Thursday, October 15, 2009

Chan out of Rostelecom Cup

Good news for Plushenko, Weir, and Kozuka...bad news for Canada.

Patrick Chan has withdrawn from Rostelecom Cup next week in Moscow, Russia due to a tear of his left calf muscle. He is, however, expected to compete at Skate Canada. Skate Canada will be the final event in the Grand Prix series over a month away.

Apart from the injury which will be a set back...Chan will not be at the Grand Prix Final now in Tokyo, a competition that would have been a nice pre-Olympic test against the best in the World. The next time he'll have an opportunity to compete against that talent wont be until the Olympics. He will face Abbott, Takahashi, and Contesti at Skate Canada so he'll have to make the most of that. There will also be the Four Continents Cup at the end of January, but that is only two weeks before the Olympics and he'll have to decide if a trip to Korea is worth the strain of competition so close to the biggest event in his life. Given this withdrawal...I think he should consider it.

UPDATE: Chan's news has been made official on his blog. New development, apparently World Champions Domnina and Shabalin of Russia have withdrawn from Rostelecom Cup as well (possibly NHK Trophy as well). Much like Chan, that doesn't give them the needed competition (especially against the North American Teams) that one would like prior to the Olympics. More news when I have it.

2 comments:

jumping clapping man said...

wow, an edge up for belbin/agosto, eh? perhaps another olympic silver (or a first bronze) will be theirs, unless they can really proove they're developed, and nail the gold?! although somehow domnina/shab ALWAYS pull it out when it really counts.

Aaron said...

Certainly. It also gives Davis and White a clear path to victory at Rostelecom Cup...might also give Crone and Poirier some outside hope that they could possibly make the Grand Prix Final.