Osmond shines as Phaneuf struggles

Teen leads Canadian showdown

MONCTON, N. B. — Cynthia Phaneuf has a new city, a new outlook and a famous new coach, but none of it appears to be paying off for Canada’s top female skater — yet.

The reigning women’s champion delivered a disappointing performance in the women’s short program to open the final weekend of competition at the Canadian figure skating championships.

Phaneuf’s performance upset not only herself, it also dampened the hopes of Skate Canada officials and fans across the country that her long history of troubles on the ice may be over.

Phaneuf stands fourth going into the long program on Saturday despite now having two- time Olympic silver medallist Brian Orser at her side as coach.

She was vastly overshadowed Friday by a bright- eyed, 16- year- old upstart from Alberta named Kaetlyn Osmond, who won the short program, partly thanks to pulling off the only tripletriple combination jump of the women’s field so far.

Osmond, a Grade 11 student from Sherwood Park, just east of Edmonton, earned 56.94 points in her Bollywoodthemed short program — more than a seven- point lead over Phaneuf going into the free skate. Amelie Lacoste of Quebec is second after the short program, while Alexandra Najarro of Ontario is third.

“It’s the first time I’ve landed ( a tripletoe/ triple- toe loop) in competition, and only the second time I’ve tried it in competition,” said Osmond, a huge smile across her face. “I thought to myself, I might as well try it and see what happens.”

Osmond catapulted herself into the final group of female skaters here after winning the qualifying Skate Canada Challenge competition in Regina in December.

Her sudden success is conjuring memories of 2004 when a dazzling new, 15- year- old skater — Phaneuf — vaulted onto the national stage by winning the Canadian championship.

Phaneuf’s career has been a rollercoaster ride of injuries and other difficulties ever since, but she has never given up.

Her perseverance paid off with a fifth- place finish at the 2010 world championships in Turin, Italy. She then captured her second Canadian championship last year.

However, results have been dismal this season. Phaneuf finished 13th at the 2011 worlds, seventh at Skate Canada in October and ninth at the NHK Trophy competition in Japan in November.

Those results convinced Phaneuf to split from longtime coaches Annie Barabe and Sophie Richard. She packed a suitcase in late November and moved from Montreal to Toronto to train with Orser.

Meanwhile, Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, who came second in last year’s nationals, won the pairs short program Friday.