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Strong Canadian team qualifies for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final

(November 30, 2009 - OTTAWA, ON) – Canada will have five entries at this year’s ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. Canada qualified three in the senior level and two in the junior level. The event will take place in Tokyo, Japan from December 3-6, 2009.

To qualify for the event skaters collect points based on their placements at their individual ISU Grand Prix assignments. Entries for the ISU Grand Prix Senior Final are determined by the results of six competitions that took place in: Russia, France, China, Japan, USA and Canada.

After winning a bronze and gold at her two assignments, Joannie Rochette, 23, Île Dupas, Que., will represent Canada in the ladies discipline. The five-time Canadian Champion and 2009 world silver medalist will take on some of the best in the world. Manon Perron coaches Rochette at CPA Saint-Léonard.

Tessa Virtue 20, London, Ont., and Scott Moir, 22, Ilderton, Ont., are entering the event with two gold medals around their neck. They took home top honours at both Trophée Eric Bompard and HomeSense Skate Canada International. At the 2009 ISU World Figure Skating Championships they won the bronze medal and in 2008 they captured silver. Virtue and Moir train at the Arctic Edge Ice Arena in Canton, Michigan with their coaches Marina Zoueva and Igor Shpilband.

The second senior ice dance team is Vanessa Crone, 18, Aurora, Ont., and Paul Poirier, 18, Unionville, Ont. They won bronze at the NHK Trophy and just missed the podium at the Rostelecom Cup in Russia, placing fourth. In 2009 they competed at their first senior worlds and placed 12th. They are coached by Carol Lane, Jon Lane, Juris Razgulajevs and Donna Iijima at Scarboro FSC.

Junior competitors Kaleigh Hole, 16, Virden, Man., and Adam Johnson, 21, Chatham, Ont., are headed to their first ISU Junior Grand Prix Final and their third international event. They kicked off their skating career in July 2009 and since then have won medals at both their ISU Junior Grand Prix assignments, gold in Lake Placid and bronze in Minsk. They are coached by Scott Rachuk and Alison Purkiss at Strathroy.

Junior ice dancers Kharis Ralph, 17, Toronto, Ont., and Asher Hill, 18, Toronto, Ont., picked up silver medals at both their assignments, Lake Placid and Zagreb. This is their second trip back to the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final, last year they placed sixth. They also placed fifth at the 2009 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships. The duo train out of the Scarboro FSC and are coached by Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs.

Skate Canada High Performance Director Mike Slipchuk will be the team leader at the event. To arrange onsite interviews please contact him at 613.291.7743 or by e-mail at mslipchuk@skatecanada.ca. Petra Burka of Toronto, Ont., will also team lead at this event.

Joining them will be the medical staff, Dr. Julia Alleyne of Toronto, Ont., and physiotherapist Cathy Striowski of North York, Ont. The Canadian officials at the event are Jodi Abbott of Edmonton, Alta., and Debbie Islam of Barrie, Ont.

For a full entries list and results please go to www.isu.org.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT ISU GRAND PRIX FINAL

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Skate Canada, the national governing body responsible for the development and administration of skating in Canada, is the largest figure skating association in the world. With skating programs for athletes of all ages, offered at 1283 clubs and 54 skating schools* across the country, Skate Canada is an association dedicated to providing every Canadian the opportunity to learn life skills while experiencing the power, strength and creativity of one of Canada's premier sports.