Back to B.C.

Canadian Nationals just wrapped in Victoria. Victoria is hop across the water from Vancouver which still (always) has a warm place in my heart.

There was very little in the way of surprises at Canadian Nationals. In Ice Dance, it was a really close battle between Crone and Poirier and Weaver and Poje. Barely over a point separated the two teams with Crone and Poirier barely squeaking the win with their much heralded Beatles Free Dance. Paul and Islam did a nice job in capturing the bronze...but they will likely be the odd ones out assuming the Olympic Champs Virtue and Moir return to competition next month.

No big surprise amongst the women either with Cynthia Phaneuf capturing another title (she last accomplished the task in 2004...7 year gap, that's patience). With Rochette not competing she was the easy front runner. Not an especially difficult program but good enough on the night for the win. Cynthia spends so much time trying to be a pretty skater...I wish she would stop trying to cut against the grain and just be channel her inner Slutskaya and be a muscle skater...it suits her better.

Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch easily won the pairs competition. With Dube and Davison out due to Bryce's knee it was clear sailing for the Canadian duo that has turned heads this season with big tricks and unexpected presence. I think this team has the real possibility of cracking the top six at World's.

Finally, the big story of the event was Patrick Chan. Patrick, who didn't just win (as we all expected), but rather won with a flawless performance that rivals some of the best performances ever put to ice. If he skates like this in Tokyo...I don't know that anyone can catch him. He looks better every time he takes the ice and those quads are impressive. Bravo Patrick Chan, bravo!



Check the full results here.

Next Post: Ladies and Dance rundown of U.S. Nationals

Skate Canada Afterglow

So Skate Canada is in the books. I have to apologize for not posting flashes. I was actually intending on watching most of Skate Canada on demand but ended up watching most of it as it happened. The flip side I was at work and couldn't watch, blog, work simultaneously. However...you can read what I thought about the action by checking my Twitter profile.

What were the Skate Canada highlights for me? Let's start with the amazing performance given by Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch in the free skate. I'm always down for a good Les Mis program and they rocked it. You didn't even care about the bobble Kirsten had on her Salchow because any memory of it was erased by the two fantastic lifts they did at the end to pull the crowd out of their seats. They won the free skate and took the silver overall but the were desparately close to catching the Russians Iliushechkina and Maisuradze for the Gold. Kirsten were joined on the podium by their young teammates Lawrence and Swiegers.The Americans Castelli and Shnapir were so close to medaling after a fantastic short but the free got the better of them. I do love their Avatar free skate though.

I also loved the unpredictability of the dance event. This season it seems like nothing is a done deal and all the teams can't put it on cruise control like they did before. Kerr and Kerr of Great Britain have a lovely free skate and were on their way to victory when they had a slip on lift and it didn't really go as planned. That one mistake was enough to let Crone and Poirier of Canada slip past them for the win with a Beatle's number choreographed by Christopher Dean (so in the end...I guess Great Britain still wins out!). The Canadians are really putting pressure on these Grand Prix Podiums. Paul and Islam, another Canadian Team at this event, was actually 2nd in the free dance and finished 4th overall. It was the Americans Chock and Zuerlein that snuck in for the bronze after after a fun dance set to Cabaret.

The ladies event was so unpredictable start to finish. I actually pegged the Junior World Silver Medalist Agnes Zawadzki to win it because I though at the least she would be consistent and that would win the day. Well Agnes was hot and saucy in the short but nerves got the better of her in the free and she fell to 6th. The podium was quite a roller coaster. Amelie Lacoste 5th after the short, managed the bronze. She didn't have a great free but it was good enough on the day. Johnny Weir tweeted several times that we should all pray for Ksenia. The prayer must have worked because she worked her Evita free skate enough to earn the silver medal. She seemed happy with her skate and Johnny tweeted he almost cried his lashes off! The Gold Medal, however, went for the second time in her career, to Alissa Czisny (video below). She came back from 4th in the short to take it all with a gorgeous program set to George Winston's Winter and Spring. Are good things ahead this season for Alissa?

Finally the men. I took some heat on Twitter for defending the judges at this event. Patrick Chan had a terrible short program and many felt he should have been further back than what he was (4th). In the free skate, he came roaring back (quad included) to take the title. Nobunari fans in particular harped on the "Canadian Bonus" Patrick got in the short. I will be the first to call out any point padding. I think Kevin Reynolds (who hit two quads in the short!) and Amelie Lacoste in particular were beneficiaries of some point bumps at this event. Chan, I felt was marked fairly. His tech score wasn't padded at all, the protocols show that, and he is one of (if not the) the best skaters as far as the component score. A better way of looking at it is like this...so you think Patrick was over scored in the short, so you think he should have been ranked behind Alban Preaubert, Javier Fernandez, Yasuharu Nanri? Even on a bad Patrick Chan day, you have to admit his skating skills are certainly going to keep him ranked ahead of those skaters. On the flip side, you can say Adam Rippon and Nobunari Oda weren't given the component scores they deserved. But as good as they are (and I love both of them!), Patrick is still far superior to them in the component mark. In the end...rationally...I think the judges did get it right and there were just some mad fans. I think Nobunari's silver and Adam's bronze were right. Should I prepare for more egg dodging?

