Canadian Men 2017-18 season news & updates

[Rock2]

Interestingly, the only guy competing at nationals who looks poised to skate his best IMHO is Phan. He wasn't perfect here but close to it. Even the jumps he missed looked calm and easy. Very little negative tension in his skating.

I'm not liking Gogo's tendency to get the yips. Not the first time he gets zero for jumping passes.

Having said that, there is a scenario where the National podium could be Chan, Phan and Gogolev. I may just plotz laughing....

 

[Erin]

SB is based on raw score. Given the limitations of junior programs, both Phan and W/M would likely get a better score at 4CC than at junior worlds.

Agreed. Plus Skate Canada's priority should be to field the strongest team possible at Olympics and Worlds. At the moment, that appears to include Phan, especially if the rumours about Chan not training are true.

What about Santa Claus cup in Budapest next weekend for Phan?! I'm sure the Hungarian fed has room for one more for a small fee. But I guess the airfare cost are just too much now, unless someone wants to start a gofundme page to help out Skate Canada.

If the airfare costs are the issue, I'll fund them myself at this point if I see him on the entry list!

 

[barbarafan]

Interestingly, the only guy competing at nationals who looks poised to skate his best IMHO is Phan. He wasn't perfect here but close to it. Even the jumps he missed looked calm and easy. Very little negative tension in his skating.

I'm not liking Gogo's tendency to get the yips. Not the first time he gets zero for jumping passes.

Having said that, there is a scenario where the National podium could be Chan, Phan and Gogolev. I may just plotz laughing....

Gogo is on a leash..which he should be at that age in the middle of growing. Kudos to all of his team putting health first...It is not his time yet. Very hard to go to competitions when you are only allowed to do quads now and then and sometimes no jumping but he did a great job...and I enjoyed watching him live. His job there was to make the cut for nationals. Done

 

[Seerek]

The idea is to send them to Jr worlds to get slots for next year and more JGP assignments. That's a HUGE need for us and I don't support SC compromising on that objective.

The SC strategy for Jr. Worlds certainly worked in 2016 for Nadeau, as I don't think he had senior minimums to that point for 4CC or Sr. Worlds eligibility.

 

[barbarafan]

Agreed. Plus Skate Canada's priority should be to field the strongest team possible at Olympics and Worlds. At the moment, that appears to include Phan, especially if the rumours about Chan not training are true.



If the airfare costs are the issue, I'll fund them myself at this point if I see him on the entry list!

so has Skate Canada evolved enough yet to admit they screwed up?. If so..maybe people could donate their air points

 

[Rock2]

Gogo is on a leash..which he should be at that age in the middle of growing. Kudos to all of his team putting health first...It is not his time yet. Very hard to go to competitions when you are only allowed to do quads now and then and sometimes no jumping but he did a great job...and I enjoyed watching him live. His job there was to make the cut for nationals. Done

By the way I'm not hyping or pushing Gogo. He needs to grow and develop and isn't even age eligible for international Jr until next year. Long road ahead for him and I agree his team is doing a great job at finding the balance between pacing and motivating him.

But I saw him live in Thornhill and he skated/scored real well. In this chaotic mix-and-match setup for Nationals where like 10 guys could end up on the podium there is a scenario where he lands on it. In part because of what he does but in part because I don't have a ton of confidence in anyone else at this point....

 

[Catherine M]

So is there anyone in the world of skating reporting in Canada to reach out and tell them about this mess!?

I have a feeling ole Rod Black could be in for a big shock when he's announcing Joseph to the Olympics and someone has to say 'ummm, nope'.

 

[Erin]

The SC strategy for Jr. Worlds certainly worked in 2016 for Nadeau, as I don't think he had senior minimums to that point for 4CC or Sr. Worlds eligibility.

Actually he did in 2016 because in 2016 you could use junior competitions for senior minimums. But he finished 5th at Canadians in seniors so I don't think anyone was suggesting he should go to Worlds ahead of the people who beat him at Canadians.

 

[Sylvia]

So is there anyone in the world of skating reporting in Canada to reach out and tell them about this mess!?

Beverley Smith is aware... maybe someone can send her a tweet to follow up? https://twitter.com/BevSmithWrites/status/936823960544559104

ETA:

Here's a 3A+ by Keegan Messing in practice: https://www.instagram.com/p/BcLZilBnsOi/?taken-by=sk8erkeeg

 

[barbarafan]

By the way I'm not hyping or pushing Gogo. He needs to grow and develop and isn't even age eligible for international Jr until next year. Long road ahead for him and I agree his team is doing a great job at finding the balance between pacing and motivating him.

But I saw him live in Thornhill and he skated/scored real well. In this chaotic mix-and-match setup for Nationals where like 10 guys could end up on the podium there is a scenario where he lands on it. In part because of what he does but in part because I don't have a ton of confidence in anyone else at this point....

He was amazing at Thornhill and that could be a question of not having any soreness for a while b4 compet.so being allowed to train more. If he is doing good maybe he will be able to train harder b4 nationals but if he has any probs. team will pull the plug as they should so let's hope he has a great month.

