2009 Four Continents

1. 88.90 (50.30+38.60) Patrick Chan was superb. The twice Canadian champion, who made his name taking that title from Jeffrey Buttle at the beginning of 2008, just two months before Buttle won the world title in glorious fashion, admitted, "In the beginning, when I got on the ice for the warm-up, I didn’t feel the greatest. I felt not so confident and a bit ‘not on top of my legs’. I wasn’t feeling really solid. I had a weird warm-up, some little mistakes. But that’s what warm-ups are for, to make those little mistakes and get the bugs out. When I got on for the Short Program, I felt really solid and ‘under myself’ and it showed."

Skating 21^st of the 26 competitors from 12 countries, which was last in the second-to-last warm-up group, Chan, who turned 18 on New Year’s Eve, performed to Tango de Los Exilados by Walter Taleb, performed by Vanessa Mae. He was dressed appropriately in a white shirt and black waistcoat and trousers. Chan, who is trained by Don Laws (who guided Scott Hamilton to Olympic gold), opened with a superb triple Axel that was not only high and landed on a flowing edge, but it also had great length. One judge, rightly in this observer’s opinion, punched in the maximum +3. The rest contented themselves with +2. Do any of them really believe this technical feat can be done any better? What are they saving their +3s for?

That was followed by triple flip to triple toe, in which the landing on the second jump was a little deep, which meant he held it only briefly, and his triple Lutz. Both received a GoE of +1.60. His circular steps were Level 3 and +1.00. Next up were two spins both Level 4, which is the maximum. Both the change foot sit and the flying sit spins earned +0.40, which were by far his lowest GoEs. His Level 4 straight line steps were infused with great energy and superbly choreographed to the music. This was the only Level 4 given for steps in the Short Program by the Technical Panel, Specialist Wilhelmina van Veen and her Assistant, former US pairs champion and world bronze medalist Todd Sand. They were overseen by Controller Paolo Pizzocari. The steps earned +2.0 over the base value. Chan concluded with a Level 4 change foot combination spin which earned +0.90. Those lucky enough to witness this performance will remember it for a long time.

The performance was in complete contrast to his SP meltdown in South Korea at the Grand Prix Final. "I was pretty upset about how things had gone there," Chan admitted. "I started getting really concerned about the Axel. I went home and worked on it again, and realized that it is not that easy. I thought I had the Axel and I really didn’t! You have to use the energy and let it flow instead of forcing it. It’s a matter of getting mileage on constantly doing it well. Going to nationals really built the confidence in me. Nailing the three triple Axels there showed me I could be consistent and that gave me confidence coming here."

The crowd was on its feet even before the program had finished. "I didn’t notice them standing up," Chan said, "But I could hear the noise growing. I could tell the excitement was growing. We always work on trying to upgrade the performance and really connect with the crowd. The people have the power to influence the judges. The Short Program is quite difficult both mentally and physically. It was a big relief in the last 10 seconds, knowing I had done a clean program. I think the audience all understood how relieved I was. They were happy and proud for me. That’s what is great about Canadian fans. They are always really supportive." Chan was making his debut in the Four Continents Championships. He was ninth in his debut at Worlds last March. "This has been such a good opportunity to soak up everything and get comfortable for the Olympics. It’s a crucial time to learn. I’ve been to Vancouver six times. It’s beginning to feel like home."

2. 81.65 (44.30+37.35) Evan Lysacek, former twice Four Continents champion (2005 and 2007), former twice world bronze medalist (2005 and 2006) and former twice US champion (2007 and 2008), is only 23 but he’s finding life gets tougher as you age. There are always younger whipper-snappers dogging your path, annoyingly getting in your way and slowing you down.

Skating 25^th to Ravel’s Bolero, dressed in black with a muted red cross on his back and front, Lysacek received +0.40 for his nice triple Axel. The landing of the second jump in the triple Lutz to triple toe seemed a little strained but was rewarded with +1.0. However, his triple flip was given an exclamation mark, which is a warning of a brief wrong edge takeoff. Both step sequences were Level 3 with the circular earning +0.60 and the straight line, in which he really put a lot of energy, +0.90. His change foot sit spin was Level 3 and +0.40. But his other two spins were Level 4 with +0.90 for the flying sit and +0.80 for the change foot combination.

