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Patrick Chan: Nine-time Canadian Champion!

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Last updated: Tuesday, January 31, 2017

OMG OMG OMG… How many “OMG”s can one say in response to Pchiddy’s spectacular free skate tonight? Before he skated I prayed hard and imagined him skating joyfully, carefree on the ice… and he did! What a way to end the men’s competition at #CTNSC17!

*For more on the Exhibition Gala, scroll down to the bottom of this post.

Free Skate Video

And here’s his post-free skate interview, along with a transcript. I am so proud of him for learning how to skate in the flow, something I’ve wanted him to do since I became a fan… and he did it tonight!

Rod: Nine times a gold medalist in Canada. And the champ is with Sarah.

Reporter Sarah: Thank you, Rod. Patrick, your ninth national title, you tied Montgomery Wilson, what does this mean to you to be able to achieve that?

Patrick: Yeah, now that it’s over and it’s official, it’s sinking in through my body, and it’s you know, into goosebumps. So it’s really… I need a day to take it in, to be honest, it’s just happening so fast.

Sarah: Fair enough. I mean, it did just happen… look for your immediate reaction though, but… Patrick, you think about the changes that you’ve made this year in terms of your training, where, coaches, everything. Why right now is this the right fit for you as you continue to try to build towards 2018 and the Olympics?

Patrick: One thing I’ve learned is you just trust how it feels. At this level, you can trust your instinct. And I… my instinct is telling me that I’m on the right track, getting on the ice doing performances like this. Yes, little mistakes, but, the overall feeling… that’s what I strive for, is how it feels and being… in my own world, and just being taken away from my current… I don’t know, where I am… You just get transported somewhere else. That’s a good sign, so I think I’m on the right track.

Sarah: Well, you brought the fans into that world with you. Congratulations, Patrick on another national title.

Patrick: Thanks so much.

Rod: So here he is. Really, the greatest modern day champion beats Brian Orser’s record of eight, Montgomery Wilson. Patrick Chan, next year will make it ten in Vancouver likely. Elvis Stojko up there. So coach Marina Zoueva, choreographer David Wilson, composer Eric Radford. And in a word, “wow, wow,” composer said it. Patrick Chan does it again. Undisputed king of Canada.

Post-Victory Interviews

Here’s a great post-victory ceremony interview with a transcript below. The funny thing is that recently I thought that Patrick should thank the younger guys for giving him a challenge and pushing him to even greater heights than before. Here, he says exactly that!

Reporter: Hi everyone, and welcome to our all-access pass presented by Canadian Tire. Lucky for you guys, I am joined with our now nine-time Canadian champion, Patrick Chan. Patrick, this program we know means a lot to you, but to skate it like that, out there today, win your ninth title, what’s the feeling?

Patrick: It’s special. When you’re doing it, you’re really just focused on the task at hand, and, I had personal goals going into it, but now that it’s all over and I can enjoy this ninth title, it’s special, and I was finally able to do a great opening section with quad toe and quad sal, and there’s no better place than to do it at home in Canada.

Reporter: You’ve really been pushing your own personal boundaries as far as your skating goes. You added the quad sal to your program, landed it for the first time at Grand Prix Final and again here today. What’s that like, knowing that for you personally, you’re really making progression?

Patrick: I look back to Sochi 2014, and taking the year off, I thought that I had reached my peak in my career, technically and artistically. So, to come back and almost… just for fun, add another quad to my repertoire is great. It’s a success on it’s own, so I hope to just keep pushing the boundary. You know, maybe the next step would be to add it in the short program, two quads in the short, to keep up with the guys, and… I have to thank the younger guys for pushing me.

Reporter: Speaking of your comeback, you took a year off. We all know that because we missed you when you were gone. But tell me a little bit about your journey back to skating. What inspired you to make that comeback?

Patrick: Uh, I didn’t really know actually, honestly, until recently. It’s a conversation that I’ve had more recently than I did immediately. For me now I think it’s being able to conquer my own kind of fears. Competing is a beast of its own. I… personally for a long time did not, do not enjoy competing. Yeah, it’s nervewracking, so I want to be able to conquer that. I want to end my career knowing that I’m in full control of my body physically, mentally, in every event, so that I can give myself the best chance for the best performance.

