2023-24 Canadian Men: News and Updates

[alexikeguchi]

WTG Roman! That was fabulous, and he easily clears the bar to qualify to FS. I'm so glad this star-crossed season can end on at least this high point, in his home country, no matter what happens in the free.

 

[screech]

WTG Roman! That was fabulous, and he easily clears the bar to qualify to FS. I'm so glad this star-crossed season can end on at least this high point, in his home country, no matter what happens in the free.

It's hilarious on X and Reddit - people are saying that since he likely got Q or UR on some jumps, then it wasn't technically clean, so no need for the Roman curse to occur during the FP.

 

[screech]

Woohoo - both men qualified for the FP! And both skated well (though a couple of minor errors from Wesley).

 

[coppertop1]

Maybe we can still get two spots after all? Overall, not a bad showy for our men.

 

[screech]

Canada is now down to 1 man for next year's worlds. Which is disappointing, but I hope both Roman and Wesley are proud. Neither of them skated poorly in either program, they just had a few more stumbles than those above them.

 

[fsfann]

Canada is now down to 1 man for next year's worlds. Which is disappointing, but I hope both Roman and Wesley are proud. Neither of them skated poorly in either program, they just had a few more stumbles than those above them.

It's really all we deserve...same as the women's competition...

Hopefully some of these younger skaters can turn things around.

 

[screech]

It's really all we deserve...same as the women's competition...

Hopefully some of these younger skaters can turn things around.

It's undertsandable we're down to one, but I wish it were because they had bad performances full of multiple falls and pops, instead of no falls and just one pop. Their performances honestly weren't terrible. They just weren't that great.

 

[4rkidz]

I think the caliber of the men’s competition really went up a notch this Worlds. Congrats to both Canadian men they both did well, Wesley is still young and Roman was in a cast only 8 months ago. They can both be proud.

 

[Karen-W]

So, here is my question, looking a year out toward Boston where Olympic spots will be determined... do we think any of these men are going to finish top 10?

**Note - that isn't a snarky question. I am genuinely curious if anyone believes that is possible and why (beyond just basic patriotic support/belief in your guys).

 

[Seerek]

Hard to say if the caliber of the men's field was any higher this year vs. 2023 Worlds

For 12th place (needed to keep 2 men),

2023: Daniel Grassl - 244 total score
2024: (Richmond Hill, Ontario's) Mark Gorodnitsky - 243 total score

Seems comparable to me.

 

[skatingguy]

So, here is my question, looking a year out toward Boston where Olympic spots will be determined... do we think any of these men are going to finish top 10?

**Note - that isn't a snarky question. I am genuinely curious if anyone believes that is possible and why (beyond just basic patriotic support/belief in your guys).

I think that Wesley Chiu could do it. His score from Four Continents was promising, and with another year to improve the PCS, and GOE a similar competition could score in the 250-260 range which would be more than enough for top 10. I don't really see anyone else at this point.

 

[Frau Muller]

So, here is my question, looking a year out toward Boston where Olympic spots will be determined... do we think any of these men are going to finish top 10?

**Note - that isn't a snarky question. I am genuinely curious if anyone believes that is possible and why (beyond just basic patriotic support/belief in your guys).

Gogolev still skating? He needs to keep moving…improve his nerves.

 

[screech]

I'm impressed with how Wesley did in his first major competitions in senior. 7th at Four Continents is impressive, and he had two respectable skates at Worlds - with the additional pressure of his first Worlds being in his home country. I think he's shown that he has the nerve to handle tough competitions, and if he continues to work on the components side of things, we can see him rising up the ranks internationally.

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

I'm impressed with how Wesley did in his first major competitions in senior. 7th at Four Continents is impressive, and he had two respectable skates at Worlds - with the additional pressure of his first Worlds being in his home country. I think he's shown that he has the nerve to handle tough competitions, and if he continues to work on the components side of things, we can see him rising up the ranks internationally.

Wesley was adorable in the short program. I agree that he had an impressive senior debut.

 

[Marco]

So, here is my question, looking a year out toward Boston where Olympic spots will be determined... do we think any of these men are going to finish top 10?

**Note - that isn't a snarky question. I am genuinely curious if anyone believes that is possible and why (beyond just basic patriotic support/belief in your guys).

