Oakville’s Schizas to compete in third world figure skating championship

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Published March 14, 2023 at 11:02 am

Oakville's Madeline Schizas will be the sole skater to represent Canada in the women's category at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships scheduled to take place March 20-26 in Saitama, Japan. SKATE CANADA PHOTO

Oakville’s Madeline Schizas will be looking to cap off a strong season on the ice at the biggest competition of the year.

Schizas is one of the 13 Canadian athletes who will be competing at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships scheduled to take place March 20-26 in Saitama, Japan.

The 19-year-old, who trains under Nancy Lemaire and Derek Schmidt at the Milton Skating Club, will be taking to the ice at worlds for the third time and will be the sole skater to represent Canada in the women’s category.

A two-time national champion, Schizas won a bronze medal at the Golden Spin of Zagreb in Croatia earlier this season.

The Oakville skater and her Canadian teammates had a standout season with senior skaters winning 35 medals on the international stage.

Canada’s worlds team will feature one woman, two men, two ice dance teams and three pair teams.

The competition will mark the end of an era for two-time Olympian Keegan Messing who will be competing at his final World Championships after a long and illustrious career.

The national champion recently scored a career-best at the 2023 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, earning his first silver medal at the event.

Messing will compete in the men’s event along with Canadian Tire National Skating Championships silver medalist Conrad Orzel.

Competing in the pair discipline for Canada will be Grand Prix de France gold medalists Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, 2022 NHL 2022 NHK Trophy bronze medalists Brooke McIntosh and Benjamin Mimar as well as the newly formed team of Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud who placed third at nationals and fourth at the 2023 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.

Canadian ice dance teams are led by Grand Prix Final gold medalists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier. 2023 national champions and Grand Prix finalists Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Soerensen will also be top contenders in this category.

Schizas will kick off her competition on Wednesday, March 22 with the women’s short program.

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