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Sandhu heads a strong group
After his near-perfect free skate at the Canadian championships last year earned him a silver medal, but not a berth at the Olympics, Sandhu found himself at the centre of a major controversy over whether he should have been added to the team by the Canadian Olympic Association. Before the Canadians, Sandhu had not met the selection criteria, so the COA stuck to its guns. Sandhu stayed home.
Then, he fizzled out in the qualifying event at the world championships, failing to make the 24-skater field despite projections that he would soar into the top 10 in his worlds debut.
"It was just not an experience that we were prepared for," admits his coach, Joanne McLeod, noting a serious injury had kept Sandhu off the ice for most of the fall. "It was a rollercoaster ... there is a certain maturity that you need as a skater to deal with that."
Sandhu returns to the Canadians this week for a showdown with Smiths Falls native Jeff Langdon for the silver medal, and Canada's second berth at the worlds in Finland.
They'll battle for silver because the gold is a lock.
Barring injury, Elvis Stojko will win his fifth national title this week, with a blitz of quads and triple axels and other tricks that few in the world can match. His dominance is so complete that last year he brought down the house in Hamilton with six perfect 6.0s as a sendoff to the Olympics.
While much of the spotlight will naturally be on Stojko, the battles behind him will be intense.
Sandhu is well positioned, coming off his first international podium finish, a third at Trophee Lalique in France. He is physically stronger and mentally tougher after his experience a year ago.
He also has an ace up his sleeve, unveiling a quad jump in practice this week that is expected to be in both his programs.
Sandhu, a former top junior dancer at the National Ballet of Canada, has an uncanny ability to interpret his music. His short program is to Kuma Sutra, reflecting his family's East Indian heritage. The free skate is to a Max Brooks violin concerto.
"When we choreographed (the free skate) his feet are the bow and he is the violin, his feet are playing the ice," McLeod said.
Stojko, Sandhu and Langdon are the top tier of a men's event that will showcase a deep, talented pool of skaters. Quebecers Jean-Francois Hebert and Jayson Denommee, fourth and fifth respectively last year, could grab a medal if Sandhu or Langdon falter. Former Canadian bronze medallist Ravi Walia and Gloucester's Derek Schmidt both have quad jumps.
"It's going to be a good men's event, because there are a lot of good skaters," said Doug Leigh, who coaches Stojko, Langdon, Yik and Buttle. "The guy that can keep the focus the best will be the one who gets what he wants ... Some people can rise to the occasion. Who that person is, we don't know."
On Saturday night, we will.