Patrick Chan Landing the Quad | Page 7 | Golden Skate

Patrick Chan Landing the Quad

i love to skate

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Dec 13, 2005
Is this now obligatory in all Canadian press coverage of Chan? Do reporters have it as auto-text? Chan didn't even skate that well at Worlds. It was actually a fun interview, why go there? I bet even Patrick has had enough of it.

He didn't skate well at Worlds?? Clean short, a doubled jump and a single toe instead of a double toe in the long. I would say that is pretty darn good.

It is possible to do both - as the large number of entries at the Universiade shows. There are a lot of good skaters who are also students: Carolina Kostner, Tomas Verner, Kimmie Meissner, Kiira Korpi, Yannick Ponsero, Daisuke Takahashi and Nathalie Pechalat (AFAIK, the last two are graduate students) are just a few examples. Aren't a bunch of the Michigan-based skaters (e.g. Evan Bates, Charlie White, Emily Samuelson) taking courses at the University of Michigan? I can see someone like Rachael Flatt, whose academic goals are very ambitious, giving up skating altogether. But it's certainly possible to combine one's athletic career with university studies.

Of course, once someone has had enough of the sport, there's no point in staying. But at the age of 18? I'm kind of surprised.

Having a normal university experience like I have had is VERY different than the experience skaters will have. Maybe after Vancouver he will have gotten all he wants out of the sport and wants to party, meet new people, etc.
 

Buttercup

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He didn't skate well at Worlds?? Clean short, a doubled jump and a single toe instead of a double toe in the long. I would say that is pretty darn good.
I said not that well, which is different than not well at all :). I think he was ok. He can and has done better, so why use that as an example of his abilities as a skater? Not to mention the only guy who really outduelled anyone in LA was Evan Lysacek; wouldn't you say that Joubert essentially beat himself at Worlds? It's not like both Patrick and Brian skated to the best of their abilities and the best man won - that was the point I was trying to make. It just seems silly for the media to rehash the Joubert thing with a new season starting, esp. as it did not come up in the interview and didn't have much to with it.

Having a normal university experience like I have had is VERY different than the experience skaters will have. Maybe after Vancouver he will have gotten all he wants out of the sport and wants to party, meet new people, etc.
I think it is possible to do both by taking less credits each semester - I think that's what the skaters at the University of Michigan are doing. But each person has to do what's right for them.
 

i love to skate

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I think it is possible to do both by taking less credits each semester - I think that's what the skaters at the University of Michigan are doing. But each person has to do what's right for them.

It is definetly possible to do both - there are many Canadian skaters that go to school as well; Weaver, Poje, Virtue, Rochette, Duhamel, Lawrence, Seigers, and Buttle. I'm just saying it is a different experience when you go to class, have to study/write papers, and then get up the next morning for a 6am practice session compared to when you have class, have to study/write papers, and can party and not have anything else to do. Both get the University experience but one is definetly more free and fun and maybe that's the one Patrick wants to take. Or it is quite possile that he will stay around - who knows.
 
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i love to skate

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During the telecast of the Olympic Flame arriving in Canada today Brian Williams interviewed Patrick Chan, who is back training in Florida. He said his injury is 100% healed, he feels great, and he spent a week working with Lori Nichol in Toronto. Great to hear he is healed! He is very excited about the Games and said he is not paying attention to the perssure and just wants to have fun :clap:
 

Phoenix347

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Oct 24, 2009
Good luck to Patrick in his training. Hope the lack of competitive season in GP will not hurt him in the Olympics. Hope use can use the home crowd to his advantage not as extra pressure.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
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Last year posters were slamming Patrick because he was not even trying a Quad and did not have one planned in his program. Now this year he is practising one and plans to include it in his program and he is still getting slammed. I wonder why that is - oh wait of course I know he's Canadian! Just once I would love to see a certain poster say something nice about a Canadian skater. Guess they forget that some of the more recent Olympic medalist from the US have Canadian roots!

I am Canadian... Hurrah for Patrick - way to go!!

:agree:
 

Blades of Passion

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http://www.thestar.com/sports/olympics/article/708435--patrick-chan-ice-prince

New Patrick article. Says he is unlikely to continue past 2010. While I am disappointed to hear this I understand why he would want to leave skating and have experiences such as school - and parties and girls ;)

Wow, that would be an early retirement. I think he will regret the choice too, if he doesn't win Gold at the Olympics or Worlds this year.

Although, I've never quite sensed that Patrick absolutely loves skating anyway. It is something he happened to be very good at. Still...if he leaves the sport at 18 years old and doesn't accomplish as much as he could have, I think he will end up wishing he had stayed.