Lysacek said, "It was tough to go home (after losing his title at nationals) and jump right back into training. After you have a great event, you can’t wait to get back on the ice and you get a rush of adrenaline even though you’re emotionally exhausted. But, if you don’t have a great event or a great result, you’re equally emotionally exhausted, if not more so. You don’t have that adrenalin. It was difficult for me to make the decision whether or not to come to this event, to decide whether I was ready or stable. It was a difficult decision, but I leaned on my coach (Frank Carroll) as I always do. I don’t think I could blow my nose with him!! I’ve just been looking to him for support and advice because he’s been through every situation up and down with many skaters on the world and Olympic level and he always has the right advice for me. He just kept telling me that, as an athlete, I chose to be in this sport and sport is exactly that – you win some and you lose some. You have great days. You have bad days and I had not such a great hour at nationals.

"This event is a little bit of redemption for me. It’s far from over, but I actually really like the music and the character I’m playing. I know all the judges, the technical panel and I know a lot of the skating alumni, the fans, and many of the media. These people are my family. Why would I be nervous to skate for them?

"I think for those of us in the last group, while we were waiting to get on (for their warm-up), Patrick was finishing. Not having the 6.0 measuring scale anymore for us is really exciting. To see Patrick’s score come up and know that he had done the (second) best short program ever (to Evgeni Pluschenko’s 90.66, set at the 2006 Olympics), that pretty good! Congratulations to him and more than that, he inspired all of us. With the new system we knew it was still theoretically possible to beat him.

"I think we all had difficult warm-ups because we were in the practice rink all week (at the 8 rinks facility in Burnaby) and now, when we’re a little bit tight and nervous, we come into the main rink. It’s totally different ice and different surroundings. It took everyone a little while to get their legs under them, but, for me, it was a big step forward coming out of nationals last week." The ice surface was still hockey size. It will be the full Olympic 60x30m next February. The practice rink will be in a new facility which is not yet open in Trout Lake, which is about six miles south east of the Pacific Coliseum.

3. 76.61 (42.76+33.85) Takahiko Kozuka, who turns 20 on February 27, the 2006 world junior champion, has taken the Japanese national title twice running. He only came into eminence internationally at senior level after he placed eighth in his first world senior championship last year in Gothenburg and then took gold in the Skate America Grand Prix beating both Lysacek and Johnny Weir in their own country.

Skating 19^th, second in the second-to-last warm-up group, after the second ice resurface, dressed in black, Kozuka presented a sophisticated routine to Dave Brubeck’s Take Five, which began with him in a contemplative pose, resting his chin on his clenched hand. He began with an excellent triple Lutz to triple toe (+1.80) but struggled to hold the landing of the following triple Axel, which was saddled with a -0.84 GoE. His flying sit spin was Level 4 and +0.50 but his triple flip received only the base value. Again, it took all his strength to hold the landing. His remaining four elements were all level 3. The straight line steps earned +0.60 and the final change foot combination spin +0.80. The circular steps and the change foot sit spin both got +0.50.

"The warm-up had an error. It didn’t go perfectly. In the Axel, I did get the feeling. ‘Oh! This is not very good!’ But I still had the triple flip, so I had to get back and concentrate. Even at nationals, I could feel that my Axel wasn’t the best but I figured I’d go for it." He also planned "to go for it" with the quad in the Free Skate.

4. 75.67 (40.72+35.95-1.0) Jeremy Abbott, the new US champion, immediately followed Kozuka. Dressed in blue, performing to Albinoni’s Adagio, the 23 year old began with a delightfully light, technically great triple flip to triple toe and a fluid and flowing triple Axel. Both moves earned a substantial +1.20 revealing that the two +2s (from different judges), which each of these elements received, were picked by the computer for inclusion in determining the GoE. They were followed by a well executed Level 4, +0.80 change foot combination spin. But then things went down hill. He fell on the triple Lutz. He later confessed, "I just lost a bit of focus. I got really fatigued before the Lutz. There’s no excuse. My mind just wondered. The (short) turnaround after nationals, less than a week before coming here – it takes its toll. I can do this program really easily. I’ve already learned the lesson of keeping focused. I guess I need to learn it again."

