By Susan D. Russell

Last year was a whirlwind for Canada's Jeremy Ten. He began his season with no senior Grand Prix assignments. The powers that be at Skate Canada decided to test the waters and sent him to Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany.

He knew a good result could lead to greater things. Ten placed sixth. Skate Canada officials liked what they saw and assigned him to Skate Canada International and Cup of China. “My goal was to get a senior international so I went to Germany, did my job and just waited to see where it would take me," he said.

"I knew there was a shot at getting a Grand Prix assignment if I did well at Nebelhorn but I never expected two,” Ten admitted. “I think I was the dark horse last season so to come out and fulfill more than I could have ever asked for – it was like a dream come true for me, a dream season for sure.” He placed 10th at Skate Canada and seventh at Cup of China.

“Last season was all about experience and opportunity starting with Nebelhorn,” he said.

ON THE RISE

In January, the 2007 Canadian junior champion skated into third place at the 2009 Canadian Championships, earning his first senior national medal and a berth on the Los Angeles-bound World team. It was a far cry from his 11th place finish at his senior debut the year before.

A few weeks later he set the crowd on fire at the 2009 Four Continents Championships in Vancouver with a stunning long program performance that brought the crowd to its feet. His combined tally of 207.27 points was a 32.15-point increase over his previous personal best score.

That moment in Vancouver was a life-changing event for Ten. “I remember hitting the triple Axel and not being able to hear my music the cheering was so loud,” the 20-year-old recalled. “At the very end of my program people were holding up Jeremy Ten signs and a there was so much screaming – to think that I caused that reaction totally baffles me.

“It was such a defining moment in my life. I would never have thought that 10 years after I began skating that I would be skating a program like that in my hometown, and have the audience react the way they did. I still get chills when I think about it.”

It was all a little too much to absorb. “The month before Worlds was so hard for me because everything was happening so fast and I was having trouble getting a grip on everything,” he admitted.

“I am a very emotional person. Sometimes I let my emotions run wild and I can’t get on top of myself,” he said. “I remember being on my way to school right after Four Continents where I had had the skate of my life in the long program. I was in a line-up at the bus stop and I started thinking about it – the people in the arena on their feet and my coach crying – and I started crying at the bus stop.

“It was so hard for me to grasp that I had had this amazing skate competing amongst some of the best in the world. I placed 7th but for me it summed up all my hard work.”

At Worlds, Ten had technical issues in the short but the disappointment with his performance was momentary. “After the short, my coach (Joanne McLeod) said to me in the kiss and cry ‘I don’t think you are going to qualify for the long,’ he said. “But I did and I was just so grateful for the opportunity to make the cut. I came back in the long and proved that I was on the rise and that I had the potential to be up there.

“It was my goal at Worlds to show what kind of skater I was and that I do have potential. Aside from a step out of the Axel I was happy with what I accomplished. I placed 11th in the long and 17th overall.”

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

This season is a completely new ball game. “I am going into it using all of the experience I gained last season and not hold back like I did last season,” he said. “Everything I did last season was a first but now that I have had the experience of Worlds and the senior Grand Prix circuit there is no excuse for me not to perform to my best and I am expecting a lot from myself this season.”

Ten said he learned last season that anything can happen. “I have worked really hard, improving all areas of my skating and will continue to do that. I just have to keep working hard and believe that anything is possible,” he said. “That is something I learned last year – anything is possible. As long as I keep devoting all my efforts to something that I love, I believe I can come through.”

Choreographer David Wilson crafted two new programs for the British Columbia native. “I love my new programs,” Ten said. “The long program came together really easy. David had his ideas, Joanne had her ideas and I had mine.”

The trio settled on the “Queen Symphony.” Ten recalled hearing the first three violin strokes of the symphony and falling in love with the music all over again. “I made Joanne a CD of all the musical selections that I was interested in … we looked a little more for music but we kept going back to that piece. We gave it to David to see what his reaction was and he loved it. So it just took off. The day we finished, I knew it was an Olympic program. It felt that good.”

