Patrick Chan

[rainbowice]

Other skaters will do what they feel is best for them. I doubt any of them will be thinking specifically about what Patrick Chan did or did not do in his career.

Of course, the athletes will decide for themselves. It's just that has there ever been a coach-less gold medalist? Surya Bonaly was a gifted skater but her coach was her mom, a phys ed teacher...obviously that didn't turn out so great. Kathy Johnson's a dance teacher, that didn't work out as hoped. (Well, most athletes don't even medal let alone win silver. So that's a great feat, regardless.) I don't know, I just think if you want to win gold in PyeongChang, maybe you kind of need to make smart, strategic decisions, that's all. That was pretty much my original point...how this event has become more about strategy. Anyways, it's OK to learn from other people, seeing what did or didn't turn out well for them based on their choices.

 

[spikydurian]

Oh, I know what you mean. I'm in the same boat. I wasn't even this sad about Michelle because I was a lot younger in 1998 and 2002 and didn't understand as well as I do now how hard the Olympics really is. Also, the internet didn't exist, so I couldn't read/watch practically every interview she gave or read what other people thought of her. There was no YouTube to rewatch her old programs on (it was the era of VHS tapes ). There was no Fan Fest thread where I commiserated with other Michelle fans about how I was feeling. It was a totally different time back then.

Ahha.. that sounds like me too, skatingfan. I was guilty of following Michelle Kwan occasionally before but was never ever active on forums . Just didn't have the time then. Patrick brought me here. The time invested will end when he retires. It is time for me to take a rest too dropping by every now and then to check out the hot topics. I love that I get to know a few great virtual friends with whom we share out love for Patrick and can keep in touch with and perhaps meeting up some day too.

Patrick tweeted his apology to his friends and fans. Made me tear up reading it because it suddenly dawned upon me that he may retire and I couldn't look forward to checking out his latest programs and costumes, and cheering him virtually. Anyway, thanks for your 'cheerfulness' and company. I love to watch that vid too. His first Vivaldi!

A nice write up by a blogger.

 

[SGrand]

Ahha.. that sounds like me too, skatingfan. I was guilty of following Michelle Kwan occasionally before but was never ever active on forums . Just didn't have the time then. Patrick brought me here. The time invested will end when he retires. It is time for me to take a rest too dropping by every now and then to check out the hot topics. I love that I get to know a few great virtual friends with whom we share out love for Patrick and can keep in touch with and perhaps meeting up some day too.

Patrick tweeted his apology to his friends and fans. Made me tear up reading it because it suddenly dawned upon me that he may retire and I couldn't look forward to checking out his latest programs and costumes, and cheering him virtually. Anyway, thanks for your 'cheerfulness' and company. I love to watch that vid too. His first Vivaldi!

A nice write up by a blogger.

I think that's why it has gutted me so much, he may retire and I will truly miss him. Regardless what his detractors may think, he has totally changed figure skating, and I'm talking about for the better!!!
P.S. Was typing this and decided to check out that blog post. Thanks for making me cry....again lol. So so so proud of this kid!!!

 

[Violet Bliss]

Princess Beany is right on and so right.

I still think Patrick has been and will continue to be a major force in figure skating.

 

[yyyskate]

Oh Princess Beany....
quote"Patrick Chan’s SP remains one of my clearest memories of that week..."
Thank you Patrick. Wish you all the best!

 

[skatingfan4ever]

I think that it would be cool if Patrick wrote a book, at some point, which could be part autobiography and part motivational. I have no idea if he will have any interest in doing that or if anyone would want to publish it. Kurt, who didn't win any Olympic medals, wrote a book in 1992. I know it was a different era back then and skating was much more of a “big deal” in North America. I think Patrick would actually have more wisdom and inspiration to put in the book from getting an OSM than if he had gotten an OGM. It’s not the standard sports narrative of, “If you work hard enough and sacrifice enough, you win despite adversity.” Instead it’s, “I worked very hard and sacrificed a lot and had plenty of adversity, including not winning Olympic gold, but I still love skating and appreciate my life.” So few people can get an OGM that there is so much more to life (and even to skating) than that. The majority of skaters will never win an Olympic medal, let alone a gold one. It’s very hard to get to the Olympics in the first place. As someone who fell short of one of his ultimate dreams, Patrick could connect well with people who feel like they are falling short of their own dreams. He could talk about how to find a new dream when one dream doesn't work out the way you'd hoped. I know it will take a while for Patrick to process everything, but I hope and believe he will become successful in many other ways, just as those before him have done. And I DEFINITELY would buy his book!!!

