2021/2022 Canadian Men: News and Updates

[skategal]

I think it’s really hard to put your best out on Olympic ice when you have never competed at a Senior World Championships.

I think it would have been hard for Wesley also.

Hope Roman can rebound for the individual event.

 

[carriecmu0503]

Oh and a side note... it's because of ROMAN that Canada has 2 Olympic men spots!

Make sure you’re giving Keegan that credit, too. Keegan was the one who finished in the top 10 at worlds. Without that, there would’ve been no possibility for Roman to confirm a second spot at the Olympic qualifier. Roman confirmed the second spot there by the skin of his teeth because of the awful performance of others.

 

[Seerek]

I don't think people understand or appreciate the challenges of 6'1" Roman trying doing quads vs. say someone like 5'3" Yuma doing quads.

I have nothing but respect for any of the 6ft+ men (Roman and Sihyeong Lee) in being competitive and having to basically relearn technique in their late teens.

ETA Nicolas Nadeau was also 6'1".

 

[Frau Muller]

I think it’s really hard to put your best out on Olympic ice when you have never competed at a Senior World Championships.

I think it would have been hard for Wesley also.

Hope Roman can rebound for the individual event.

Roman drew first for the indiv men’s SPs.

XXIV Olympic Winter Games 2022 - Men Single Skating - Short Program

results.isu.org

I bet that he’ll go out there and set the ice on fire! ?? ?? ??

 

[Rafter]

For me, watching him struggle so and sit with his head down among his teammates was very sad. Aside from Keegan, Canada does not currently have a man that could have been competitive. If Roman had skated clean with both quads, triple axel, and all his jumps could he really have done better than maybe 4th at best? Could any of the others?

I think Chiu would have landed more jumps than Sadovsky.

Sadovksy looked like he completely gave up on it. Really disappointing to see ZERO competitive, fighting spirit at an Olympic Games.

 

[carriecmu0503]

I think it’s really hard to put your best out on Olympic ice when you have never competed at a Senior World Championships.

I think it would have been hard for Wesley also.

Hope Roman can rebound for the individual event.

Are you going to tell that to Alina Zagitova and Kamila Valieva? How about to Mirai Nagasu, who came in fourth of the 2010 Olympics, before she ever competed at senior worlds. Same for Sasha Cohen at 2002 Olympics. I could come up with many more examples.

 

[tony]

I think a lot of people get fired up about Sadovsky not delivering (more often than not) because his quality is otherwise stunning.

Yeah, it’s true that being tall can make it difficult to keep the jumps together unless absolutely perfect, but that can’t really be an excuse for every time he lets it all come apart. I haven’t looked to be certain, but I’d guess his 2020 4CC result was probably the worst ever by a Canadian man in the event, and that was off the heels of his National title win. The simple fact of the matter is that it all gets away from him very easily and as fans (or non-fans), that’s what we get.

I think a lot of excuses are being made for his situation and having to skate two extra times, but Messing’s situation was known way far in advance of when the articles came out. Roman knew he was going to be put in the position, and if anything, it could’ve been used to get the nerves out for the individual competition. I bet Roman and Beverly Zhu are wishing they just didn’t qualify to the LP at this point.

 

[Rafter]

Are you going to tell that to Alina Zagitova and Kamila Valieva? How about to Mirai Nagasu, who came in fourth of the 2010 Olympics, before she ever competed at senior worlds. Same for Sasha Cohen at 2002 Olympics. I could come up with many more examples.

Exactly.

I don’t know why some on here feel the need to coddle Sadovsky.

 

[Spiralgraph]

I came in this thread to find out if Keegan was on his way to China at last. Yay, he is. But I also agree Roman doesn't deserve all this
anger. Now I really am hoping Canada can make it through to the bronze medal.

 

[tony]

Now I really am hoping Canada can make it through to the bronze medal.

Not going to happen unless two of the three Japanese entries in the final events withdraw. It’s not even close at this point.

Canada should’ve never, ever been in the talks for a medal this time around anyways. The stats were there to show it. They made the LP and that’s great, but anyone pissy about a lack of a medal didn’t do their homework. I don’t expect four-year fans to do it, but skating fans yes.

 

[skategal]

Are you going to tell that to Alina Zagitova and Kamila Valieva? How about to Mirai Nagasu, who came in fourth of the 2010 Olympics, before she ever competed at senior worlds. Same for Sasha Cohen at 2002 Olympics. I could come up with many more examples.

I don’t think you can compare how Russia and the USA have prepared their athletes for competition to how Canada has especially in the last few years.

There is really no comparison.

 

[bladesofgorey]

These athletes are under tremendous pressure. I really don't see the point in being angry with Roman and lambasting him and calling him a failure tat let the whole team down- it looked to me those were exactly the thoughts that were running through his head before the program even began. He's obviously distraught but it's not like he didn't try or care- he cared too much and let his nerves and the pressure get the best of him. I feel so badly for athletes when they fall apart like this in a competition. These athletes and their families sacrifice so much and it's heartbreaking when something like this happens. I REALLY don't get the vitriol it seems cruel.

 

[Rafter]

I don't think people understand or appreciate the challenges of 6'1" Roman trying doing quads vs. say someone like 5'3" Yuma doing quads.

I have nothing but respect for any of the 6ft+ men (Roman and Sihyeong Lee) in being competitive and having to basically relearn technique in their late teens.

ETA Nicolas Nadeau was also 6'1".

Nadeau should have gone into pairs.

 

[skategal]

Nadeau should have gone into pairs.

He has.

 

[Spiralgraph]

Oh I know you're most likely right, Tony. But there's something about rooting for the underdog... Well right now the USA is considered a large underdog for anything higher than silver. Anyways I am very relieved Keegan will be able to compete after all. Good luck to all Canadian skaters for the remaining team events!