The short was a little bit more of a struggle Ten said. “I wanted something lyrical, Joanne wanted something different and David wanted something else. I was really reserved about the eventual choice at first,” Ten admitted. “I did not think I was confident enough to pull it off, but when I heard the music I was like, ‘oh this is totally amazing.’ I think it is going to be an awesome surprise for everyone this season because I am sure everyone expected me to do lyrical.

“I am excited just to throw it out there and show people that hey, give me any kind of genre and I can skate it. I am really excited to show my programs.”

ADDED INSPIRATION

In the late spring, Ten attended a weekend seminar at his home rink in B.C. which he described as amazing. “David Liu, Joseph Inman and Sissy Crick came to my rink to do a seminar. They just focused on program components – understanding music, phrasing and transitions. They came prepared with these videos and showed us when skaters were skating to the music and when they were not. We watched performances from people like Brian Orser and Gary Beacom – because some of their programs were stronger than those of today.”

Ten performed his long program for Crick and Inman. “They wanted to see the phrasing and how I connected with the music,” Ten said. “They are like the masters of components and both loved it. They had only one negative comment, which gave me a lot of confidence because I had only had the program for three weeks. For them to say things like my program can compete with the best in the world just gave me so much confidence.”

OLYMPIC DREAMS

Canada has two spots for men at the Olympics but Ten is undaunted. “It is going to be really tough but I think it will make it all the more deserving for whoever gets it,” he said. “Whoever wants it the most is going to get it so that is motivating me even more. The great thing about my position is that this is not my last chance. I know I am going to want to keep going to 2014.

“And the great thing about the Olympics being in Vancouver is that it is right in my backyard so no matter what, so whether I am going to be a part of it, it is still going to be part of my life. That is the exciting thing. It is not like I am going to lose out. I am going to push myself as hard as I can because I really want to represent Canada at the home Olympics.”

A FAMILY AFFAIR

Ten credits his older brother Nicholas, 25 for getting him into skating. “I followed him into hockey but I was like this small little kid who could not do much,” Ten said. “My dad put me into figure skating because he noticed that every time after hockey practice I would peek through the door to watch the figure skating practice and I was so fascinated by it.”

His parent’s put him into the CanSkate program and he continued to play hockey but a year later Ten said it was a no brainer. “When Ted Barton first saw me skate – I was about 9 or 10 – he thought I had two left feet. I had no control of my limbs, kind of gangly,” Ten said with a laugh.

What do his parents think about his skating career? “I think it is very difficult for them. They came from a small country, Brunei, about 25 or 30 years ago,” Ten said. “Neither of my parents spoke English when they first came but you would never know that with my mother – she does not even have an accent now. My dad still has an accent.

“They did not come from a lot. I guess to come to Canada and have a son win a bronze medal at nationals and represent Canada … I think that was more than they ever expected from me. It is really hard for them to take it all in so they are sort of awkward about it. They are like me – they just don’t know how to absorb it all.”

Ten said his parents attend as many competitions as they can. “Last year was my first time in Asia and my parents said if I ever went to China they would come with me, so they did,” Ten said. “They came to nationals and Four Continents and they were at Worlds cheering me on.”

Do his parents get nervous when he competes? “Probably. They don’t tell me but apparently my dad is really loud when I compete. Really animated so everybody knows it is my dad. My mom is quiet. It makes me laugh,” Ten said.

He is completing a minor in Kinesiology at Vancouver’s Simon Fraser University. He said he has not made a decision on a major but wants to do something that is business related. “I am still not entirely sure,” he said. “I am so focused on skating that everything else has been second to that so far.”

There will be no summer vacation for this Olympic hopeful. “I had two weeks off after Worlds and reflected on everything that happened last season,” Ten said. “I got emotional more than once, I can tell you. I am so grateful to have this chance to do something that I love and that people appreciate it.”

By Susan D. Russell

Canadian ice dancers Kaitlyn Weaver and Andre Poje are in celebration mode. On June 22 Weaver will become a Canadian citizen, opening the door for team to earn a berth on the 2010 Canadian Olympic team.

Born in Houston, Texas, Weaver moved to Canada in August 2006 to skate with Poje. Six months later the couple claimed the bronze medal at Canadian nationals at the senior level and that March danced to bronze at the 2007 World Junior Championships.

