Canadian figure skater Kevin Reynolds competes in the men's short program at the World Figure Skating Championships at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ont., March 13, 2013. (CRAIG GLOVER/QMI Agency)
LONDON, ONT. - They didn’t land them all cleanly, but no fewer than 16 skaters in the men’s singles competition at the World Figure Skating Championships on Wednesday, including defending champion Patrick Chan, had quadruple jumps planned in their short programs.
And somewhere in Mexico, Elvis Stojko had a big smile on his face.
Remember Elvis, the three-time world champion who revolutionized quadruple jumps back in the 1990s? The Terminator, as he was known in skating circles, slammed men’s figure skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics for the lack of quad attempts, including Evan Lysacek of the U.S. who won the Vancouver Games without even trying the four rotation jump.
But now — after the International Skating Union took some steps to encourage the men to attempt more quads, including reducing the penalty for a fall — quads are back with a vengeance. Stojko — who was slammed himself for criticizing Lysacek, fellow Canadian Chan and others for not making the jump a priority at the Vancouver Games — is feeling vindicated.
