Patrick Chan withdraws from NHK Trophy event
Decision comes less than a week after Canadian failed to earn podium spot at Skate Canada
Canadian figure skater Patrick Chan has withdrawn from the NHK Trophy event, Skate Canada announced on Friday.
Chan's withdrawal comes less than a week after his disappointing fourth-place finish at the Skate Canada competition in Regina.
Instead, the three-time world champion plans to use the time to focus on training for January's Canadian figure skating championships in Vancouver, which will also be the trials for the Winter Olympics.
At Skate Canada, Chan was sitting in second place but a disastrous long program dropped him two spots.
He fell on his opening quad jump, and his program unravelled from there. He downgraded four jumps, and touched a hand down on two.
"It's important to realize that I've never had a skate like that in a big event," Chan told reporters after his skate. "I think it's part of the process and having ownership of your career, and being successful you've got to have days like this.
"Yeah it sucks, but I've had the great highs too."
The Nov. 10-12 NHK Trophy is the fourth stop on the Grand Prix circuit.
With files from The Canadian Press