Michelle Kwan wrote an autobiography in 1997, but I've always secretly wished that she would write another book. Not only did her skating career continue for several years after that, but also, since 2006, she has done so many worthwhile things outside of skating. She never won an OGM, but her life is amazing. Her NOT winning the OGM turned out to be more inspirational to me than if she had. I think it will be the same with Patrick. Unless, of course, he surprises everyone and wins the OGM in 2018!

 

[emdee]

The last four years have been a great ride with you all.
Thanks to all our local correspondents in the corners of the globe.
And of course to Patrick without whom there would be no ride!

 

[skatingfan4ever]

The last four years have been a great ride with you all.
Thanks to all our local correspondents in the corners of the globe.
And of course to Patrick without whom there would be no ride!

And God bless Mr. Colson, without whom Patrick's skating would not be what it is. RIP. The quote that I put on my profile is from him.

Kurt Browning's Ice Legends Part 1

Kurt Browning's Ice Legends Part 2

 

[Becki]

He should write one! It would be so candid and interesting (I hope!) Patrick always speaks his mind, and I feel that refreshing. No cookie cutter answers, only responses start from his heart.

Anyways, even Yuzuru has one, so definitely Patrick can start writing an autobiography!

 

[PrincessBeany]

I've been a Patrick Chan fan from the start. I had a lot of thoughts on Friday night and managed to get them all down in my most recent blog post. Check it out if interested: Thank you Patrick Chan http://princessbeanysmiles.wordpress.com/2014/02/16/thank-you-patrick-chan/

 

[spikydurian]

The last four years have been a great ride with you all.
Thanks to all our local correspondents in the corners of the globe.
And of course to Patrick without whom there would be no ride!

Well said, Emdee. It wasn't a smooth ride but nevertheless one which I will never forget. The joy of watching him skate his best and we sharing our thoughts on our boy. Thank you indeed to all those poster with whom I have connected past or present.

Skatingfan, I am not sure whether Patrick who will write about himself. Oh yes, Becki, with his openness, he will ruffle more feathers.

 

[SGrand]

I've been a Patrick Chan fan from the start. I had a lot of thoughts on Friday night and managed to get them all down in my most recent blog post. Check it out if interested: Thank you Patrick Chan http://princessbeanysmiles.wordpress.com/2014/02/16/thank-you-patrick-chan/

This made my eyes tear up.....again. Thanks so much for this!

 

[skatingfan4ever]

Patrick has said on several occasions after rough programs that his mind had wandered and he was thinking too much. Patrick seems like an emotional person, and when something's off, you can really tell. Yet, when I watch skaters like D&W, Plushenko, Yuna Kim, V&M at their best, or Kwan at her best, they seem like machines and make everything look like a piece of cake. Patrick has been that way on some very memorable occasions but not all the time. I pretty much know that D&W will not make a mistake and they've been that way for years now. Do you just "have" that quality or can it be developed? Gracie Gold is someone who appears to be developing it. Kaetlyn Osmond seems to have it. My point is, Patrick has never seemed to be the type of skater that "has" it. He's always talked about what he was thinking about during his programs. I guess my question is, doesn't being "in the zone" mean that you purposely aren't thinking but rather letting your body just do what it knows how to do? Why isn't Patrick more like the skaters I listed above?

This is NOT meant to belittle Patrick in any way. I am simply genuinely curious. That's why I'm asking it in the Fan Fest and not in The Edge. Positively share your opinions.