You can see the full results here.

I can report that I am 0 for 8 on accurate podium predictions. I have to improve this. I did do better on my fantasy picks though. Tied for 197th (better than the 365th last week) and have improved to being ranked 175th overall. I just keep telling myself slow and steady... Cup of China next week!

2010 Canadian Nationals Preview

Special by Guest Blogger Stephanie V.

On January 14, the Canadian Championships will start in London (Ontario). For the 2010 Olympics, Canada has two spots in each category. Who will be the skaters to watch?

Ladies Contenders:

Joannie Rochette - Back in the city where she got her first national title, the 2009 World silver medalist is on her way to get her 6th title in a row. The last skater who won six national titles is Jennifer Robinson (1996, 1999-2003). Joannie had a somewhat drab Grand Prix season compared to last year : a disastrous short program at the Cup of China, a not-so-great free skate at Skate Canada, and a Grand Prix Final to forget...nevertheless, she is the sure value of the ladies competition.

Cynthia Phaneuf - The 2004 national champion had her share of ups and (mostly) downs in the years that followed her national title. Her Grand Prix seasons were not so great. This season, she was 6th at the NHK Trophy, then Skate Canada was a disaster where Cynthia fell four times and finished 7th. At Nationals last year, she surprised everyone by finishing first in the short program. Despite her averge performances at the Grand Prix, she could be the one to take the second spot on the Canadian Olympic team.

Amélie Lacoste - Amélie won her first national medal (a bronze) in the seniors ranks, four years after she won the junior national title. In 2008, she did some try-outs to skate in pairs, but it didn't work out. This season was her first appareance in the senior Grand Prix circuit. She finished 7th at the Rostelecom Cup and 6th at Skate Canada just in front of Cynthia Phaneuf.

Possible Spoilers:

Diane Szmiett, the 2006 junior national champion, has finished a suprising 4th place at the 2009 Nationals, when she was 10th in 2008 and 13th in 2007. This season, she participed in her first senior Grand Prix competition, Cup of China, where she placed 8th.

Mira Leung is still in the race, despite her absence from international competition in 2009. National silver medalist from 2006 to 2008, she had a disastrous performance last year and finished in 6th place and was overtaken by two skaters who were still skating in the junior ranks on the international scene. So the question is: Will Leung fight back or just sink to the bottom?

Myriane Samson, the 2004 junior national champion, was 5th in 2007 and 2008. Last year, she had a very disappointing 11th place finish, which prevented her from getting Grand Prix assignements. She finished 4th at 2009 Finlandia Trophy behind Kiira Korpi, Laura Lepisto, and Alena Leonova.

Men's Contenders:

Patrick Chan - The 2009 World silver medalist is on his way to his 3rd national title in a row. Chan had a difficult start this season. An injury prevented him from skating at Rostelecom Cup. At Skate Canada, he finished 6th place after a free skate where he fell three times. On January 8, Chan announced that he and his coach since 2007, Don Laws, ended their association. His choreographer, Lori Nichol and coach Christy Krall will now help Chan till the end of the seaon.

Shawn Sawyer - Sawyer finished 5th at the 2009 Nationals, after being the bronze medalist from 2005 to 2008. He went to the Torino Olympic Games, where he placed 12th. This season, after an 8th place finish at Rostelecom Cup, he won a surprising silver medal at Skate America... his first medal on the Grand Prix circuit.

Vaughn Chipeur - National silver medalist last year, Chipeur hasn't had a great season so far. His 12th (last) place finish at Trophée Éric-Bompard and his 11th place finish at NHK Trophy don't look great on his record. He will need to skate his absolute best at these championships.

Jeremy Ten - The 2007 junior national champion got a surprising bronze medal last year at the Canadian Championships. Like Chipeur, Jeremy hasn't had a great season so far: 10th at NHK Trophy and 12th at Skate Canada.

Kevin Reynolds - Reynolds almost had his place on the Canadian World team, last year but Jeremy Ten slipped past him. He's not the most exciting skater of the circuit, but he's had some relatively good results on the Grand Prix: 8th at Cup of China and 6th at Skate America.

Possible Spoilers:

Joey Russell, the 2006 junior national champion finished 6th at the 2009 Nationals. He received his first assignment on the senior Grand Prix this season. He placed 10th at Skate Canada, ahead of Jeremy Ten and... Kevin Van Der Perren!

