Robinson, Lauzon first at Canadians | Golden Skate

Robinson, Lauzon first at Canadians

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
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Jul 28, 2003
Poor Patrice!! Sounds like what happened to Kurt when he was here in Vancouver! What is with Jennifer? Forgot her Program!?!!!! hmm.....

EDMONTON (CP) - Patrice Lauzon lost his pants and Jennifer Robinson nearly lost her mind.

Yet, both wound up in first place in their figure skating events at the BMO Financial Group Canadian championships Thursday night.

Lauzon, whose luggage was lost in transit, bummed some pants off Pascal Denis and scoffed a scarf from partner Marie-France Dubreuil to complete his improvised costume before helping her earn top marks in the compulsory dance.

Robinson forgot the choreography at the start of her short program but still skated well enough to earn top marks and enhance her chances of winning a seventh national crown.

All of them could laugh about the glitches after skating.

``It went pretty well considering the amount of stress we had in the last two days,'' said Dubreuil.

Stress? What stress?

It took the Boisbriand, Que., ice dancers 36 hours to reach Edmonton from their training base in Lyon, France, and they arrived less than 24 hours before they had to be on the Rexall Centre ice skating to the Austrian Waltz. They were supposed to have arrived Tuesday but their original flight from Lyon to Frankfurt was cancelled because of fog. Deciding they couldn't wait a full day to begin the trip, they flew to Dusseldorf and went on to London for a flight to Toronto.

``We got to Toronto at 2 a.m. and slept there (at the airport Sheraton) for four hours and caught a flight at eight in the morning to get here,'' said Dubreuil.

He carried a skate bag so he had his blades but with his clothing bag missing he looked for buddy Denis so he could borrow some pants.

``We're about the same size,'' said Lauzon.

He picked out grey slacks.

``He tried on everything I had except for what I was using (Thursday),'' said Denis. ``He has to give them back because they are part of my practice outfit.''

None of this was very much fun while it was happening.

``To come here with our coach has cost us $10,000,'' said Lauzon.

They are hoping the Quebec section and Skate Canada will share in reimbursing them.

After skating, Dubreuil and Lauzon could relax for the first time in two days.

``We're laughing about it now,'' she said. ``I haven't slept for about 40 hours.

``You know what? I'm fine. Some coffee, some vitamins and I'm ready to go.''

Robinson remembered her choreography about 15 seconds into the two minutes and 40 seconds she was to skate.

``I completely forgot what my program was at the beginning,'' the Windsor, Ont., native explained afterwards. ``I was like a little girl at summer skating camp.''

Nothing similar had ever happened to her before.

``At 27, draw your own conclusions,'' she said, alluding to her age. ``It was the weirdest feeling in the world.''

There were a couple of wobbly segments but she was good enough to get top marks.

Cynthia Phaneuf, 15, of Sorel-Tracy, Que., is in second place and Mira Leung, 14, of Vancouver is third going into the free skating Friday night.

Dubreuil and Lauzon won the Canadian senior title four years ago, when Shae-Lynn Bourne couldn't defend her and Victor Kraatz's title because of a knee injury. B and K regained it the next winter and held it until retirement last year. Now it's time for Dubreuil and Lauzon to win it again. They are planning to do just that.

``Canadians is always a big one for us - as big as worlds,'' said Dubreuil. ``If you don't do well here, you don't move on.

``This is the beginning of the second part of the season and in our hearts it is a big competition.''

Added Lauzon: ``Being national champion is always something you dream of and want to achieve - over and over.''

They will train at the Mariposa School of Skating in Barrie, Ont., where Robinson trains, before competing at the Four Continents meet in Hamilton in two weeks. Then it'll be on to worlds in Dortmund, Germany, in March.

Three dance teams get to go to worlds so competition for podium spots this week is intense.

In second place after the compulsory were Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe of Vancouver and in third place were Chantal Lefebvre and Arseniy Markov of Lasalle, Que.

In the senior pairs short program, Anabelle Langlois over-rotated the landing of her triple toe loop jump but the rest of her short with Patrice Archetto was superb and the world's No. 5 pair was placed first as they attempt to win their first Canadian title. She's from Grand-Mere, Que., he's from Montreal, and they train in Edmonton with coach Jan Ullmark.

``Tonight was really hard for me,'' said Langlois, who confessed to feeling ``weak in the legs.''

Elizabeth Putnam of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Sean Wirtz of Marathon, Ont., who train in Toronto with coach Paul Wirtz, Sean's uncle, are second going into the free-skating final Saturday.
 
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