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Local junior Andreev skates to win
"It wasn't perfect, but I'll take it."
There was no better way to sum up the 16-year-old Ottawa Minto Club skater's day as he won the junior men's gold medal at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships.
Andreev, skating a program both technically and artistically the strongest of the field, took first on six of the seven judges' cards, and easily outdistanced runner-up Blair Smith of Brantford. Third was Nicholas Young of Boucherville, Que.
"It hasn't really sunk in yet," said Andreev, who is coached by mother Marina Zoueva and stepdad Alexei Tchetveroukhin at Minto.
He is the first Ottawa male skater to win a Canadian gold medal since Edward Collins, also of Minto, took the junior gold in 1956.
The only skater to include a triple axel -- actually, two of them -- in his program, Andreev had more than just technical content in his skate to Rachmaninov's Paginini. While he landed five of his eight triple jumps cleanly -- he two-footed the landing of his first triple axel, and fell on the second try -- he also showed a flair and ability to draw the fans into his program, which was unmatched by the other top skaters.
"When I landed (the triple lutz jump), it was kind of a squeaker jump. I was like, phew, thank God. That was a scare, but it happens sometimes, you just pull it together.
"I just put the crowd out of my mind so I could deal with the next element. I did hear a few giggles."
That kind of confidence has been gained over a long season, during which Andreev has competed eight times at home and internationally. His next drive is up to the senior ranks, where next year he'll be competing against the likes of Elvis Stojko, Emanuel Sandhu and Jeff Langdon.
"I'll have to get more speed, more flow, hopefully a quadruple jump or two. I am going to have to work very, very hard, actually.
"I have a long road ahead."
In the junior dance event yesterday, Brenda Key and Ryan Smith, who train in Barrie, locked up the gold medal by winning the free skate after falling behind eventual runners-up Marie-Pierre Chalifoux and Danny Turpin of Quebec a day earlier in the original dance.
"It feels great to come back and win," said Smith. "It was one of our better performances this year."
The bronze medals went to Melissa Ackad and Mathieu Rainville, also of Quebec.