Cinderella story steals spotlight from Phaneuf

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This article was published 21/01/2012 (5207 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MONCTON, N.B. — While figure skating fans were keeping a keen eye on Cynthia Phaneuf, unheralded youngster Kaetlyn Osmond stormed in and stole the spotlight Friday.

Osmond, a 16-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., won the women’s short program at the Canadian figure skating championships. She landed the only triple-triple combination in the field to set up what should be a battle between the veteran and newcomer in today’s long program.

The 24-year-old Phaneuf, the defending champion who’s competing for the first time since a move and coaching change in November, finished well back in fourth.

Osmond scored 56.94 points for her Bollywood-themed program to the soundtrack from Bombay Dreams, earning high marks for her triple toe-triple toe. It marked the first time she’d landed the jump combination in competition, and only the second time she’d attempted it.

“I wasn’t really expecting anything,” said Osmond, a Grade 11 student. “I just wanted to go out there and skate the way I have in practice. I just got lucky.”

Amelie Lacoste of Delson, Que., was second with 52.43, while Alexandra Najarro of Richmond Hill, Ont., was third with 52.34.

Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford lead after the pairs short program. Jessica Dube and Sebastien Wolfe are second while defending champions Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch are third.

Phaneuf has been struggling to rediscover the form that propelled her to a fifth-place finish at the 2010 world championships, and finally decided a drastic change was in order. She left her longtime coaches Annie Barabe and Sophie Richard and moved to Toronto to train with Brian Orser in November.

The native of Contrecoeur, Que., had a shaky skate, falling on a triple loop and touching both hands down on her triple Lutz.

“I was very nervous before going out there,” Phaneuf said. “I did mistakes. If I think about all the changes that have been going on in my life lately, that was not the best skate, but the competition is not over.

“It was the first competition with my new coach. I have to deal with it and I’m happy I (made the change) anyway. I’m just looking forward to the future.”

Orser, a two-time Olympic silver medallist, said making such a momentous move mid-season isn’t easy. But he has already seen signs of improvement in Phaneuf’s skating and overall fitness.

But he added, his new pupil is carrying considerable expectations and pressure in these championships, especially with a berth in the world championships on the line.

“I know she was feeling a lot of pressure here, as she should. It’s a big competition,” Orser said. “She’s reigning Canadian champion, there’s only one spot (in women’s singles) for the world championships, she’s made a big change in her life, moving to Toronto and moving away from her longtime coach, change in environment, change of training location and change in training habits, so I think she feels people are expecting to see a big difference.”

Orser pointed out they’ve only had six weeks to work together.

“And from the beginning, this has been a longterm project for both of us,” he said. “You can’t make big, big changes in six weeks.”

Phaneuf won the Canadian championship in 2004 before Joannie Rochette came along and won the next five. She was back on top of the podium last year, but her international results have dropped off .

 

— The Canadian Press