More Opinion
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PJ Kwong
World Team Trophy 2012 wrap-up
I will start off on a positive note: hats off to the ISU for trying to find a way to expand the sport by creating a team event in the World Team Trophy. This event was held for the second time over the weekend in Tokyo, Japan.
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PJ Kwong
Canada's Nexxice takes silver at synchro figure skating worlds
What could be more exciting than watching a pair of skaters in close
proximity dazzling us with dramatic, creative and high-risk programs
like we see in ice dance and pairs events?
Try 16 skaters doing the same thing. That's what we saw from each of the
21 teams competing at this year's ISU World Synchronized Skating
Championships in Gothenberg, Sweden, where the goal for Canada was to
return to the top of the podium for the first time since 2009.At the end of the day, Team Surprise from Sweden took their sixth world title, and Canada's Nexxice earned a silver medal.
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PJ Kwong
Canada on top of the figure skating world
Canada enjoyed an especially sweet week at the 2012 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Nice, France. The ice dance team of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and men's skater Patrick Chan each claimed their second world title, marking the first time since 1993 that Canada won two gold medals at the world championships.
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PJ Kwong
Who can challenge Patrick Chan at the world championships?
At this week's World Figure Skating Championships, the only discipline with a clear favourite is the men's event, with
world record holder Patrick Chan of Canada looking to defend his title in Nice, France.Chan's biggest opposition figures to come from
former world champion Daisuke Takahashi of Japan. Takahashi's strength
is in displaying the same joie de vivre and technical prowess
that Chan shows in his skating, but he will have to be flawless in both
the short and the free to really challenge the champion.
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PJ Kwong
Lacoste can bolster Canadian Olympic hopes at worlds
For Canadian skaters, there's a lot riding on the results at the World Figure Skating Championships in Nice, France. Patrick Chan is defending his men's title, while dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are trying to re-claim
theirs after finishing second in 2011 to Americans Meryl Davis and
Charlie White.But I think in some ways the most challenging
competition will be for Canadian champion Amelie Lacoste, who's the
country's lone representative in the ladies' event. In order for Canada
to be able to send two women next year, Lacoste has to finish in the top
10.
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PJ Kwong
Judge For Yourself
When a fan sent me a note recently asking for clarification on the scoring system in figure skating, I figured: What better way to learn about it than to do it yourself in a fun and interactive game I'm calling "Judge for Yourself."Here's your chance to be the judging and technical panel from the comfort of your own home!
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PJ Kwong
Pj's Top 10: Shock & awe moments at worlds
The ISU World Figure Skating Championships are unique in that no points
are carried into the event. What happens on the day of competition
determines the result. It's an all or nothing scenario.In no particular order, here are my top 10 "shock and/or awe" moments at worlds.
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PJ Kwong
Chinese junior pair could be skating's next big thing
Last week's World Junior Figure Skating Championships showcased some glorious skaters who will undoubtedly make the grade when they hit the senior ranks to stay.The Chinese team of Wenjing Sui and Cong Han were head and shoulders above the rest of the pairs competition on their way to their third consecutive junior world title, and if they continue to evolve they may be one of those teams that come along to redefine the sport.
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PJ Kwong
Junior Worlds showcase Canada's next figure skating stars
The upcoming ISU Junior World Figure Skating Championships are going to
be interesting to watch. Why, you may ask? Now more than ever, the
Junior Worlds could hold the clue for Canadians fans about who to watch
out for in the future.
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PJ Kwong
Catching up with Sale, Pelletier 10 years after defining Olympics
It was 10 years ago Friday that Canadian pair skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier stepped on to the podium to receive their Olympic Gold medals. In the back hallways of a rink in Peterborough, Ont., earlier this week in preparation for the Rock The Ice show, Sale and Pelletier shared some thoughts with me on their special time.
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PJ Kwong
Four Continents ice dance sets up battle royale at worlds
If the fierceness of the competition in the ice dance at this past weekend's Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Colorado Spring, Colo., is any indication, look for that event to be the battle of the year come worlds in Nice, France, in March.
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PJ Kwong
Canadians could dominate Four Continents event
Since 1999 skaters from non-European nations have been vying for titles at the ISU Four Continents figure skating Championships. This year is no exception with the championship heading to Colorado Springs, Colo., for the third time.
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PJ Kwong
Depth lacking in European figure skating
It's not that there aren't skating stars in Europe. There are. It is more a case of there not being a lot of depth in any one area.
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PJ Kwong
Patrick Chan sizes up the competition
Patrick Chan knows that he is considered the man to beat at this year's world championships. He also knows that
there are other men out there who are making their own headlines.
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PJ Kwong
Fernandez's star rising for European Championships
The skating world is clearly eager for stars and Pj Kwong thinks you needn't look any further than Toronto, the training location of two-time Spanish men's champion Javier Fernandez.
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PJ Kwong
Magical Chan makes history at Canadians
The city of Moncton, N.B., was hopping over the weekend as the host city for the Canadian figure skating championships.
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PJ Kwong
13-year-old figure skater could turn heads at nationals
The 98th Canadian Figure Skating Championships take place in Moncton
this week, and it promises to be one of the more interesting
competitions in a non-Olympic season.There is no doubt in my mind that Patrick Chan will claim his fifth consecutive men's title, but Nam Nguyen is a name you're going to want to remember. The 13-year-old
phenom from British Columbia is the youngest to have won the national
junior title, doing so at the age of 12 in 2011.
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PJ Kwong
Q & A: Cynthia Phaneuf
Defending Canadian ladies figure skating champion Cynthia Phaneuf sat down for a Q & A session with Pj Kwong to preview this year's national championships and talk about her new training environment, coach Brian Orser, and her goals for the rest of the season and beyond.
Figure Skating Contributors
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