2021–22 Canadian Figure Skating

[ashleyming]

Let's move on. As Canadian fans of this sport, we have had a tough time when our skaters did succeed and also when they did not.
It seems like we can never win. The only thing we can do is remain considerate and compassionate. Yesterday, I was a very shocked fan with how things went for our team.... today, i feel so sorry for this young man. At the same time, I wish him all the best for the singles event and worlds and may this bad performance fuel him up in the future !!!!

Latest article I found about Keegan.

Keegan Messing passing COVID-19 tests, but still not on a plane for Olympics just yet

You won’t find a more positive thinker than Keegan Messing on Canada’s Olympic figure skating team

nationalpost.com

Keegan's problem leads to the huge pressure for Roman and the entire team, and Roman's blade issues on the 1st day was unfortunate. No one wants to see 3 points in the team event, but what's done is done, at least he has completed what he could do, and somehow gained his own experiences for the individual event. As long as Keegan can be there, everything will be better for all of the team mentally, because of his optimistic side, and I appreciate that. We could not change the fact that Canada has no chance to medal or even make it to the free section, but obviously, the remaining time of the team event would be a chance for them to enjoy themselves and also, practice for the later events.
Like people said before, The Olympics are not the Olympics without all the dramas. Sometimes it's too much sometimes it's not enough, but at the end of the day, the skaters themselves are responsible for their performances, and they all need everything includes sympathy to cross the ice on both the good and bad days.

 

[ladyjane]

I'm just hoping nobody is putting pressure on Madeline here. I just wish her to skate the best she can (and of course that's what she wants too) but not that anyone expects her to skate so well that she is the one to get Canada through to the Free Skate in the TE. I know, it does depend on her, I just don't want to make her feel pressured in that way. It's her first Olympics, she is doing well so far during the season, but that kind of pressure could really put her down. Much as I love the Canadians, I feel it would be unfair to expect this from this lovely young woman. For good order: I don't think anyone is expecting this in this specific thread (we're all fans of the Canadians, right?). I'm just afeared of the outside world, and I hope we'll all support her, however she skates!

 

[BearryBear]

 

[4everchan]

Better late than never Keegan ...

@moonvine I know you have been waiting for these news ^^

 

[4everchan]

I'm just hoping nobody is putting pressure on Madeline here. I just wish her to skate the best she can (and of course that's what she wants too) but not that anyone expects her to skate so well that she is the one to get Canada through to the Free Skate in the TE. I know, it does depend on her, I just don't want to make her feel pressured in that way. It's her first Olympics, she is doing well so far during the season, but that kind of pressure could really put her down. Much as I love the Canadians, I feel it would be unfair to expect this from this lovely young woman. For good order: I don't think anyone is expecting this in this specific thread (we're all fans of the Canadians, right?). I'm just afeared of the outside world, and I hope we'll all support her, however she skates!

as an athlete, Madeline is ready and she always knew that for Canada to do well, as the lone woman in the team, her performance would matter... so there is no more pressure now than before. PS... i am not sure there is much "outside world" when you are in an olympic bubble and managed by coaches and team captains... She is probably very focused on just skating her best ... and not worry about what the others can do or will do.

Roman also said he knew he may have to skate in the team event and he was happy for the opportunity to skate on olympic ice... unfortunately, he made those mistakes and he is disappointed.

Freely translated from

Le Canada en position délicate à l’épreuve de patinage artistique par équipe

Champion olympique en titre, il est 6e sur 9 après les trois premiers programmes courts.

ici.radio-canada.ca

 

[ladyjane]

Of course Roman is disappointed! He still showed us all what a beautiful skater he is. That beauty cannot be taken away, despite the placement. Keeping my fingers crossed for you lot. X

 

[4everchan]

 

[4everchan]

Of course Roman is disappointed! He still showed us all what a beautiful skater he is. That beauty cannot be taken away, despite the placement. Keeping my fingers crossed for you lot. X

well... i have seen how beautiful of a skater he is... for years now i am ready to see how beautiful and consistent he is and perhaps this below his talent performance will galvanize him. I hope it for him. A lot of people, including myself, compare Roman to Jeff Buttle... i am starting to see a bit of Sandhu in him... tall, elegant, great spins, a big quad, fun programs, but some difficulties to deliver two great programs back to back.