“I found out about a month ago when my immigration officer called me and said the final meeting has been held and you have been approved,” Weaver said. “I was thrilled. Then it was just a matter of setting up a time for the ceremony. I can’t wait. It has been a much-anticipated moment.”

Poje laughed as he recalled the day Weaver got the call. “Kaitlyn was on the phone and she started screaming so I kind of got the hint. So I started joining in and it was a little bit of a party. We went out and celebrated afterwards.”

Weaver added: "Well, as much as athletes can celebrate. We went to dinner and I think we had cookies that night.”

Poje said his family will be in attendance alongside Weaver’s. “Yeah Canada! This is probably one of the most important hurdles we had to get over to get to the Olympics,” Poje said. “I am so happy that Canada is willing to let Kaitlyn into the country and that she is willing to make those sacrifices and be part-Canadian.”

For Weaver Monday will not come soon enough. “I am just so thrilled and feel so honored that I will be able to compete on behalf of Canada,” she said. “It is my home, so it is definitely an exciting thing.

“It is going to be great to be able to project the image of a fully-fledged Canadian team, having everyone know that we are eligible. I think this year we are the underdogs a little bit but I like being in that position, so we are definitely working really hard and pulling out all the stops.”

The presiding immigration judge personally invited Weaver, 20, to give a speech to the other people who will receive Canadian citizenship on Monday. “He asked me give them a story that they can relate to, like that they became a citizen the same day I did so that they really feel like this is their Olympics … something they can relate to and be excited about,” she said.

“It is very important to me to speak to these people on such an important day that they will remember forever. It will be really cool and maybe a little bit inspiring so it will just make a wonderful day even grander.”

NEW SEASON DAWNS

After a less than satisfying 2008-09 season, Weaver and Poje decided they needed to make a change. The couple acknowledged that while they enjoyed working with both of their coaches, Shae-Lynn Bourne and Mathew Gates, they felt isolated at their training venues in Toronto and Connecticut. “One of the biggest reasons we made the change was because last year we were in such seclusion. We had maybe one other team training with us and that was just for part of the year,” Weaver said.

“Shae-Lynn is our main coach but now we are also working with Pasquale Camerlengo and Anjelika Krylova,” Weaver added. “We love it. We just spent six weeks in Detroit, working with Anjelika and Natalia Annenko who have been helping us with our compulsories and technique. I think that is something that really needed to be worked on.

“For us, it was getting that basic foundation so that when we do dances like the Golden Waltz or a Tango or even a free dance we have a basis that makes us more pure as skaters. It is almost like the old Russian style, with that classical disposition.”

Poje, 22, said they are thriving in the competitive environment in Detroit. “We are really enjoying it. We feel like we needed something different – a different atmosphere – and we are definitely getting that with Pasquale and Anjelika,” Poje said. “We have everything that we ever wanted. We have the artistic and technical aspects. We are very happy.

“There was one morning recently that was really cool. Jeremy Abbott and Alissa Czisny also train at the Detroit Skating Club with us and Jessica Dubé and Bryce Davison, who were getting their short program choreographed by Pasquale were there as well as a French team. It was great to have all that elite energy around us.”

Weaver and Poje are slated to compete at Cup of China and Skate Canada. “We are very excited to go to China again. We felt very welcome there and the audience was great,” Weaver said. “It was a good competition for us last year and we got to go to the Great Wall of China.”

Poje has other skills he needs to hone before heading to Beijing. “I need to save up for my market bargaining,” he said.

“Yes, work on your debating skills,” Weaver said with a laugh.

At Skate Canada they will be joined by teammates Abbott, Czisny and the Italian ice dance champions Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali. “All of us are going to Skate Canada. We will all train together and we can get ready at the same time,” Weaver said. “It makes a big difference when everyone is doing run-throughs and you have a bit of an audience, so we are excited about that.”

OLYMPIC DREAMS

Weaver and Poje said they were inspired at the national training camp by former Olympic rowing champion Marnie McBean.

“I think one of the greatest memories we had so far is meeting Marnie,” Weaver said. “She was like the best. She came and talked to us and gave us this inspirational, motivational speech. She said the best way to remember your goals and to achieve them is to think about it every day. Every time I flip open my cell-phone the Olympic Rings are the first thing I see.

