2023 Skate Canada Men's Free Skate

[4everchan]

Wesley… just made a case to be chosen for Senior Worlds for Canada. 220+ and 7th is not bad.

Will be sent to junior worlds.

7th of a grand prix probably means very little.... Didn't Conrad finish like 11th or 12th last year and still manage to earn his spot by skating well at Nationals?

Conrad… sadly…. I have in 3rd behind Stephen. This was a missed opportunity. He has quads. But, loses so many points in other elements.

stephen didn't do anything much... Conrad landed 4 quads over his two programs.... who else did that?

Sadly Wesley and Stephen are still eligible for Junior Worlds.

Gogo didn't want to go to junior worlds last year...

That is why I need Conrad and Roman to do better.

Agreed... that's the team i want

Aleksa… down to 6th behind Roman and Matthew Neuman. That was a bad free skate

i see you are comparing scores across events... I prefer to look at what they did manage to achieve, because when they are all in the same event, it will matter. The one plus Gogo has for him right now is that he did okay at ACI and landed on the podium.

 

[lileychristie]

@surimi did you watch?? Your boy Sota just got his first ever GP gold medal

 

[RatedPG]

Will be sent to junior worlds.

7th of a grand prix probably means very little.... Didn't Conrad finish like 11th or 12th last year and still manage to earn his spot by skating well at Nationals?

stephen didn't do anything much... Conrad landed 4 quads over his two programs.... who else did that?

Gogo didn't want to go to junior worlds last year...

Agreed... that's the team i want

i see you are comparing scores across events... I prefer to look at what they did manage to achieve, because when they are all in the same event, it will matter. The one plus Gogo has for him right now is that he did okay at ACI and landed on the podium.

Yup. Stephen did well at ACI with a bronze medal and 230+ score. But, not good at Skate America

 

[4everchan]

Yup. Stephen did well at ACI with a bronze medal and 230+ score. But, not good at Skate America

it is wide open and since NOBODY really is standing out right now, it will be top two at nationals... unless wesley is number two and they move him to junior worlds. I am guessing that if wesley wins nationals (unlikely in my opinion) he would be sent to Montreal.

Wesley finished better than Conrad and Stephen in the GPs but it's not because he did so well.. it's because he didn't do as badly as the others .

 

[RatedPG]

The battle in Japan will be tough. Looks like Sota and Kao and Yuma fighting for two of the three spots. With Shun and Kazuki right behind.

Yuma…. My fave senior man is against Ilia and Adam in the next event. Much harder than this event

 

[sworddance21]

@Ichatdelune it is early in the season…

I just watched Jun. Oh, my. It has shades of the French Grand Prix disaster Shoma skated when he was without a coach.

I'm sure it's discussed elsewhere, but I wonder why Cha left Orser? I didn't know he had.

 

[lileychristie]

Poor Matteo and his tiny Italian flag No one has a bigger flag for him?

 

[RatedPG]

Will go back to watch Mark… my fave performance of the night

 

[Skater Boy]

Oh wow. Not what I expected. I thought we would have seen a stronger performance by our gold medallist. And I knew Cha looked vulnerable but not a fiasco. OMG. I know the excuse was he was a replacement but the last Canadian was just I don't want to say embarassment because he tried but really should not be here at this level. The Israel/Canadian guy was someone with some sparkle and hope. But the other Canadian men are a yawn. The problem is Conrad, Wesley, Stephen and Roman have been around for a while though are fairly young. No one has been willing or rather able to take the lead which at least Keegan did in the absence of Chan. Even Nam could be very competitive now. This could be the last year Canada has two men at worlds so someone better step up. Liam was okay but not stellar. I just feel for Cha that was like the fall from grace before our eyes. I know he could peak later but this has to be a hit to his reputation and pride.

 

[rain]

it is wide open and since NOBODY really is standing out right now, it will be top two at nationals... unless wesley is number two and they move him to junior worlds. I am guessing that if wesley wins nationals (unlikely in my opinion) he would be sent to Montreal.

Wesley finished better than Conrad and Stephen in the GPs but it's not because he did so well.. it's because he didn't do as badly as the others .

I skipped this to catch up on the ice dance, and it doesn't sound like I missed much. Cha is a fave, but looks like he totally melted down, which I don't want to see.

As to the Canadian men, it's like they're vying to give top spot back to Roman Sadovsky if he can heal enough. None of them are any more consistent at this point.

 

[4everchan]

Oh wow. Not what I expected. I thought we would have seen a stronger performance by our gold medallist. And I knew Cha looked vulnerable but not a fiasco. OMG. I know the excuse was he was a replacement but the last Canadian was just I don't want to say embarassment because he tried but really should not be here at this level. The Israel/Canadian guy was someone with some sparkle and hope. But the other Canadian men are a yawn. The problem is Conrad, Wesley, Stephen and Roman have been around for a while though are fairly young. No one has been willing or rather able to take the lead which at least Keegan did in the absence of Chan. Even Nam could be very competitive now. This could be the last year Canada has two men at worlds so someone better step up. Liam was okay but not stellar. I just feel for Cha that was like the fall from grace before our eyes. I know he could peak later but this has to be a hit to his reputation and pride.

you know, if the Canadian men lose a spot it's going to be because they do not need it. End of story. I am not going to cry over that. Canada has earned back its 3rd spot in dance, which is much more useful.

