Nam Nguyen - the future of Canadian figure skating

i don't really even think patrick's body of work is that great, especially if you consider his performances when it really counts ie. the olympics, world championships. i like a lot of his qualities as a pure skater, but as for his credentials as far as an athlete being able to deliver consistent, solid performances and win competitions on merit.....ehhhhhhhh

being 'the next patrick chan' isn't really that high praise

Well...that's quite a meteoric rise. It's not inconceivable hat Nguyen could exhibit the same rise in the next quad and be standing on the 2018 podium.

It's too soon to know what will happen with Nam for the next 4 years, I just hope he can improve more and more, and under Orser's coaching he will totally do it

hyperinflation said:

i don't really even think patrick's body of work is that great, especially if you consider his performances when it really counts ie. the olympics, world championships. i like a lot of his qualities as a pure skater, but as for his credentials as far as an athlete being able to deliver consistent, solid performances and win competitions on merit.....ehhhhhhhh

being 'the next patrick chan' isn't really that high praise

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And tell me who has a better body of work than Patrick in the last quad?

emdee said:

And tell me who has a better body of work than Patrick in the last quad?

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Probably nobody, but that says as much about the rest of the field as it does Chan. There has no consistently strong leader this squad. The women have had Kostner and Kim, the pairs V&T and S&S, the dance has had D&W and V&M, while the men have only had a shaky Chan with 2 very controversial world titles out of 3 won and a weak effort in losing the Olympic gold to a splatty rival. If I was cleaning house and each quadrennial was an object, I would just chuck the 2011-2014 quad in mens singles into the thrash can as part of the house cleaning.

emdee said:

And tell me who has a better body of work than Patrick in the last quad?

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so he sucks the least out of a weak field..? that's encouraging

thinnest kid at fat camp etc etc

Actually if Hanyu wins worlds you will probably have to say he was the top skater of the quad, even results wise. He will have won everything there is to win (Olympics, Worlds, Grand Prix final) and Chan wont have. It is similar to Petrenko vs Browning the 89-92 quad, and none of Browning's 3 world titles were even controversial unlike Patrick's (although Patrick atleast won silver at the Olympics but basically by skating how Kurt did to come 6th ).

So Patrick is not neccessarily even going to be the most successful of the weakest quad of mens skating in history bar none, and that is even while garnering the reputation as probably the most held up and wuzgifted skater in history.

CanadianSkaterGuy said:

Realistically, I think Nam could place, with some luck, in the top 12 (with 217 he would have been 11th last year). The whole point anyways will be for him to have that first Worlds experience, and not have any expectations (which will unfortunately be piled upon Reynolds).

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I would love to see him within the 10 ten. I think he can do it if he skates well. Go Nam!

It would be good if Sadovsky can improve to challenge Nam. Having two highly talented skaters nudging each other on is better so there is 'shared pressure'. I love these two kids. Bodes well for Canadian men.

I actually think Sadovsky and Chen are two skaters who show more potential than Nguyen now, but as always in skating things can change fast.

Orser isnt a guranteed miracle worker for skaters
he didnt do wonders for Elene G

sky_fly20 said:

Orser isnt a guranteed miracle worker for skaters

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This is applicable to other top coaches too.

sky_fly20 said:

Orser isnt a guranteed miracle worker for skaters
he didnt do wonders for Elene G

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I think Elene went too late to him.
Nam is young enough to benefit from working with all the cricket club coaches and also with Hanyu and Javier as well.

pangtongfan said:

I actually think Sadovsky and Chen are two skaters who show more potential than Nguyen now, but as always in skating things can change fast.

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I too love Romans skating. But he needs his triple axel . He like Chen is behind due to injury. I believe he is the same age as Chen.
The advantage Nam has is his more dynamic environment.

pangtongfan said:

Actually if Hanyu wins worlds you will probably have to say he was the top skater of the quad, even results wise. He will have won everything there is to win (Olympics, Worlds, Grand Prix final) and Chan wont have. It is similar to Petrenko vs Browning the 89-92 quad, and none of Browning's 3 world titles were even controversial unlike Patrick's (although Patrick atleast won silver at the Olympics but basically by skating how Kurt did to come 6th).

