TORONTO - November 22, 2010 -After eight weeks of incredible performances, tremendous showmanship and the promised blood, sweat and tears - the final decision came from Canadian voters who declared that Ekaterina “Katia” Gordeeva and Valeri Bure are this season’s winners on BATTLE OF THE BLADES.Despite their Russian heritage and American residency, Canadians set any patriotic biases aside and voted for the pair they believed to be the most deserving of the Crystal Trophy and the $100,000 charity donation.
After a challenging journey that saw Katia and Valeri in the bottom two on three separate occasions - including week three where they received the highest score from the judges, but the lowest amount of audience votes - this victory is an indication of just how far this pair has come in winning over the hearts of Canadian viewers.
The $100,000 donation will be split evenly betweenCardiac KidsandCompassion Canada, with both charities receiving a $50,000 cheque in Katia and Val’s honour.The good work and positive influence of this season’s charities has proven to be a motivating force in the competition and a shared connection amongst the 16 skaters.
Runners-up Shae-Lynn Bourne and Patrice Brisebois and Isabelle Brasseur and Todd Warriner wowed audiences with their final performances and were extremely gracious in their praise given to Katia and Valeri. A $25,000 donation will be given to theHeart And Stroke Foundationin Brasseur and Warriner’s honour, while $12,500 will be given toMake-A-Wish CanadaandSainte-Justine UHC Foundationin Bourne and Brisebois’ name.
Don’t want the battle to end? All 16 competitors will come together once again inBATTLE OF THE BLADES: AFTER THE ICE MELTS. This one hour special will air Sunday, December 5 at 8 p.m. local time (8:30 p.m. NT) on CBC TV and will feature exclusive, never before seen footage and surprising revelations with this season’s skaters that Canada has grown to love.
Viewers can learn more about the competitors atwww.cbc.ca/battle, the official online portal or theBATTLE OF THE BLADES. In addition to videos, blogs and behind-the-scene photos, the site offers viewers the opportunity to become fans of their favourite pair and track each participant’s activity as they strive to be the final pair remaining at the end of the series.
