OTTAWA —Kaetlyn Osmond set the standard in the women's singles short program.

The 21-year-old from Marystown, N.L., landed three huge triple jumps en route to 81.01 points to take the lead into the free program.

Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., scored 75.04 for second, while last year's champion Alaine Chartrand of Brockville, Ont., was third.The women's singles event will offer arguably the toughest competition of the four disciplines this week. Canada has just two entries each in women's and men's singles at the world championships in Helsinki in March, and Osmond, Daleman and Chartrand have been slugging it out for past few years, swapping spots on the national podium.

"It's great motivation," said Osmond, who was third last season and didn't make the team for the world championships in Boston.

"I want to compete well against them, obviously last year missing my world spot was really hard for me and I don't want to feel that way this year, so having that really tight competition is really helping me stay on top of my game, and really reminding me that I need to focus really hard on doing what I can do and doing it the best I can."

Canada has three entries in Helsinki in both ice dance and pairs.