Defending champion Osmond shakes off injury to take lead after women’s short program
Smiles, or the lack of them, told the story.
Kaetlyn Osmond’s grin was broadest after the women’s short program of the Canadian skating championships at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Friday.
The defending champion and heavy favourite from Marystown, N. L., and Sherwood Park, Alta., compiled 70.30 points, giving her a significant lead going into Saturday’s free skate and a sense of relief after an injury- plagued start to the 201314 season.
“I’ll just go cool down and then relax and come back ( Saturday) as if it’s a new day and this short program didn’t happen,” said Osmond, who is 9.03 points ahead of Amélie Lacoste of Delson, Que. “Just go out there and skate a long program the way I have been doing it in practice, and my long program is my better program.”
That’s not good news for anyone with even faint thoughts of trying to dethrone Osmond, who injured an ankle early in the autumn and tore a hamstring during Skate Canada at Saint John, N. B., in late October, but was back in action for the Skate Canada Challenge at Regina in early December.
As defending national champion, Osmond, 18, didn’t have to enter the latter competition, which is a qualifier for nationals, but did so because she wanted to test both her health and the state of her programs.
She gave a sub- standard performance in the short program in the Saskatchewan capital,
ranking fifth, but dominated the free skate and ended up first overall.
The injuries, she said Friday, became blessings in disguise, particularly the torn hamstring.
“It has actually helped my training because it hurt to fall, so I had to learn perfect technique,” Osmond said, “and it hurt when I had the wrong technique because my leg was swinging off to the side.”
Lacoste was also feeling good about herself after the short program. The 25- year- old Quebecer, who won the 2012 national title at Moncton, but finished fourth last year at Mississauga, Ont., has a modest 2.89- point lead over Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., for second place and what would be Canada’s final berth in women’s singles skating in the Sochi Olympics next month.
The leaders will perform their free skates Saturday afternoon. Free skates in pairs, men’s singles and dance will conclude Saturday evening.
And the Canadian Olympic Committee will announce the team selection on Sunday.