- 1 day ago
Competition Information:
https://skatecanada.ca/event/2026-canadian-national-skating-championships/
https://skatecanada.ca/event/2026-canadian-national-skating-championships/
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03:30We are in Montreal at her home and of course we are watching live viewing of the competition in Gatineau, Quebec.
03:38Lisa, thank you very much for joining us again.
03:41Of course, we just saw the senior men's event.
03:43That was so incredibly exciting.
03:45And so was the junior synchronized, but now we have three teams in senior and these are three of, dare I say, some of the best teams in the world.
03:54Yes, they are.
03:55Yes, they are.
03:55Any three of these teams could potentially medal at a senior world championship.
03:59I think there's a bit of a misconception that I think there's a bit of a misconception that if there's only three senior teams in a country, it's not a good sign.
04:04But I want to remind viewers that it's the intensity of the training that goes into training at synchro at the senior level that makes it so difficult to have more than three teams.
04:14So, yes, we do only have three teams at the same time.
04:18They are three incredible teams.
04:20It's like if you only had three top men's skaters and you didn't have any deeper of a field, but the top three are still incredible.
04:27Well, how many teams would you say we have across Canada?
04:30It doesn't matter.
04:31I don't mean just competitive teams.
04:32I mean just synchro teams.
04:34It has to be in the hundreds.
04:36Yeah, we are compiling a number on that for Skate Canada and looking at other federations around the world as well.
04:42But certainly there's well over 100 teams.
04:45Yeah, I'd have to get back to you on an accurate number there.
04:47And I heard even Newfoundland has, I think, 100 or 200 synchro teams in their province on the east coast, the far east coast of Canada.
04:56So it is extraordinary.
04:58The discipline is very popular, of course, but as you said, the commitment and cost for that type of level of synchronized skating is prohibitive a little bit for many of the people.
05:09Now, let's go on a little bit further about we talked about Synchro 9 and about the Youth Olympic Games and about the presentation of synchronized skating.
05:18Do you have more information on that?
05:20I think we just have to wait and see what comes out.
05:23But I know the ISU is looking to release the rules for the Synchro 9 category in April.
05:28So we'll be waiting on bated breath to see what comes out there.
05:32But it's not going to be Synchro 16.
05:35It will be a new discipline and a new division of synchronized skating.
05:39I think it's going to be different, but in an exciting way.
05:43Like we mentioned yesterday, there's Anu and Marilyn and Danielle that are working with their, well, some retired senior skaters to see what they can create with nine synchronized skaters on the ice.
05:55They're coming up with new and exciting ideas.
05:58And my understanding is that once the Synchro 9 is showcased at galas at the World Championships this year, the ISU will then look and say, OK, what were these coaches able to develop with nine skaters?
06:10And how do we build a rule system that really capitalizes on the excitement of nine skaters on the ice with maybe new elements and new features that we've never seen done before because there are nine skaters on the ice?
06:21And you also mentioned about a combined world championships.
06:24They're looking at that for the future where you would have women and men, pairs, dance, synchronized skating, and even short track.
06:33So all, not all, but most of the ice sports of the ISU in a combined world championships.
06:38They don't, they have not set a year on that, but they're working towards that.
06:42That will be something special.
06:43I think so.
06:44I mean, to me, when I hear that, it sounds like a mini ISU Olympics.
06:48You know, the best of the best in all of the artistic ice sports plus speed skating.
06:53It just seems so exciting.
06:54Probably not dissimilar to the Shanghai Trophy where there's the short track speed skating and synchronized skating and other figure skating disciplines combined.
07:03But I was able to compete there the first year that it was held.
07:05And it was just so exciting to be with other athletes and to feel that level of, I would say, respect just to be with other top athletes from other sports.
07:15But I'm sure Olympians have that, that common feeling.
07:18And it's the closest that I would say Synchro has ever felt.
07:22And just from an operational perspective, of course, it would be massive.
07:25But having all the world championships all in one, probably two weeks, who knows how long it would be.
07:31But from a broadcast perspective as well, you're setting that up and covering it.
07:34So there's many ideas and, you know, there'll be challenges along the way.
07:39And I know the ISU will figure it out.
07:40Love their thinking.
07:42Love the creativity that they're trying to present our sport in a different way and all the ISU sports together.
