Did you hear? Patrick Chan fell four times at the Japan Open earlier this month and placed last?
Blog upon blog have dumped on Chan since his result, and Twitter wasn’t too kind either. With Chan going into the Skate Canada Invitational as the two-time defending champion, no doubt the Japan Open is weighing on his mind. Probably, just a shot in the dark, because he’s constantly reminded of it.
A skater can train for hours, weeks, months, years and be perfect. And other times, all it takes is one moment, one second of lost focus for a program to fall apart. When it does, a skater needs our support, not to be dumped on and doubted.
What we need to understand is figure skaters aren’t born with skates on their feet. They put them on one at a time and then defy the laws of gravity.
If Chan doesn’t defend his title this weekend social media will probably be a buzz with “OMG, it’s all over for Patrick.” And it he does win: “OMG, I knew you could do it! #gochan”
We can’t be flip-flopping with our skaters. We’re either behind them 100 per cent or not at all. It’s a shame people doubt Chan’s talent. I understand not liking his programs or his choreography. But to actually dump on a guy who, like Kurt Browning, apologized to Canada when he didn’t win a medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics – nay sayers, give your head a shake.
Skating Scene 