One week ago Patrick Chan told Scott Russell of CBC Sports that he would be going to Barcelona for figure skating's Grand Prix Final. At the time his qualification wasn't confirmed. But it is now.
Chan spoke to Russell last Saturday at RBC Sports Day in Canada in Richmond, B.C. where he was a special guest instructor for some aspiring figure skaters. Two days later the International Skating Union announced that the points from the Tropheé Eric Bompard short program in Bordeaux, France would count towards qualification for Barcelona.
That competition was cancelled after the short programs because France was in a mourning period due to the November 13 terrorism attacks.
Chan counted 7 points from France plus 15 for winning Skate Canada. That placed him third, behind Javier Fernandez of Spain with 30 points and Japan's Shoma Uno, with 28. Chan had the same number of points as Japan's Daisuke Murakami but was placed higher in the standings because of his first place finish in Lethbridge (Skate Canada).
The top six skaters in each event would gain entry to the Grand Prix Final, plus any skaters finishing seventh in the standings if they skated at the Tropheé Eric Bompard.
The NHK Trophy event in Nagano, Japan (Nov. 27-30) was the final chance for skaters to reach the elite echelon of the standings to book their tickets for Barcelona.
Two more men jumped over Chan in the standings to make the grade. Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu, the 2014 Olympic champion, extended his world record for points to 322.40 to win the event to move to second place overall. Hanyu finished second to Chan at Skate Canada.
Boyang Jin of China also had his second runner-up finish of the season at the NHK Trophy to climb to fourth in the standings with 26 points.
Two other Canadian skating duos achieved places in the Grand Prix Final based on NHK Trophy results. Pairs skaters Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford won in Nagano, to top the pairs standings with 30 points. They won earlier at Skate Canada.
Julianne Seguin and Charlie Bilodeau will also be en route to Barcelona even though they did not skate at the NHK trophy. Their 22 points from third-place finishes at Skate America and the Tropheé Eric Bompard placed them 7th for the final spot in the pairs competition.
Canadian ice dancers Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje are also Barcelona-bound after posting victories at Skate Canada and at Russia's Rostelecom Cup.
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