 

[Violet Bliss]

Patrick has said on several occasions after rough programs that his mind had wandered and he was thinking too much. Patrick seems like an emotional person, and when something's off, you can really tell. Yet, when I watch skaters like D&W, Plushenko, Yuna Kim, V&M at their best, or Kwan at her best, they seem like machines and make everything look like a piece of cake. Patrick has been that way on some very memorable occasions but not all the time. I pretty much know that D&W will not make a mistake and they've been that way for years now. Do you just "have" that quality or can it be developed? Gracie Gold is someone who appears to be developing it. Kaetlyn Osmond seems to have it. My point is, Patrick has never seemed to be the type of skater that "has" it. He's always talked about what he was thinking about during his programs. I guess my question is, doesn't being "in the zone" mean that you purposely aren't thinking but rather letting your body just do what it knows how to do? Why isn't Patrick more like the skaters I listed above?

This is NOT meant to belittle Patrick in any way. I am simply genuinely curious. That's why I'm asking it in the Fan Fest and not in The Edge. Positively share your opinions.

Figure skating competition is extremely mental and nerve wrecking. Years of training and sacrifices has to show in a few minutes of having every little movement and moment under scrutiny, being critical and irretrievable, all alone in a huge slippery rink in front of thousands of pairs of eyes, or over ten thousand pairs of eyes plus millions more worldwide in the case of the Olympics. All skaters are nervous at competitions though having a partner for mutual support helps tremendously. (Ice Dance is also less risky than the other disciplines.) The secret to a perfect performance is to stay in the moment and being in the proverbial zone. It is a rare occurrence.

Over and above the usual pressure of elite competition, Patrick had the heaviest mental package with him in that rink, carrying the expectation of a nation for a historic win. Over a decade of dreams and dedication came down to those few minutes. He could not shed that package at the time and it weighed him down. He was not super human when he needed to be.

 

[skatingfan4ever]

Figure skating competition is extremely mental and nerve wrecking. Years of training and sacrifices has to show in a few minutes of having every little movement and moment under scrutiny, being critical and irretrievable, all alone in a huge slippery rink in front of thousands of pairs of eyes, or over ten thousand pairs of eyes plus millions more worldwide in the case of the Olympics. All skaters are nervous at competitions though having a partner for mutual support helps tremendously. (Ice Dance is also less risky than the other disciplines.) The secret to a perfect performance is to stay in the moment and being in the proverbial zone. It is a rare occurrence.

Over and above the usual pressure of elite competition, Patrick had the heaviest mental package with him in that rink, carrying the expectation of a nation for a historic win. Over a decade of dreams and dedication came down to those few minutes. He could not shed that package at the time and it weighed him down. He was not super human when he needed to be.

I guess I'm processing my disappointment by "talking it out." Thanks for bearing with my avalanche of long posts everyone. If Olympic Champions are superhuman, then I'll take human Patrick over many of them any day. The way the media and some fans slam athletes who don't perform up to expectations, you'd think getting in the zone to perform perfectly was the easiest thing in the world. I think we even tend to romanticize former champions and think (with the benefit of hindsight), "Well, of course they were going to win, so it must been easy since it was their destiny." It's never as easy as it may appear from the outside.

For the last time, Patrick, we (your ubers, at least), are disappointed FOR YOU, NOT IN YOU!!! If there's one sentence I could send to Patrick right now, that would be it.

 

[spikydurian]

For the last time, Patrick, we (your ubers, at least), are disappointed FOR YOU, NOT IN YOU!!! If there's one sentence I could send to Patrick right now, that would be it.

Hey skatingfan, you can post in Patrick's Facebook or Skate Canada's Facebook. I did because I don't tweet.

 

[Violet Bliss]

Hey skatingfan4ever, this is the safe zone for you to vent your feelings, which is much healthier than suppressing them.

No Olympic champions are super human, but most become one because at the right time, they are able to bring their best, mostly by emptying their minds and staying with their program moment by moment. Like Kurt explains, to let go of your mind and let your body do what it has been trained to do. Or what I said earlier, to let go and let come. Staying in the moment is extremely hard and rare for most people, unless they have trained their minds to do so, e.g. by practicing meditation. I was emphasizing that it was particularly difficult for Patrick because of all the expectation built up over the years and carried with him, as evidenced by his feeling the need to apologize to the nation. Staying calm was probably 100 times harder for him than for D10, for example.