So Patrick is not neccessarily even going to be the most successful of the weakest quad of mens skating in history bar none, and that is even while garnering the reputation as probably the most held up and wuzgifted skater in history.

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Gurrrrrrrrrrl, please.

Chan's 2011-2014 quadrennial:
- Olympics 2014: 2 Silvers
- Worlds: 2013 Gold, 2012 Gold, 2011 Gold
- GPF: 2014 Silver, 2013 Bronze, 2012 Gold, 2011 Gold
- Four Continents: 2012 Gold
- Grand Prix Events: 6 Gold, 2 Silver

Hanyu's 2011-2014 quadrennial:
- Olympics 2014: Gold
- Worlds: (2014 potentially 1st), 2012 Bronze
- GPF: 2014 Gold, 2013 Silver
- Four Continents: 2013 Silver, 2011 Silver
- Grand Prix Events: 2 Gold, 3 Silver


You're totally neglecting the facts that: Chan has 2 GPF wins (4 berths, 4 medals) to Hanyu's 1 GPF win (3 berths, 2 medals), Chan has more combined GP/ISU Championship Golds (12) in this past quad than Hanyu has GP/ISU Championship medals (11), and, Chan's 3 World titles (heck, 1 World title and 2 Silvers, to you) easily trumps Hanyu's bronze and potential 2014 World title (where Chan isn't even defending and Hanyu's win should be a cakewalk). Of their 9 head-to-heads in the past quad, Chan has beaten Hanyu 6 times.

If Hanyu wins Worlds (a likelihood with Chan not there), he will be undeniably the top skater this 2013-2014 SEASON, and yes, the only skater this quad to win Olympics/Worlds/GPF (obviously only one skater CAN do that). But by winning a cakewalk Worlds, and winning with 2 falls the messiest men's Olympic competition in years, you're saying that makes Hanyu the top skater of this whole 2011-2014 QUAD -- also considering he has no major wins in the 3 seasons prior to this one?!?! Dude, come on.

Although I suppose you also think Arakawa is the best skater from 2003-2006, moreso than Slutskaya, because she won a World gold and an Olympic gold... and probably think Lipinski (with essentially 2 seasons of relevance) was undoubtedly the best skater of the 1995-1998 quad more than Michelle Kwan, because she got Olympic/CSF/World gold whereas Kwan did not.

Of course PT fan has forgotten that Patrick was NOT gifted his imaginary 6 falls at the Olys.

Bitter, bitter bitter is not good for the phlegm!

CanadianSkaterGuy said:

Chan's 2011-2014 quadrennial:
- Olympics 2014: 2 Silvers
- Worlds: 2013 Gold, 2012 Gold, 2011 Gold
- GPF: 2014 Silver, 2013 Bronze, 2012 Gold, 2011 Gold
- Four Continents: 2012 Gold
- Grand Prix Events: 6 Gold, 2 Silver

Hanyu's 2011-2014 quadrennial:
- Olympics 2014: Gold
- Worlds: (2014 potentially 1st), 2012 Bronze
- GPF: 2014 Gold, 2013 Silver
- Four Continents: 2013 Silver, 2011 Silver
- Grand Prix Events: 2 Gold, 3 Silver

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Hanyu should have won the 2011-2012 season GPF (over Chan) and the 2011-2012 season Cup of China.

Chan only deserved one World title and at least one of his Skate Canada wins (2010-2011 season) was undeserved.

IF Hanyu wins Worlds next week, their competitive results this quadrennial are quite even.

CanadianSkaterGuy said:

But by winning a cakewalk Worlds, and winning with 2 falls the messiest men's Olympic competition in years

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Lol, I get what you're trying to say but using this argument when defending Chan doesn't really pan out because lbr those world wins were controversial at best, and completely undeserved at worst. At least Hanyu's Oly+2014 future world win could be said that it was the best of the worst...can't really say the same for Chan.

