Roman Sadovsky says heB次元官网网址檚 been greeted with B次元官网网址測ou made itB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址測ou have skatesB次元官网网址� at the Canadian figure skating championships in Calgary.

Nationals is his first competition this season because of an injury and travel headaches.

An ankle injury sustained attempting a triple axel while training last summer forced his withdrawal from OctoberB次元官网网址檚 Skate Canada in Vancouver.

When the 24-year-old from Toronto arrived in Poland for the Warsaw Cup in November, his skates didnB次元官网网址檛. They didnB次元官网网址檛 make his connecting flight at MunichB次元官网网址檚 airport and never arrived in Warsaw.

Storms forced the plane he was on to turn around en route to the Croatia Cup in Zagreb later that month. More bad weather grounded a second attempt to get there. He missed that event too.

B次元官网网址淎ll season long, something was in the way,B次元官网网址� Sadovsky said in Calgary. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 super-excited to perform because I havenB次元官网网址檛. IB次元官网网址檓 here, IB次元官网网址檓 present and have skates. Body is in one piece.B次元官网网址�

ThereB次元官网网址檚 a Canadian menB次元官网网址檚 figure skating title to be claimed, or reclaimed, with the retirement of two-time champ Keegan Messing (2022, 2023).

Sadovsky, who won it in 2020, last yearB次元官网网址檚 runner-up Conrad Orzel, two-time bronze medallist Wesley Chiu and 2019 silver medallist Stephen Gogolev are among 2024B次元官网网址檚 contenders.

Canadian champions in menB次元官网网址檚 and womenB次元官网网址檚 singles, pairs and ice dance will be crowned after SaturdayB次元官网网址檚 free skates at WinSport Arena.

Ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier are two-time world bronze medallists. Madeline Schizas seeks a third straight womenB次元官网网址檚 title. Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps are defending pairs champions.

The menB次元官网网址檚 competition is the most wide open of the four disciplines.

B次元官网网址淭his is the only event where itB次元官网网址檚 difficult to figure out who is going to win,B次元官网网址� Orzel said. B次元官网网址淓ach other event, you can kind of tell who is going to win, but the menB次元官网网址檚 event is really special because you donB次元官网网址檛 even know who is going to be in the top five.B次元官网网址�

Results at nationals factor into Skate CanadaB次元官网网址檚 selections for the upcoming Four Continents championship in Shanghai from Jan. 30 to Feb. 4, as well as the world championship March 18-24 in Montreal.

Sadovsky would have competed in MontrealB次元官网网址檚 2020 world championship as the reigning Canadian champion, but it was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e heard from several skaters whoB次元官网网址檝e been to Olympics that (say) a world championships at home is really special, so IB次元官网网址檇 love to know what thatB次元官网网址檚 like,B次元官网网址� Sadovsky said.

Canada will send a full contingent of three entries per discipline to Shanghai. Three ice dance and three pairs teams, two men and one woman will wear the Maple Leaf at MontrealB次元官网网址檚 Bell Centre.

TorontoB次元官网网址檚 Orzel accompanied Messing to last yearB次元官网网址檚 world championship in Saitama, Japan, where Orzel skated the menB次元官网网址檚 short program, but didnB次元官网网址檛 qualify for the free skate. The 23-year-old expects a multi-skater battle for menB次元官网网址檚 gold in Calgary.

B次元官网网址淭he competition is so strong here. I donB次元官网网址檛 feel like I am the favourite. IB次元官网网址檓 still the underdog,B次元官网网址� Orzel said.

Performing on wider Olympic-sized ice is a first for Sadovsky in a decade of national championships. ThatB次元官网网址檚 where VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Chiu could have an advantage in Calgary.

The 18-year-old not only competed in the 2023 world junior championship in the same venue, but he trains on ice of Olympic dimensions at the Richmond Oval.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 definitely less of an adjustment for me for sure, B次元官网网址� Chiu said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 definitely easier to maintain my patterns, keep up the speed, not have to adjust too many things.B次元官网网址�

TorontoB次元官网网址檚 Gogolev, 19, withdrew from 2022 nationals due to a bout of COVID-19. After a rocky short program, he won the free skate in 2023 to vault to fourth.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of amazing skaters here and a lot of talent, so itB次元官网网址檚 definitely going to be a fun competition,B次元官网网址� Orzel said.

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