Maybe it would have helped if Patrick has learned Zen Buddhism, which not only teaches mindlessness and staying in the moment, but also that attachment is the cause of all suffering. Fans feeling bad is also due to the attachment to the desire of his winning. Michelle Kwan said that if you could not be happy without an OGM, then you would not be happy with one. Since Patrick is basically a happy person, I hope and have faith that he will put this experience into perspective ( it's only Olympic Games) and stay happy, cherishing his experiences and successes and be grateful. Every experience leads to something else, and it's up to each person to make that something good.

All my love to Patrick and any fan who is feeling bad. The future is bright.

 

[Violet Bliss]

I've been a Patrick Chan fan from the start. I had a lot of thoughts on Friday night and managed to get them all down in my most recent blog post. Check it out if interested: Thank you Patrick Chan http://princessbeanysmiles.wordpress.com/2014/02/16/thank-you-patrick-chan/

Welcome to the fest, PricessBeany, even though it does not seem like one at the moment. Your blog had been brought here and appreciated. You are right on in expressing how I feel about Patrick, his skating and its effect on the sport. Thanks for writing it out.

 

[yyyskate]

Here is my observation (just my humble opinion):
I think Patrick's jump is indeed not that consistent, not like Yuna or the skater you mentioned above (who seems like a machine). Yuna always do full run-throughs and have more than 90% successful rate in all her practice. However, she still only cleaned twice back to back in all her competitions. Patrick's jump technique is very difficult to be clean. because, he throws himself into his jumps, his jump is powerful with huge speed (similar to Han's), when landed is really marvelous. Such as his 4T-3T. However, his jump is not as effortless as Yuzuru's or Yuna's. because of this feature of his jumping technique, he need extreme precision in his jumping entry pattern/pacing/timing for him to land perfectly, which is completely different from Plushy, who can stick his landing, even tilted in the air. what'smore, Patrick's program is indeed intricate and full of transitions, timed to music, which make it even more difficult for consistency.
Therefore, a tiny bit of disturbance in mind (such as nerve, think too much etc.) will mess up a lot, Like he said, he should trust his rhythm/music/breathe, should not think too much, like his 3A, he clearly overdone it. When Jeremy went into his 4T, he thought too much and fell hard, then he let it all go just trusted his body, he landed everything else. Yuzuru usually falls on his opening 4S, because he also thinks too much, however, during the second half of his program, when he is a bit tired, he just reply on his body, he lands more jumps. You either let it all go, or practice and practice until 100% confident.
The loss of Gold medal must be extremely devastating for Patrick, so many what-if's, so many regrets. if he retires after this, I totally understand, and wish him best of luck, I will never forget his SP at 2013 worlds, which I have the privilege to watch it live (the most impressive ever skating performance in my short skating viewing life about 2 years, after that performance, I never cared about all the trash talk about Chan-flation whatsoever). He have done a lot for Canada, because of him Canada is the force in men's skating in the last quad (can you imagine without Patrick, what will Canada do...).
If he still find passion and love about figure skating and wanna compete again, no matter it is year by year, or take a break and come back for the next Oly. I wish he can have a peace of mind. continue pushing the boundaries artistically and technically (just like he did in the past quad). perform for his audience and for the fun/love of performance. If he wants to compete. he need to make a strategic plan and fix his problems(really face his weakness and fix it, if necessary even learn from your rivals), his jumping consistency (stick his landing, his 3A). and be really confident about his jumps and performance, not just pretend to be confident for his country/fans (which unfortunately transformed as arrogance at times).
Figure skating is a harsh sport, with the way Patrick skates (powerful with full speed and grandiose),it is a miracle that he did not have major injuries so far, Patrick has passed his prime. I dont wanna him come back for the superficial OGM glory and suffer injuries like Plushy. (If Patrick cannot do 2 quads anymore due to physical limitation, no big deal, as long as Patrick enjoyed his skating and performance for the audience).This OG is just one competition, a bad and disappointing one, learn from it, and move on. really no big deal. If Patrick put on a good performance, I will be really proud for him, personally, I dont care about OGM. But I was also disappointed, Patrick did not perform a great four seasons (the most complete/magnificent man's program of this season).
But, I will only thank him for all his effort during all these years. So many young skaters, Han, Yuzuru, Michael Christian Martinez,... worship Patrick and learn from him...
I wish skating will leave a positive memory for Patrick (not haunting him forever because of loss of OGM), if he decided to continue to be involved in figure skating and build a rink etc. That would be Patrick, dont be too sad, I love your skating. You are a precious skater!

