Canadian 4CC/Worlds/Oly team announced

[gsk8]

VANCOUVER (January 14, 2018) — The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Skate Canada officially announced the 17 athletes and 12 coaches nominated to represent Team Canada in figure skating at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.

Skaters qualified for the team based on their performances during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons as well as their results at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships.
The skaters nominated are:

Name	Event	Hometown
Patrick Chan	Men’s singles	Toronto, ON
Keegan Messing	Men’s singles	Sherwood Park, AB/ Brampton, ON
Gabrielle Daleman	Women’s singles	Newmarket, ON
Kaetlyn Osmond	Women’s singles	Sherwood Park, AB/ Marystown, NL
Larkyn Austman	Women’s singles	Coquitlam, BC
Meagan Duhamel	Pairs	Lively, ON
Eric Radford	Pairs	Balmertown, ON
Julianne Séguin	Pairs	Longueuil, QC
Charlie Bilodeau	Pairs	Trois-Pistoles, QC
Kirsten Moore-Towers	Pairs	St. Catharines, ON
Michael Marinaro	Pairs	Sarnia, ON
Tessa Virtue	Ice dance	London, ON
Scott Moir	Ice dance	Ilderton, ON
Piper Gilles	Ice dance	Toronto, ON
Paul Poirier	Ice dance	Unionville, ON
Kaitlyn Weaver	Ice dance	Toronto, ON
Andrew Poje	Ice dance	Waterloo, ON

VANCOUVER, B.C.: After the senior events at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, Skate Canada named the teams for three upcoming ISU Championships. The week-long championships were held in Vancouver, B.C., at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre from January 8-14, 2018. 2018 ISU WORLD FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS Milan, Italy – March 19-25, 2018 MEN Patrick Chan Keegan Messing Alternate 1 – Nam Nguyen Alternate 2 – Elladj Balde Alternate 3 – Kevin Reynolds WOMEN Larkyn Austman Gabrielle Daleman Kaetlyn Osmond Alternate 1 – Alaine Chartrand Alternate 2 – Michelle Long Alternate 3 – Alicia Pineault PAIR Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford Kirsten Moore-Towers/Michael Marinaro Julianne Seguin/Charlie Bilodeau Alternate 1 – Lubov Ilyushechkina/Dylan Moscovitch Alternate 2 – Camille Ruest/Drew Wolfe Alternate 3 – Sydney Kolodziej/Maxime Deschamps ICE DANCE Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje Alternate 1 – Carolane Soucisse/Shane Firus Alternate 2 – Sarah Arnold/Thomas Williams Alternate 3 – Haley Sales/Nikolas Wamsteeker 2018 ISU FOUR CONTINENTS FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS Taipei City, Chinese Taipei – January 22-27, 2018 MEN Elladj Balde Nam Nguyen Kevin Reynolds Alternate 1 – Roman Sadovsky Alternate 2 – Liam Firus Alternate 3 – Nicolas Nadeau WOMEN Alaine Chartrand Michelle Long Alicia Pineault Alternate 1 – Sarah Tamura Alternate 2 – Emy Decelles PAIR Lubov Ilyushechkina/Dylan Moscovitch Sydney Kolodziej/Maxime Deschamps Camille Ruest/Drew Wolfe ICE DANCE Sarah Arnold/Thomas Williams Haley Sales/Nikolas Wamsteeker Carolane Soucisse/Shane Firus Alternate 1 – Molly Lanaghan/Dmitre Razgulajevs 2018 ISU JUNIOR WORLD FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS Sofia, Bulgaria – March 5-11, 2018 MEN Conrad Orzel Joseph Phan Alternate 1 – Corey Circelli Alternate 2 – Eric Liu WOMEN Aurora Cotop Alternate 1 – Alison Schumacher Alternate 2 – Olivia Gran PAIR Lori-Ann Matte/Thierry Ferland Evelyn Walsh/Trennt Michaud Alternate 1 – Gabrielle Levesque/Pier-Alexandre Hudon Alternate 2 – Chloe Choinard/Mathieu Ostiguy Alternate 3 – Chloe Panetta/Steven Lapointe ICE DANCE Marjorie Lajoie/Zachary Lagha Olivia McIsaac/Elliott Graham Alternate 1 – Ashlynne Stairs/Lee Royer Alternate 2 – Ellie Fisher/Simon-Pierre Malette-Paquette

 

[Mista Ekko]

Is there a thread that details the Team event selections by each country?