Reporter: Well then, it’s for you, I guess.

Patrick: Yes, and that’s how it should be, right?

Reporter: Exactly. Well, thank you so much for joining us. Do you have anything to say to our Facebook Live fans that are all tuning in today?

Patrick: Thanks for tuning in this late at night. I really appreciate it. Number nine feels great.

Reporter: Awesome, well, we can’t wait to see hopefully number ten next year.

Patrick: Yes.

Reporter: Thank you for joining us, and good luck with the rest of the season.

Patrick: Thank you.

PJ Kwong’s Interview Clip

Other Interview Quotes
Patrick talked about his mental preparation for competition, including seeing a University of Michigan sports psychologist, and his goal of staying in the present during all of his performances leading up to the Olympics. I am so glad Marina encouraged him to work on this, as it’s something I’ve wanted him to do for a long time! (IceNetwork article)

“(I’m just) trying to stay in the moment, stay in the present,” said Chan, who consulted a sports psychologist at the University of Michigan. “I had two sessions prior to the national championships. I found it helped, and I made great strides mentally. When you’re able to perform in the moment and not think of the results and the buts and the ifs, just be completely mindful and immersed in what’s happening in that exact moment, it’s really special,” Chan said. “It’s what I strive for in every performance. That’s going to be my goal leading all the way up to the Olympics.”

See more articles about Patrick’s victory and mindset in the sidebar of this website under “Google News Feed”!

Onsite Report!

Longtime fan 4everchan was finally able to go see Patrick live for the first time! He reported that Patrick is definitely a must-see in person!

As I said, it was a special moment for me. I wanted to see Patrick compete once in my life… and if my life may be ongoing for a little or long while, Patrick’s competitive career will mostly end after PC.. whether or not he wins… if he skates like tonight, I will be satisfied. I feel inspired and motivated like I haven’t been to accomplish myself further. He is a true inspiration… Ladies next to me jumped just as high as I did when he finished… there was so much love for Patrick in that arena … so much that it would wash down anything negative said about him/ his skating… a true model.. a true hero.
The Scores

205.36 for his free skate for a total of 296.86!

Accolades for Patrick

The champion mesmerized fans and brought them to tears, unleashing a torrent of praise for his performance! Here are some of them:

Photos and Video Clips

The Canadian red ribbon of his gold medal provided a striking contrast against his red and blue ombre costume! See more photos posted by Skate Ontario on Facebook here, here, and here!

He has tied the record for most # of men's national titles – Congrats @pchan31 #ctnsc17

A photo posted by Pj Kwong (@pjkwong) on

#patrickchan #champion ⛸⛸👌🏻👏🏻👏🏻 #canada2017

A photo posted by odtlara 🇲🇽🇨🇦🇬🇧 (@odtlara) on

#patrickchan #skatingchamp #canada

A video posted by odtlara 🇲🇽🇨🇦🇬🇧 (@odtlara) on

It’s just incredible that even audience members high up in the stands could capture the sound of Patrick’s blades on the ice on their fan cams!

#PatrickChan is absolutely flawless. What a performance. #nationalchampionship #figureskating #perfection

A video posted by S 👑🐝 (@stacypardy) on

#Patrickchan ready for #tripleaxel

A photo posted by Vincent (@vinwaxie) on

Pre-Competition and Warmup

Patrick took a spectacular spill on an axel during the 6-minute warmup, but he then went on to do a beautiful triple-triple combination.

Good luck, Patrick! Nice quad in practice 🙂 #skatecanada #canadianchampion #patrickchan

A photo posted by Adrienne (@mommycool3) on

What a night for the sublime king of ice, Patrick Chan!

 

January 22: Exhibition Gala

Fancam:

Backstage at the gala (video):

Patrick's gala practice (video):

Last but not least, my "artwork" to congratulate Patrick on his victory:

What a great way for Patrick to start 2017! I look forward to seeing him improve even more during the rest of the season and year!

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