Phaneuf Hopes Coaching Change Sparks Revival

[Iceman]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...ticle2297338/?

[Coco]

Hope the new methods boost her confidence.

[Mevrouw]

Great to hear it is working out so positively for Cynthia. All the best for a great Nationals and Worlds.

[Cheylana]

Good luck to Cynthia! But...

The national championship ... is always her favourite competition, but this year, she’s looking beyond it. It will serve mainly as a stepping stone for the world championships in Nice, France in March and she and Orser will have had that much more time together to make lessons stick.

Doesn't Canada only have one Worlds spot for ladies this year? In which case she has to win to "move beyond" it?

[Sylvia]

Doesn't Canada only have one Worlds spot for ladies this year?

Yes.

[nlyoung]

If she skates well the spot is hers. The problem is she so rarely puts in two good performances back to back...

[euterpe]

If she skates well the spot is hers. The problem is she so rarely puts in two good performances back to back...

OTOH, who else among the Canadian ladies puts two good performances back to back? They are all very inconsistent.

[love_skate2011]

well good luck to her
excited how she will perform by nationals

[berthesghost]

Good luck to Cynthia! But...

Doesn't Canada only have one Worlds spot for ladies this year? In which case she has to win to "move beyond" it?

Shades of josee in 96. If sc wants to shoot itselfin it's own foot....

[Cheylana]

Shades of josee in 96. If sc wants to shoot itselfin it's own foot....

I don't know what this means.

ETA: Never mind, I see Josee finished second to Jennifer Robinson, who then finished 21st at Worlds. Was SC just supposed to ignore the Nationals results and send whoever they wanted? Besides, Cynthia is no Josee results-wise; her Worlds results are 20th, 15th, 5th and 13th. Cynthia probably will win Canadians, she usually rises to that occasion, but if for some reason she doesn't, I don't know that she should automatically be sent anyway.

[Nomad]

I don't know what this means.

Maybe that Chouinard should have won Canadian Nats that year? Chouinard won Trophee Lalique and took bronze at Skate Canada; she won the silver at Canadian Nats, bronze at the GP final, but didn't go to Worlds.

Jennifer Robinson placed 10th and 7th at her GP events, won Canadian Nats, and placed 21st at Worlds.

I'm guessing the implication is that Chouinard would have finished considerably higher than Robinson at Worlds that year. She would have had rep points from medaling at all three GP events.

[Cheylana]

Thanks -- to clarify, Chouinard should have gone to Worlds because she skated better at Canadian Nationals, or because she had the better overall season?

[Nomad]

Off to YouTube to see if I can find that out.

ETA: Chouinard bombed in the LP at the '96 Canadian Nats. She landed one clean triple. She fell on the lutz, stepped out of the loop, and doubled everything else. No combo jumps at all.

I couldn't find any videos of Robinson, though.

[Japanfan]

OTOH, who else among the Canadian ladies puts two good performances back to back? They are all very inconsistent.

Yes. And the spotlight will be on Phaneuf because she's the most accomplished of the bunch and most likely to win. But I find it sad when she's packaged and promoted like a superstar and then has a melt-down. .

It would be so nice is someone really rose to the occasion, like Rochette did the year she beat Robinson. .but amongst Canadian ladies something like that happens about once every 20 years.

[l'etoile]

Brian Orser is certainly capable of making wonderful progress for skaters. Yuna was one for sure and Javier this season, too. Too sad Adam and Christina haven't made that happening for themselves I hope Cynthia could bring more than one tickets for Canadian ladies at Worlds, assuming of course that she's going to take Canadian title next week.

[fsfan22]

I can certainly see Amelie Lacoste getting sent instead of Cynthia if Amelie indeed wins Nationals this year. Amelie had a stronger showing in the Grand Prix series this year.

[clarie]

Amelie also has a problem with nerves in competition, but not nearly as bad as Cynthia. I think Amelie has a better chance at making top 10, unless Brian has had the opportunity to turn Cynthia's nerviousness around. I really don't think it's possible in such a short time....sorry to be so negative but that's how I feel. I sincerly hope I'm wrong though. I'd love to see Cynthia skate to her potential at a major comp as she sure can sell a program.

[LilJen]

Interesting point in the article that under her previous coach she'd been very disciplined and methodical, and with Brian she plans to "run on natural feeling and instinct." Knowing nothing about her I would have guessed that the exact opposite was true! Best wishes to her.

[Sylvia]

My impression is that choreographer David Wilson encourages skaters to "run on natural feeling and instinct" - he's been working with Phaneuf since she was a young teenager, IIRC.

[marbri]

I'm not expecting much at Canadians, too much expectation in too short a time. I'll be more curious to see her next season on the GP.