Chan sets sights on Sochi
Source: Agencies |
March 17, 2013, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
PATRICK Chan put a season of frustration behind him by completing a hat-trick of world figure skating titles on Friday with a victory that establishes the Canadian as the man to beat going into next year's Sochi Olympics.
Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov also signaled they will be gold medal contenders at the Black Sea resort by taking the pairs title and putting Russia back on top of an event it once dominated.
Although Chan's sloppy free skate to Puccini's "La Boheme" did not come close to capturing the magic or record marks he received for Wednesday's short program, he did just enough scoring 267.78 to become the first skater since Russia's Alexei Yagudin (1998-2000) to claim three consecutive world titles.
It marked the fourth time in six years a Canadian man has stood atop the world podium and brings Chan's championship haul to five medals, including two silvers.
Chan entered the free skate with a whopping seven-point lead and needed all of the advantage to ensure victory.
Tapping into the energy of the biggest crowd of the championship in London, Ontario, the 22-year-old Canadian started impressively, landing two dazzling quadruple jumps.
But his program began to unravel in equally spectacular fashion with Chan landing on his backside twice and botching his three-jump combination.
When the music stopped, a rattled Chan could not hide his disgust, hanging his head before eventually managing the smallest of smiles.
"I am angry at myself, I am mad because I didn't skate well for this audience," an apologetic Chan told reporters. "I am sorry I didn't skate better for them.
"Maybe I'm saving it up for Sochi."
On an error-strewn night that will never go down as an advertisement for men's skating, it was left to Kazakhstan's Denis Ten to provide the evening's shining moment, easily winning the free skate to take silver with a mark of 266.48.
Ten's achievement made him the first skater from his country to medal at the worlds.
European champion Javier Fernandez of Spain, seventh after the short program, delivered the comeback of the competition jumping up to take the bronze with 249.06.
In sharp contrast to chaotic scenes in the men's event, Volosozhar and Trankov produced an elegant and daring free skate that earned them a runaway 20-point victory with a world-record total of 225.71.
The Russians ended the two-year world championship reign of Germany's Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy, who settled for silver, while Canada's Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford took the bronze.
Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov also signaled they will be gold medal contenders at the Black Sea resort by taking the pairs title and putting Russia back on top of an event it once dominated.
Although Chan's sloppy free skate to Puccini's "La Boheme" did not come close to capturing the magic or record marks he received for Wednesday's short program, he did just enough scoring 267.78 to become the first skater since Russia's Alexei Yagudin (1998-2000) to claim three consecutive world titles.
It marked the fourth time in six years a Canadian man has stood atop the world podium and brings Chan's championship haul to five medals, including two silvers.
Chan entered the free skate with a whopping seven-point lead and needed all of the advantage to ensure victory.
Tapping into the energy of the biggest crowd of the championship in London, Ontario, the 22-year-old Canadian started impressively, landing two dazzling quadruple jumps.
But his program began to unravel in equally spectacular fashion with Chan landing on his backside twice and botching his three-jump combination.
When the music stopped, a rattled Chan could not hide his disgust, hanging his head before eventually managing the smallest of smiles.
"I am angry at myself, I am mad because I didn't skate well for this audience," an apologetic Chan told reporters. "I am sorry I didn't skate better for them.
"Maybe I'm saving it up for Sochi."
On an error-strewn night that will never go down as an advertisement for men's skating, it was left to Kazakhstan's Denis Ten to provide the evening's shining moment, easily winning the free skate to take silver with a mark of 266.48.
Ten's achievement made him the first skater from his country to medal at the worlds.
European champion Javier Fernandez of Spain, seventh after the short program, delivered the comeback of the competition jumping up to take the bronze with 249.06.
In sharp contrast to chaotic scenes in the men's event, Volosozhar and Trankov produced an elegant and daring free skate that earned them a runaway 20-point victory with a world-record total of 225.71.
The Russians ended the two-year world championship reign of Germany's Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy, who settled for silver, while Canada's Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford took the bronze.
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