“Marnie said that each time you achieve a goal or you have a good day put a grain of rice in a cup. It is not about having a full cup in the end, it is all about having more than anyone else. So every night when we feel good about our day or that we have achieved something, we put a grain of rice into this tiny jar and we are able to see it grow.

“We don’t cut ourselves any slack either,” Weaver added. “Sometimes we say ‘no, today is not a grain of rice day.’ It is definitely not something we are not afraid of admitting. We want to go to the Olympics and we are putting it out there and doing everything we can to get there.”

Poje agreed. “Every morning we wake up and we have little things that remind us of what we are training for, little things that we are using to make sure that we push ourselves. We think about it every day.”

The duo said they love working with Bourne. “She is always unique with her energy,” Poje said. “Shae is always very motivated, pushing you to your limits and expecting more of yourself. The thing that is unique about her is that she makes you expect more of yourself.”

Weaver said Bourne makes everything fun. “We can have a day of work and be so tired and then we work with her and she is like ‘you can do this.’ By the end of the day we feel like we have made so much progress. Even when things are hard or we are not having the best feeling she can turn any day upside down. She is so light and has a great aura about her. And plus she is one of the best female dancers in the world, I think. So just to have that energy around us every day to learn is incredible.”

THE TRADITION

Nancy Kerrigan will be honored by The Sports Museum at its signature summer fundraiser, The Tradition. The gala event celebrates the legends of Boston sports. Presented by New Balance in association with NESN, this unique event will be held June 24 from 5:30-9:30 p.m. at the TD Banknorth Garden, on level 3 on the arena floor.

The event will feature an awards ceremony and reception. All proceeds from The Tradition benefit The Sports Museum.

The Tradition will feature these presenters and honorees:

* Dr. William Morgan will present Curt Schilling with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

* Bill Belichick will present Troy Brown with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

* Jerry Solomon will present Nancy Kerrigan with the Figure Skating Legacy Award.

* Mike Lynch, WCVB sports anchor, will present Jack Parker and Jerry York with the Special Achievement Award.

* Aubre Jones and Bill Russell will present Sam Jones with the Basketball Legacy Award.

* Milt Schmidt will present Ken Hodge with the Hockey Legacy Award.

The Sports Museum is a non-profit educational institution that has served Boston and New England for more than 30 years. Located on Levels 5 and 6 of the TD Banknorth Garden, The Sports Museum preserves and showcases the distinctly rich sports heritage of New England through an unparalleled collection of artifacts, multi-media, works of art, and interactive exhibits - and uses all of that to help build character and teach the values of leadership, respect, and
cooperation to our youth.

For more details and ticket information, visit www.sportsmuseum.org.

THE GRADUATE

Michelle Kwan has earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies with a minor in political science. The ceremony was held June 6.

“It was a turning point in my life when I came to DU,” Kwan said. “From seventh grade on, I had tutors while I was training and competing, and it was a big transition to go from full-time skating to full-time student.”

Kwan enrolled in DU in 2006 and shortly thereafter was named America’s first Public Diplomacy Envoy by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In this role, Kwan has visited Argentina, China, Russia and Ukraine with a focus on promoting an understanding of America by sharing her story in a cross-cultural dialogue with international youth. Under President Obama's new administration team, Kwan will continue to travel on behalf of the United States.

Kwan has been accepted into the international affairs graduate program at Tufts University’s Fletcher School in Medford, Mass. She has not yet decided if she will enroll there this fall.

ZHANG TO WORK WITH WONG

Caroline Zhang, the 2007 World Junior champion and 2009 U.S. bronze medalist has ended her four-year professional relationship with coach Mingzhu Li and will train with Charlene Wong.

"I feel that I need a change to further improve my skating, so I have chosen to work with Charlene. I feel she will be able to add a new dimension to my skating, " Zhang said.

Zhang had trained with Li since 2005.

IFS Digital Edition Available Now!

The August digital edition of International Figure Skating magazine is now available.

In This Issue:

YU-NA KIM

Riding a golden wave in a remarkable year

· IFS TURNS 15!
The stars turn out to talk about our milestone, plus the top stories of the past 15 years.

