that there is a Canadian lady talked about as a contender.

I don't disagree with anything you're saying, but I think many Canadians would consider even a mid-level woman a step in the right direction now. The best that can be said about the current ladies team is there are some prospects there - and that's not meant to be throwing shade, as the young folk say. They're simply not ready yet (or they weren't last year, to be more precise) to make an international impact, or even an international impression.

 

[rain]

I don't disagree with anything you're saying, but I think many Canadians would consider even a mid-level woman a step in the right direction now. The best that can be said about the current ladies team is there are some prospects there - and that's not meant to be throwing shade, as the young folk say. They're simply not ready yet (or they weren't last year, to be more precise) to make an international impact, or even an international impression.

This. If she's skating well, Gabby at least has a shot of making the top 10 or 12. The other ladies are looking at trying really hard to make the cut for the long program. That's just realistic at this juncture. In a perfect world, this next generation of ladies would be able to get their feet wet internationally while older senior skaters continued to carry the burden of any actual expectations.

Does anyone know how Aurora Cotop is doing these days? I thought she was really promising, but she's just been almost completely sidelined by injuries for at least two entire seasons.