Patrick Chan will be a contender at the world championships in Los Angeles beginning March 23. (Gerard Chataigneau, FSC-Sportims)If Patrick Chan's Cheshire grin had disappeared following his men's singles victory on Feb 7 at the Four Continents figure skating championships, it probably returned with Thursday's good news.
The Ottawa native is the latest Canadian athlete to join the McDonald's roster of sponsored athletes.
"I am truly grateful for the support of McDonald's Canada and feel fortunate to join a group of incredible athletes that includes [speedskater] Cindy Klassen and [diver] Alexandre Despatie," Chan, 18, said in a statement.
The 2005 national junior champion's latest victory, coupled with his Canadian championship in January and back-to-back Grand Prix triumphs before that, makes Chan one of Canada's best hopes for a medal at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
Chan, who will be a contender at the world championships in Los Angeles beginning March 23, will help spread the Olympic spirit in the coming months through speaking engagements, community functions and restaurant visits.
The Vancouver Games will be the seventh Olympics that McDonald's has sponsored through The Olympic Partner Programme, known as TOP.
Its inaugural Games were 1968 in Grenoble, France, when the company airlifted hamburgers to American athletes, who were homesick for McDonald's food.