 

[ladyjane]

Oh my...I would never compare Roman with Sandhu (although I loved him) because poor Sandhu, wonderful skater that he was, made so many mistakes when it counted (except during a certain GPF where he won from Pluschenko) and although Roman does too, he does keep it together better. Usually. A comparison with Jeff seems more fair, both beautiful skaters. Except... Jeff did have an Olympic medal and a WC Gold to his name. I hope Roman will get such accolades. And,,,getting two great programmes back to back (you are so right there!).

 

[siberia82]

well... i have seen how beautiful of a skater he is... for years now i am ready to see how beautiful and consistent he is and perhaps this below his talent performance will galvanize him. I hope it for him. A lot of people, including myself, compare Roman to Jeff Buttle... i am starting to see a bit of Sandhu in him... tall, elegant, great spins, a big quad, fun programs, but some difficulties to deliver two great programs back to back.

I was a huge Jeff fan back in the day, and you're forgetting that he was inconsistent in competition. Even his performances at the 2006 Olympics, where he won the bronze medal, had several mistakes, including a fall and a hand down in the SP, plus a fall, a hand down and doubling a jump in the LP. The only time in his competitive career where he had two clean programs back to back was the 2008 Worlds, where he won gold (and you'll of course recall that Patrick beat him at Nationals just two months prior, again proving just how inconsistent Jeff was). Moreover, Jeff never landed a clean quad in competition, so the jumps were never his forte.

Jeff is a LOT more successful than Roman, but when I compare Jeff's Olympics SP with Roman's TE SP, I don't see the latter as being vastly inferior to the former. Jeff got LUCKY that his competitors at the 2006 Olympics made even more mistakes than he did, hence why he ended up with the bronze medal, but I wouldn't call either his SP or his LP as "great." Interestingly, Roman became Jeff's fan while watching these Olympics.

So all of this to say that I think the comparison to Sandhu is unnecessary (although you're free to see it that way, of course) because Roman takes after his childhood hero not just in terms of the skating style, but also the jump inconsistency. It's Roman's misfortune that he's competing in an era where his jump mistakes are FAR more costly than it was in Jeff's time. For both of them, though, you can count on your fingers the number of times that they've skated clean competitive programs because they were so rare. You know the fear that I have every time Roman sets up for a jump? I felt the EXACT same fear every time Jeff set up for a jump.

 

[4everchan]

HI I am not forgetting that Jeff was also prone to errors but one cannot compare these early 2000-10 programs with nowadays. Back then, one quad could do a skater wonders... Right now, we have skaters who can land 3-4 quads in the LP consistently... so when a skater botches 2 jumping passes in a SP, and doesn't have exotic quads, it's a different animal. Roman doesn't have more than one quad. He needs to be consistent in the current field. Jeff wasn't consistent but he did have a PCS advantage over many skaters. RIght now, the quads are worth so much more that nobody really can have a PCS advantage (except perhaps for Brown) and guys without a 2 quad SP need to be clean as they will get around 90... which is already 20 points below Nathan...

 

[4everchan]

BTW I loved Eman and it's not necessarily a bad thing to be compared to him. What Eman didn't manage to do is fulfill his potential. I hope Roman will fulfill his.

 

[siberia82]

I've already acknowledged that Roman's competitive situation is quite different than it was during the first decade of the 21st century with "It's Roman's misfortune that he's competing in an era where his jump mistakes are FAR more costly than it was in Jeff's time," but the point I was trying to make is that I think it's sufficient to compare him to Jeff because they share similar skating styles and jump inconsistency. Or I suppose another way I could word it is if you placed Jeff from the early-to-mid aughts into a time machine and then brought him to our present, his competitive performances wouldn't look all that different from Roman's.

