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Comments don't detract from the action
| Source: |
Globe and Mail |
| Date: |
March 26, 2009 |
| Author: |
Beverley Smith |
LOS ANGELES -- People almost filled the stands this morning at the
world figure-skating championships for the last men's practice before
the short program, but most notably for the final two groups.
The 2007 world champion Brian Joubert came out and looked ready to do
his business. He looked strong. Look out.
He stuck around afterwards to watch the next practice, which included
Patrick Chan, the 18-year-old Canadian kid who had some strong words
to say about Joubert early in the week.
Admittedly, Joubert was watching not only Chan, but U.S. champion
Jeremy Abbott, up-and-coming Japanese skater Takahiko Kozuka, flashy
Czech champion Tomas Verner, and Belgian power-jumper Kevin van der
Perren, who, alas, won't be trying a quad in the short program later
today.
Chan was quoted in the Toronto Sun saying that Joubert's remarks at
the world championships last year were "a bit of a turnoff because
now I know he's a bit of a sore loser, I guess."
"If he doesn't win, he always has an excuse for not winning and not
skating well. Unfortunately, that's his personality and I don't really
like it."
His comments took Joubert by surprise, and they seemed so out of
character for the young skater who is generally liked by his
peers.
Chan also took a run at Alexei Yagudin's footwork, saying that he
didn't do anything in his day that compares to what is required in the
new judging system. He's right. Although Yagudin's footwork was
wonderful to watch and full of flash, there are those who say it
wasn't always that difficult.
Kurt Browning describes that line of footwork that Yagudin made famous
in his short program as "minus level three" footwork (the system of
difficult ranges from one to four). "I teach that footwork to adult
skaters who have only been on the ice for two years," he
said.
But Browning makes the point that Yagudin's flying footwork came at a
time before the new judging system came in, and the energy with which
he did it and the style and the effect that it had, got the people
standing on their feet at the end. "We in the skating world know that
it was one of the most memorable pieces of footwork that we had," he
said.
Joubert's point last year was that although Jeffrey Buttle won the
world title, he did it without a quad, and that just didn't seem right
to him. Joubert is a lover of the quad, and had planned three in his
free skate last year, although he accomplished only one.
There are some who back Joubert's point, saying that if you strip the
quad from the event, the men's competition will be less interesting,
and will lose spectators.
The last four Olympic men's champions landed quads in their routines:
Alexei Urmanov, Ilia Kulik, Yagudin and Evgeny Plushenko, all from
Russia.
Buttle won the world title last year without a quad. Chan doesn't have
the quad in his repertoire yet.
There are only five men who plan the quad for today's short program
and that includes (incredibly enough) unknown Philippine skater
Michael Dimalanta, Russian Sergei Voronov, Joubert, Yannick Ponsero,
of France and Verner.
It's just too risky, especially in a short program. Although the quad
is worth more points this year than last, it also costs a skater more
if he doesn't land it. And if a skater falls too far behind in the
short program, it's not impossible, but becomes more difficult, at
least psychologically, to climb back up, especially in a talent-packed
field.
In his run-through in his morning practice, Chan fell hard on a triple
Axel, and moments later, Kozuka, with a humble air, seemingly unaware
of his slick ability, landed a triple Axel with ease.
After the run-through, Chan came back and landed a clean triple
Axel. It's that triple Axel that could be his undoing this
week. Forget the quad. Chan needs to go for those jumps without fear,
without reservation.
That being said, his triple Lutz out of footwork is exceedingly
difficult and rather extraordinary.
Verner did a quadruple toe loop – triple toe loop during the practice,
although he bobbled on the landing of the second jump, and then
grinned for the crowd. He's a showman and fun to watch. After his
practice, he took his bows, and then moved closer to the boards, right
in front of the stands, bowed again with a friendly grin and milked
the applause for all it was worth.
Joubert moved into the seats to watch, but was hampered from seeing
anything important because all sorts of skating fans rushed over to
get his autograph and blocked his view of the ice surface. Joubert, as
always, obliged.
Chan and Abbott stayed out on the ice the longest, taking advantage of
every minute available to them.
Browning, who used to work on Joubert's choreography, hasn't talked to
him in a year, but said his practices here have been strong.
He said he would advise him, however, to pull good feeling from his
2007 season, when he was strong, on top of his game.
He's had a bad year, Browning said, with skate problems, injuries and
other things. He needs to put all that behind him.
If Browning were to work with him again, however, he said he'd
exercise some tough love. "I like Brian,'' he said. "I would do what
I think is best for him."
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