· BEHIND THE BOARDS
Profiles of Power – IFS Looks at the coaching power behind some of the 2010 Olympic Hopefuls

· SASHA COHEN
She's back and chasing a third Olympic Berth

· AMERICANS WIN ISU TEAM TROPHY
And pocket a cool $250,000

· NEXXICE WINS WORLD SYNCHRO TITLE
Historical Victory for Canada

· PLUS! – Updates on Johnny Weir, Miki Ando, Rachel Flatt, Philippe Candeloro, Dubé and
Davison, and many more!

A Celebration of Three Champions of the Sport

Photos and Report - Susan D. Russell

Brian Orser, Joyce Hisey and Yu-Na Kim were honored for their individual achievements in the world of skating at a private celebration at the Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club on Thursday afternoon.

Orser and Hisey were inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame during the 2009 World Championships in Los Angeles last March while Kim made history in California by winning the first World title for her Korean homeland.

“For the kids here who are not really sure what the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame is, it is where the greatest names of the sport are celebrated,” Tracy Wilson, the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist in ice dance explained. “Many people in the skating world consider it the highest honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“Joyce was a figure skater, judge, referee and an International Skating Union technical delegate. During her career, when there was an Olympic event or a World Championship she ran the show,” Wilson said “Nothing that happened at those competitions did not go through her and that is why skating events were so well run for many years. It is people like her who make skating such a special sport.

“Joyce was also the team leader at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics, which means she had the enormous task of taking care of both Brian and I,” Wilson added.

Hisey said she had wonderful memories of her long career in skating. “It is an extreme pleasure to have been involved in the sport for so long. It has been fabulous,” she said.

The Cricket Club has always had a special place in Orser’s heart. “It is a great honor to work here. Whenever I came to Toronto during my career it was my first choice of a place to skate. It really is the best place to train and skate on the planet,” he said.

Kim received a loud ovation when Wilson introduced her. “Following in the tradition of great skaters the club has produced, we now have Yu-Na Kim. Yu-Na is not only a role model but such an inspiration to all of our skaters,” Wilson told the assembled guests. “It is not just her athletic excellence but also her work ethic … and we get to watch her every day. Thank you so much, Yu-Na.”

Kim was presented with a plaque that will be hung in the skating lounge. “Thank you for supporting my journey. I am really honored to train here, especially with Brian and Tracy. Thank you so much,” Kim said as the crowd cheered.

Kim had left her World medal at her home in Korea, but the ever-thoughtful Orser had a surprise for his gifted student. He brought the gold medal he claimed at the 1987 World Championships and placed it around Kim’s neck. She wore it with pride the entire afternoon.

Catch Grand Prix Fever!

Update and Photos by Susan D. Russell

The 2009-10 Grand Prix of Figure Skating selections were announced late Saturday afternoon and there was at least one surprise.

Three-time World pairs champions Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao will return to the competitive arena for the 2010 Olympic season. They have been assigned to Cup of China and Skate America. After winning the bronze medal at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games Shen and Zhao took a break from competition. They have been performing on the Stars on Ice tour for the past three years.

"It was totally their decision. Not mine or the Chinese association's," Bin Yao, their long-time coach told IFS. "There was no outside pressure. Shen and Zhao want an Olympic gold medal and that is their motivation for returning."

Evgeny Plushenko, the 2006 Olympic champion is also on the comeback trail and is scheduled to make his first appearance on the competitive arena in three years at the Russian Grand Prix event.

As expected, America’s Sasha Cohen has been assigned to Skate America in November. However, she will kick off the season at the first event, Trophée Eric Bompard, in Paris.

Reigning World champion Yu-Na Kim will also compete at the French Grand Prix event. “I am happy with my Grand Prix assignments. It will be my first time competing against Mao Asada in France,” Kim said. Her second event is Skate America.

Adam Rippon, the 2008 and 2009 World Junior champion will kick-start his season in France. His second assignment is NHK Trophy in Japan. “I am really excited to be skating with a lot of really great skaters. It is going to be a lot of fun,” Rippon told IFS. “I am excited to be competing in Japan for the first time. I will be working really hard and my goal is just to skate well at both of them. I know it is a tough field in Japan but hopefully if I skate well it will lead to a good result.”