 

[cailuj365]

I just watched Jun. Oh, my. It has shades of the French Grand Prix disaster Shoma skated when he was without a coach.

That's what I was thinking too. Perhaps this marks Junhwan's rise from the ashes...

 

[4everchan]

I skipped this to catch up on the ice dance, and it doesn't sound like I missed much. Cha is a fave, but looks like he totally melted down, which I don't want to see.

As to the Canadian men, it's like they're vying to give top spot back to Roman Sadovsky if he can heal enough. None of them are any more consistent at this point.

Sometimes, when there is no clear leader, and with home worlds on top of that, it creates this pressure... It's wide open... they want it too badly. Conrad was overthinking everything.... so much that he managed to zayak himself.

 

[rain]

you know, if the Canadian men lose a spot it's going to be because they do not need it. End of story. I am not going to cry over that. Canada has earned back its spot it dance, which is much more useful.

We actually need a 4th spot (not possible, I know) for Lauriault/LeGac, who are certainly good enough.

This is definitely the worst lull I've ever seen in Canadian men's skating.

 

[4everchan]

We actually need a 4th spot (not possible, I know) for Lauriault/LeGac, who are certainly good enough.

This is definitely the worst lull I've ever seen in Canadian men's skating.

i know some people (sorry @moonvine ) didn't feel that lull with Keegan being there.. but to me, it's like this since Patrick retired... I had hopes for Jo and Nic but we know what happened there. Roman hasn't managed the career we all wish for him. Conrad is still a work in progress but I do see the work and the progress (his basic skating, his spins, his jump technique... ) Gogo is still growing Wesley needs to learn how to skate clean ... when he is ambitious it doesn't work... So yeah.. it's been 5 years of void for me in my favourite discipline. It's okay, dance and pairs are fun too. At this point my hopes are on very young Edward Vasii but he is injured still so we will see.

 

[rain]

At least Nam, Keegan and Roman (at that time) were potential podium hopes at Grand Prix comps, even if they weren't on the same level at Patrick/Jeff Buttle/Kurt Browning etc. The guys we have now aren't even close, and Roman's results seem to have regressed.

 

[Skater Boy]

That was a chaotic event and not in a good way. Last weekend's event was so much better.

I hope Jun is okay after those falls. I wonder what the highest score will be in predictions? I think I got 30 pts.

YEs and know. The pairs and dance were far better at Skate Canada and the scoring more fair in dance. But the singles skating was a bit of a gong show especially in the men. But I guess we could say in the ladies the gold medallist here skated more like a gold medallist champion in Kaori but the others on the podium were ho hum compared to Skate America. But Skate America certain did not live up to the glory days of yesteryear. I think whether we want to admit it or not - not having russia compete really affects the podium and level of skating. THough they are not so much of an influence in men they do make a dent their but in the other events they are hugely influential.

 

[Skater Boy]

At least Nam, Keegan and Roman (at that time) were potential podium hopes at Grand Prix comps, even if they weren't on the same level at Patrick/Jeff Buttle/Kurt Browning etc. The guys we have now aren't even close, and Roman's results seem to have regressed.

Maybe with Conrad and Wesley who are not so lanky it might help. Roman and especially Gogo and Nam so far never seemed to master their height. I really felt bad for Nam because he kind of burned out or fizzled or maybe his dreams were dashed with Covid before nats in trying for the olympics. It is kind of odd how a lot of top single skaters go to Canada to train but right now they don't have one skater in men or women who really is a huge threat to top ten even Madi in ladies is still iffy.

 

[Skater Boy]

i know some people (sorry @moonvine ) didn't feel that lull with Keegan being there.. but to me, it's like this since Patrick retired... I had hopes for Jo and Nic but we know what happened there. Roman hasn't managed the career we all wish for him. Conrad is still a work in progress but I do see the work and the progress (his basic skating, his spins, his jump technique... ) Gogo is still growing Wesley needs to learn how to skate clean ... when he is ambitious it doesn't work... So yeah.. it's been 5 years of void for me in my favourite discipline. It's okay, dance and pairs are fun too. At this point my hopes are on very young Edward Vasii but he is injured still so we will see.

YOu know on the right day Keegan could have won a world bronze. He had the skating skills and charisma. He is not a lyrical skater or classical skater but really wonderful spins, edging and explosive power and one of th e most genuine personalities. He didn't rely on dramatic stairs and flowy costumes.

 

[reader3]

I feel terrible for Jun. He has to re-group or something has to change. This is unlike him.

Tomono's skate was enjoyable and I liked how he used his arms.