LAVAL, QC (January 17, 2025) – Friday was a day for spectacular performances at the Canadian National Skating Championships at Place Bell in Laval, where two titles were successfully defended and a new record was set on the third day of competition.
The day got off to a great start for Ontario’s Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov in the junior pairs’ competition. Their performance in the free program earned them 99.90 points and secured their spot at the top of the podium, allowing them to successfully defend their national junior title with a total of 159.39 points.
“We could have done better today, but still, it’s a step in the right direction. We’ll be able to build on this program. We did what we had to do today. Now we want to add more confidence and speed!” explained Kemp and Elizarov, who accomplished today’s feat despite an injury-plagued start to the season.
The podium was rounded out by Martina Ariano-Kent and Charly Laliberté-Laurent (145.94 points) and Julia Quattrochi and Simon Desmarais (141.67 points), all of whom are from Quebec.
In the junior women’s free program, Alberta’s Lia Cho shone bright, concluding her first National Championships at the top of the podium, holding a new Canadian junior women’s record.
“I really liked my program, and I’d like to thank everyone who was here today: the volunteers, the spectators, and the people who cheered me on. It was the biggest crowd I’ve ever skated in front of, and it felt amazing!” said Cho, who ended the day with an impressive 188.79 points. “For me, it’s not about breaking records. It’s about showing how much I love my sport. I wanted everyone to see what I’ve been working on in training, and I’m proud of my performance.”
Ontario’s Ksenia Krouzkevitch (160.97) and Quebec’s Sandrine Blais (151.68) finished second and third, respectively, in the junior women’s category.
Later in the evening, in the third medal ceremony of the day, Les Suprêmes were crowned champions following the senior synchro free program.
The reigning world champions, who were first in the provisional standings, secured their second consecutive Canadian title by earning 144.20 points for their performance, bringing their total to 223.73.
“It feels great! We’re surrounded by our families and our friends, and it feels amazing to win at home. We love it when people cheer us on as loudly as they did tonight. It gave us a ton of energy!” said team co-captains Olivia Di Giandomenico and Julia Bernardo.
Team Nova of Quebec finished second with a final score of 220.03. NEXXICE of Ontario completed the podium with 210.56 points.
Seniors Roman Sadovsky, Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps sparkle on the ice
Friday also marked the beginning of the senior men’s and senior pairs’ competitions. The short programs in both categories allowed some of the big names to display their prowess early in the competition.
Roman Sadovsky of Ontario, now back in peak form, left no doubt as to his intentions in the men’s event, with a performance that earned him 81.44 points and provisional first place.
“I was a bit nervous, but I’m very happy with how this competition has started out. I hesitated a few times, but in general, I felt that I was at a good level, and I was able to skate well. Everything seems to be pointing in the right direction,” said Sadovsky.
Quebec’s Anthony Paradis (77.27) and Ontario’s John Kim (71.32) are sitting in second and third place after the men’s short program.
In the pairs’ short program, reigning world champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps wowed the Place Bell crowd, taking the lead in the senior pairs category.
With 76.31 points, they currently hold first place in the standings, ahead of Ontario’s Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud (70.43) and Quebec’s Kelly Ann Laurin and Loucas Éthier (63.10).
“We could really feel the support of the crowd! We’re happy with the way we performed this evening, although we still have some work to do to correct some small errors. We’ve accomplished some important things, and we’re already looking forward to tomorrow,” said Deschamps, referring to the free program.
The Canadian national senior men’s and senior pairs champions will be determined on Saturday, following the free programs. The senior women’s and ice dance events will begin on Saturday.
For the complete results, click here.