 

[danafan]

Beverley Smith is aware... maybe someone can send her a tweet to follow up? https://twitter.com/BevSmithWrites/status/936823960544559104

I replied to her tweet and tagged Skate Canada. We'll see

 

[binbinwinwin]

I was also at Thornhill and I didn't buy the hype train for Gogolev until I saw him skate there, I enjoyed him more than Nam Nguyen and Roman Sadovsky. I wouldn't be surprised if he placed ahead of them both at Nationals, he's a good skater.

And thanks to all the people reaching out to get SC to send Joseph to get his senior minimums, he's really impressed me, especially at Challenge. Despite a little unraveling on the jumps towards the end of his program he didn't seem to lose his composure.

 

[greenapple]

Joseph Phan won Challenge because he remained vertical more than the others, but his skating is still at a very junior level. He has no connection to the music, the judges or the audience. His LP at this event confirmed he lacks many necessary senior skills at this point. He has the technical but that's it.

 

[Zazy]

Joseph Phan won Challenge because he remained vertical more than the others, but his skating is still at a very junior level. He has no connection to the music, the judges or the audience. His LP at this event confirmed he lacks many necessary senior skills at this point. He has the technical but that's it.

It's not just staying upright, the quality of all his elements is first-rate, that's how he racks up the TES. Also, his skating skills are far superior to anyone other than Patrick and Liam, and that's part of the PCS scores. I agree he needs to work on his connection to the music and performance skills but he isn't bad and has already improved a lot from even a year ago. Obviously he's lacking the maturity of the older skaters and that will be reflected in the pcs scores, he isn't going to make the Olympic team unless others make mistakes. And no doubt SC would rather he go to junior worlds to try to get maximum jgp spots, it's not like they're itching to send him to the Olympics.

That said, he is a fantastic skater to watch live (the screen doesn't do him justice) and I think he has a really bright future ahead of him.

 

[barbarafan]

It's not just staying upright, the quality of all his elements is first-rate, that's how he racks up the TES. Also, his skating skills are far superior to anyone other than Patrick and Liam, and that's part of the PCS scores. I agree he needs to work on his connection to the music and performance skills but he isn't bad and has already improved a lot from even a year ago. Obviously he's lacking the maturity of the older skaters and that will be reflected in the pcs scores, he isn't going to make the Olympic team unless others make mistakes. And no doubt SC would rather he go to junior worlds to try to get maximum jgp spots, it's not like they're itching to send him to the Olympics.

That said, he is a fantastic skater to watch live (the screen doesn't do him justice) and I think he has a really bright future ahead of him.

Saw him live too. Speed and ice coverage wow. Has a great coach who works on the whole package.

 

[pinky166]

Joseph Phan won Challenge because he remained vertical more than the others, but his skating is still at a very junior level. He has no connection to the music, the judges or the audience. His LP at this event confirmed he lacks many necessary senior skills at this point. He has the technical but that's it.

Oh come on. Nam and Nic both skated pretty good LPs and were well behind Joseph. And yes, Joseph needs polish and is a bit juniorish but the reality is, the Canadian men’s field is not that deep right now and among those skating senior at Nationals, Joseph has been one of the best and more consistent as of late.

Patrick isn’t even training and did mostly doubles at Skate Canada.
Nam has been a bit hot and cold, just changed coaches again, and is really getting hammered on PCS recently.
Nic and Keegan have shown bright spots but also quite a bit of inconsistency, either one could make the team but neither is solidifying himself as a top contender.
Liam and Roman have nice skating quality but they both continue to struggle a lot with the jumps
Kevin has yet to skate a decent SP this season and has been very prone to URs so far. Also like Nam, the PCS is pretty low.
Eladj and Bennet won’t even be in the mix for consideration after what they did at challenge.

Joseph Phan is not perfect but he looks like one of the best options right now. If he skates well at Nationals I hope he is considered for the Olympics. Unlike everyone else, he is skating like he really wants to go.

 

[mag]

Joseph Phan is not perfect but he looks like one of the best options right now. If he skates well at Nationals I hope he is considered for the Olympics. Unlike everyone else, he is skating like he really wants to go.

Unfortunately I don’t think there is anyway for him to get the minimums. Does anyone know the date he needs them by to qualify for the Olympics?

ETA:

This is what I found on the ISU site when the subject of Phan was being discussed in the SC Challenge thread:

The last event to qualify for 4CC’s is the Bosphorus Cup. Entries closed on November 12.

Í can’t remember the deadline for the Olympics but the next events are:

EduSport Trophy Jan 4 to 7 (conflicts with Nationals, final entries Dec 15)
FBMA Trophy Jan 4 to 7 (conflicts with Nationals, final entries Dec 1)

I don’t see anything else between these and the end of January which would be too late for the Olympics.

 

[Aceon6]

December 21st for countries who already have their spots. See the Minimums thread. Entries are closed for the 2 next qualifying comps. Bosphoros Cup might still be open.

