Patrick Chan

Infobox Figure skater
title= Patrick Chan


caption= Chan in 2005.
country= CAN
dateofbirth= birth date and age|1990|12|31
residence= Toronto, Ontario
height= 171 cm
coach= Donald Laws, Ellen Burka
formercoach=Shin Amano, Osborne Colson,
Mei Yang
choreographer= Lori Nichol
skating club= Granite Club, Toronto
retired=
combined total= 214.94
combined date= 2007 Trophée Eric Bompard
SP score= 70.89
SP date= 2007 Trophée Eric Bompard
FS score= 145.86
FS date= 2007 Skate America

Patrick Chan (born December 31, 1990 in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian figure skater. He is the 2008 Canadian Champion and 2007 World Junior silver medalist.

Personal life

Chan was born in Ottawa, Ontario and he is of Han Chinese descent. His Chinese name is Wěiqún (zh-tsp|t=陳偉群 |s=陈伟群|p=Chén Wěiqún; Jyutping: can4 wai5 kwan4). His father, Louis, immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong when he was a child; his mother, Karen, immigrated from Hong Kong at age 20.cite news |first=Laurie |last=Nealin |title=Chan eyeing SKAM podium |url=http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071022&content_id=35174&vkey=ice_news |work= |publisher= |date=2007-10-22|accessdate=2007-10-24 ] [cite web |url=http://www.isufs.org/bios/isufs00007980.htm |title=ISU Biography |accessdate=2008-03-11 |format= |work= ] Chan speaks English, French, and Cantonese, cite web |url=http://www.asianathlete.com/AthleteDisplayForm.aspx?ID=668 |title=AsianAthlete.com: Patrick Chan |accessdate=2008-01-18 |format= |work= ] and attends École secondaire Étienne-Brûlé, a French language school in North York, Toronto.

In January 2008, the Chinese Cultural Center of Greater Toronto (Youth Chapter) conferred Chan with the 2007 Chinese Canadian Youth of the Year award. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= Patrick Chan wins Chinese Canadian Youth Achievement Award |url=http://www.skatecanada.ca/en/news_views/news/2007_2008/jan_9.cfm |work= |publisher=Skate Canada |date=2008-01-09 |accessdate=2008-01-18 ] [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=12華青榮獲青年成就獎 陳偉群當選「風雲青年」 |url=http://www.mingpaotor.com/htm/News/20080113/tfa1.htm |work= |publisher=Ming Pao Toronto |date=2008-01-13 |accessdate=2008-01-18 |language=Chinese ] In May 2008, Chan was named Asian of the Year in arts and sports by "Asia Network" magazine. [cite news |first=Tim |last=Shufelt |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Asian awards focus on spirit of helping |url=http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=e4c9321e-060f-41d8-9fb8-e74ca0b381db |work= |publisher=The Ottawa Citizen |date=2008-05-22 |accessdate=2008-05-25 ]

Career

Chan started skating at age five. He won three consecutive National titles from 2002 to 2004. His Junior national title in 2004 earned him a trip to the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, where he placed 7th. At the age of fourteen, he was the youngest skater at the event. [cite news |first=Barry |last=Mittan |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Canadian Chan on a Gold Medal Streak |url=http://www.skatetoday.com/articles0405/050105.htm |work= |publisher=Skate Today |date=2005-05-01 |accessdate=2008-01-18 ]

The following season, he skated on the Junior Grand Prix. He won the gold medal at the event in Montreal. He qualified for the Junior Grand Prix Final, where he placed 5th. He made his senior debut at Nationals that year and placed 7th. He earned a spot to the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, where he moved up one placement, to 6th.