07:49So lots of exciting topics coming up as we take a look at the standing so far after the short program in the senior synchronized skating.
07:55And I just want to say, I'm not a Synchro skater, although I've actually been on a line one time with a camera.
08:01And I thought, whoa, this is really fast, right?
08:04And for people who don't know about the sport very much, this is extremely, extremely difficult and challenging to skate in such a small area with so many people on the ice.
08:14And I want people to appreciate that.
08:16I know if you said that, well, you're a Synchro skater.
08:18And so, yeah, you know it, but I'm not a Synchro skater, but I do know this is something very special that perhaps has not had as much coverage as it should have.
08:29That's absolutely true.
08:30I'm just so grateful that Skate Canada has brought synchronized skating into the national championships with the other disciplines.
08:36We used to have our own national championships.
08:39And so it was very separated between the Olympic disciplines and synchronized skating.
08:43But to have synchronized skating in the same venue, I know a lot of athletes that compete here.
08:48This is their first exposure to high-level Synchro, as well as a lot of the coaches that have been around for decades.
08:53They've never really had a chance to take in not just the value and the beauty of synchronized skating, but also the energy and excitement of the fans in the stands.
09:03Yeah, no question about that.
09:06And I think that with a new division of Synchro 9, the team of 16 to 20 will still remain, of course.
09:13So it'll provide a whole smorgasbord of opportunity for the people who, the skaters who, and the fans who love synchronized skating.
09:21As we see our first team stepping onto the ice for the senior free program, Nova Senior Team, as they take to the ice.
09:30And I think the building is electric with, after the men's short program.
09:34And, of course, we know how crazy the fans, not crazy, but excited the fans are in synchronized skating.
09:40And there they are.
09:43Synchro fans certainly do bring the energy.
09:46They sure do.
09:47And their warm-up, talk a little bit about that.
09:49It's, of course, different than singles or pairs, where they have a six-minute warm-up, five for dance.
09:54How long is the warm-up here for synchronized teams?
09:57Oh, I couldn't give you an exact number because it's different for the first team than it is for the remaining teams.
10:03But they do have a few minutes here just to do a little bit of a warm-up.
10:06Again, get into their knees and ankles, feel their teammates around them, and really take in the space.
10:12I believe once their team name is called, they have 30 seconds to get into position and start their music.
10:17But teams will do different things here.
10:19Some teams prefer to skate on arms in a block formation.
10:21Some skaters, as you just saw here, they do a stroking pattern with their off-arms, but in a kind of huddle of four skaters.
10:28And then they take their time here to kind of just feel their edges, maybe do a couple turns or whatever they feel that they need to do to feel ready to give their best skate.
10:38And then, of course, the famous huddle.
10:39They all get together at center ice or somewhere on the ice.
10:43And sort of a private moment, you know, looking inside a circle.
10:48And as you mentioned, maybe the team captain says something a little light or they have a cheer or whatever the case may be.
10:54Well, they're back sort of the audience.
10:55So it's a private moment.
10:56It's kind of interesting.
10:57And I think it's a specific aspect of synchronized skating we don't see in any one of the other ice sports.
11:05Let's talk a little bit about the…
11:06We'll have to mic up.
11:07Sorry, go ahead.
11:07We'll have to mic up the athletes and see what they really say in there.
11:10Ah, such a good idea.
11:12Well, they probably wouldn't say too much with a mic there.
11:14But who knows?
11:15Let's talk a little bit about this program for NOVA, the free program.
11:22It's all in French here.
11:23So do you know a little bit of background?
11:25I sure do.
11:26It's Extravaganza de la Maison.
11:29But basically the concept is it's a vibrant, playful program.
11:33It's full of surprises and contrasting emotions.
11:36They really try to bring a grand show to the stage that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
11:41They have lots of exciting moments and it's just a fun program, very innovative.
11:46You can see their costuming here, beautiful dresses created and designed by Philip Messi.
11:53Here they are, name called.
11:54They will now take their position.
11:57And the fans are already going wild.
11:59So much support.
12:00All the junior teams in the building, of course, cheering these teams on but also getting inspired.