Nam Nguyen as of right now..hm, I can't really see him at the future for Canada, even with his Jr title. He has alot of area's that needs fixing and I'm not sure if Borser can fix it in time. I also don't like his current skating style but who knows? Maybe his new environment will do wonders and being around Javier and Hanyu can give him some positive influences :agree: FS is very fickle, he could prove me very wrong

I am almost afraid of writing anything on this site anymore by reason of being hunted down and drawn and quartered.

Looking at Chan's world wins as controversial is not wrong, but those controversies cannot be a denial for the truly great skates he has performed and his artistry (and unparalleled skating skills). The TEB skate (fs and short both at the same competition) this year by Chan is an historic skate, imho, and the high water mark of achievement that is going to be very difficult to match by any other skater ever. (And he had some pretty other phenomenal skates in competitions previous to that as well.) Forget that it was not at the Olympics, and that it was not the Worlds. The guy had (has) the goods (and he did these skates on his own terms with Kathy Johnson as his coach, emphasizing the artistry and his individualism), skates like those at TEB and Skate Canada this year showed that.

As the sharpshooters man their position for the firing squad, let me just say, before I die, that the merits of the TEB skate (and the other skates that he did at that level) can only be denied by a hater indulging in acts of wilful blindness. And, as well, it is wilful blindness for anyone to say that the TEB skate was not a reflection of the core of his talent and his known abilities. Chan deserves his due.

If we have learned one thing from what happened at the Olympics, should it not be to look at the skates outside of the awards and who got what on the day of the big event (especially considering how the judging seems to subject to such vigorous intentional buggery by the host federations). Yes, they are some indication, but there are not the whole story.

Regarding Hanyu and Chan, that Nam looks up to both those skaters for their skating, he has chosen well.

I have been watching Nam fairly closely since he first skated at Canadian Nationals when he was 13. I have seen him coming for a long time. It is no accident in his getting to this stage. Although no one can predict with certainty the future, he has certain characteristics that bode well for his becoming a very successful skater moving into seniors. He has the talent, he has a personality in his skating, he works hard and doesn't give up when he meets obstacles, he really works hard on his precision, he seems to be very consistent once he acquires an ability, he is training for his long term development, he is getting better and better, and, most of all, he skates really smartly. (That wave of junior skaters he is skating with is super-charged in talent, and if there is one factor that made a difference in his winning amongst them it was that he was the one skater who skated the cleanest and the smartest.)

For those who don't like his skating as it is, right now, I suggest that what will come in the next few years might change their mind. Despite his accomplishments to date, however, because a lot of his technique is being rebuilt by Orser, I don't think we can really see his full potential, from the way he is skating today. As big as the pay-off has been to date, a lot of what he is doing is for learning and development and the really big pay-off in his skating is still to come.

If he breaks 215 or 220 at Worlds, to me it does not matter where he lands in the standings, but if he has a rough ride, I know based on what he has shown about himself in the past, he will use it to learn to be better. I do see him as a very real possibility in being a great seniors skater for Canada some day, especially if he continues to develop at his own pace, for his own reasons and to find fulfillment for himself.

It's really difficult to tell the future of a skater when they are so young, but Nam's performances at Junior Worlds left a great impression. I think he's headed in the right direction.

Patrick and Hanyu can't be compared so easily. Patrick is 4 years older than Hanyu and I think he's at his peak in his skating. I'm NOT a Patrick fan but his skates at TEB were stunning! Really awesome. Hanyu is climbing quickly but still has not reached his peak. --It may be better to compare the two skaters when they were the same age? In this quad, Hanyu was between 15-19 years old. How did Patrick perform when he was 15-19 years old? I don't know... I will need to check.

emdee said:

And tell me who has a better body of work than Patrick in the last quad?

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Umm...Daisuke? Imo his La Strada, Blues For Klook, Eye, The Stroll, Historia etc. all more memorable than many of Patrick's programs. If life & figure skating were fair, Daisuke would be a 2x world champ (+2012), Denis would be a 1x (+2013), and Patrick would only be a 1x. But life & skating aren't fair.

Back on topic, I too wish Nam all the best over this next quad, and also wish that ppl would stop predicting Olympic medals for people who aren't even out of juniors yet. It's too much pressure--and then ppl complain when the skater inevitably crumbles under said pressure.