Canadian champion Patrick Chan is firing back tonight at former world champion Brian Joubert, who has made complaints regarding the lack of quads in men's figure skating. These comments seem extremely out of character for the normally very respectful Chan. Here's what the Slam! Sports article quotes him as saying of Joubert:
"I think Joubert is constantly, always complaining," Chan told reporters after practice Monday at the Staples Center. "Because he never has anything else to say."
And:
"Yes, okay, fine, men are doing worse according to (Joubert)," Chan said. "But if you're going to say, let's all do quads, then he better have three quads in his program and do them good. Or else he has nothing else to say.
"He just says that because he just wants to have an excuse.
And finally:
Chan wasn't concerned he may have threw fuel on the fire Monday.
"I kind of dug myself a grave, huh? We'll see," Chan said. "If he's mad at me he's mad at me. What am I going to do?"
Chan has said he'll work on his quad over the summer and hopes to have one in his program for the 2010 Olympics.
The quotes can also be found in USA Today. In team sports, you might see coaches tacking this stuff up on the bulletin board before the big game. I don't want to see skaters fighting and building up animosity, but I hope the tension makes everyone just come out and skate even stronger.