25:34wasn't quite the skate and the cohesiveness that this team is capable of, but I am so
25:40amazed by this program, the character that they're able to portray, and the unique and
25:46exciting elements that they weave into their program. There's so much potential in this
25:53program for them. Yeah, and you know, in a tight competition, of course, those mistakes
25:57that we did see are going to be maybe costly. We'll find out in just a few moments. You
26:02could see them even at the end of the program, the expression on their face really
26:06communicated concern after those mistakes. It seemed a little bit cautious to me. I've
26:15seen them practicing over the last few days, and this is a program that when they
26:19skate it with, I don't want to say reckless abandon, but with attack, it really elevates
26:26it to a whole other level that I haven't seen from this team in a long, long time, and
26:30so that's what I want to see from this team as they go forward. There's so much
26:34opportunity in this program for them.
26:38Also look at their death spiral.
26:40Out of the nine elements, sorry, out of the nine elements, seven are under review, so lots
26:45to look at here. Carry on, sorry.
26:47Yeah, so here we're looking at the group lift. This was the best I've seen it this
26:51week. Really well synchronized on the lift, on the entry feature, on the rotations, and
26:56this I think is the best pivot block of the competition. There is so much speed. They go
27:01into it from a line formation, and they carry that speed right through the element, and that
27:04should get them some extra GOE. Really nice execution of that difficult turns too. Here
27:10we are looking at their twizzle element. We saw one skater fall out of it. Again, it's
27:14not one skater that affects the call. They need to see four or a quarter of the team. There
27:20was the interaction. Beautiful feature. And then the second twizzle there. Here's a look
27:25at their creative lift. This is such a unique element for the team. I would love to see
27:30it go up and get up faster, incorporating a little bit more speed into that, but I love
27:35how creative it is. Skaters really get to fly.
27:40Well, certainly an intense program to Wonder Woman. And an intense moment in the kiss and
27:47cry, just waiting to see the result of those mistakes. Will it be costly and have Nova move
27:54up ahead of Nexus? We'll have to wait and see, but you can tell they're nervously awaiting
28:02those marks. You can tell they're wondering what the result of those mistakes were.
28:08And they will have another opportunity to face Nova Senior, both at Boston International Classic
28:14and Finland. So we'll see these teams compete against each other, not just here at Nationals,
28:19but also on the international circuit as well. As you mentioned a number of times, this is
28:24very early on in the season. So they're international and even some domestic competition season continues
28:29on longer. The synchronized skating world championships are the final ISU championship of the season. So
28:37the season is shifted a little bit later than compared to the singles and pairs and dance.
28:41Yes. Just taking a look here at their costumes. They were designed by Mathieu Caron. Really nice
28:48tying in of the theme with their dresses. And one of the skaters actually, Hélène on the right side
28:54there, she was skating adult. She was on the Nexus Elite 12 when they had a team, then skated adult,
29:01and now she's made a return to senior. And I just wanted to give her a shout out because these stories
29:05are so inspiring. There's so many skaters out there wondering, can I skate senior? And my answer is
29:10always, if you work hard enough, the answer is always yes. So kudos to her for being brave and
29:16making that bold move. Lovely to see her out on the ice. And you mentioned Deanna Stiletto perhaps
29:21being a sort of a motivation for her to come back or was watching Deanna in competition. So
29:27that's an interesting part of this team. I think she's inspired a lot of older skaters,
29:33yeah, in their 20s, but a lot of skaters that maybe thought their competitive years were behind
29:38them. But I think she inspired so many skaters to make a return to competitive ice, thinking, you know,
29:43maybe there is more left in my competitive season, maybe there's more on the table for me to pursue
29:48and achieve. So thank you, Deanna, for that. Yeah, when you talk older skaters at the age of 20, then that's
29:53they're ancient and fossilizing for me. So, you know,
29:56I'm right there with you, Ted. Yeah, there you go.
30:02But taking their time, as I mentioned, there were six or seven elements under review. So that technical
30:08band had a lot of work to do to ensure the accuracy of their calls. Had there been any doubt? And of
30:15course, when you're watching 16 to 20 skaters, there's a lot going on in that rink. And that review
30:20process helps you clarify something you may have missed in the live program.
30:25Yes. And a lot of times they'll see something in the corner of their eye. They don't want to just
30:29focus on that one skater. So they continue to watch the skaters that are doing the element correctly.
30:33But then they review to see, okay, what happened with that skater? Did it affect anyone around her?
30:37Like you said, they just want to ensure that they're allowing and allocating the marks correctly.
