An outstanding free program vaulted Richmond’s Beres Clements into the silver medal position in the junior men’s competition at the 2019 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in Saint John, New Brunswick.
Sitting fourth after the short program, the 17-year-old from Richmond skated an exceptional clean free program with powerful triple-triple jumps, strong spins, and a captivating performance to score a season’s best of 126.58 points. It ranked second to gold medalist and fellow BC skater Aleksa Rakic and vaulted Clements past a pair of Ontario skaters — Corey Circelli and Bruce Waddell.
He skates out of Champs International Skating Centre of BC at Burnaby 8-Rinks under World and Olympic coach, Joanne McLeod and assistant Neil Wilson.
“Beres was exceptional at Nationals. He trained very hard going into this competition and overcame any roadblocks,” said McLeod. “He was focused on his ‘quest to win.’
“He was able to put things down when it counted, this is a skill that all champions must have. Beres is set out for more Skate Canada potential in his future.”
An impressive 2018 season for Clements included representing Canada at internatiinal competitions. He was at the 2018 ISU Egna Spring Trophy in Italy and also represented Canada at two ISU Junior Grand Prix events — highlighted by a top 10 finish in Richmond back in September at Minoru Arenas.