Wesley could, and he is steadily improving. At this Worlds, he did a solid job and lost no more than 10 points in negative GOEs between two segments. But he also lost around 5+ points in spin and steps levels. With all these fixed and some potential adjustments in PCS, he might just have made top 12 and kept that second spot.

But now that CAN is down to one and needs a top 10 placement; with 3 JPN, 2 USA, 1 KOR, 1 FRA pretty steadily occupying 6 spots in the top ten, and a handful of European men coming up with quads and consistent (and interesting) skating, there isn't much room left. I don't know if he has other quads in the works but for me he will need to show more consistency throughout the season to content with those European and obscure Asian men for a spot in the top ten. Doable, but not easy.

Roman and Stephen... well, are just them. They are wonderful skaters in their own right and I do enjoy Roman as a skater a whole lot more, but unless they come back solidly throughout next season, to me they simply can't be trusted to fight for spots.

 

[RoseRed]

So, here is my question, looking a year out toward Boston where Olympic spots will be determined... do we think any of these men are going to finish top 10?

**Note - that isn't a snarky question. I am genuinely curious if anyone believes that is possible and why (beyond just basic patriotic support/belief in your guys).

I believe it's possible, because it's the men, and I generally consider any outcome possible when it comes to the men (not all equally likely obviously). Which is not to say I would predict it. I would not. But could it happen? Sure, maybe.

 

[Sylvia]

Winnipeg Free Press article by Joshua Frey-Sam (April 18, 2024):

Apr 2024: It figures, Howes Manitoba’s 2023 athlete of the year

Davey Howes held for one more applause on his breakout season. The 17-year-old figure skater was celebrated as Sport Manitoba’s 2023 Athlete of the Year at the organization’s Night of Champions at the...

www.winnipegfreepress.com

Excerpt re. Davey Howes, Sport Manitoba’s 2023 Athlete of the Year:

Davey Howes held for one more applause on his breakout season.
The 17-year-old figure skater was celebrated as Sport Manitoba’s 2023 Athlete of the Year at the organization’s Night of Champions at the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday.
The event honoured some of the highest achievements and contributions Manitobans made in sport last year. [...]
Howes skated to national acclaim in 2023, a year he jumped to the junior level after dominating the novice competition.
“It was definitely a breakout year,” Howes said. “I think I was able to put my name on the map, not just in Canada but also a bit internationally.
“It felt like a very momentous year. I started off with a lot of momentum and I was able to continue with that.”
Howes won the men’s novice at the Skate Canada Challenge in January and encored with a gold medal at the Canadian novice men’s championship in February, after which he officially turned to the junior level and was named one of 10 junior men selected to represent Canada on the Junior Grand Prix in Budapest.
Howes, who is the highest ranked nationally of all first-year junior men, later made his international debut at the Coupe de Printemps in Luxembourg where he placed fifth.
“It was a very important year for my career,” said Howes, who saw success in 2022 but was preparing for a breakout in 2023.
“Everything just kind of clicked. I was able to start off the year in novice and I moved up to junior and I was competing against all these other men in Canada who had been there for two or three years or had national medals, so I was just able to gain a lot more experience competing against these experienced competitors.”

ETA that David Howes placed 4th in Junior Men at 2024 Nationals.

 

[choreoseq]

Wesley could, and he is steadily improving. At this Worlds, he did a solid job and lost no more than 10 points in negative GOEs between two segments. But he also lost around 5+ points in spin and steps levels. With all these fixed and some potential adjustments in PCS, he might just have made top 12 and kept that second spot.

But now that CAN is down to one and needs a top 10 placement; with 3 JPN, 2 USA, 1 KOR, 1 FRA pretty steadily occupying 6 spots in the top ten, and a handful of European men coming up with quads and consistent (and interesting) skating, there isn't much room left. I don't know if he has other quads in the works but for me he will need to show more consistency throughout the season to content with those European and obscure Asian men for a spot in the top ten. Doable, but not easy.