30:44And the tension builds in the kiss and cry because they're wondering, why is this taking so long?
30:50How many reviews were there? They don't know. We know, but...
30:53Yeah. And that is the worst feeling. Being in the kiss and cry, just, you know,
30:56generally, if things are clear, then the marks come up quickly. So you know if it's taking a while,
31:01it's because they're reviewing things. And it's just, you know, you're wondering,
31:04are they going to go in our favor or not? Here we go.
31:06Oh, there it is. A 136.18 for the free program. That is second with a 214.66 total competition score.
31:13That will put this team into second place. There they are.
31:16Nova moves up into first.
31:21In such a tight competition, there is no room for error. And we see that time and time again.
31:28There's just, that's what happens when you have such strong competitors in one category.
31:31Exactly. Our next team on the ice, representing Quebec, Les Suprèmes.
31:36And their free program this season tells the story of the mystical firebird,
31:40the powerful creature that overcomes evil and brings peace into its kingdom.
31:44The costumes will get a close-up soon.
31:48They're designed and created by Josiane Lamont.
31:49And the program and choreography was done by the team's three coaches,
31:53with guidance from Sam Chouinard, Michoué Sylvain,
31:55and interpretation refined under Russian ballet instructor Natalia.
31:59The program combines storytelling, artistry, precision, and the firebird.
32:04And the firebird, Michoué Sylvain, and the firebird.
32:34The firebird, Michoué Sylvain, and the firebird.
33:04The firebird, Michoué Sylvain, and the firebird.
36:34Oh, what a fantastic skate for that team. Wow.
36:40Great smiles from the skaters, the coaches, a roaring applause from the fans. That was outstanding.
36:49The Firebird always delivers excitement, particularly when there's a nice clean skate, as we saw here. That was exciting by the Suprem. Currently in the lead, the final team on the ice. Wow. That was great.
37:06It was. And surprisingly, Firebird is such a popular piece of music, but I can't recall the last team at the junior or senior level that skated to Firebird that comes to mind. So maybe they're the ones that will make it so memorable, almost like a hockey number that gets retired.
37:26But it's just, you know, it's such a powerful, powerful piece of music and builds to the climax at the end. And if the, when you have 16 skaters on the ice, all working in unison, the visual is powerful. The audio is powerful. And it's impressive if we see the Firebird at the top of the program.
37:46Oh, beautiful, creative lift for the opening. I love their variation in the lifts that they chose to do. Here we're looking at the whip intersection. Ideally, you want every skater going through at the same time, which wasn't quite achieved today. That means that there's still room for improvement on whatever score they get today.
38:02Really nice speed through this no-hold element. Look how tight they are. Great turns, great unison and lineup.
38:08Here they are going into their death spirals with the foot grasp for a difficult feature and a fly at the end. Here we go. Great exit variation there.
38:23So much excitement. I loved how close these lifts were. You can see the unison because they're so close together. You see the unison of the flip, the positioning makes it so easy.
38:33Like we said, not just for the cameras to capture, but for the judges to see and give them marks.
38:38So nicely done. Their pivot block here, so tight between those lines. Really nicely done. Great control.
38:47Again, they'll be looking for the quality of those edges, ensuring that they're done on the correct edges in order to award top marks.
38:55And this is the ending of their program.
38:57And you know, those slow motion shots, when you see how close the skaters are and still in motion, it's pretty impressive.
39:05So I like that on the replays. That was well done. Sorry, go ahead, Lisa.
39:09Oh, I was just going to say, I love that in every element and every movement that they had, it really committed to the character of the Firebird.
39:16It felt so cohesive from beginning to end. Just so many moments of the Firebird woven into their choreography.
39:22Now, once again, they are hoping for the top score here to be the Canadian champions and move on in the rest of their season.
39:33We talked a little bit while we're waiting here about the selection process for the world championships.
39:38If you want to touch on that while we wait for the scores, perhaps?
39:42Yes. So in Canada, Skate Canada has a committee and they essentially decide who goes to Worlds, but it's based on a number of factors.
39:50One of them being their performance at nationals, but then also their international scores.
39:54So as they go abroad, how are they scoring? How are they performing?
39:57And what is the likelihood that they will place in top 10 at a world championship?
40:01So it's considering a number of factors, but the two teams that represent Canada at Senior Worlds in Synchro will be announced later in February.
