Canada's Kemp, Elizarov sit 3rd after pairs short program at Skate Canada International

Our next team will represent Canada, 18-year-old Ava Kemp and 22-year-old Jonathan Elizaroff. Last year's Junior World Champions, now in seniors, testing their skill level against some of the best in the world. Season's best short program score 64.21. They take center stage here in Kelowna, and they'll skate the short program to Not About Angels by Bird. This time is this life of approval there by coaches Lee Barkell and the skaters and Kevin Dye and the skaters. Free debut for them, Canadian flags aloft in the crowd, it's a good feeling. This team is growing so much in their confidence of performance. We know they can do the technical elements, sometimes they're going to make mistakes, but how would they improve and how they transition from junior to senior, they've done a really nice job. I agree, yeah, they worked with Jeffrey Buttle on this program and he said he gets to see them around once a week and that they're so committed to improving the performance and the skating and they're really well on their way. I think this program's special. I love the composition that they've had done through the step sequence. The choreography really highlights the music and vice versa. Taking a look at their elements. Here are the triple twists. Likely missing the split feature. It's in at a level three, but a great positive for the grade of execution, earning them extra points. Ava is such a competitor. Missed this this morning. The side-by-side triple Salchow, not tonight. Here, they're group three lift. It's a level four. It's nicely done. I still think that the positions can be stretched out. That's being so picky as they continue to. No, but you need that if you're moving on to the senior. Their forward inside death spiral. In at a level four. Beautiful position from Ava. Great low position and pivot from Yanni. That is required to earn extra grades of extra levels. Here, a little bit of difficulty. Just tight. Grips the toe pick, has a really tight circle. That's lost them just under a point and a half, so really not major at all. The pair spin also in at a level four. Everything, Ted, every element in with a positive grade of execution except for that throw. What a huge success. Yeah, it is. And, you know, they have an elegance to them now that, you know, wasn't years ago. And we're starting to see that evolve under the work of their choreographers and their coaches. As they anxiously wait for their score in their senior Grand Prix debut. Thank you. Yeah, Yonatan is getting the crowd going. Ava, and here it is. It's a season's best, 64.94. Ava Kemp, Yonatan Lazarev, take the lead here at Skate Canada International in the short program with two teams to come.