2001

Skate Canada

Men's Event

Alexei Yagudin was first to skate in the short program and that's where he ended up when it was all over.  Skating to a piece of music called Winter, he was placed first by all seven judges with marks of 5.8 in the first mark and 5.9 in the second.   He landed a quad toe loop - triple toe loop combination, triple Axel and a honey of a triple Lutz out of footwork.  His footwork was crisp and well executed, and his presentation was first rate.  His performance very much seemed to say "I'm back" after a disappointing season last year.

Last to skate in the short program was Emanuel Sandhu who was placed a unanimous second by the panel.  He also landed a quad toe loop - triple toe loop combination and a clean triple Axel.  His triple Lutz, however, was not immediately preceded by footwork and his footwork sequences were not competitive with Yagudin's.   His performance was flamboyantly fast and lively.

Third in the short program was Elvis Stojko who placed just ahead of Todd Eldredge on a 5-2 split of the panel. Reprising Lion by Kodo, his opening quad toe loop was under-rotated a quarter turn and he went down on it.  He followed with a huge triple Axel and then a triple Lutz that was short on preceding footwork.  The remainder of the program, spins and footwork, were well executed but lacked the energy of old and could not match the intensity of the two higher placed programs.

Todd Eldredge placed fourth with a performance that had a few rough spots.   He opened with an attempt at a quad toe loop combination.  He barely held onto the landing of the quad, then landed a double toe following steps and turns.  His triple Axel was clean, but on a triple Lutz he again had a marginal landing edge.   Beyond that, the program was lively and well skated.

Johnny Weir gave an artistic performance that was weak on content. Following an opening circular footwork sequence he landed a triple Lutz - double toe loop combination.  A subsequent attempt at triple Axel wasn't even close.  Following a change sit spin and footwork he fell on triple flip.  He was placed eighth, consigned to the also-rans of this competition.

Of the top four skaters after the short program, the leader Alexei Yagudin skated first in the long program.  Skating to The Man in the Iron Mask, he attempted a challenging program program with two quad-triple combinations.  He began with a successful quad toe loop - triple toe loop combination.  He followed with a quad toe loop - triple Salchow combination but the quad was not clean, with a turn out of the landing.  He then fell on triple Axel.  Following a deathdrop he landed a triple Axel with a poor landing edge.  This jump was also illegal since you cannot repeat a triple jump without including it in a combination or sequence, and neither Axel was.  After the second triple Axel he cleanly landed triple flip, triple loop, and triple Lutz.  The first third of the program was disjointed choreographically and was marred by the two errors, but after he settled down it was a strong performance that was well presented.  He received marks of 5.7-5.9 and 5.8-5.9.  The program still need polishing but already, at this point in the season, it looks gold-medal caliber.   He received unanimous first place marks to win the men's event here at Skate Canada.

Two skaters later in the warmup Elvis Stojko presented his Kodo Drums routine.  He landed quad toe loop - double toe loop, with a little cheat on the quad, and then a huge triple Axel - double toe loop combination.  Following an upright spin he landed a triple flutz, and then after circular footwork fell on triple Axel.  He went on to complete triple flip, triple loop, and triple Salchow.  He closed with a fast combination spin.  Upon ending the program he quietly mouthed the words "Finally, I'm back."  And indeed he was.  He received unanimous second place marks, three to five tenths below Yagudin.  The program was well done but it was obvious at the end he was working hard and that in his race against age, age is winning.

Next to skate was Todd Eldredge who performed to the soundtrack 1492 Conquest of Paradise.  He opened with an attempt at quad toe loop which he popped to a double.  He then landed a triple loop, and following a flying camel spin doubled a Lutz, landed a nice triple Axel - triple toe loop combination, and then two footed a triple Lutz.  Later in the program he landed a solo triple Axel and a double Salchow.  He was placed third by six of the seven judges and moved up to third overall for the bronze medal.  It was an inconsistent performance with some good skating and a solid triple-triple combination, but also with a distressing four errors on solo jumps.

Both Stojko and Eldredge have Emanuel Sandhu to thank for their improved placements in the standings.  After an excellent performance in the short program, Sandhu (or should it be San-don't?) lived up to his reputation for choking under pressure yet again.  He fell on an opening quad toe loop, singled a triple Axel attempt, landed a triple flip, and singled another triple Axel attempt.  He then nearly fell out of an Arabian and popped another triple Axel attempt into a single, all accompanied by gestures of disgust.  The third single Axel was followed by a single Lutz.  He finally pulled things together enough to land a triple loop - triple toe loop combination and a triple Salchow.  He ended up dropping to sixth in the free skating to finish fifth overall.

The second U.S. skater here, Johnny Weir, redeemed himself somewhat in the long program, but not enough to move up more than one place to finish seventh in the free skating and seventh overall.  After a weak performance in the short program with two falls, he managed to land four triple in the free skating.  He began with a triple Lutz and triple Axel, and following a flying camel spin he landed triple flip.   Later in the program he popped a second triple Axel to a single and landed a triple toe loop.  He skated with decent speed for the first two thirds of the program but the last third was weak and uninteresting.  His placements varied from fifth through tenth.

2001 Skate Canada Men's Medalists