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Mary Hinzmann-Harris and Todd Simpson were the first pair sent home. (Courtesy of CBC/Insight Productions)

By CBC

(10/04/2011) - Marcy Hinzmann-Harris and Todd Simpson are the first "iced" pair on season three of Battle of the Blades. Despite giving a heartfelt performance, it was not enough to keep them on the show. The pair of Violetta Afanasieva and Cale Hulse, also in the bottom two, will remain on the show for their chance to win a $100,000 donation to their chosen charity, the Canadian Cancer Society.

Skating to "Apologize" by OneRepublic, Hinzmann-Harris and Simpson impressed the audience with how much they have improved since the start of the series. However, head judge Sandra Bezic, resident judge Jeremy Roenick and guest judge Theo Fleury agreed that Afanasieva and Hulse performed better in the night's "skate-off." For their efforts, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and the YMCA Strong Kids will each receive a $12,500 donation in Hinzmann-Harris and Simpson's honor.

Viewers can watch the next one-hour performance show on Sunday, Oct. 9, at 8:00 p.m. on CBC Television, featuring all-new live performances from the remaining seven pairs: Afanasieva and Hulse; Tanith Belbin and Boyd Devereaux; Elena Berezhnaya and Curtis Leschyshyn; Tessa Bonhomme and David Pelletier; Marie-France Dubreuil and Bryan Berard; Anabelle Langlois and Brad May; and Kim Navarro and Russ Courtnall. Broadcast from the MasterCard Centre, the live performance show will be followed by the dramatic, half-hour "skate-off" results show on Monday, Oct. 10, at 8:00 p.m.