For a complete list of assignments click HERE.

Toronto, Canada has become a hotbed of action this off-season for some of the world's elite skaters. China's Dan Zhang and Hao Zhang are currently in town working on new repertoire with their choreographer as are Carolina Kostner and Tomáš Verner.

Kostner has left her coach of nine years, Michael Huth, according to the German news agency Sport1. The Italian star is currently looking for a new coach. The agency reported that Brian Orser is a coach Kostner is considering but Orser told IFS that he is not in a position to take on any more high-level skaters. Kostner is reportedly planning on training with Frank Carroll in Los Angeles this summer.

U.S. competitors Rachel Flatt and Alexe Gilles both had new programs crafted last week in Toronto.

Qing Pang and Jian Tong, Jeremy Abbott, Emily Hughes, Johnny Weir and Swiss star Stéphane Lambiel are also scheduled to be in Toronto in the coming weeks.

Johnny Weir's film documentary, "Pop Star on Ice," premiered to good reviews at the Seattle Film Festival. The festival's website notes: "Johnny Weir is the most compelling athlete you've never heard of. In figure skating circles, Weir is as known for his artistry and skill as he is for his controversial and sometimes baffling behavior. ... This tightly constructed documentary showcases Weir as a fierce competitor who could one day take the gold."

"I think it is incredible," Weir told IFS about the film going to the big screen. "It has been a long journey. ... It is very exciting."

An in-depth interview with Weir will be published in the July 09 issue of IFS, who said he is now healthy and injury-free. Weir, who was fifth at the 2009 U.S. Championships, competed while suffering from the flu.

"I am a bit plump at the moment," he admitted. "I am enjoying myself. I am enjoying this off-season because I know when we hit July and August it is going to be very intense training … hard-core workouts every single day and making sure I get the right amount of sleep."

When IFS caught up with the 24-year-old, he was enjoying a recent move to a new apartment in New Jersey. "I was supposed to go to Moscow for a small vacation after the shows in Korea, but I had to move apartments," he said. "I am trying to enjoy my move-in and organizing my things."

His former roommate moved to New York City but Weir opted to stay in the Garden State. He said he would only move to New York when he could afford to live in a big apartment there. "I can't live in a box. I have so many clothes; I need space for them. I like to see everything I have so when I get dressed in the morning I can make it fun. It is my thing; clothes are my thing," he said. "I am still in New Jersey in a bigger place. I can see New York City from my balcony. I am looking at the Empire State Building right now."


Skating champion Joannie Rochette is part of the Canadian premiere of "HOPE," an inspiring multimedia presentation on ice dedicated in loving memory of two stars who died young from heart disease.

Proceeds from the show will support the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation, whose mission is to fund a world-renowned center of excellence in cardiology through research, care, teaching and prevention.

The Canadian premiere is Saturday, May 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the CEPSUM, 2100, Édouard-Montpetit Blvd., Montreal.

The performance is dedicated to acclaimed figure skating choreographer Jean-Pierre Boyer (1969-2008), who died suddenly at age 38 from a heart attack, and ice dance competitor Michael Bilodeau (1991-2007) who died at age 16 after a long struggle with heart disease.

The shows artistic director Stéphane Vachon, a creative professional figure skater, visual artist and choreographer, will be joined by a cast of highly talented skating artists from across the country in this innovative and modern multi-media show that transcends cultures and borders in its vision of the world as a global village.

As the stars perform on ice through ballet dancing and acrobatic art, the story unfolds on a giant screen complemented by live performances by mezzo-soprano Kristin Hoff and pianist composer Antoine Joubert. The cast includes Don Jackson, the 1962 world champion; Gary Beacom, 1988 world professional champion; and Rochette: 2009 World silver medalist and five-time Canadian champion.

Calling all fans! Sign up to run with the Silver’s Bullets team.

If you don't want to run, walk or crawl then just come out and show your support for Brian Orser and the team at the Pride and Remembrance Run on Saturday, June 27, 2009.

