Patrick Chan wins silver at worlds
Two small errors in his free skate likely cost Patrick Chan a goldmedal Thursday night at the world figure skating championships in LosAngeles.
( m8 Y5 S& V+ T$ l; d# nToronto's Chan finished second behind American Evan Lysacek and just ahead of France's Brian Joubert, who took home the bronze.
7 J; \0 T- x! r& }5 @8 B5.39.217.76Chan's silver marks the second year in a row Canada has medalled inthe men's event. Jeffrey Buttle of Smooth Rock Falls, Ont., won goldlast year.公仔箱論壇- t, F0 w0 g1 V @& G2 L
"Jeez, I thought I was just going to walk home with a bronze, but towin a silver medal is just like icing on the cake," Chan said afterwatching Joubert fall twice during his free skate.
7 ?: B: u: Q6 S6 p"Getting off the ice, I had a huge smile on my face because I justdidn't expect to be where I am now after just my second worlds, and I'monly 18. It's a big shock. It's going to be weird going back to highschool, because I have to be a regular guy again."
: C9 B7 L: X( y% [- V5.39.217.76 Small mistakes proved costly Skatingto music by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Chan made two errors in his free-skateprogram, turning a planned double toe loop into a single, and doublinga planned triple loop. The mistakes only cost him about four points inhis score, but with the top three skaters so tightly bunched, there wasno room for error.: x# x* r; {& d C! V% t
Chan was third after the short program, in which many people feltthe judges short-changed the Canadian in his marks. However, there wereno surprised looks or jeers from the crowd about his marks in the freeskate.公仔箱論壇# W% W: N; f; ^$ t
Lysacek turned in the skate of his life for the gold, scoring 159.53 for his long routine, 4½ points ahead of Chan's 155.03.5.39.217.76* o5 _7 [3 w/ ~% _8 C
"I've been looking forward to this event for the last few years,ever since I found out it was coming to the Staples Center," Lysaceksaid. "I think that nervous energy was a positive for me, because Iturned it into adrenalin."
8 C; B% C' x0 d$ tChan was ninth in his world championship debut last year in Sweden,but with Buttle's retirement and Chan's spectacular season heading intoL.A., the young skater found himself a favourite.
' |/ i6 f5 `/ T9 E2 ?0 l$ K0 f- n公仔箱論壇He opened the season with a pair of Grand Prix victories, won theCanadian championships and then dominated a strong field to win the ISUFour Continents event last year in Vancouver.
) h) F) ]1 q# Y( Z3 cThis week, Chan found himself in the spotlight off-ice, when Joubertcriticized all the male skaters who don't have a quad jump in theirrepertoire. |
發表於 2009-3-27 08:29 PM
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