Skate Canada to Begin This Weekend
A large amount of World’s top skaters will be heading to Canada this weekend to take part in the 2011 Skate Canada International which will be held in Hershey Centre, Mississauga, ON from October 28-30. These competitions are the second of six events of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating.
With eleven countries in the running for the podium, a strong competitive part will be showcasing a variety of World Championship and Olympic veterans, with some exciting new senior’s level skaters who will be contending for the medals at the next Olympics in Sochi 2014.
Men
In the competition among men four-time Canadian champion and 2011 World Champion Patrick Chan will try to demonstrate his ambitions and readiness for the new season. Daisuke Takahashi of Japan, who won the Four Continents Championships in the last season and finished fifth at the 2011 World Championships, comes into the competitions with the highest world skating ranking. Adam Rippon of the United States, who finished third at the Skate Canada International last year, is looking to be at the podium again.
Other entries of Canada in men’s single skating include Andrei Rogozine, 2011 World Junior Champion and 2010 Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medalist Elladj Balde, who finished fifth at the 2011 Canadian national championships.
Ladies
The current Canada’s national champion Cynthia Phaneuf, who placed fourth at the 2010 Skate Canada, will be challenging for the position at the podium this year. Japan’s Akiko Suzuki holds the best International Skating Union world ranking in the ladies’ single skating and placed fifth at the 2009 Skate Canada. Russia’s Alena Leonova and American Mirai Nagasu are both veteran of such competitions and they also ranked in the top ten of world skating standings.
Elizaveta Tuktamisheva of Russia, which is 2011 World Junior silver medalist, will be competing at her first Senior’s level Grand Prix competitions and will try to make an immediate impact by her strong skating.
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