Chan makes Canada top figure skating nation

[Sugar]

Chan makes Canada top figure skating nation
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/spor...skating-nation
"Our sport is like a wave, and here, we've risen very high," said Chan.
"Worlds next year in London will be even crazier (than Nice), or Sochi then for the Russians," he said. The son of Hong Kong immigrants who settled in Ottawa, Ontario, Chan blamed "lack of maturity" for his fifth place in Vancouver, and warned that he was getting even better.
"Now when I skate I forget everything, I'm free."

[Really]

Oh, Sugar, you do like to stir up a shitstorm, don't you?

[michiruwater]

I think Virtue & Moir might help a little, too.

[Iceman]

Until Canada gets another serious female contender, top status is not justified imo.
In fact, with the loss of a Rochette, Canada has taken a step backward since the last Olys, not forward.

[DimaToe]

Until Canada gets another serious female contender, top status is not justified imo.
In fact, with the loss of a Rochette, Canada has taken a step backward since the last Olys, not forward.

Agreed, Canada might have been the only country to get two gold medals in Nice, but when it comes to being the "top" figure skating nation, I think that might belong to Japan for the the time being.They earned for 4 medals in 3 disciplines, which hadn't been done in 7 years.

[Jammers]

Yeah plus they better hope that Chan doesn't get hurt because there is about as much depth in Men's skating in Canada as the Canadian ladies.

[pair mom]

But 1/2 of Japan's bronze in pairs is a very proud Canadian!

[Skate Talker]

Canada had a much better "top nation" in Goteburg with good placements in all 4 disciplines, if they ever did. Ah well.

[michiruwater]

I agree that Japan is quite clearly the top figure skating nation right now, despite their absolutely dismal quality in ice dance.

[Vash01]

Canada is very weak in ladies
Japan is very weak in ice dance
Russia is very weak in men

IMO this is a three-way tie between the top 3 nations.

USA has too many weaknesses (strong in ice dance only).

[Stephanie]

Canada is very weak in ladies
Japan is very weak in ice dance
Russia is very weak in men

IMO this is a three-way tie between the top 3 nations.

USA has too many weaknesses (strong in ice dance only).

I disagree. The Russians have Plushenko, the European champ, plus Gachinski who won the bronze last year and just had a really bad meet this time around. I'd rank the Russians first overall.

[Beefcake]

Got to agree with Stephanie. With Plushenko in the mix, Russia the clear #1. (Without him, it gets a little cloudier.) #2 and #3 are debatable between USA (with tons of talent depth, albeit less so in pairs, but recent debilitating "competing" problems) and Canada (with the World's winner in two disciplines, but awful in ladies, and depth problems in men's).

I agree that Japan is quite clearly the top figure skating nation right now, despite their absolutely dismal quality in ice dance.

In my book, Japan cannot be considered "#1" when it's best dance team didn't make the FD, and it's got zero depth at pairs. Even with T&T's great Worlds, they're just as capable of being 11th. It was a great perfect storm for T&T ... great moment, but all the stars had to align. Remember, just a few weeks ago, T&T were only 5th at 4CC, behind four teams they beat at Worlds.

[Vash01]

I am not convinced that Plushenko can come back healthy enough to be competing for the podium. He has to go through extensive rehab after surgeries, and he is older. We don't know yet if he will be in competition shape next year so I am not counting him in the equation. With Gachinski's meltdown this year- it could be an aberration, and only time will tell us- Russia suddenly appears very weak in the mens field, with just one spot at the next worlds.

[ks1227]

You know, reading that article, I'm inclined to think that it's impossible to say which nation is #1, #2, etc. in figure skating. This is not just because nations are stronger in some disciplines than others, though that is true; but also because it's very rare now for a skater's success to be linked simplistically to his or her nation. Just thinking about the Canadian skaters emphasized at the beginning of the article as examples: Chan is the son of immigrants from Hong Kong, something he is increasingly emphasizing himself; and he trains in the U.S. V&M are trained by Russians in the U.S. The bronze medalists in Pairs represent Japan, but one team member actually comes from Canada (and both of the other winning pairs teams this year are also "mixed" pairs in that sense). There's a lot of cool mixing going on. So I think the whole concept of ranking nations may be anachronistic in figure skating, even though obviously you can still count how many strong skaters represent this nation or that nation. There's too much traffic between nations in coaching, training, dual citizenship representation, etc. to pretend that medal counts really tell us very much about the strength of a nation.

Just my observation.

[Beefcake]

There's too much traffic between nations in coaching, training, dual citizenship representation, etc. to pretend that medal counts really tell us very much about the strength of a nation.

Just my observation.

Of course you're correct.


ONE

[query5]

yes chan did=why they cheated for him-vm.

canada raised a fuss in 2002 due to the dance tradeoff.

i wonder now if canada is doing the same with v/m. and patrick chan.

yes want to make chan like michelle--isn't -never blantantly cheated for michelle-in fact mistakes was costly too her.
even skating clean--costly to her.

chan kept up despite mistakes.

dance had canadian tech specialist.

so it seems the only way canada can be on top is by bitching and cheating. n not by fair play and following the rules, more like flaunting the rules.

arrogance doesn't sell--marketability will be affected after leave sport when public opinion decides who gets what and how much.

[museksk8r]

Japan is the top nation. If Worlds didn't prove that, then someone is in serious denial.

[Judy]

The strength of a nation is by medal count .. which figure skating nation won the most medals this time?

When Russia was #1 with gold medals in every category they were rightfullly #1.

The medal count obviously can change from year to year and probably will.

I'm lol at the idea that some people Plushenko is coming back .. he won't.

[mia joy]

Yes, Canada is the power, especially that neither of their gold medalists deserved the win

I know, I know, a troublemaker I am.

[professordeb]

Yes, Canada is the power, especially that neither of their gold medalists deserved the win

I know, I know, a troublemaker I am.

Yes you are so why bother baiting the bear?