Shane Firus

Firus began learning to skate in 2001.[1] He teamed up with Caelen Dalmer in May 2008.[3][4] Dalmer/Firus were coached by Rod Mackie and Shae Zukiwsky before joining Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe, in Burnaby, British Columbia.[5][6] They competed at two ISU Junior Grand Prix events (in 2011 and 2012) and won the junior bronze medal at the 2013 Canadian Championships. Their partnership ended in 2013.[7]

Firus and Lauren Collins had their first tryout together in February 2014 and agreed to form a partnership in May.[2] They decided to train at the Mariposa School of Skating in Barrie, Ontario, coached by David Islam, Kelly Johnson and James Callan.[2] Collins/Firus finished sixth at a Junior Grand Prix event in Japan and won the junior silver medal at the 2015 Canadian Championships. After moving up to the senior level, they placed fifth at the 2015 CS Nebelhorn Trophy and tenth at the 2016 Canadian Championships.

Firus teamed up with Carolane Soucisse in 2016. They decided to train in Montréal under the guidance of Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon.[8][9] The two placed seventh at the 2017 CS Autumn Classic International and had the same result at the International Cup of Nice. They finished fourth at the 2017 Canadian Championships.

Soucisse/Firus participated in two ISU Challenger Series events, placing fifth at the 2017 CS U.S. International Figure Skating Classic and fourth at the 2017 CS Finlandia Trophy.[10] They then made their Grand Prix debut at the 2017 Skate Canada International, where they placed seventh.

In January, they placed third in the short dance, fourth in the free dance, and fourth overall at the 2018 Canadian Championships.[11] As the fourth-place finisher, they were assigned to the 2018 Four Continents Championships, their first ISU Championship event. They placed third in the short and second in the free, winning the silver medal.[12] Firus said the two were "ecstatic" at the result, having achieved their goal of a medal.[13]

Following the 2018 Winter Olympics, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir withdrew from Canada's delegation to the 2018 World Championships in Milan. Soucisse/Firus, as the first alternates, took their places, making their World Championship debut. They placed eleventh in the short dance, fourteenth in the free dance, and fourteenth overall.

Soucisse/Firus began their season at the 2018 CS Autumn Classic International, where they won the bronze medal after placing third in the rhythm dance and fourth in the free dance. Firus remarked that he felt they had left a few technical points on the table, but was otherwise satisfied with their performance.[14] At their second Challenger event, the 2018 CS Finlandia Trophy, they finished fourth overall, having placed third in the rhythm dance and fifth in the free skate following an error from Soucisse on the one-foot step sequence in the latter.[15]

The duo had two Grand Prix events for the season, beginning with the 2018 Skate Canada International, where a fall on the midline step left them in ninth place after the rhythm dance. They subsequently placed seventh in the free dance, and eighth overall. At their second event, 2018 NHK Trophy, they placed fifth in both segments and fifth overall, setting a new personal best in the free dance.[16]

Following the Grand Prix, the two opted to return to their previous season's free dance, as the Weeknd medley they had been using had not been receiving the scores they would have wanted. They placed fourth in the rhythm dance at the 2019 Canadian Championships.[17] The free dance proved difficult, with Soucisse struggling on her twizzles and falling toward the end of the program. They were sixth in the free dance, and dropped to fifth overall.[18]

Soucisse/Firus were assigned to two Challenger events to begin the season, placing fifth at the 2019 CS Autumn Classic International before winning the bronze medal at the 2019 CS U.S. Classic.[19]

On the Grand Prix, they were seventh to begin at the 2019 Internationaux de France.[20] Soucisse/Firus placed eighth at the 2019 NHK Trophy.[21]

With training mates and presumptive silver medalists Fournier Beaudry/Sørensen sitting out the 2020 Canadian Championships, Soucisse/Firus were in competition with Lajoie/Lagha for the silver medal. Both teams made errors in the rhythm dance, with Soucisse putting her free foot down to regain balance at one point in the Finnstep pattern dance, and Soucisse/Firus placed third in that segment.[22] Early in the free dance, Firus fell on the one-foot step sequence, and they finished third in that segment as well, winning the bronze medal. They were assigned to compete at the 2020 Four Continents Championships in Seoul.[23] They placed seventh at Four Continents, with Firus falling again in the free dance.[24]

Following the results of Four Continents, Soucisse/Firus were named as alternates for the Canadian team to the 2020 World Championships, and subsequently were added to the team after Fournier Beaudry/Sørensen were judged unable to compete. Shortly afterward, the World Championships were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which they later called "a big low" for them. On April 16, 2020, Soucisse/Firus announced that they would be moving to train at the Scarboro Figure Skating Club under Carol and Jon Lane and Juris Razgulajevs.[25]

Soucisse/Firus were assigned to the 2020 Skate Canada International, but this event was also cancelled as a result of the pandemic.[26]