Patrick Chan could be on the verge on some history at the world junior figure skating championships.
Chan won the short program today in Oberstdorf, Germany, posting a personal best score of 64.10 points. That's a little more than three points higher than he scored at the NHK Trophy senior Grand Prix series event in December.
He placed sixth in his world junior debut last year.
“I'm very happy with my program today,” said the Ottawa-born Chan, 16. “I'm keeping my cool. I can't celebrate yet because I still have the free skate, but I'm very grateful to have been able to accomplish such a feat in the short program.”
Chan, who is considered perhaps the brightest prospect in Canadian men's skating, holds a 2.43-point lead over China's Jinlin Guan (61.67), while Takahito Mura of Japan stands fourth (61.16).
Another Canadian, Kevin Reynolds of Coquitlam, B.C., stands fourth (59.52). Reynolds beat his old personal best by more than five points.
If both Canadians somehow wind up on the podium, it would be a stunning result. Since the junior worlds started 31 years ago, Canadian men have won only four medals. Three of them came in the first three years of the event, all of which were held in Megeve, France: Brian Pockar (bronze), 1976; Daniel Beland (gold), 1977; and Dennis Coi (gold), 1978.
The last Canadian man to win a medal in this event: Mark Ferland, who earned a silver medal in 1984 in Sapporo, Japan.
“This is one of the best results after a short program by Canadian men at a world junior championship,” said Skate Canada CEO William Thompson.
The third Canadian man in this year's event, Joey Russell of Labrador City, NL, stands 12th (53.89). He also notched a personal best score.
The free skate final is on Thursday.
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