Cynthia Phaneuf

Cynthia Phaneuf burst onto the skating scene when she won the Canadian Championship as a virtual unknown in 2004. Aged just 15 she dethroned 6-time Canadian champion Jennifer Robinson with skating that combined technical excellence with charm and charisma. She followed this with a silver medal at the Four Continents Championships and a trip to Junior Worlds.

A growth spurt made the next season a challenge but Cynthia rose to it, finishing 2nd behind Joannie Rochette at Canadians. However a stress fracture in her ankle, followed by knee problems meant that Cynthia was unable to compete in the 2005-06 season Ð and missed the opportunity to try and qualify for the 2006 Olympics. Cynthia battled bravely against this major set-back, having to re-learn all her jumps from scratch after the long lay-off and more growth. In 2005-06 she re-gained her spot on the national team with a fourth place finish, and in 2007-08 she was back on the podium with a bronze medal.

Cynthia skates with passion, and has been a crowd favourite throughout her career. She hopes to continue her progress back to the top this year, and will be contending for a WorldÕs spot at Canadians. She is skating in two Grand Prix events, Skate Canada and the NHK Trophy.