 

[Weathergal]

Is there a thread that details the Team event selections by each country?

I don't know of one, but Jackie Wong's (Rockerskating) website has a good list:

http://www.rockerskating.com/news/2017/12/19/figure-skating-entries-for-the-2018-winter-olympics

 

[Tonichelle]

So excited for Keegan I can't stand it!

 

[Mathman]

Canada (and all other countries) will have to decide whether they want to go all out to win the team event, or whether they want to spread out the team medal to more skaters and allow their individual medal threats a rest. All-out would be Virtue and Moir, Duhamel and Radford, and Chan to do both programs. The ladies can split (Osmond for short, Daleman for long.)

 

[ancientpeas]

As much as I see Mathman's point I think there is no way D/R and Patrick will do parts. I think S/B will do the long and Keegan will do the long.

Patrick did not want to do both segments in Sochi and D/R have at least a somewhat realistic shot at a medal in Pairs and skating both so close to when Pairs starts would be very hard. I'd love to see Patrick skate both segments personally.

 

[Scout]

Canada (and all other countries) will have to decide whether they want to go all out to win the team event, or whether they want to spread out the team medal to more skaters and allow their individual medal threats a rest. All-out would be Virtue and Moir, Duhamel and Radford, and Chan to do both programs. The ladies can split (Osmond for short, Daleman for long.)

I wonder if the athletes want a rest. With the exception of perhaps Virtue and Moir, the team event is the athlete's best shot at gold. And for Virtue and Moir, while gold is a very real possibility in the individual event, so is silver.

 

[Mathman]

I take the long view of the team event. I think that as years go by the team event will rise in public interest. I think that 20 years from now, any country that deliberately did not try their best to win the team event will be kicking themselves.

Look at gymnastics. The Magnificent Seven won the team event at the 1996 Olympics for the UnitedStates, and are still the best-remembered group in U.S. gymnastics history. Individually, they got 8th, 9th, and 17th in the all around, but who cares about that? IMHO Patrick should skate both short and long programs. He could be the hero bringing the Olympic gold medal in figure skating to Canada. :yes:

Can he do it? In the LP his toughest competition might be Rippon and Kovtun, assuming that Japan and China do not make the LP and other countries rest their biggest threats. The Canada team could swipe the gold and be forever remembered as "Olympic Gold Medalists."

 

[Weathergal]

I take the long view of the team event. I think that as years go by the team event will rise in public interest. I think that 20 years from now, any country that deliberately did not try their best to win the team event will be kicking themselves.

Look at gymnastics. The Magnificent Seven won the team event at the 1996 Olympics for the UnitedStates, and are still the best-remembered group in U.S. gymnastics history. Individually, they got 8th, 9th, and 17th in the all around, but who cares about that? IMHO Patrick should skate both short and long programs. He could be the hero bringing the Olympic gold medal in figure skating to Canada. :yes:

Can he do it? In the LP his toughest competition might be Rippon and Kovtun, assuming that Japan and China do not make the LP and other countries rest their biggest threats. The Canada team could swipe the gold and be forever remembered as "Olympic Gold Medalists."

Mathman, I like your views on the team event and comparing it to the team event in gymnastics. I never thought of it that way. One thing though: When you said the biggest threats to Canada in the Men's LP would be Rippon and Kovtun, did you mean Rippon and Kolyada?

 

[ancientpeas]

Ahah.. Just listened to Patrick talking to PJ. He says he wants to do both segments. That's interesting.

 

[blue_idealist]

Ahah.. Just listened to Patrick talking to PJ. He says he wants to do both segments. That's interesting.

I hope it doesn't end up being a Plushenko situation. You know what I mean......

 

[Ziotic]

I hope it doesn't end up being a Plushenko situation. You know what I mean......

If they win gold I could see him do it. Also as much as Patrick is amazing he really doesn’t have the pull to say he will only do one program anymore. With Gabby winning the title and how Kaetlyn does with long programs I think the Fed is forced to split ladies. That only leaves one other discipline to split and D/R have a better shot at individual medal than Patrick. V/M have longer to rest so they can do both.

Realistically if he’s not willing to do both he’s letting down the team and letting go of what is his only change of Olympic gold.

 

[Mathman]

Mathman, I like your views on the team event and comparing it to the team event in gymnastics. I never thought of it that way. One thing though: When you said the biggest threats to Canada in the Men's LP would be Rippon and Kovtun, did you mean Rippon and Kolyada?

