Patrick Chan the leader in the short program in the Canadian figure skating tourney

Victoria British Columbia Canada. Cleve Dheensaw Times Colonist newspaper. Canadian figure skater Patrick Chan who is ranked number two in the world rankings in figure skating had a fantastic short program effective enough to earn a standing ovation from 5,000 screaming fans at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre to take first place in the Canadian figure skating championship to take first place with 88.78 points.

Patrick Chan is the three time defending champion of this event. Chan is the 2010 Winter Olympics Game finished fifth in the competition which was held in Vancouver. In second place is Shawn Sawyer from Edmundtown New Brunswick who finished 12th in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games held in Turin Italy. Sawyer did not make the 2010 Canadian figure skating team and had quit skating but returned in July 2010 with a desire to take care of business. Sawyer said of his amazing performance in the competition. "Anything can happen in sports."

Chan's rival who is expected to join him for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi Russia is Kevin Reynolds of Coquitlam who is in fifth place in the short program with 61.76 points. The top three medalists in the Canadian skating competition will be represent Canada in the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships to be held in Toyko Japan in March.