Patrick Chan sees Japan blunders as wake-up call

[Sugar]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...rticle4595002/
World figure skating champion Patrick Chan has insisted his blunders at the Japan Open would serve as a wake-up call as he prepares to defend his crown in the run-up to the 2014 Olympics.

The Canadian fell four times whilst attempting a couple of quadruple toe loops and two triple jumps at the season-opening invitational event featuring three teams of two men and two women from Japan, North America and Europe.

video
http://youtu.be/RxA34ZU3XGk

[kylet3]

He added, however, he was happy with his new coach and could train “much more efficiently and (be) more motivated”.

“She really understands how I feel. She listens to what I feel about my body. So one day I really feel tired or sore, then we take it easy,” said Chan who has in the past described his former coach’s style as more assertive.

This to me kind of says she's a bit of an enabler. I get that coaches need to listen but Christy kind of gave him a kick in the butt to really work on the things that he needs. I really hope this is his wake up call, but he'll have to prove me wrong come Skate Canada. I really hope he does.

[bmcg]

Seems he is still struggling to find the right balance. A kick in the butt can be a good thing but maybe not as hard as Christy kicked (because didn't we find out later last season he was miserable and contemplating quitting?). I hope he finds the right balance he needs.

[Vash01]

It's not that unusual, IMO. Chan usually makes mistakes early in the season, gets better by GPF and saves his best for the home stretch- Canadian nationals and Worlds. That seems to be his pattern.

[PeterG]

I get that coaches need to listen but Christy kind of gave him a kick in the butt to really work on the things that he needs.

Seems he is still struggling to find the right balance.

I agree. If all of the problems can be dealt with, I feel that Chan might acheive something of note in the sport.

[skatesindreams]

If all of the problems can be dealt with, I feel that Chan might acheive something of note in the sport.

I believe he already has; and that he will do even more in the years to come.

[arakwafan2006]

He's got Michelle Kwan syndrome. I am not sure why he picked this season to not utilize a coach but he's basically going it alone if you ask me. I think that successful people reach a point of arrogance where they think that they can actually understand EVERYTHING. So, Chan picks a dance coach to head up his training and development in a way that is beyond her scope of expertise. I am not saying that she was the cause of the poor performance. the same could have happened under Krall (see Agnes Z's performance) however I cant say that there was much by way of humility in his decision.

I didnt train a day in his shoes. Perhaps Krall was too over bearing... dont know. All i can say though is I hope his training is as intense as it once was or else...

[bek]

He's got Michelle Kwan syndrome. I am not sure why he picked this season to not utilize a coach but he's basically going it alone if you ask me. I think that successful people reach a point of arrogance where they think that they can actually understand EVERYTHING. So, Chan picks a dance coach to head up his training and development in a way that is beyond her scope of expertise. I am not saying that she was the cause of the poor performance. the same could have happened under Krall (see Agnes Z's performance) however I cant say that there was much by way of humility in his decision.

I didnt train a day in his shoes. Perhaps Krall was too over bearing... dont know. All i can say though is I hope his training is as intense as it once was or else...

Its not like the judges have shown him in most cases that landing his jumps are important...

[floskate]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Patrick struggle for most of the season and then pull it all together - hopefully Worlds. If his SP is anything resembling his EX from Worlds as is to be believed then he has a truly wonderful set of programs and it would be a travesty not to see them skated cleanly. I hope he's right; that this is the he needs, but maybe a bit of a motivational struggle this season is also what he needs heading into the Olympics?

[bek]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Patrick struggle for most of the season and then pull it all together - hopefully Worlds. If his SP is anything resembling his EX from Worlds as is to be believed then he has a truly wonderful set of programs and it would be a travesty not to see them skated cleanly. I hope he's right; that this is the he needs, but maybe a bit of a motivational struggle this season is also what he needs heading into the Olympics?

At least he's picking this year to experiment with coaches and not next. In that sense-smarter than Kwan...I think he typically has a bad outing starting out, so I'm not seeing the panic yet.

[Willowway]

A while ago in an interview, Ilia K said that every athlete has his or her 'wake-up call' and he then went on to mention his. The import of what he said, as I read it and as he later chatted briefly with the Krew about it, was that it's a totally internal thing and if handled well, calls forth another level the athlete has within himself (or herself). My take it that it's also a maturity thing and an honest turning inward, at a time of failure or challenge, to see what the individual says to himself, not what others say however helpful or encouraging.

This has very little to do with whose coach is a softy and whose is a drill major. That can I'm sure make some difference but it's more about the inner athlete - the internal drive, the internal assessment of self, and so forth. I'm glad Patrick sees this as a wake-up call - I hope he has another whole level to show us, but more importantly to show himself. Because it's more between Patrick and himself now than anything or anyone else.

[BreakfastClub]

Its not like the judges have shown him in most cases that landing his jumps are important...

[Iceman]

I suspect the entire season (and not just this one outing) will prove to be a wake-up call for Mr. Chan. I hope he (or someone on his team) doesn't hit the "snooze" button too many times. lol

[nubka]

Its not like the judges have shown him in most cases that landing his jumps are important...

Exactly.

[museksk8r]

IMO, this is Patrick's best LP since the 2009 season and I really hope he can skate it to its potential this season. Love the music, love the choreography, love his skating skills, love, love, love!

[DaveRocks]

Its not like the judges have shown him in most cases that landing his jumps are important...

Wow - I've never heard that comment before. Last time I checked, Chan gets -3 GOE and a 1-point deduction when he falls on a jump.

Chan is a smart guy. He'll get the kinks worked out soon enough.

[clarie]

Wow - I've never heard that comment before. Last time I checked, Chan gets -3 GOE and a 1-point deduction when he falls on a jump.

Chan is a smart guy. He'll get the kinks worked out soon enough.

I'm with you on that one

[misskarne]

Last time I checked, Chan gets -3 GOE and a 1-point deduction when he falls on a jump.
.

No he doesn't get -3 all the time. I've seen his falls given -2 and -1.

Anyway, why should he NOW only have his "wake-up call"? Oh, because he actually lost when falling on his backside, as he should?

[alilou]

That would -3 after the judges have taken into consideration all other factors of the jump - difficulty of entrance, speed going in, speed of rotation, position in the air etc. These are all bullet points that affect the GOE. Then the judges subtract the three points from whatever GOE they would have given. I've seen many other skaters get -2 on a jump with a fall. Joubert especially springs to mind, some years ago, because I felt at the time as you apparently do misskarne, that he should have been given -3 outright. Then I learned how the rule of -3 for a fall on a jump actually works

[misskarne]

That would -3 after the judges have taken into consideration all other factors of the jump - difficulty of entrance, speed going in, speed of rotation, position in the air etc. These are all bullet points that affect the GOE. Then the judges subtract the three points from whatever GOE they would have given. I've seen many other skaters get -2 on a jump with a fall. Joubert especially springs to mind, some years ago, because I felt at the time as you apparently do misskarne, that he should have been given -3 outright. Then I learned how the rule of -3 for a fall on a jump actually works

But that's wrong. It should be flat -3. No other consideration. End of story.

Jason Brown was given -3 across the board for his two-footed 3A< in the LP at Turkey (I think one judge gave him -2). He had an okay entry, a nice air position, stuck the landing and didn't fall. But apparently, that all means jack, since it was UR. And he got hit worse for it than some of Chan's falls. How is this right?

It should be flat -3, plus the -1 deduction, and a whack in the P/E mark as well, which NEVER happens to Chan.