His next three moves were Level 3 with the flying sit receiving +0.60. However, the circular steps were saddled with -0.28 because of a stumble in which he nearly fell again. The straight line steps received +0.50. His final change foot sit spin earned a "mere" +0.30 over base value. "I got 76 in (the Grand Prix Cup of) China where I essentially skated clean. I got a 74 here with a fall which isn’t terrible. With only two points less, I feel with a quad and everything else, that I can still climb. With this new system, I can get a really big score in the Free Skate. I’m bumping up my long. It’s very technical so that can help, provided I do it well. I’m killing lots of birds with one stone. I feel this is a great chance to put the routines out before worlds and put in a quad before the Olympics, and do it in the Olympic venue. It’s just a great experience. I’m using this competition to my advantage."

5. 75.05 (43.60+31.45) Brandon Mroz, who, like Abbott, trains with Tom Zakrajsek in Colorado Springs, was an unexpected runner-up for the US title in Cleveland in his debut at senior level. The youngster, who turned 18 on December 22, was fourth in the past two world junior championships and runner-up for the 2007 and 2008 US Junior title. He is originally from St. Louis and got into the sport because his mum was a synchronized skater. Skating 23^rd, to Richard Strauss’ Till Eulenspiegel, dressed in a period outfit in blue, he opened with an outside spread eagle to triple Axel which gained +0.80, although one judge saw something and punched in -1. That was followed by a +1.0 triple Lutz to triple toe and a Level 4 +0.20 flying sit spin. His triple flip earned +1.0. Both his circular and straight line footwork sequences were Level 3 and +0.30. The change foot sit spin was Level 4 and +0.40 but the final change foot combination spin was Level 3 and +0.30.

Mroz earned the third highest technical score but was lying only 0.01 ahead of Japan’s Nobunari Oda going into the long. He said, "Today was my season’s best. I’m very pleased about that. This competition is really a building block for worlds (in Los Angeles). It’s about getting my feet in the water. My coach changed my straight line steps and I thought I was going to trip on it or something. But you never let down, no matter where your points are." Coach Tom Zakrajsek said, "He has been a consistent performer. He learned a lot from Junior Grand Prix events. If you are going to make a mistake, it’s better to make it here than in Worlds."

6. 75.04 (39.84+35.20) Nobunari Oda, the 2005 World Junior champion who won the Four Continents championship in 2006, was censured in 2007 and suspended for three months by the Japanese Association for drunk driving after he received a ticket issued at a check point while he was on his moped in his hometown of Osaka He lost the whole 2008 season. He rebounded from this disgrace and is the current national champion. He is a 17^th generation descendant of Nobunaga Oda (1534-1582), a famous Japanese war lord.

Oda, who has been trained in Hackensack, New Jersey, by Nikolai Morosov, since last April, said, "I’m very excited to compete in Canada. I’m enjoying watching the other skaters like (Chan and Abbott). My new coach is very passionate." About his suspension, he said, "I focused on ground and weight training, but I kept practicing and skating." He currently weighs four pounds less than he did previous to the "incident" and feels that helps him with his jumps. He drew to skate last. His routine was set to the same music used by Mao Asada for her Free Skate, Khatchaturian’s Masquerade Waltz.

He began well with a superb triple Axel (+1.80) for which seven judges gave +2 (and two +1). But he doubled and stumbled out of the landing of the second jump in his planned combination of triple Lutz to triple toe. The GoE was -1.2 (with one judge giving -3, three -2 and the rest -1), and he still banked 6.10 points. His triple flip earned +1.0 over base value and his flying sit spin received Level 4 and +0.30. His next three moves were Level 3. The circular steps gained +0.40 but the change foot sit spin was awarded three -1s. Only one of them was picked by the computer, resulting in a minimal deduction on the GoE of -0.06. The 21 year old received +0.60 for his straight line steps. His final move was a Level 4 change foot combination spin which gained +0.30. Oda was awarded the fourth highest component score, but only the sixth best technical marks.

Of note: 10. 61.32 (33.92+27.40) Denis Ten, a very promising 15 year old who now trains in Moscow, placed fifth in the Junior Grand Prix Final in December. He said of his home country, "It’s very bad conditions in Kazakhstan. There are no ice rinks. Well, there are two, but they are closed in the summer and they are small rinks in shopping malls. But I don’t want to criticize them. I started to skate in a shopping mall. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that. Today, my elements weren’t what I had planned. I didn’t do my best. I must skate better!" His ancestry is Korean, as is that of Jeremy Ten who is Canadian and is from the Vancouver. Jeremy, who is ranked third in his country, lies ninth, a wide 5.28 points ahead of Denis.