My husband was carded at 45 ....He can't be Old-Chan if he's getting carded.
My husband was carded at 45 ....He can't be Old-Chan if he's getting carded.
Zoueva: You should ask Patrick himself. He’s in Vancouver now. He must decide everything for himself. I adore him, I’m ready to start working at any time. He is the best “performer” in the world. This was him who began a new era in men’s single skating. Patrick is still young, he should continue to skate, as long as possible! I experience his problems together with him, fatigue, all this is not easy … But his skating is unique, unforgettable, no one can compare with him.
There was a tweet of him posing on the ice with a skater from the Coquitlam club in Vancouver the other day. So he's taking ice time....
PJ Kwong talks Canadian skaters in this video from yesterday and she states that she has heard that Patrick will be at Nationals in Vancouver and has every intention of competing at the Olympics.
https://www.facebook.com/SkatingPj/videos/1768928616458901/
Thanks clairecloutier and mags. I'm feeling a bit better since listening to PJ, as it seems she's been talking to either Patrick or someone close to him. I have no idea what's going on and why he's chosen to be in Vancouver, but I'm cautiously optimistic that he's training for Nationals. As PJ says, whew!
I am really baffled and quite frankly angry with Patrick's behaviour.
This season if anything has proven is that quads alone aren't enough.
If he just focused on doing his two quads well and triple axels,he had a real hope of being on the podium this year.
In fact he may have been in the running for gold or silver.
The quadsters have been somewhat imploding this season, while whole package skaters like Rippon and Brown are doing well.
And neither of them has a reliable quad.
Patrick can still get that team gold.Patrick is older now and his best days as a competitor - three world titles and Olympic silver - are behind him. The field has passed him by. He has nothing much to gain from competing at another Olympics than the opportunities accorded by the Federation's approval.
I agree with you 100%.But to be fair, Patrick has to want it. I've posted before in this thread or elsewhere that Patrick isn't a really great competitor - he does not thrive on competition as some skaters do (i.e. Kwan, Stojko). He usually does well at Nationals, and there hasn't been anyone to really contend with him for the title since he beat Buttle years ago.
And he's not had great experiences at the Olympics. In Sochi, he pretty much had the gold handed to him on a silver platter (pun intended) and gave it away. He just caved under the pressure, and the media didn't help by hounding him relentlessly in the run up to the games.
IMO Patrick has been pressured by the Federation/TPTB to stay in and compete at this Olympics, because he can pretty much be counted on to at least place top ten - but top five appears to have become his comfort zone.
Patrick is older now and his best days as a competitor - three world titles and Olympic silver - are behind him. The field has passed him by. He has nothing much to gain from competing at another Olympics than the opportunities accorded by the Federation's approval.
He's said things like "it's only skating, it's not life" in interviews. This reflects a balanced viewpoint to be sure, but I'm reminded of Alexei Yagudin in 2002 saying that winning the Olympics was his "destiny". Those two views really distinguish the contrast between the two skaters approach to the Olympics.
Patrick can still get that team gold.
I agree with you 100%.
But then why come back with that interview about valuing artistry and what he can offer instead of chasing quads etc and having the Olympic experience he wants.
I just feel like he gave up and has thrown it all away.
It's been a joy to watch Adam in particular make a statement on the ice with gorgeous programs that are making me yearn for days of old instead of this quad madness which seems frantic, dangerous and messy.
For what it's worth... PJ Kwong says on her Facebook live that Patrick intends to compete at Nats & Olys:If his heart is not in it any more, I'd rather he announce his retirement now.
(source for transcription)PJ: I have heard that Patrick will be at Canadians, and he has every intention of competing at the Olympic Games. (wipes forehead) Whew! Which I think is great, because I want Patrick, for him, to be able to finish out the season in the way that he would like to, so I think that that’s just great news. So… fingers crossed that it all turns out the way that it’s supposed to.
I'm not complaining, but I am expressing concern. I want Patrick to finish out his amateur career on a high note, so I hope that he is training intelligently for what is to come. I've never been one to believe that he always needs to work with a technical coach, because his jumps are there IMO. For him I think the issues are usually mental. The reports from Skate Canada were that he wasn't even attempting the big jumps in practice, not that he was having difficulty with them. I have no expectations for the Olympics, but I want him to enjoy himself and put out programs that he is proud of. I truly wish that for him. I do believe he wants his 10th Canadian title and he wants to help the Canadian team win another team medal at Olympics.Are we back to complaining about Chan in his cheer thread...again????
Yes, I know he does, but I'm talking about training. Is he working with a coach based in Vancouver? I guess we'll know by who is at the boards at Canadians.
I'm not complaining, but I am expressing concern. I want Patrick to finish out his amateur career on a high note, so I hope that he is training intelligently for what is to come. I've never been one to believe that he always needs to work with a technical coach, because his jumps are there IMO. For him I think the issues are usually mental. The reports from Skate Canada were that he wasn't even attempting the big jumps in practice, not that he was having difficulty with them. I have no expectations for the Olympics, but I want him to enjoy himself and put out programs that he is proud of. I truly wish that for him. I do believe he wants his 10th Canadian title and he wants to help the Canadian team win another team medal at Olympics.
That's my fear, that we'll see Mike Slipchuk at the boards or something. But if that's what it takes for Patrick to feel comfortable, then at this point I'm OK with it.