Ottawa to host fanless Skate Canada International Grand Prix, Oct. 30-Nov. 1

Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus compete during the senior ice dance free program at the 2020 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in Mississauga, Ont., on Jan. 18, 2020. (Hans Deryk / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

OTTAWA — Nam Nguyen and ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier headline the field for Skate Canada International that will be held with no fans due to COVID-19.

The Grand Prix event will be held in Ottawa, Oct. 30-Nov. 1.

Skate Canada International is traditionally the second stop on the international Grand Prix circuit, culminating in the Grand Prix Final.

The International Skating Union announced Thursday that this year's Final, originally scheduled for Dec. 10-13 in Beijing, has been postponed, with no new date set for the competition.

The 2020 world figure skating championships had been scheduled for March 16-22 in Montreal, but were one of the first major sporting events cancelled due to the global pandemic. The news was announced just days before skaters were to travel to Montreal.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2020