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CDS grad qualifies for the Olympics




Alexandra Paul and Mitch Islam are on the Canadian Figure Skating Team for the Olympics.

Erica Armstrong/Skate Ontario

Alexandra Paul, a member of The Country Day School's Class of 2009, and her partner, Mitch Islam of Barrie, have been named to the Canadian Figure Skating Team for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The pair placed third in the Senior Ice Dance event of the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Ottawa recently.

Alexandra and Mitch were thrilled to qualify as the third team with a score of 170.64, along with defending Olympic Gold medalists, Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir (194.03), and Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje (183.54).

“The news is still sinking in,” admits Alexandra. It is a dream come true for both of them. She and Mitch depart later this month for Sochi and Figure Skating competition begins Feb. 6, one day before the opening ceremonies, and finishes on Feb. 9.

The two began their partnership on ice in February 2009. Just a year later, they skated their way to a silver medal at the 2010 World Junior Championships.

According to the Team Canada Olympic website, the duo made their ISU Grand Prix debut in the fall of 2010 at Skate Canada where they earned a fourth place finish in large part due to a second place finish in a free dance that earned them a standing ovation.

In 2011, they went on to win bronze at the Canadian Championships.

After a disappointing showing at the 2012 Canadian Championships, they decided to move down to Detroit to train with coaches Angelika Krylova and Pasquale Camerlengo, who also coach Canadian teammates Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje.

But this year they improved to the point that they were named to the Canadian team to represent Canada in Sochi next month.

This year the Canadian Figure Skating Team is the largest of any country, 17 skaters in all: three men, two women, three sets of pairs and three sets of ice dance partners.

Canada has won 22 Olympic figure skating medals to date. With defending world champion Patrick Chan at the helm, the team has high hopes for Sochi.

 

 


Post date: 2014-01-21 15:43:29
Post date GMT: 2014-01-21 20:43:29
Post modified date: 2014-02-25 15:57:30
Post modified date GMT: 2014-02-25 20:57:30

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