MONTREAL At Autumn Classic International on Friday, Japanese star Yuzuru Hanyu took a step beyond – in his first appearance of the Olympic season no less. Returning to an old Chopin routine he had done during the 2015-2016 season, Hanyu, still only 22, so young and so old at the same time, became a maestro. […]
Hanyu
Patrick Chan's new plan of attack
It’s as if Patrick Chan is sweating his way through a nightmare. Just as he is about to grasp the golden ring, it slips out of his reach. He’s running as fast as he can but it feels like slow motion, as his opponents pull away. We know how it feels, when the bottom suddenly […]
Chan's game plan in the face of all quads
About 3 ½ months ago, at Skate Canada International, Patrick Chan felt the heaviness in his legs during the long program and wondered why. Yes, he won the gold medal at Skate Canada last fall by almost four points over Yuzuru Hanyu, but it hadn’t gone as well as hoped in the free skate for […]
Is the quad Axel the next frontier?
Over the past year, male figure skaters have been loading their programs with more and different kinds of quadruple jumps, choosing airborne power over spins and fancy footwork. But nobody has touched the giant of them all, the quad Axel, a jump that by virtue of it being an Axel, has an extra half rotation […]
Jeff Buttle: a big deal
Read my story on Jeff Buttle on the Skate Canada website: http://www.skatecanada.ca/AboutUs/NewsDetails/tabid/2157/sni[2797]/3517/language/en-US/Default.aspx
Men's short program scramble
Tough day for some at the world figure skating championships in Saitama. There was poor Kevin Reynolds, trying to hold the world up on his narrow shoulders like Atlas, after a season of boot problems that still aren’t solved. Last year, with boots that fit like heaven, he was third in the short program. On […]