But anyway, I now understand that your Emanuel comparison was more about not fulfilling one's full potential.

 

[ashleyming]

Guys, I believe that things will definitely better after Beijing 2022 for them all. Well... Skate Canada surely has problems in team management and tons of other issues... But after the Games, Roman, Keegan, Maddie, and maybe Wesley still have a World Championship to gain experience and do their job as the core athletes. So now they have made it to the Olympics, they just need to be themselves to enjoy every moments, and be that united maple bears team which has always been so nice throughout the years. Everyone maybe upset about the current situation because Canada is a land of skating sports and the fact that we have been blessed with so many talents in every disciplines of figure skating. Therefore, in a tough time like this, the team has already been so brave for a long season, and it's obviously not their faults that we have no strong contender now. That's why I feel so bad when CBC Sports tweeted that: "
It'll be up to 18-year-old Madeline Schizas to determine whether Canada can defend their figure skating team event gold medal won at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang".

 

[4everchan]

But anyway, I now understand that your Emanuel comparison was more about not fulfilling one's full potential.

this is what i said ..

tall, elegant, great spins, a big quad, fun programs, but some difficulties to deliver two great programs back to back

and yes... delivering two great programs back to back could be what allows a skater to start ranking up there and fulfilling his potential.

 

[4everchan]

Guys, I believe that things will definitely better after Beijing 2022 for them all. Well... Skate Canada surely has problems in team management and tons of other issues... But after the Games, Roman, Keegan, Maddie, and maybe Wesley still have a World Championship to gain experience and do their job as the core athletes. So now they have made it to the Olympics, they just need to be themselves to enjoy every moments, and be that united maple bears team which has always been so nice throughout the years. Everyone maybe upset about the current situation because Canada is a land of skating sports and the fact that we have been blessed with so many talents in every disciplines of figure skating. Therefore, in a tough time like this, the team has already been so brave for a long season, and it's obviously not their faults that we have no strong contender now. That's why I feel so bad when CBC Sports tweeted that: "
It'll be up to 18-year-old Madeline Schizas to determine whether Canada can defend their figure skating team event gold medal won at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang".

yeah... comparing this current team with the golden age of Canadian figure skating of 2018 is ridiculous or simply ignorant.

I am happy to give ALL of our skaters a big huge break. They really have not been able to compete, train and gain momentum during these difficult times. Roman is gaining experience right now and we will see how he can use it in the future. Becoming an Olympian can be life changing!

 

[chuckm]

I feel so bad when CBC Sports tweeted that: "
It'll be up to 18-year-old Madeline Schizas to determine whether Canada can defend their figure skating team event gold medal won at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang".

What a load of b! Canada will be lucky to make it to the Team Free Skates. It's bad enough to even suggest Canada is in the running for the team gold, but to lay the responsibility of that on a young skater in her first major international competition is just the worst sort of journalism.

 

[ladyjane]

Just to let you all know: your Junior Ice Dance Team Natalie d'Alessandro and Bruce Waddel is currently competing at the Egna Dance Trophy in Italy. They are standing in second place after the Rhythm Dance out of a total of 21 Junior ID-teams.

 

[4everchan]

Just to let you all know: your Junior Ice Dance Team Natalie d'Alessandro and Bruce Waddel is currently competing at the Egna Dance Trophy in Italy. They are standing in second place after the Rhythm Dance out of a total of 21 Junior ID-teams.

yay... i got scared for a second as I had forgotten Egna was happening right now.. AND thought you were announcing something dire... it's been this kind of a week lol

 

[4everchan]

On French CBC TV :
The host asked Goldberg (figure skating commentator)
Why is Canada in a hole right now?
His answer : TV is no longer showing enough amateur sport... there is tons of tennis for instance : look at our kids they all want to become Denis Shapovalov ! But without any figure skating on TV, we cannot recruit younger talent. He talked about why there is no longer amateur sport on TV as there is no tax credit to produce TV shows featuring sporting events... etc...

I thought it was an interesting point of view. It is true it takes so much talent to nurture before developing a champion.