Kelowna skater has ‘one of the best performances ever seen’ at national competition

Three figure skaters from the Kelowna Skating Club received personal best scores at the 2023 Skate Canada Challenge in Regina last week.

With some of the top results in the competition, Gabrielle Jugnauth, Calissa Adlem and Konstantina Lock have qualified to compete at the Novice Canadian Championships in Calgary later this month.

At the Skate Canada Challenge, Gabrielle Jugnauth was crowned the Novice Women’s Champion with a total score of 144.43 points, which is just 0.28 points shy of a Canadian national record at that level.

“Gabby’s free skate was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen at that level,” says Jason Mongrain, a Kelowna coach and director. “She’s a very hard worker and is very deserving of that performance.”

The 14-year-old opened with a sixth place short program, but stormed back with a top routine that included five triple jumps that were awarded a positive grade of execution, leading to a score of 101.65 points.

Calissa Adlem received a total score of 120 points, placing her in seventh overall in a field of 42 skaters. Last season, she was Canada’s third ranked Pre-Novice level skater.

While Konstantina Lock opened with a 20th place short program, she catapulted to a ninth place overall finish with a strong free program featuring four triple jumps, scoring 82.97 points.

Mongrain adds: “It is very exciting for our club to have three top 10 results at this level, and all three skaters will be working hard in preparation for the nationals.”