Roman and Stephen... well, are just them. They are wonderful skaters in their own right and I do enjoy Roman as a skater a whole lot more, but unless they come back solidly throughout next season, to me they simply can't be trusted to fight for spots.

he has a 4Lz & 4S that he’s still working on the consistency for - he competed the 4Lz @ autumn classic but fell (he had a few videos of him landing it on instagram i believe) & he did the 4S clean at cranberry cup, under-rotated it & fell at skate canada though (landed it in combo at a elements comp last summer) so interesting to see how they’re both looking by the end of the summer/season.

 

[Sylvia]

he has a 4Lz & 4S that he’s still working on the consistency for - he competed the 4Lz @ autumn classic but fell (he had a few videos of him landing it on instagram i believe)

Wesley posted this practice clip of his 4Lz on March 3: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4EMnI9vzdm/

 

[Sylvia]

May 1:

Top Men’s Moments from the 2023/2024 Season

From snowstorms to broken skate laces, new titles to breakout [...]

skatecanada.ca

"Conrad Orzel has begun a new job at Rockbank Capital Corp in Vancouver. All the best to him." https://twitter.com/QuadAxel3Toe/status/1785884171702784425
Screenshot of his retirement message - ETA - that he posted on his LinkedIn): https://twitter.com/yuyuzishziyuyu1/status/1785895598224523445

 

[I Luv Bulldogs]

May 1:

Top Men’s Moments from the 2023/2024 Season

From snowstorms to broken skate laces, new titles to breakout [...]

skatecanada.ca

"Conrad Orzel has begun a new job at Rockbank Capital Corp in Vancouver. All the best to him." https://twitter.com/QuadAxel3Toe/status/1785884171702784425
Screenshot of his retirement message: https://twitter.com/yuyuzishziyuyu1/status/1785895598224523445

Liam Firus is a partner at Rockbank.

Wish Conrad all the best.

 

[zigzig]

Great to see Liam and Conrad finding success outside of skating following their competitive careers - wishing them the best!

 

[shutterbug]

Winnipeg Free Press article by Joshua Frey-Sam (April 18, 2024):

Apr 2024: It figures, Howes Manitoba’s 2023 athlete of the year

Davey Howes held for one more applause on his breakout season. The 17-year-old figure skater was celebrated as Sport Manitoba’s 2023 Athlete of the Year at the organization’s Night of Champions at the...

www.winnipegfreepress.com

Excerpt re. Davey Howes, Sport Manitoba’s 2023 Athlete of the Year:

ETA that David Howes placed 4th in Junior Men at 2024 Nationals.

Video of a cute interview with Davey after the award presentation : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LotChQxXsSs

May 1:

Top Men’s Moments from the 2023/2024 Season

From snowstorms to broken skate laces, new titles to breakout [...]

skatecanada.ca

"Conrad Orzel has begun a new job at Rockbank Capital Corp in Vancouver. All the best to him." https://twitter.com/QuadAxel3Toe/status/1785884171702784425
Screenshot of his retirement message - ETA - that he posted on his LinkedIn): https://twitter.com/yuyuzishziyuyu1/status/1785895598224523445

Aww, such nice news! I give Conrad all the credit in the world, he never stopped working hard and trying to improve his skating. That attitude will serve him well in his new career.

 

[DynamicMutation]

Liam Firus is a partner at Rockbank.

Wish Conrad all the best.

I think Liam was a partner there but is with a different company now

 

[Sylvia]

I think Liam was a partner there but is with a different company now

Yes, Liam Firus currently works for Hypercharge Networks.

Skate Canada posted about Conrad Orzel's retirement today: https://twitter.com/SkateCanada/status/1787905308964081760

National Team athlete Conrad Orzel is retiring from competitive to focus on his new role with Rockbank Capital Corp!
We wish him the best of luck with this new chapter

More in Skate Canada’s Instagram post:

Skate Canada / Patinage Canada on Instagram: "National Team athlete @conradorzel is retiring from competitive ⛸️ to focus on his new role with Rockbank Capital Corp! As a two-time Canadian national medalist and international competitor, Conrad's jou

530 likes, 0 comments - skate_canada on May 7, 2024: "National Team athlete @conradorzel is retiring from competitive ⛸️ to focus on his new role with Rockbank Capital Corp! As a two-tim...".

www.instagram.com

ETA Conrad’s own message/video:

Instagram

www.instagram.com