TBH, I think his parents (who are VERY nice people, btw) are pushing him into college.
 

Buttercup

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Mar 25, 2008
During the telecast of the Olympic Flame arriving in Canada today Brian Williams interviewed Patrick Chan, who is back training in Florida. He said his injury is 100% healed, he feels great, and he spent a week working with Lori Nichol in Toronto. Great to hear he is healed! He is very excited about the Games and said he is not paying attention to the perssure and just wants to have fun :clap:
That's what they all say - do you remember when Michelle Kwan just wanted to have a fun Olympic experience in 2002? Well, then.

Anyway, while I don't want Patrick to do too well ;), I would hate to see him crushed like Carolina Kostner in Torino. I just hope nobody is considering sending him out as the flagbearer, and that there isn't too much of a buildup in the next few months, so that he really can go around the Olympic village like any other athlete and enjoy the experience.
 

seniorita

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Jun 3, 2008
Everytime I enter this thread I wait to read that Patrick has landed this famous quad at last!!
 

i love to skate

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That's what they all say - do you remember when Michelle Kwan just wanted to have a fun Olympic experience in 2002? Well, then.

Anyway, while I don't want Patrick to do too well ;), I would hate to see him crushed like Carolina Kostner in Torino. I just hope nobody is considering sending him out as the flagbearer, and that there isn't too much of a buildup in the next few months, so that he really can go around the Olympic village like any other athlete and enjoy the experience.

Yes but Patrick and Michelle have two completely different attitudes and personalities. Michelle was much more serious and you could often see the weight of the world on her shoulders. Patrick is always smiling, goofing off, and enjoying himself. He has some wonderful people in his corner - such as Kurt Browning.

There is no way Patrick is being considered for flag bearer :laugh: We have much more accomplished athletes. My pick - Cindy Klassen who won 5 medals in Turin in speed skating!
 

i love to skate

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Wow, that would be an early retirement. I think he will regret the choice too, if he doesn't win Gold at the Olympics or Worlds this year.

Although, I've never quite sensed that Patrick absolutely loves skating anyway. It is something he happened to be very good at. Still...if he leaves the sport at 18 years old and doesn't accomplish as much as he could have, I think he will end up wishing he had stayed.

TBH, I think his parents (who are VERY nice people, btw) are pushing him into college.

You can't say that you will regret it - you have no idea what is going on in his head. He can always come back to skating too - like Plushenko. Is it bad that his parents want him to go to University? We have a very good post secondary system in Canada and many of the skaters on our National Team attend University. It isn't that uncommon of a choice.
 

Buttercup

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Yes but Patrick and Michelle have two completely different attitudes and personalities. Michelle was much more serious and you could often see the weight of the world on her shoulders. Patrick is always smiling, goofing off, and enjoying himself. He has some wonderful people in his corner - such as Kurt Browning.
Michelle was a much more consistent performer, though, and considerably more experienced.

There is no way Patrick is being considered for flag bearer :laugh: We have much more accomplished athletes. My pick - Cindy Klassen who won 5 medals in Turin in speed skating!
So did the Italians in 2006 ;). Are there any Kostners left who could be flagbearers this time? They already had Isolde in SLC and Caro last time...
You can't say that you will regret it - you have no idea what is going on in his head. He can always come back to skating too - like Plushenko. Is it bad that his parents want him to go to University? We have a very good post secondary system in Canada and many of the skaters on our National Team attend University. It isn't that uncommon of a choice.
That goes back to our old discussion as to whether going to university has to mean giving up on skating. I guess that would depend on what you're trying to get out of the university experience.
 
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i love to skate

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Michelle was a much more consistent performer, though, and considerably more experiences.

Michelle was probably the most consistent skater ever (and my favorite). I don't think that experience is always a good thing going into the Olympics though.

So did the Italians in 2006 ;). Are there any Kostners left who could be flagbearers this time? They already had Isolde in SLC and Caro last time...

If they had much more accomplished and experienced athletes I wonder what the hell they were thinking giving the flag to a young girl who had one World Championship medal? :confused:Stupid, stupid, stupid.

That goes back to our old discussion as to whether going to university has to mean giving up on skating. I guess that would depend on what you're trying to get out of the university experience.

Yes, exactly. Maybe Patrick will take a year off of skating, have the "party-centered" approach (which is what most first years have) and then come back. Maybe he'll continue to skate and go to school. Who knows. I think that it often gets forgotten in our skating discussions that Patrick is only 18. What 18 year old guy doesn't want to have fun?? None that I know!
 
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