Athlete's Bios
Figure Skating
Chan's 1st Olympics in home country
Last Updated: Friday, February 5, 2010 | 4:57 PM ET
New York Times for CBC Sports
Patrick Chan ditched dreams of playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, because he wanted to be the next Kurt Browning. (David J. Phillip/Associated Press)Canadian figure skater Patrick Chan hopes timing is on his side. His career progression has him on track to reach his first Olympics, which would be the 2010 Vancouver Games, in his home country.
The Ottawa native has become one of the best in the world, as the two-time defending Canadian champion and the 2009 silver medallist at the world championships.
Chan’s road to Vancouver hit some bumps during the 2009 fall season, forcing him to change his training and competition schedules. He withdrew from the Rostlecom Cup in late October after tearing a calf muscle in his left leg during pre-event training. He returned a month later, finishing in Skate Canada.
Chan, who will be 19 when the Olympics begin, did not compete in enough events to qualify for the 2009 Grand Prix Final. “I’ve had people telling me who have trained for the Olympics say: ‘You know, Patrick, be careful this year. Weird things happen. Things that you never thought would happen'," Chan told The Toronto Star.
He said his calf injury was one of those weird things.
“I take it in stride,” he said, “and I’m actually getting lots of positive feedback and positive things out of this and I’ll move on. It’s a blessing in disguise, actually.”
Chan grew up in Toronto. He began skating at age five with the goal of playing hockey. But he soon ditched dreams of playing for the Maple Leafs and decided he wanted to be the next Kurt Browning.
Chan spent much of his career with one coach, the former two-time Canadian champion Osborne Carlson. He died in 2006, at the age of 90.
Chan did not go too far to find a new coach. He tapped the American Don Laws, Carlson’s protégé and former coach for the United States Olympians Scott Hamilton and Michael Weiss. Chan also works with the choreographer Lori Nichol and with Browning.
Chan has not landed a quad jump in competition, putting him behind many of his expected competitors, and his leg injury could complicate the jump issue. He acknowledged that the difficulty of his jumps could loom large.
“I think it’s important to do it at the Olympic Games,” Chan told TSN.com. “I think Canada hasn’t had enough people known to do quads in the program.
“I think I would like, at the end of my skating career, I would like to say 'yes, I did the quad,' instead of [being] one of those who was able to rely on my skating skills and my artistry to back me up,” he said.