Marc-André Craig returns on the national scene, after being absent last year. His last appearance on the Grand Prix was in 2006 where he finished 8th and 11th.

Ian Martinez was 7th last year. His single appearance on the Grand Prix was in 2008 at Skate America, where he placed 10th.

Pairs Contenders (Pairs are probably the most open division where anything can happen...):

Meagan Duhamel / Craig Buntin - Skating together since summer 2007, Meagan Duhamel and Craig Buntin have achieved good placements quickly. Buntin already went to the Torino Olympics with former partner, Valerie Marcoux. The pair finished 11th. Duhamel/Buntin placed 3rd at the 2008 Nationals and 2nd last year. This season, they had a good start, finishing 4th at Cup of China. They had to withdraw at Skate America, following Duhamel's nasty fall during the free skate. Now the question is: Has Duhamel returned to top form?

Jessica Dubé / Bryce Davison - The national champions in 2007 and 2009 went to the Torino Olympic Games where they finished 10th. Dubé/Davison had very good placements on the Grand Prix : 2nd at Trophée Eric-Bompard and 3rd at Skate Canada. They narrowly missed the Finale, finishing 7th in the Grand Prix standings. They will face fierce competition with the return of the 2008 national champions, Anabelle Langlois/Cody Hay, and also the presence of Meagan Duhamel/Craig Buntin.

Anabelle Langlois / Cody Hay - The 2008 national champions return after missing the whole 2008/2009 season, because of Anabelle's injury. Anabelle went once at the Olympics in 2002 with former partner, Patrice Archetto. They placed 12th. Langlois/Hay nearly missed the 2006 Olympic team by finishing 3rd when Canada had only 2 spots. This season, Langlois/Hay had one Grand Prix, Skate Canada, where they placed 4th. They also did the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy, where they won the bronze medal behind Savchenko/Szolkowy and Volosozhar/Morozov.

Mylène Brodeur / John Mattatall - National bronze medalists last year, Brodeur/Mattatall went to the Four Continents and Worlds for the first time where they placed 8th and 10th. They had good results this season on the Grand Prix : 6th at Rostelecom Cup and 5th at NHK Trophy.

Possible Spoilers:

Paige Lawrence / Rudi Sweigers finished a suprising 4th place last year. They did only one Grand Prix competition, NHK Trophy, where they placed 7th.

Kirsten Moore-Towers / Dylan Moscovitch are a new team since spring 2009. Previously, Dylan was skating with his younger sister, Kyra. The new pair had Skate Canada as their first international competition and they placed 6th.

Monica Pisotta / Michael Stewart didn't do any Grand Prix competitions this season. They are a team to watch as they finished 5th at their first senior Canadians championships last year.

Anne-Marie Giroux / Eric Radford are a new pair since summer 2009. Previously, Radford teamed with Rachel Kirkland. They probably won't have a shot at the Olympics but it will be interesting to see what kind of promise this new team has.

Ice Dance Contenders:

Tessa Virtue / Scott Moir - The 2009 World bronze medalists will be seeking their 3rd national title in a row. They missed the entire 2008/2009 Grand Prix season, after Virtue had surgery on her legs. In 2006, they narrowly missed the Olympic selection as Meagan Wing/Aaron Lowe placed ahead of them. They had an excellent season on the Grand Prix this year: 1st at Trophée Eric-Bompard and Skate Canada and 2nd at the Finale behind their training teammates, Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White.

Kailyn Weaver / Andrew Poje - Weaver/Poje were bronze medalists last year, behind Vanessa Crone/Paul Poirier. They didn't go to Worlds, after making the world team in 2007 and 2008. They had a somewhat good Grand Prix, this season: 6th at Cup of China and 3rd at Skate Canada... their first medal on the Grand Prix circuit. Weaver got her Canadian citizenship in July 2009, which makes this team eligible for the Olympics.

Vanessa Crone / Paul Poirier - At their second showing at the senior Canadian championships, Crone/Poirier won the silver medal. The 2007 junior national champions and the 2008 Junior World silver medalists had a great Grand Prix season with a 4th place at Rostelecom Cup and 3rd place at NHK Trophy... and a surprise qualification at the Grand Prix Final after the withdrawal of Belbin/Agosto and Khokhlova/Novitski. They placed 6th at this competition.

Possible Spoilers:

Andrea Chong / Guillaume Gfeller are a team since 2007. They finished 4th, last year. They did one Grand Prix this season, Skate Canada, where they finished 8th.

Allie Hann-McCurdy / Michael Coreno, the 2006 junior national champions finished a disappointing 6th place last year. In 2008, they won the bronze medal. They switched coachs at the end of the 2008/2009 season, leaving Victor Kraatz for the team of Marina Zoueva/Igor Shpilband. They participed in one Grand Prix, NHK Trophy, where they placed 8th.

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