Before getting much further along with the U.S. coverage, here’s the Cliff Notes version of Canadian Nationals (the finals of which took place this past weekend):
MEN: As demonstrated by yesterday’s clip, Patrick Chan skated above and beyond the call of duty for the top spot. Kevin Reynolds was another story—an underrated quad and a popped triple axel in the SP set him down in 5th, and he was only able to improve to 4th by the end. No Worlds team for him! That coveted slot alongside Chan goes to Shawn Sawyer, who pulled a skate-of-his-life type of performance out of his huge Mad Hatter hat. Content-wise, he’s no match for the top guys. But he skated his best, landing the jumps he does have while embodying the character of his Alice in Wonderland program with fluid extension and passion. A well-deserved silver for him! Joey Russell landed between Sawyer and Reynolds for the bronze.
LADIES: Cynthia Phaneuf didn’t skate to perfection, but she did well enough to claim her first national title since 2004. Myriane Sampson, third behind Joannie Rochette and Phaneuf last year, also slid up a spot to claim silver this time. Amelie Lacoste, the bronze medalist from the GP’s Skate Canada, ended up third here as well. And if you were wondering how Jessica Dube (usually partnered with Bryce Davison) managed as a singles skater… she had a nice program with a few bobbles (including doubling her salchows after falling on one in the SP). Check it out yourself; it’s the Clip of the Day.
PAIRS: Moore-Towers/Moscovitch continued their breakout season with their first senior national title. Duhamel/Radford rose up from 4th in the SP to take silver; Lawrence/Swiegers hung in for bronze.
DANCE: With Virtue/Moir sitting out this Nationals, Crone/Poirier were the clear favorites; however, it’s worth noting that while they DID win… Weaver/Poje were right, and I mean right behind them (as in a mere 1.03 points behind). Paul/Islam were 10 points further back for bronze.
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Good call on Joey Russell being a contender! I wasn't too impressed with his Nebelhorn performances but he really came prepared and delivered here. Except for Shawn Sawyer, all the other men I expected to challenge for the podium crumbled!
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