The 2011/2012 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating continues this Friday with Skate Canada International in Mississauga, Ontario. Skate Canada is the second of six events in the series. The skaters compete for a global prize money of US $ 180, 000 per individual event of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating and receive points according to their placements.
Olympic Champions Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir (CAN) will compete in their first Grand Prix event of the season this week.
Virtue/Moir are leading the dance field. Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje (CAN), Anna Cappellini/ Luca Lanotte (ITA) and Ekaterina Riazanova/Ilia Tkachenko (RUS) want to challenge for the podium. World Junior silver medallists Ekaterina Pushkash/Jonathan Guerreiro (RUS) compete in their first senior Grand Prix event. European Champions Nathalie Pechalat/Fabian Bourzat (FRA) have withdrawn as Bourzat is suffering from bronchitis.
World silver medallists Tatiana Volosozhar/Maxim Trankov (RUS) headline the Pairs event and will compete in their first Grand Prix as a team. Competition should come from 2011 Four Continents silver medallists Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford (CAN), two-time and reigning World Junior Champions Wenjing Sui/Cong Han (CHN) and two-time World Junior medallists Narumi Takahashi/Mervin Tran (JPN). Defending Skate Canada Champions Lubov Ilushechkina/Nodari Maisuradze (RUS) and last year's bronze medallists Paige Lawrence/Rudi Swiegers (CAN) are in the mix as well. 2008 World bronze medallist Jessica Dube (CAN) returns with new partner Sebastien Wolfe (CAN) to the Grand Prix circuit.
The Ladies competition features Canadian Champion Cynthia Phaneuf, 2010 Four Continents silver medallist Akiko Suzuki (JPN), Alena Leonova (RUS), Rachael Flatt (USA), Mirai Nagasu (USA) and 2011 World Junior silver medallist Elizaveta Tuktamisheva (RUS).
The full list of entries is available at www.isu.org
The schedule of Skate Canada International is as follows:
Friday, October 28: Ladies, Pairs, Men's Short Program and Short Dance
Saturday, October 29: Ladies, Pairs and Men's Free Skating
Sunday, October 30: Free Dance, Exhibition Gala
