Canadian figure skating team named for PyeongChang 2018
VANCOUVER (January 14, 2018) — The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Skate Canada officially announced the 17 athletes and 12 coaches nominated to represent Team Canada in figure skating at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.
DOWNLOAD: High-resolution team photos for editorial use
Skaters qualified for the team based on their performances during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons as well as their results at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships.
The skaters nominated are:
| Name | Event | Hometown |
| Patrick Chan | Men’s singles | Toronto, ON |
| Keegan Messing | Men’s singles | Sherwood Park, AB/ Brampton, ON |
| Gabrielle Daleman | Women’s singles | Newmarket, ON |
| Kaetlyn Osmond | Women’s singles | Sherwood Park, AB/ Marystown, NL |
| Larkyn Austman | Women’s singles | Coquitlam, BC |
| Meagan Duhamel | Pairs | Lively, ON |
| Eric Radford | Pairs | Balmertown, ON |
| Julianne Séguin | Pairs | Longueuil, QC |
| Charlie Bilodeau | Pairs | Trois-Pistoles, QC |
| Kirsten Moore-Towers | Pairs | St. Catharines, ON |
| Michael Marinaro | Pairs | Sarnia, ON |
| Tessa Virtue | Ice dance | London, ON |
| Scott Moir | Ice dance | Ilderton, ON |
| Piper Gilles | Ice dance | Toronto, ON |
| Paul Poirier | Ice dance | Unionville, ON |
| Kaitlyn Weaver | Ice dance | Toronto, ON |
| Andrew Poje | Ice dance | Waterloo, ON |
The coaches nominated are:
| Name | Position | Hometown |
| Lee Barkell | Coach | Kirkland Lake, ON |
| Ralph Burghart | Coach | Vienna, Austria |
| Marie-France Dubreuil | Coach | Sainte-Catherine, QC |
| Oleg Epstein | Coach | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Richard Gauthier | Coach | Mont Tremblant, QC |
| Patrice Lauzon | Coach | Boisbriand, QC |
| Bruno Marcotte | Coach | Beloeil, QC |
| Nikolai Morozov | Coach | Edgewater, New Jersey, USA |
| Zdenek Pazdirek | Coach | Coquitlam, BC |
| Josée Picard | Coach | Hull, QC |
| Juris Razgulajevs | Coach | Riga, Latvia |
| Ravi Walia | Coach | Vancouver, BC |
Figure skating is one of Canada’s most successful sports at the Olympic Winter Games. Since 1924, Canada has won 25 Olympic medals, including four golds.
The team heading to PyeongChang has been hugely successful in recent years. Vancouver 2010 gold medallists Virtue and Moir returned from a two-year hiatus last season to win their third world title. While they were away, Weaver and Poje won two world medals. Osmond and Daleman became the first Canadian women to share a world championship podium in 2017, winning silver and bronze. Duhamel and Radford captured back-to-back world titles in 2015 and 2016. Three-time world champion Chan is coming off winning his record-setting 10th national title.
With 17 skaters, Canada has qualified the largest figure skating team of any country for PyeongChang 2018. Figure skating will take place February 9-23 (Days 0-14) at the Gangneung Ice Arena.
QUOTES:
“I’m impressed by the depth of this team. There are so many strong contenders and we have tremendous hope for them heading into the Games. Congratulations to all athletes nominated. Best of luck to them as they enter the final stage of their preparation.”
– Isabelle Charest, PyeongChang 2018 Team Canada Chef de Mission
“Tessa and I are honoured to be representing Canada at our third Olympic Games. It is especially a privilege to be named to the team with this group of skaters. We have grown up together and its going to be a special moment to take the ice with them and go for gold. We are looking forward to embracing the Olympic spirit and proudly cheering on our teammates in PyeongChang.”
– Scott Moir, PyeongChang 2018 nominated athlete
“I am thrilled to be named to the Olympic team for the second time. It is always a source of pride to wear the red-and-white and to do it on the biggest sporting stage in the world will be truly an honour. Our entire team has worked hard to be the best and I know Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast will be cheering on our journey as we take on the world.”
– Gabrielle Daleman, PyeongChang 2018 nominated athlete
“Figure Skating is one of the most watched Olympic events, and for good reason. These new team members are looking to earn their spot in PyeongChang amongst previous champions. As they dance, spin and jump, the Canadian fans back home will be supporting them in their quest for the podium. Let’s go Canada!”
– The Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities
Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the COC’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Federations in late January 2018.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Emma Bowie, Communications Manager
Skate Canada
Tel: 613-747-1007, ext. 2547 / Cell: 613-914-2607
Email: ebowie@skatecanada.ca
Josh Su, Coordinator, Communications
Canadian Olympic Committee
Tel: 416-324-4303 / Cell: 647-464-4060
Email: jsu@olympic.ca
Photi Sotiropoulos, Director, Communications and Media Relations
Canadian Olympic Committee
Tel: 416-324-4298 / Cell: 416-476-9174
Email: psotiropoulos@olympic.ca