Chan was coached by Osborne Colson from the beginning of his career until Colson's death in July, 2006. Chan switched coaches to Shin Amano, who coached in the same facility. This was a temporary arrangement that lasted six months. Chan began working with Don Laws as a secondary coach and switched fully to Laws in 2007, splitting his time between being coached by Laws in Florida and Ellen Burka in Toronto. [cite news |first=Barry |last=Mittan |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Chan Sets Sights on 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games |url=http://www.goldenskate.com/articles/2007/091007.shtml |work= |publisher=Golden Skate |date=2007-09-10 |accessdate=2008-01-18 ]

Despite having only one Junior international medal, Chan made the choice to move up to senior following that season. He was assigned two Grand Prix events. Chan made his senior international debut at the 2006 Trophee Eric Bompard, where he placed 5th. He followed it up at the 2006 NHK Trophy, where he placed 7th. In January 2007, Chan competed at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Halifax and placed 5th. This earned him his third consecutive trip to the Junior Worlds, where he became the first Canadian men's skater since 1984 [cite news |first=Randi |last=Druzin |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Patrick Chan: Canadian teenager carving a name for himself in first senior season |url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/feature-patrickchan-qa.html |work= |publisher=CBC Sports |date=2007-11-20 |accessdate=2008-01-18 ] to win a medal at the Junior Worlds when he won the silver in 2007. [cite web |url=http://www.isufs.org/results/wjc2007/CAT001RS.HTM|title=ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships - Junior Men |accessdate=2008-01-18 |format= |work= ]

Chan began the 2007-2008 Grand Prix season at the 2007 Skate America, where he won the bronze medal. He then went on to win the 2007 Trophee Eric Bompard. He placed 5th at the 2007-2008 Grand Prix Final. After winning the 2008 Canadian Figure Skating Championships at age 17, it was widely reported that Chan had become the youngest Canadian men's champion in history. [cite news |first=Beverly |last=Smith |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Chan becomes youngest men's champion |url=http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080119.wspt-skating-men19/GSStory/GlobeSportsOther/home |work= |publisher=Globe and Mail |date=2008-01-19 |accessdate=2008-01-27] [cite news |first=Terry |last=Bell |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Chan becomes Canada's youngest men's figure skating champ |url=http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=250561 |work= |publisher=National Post |date=2008-01-19 |accessdate=2008-01-20 ] [cite news |first=Lyndon |last=Little |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Chan youngest to nab Canadian crown |url=http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=73d39298-061b-4578-9742-b4e604be20cd |work= |publisher=Vancouver Sun |date=2008-01-19 |accessdate=2008-01-27] [cite news |title=Chan youngest to win men's national title |url=http://www.tsn.ca/figure_skating/news_story/?ID=227754&hubname= |work= |publisher=TSN |date=2008-01-19 |accessdate=2008-01-27] [cite news |title=陳偉群花式溜冰錦標賽摘金 |url=http://www.mingpaovan.com/htm/News/20080120/vaa2.htm |work= |publisher=Ming Pao Vancouver |date=2008-01-20 |accessdate=2008-01-27 |language=Chinese] [cite news |first=Martin |last=Cleary |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=More skating success stories begin this week in Ottawa |url=http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/sports/story.html?id=76755d23-0b61-4570-ab69-ca76d8262f10 |work= |publisher=The Ottawa Citizen |date=2008-01-30 |accessdate=2008-01-30]

Chan competed at the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships in March, 2008. He placed seventh in the short program and eleventh in the free skating, placing ninth overall. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Canada's figure skaters on target for 2010 Vancouver Olympics |url=http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5i8FrAoVqyJ0m_3fQv_HheaMkBfcg |work= |publisher=Canadian Press |date=2008-03-23 |accessdate=2008-03-23] Canada had two spots to the 2008 World Championships. Chan's placement, combined with that of Jeffrey Buttle, who won the event, earned Canada three spots to the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships in the men's event.

Programs

Competitive highlights

*N = Novice level; J = Junior level

References

External links

* [http://patrickchan.ca/ Official site]
*
* [http://www.skatecanada.ca/en/athletes/national_teams/team_profiles/profile.cfm?strregid=1358573&strcategory=single Skate Canada Profile]