I feel sorry for Patrick, since so many negativity around him. I think people really should appreciate Patrick more...

 

[SGrand]

Here is my observation (just my humble opinion):
I think Patrick's jump is indeed not that consistent, not like Yuna or the skater you mentioned above (who seems like a machine). Yuna always do full run-throughs and have more than 90% successful rate in all her practice. However, she still only cleaned twice back to back in all her competitions. Patrick's jump technique is very difficult to be clean. because, he throws himself into his jumps, his jump is powerful with huge speed (similar to Han's), when landed is really marvelous. Such as his 4T-3T. However, his jump is not as effortless as Yuzuru's or Yuna's. because of this feature of his jumping technique, he need extreme precision in his jumping entry pattern/pacing/timing for him to land perfectly, which is completely different from Plushy, who can stick his landing, even tilted in the air. what'smore, Patrick's program is indeed intricate and full of transitions, timed to music, which make it even more difficult for consistency.
Therefore, a tiny bit of disturbance in mind (such as nerve, think too much etc.) will mess up a lot, Like he said, he should trust his rhythm/music/breathe, should not think too much, like his 3A, he clearly overdone it. When Jeremy went into his 4T, he thought too much and fell hard, then he let it all go just trusted his body, he landed everything else. Yuzuru usually falls on his opening 4S, because he also thinks too much, however, during the second half of his program, when he is a bit tired, he just reply on his body, he lands more jumps. You either let it all go, or practice and practice until 100% confident.
The loss of Gold medal must be extremely devastating for Patrick, so many what-if's, so many regrets. if he retires after this, I totally understand, and wish him best of luck, I will never forget his SP at 2013 worlds, which I have the privilege to watch it live (the most impressive ever skating performance in my short skating viewing life about 2 years, after that performance, I never cared about all the trash talk about Chan-flation whatsoever). He have done a lot for Canada, because of him Canada is the force in men's skating in the last quad (can you imagine without Patrick, what will Canada do...).
If he still find passion and love about figure skating and wanna compete again, no matter it is year by year, or take a break and come back for the next Oly. I wish he can have a peace of mind. continue pushing the boundaries artistically and technically (just like he did in the past quad). perform for his audience and for the fun/love of performance. If he wants to compete. he need to make a strategic plan and fix his problems(really face his weakness and fix it, if necessary even learn from your rivals), his jumping consistency (stick his landing, his 3A). and be really confident about his jumps and performance, not just pretend to be confident for his country/fans (which unfortunately transformed as arrogance at times).
Figure skating is a harsh sport, with the way Patrick skates (powerful with full speed and grandiose),it is a miracle that he did not have major injuries so far, Patrick has passed his prime. I dont wanna him come back for the superficial OGM glory and suffer injuries like Plushy. (If Patrick cannot do 2 quads anymore due to physical limitation, no big deal, as long as Patrick enjoyed his skating and performance for the audience).This OG is just one competition, a bad and disappointing one, learn from it, and move on. really no big deal. If Patrick put on a good performance, I will be really proud for him, personally, I dont care about OGM. But I was also disappointed, Patrick did not perform a great four seasons (the most complete/magnificent man's program of this season).
But, I will only thank him for all his effort during all these years. So many young skaters, Han, Yuzuru, Michael Christian Martinez,... worship Patrick and learn from him...
I wish skating will leave a positive memory for Patrick (not haunting him forever because of loss of OGM), if he decided to continue to be involved in figure skating and build a rink etc. That would be Patrick, dont be too sad, I love your skating. You are a precious skater!

I feel sorry for Patrick, since so many negativity around him. I think people really should appreciate Patrick more...

Wow, very well put, everything. Thanks so much for this! I wish he could read all of these wonderful and supportive posts from the fans that adore him