 

[Rafter]

I don’t think you can compare how Russia and the USA have prepared their athletes for competition to how Canada has especially in the last few years.

There is really no comparison.

Doesn’t seem to have affected 18 year old Madeleine Schizas.

 

[clairecloutier]

Roman just struggles with consistency, and probably no one really knows why except him and his coach. Last night was a low for him--he usually skates somewhat better than that. Nebelhorn was better.

He mentioned in his post-event interview feeling uncomfortable with his Salchows, and that discomfort carrying into the rest of his jumps. I can see why it would; since the Salchow is his only quad, he relies pretty heavily on it for points.

I find when Roman isn't skating well, it becomes all legs out there. Very long legs that seem to get in the way somehow. Last night's program felt like a ball rolling downhill, the negative momentum increasing with each jump snafu. I don't think he struggles just because of his height; but it certainly doesn't help. Evan Lysacek was another very tall skater, but he had a longer torso/shorter legs relative to Roman. Which probably made things easier.

I hope that Roman does better in the men's individual event, for his sake. I don't want him (or any athlete) to have only negative memories of these Games.

 

[skategal]

Not going to happen unless two of the three Japanese entries in the final events withdraw. It’s not even close at this point.

Canada should’ve never, ever been in the talks for a medal this time around anyways. The stats were there to show it. They made the LP and that’s great, but anyone pissy about a lack of a medal didn’t do their homework. I don’t expect four-year fans to do it, but skating fans yes.

This.

Even with Keegan in the TE, Canada was very unlikely to medal.

 

[Rafter]

He has.

We’ll see if it’s too late at almost 25 years old.

 

[skategal]

Doesn’t seem to have affected 18 year old Madeleine Schizas.

She competed at worlds in Sweden in 2021.

 

[carriecmu0503]

I don’t think you can compare how Russia and the USA have prepared their athletes for competition to how Canada has especially in the last few years.

There is really no comparison.

Really? You really want to talk about how “well” the USA has prepared their women skaters the last few years? I believe the Canadian lady beat the US lady in the team event short program yesterday!

Besides, the original post had nothing to do with how Canada has prepared their athletes compared to other countries. The post was solely about it being hard for any skater to compete at Olympics if they’ve never completed at senior worlds. I simply provide factual information to refute that statement.

 

[manhn]

If all the skaters truly skated their best and Canada got fourth, do you think we’d all be upset at the skaters? Not sure the realistic chances of getting a medal has anything to do with the assessment of Roman’s performance or the other skaters. Look at how happy people are with Madeline. Do people think we expect her to medal in ladies?

 

[skategal]

Really? You really want to talk about how “well” the USA has prepared their women skaters the last few years? I believe the Canadian lady beat the US lady in the team event short program yesterday!

Yes first time in 4 years that we have beat a US lady. That doesn’t prove much.

 

[skategal]

We’ll see if it’s too late at almost 25 years old.

Considering the state of Canadian pairs, I’d say he has a good chance.

 

[carriecmu0503]

Yes first time in 4 years that we have beat a US lady. That doesn’t prove much.

Oh please, the Canadians had a woman on the podium at the Olympics in 2018. That has not happened for the US women since 2006!

Canada also had two women on the world podium in 2017, which has not happened for the US women also since 2006. Canada clearly has been much more successful in women figure skating than the American women in the last several years.

 

[skategal]

Oh please, the Canadians had a woman on the podium at the Olympics in 2018. That has not happened for the US women since 2006!

Canada also had two women on the world podium in 2017, which has not happened for the US women also since 2006. Canada clearly has been much more successful in women figure skating than the American women in the last several years.

Last I looked, this thread was about men’s skating but if you want to compare the USA to Canada, they have us in dance, mens, and we have lost ground to them this season in pairs.

And a top USA lady has finished ahead of ours in worlds each year since 2018.

That is why they are going to medal in the team event and we are not even with if our best skaters had been there.

 

[The Accordion]

Every skater has strengths and challenges. For some - jumps come more easily, for some - musicality or performance, for some they are more physically suited, and so on. Skaters can work hard to improve in all these areas but generally they have a threshold of what they can achieve. It is the same for competitive nerves but for some reason when skaters suffer from a challenge in this area- it seems to bring out the most vitriol. And that seems to increase from fans with the more potential in the other areas from a skater. Sometimes assumptions are made about work ethic or priority issues that may be true but aren’t always.
I’ve noticed this through the years with many skaters and Roman is certainly a victim of this. He is a beautiful and capable skater in so many ways - but clearly very challenged in performing under pressure. That can be very frustrating for his fans but imagine how frustrating it is for him! Do people think he wanted to skate like that!? I just think we could have more compassion for someone in these circumstances.

 

[Rafter]

She competed at worlds in Sweden in 2021.

Ok but Roman has had enough international experience, more than Schizas over the years, to not completely implode like he did yesterday. It seems to me the only place he skates well is at nationals (and this year that was only the LP). A little like Walsh/Michaud.

 

[Karen-W]

I think it's nice that at least some Canadians here are willing to get upset with Sadovsky. How he skated yesterday was inexcusable, and he didn't skate much better in the SP. Really, there isn't any justification for it and he has plenty of international experience.

 

[skategal]

Ok but Roman has had enough international experience, more than Schizas over the years, to not completely implode like he did yesterday. It seems to me the only place he skates well is at nationals (and this year that was only the LP). A little like Walsh/Michaud.

The other skaters on Team Canada have have had multiple international experiences through the years and while they didn’t implode, they didn’t skate their best performances either.

Schizas was the exception here.

For various reasons, that should belong in PI so I won’t go into it here, the whole team is under prepared and short on competitive experiences for this Olympics.