ETA, I see that Bos Cup is closed. The January comps aren't an option as Canada already has its slots. The later deadline is solely for countries that get last minute spots.

 

[Sylvia]

Does anyone know the date he needs them by to qualify for the Olympics?

According to the IOC's figure skating qualification document, the Sport Entries deadline is 29 January 2018 (06:00 Korean Time):

Additional IF Requirements:
Minimum Total Elements Score
As per Rule 400.A/B, paragraph 5 of the 2016 Special Regulations Single & Pair Skating/Ice Dance, to be entered into and participate in the individual events (Ladies Single Skating, Men Single Skating, Pair Skating, Ice Dance) of the Olympic Winter Games, a skater/couple must have reached on or before the final entry deadline 29 January 2018

Skate Canada's 2018 Olympic Winter Games Selection Criteria document is posted here: https://info.skatecanada.ca/index.p...-olympic-winter-games-selection-criteria.html
It doesn't mention the minimum technical scores requirement or a deadline.

 

[Zazy]

It's possible Phan's team turned down an opportunity to get the senior minimums. When he was 13 they turned down a jgp invite because they thought he wasn't ready to compete at that level. Not quite the same thing but still, you never know.

 

[Winnipeg]

The men's event is not looking promising at this point in time.

 

[Japanfan]

The men's event is not looking promising at this point in time.

OTOH, there's an opportunity for a man to step up and demand that he be noticed!

It happens often in skating that a small window of opportunity opens up, and someone/some team seizes it. Of course it also happens that no one steps and all the skaters skate as if to say "Nah, I don't want it."

 

[Sylvia]

Change of scenery: Patrick Chan rejuvenated by move to Vancouver by Lori Ewing: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/w...atrick-chan-olympic-training-canada-1.4455396
Excerpt:

He said he and Zoueva speak every week or two. But for now, his training is a team effort that includes Elizabeth Putnam, a former pairs skater who writes training plans for many of the top skaters in Vancouver's Lower Mainland, plus Skate Canada physiologist Kelly Quipp, among others.
Chan was flying from Toronto to Edmonton on Monday night to work with Ravi Walia, coach of world silver medallist Kaetlyn Osmond.
Walia, who used to be a caller — a specialist on the judging panel who identifies and calls a program's elements, and their level of difficulty — has already been instrumental in rejigging a couple of jumps in Chan's free program.
"He's been great, he has a very analytical mind," Chan said. "He mentioned my element order was a bit off, so we had to switch things around."
Chan's coach at the national championships, Jan. 8-14, is still to be determined, but "whoever is going to be a nationals is going to be at Olympics, that's for sure," he said. "It's things to think about, but I'm also not in a rush to plan things so far ahead."

 

[screech]

Good to see he's got a team going for him. Kind of amazed to see Elizabeth Putnam listed! I'd had no idea what she was up to since her time competing ended.

Also great to hear he's gone to Ravia. I'm interested to see the results.

Just saw Patrick's twitter, where he posted about taking Air Canada to the O's. I hope it's Marina with him in the K&C, since he always seemed so relaxed with her, but if not, Ravi would be a good addition, since he'll be there anyways.

 

[barbarafan]

Good to see he's got a team going for him. Kind of amazed to see Elizabeth Putnam listed! I'd had no idea what she was up to since her time competing ended.

Also great to hear he's gone to Ravia. I'm interested to see the results.

Just saw Patrick's twitter, where he posted about taking Air Canada to the O's. I hope it's Marina with him in the K&C, since he always seemed so relaxed with her, but if not, Ravi would be a good addition, since he'll be there anyways.

Ravi and Elizabeth for Olympics

 

[chantilly]

I absolutely LOVE the idea of Patrick and Ravi.
It may just be the perfect match just in time!

 

[Marco]

Patrick and Ravi sounds interesting.

 

[mag]

Interesting. Elizabeth Putnam is also listed as one of Larkyn Austman’s coaches.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larkyn_Austman

 

[Japanfan]

Also great to hear he's gone to Ravia. I'm interested to see the results.

Just saw Patrick's twitter, where he posted about taking Air Canada to the O's. I hope it's Marina with him in the K&C, since he always seemed so relaxed with her, but if not, Ravi would be a good addition, since he'll be there anyways.

He hasn't gone to Ravi exactly, as Ravi's in Edmonton. Patrick appears to have stopped there on his way home to Vancouver to consult with Ravi. But maybe he'll have Ravi's help in Korea, and Ravi will be by the boards. If so, good choice on Patrick's part.

 

[RoseRed]

He hasn't gone to Ravi exactly, as Ravi's in Edmonton. Patrick appears to have stopped there on his way home to Vancouver to consult with Ravi. But maybe he'll have Ravi's help in Korea, and Ravi will be by the boards. If so, good choice on Patrick's part.

Well he said he's already worked with him a bit. Because the article said he was on his way to Edmonton after being in Toronto for the Air Canada thing, but Patrick also said Ravi has already adjusted his jump layout, so I'd think he's been there at least once already.