Skate Canada: Any two athletes can compete together domestically in ice dance, pairs

OTTAWA — Skate Canada has updated its policies so that ice dance or pairs teams competing domestically can be composed of any two athletes.

Canada's governing body of figure skating announced Tuesday that its definition of "team" for athletes training in the Podium Pathway will be revised to consisting of "two skaters."

The previous definition was one woman and one man.

Skate Canada said in a tweet that there are no new event categories, and any team can enter the pair or ice dance disciplines at any Skate Canada domestic event.

The Podium Pathway is a high-performance training path for athletes looking to compete at national or international championships.

The definition and the language will be updated in Skate Canada's rule book, Podium Pathway documents and the scoring system.

“Ice dance is my passion, and although beautifully steeped in tradition, the future of our sport depends on looking critically and assertively at who and who is not represented," said Kaitlyn Weaver, a two-time Olympian and a member of Skate Canada's Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Operating Committee.

"All skaters deserve to have a home on the ice — inclusive of their fullest selves. I look forward to seeing that become a reality in the competitive arena.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2022.