"Growing Pains" - for Canada

Ladskater · Mar 30, 2004

Well, I have to say in the words of Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." At least in terms of skating on the world scene for Canada.

Some of the best skating I have seen in some time to come as far the worlds go, but for Canada - where I hale from by the way - I was a bit concerned. I thought our pairs team - L&A deserved a better placement - they got short changed by the judges. Joannie R. skated well and I was proud of Jennifer's final skate - it was lovely. Also our dancers did a nice job as well. However, I am really disappointed in Emanuel Sandhu. I hate to say this, but I think Skate Canada should really think about next season and send Jeff Buttle instead.

Well, it's back to the drawing board for Canada. It's takes time to rebuild a team. I guess that is what we are experiencing right now - "growing pains."

eliza88 · Mar 30, 2004

I was very bummed about Sandhu. He could be so incredible if he wanted it enough and believed in it enough. His in-betweens are stunning,...I really enjoyed Butle this season and was upset that he wasn't going to be at Worlds--hopefully next year will be different.

eliza88

thisthingcalledlove · Mar 30, 2004

So does Canada get to send two or one males next year?

Ladskater · Mar 30, 2004

Only one. Ben came twelfth. Let's hope Jeff steps up to the plate.

dfj · Mar 30, 2004

Ladskater said:
I hate to say this, but I think Skate Canada should really think about next season and send Jeff Buttle instead.

Perhaps we should wait and see how everyone performs next season. Buttle will do no better than Eman if he can't land a 3A or quad consistently.

hockeyfan228 · Mar 30, 2004

Sandhu finished in eighth place, earning a second Men's spot for Canada. Because Ferreira ended in 13th place, and the total placements for the two men was greater than 13, they did not earn a third.

Edited to say that Ferreira came in 13th, not 12th. Griazev came in 12th, which with Plushenko's 1st added up to the magic number of 13, giving the Russian Men three places for next year.bb

glow_girl85 · Mar 30, 2004

hockeyfan228 said:
Sandhu finished in eighth place, earning a second Men's spot for Canada. Because Ferreira ended in 12th place, and the total placements for the two men was greater than 13, they did not earn a third.

yeah, that's what i thought. Canada got 2 placements in each category.

Joesitz (RIP) · Mar 30, 2004

Lad, If you see the whole competition, Canada did not do badly.

Sandhu blew the SP but he made up for it in the LP.
Ben was better than yuu think.

Jennifer had the skate of her life but she was caught in that grouping thing which is difficult to get out of.

Joannie was marvelous. She beat all the Russian Ladies and deserved to. Why she did so many triples without combo, only she can say.

L&A were not at their best but they were better than many. And who can compete against S&Z?

The Dance competition was a gift to the host country for the bronze.

Joe

thvudragon · Mar 30, 2004

Ladskater said:
I thought our pairs team - L&A deserved a better placement - they got short changed by the judges.

Langois and Archetto are perhaps the most overrated pair today IMO. The only thing they do well are their lifts and death spirals. Besides that, their elements are weak and are extremely telegraphed (especially their jumps). Add that to the fact that their highest throw is the 3salchow when the other teams are doing the loop and the flip.

Their programs are also very empty in comparison to their competition and show no creativity (but then again, their choreographer is Morozov, so this isn't unexpected). Patrice Archetto also has the expression of a rock and relies on Anabelle to do all the work. She is very expressive in her body while he is extremely stiff with horrid posture. He is also the weaker partner in terms of skating skills and ability. This pair simply does not have what it takes to compete with the top 7 IMO.

TV

GoldenLady · Mar 31, 2004

Joesitz said:
Lad, If you see the whole competition, Canada did not do badly.

Sandhu blew the SP but he made up for it in the LP.
Ben was better than yuu think.

Jennifer had the skate of her life but she was caught in that grouping thing which is difficult to get out of.

Joannie was marvelous. She beat all the Russian Ladies and deserved to. Why she did so many triples without combo, only she can say.

L&A were not at their best but they were better than many. And who can compete against S&Z?

The Dance competition was a gift to the host country for the bronze.

Joe

Joe, I agree. If we look at how each skater did skating-wise, with respect to what we would have expected of them, most of them did as well or better as could have been hoped for. Sure, the results in the standings may not have been what we would have liked to have seen, but if we leave the judging and scores out of it, I get the feeling most of the Canadian skaters must have left this year's Worlds feeling pretty darn good about their performances!

Looking towards the future, I think we as fans should take comfort in the fact that given what we saw last week, Canada has a lot of bright moments ahead in figure skating, rather than lamenting the low (relatively speaking) results and lack of medals by Canadian skaters this year.