I was assuming best case scenario for Patrick in the long program. USA sits out Nathan and RUS sits out Kolyada. -- Wait! Who is going for Russia?

 

[lovaticcanada]

I think at this point, Patrick has to do both. He didn't last time since he was a medal favourite. However, Patrick's FS even if it's a mess will likely be better than Keegan. In addition, at this point, Patrick has a higher chance of earning silver or higher in the team than in the individual. Besides, I don't think its fair to pick one of Gabby/Kaetlyn. I think it will be Kaetlyn short and Gabby free.

As for the other sub, it should be Seguin/Bilodeau for the FS. After this nationals, I don't think Weaver/Poje will likely get a shot (even thought they probably deserve it).

 

[andromache]

Patrick and V/M for both programs, then split pairs and ladies. V/M can skate safe and conservative and still smash B/S in the team event (which is all that really matters). W/P or P/G will get beaten by B/S, which is bad. Patrick has no chance at an individual medal - his moment to shine could be in bringing team gold home for Canada.

The best Canadian strategy is pretty obviously this - will be more interesting to see what Russia does. B/S for both programs, two ladies....then men and pairs are the question marks, and probably dependent on what happens at Europeans.

 

[Violet Bliss]

I'm not surprised that Patrick will skate both programs for Team Canada. He is taking the Team event seriously with golden hope. As well, it's one more competition experience he really needs for his Singles event.

Go Canada!

 

[Alchamei]

I was assuming best case scenario for Patrick in the long program. USA sits out Nathan and RUS sits out Kolyada. -- Wait! Who is going for Russia?

Russia will name the team after Euros. At this state, it looks like Kolyada and Samarin maybe Aliev or Voronov instead of Samarin.

 

[Mista Ekko]

Patrick has no chance at an individual medal - his moment to shine could be in bringing team gold home for Canada.

I think that's a false statement
Sure, with all the quads guys are doing he seems out of it, But i can definitely see a scenario
where he's on the podium, When he's clean he gets scored very high,
And it's not like the men have been super solid this season, Any of them

 

[lyverbird1]

Just returning to the selection of the team for a moment - I'm really pleased to see neither Keegan nor Larkyn get stiffed for a more seasoned competitor finishing just below them in nationals. Have the Canadian selectors always gone strictly with placement at nationals or has anyone ever been passed over?

 

[Skater Boy]

If they win gold I could see him do it. Also as much as Patrick is amazing he really doesn’t have the pull to say he will only do one program anymore. With Gabby winning the title and how Kaetlyn does with long programs I think the Fed is forced to split ladies. That only leaves one other discipline to split and D/R have a better shot at individual medal than Patrick. V/M have longer to rest so they can do both.

Realistically if he’s not willing to do both he’s letting down the team and letting go of what is his only change of Olympic gold.

I thinkit also gives Patrick a chance to compete his two programs. I am very melancholy about Patrick. I sometimes hate what he says or how it might sound but I do hope for a clean miracle skate.I am so saddened to see such a special skater lose interest and focus. He needs to find his raison d'etre.

I have so many mixed feelings about Weaver and Poje. I hope they stick around. But maybe at least two years to Montreal? This team is always so close and on the edge of greatness. Now they probably won't get a medal come olympics.

Canada has to be careful. If the Knerims do their best and a few errors they could beat Canada in a segment, they go with W/P who lose badly to say the Americans, Russians and say Italy or France, Chan gets killed by everyone and Osmond and or Daleman are off the Americans or Russians could win gold and silver.

Strategy is key.As for being tired well I guess it has to be considered like practice for the individual events.

Canada went with the podium results. I/M and Kristen and Michael was a close one though I/M were substantially behind at Nats.Michael has worked hard on presentation and the lifts and twists that seem scarey sometimes with this team. I/M will probably be seen at worlds if D/R medal at the olympics. I do feel bad for Dylan especially. I am not privvy to all the details. But I understand Kristen wanted a long term partner to skate to2022. Dylan was not even committed to 2018 and thus their break up. I do wonder what 4 years together would have produced technically and artistically But that is a pipe dream.

Canada in a dream world has the dream/fantasy with a bit of reality of winning seven medals and on the conservative side two medals - team and dance. The dream- Osmond and Daleman slim chance to repeat podium finishes, Chan super slim for bronze, Duhamel and Radford a medal of some color, Virtue and Moir gold or silver and Weaver and Pojewho were 4th last year a slight chance for bronze. Then a team medal.