40:10As long as it's according to what we've done in previous years, by end of February, we should have an answer on who's representing Canada.
40:18Two more elements currently under review.
40:20And this team had the fewest elements under review, but still quite a few.
40:24I think there was five or four or five technical panel, nervously checking every detail, of course.
40:30And rightfully so.
40:31You could see the team cheer and the kiss and cry and bringing the joy as they still wait with anticipation.
40:41It's nerve wracking to stand there, but I think this team knows they had a good skate.
40:45Everything worked. Everything clicked.
40:47And when it goes that way, you know, you're not, there's always the uncertainty of what is the mark going to be,
40:53but you're not as worried because there were no falls.
40:55There were no bumps.
40:57Everything worked smoothly tonight.
40:59And they would not have seen the team before because you're back in, you know, in the dressing room or wherever you are.
41:05You're not watching what's happening on the ice.
41:07And so you don't know what the score was and you don't know how they skated.
41:10You only know how you skated.
41:12That's one of the reasons why there's little tense in the kissing cry because they're wanting, well, we skated well, but we don't know what else happened out there.
41:19Yeah, for sure.
41:20Just a nod to this team as well.
41:22They mentioned that both of their programs don't really have a count to the beat.
41:27So in synchro, counting to eights or sixes, whatever it is, is so important to bring in the unity of the team.
41:34For this team and both programs, there were no clear counts, which really helped them to develop their musicality.
41:40So although it is a challenge, I think it's worked in their favor, developing their strengths even further.
41:44We should be getting the scores in just a few moments.
41:49The reviews have been completed and the final PC scores have been inputted and their long wait is about to finish.
41:58You can see them.
42:02They're clearly a very tightly tight knit group.
42:05Yeah.
42:06Great friendships there.
42:07Yeah.
42:08Well, some of the skaters have been on this team for nine years.
42:11So.
42:11And would have won three times.
42:13Would have won the world championship three times, right?
42:16Depending on what.
42:17Nine years over the course of 10.
42:19So.
42:19Oh, I see.
42:20Okay.
42:20Okay.
42:20Sorry.
42:21There might have been a year off there for one of the world championship titles, but certainly more than one.
42:27Lesa Prem won the world title three years in a row, did not win it last year, would like to climb back on top of the podium this season.
42:36And the scores are now in.
42:38We'll see them in just a moment.
42:41As they all focus.
42:42They bend down to take a look on the screen.
42:45Free program scores for Lesa Prem, 145.55.
42:48That is first in the free program, and of course, a 226.99 total competition score.
42:53You're looking at the senior champions in synchronized skating in Canada.
42:59I think maybe they had a higher mark in mind.
43:02Yeah.
43:03Of course, they're happy to be in first place, but keeping in mind that there are international competitions underway as we speak.
43:10So I'm sure they've had their eyes on other team scores as well.
43:13Yeah.
43:13And the scores don't always transfer over, you know, from competition to competition.
43:16Things can be seen slightly differently.
43:19And there's a look at the final standings in the senior synchronized skating discipline.
43:24Lesa, your final comments, not only on the seniors, the juniors, and the synchronized discipline in general.
43:29I think in general, I just, you know, hats off to all of the athletes.
43:33Regardless of your score today or the placement on the scorecard, the fact that you are such unbelievable skaters pushing the sport forward,
43:41there's so many new things being brought into the sport and new developments that are only a result of the skaters' hard work,
43:48the coaches' hard work, the dedication of the families that support them.
43:51So keep going.
43:53Thank you for the great show tonight.
43:54And I can't wait to see what's to come in the synchro world in Canada and beyond.
43:58And for those synchronized skaters, your Olympic dream is now legal.
44:02You can dream for Olympics.
44:04The process is underway.
44:05Lisa Carrier, thank you so much for your brilliant commentary, research, of course, that you've done on this event.
44:11We wish you the very best in moving forward and look forward to working with you again.
44:15Sauté. Tourné.
44:15Thank you, Pat.
44:16Repéter.
44:18Sauté. Tourné.
44:19Manger du poulet.
44:29Ça fait autant partie de ma routine que sauter et tourner.
44:32Toujours élevé par un producteur canadien, toujours bien élevé.
44:35Les producteurs de poulet du Canada, fiers partenaires national de patinage Canada.
44:40Sous-titrage ST' 501
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