There's time enough for medals later - and I believe our skaters will be back on the podium soon.

Jaana · Mar 31, 2004

I still cannot understand why they did not send Buttle to Worlds? I know that he was not able to do his best in Canadian Nationals because of illness, but what about the Continental Cup result?

chuckm · Mar 31, 2004

From reports I have read, Sandhu was reluctant to train to the degree needed to make the podium at Worlds. Hence, his poor showing in the SP (and he was very lucky to place as high in the SP as he did). If it's a medal you're looking for, performing a decent FS once you've bombed in the SP won't cut it. A skater must be prepared to do 3 outstanding programs to get a spot on the podium. Sandhu wasn't prepared.

Buttle wasn't completely recovered from his GPF illness when he skated in Canadian Nationals. Yes, he won 4CC, but let's face it: neither Canadian man skated at all well in that competition. If Buttle skated the way he did at 4CC, he wouldn't have gotten a medal at Worlds and probably would have been out of the top 10.

I can understand why Skate Canada didn't send Buttle to Worlds, but then again Sandhu's indifference to his failure in the SP is very troubling. All I can say is good luck for next season: the men are going to need it.

indiaskye1 · Apr 1, 2004

Okay, I would like to throw my two cents into this discussion ...

I just got back from Dortmund a few days ago. I was there for 9 days, watching the skaters practice and skate, and meeting most of them at the hotel.

Emanuel Sandhu happens to be my favorite skater, so I did pay extra attention to him.
I really don't understand how anyone could say that they "should leave him off the National team next year" ... yes, he messed up the Short Program, but what you all seem to forget is that he did win his Qualifying Group ahead of Joubert and Lambiel, and that he did do very well in the Free Skate --- doesn't that count at all???

I saw him at the hotel after Qualifying, and he looked sooo happy!

I also got to talk to him before his Free Skate, and believe me ... "complete indifference" is not what he was feeling about his Short Program.

Also, to the person who said that Buttle would be a much better choice than Sandhu ... they BOTH have a tendency to be inconsistent on the jumps. In that department, Buttle is no better than Sandhu.

However, at least Emanuel always has innovative programs with brilliant choreography, and he has heaps more presence on the ice than Buttle will ever have. Add to that strong spins and step sequences, and Sandhu is just the better skater by far!!!

Yes, Emanuel needs to conquer his nerves, but that's really easier said than done.

Vanessa

Tonichelle · Apr 1, 2004

Anabelle and Patrice's programs were awesome this season... and so did not deserve 8th place!

Lynn226 · Apr 1, 2004

Hi, Vanessa!

Well said! However, I am also a fan of Jeff.

Your pictures of Eman look great! Wish I could have been there. I'm already counting down to Skate Canada.

Sherry
(The same one who sent you some pics after Skate Canada.)

thvudragon · Apr 1, 2004

Tonichelle said:
Anabelle and Patrice's programs were awesome this season... and so did not deserve 8th place!

If you call empty programs with no transitions or choreography "awesome", then I guess your description is fitting.

TV

mike79 · Apr 2, 2004

Langlois&Archetto deserved to at least be ahead of Obertas&Slavnov. I think that O&S might be a better team overall but they were inferior that night.

Ryan O · Apr 2, 2004

I agree that L&A were undermarked in the short program. They skated fairly well at this event, but I think there highest marks may be behind them. I think that the judges are sending the message that they view M&B as the top Canadian pair of the future now. M&B beat L&A at 4 Conts, and almost placed ahead of them at Worlds, even though they had less experience and skated a bit weaker than L&A.

berthes ghost · Apr 2, 2004

It could be worse.

Pairs: There was a bit of a lull between B&E and S&P (who seemed to spring out of nowhere), so all is not lost.

Mens: I think that all 3 have the potential to follow in the footsteps of Elvis/Kurt?/Brian, etc... they just need a bit of mental toughness.

Dance: There was a even bigger lull between W&McC and B&K, but I suppose trianing in the US with Russsians isn't exactly the best way to pass the torch to other Canadian up and comers.

Ladies: This was always a weak spot. Joannie might pull it off yet though.

shine · Apr 2, 2004

Joannie will. Joannie for top 5! :love:

"Growing Pains" - for Canada

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~

eliza88

thisthingcalledlove

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~

dfj

hockeyfan228

glow_girl85

Joesitz (RIP)

thvudragon

GoldenLady

Jaana

chuckm

indiaskye1

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

Lynn226

thvudragon

mike79

Ryan O

berthes ghost

shine

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