Dylan David Moscovitch (born 23 September 1984) is a retired Canadian pair skater. He competed with Liubov Ilyushechkina from 2014 to 2018. They were the 2017 Four Continents bronze medalists, two-time bronze medalists on the Grand Prix series, and three-time Canadian national medalists (silver in 2015 and 2017, bronze in 2016).
Dylan David[1] Moscovitch was born 23 September 1984 in Toronto, Ontario.[2] He is Jewish.[3][4] His mother is a midwife from South Africa, his father is an engineer designer from Montreal,[5] and one of his grandfathers is from Romania.[6] He has two younger sisters, Natasha and Kyra, and a younger brother, Mischa.[5] He is a master of and teaches Krav Maga. He is an alumnus of Birthright Israel.[7][8]
As of 2021, Moscovitch was engaged to Canadian tennis player Sharon Fichman.[9]
Early years
Moscovitch first stepped onto the ice at the age of 13 months, at an outdoor rink, and then took lessons at the West Toronto Skating Club.[10][11] Early in his career, he was coached by Paul Wirtz at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club.[12]
Moscovitch began pair skating in June 2003, partnering his nine-year-old sister, Kyra.[10] He also continued to compete in singles.[12] Paul Wirtz and assistant coaches Kris Wirtz and Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz worked with the Moscovitches until January 2006, when the pair joined Lee Barkell in Barrie, Ontario.[10][13] Kyra Moscovitch retired from competition after being diagnosed with scoliosis in October 2008.[3]
Assigned to two Grand Prix events, Moore-Towers/Moscovitch won bronze at both the 2011 Skate America and the 2011 Cup of China. At the 2012 Canadian Championships they placed third in the short program and fourth in the free skate, finishing off the podium in fourth despite being the defending champions. Moore-Towers fell on their three-jump combination, and both fell while exiting a lift, resulting in three fall deductions accrued during the free skate. She commented afterward: "I still love figure skating."[19]
2012–13 season: Silver at Four Continents
Moore-Towers/Moscovitch began the season at the 2012 U.S. Classic, where they won the gold medal. They came fourth at their first Grand Prix assignment, the 2012 Cup of China, but went on to win silver at the 2012 NHK Trophy. These results qualified them for the Grand Prix Final for the second time, where they finished fifth.
At the 2013 Canadian Championships, they placed second in both programs to win the silver medal, behind Duhamel/Radford. At the 2013 Four Continents Championships in Osaka, Japan, they placed second in the first program and first in the free skate, again winning the silver medal behind Duhamel/Radford. Moore-Towers' fall on a throw triple loop prevented them from winning the title outright, which she called "a bit unfortunate."[20] This was the team's first (and only, as it would turn out) medal at a major international competition.
They won another silver medal at the 2014 Canadian Championships, and were named to the Canadian team for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Moore-Towers/Moscovitch were part of the Canadian team for the team event in Sochi, performing the pairs free skate portion, where they came second. Canada won the silver medal overall.[7] In the pairs event, they came sixth in the short program and fifth in the free skate, to finish fifth overall.
In their final event together, the 2014 World Championships in Saitama, Japan, they were sixth after the short program, but came third in the free skate, winning a bronze small medal and finishing in fourth place overall for the second straight year. Moore-Towers and Moscovitch announced the end of their partnership on April 30, 2014, stating that they had different goals.[21]
Partnership with Iliushechkina
Moscovitch contacted Russian skater Liubov Ilyushechkina and arranged a tryout, which took place in Detroit in mid-May 2014.[22] On June 3, 2014, a news report stated that they had decided to form a partnership coached by Lee Barkell and Bryce Davison at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club.[23] The pair continued training in Detroit until Ilyushechkina received a Canadian visa, in late June.[24] Moscovitch stated, "We have different lifts and different throw and twist techniques. [...] We are still ironing everything out to see what works best for both of us as a team."[24]
In February, Ilyushechkina/Moscovitch placed fifth at the 2016 Four Continents Championships in Taipei, having ranked fifth in both segments. In April, they finished seventh at the 2016 World Championships in Boston after placing eighth in the short program and sixth in the free skate.
Three weeks before the 2018 Canadian Championships, the outcome of which would decide the composition of the Canadian Olympic team, Moscovitch suffered an accident where a door fell on him, leading to facial and hand lacerations, an injured hand, and a concussion, with the recovery diminishing his preparation time.[28][29] As a result, Ilyushechkina/Moscovitch made errors in the free program, with Moscovitch stepping out of their side-by-side triple toe loop jump, and placed fourth in the competition.[30] As a result, they were instead sent to the 2018 Four Continents Championships, where they also finished fourth. This would prove to be their last event together, as Moscovitch announced his retirement afterward.[31]
