Were you one of those who predicted Takahashi would win in Gothenburg? Though more curiously, has anyone been second place to three consecutive world champions?Originally Posted by chuckm
Takahashi will probably successfully defend his title next year at Worlds in Japan. I wonder how Chan will feel being a bridesmaid yet again.
I hope they'll also mention how he rocked "Eye."
Thank you!
I have a feeling this might happen if Chiddy is 2nd for the 3rd straight year, this time on Daisuke's home ice! I see Michal or Adam in the Tonia role!Takahashi will probably successfully defend his title next year at Worlds in Japan. I wonder how Chan will feel being a bridesmaid yet again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5ohRaoevpg
On top of what he does on the ice, that is why I love Patrick Chan. And the fact is he knows a lot more about skating than all the haters on this board.The plain truth from Patrick Chan
March 25, 2010
By Scott Russell
Turin, Italy -- Refreshing.
That's the way Patrick Chan is - refreshingly honest. And he discusses matters in such a way that he separates himself from most other elite athletes out there.
"It stinks," he said of his fifth-place finish at the Vancouver Olympics. "Then it settles in and you understand that you're not the only star here Patrick. You're not the only one working his butt off to get somewhere."
That qualifies as an epiphany.
It seems the Olympic experience actually meant something deeper than a medal chase and an endorsement deal to Canada's top male figure skater.
This is the same skater who struggled with injury and parted with a long-time coach just prior to the Games. Chan is a gifted world championship silver medalist who once wondered aloud if he could commit another four years to the dream once Vancouver was over.
"The Olympics transform you," Chan proclaimed, his eyes the size of frying pans. "No one can explain it to you. They are a different kind of animal. Being with so many other athletes and seeing what they are capable of ... the biathletes, speed skaters and ski jumpers, well, it motivates you to go on."
Wants the quad
So at the world figure skating championships here in Turin, Chan is plotting a course. He claims it will take him to the next Olympics in Russia in four years time. He's talking about getting the highly coveted quad jump yes, but he's also looking into a crystal ball and he likes what he sees.
"There's definitely no outside pressure on me," Chan said. "Here it's all about me. I definitely want to win and think I can."
That's the key. In spite of what unfolds in the present, Patrick Chan believes he can win in the future. Something happened to him at the Olympics and it served to change his mind.
It made him full of wonder again.
"I saw that one day I could dominate," he figured. "I saw that I could one day leave a lasting impression on my sport."
Patrick Chan is only 19-years-old. His words have sometimes been misinterpreted as hastily conceived or even worse - false bravado.
Watching him closely now, one is left with a completely different impression.
He is a supremely talented kid who actually speaks the plain truth.
I love that he's ambitious, I love that he's a straight shooter, and I love that he knows just how good he is.
Last edited by BigJohn; 03-25-2010 at 10:35 PM.
Brian Orser was: Hamilton, Fadeev, Boitano. Bonaly: Baiul, Sato, Chen Lu
Nope. Dai wasn't quite as hungry then, and a lot more inconsistent.
But being a "bridesmaid" doesn't necessarily mean silver. It could mean bronze (all those upandcomers, ya know).
Oh, I'm loving the depth coming up.
Oh, golly, Daisuke won! My only complaint: why did he have to choose the year there's no TV coverage in the U.S.?! I hope YouTube rises to the occasion eventually, because I don't get any of the other sources. But he won! Great to hear.
I'm interested (and delighted) to see that his win is almost universally acclaimed on here. The last time I remember a world or Olympic champion getting that kind of acclaim is Yagudin (correct me if I'm wrong). I think it's for the same reasons, too: he's got the combination of technique and magnetism that pulls viewers in. I remember the first time I realized this guy was a special skating experience--it was the Rachmaninoff, I'm fairly sure--and no injury in skating distressed me more than his (except maybe Hongbo Zhao's in 2006). I hope, for his sake and ours, that he can stay strong and at his peak until Sochi, because I'd love for him to get an OGM. But, as with Michelle Kwan and Kurt Browning, his skating itself is the achievement. You don't see that quality every day, or indeed every year. Yay for Daisuke!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttsucmz9aBs
Daisuke's LP via Japanese TV
Daisuke's LP, Italian commentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcs_UVsf3QY
Most eligible figure skaters believe they can win in the future, or they wouldn't be in the game, practicing day in and day out for years. But very few figure skaters spend as much time touting themselves in the media the way Chan does.
And now we hear Chan is bringing back "Phantom" for another year. This much overused piece of music has a strong emotional component that some skaters have used to their advantage (Davis/White, e.g.). But touching the emotions of the audience is Chan's very major weak point, and this music does him no favors, but makes him appear even more robotic than usual. Bad move, Patrick.
As I said before... Daisuke's Phantom from 2007>Patrick's Phantom from 2010
I disagree that it's a bad move. It might not do him any favours, but for someone who's jumps aren't consistent, keeping music you're familiar with and having one less thing to work on seems like it could help. Only time will tell. Buttle won his worlds with repeated programs. Hell, Chan just won his second silver medal with the same short program music as he had last year.
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