Kirsten Moore-Towers

Biography

One of the biggest highlights of Kirsten Moore-Towers’ career came at Sochi 2014 where she and then-partner Dylan Moscovitch helped Canada win silver in the inaugural Olympic team event, thanks to their outstanding free skate. They were also the top Canadians in the Olympic pairs’ event, cracking the top five. 

When that partnership ended after the 2013-14 season, Moore-Towers teamed up with Michael Marinaro, who had won silver at the 2013 World Junior Championships with his former partner. After their first season together, Moore-Towers and Marinaro decided to switch coaches, moving from Waterloo, Ontario to Montreal to work with Bruno Marcotte in a more competitive environment. That decision quickly paid off. In October 2015, they won bronze at Skate Canada International for their first Grand Prix medal together. They went on to post their second straight fourth place finish at the national championships but ended up going to the 2016 World Championships as injury replacements and finished a very respectable eighth. 

That August, Moore-Towers sustained a Stage 3 concussion in training. She tried to return too quickly, which only prolonged her recovery time. It took eight months before she could go one day without symptoms, taking them out of competition until the 2017 Canadian Championships where they won the bronze medal. 

In November 2017, they won their second Grand Prix medal, a bronze at the Cup of China. Another bronze at the 2018 Canadian Championships earned them a spot on the Olympic team. A month after finishing 11th at PyeongChang 2018, Moore-Towers and Marinaro were Canada’s top-ranked pair at the 2018 World Championships where they finished sixth. 

In 2019, Moore-Towers and Marinaro won their first national title together. They followed up by winning their first medal as a pair at the Four Continents Championships, taking the silver, before ending the season with a seventh-place finish at the worlds. 

In the fall of 2019, after relocating with Marcotte to Oakville, Moore-Towers and Marinaro won silver at both of their Grand Prix events (Skate Canada International and NHK Trophy) to qualify for their first Grand Prix Final. They went on to win their second straight national title and a bronze medal at the Four Continents before the season was halted with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Their next live competition was the 2021 World Championships where they matched their career-best sixth place finish. After winning a third straight national title in 2022, Moore-Towers and Marinaro made their second Olympic appearance together at Beijing 2022. They were part of Canada’s fourth-place finish in the team event and placed 10th in the pairs event. 

Moore-Towers had previously finished as high as fourth at the world championships with Moscovitch in 2013 and 2014. 

A little more about Kirsten

Getting into the Sport: Started skating at age two because her mom thought it was important… Didn’t like skating at first but her mother told her that once she knew how to skate she could quit; by the time she knew how to skate she was in love with the sport… While watching underdog Sarah Hughes win gold at Salt Lake City 2002 she told her mom she would one day go to the Olympics… Outside Interests: Loves doing crafts and is known for covering all of her training gear in sparkles… Enjoys reading fiction novels and hanging out with her dog Lyla… Works as a part-time skating coach… Safe Sport Ambassador for Skate Canada, working on changing the culture of figure skating regarding body image and eating disorders… Odds and Ends: Likes to meditate before competing; will find a spot in the bathroom where no one can see her and listen to calming yoga music while visualizing the program… Favourite quote: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent”…