The run kicks off at 10:00 a.m. at the corner of Church and Wellesley Streets in downtown Toronto.

The 5k run supports charities that benefit the LGBT community. It is the largest race of its kind in Canada.

The beneficiaries this year are the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black CAP) and Casey House a specialty hospital with community programming including home care and outreach programs. Founded in 1988, it was the first freestanding HIV/AIDS hospice in Canada.

The Pride and Remembrance Association is a 100% volunteer-run not-for-profit organization. The goal is to beat the $110,000 raised last year.

This year the Silver’s Bullets team, named in memory of Canadian ice dance icon Robert McCall, will honor five skaters who died from the AIDS virus.

Kevin Parker, the 1976 Canadian novice champion and 1979 junior silver medalist; Bob Knapp, the 1975 bronze medalist in ice dance with partner Shelley MacLeod; choreographer Andre Denis; Dennis Coi, the 1978 World Junior champion and Shaun McGill, the 1988 World Professional silver medalist.

Skate Canada is once again throwing its support behind the team. The full roster of team members will be posted in the next couple of weeks.

For more information or to make a pledge for the Silver’s Bullets team, go to: http://www.priderun.org/

Jeremy Abbott, the 2009 U.S. champion and 2008 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final champion, announced today he has made a coaching change. Abbott will now train with Yuka Sato at the Detroit Skating Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Abbott had trained with Tom Zakrajsek at the Colorado Springs World Arena, in Colorado Springs, Colo. since 1999. “I am sad to be leaving Colorado, where I have lived my whole life,” Abbott said, “but am very excited about my future and the opportunities that lie ahead.”

Zakrajsek was named the Professional Skating Association's Coach of the Year at the organization's annual conference in Orlando, Fla., last week.

“I wouldn't be where I am today without Tom,” Abbott said. “I am so grateful to him and everyone else at the World Arena for all that they have done for me in the past.”

In addition to capturing top honors at the 2009 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and the 2008-09 Grand Prix Final, Abbott took home the gold from the 2008 Cup of China. He won the bronze at the 2007 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships and is the 2005 U.S. junior champion.

“I want to thank Jeremy for allowing me to lead him these past 10 years,” Zakrajsek said. “I am very proud of my work with him and wish him good luck in his new situation.”

Sato is the 1994 World champion, 1990 World junior champion and a two-time Japanese champion. A coach at the Detroit Skating Club since 1998, Sato also works with 2009 U.S. champion Alissa Czisny whose primary coach is Julianne Berlin.

Reigning two-time U.S. pairs champions Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker announced today that they have left the fold of coach Dalilah Sappenfield and will begin training with John Nicks in Aliso Viejo, Calif.

McLaughlin and Brubaker have trained with Sappenfield at the Colorado Springs World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo. since 2007. “After careful consideration, and with support from Dalilah, Keauna and I made the decision to make this change as we approach this very important season,” Brubaker said. “We look forward to working with Mr. Nicks this season to attain our goals of qualifying for the Grand Prix Final, retaining our U.S. title and preparing for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.”

There is also speculation that reigning U.S. men's champion Jeremy Abbott is leaving the Colorado Springs World Arena where he has been training with Tom Zakrajsek.

Abbott, McLaughlin and Brubaker are members of the Broadmoor Skating Club.

McLaughlin and Brubaker paired up in 2006 and won every competition they entered their first season, including the 2007 World Junior Championships. They have won the gold at each of the last two U.S. Championships and medaled at all four of their ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series events over the last two seasons.

“We are truly grateful to Dalilah for the dedication and passion she exhibited to bring us to the level we are at today,” McLaughlin said.

“Of course it’s hard to see your students move on," Sappenfield said. "However, we all made this decision with a great deal of deliberation and forethought. I wish them nothing but the best in their quest for Olympic gold, and I will continue to support them however they need me.”

Inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2000, Nicks coached five-time U.S. pairs champions and 1979 World pairs champions Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner as well as three-time U.S. pairs champions and two-time World pairs bronze medalists JoJo Starbuck and Kenneth Shelley. He also coached Sasha Cohen to a silver medal at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. Skating with his sister Jennifer Nicks, Nicks won the 1953 World and European pairs titles.