Chan leads shaky field of men’s competitors

On top after short program despite stumbles

Patrick Chan just wants to get back that feeling he had when he was a teenager, when skating was easier, when he didn’t worry, when he just let his legs make onice magic.

Not everything went as planned for Chan — who has won the last eight times he’s competed at the National Skating Championships — Friday night during the men’s short program at The Arena at TD Place. The Toronto resident stumbled three times during his routine, skating to a Beatles medley of Dear Prudence and Blackbird.

It was still good enough for first place ( 91.50) and a commanding l ead over Vancouver’s Kevin Reynolds ( 81.7 6) and t hird- place Elladj Balde ( 77.45), who trains in Montreal.

“Elladj and I spoke about how when you’re 16 or 17, you just get on the ice and do your j ob,” Chan said. “There’s no, ‘ What if this, what if that?’ It’s go out, do your job, you strive for the feeling about how great it feels. As you get older, that feeling tends to get old so you start thinking externally. So my thing is going back to being my 16- year- old self, shutting out all the outside noise and focusing on the present.”

Of course, Chan is a much better skater technically than he was in those days. His footwork is sensational.

“Being able to combine both t he huge i mprovement in skating skills with the mental approach of the younger self — I think that’s a perfect combo,” he said. “That’s what I’m working on for worlds this year.”

With the 2018 Olympics on the horizon, Chan knew he had to do something to get back into the conversation.

“You can’ t change the past, you have to look forward,” he said. “I don’t regret anything, but I have to think of something else other than that I have to try and win gold.”

As f or t he miscues, a common theme among the men’s competitors on Friday, Chan said:

“Whether you’re experienced or not, there’s still a shock factor (when you fall). I was slightly off. All the takeoffs felt really good, on the video it looked good. At the end, I was a little high in the upper body. After I popped out of the Axel, I told myself, ‘ Just stay on your feet, don’t get those extra deductions.’ It was a good practice.”

Reynolds, skating third from the end, scored 81.76.

“It was bittersweet. The first jump was a shock for me. I haven’t missed a ( Salchow) all week, I haven’t missed a (Salchow) the past two weeks at home in training, so to do that kind of Sal really tested my mental strength.

“It’s momentary, you’re f rustrated, but then you have to set that aside as much as possible because, 10 seconds later, you have another important jump.”