MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Patrick Chan was back with Canada’s figure skating team for the first time in more than year Wednesday. The 24-year-old from Toronto looks like he never left.
He’s lost weight, and is back doing the quadruple jumps that helped him win three world titles.
But only a few weeks ago, there were days when Chan wondered if he’d made a massive mistake returning to competition. He wasn’t confident he still had what it takes.
"There was a sense of worry, like ‘Oh my god, am I ever going to be able to do it again? Maybe I’m too old for this, or maybe my body can’t do it anymore,"’ Chan said.
Chan stepped away from the competitive ice after his silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. He skated professionally, performing in more than 40 shows around the world last season. Then, feeling he had unfinished business, he resumed training in earnest in June for this coming competitive season.
There were some rough days in the beginning. His coach Kathy Johnson took a few phone calls from Chan looking for reassurance.