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GOTHENBURG, Sweden — It came as a shock to just about everybody.
The no-longer-Canadian champion Jeffrey Buttle won the short program yesterday at the world figure skating championships. He defeated two world champions and the two lone men who landed clean quad combinations. The Buttle mystique — clean, classy, precise, musically sensitive - is stronger than ever.
At the moment, Buttle is better than all of them, a virtuoso without peer.
"Honestly, I felt so comfortable and confident out there, I just felt like I couldn't make a mistake,'' said Buttle, the Olympic bronze medalist and a world silver medalist in 2005 in Moscow.
Jeffrey Buttle performs his short program at the Scandinavium arena in Gothenburg on Friday. (AFP/Getty Images)
Last year, he finished sixth at the world championships in Tokyo, not so comfortable or confident — after being second in the short program. "I wasn't training very well,'' he said. "I was doing my jumps here and there, but I didn't feel as confident as I do this year.'' He'd been third after the short program in Moscow.
Canadian champion Patrick Chan of Toronto — only 17 and at his first world championship — finished seventh after turning out of a triple Lutz, and battling a case of first-time jitters. It's one of the best debuts by a Canadian man in recent years, although the competition isn't over yet. Brian Orser finished sixth at his debut in 1981, while Kurt Browning was 15th at his first world championships in 1987.
World champion Brian Joubert of France finished only sixth after falling on his triple Lutz. But that wasn't his only problem. Officials docked marks from his total for having vocals in his music by Sebastien Damiani. Because he'd used the music all season without getting any deductions, the French federation is protesting the assessment. Joubert wore a puzzled look in the kiss-and-cry corral when the marks first went up.
Two-time world champion Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland finished fifth when he fell on his triple Axel, a jump that has given him the most trouble in the past. He managed to save himself a point by not falling totally on his backside.
Lambiel attempted a quad-triple combination, but put a hand down in the midst of it.
Buttle earned 82.10 points, with the highest technical marks of the field (44.07), something that is new to him, while U.S. silver medalist Johnny Weir is second with 80.79.
Daisuke Takahashi of Japan, the heavy favourite to win this event, is in third place with 80.40 points after putting two hands down on a triple Axel to steady himself. He admitted he was nervous.
Earlier in the week, Joubert had said in a news conference that there are only three men who could win this event: himself, Takahashi and Lambiel.
"There are a lot of other skaters who can win a medal,'' he said. "But I think it's between the three of us.
Asked about Tomas Verner, the exciting Czech champion who earned a standing ovation yesterday, Joubert said: "I hope for him that he can win, but I think it's between the three.''
Verner, who defeated Joubert yesterday by finishing in fourth place said: "I'm really happy about that that he just said three names. For me, it's better that I get the right anger and fight to show that I want to be one of those guys. There aren't just three for the medals.''
He was right. Ironically, he has 79.87 points, .12 more than Joubert.
Buttle said he went into the world championships with a bout of solid training, with clean, consistent programs that helped his confidence. And he also served as a mentor to Chan who really doesn't know many people at the senior level. "Gosh, I don't have to eat dinner by myself,'' Chan said. "I'm like the lone wolf, sort of. Having Jeff is great. He doesn't mind me hanging by his shoulder. It helps a lot. It made me feel a lot better going into the competition.''
Chan said he was very nervous the week before he came. "It was pretty nerve-wracking, I've got to say,'' he said. "Even before I came here, I was pretty nervous lying in bed. I had sweaty palms, the whole thing. I'm really proud of myself today that I skated the way I did, considering the situation.''
He said he suddenly realized he was at a world championship when he saw Weir and Lambiel, for only the second time in his life.
He also drew into the final group that included Buttle, Takahashi, and Joubert. He said he found it exciting, but also nerve-wracking — and skated directly after the defending world champion.
"I'm still learning,'' he said.
Canadians played a notable role yesterday in the men's event. Sally Rehorick served as the technical contoller while former U.S. champion Scott Davis, who married a Canadian and who lives and works as a coach in Calgary, was a technical specialist.
