THE CANADIAN PRESS
VANCOUVER — Olympic bronze medallist Jeff Buttle could have a fight on his hands at this week’s BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships.
Not many upsets are expected at the competition, but the men’s singles event will likely be one of the closest as Buttle tries to retain the title he’s won the last three years.
Buttle, 25, of Smooth Rock Falls, Ont., will face a challenge from Toronto’s Patrick Chan, the 17-year-old who qualified for this year’s Grand Prix Final in Turin, where he finished fifth.
Chan said his strong showing in Turin has him confident he can finish in the top two at the nationals, which begin Wednesday, and earn a spot on the team heading to the world championships in Goteborg, Sweden, in March.
"It was one of the best programs I’ve done," said Chan, who was fifth at last year’s Canadian championships and was the 2005 Canadian junior champion. "It was a great confidence boost for nationals."
The Canadian championships, which run through Sunday, will attract about 150 skaters to Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum. It’s the same venue that will host figure skating at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Defending women’s champion Joannie Rochette of Ile Dupas, Que., said the more chances a skater gets to compete in the Olympic arena, the better.
"Every time we get to perform there, we can imagine the Olympic rings, feel the atmosphere," said Rochette, 22, who has been on the podium at the nationals six times since 2002 and won the title the last three years. "I see it as great preparation.
"Of course it’s going to be a whole different atmosphere when we are at the Games. But it’s good to get familiar with the rink."
Buttle won the silver medal at the 2005 world championships but slipped to sixth last year in Tokyo. His lack of big jumps has left him struggling on the international stage and he didn’t earn enough points to qualify for the Grand Prix Final.
He’s been preparing to defend his Canadian title at his training base in Lake Arrowhead, Calif.
"I feel really good about my preparations," said Buttle. "I definitely feel as if I’m in my prime."
Also in the men’s mix will be Christopher Mabee of Tillsonburg, Ont., who finished second last year, and Kevin Reynolds of North Vancouver, B.C., the 17-year-old who has shown potential but hasn’t managed to put together a whole program when it counted.
Chan said the final will be a tight battle.
"We’ll just see if all of us do a clean performance," he said. "If we all do a clean performance, then it’s really in the hands of the judges.
"I just have to think about going out there and doing my job. I just want to skate my best and give the crowd the best skate I can."
For the first time in 11 years, Emanuel Sandhu will not be competing. The 2001, 2003 and 2004 national champion informed Skate Canada last week that he wouldn’t be entering.
Meanwhile, Rochette has seen her results slip recently. She finished fifth at the 2006 Winter Olympics but tumbled to 11th in Tokyo and didn’t qualify for the GP Final this season.
She’s still favoured to repeat as women’s champion, but will get a challenge from Mira Leung, 18, of Vancouver and Lesley Hawker, 26, of Barrie Ont.
"You don’t see yourself as the favourite," said Rochette. "You see the others coming up. That puts pressure on you.
"The way I see it I need to skate really good to keep the title. I want to keep my title so bad, that’s what motivates me."
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of London, Ont. are expected to win the ice dance crown since five-time champions Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon decided to take the year off. Virtue and Moir were sixth at last year’s world championships and fourth at the GP Final.
"We’re really focused on our jobs and want to produce great performances for the fans in Vancouver," said Moir.
In pairs, Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison of Varennes, Que., come to Vancouver confident they can defend the title they won last year. They also are looking forward to improving on their seventh-place finish at the world championships.
"We’re not the kids that are just happy to be there anymore," said Davison. "We can’t just be happy competing with the best. We want to be among the best and compete with them and win against them eventually.
"We see now we are among the best and we can beat the best."
Craig Buntin of Kelowna B.C., will compete with new partner Meagan Duhamel in pairs. Buntin hooked up with Duhamel after his long-time partner Valerie Marcoux of Gatineau, Que., retired in April. Together, the pair won three national championships and were second last year.
Besides crowning the Canadian champions, Skate Canada will use the event to determine who will represent Canada at the world championship, the Four Continents Championships and the world junior championships.