In the Senior division, Jeffrey Buttle (NO) won his third consecutive title, while Christopher Mabee (WO) won his first senior medal – the silver. Emanuel Sandhu (BC/YT) settled for bronze.
All three men will compete at both the upcoming Worlds and 4CCs.
Jeremy Ten (BC/YT) was the winner in the Junior division, while Elladj Balde (QC) and Jean-Simon Légaré (QC) won the silver and bronze, respectively.
There are three berths for the men at Junior Worlds. Patrick Chan (CO), Kevin Reynolds (BC/YT), and Joey Russell (NL) were chosen to represent Canada.
Short Program (Juniors)
Légaré took command of the ice, opening his very expressive routine to Vanessa-Mae’s Emerald Tiger with a double Axel, followed by a triple Lutz-double toeloop combination and a triple flip. The 2007 Eastern Challenge Junior silver medalist also produced two level four combination spins, as well as good footwork, earning 54.25 points for a first place finish.
Ten fell out of a triple Lutz (in combination with a double toeloop) in the opening of his program to music from the soundtrack of a French film – La 7ieme Cible. Despite the mistake, the 2006 Junior National silver medalist produced a solid triple flip and double Axel, as well as good spins and footwork that interpreted every beat of the music, placing second with 53.28 points.
Balde struggled with the toeloop of a triple Lutz-triple toeloop combination in his dynamic routine to Lord of the Rings, but otherwise landed a triple flip and double Axel. The 2006 Novice National silver medalist also displayed good footwork, placing third with 51.74 points.
Patrick Wong (BC/YT), who’s skating has matured over the year, produced a good routine which featured a triple Lutz-double toeloop combination, a double flip, and a double Axel. The 2006 Novice National Champion also displayed good spins as well as a good level three circular footwork sequence to place fourth with 50.75 points.
Dave Ferland (QC) fell on a triple flip. He was fifth (44.95 points), followed by Ian Martinez (QC) who placed sixth with 44.49 points.
Long Program (Juniors)
Performing to music by Thomas Newman and Philip Glass, Ten skated a solid and artistic routine, landing a total of six triple jumps (two in combination with double jumps). The JGP Courchevel bronze medalist also displayed excellent spins and footwork to place first in the long (112.68 points) and overall (165.96 points) to win the gold.
Martinez underrotated and fell on a triple Lutz and fell on a double toeloop (in combination with a triple flip), but otherwise landed a triple Lutz-double toeloop-double loop combination, as well as four more clean triples. The 2007 Eastern Challenge Junior Champion, who skated an overall expressive and dynamic routine, also produced a nice circular and straight line footwork sequence, placing second in the long (97.60 points), and moving up from sixth to fourth place overall (142.09 points).
Balde, who stood in third after the short, stepped out of the landing on several huge jumps, but otherwise produced a good double Axel-triple toeloop combination, a solid double Axel, and two level four spins in his powerful and exciting routine. The 16-year-old finished third in the long (94.32 points) and second overall (146.06 points) to win the silver.
Overnight leader Légaré fell on a triple Lutz and had problems on a double toeloop-triple toeloop combination (graded as a sequence), but otherwise produced three good triple jumps, two double Axels, and good spins. The 17-year-old seemed to really connect with his music while expressing new-found confidence and determination. He placed fourth in the long (90.23 points), however, with a total of 144.48 points, the 17-year-old slipped from first to third overall.
Wong, who stood in fourth after the short, fell on a double Axel and a triple toeloop. The 16-year-old placed eighth in the long (80.50 points) and slipped to fifth overall (131.25 points).
Ehren Jaleel (AB/NT/NU) placed fifth in the long (87.15 points), moving up to sixth overall (129.26 points), while Ferland, who stood in fifth after the short, placed 10th in the long (74.45 points) and slipped to eighth place overall (119.40 points).
Short Program (Seniors)
Buttle underrotated and fell on a triple Axle, but otherwise landed a very good triple flip-triple toeloop combination and a solid triple Lutz. The 2006 Olympic bronze medalist also produced excellent level four spins and difficult footwork in his routine to Adios Nonino by Astor Piazzolla, placing first with 78.85 points.
Performing to Blues Deluxe by Rod Stewart, Mabee had to fight for the landing of his opening triple Axel, but landed a good triple Lutz-triple toeloop combination and triple flip. The 2006 Four Continents silver medalist also played to the screaming ladies in the crowd with a very good circular and straight line footwork sequence and great spins, placing second with 75.68 points.
Sandhu fell on his quadruple toeloop and then popped a triple Axel in the opening of his Pantera En Liberta/Mambo routine, but recovered to deliver a very good level three circular and straight line footwork sequence, as well as a triple Lutz and fast spins. The current national silver medalist finished third with 65.21 points.
Performing to music from the Tune in Tomorrow soundtrack, the Shawn Sawyer (NB) opened with a triple flip-double toeloop combination, but then underrotated and two-footed the landing of a triple Axel. Despite the mistake, the 22-year-old delivered a very good circular and straight line sequence, a triple loop, and two good level four spins to place fourth with 63.93 points.
Vaughn Chipeur (AB/NT/NU) placed a close fifth (63.80 points) with his Metallica routine which featured a triple Axel, triple flip-double toeloop combination, and a triple Lutz.
Marc-André Craig (QC) was sixth (62.55), followed by Joey Russell (NL) 59.84.
Long Program (Seniors)
Buttle opened his routine to music from the soundtrack Ararat with a solid triple loop, followed by a triple Axel-double toeloop combination and a triple flip-double toeloop combination. Despite popping a triple Axel, the two-time and reigning national champion also produced four very good spins, an excellent level three circular and level two straight line step sequence, a very good triple Lutz-double toeloop-double loop combination, and three more triple jumps to place first in the long (153.98 points) and overall (232.83 points) to win the title.
Sandhu turned out the landing on a quadruple toeloop (in combination with a triple toeloop) in the opening of his When Strangers Meet routine, but came back with a triple Axel, a very good triple Lutz, and a solid double Axel. However, he then stepped out of a triple Axel (in sequence with a double toeloop) and put his hand down on a triple flip in combination with a double toeloop (which he singled and landed on both feet). Despite the mistakes, the 2006 Cup of China bronze medalist otherwise delivered three level four spins, two more solid triple jumps, and a good footwork to place second in the long (142.28 points) and third overall (207.49 points).
Sawyer produced six triple jumps (two in combination with other triples), as well as very good footwork, however, the two-time and current national bronze medalist underrotated and singled an Axel and two-footed the landing on a triple Lutz. Nevertheless, he also produced three very good level four spins and two double Axels, earning 135.31 points for his routine to Moments in Love to place third in the long and fourth (199.24 points) overall.
Mabee singled an Axel and double a Salchow, but otherwise produced a solid program which featured six triple jumps, very good level three footwork, and good spins, placing fourth in the long (133.63 points) and second overall (209.31 points).
Patrick Chan (CO), who stood in 11th after the short, fell on a triple Axel and a triple flip, but otherwise delivered six clean triple jumps, a very good level three circular step sequence, and difficult spins to place fifth in the long (130.12 points) and overall (187.54 points).
Russell, who stood in seventh after the short, placed sixth in the long (118.65 points) and overall (178.49 points).
Chipeur fell from fifth to seventh overall (175.63 points), while Craig slipped to ninth (171.20 points).
