On the first day of the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, both Canadian ice dancing duos delivered strong performances. Sandrine Gauthier (Saint-Constant, Quebec) and Quentin Thieren (Montreal, Quebec) are currently eighth after the rhythm dance, while Chloe Nguyen and Brendan Giang (Burnaby, British Columbia) are in ninth place.
Gauthier and Thieren, seventh at the ISU 2023 World Junior Championships, ended the day with a score of 58.37. The team from Quebec said they were satisfied with their performance, even though they were hoping for the judges to be more generous.
“We are very happy with what we did on the ice today,” Gauthier shared. “The goal was to have fun and gain experience. We can say it’s mission accomplished. We have no control over the marks the judges will give us, so we focus on what we can control.”
As for Nguyen and Giang, reigning Canadian junior champions, they scored 57.46 to finish just behind their compatriots. The British Columbians were able to set aside the pressure and stress to deliver a performance that lived up to their expectations.
“We are quite proud of our performance,” said Giang. “There are obviously a few sequences where we could have done a little better, but that’s part of the sport. All the same, we are happy with our day.”
The top 20 teams after the rhythm dance will be back in action on Thursday to present their free dance.
In the men’s event, Anthony Paradis (Boisbriand, Quebec) achieved the best Canadian result of the day for the short program, finishing the session in 14th place with 68.37 points. Paradis, silver medallist at the last Senior National Championships, secured his ticket to the free program despite a slight error that left him wanting more.
“I feel really great, even though I’m a little disappointed that I lost my footing during my routine,” indicated Paradis. “I’ve worked very hard and I’ve been very consistent in training. I’m glad I made it to the free program despite the mistake. My first two jumps were excellent. Maybe I got too excited afterwards and that’s why I fell.”
Not far behind, David Bondar (Richmond Hill, Ontario) also secured his place in the free program. He finished 22nd (61.73 points). This is the first time the Ontarian is participating at the ISU World Junior Championships.
The men’s free program is on Friday, while the women’s short program will be presented on Thursday, in addition to the free dance.
The ISU World Junior Championships full results are available here.