Patrick Chan will return to competing in 2015-2016

OTTAWA, ON: Two-time Olympic silver medalist and three-time world champion, Patrick Chan, 23, Toronto, Ont., plans to return to the competitive figure skating circuit for the 2015-2016 season.

After some down time over the summer, the seven-time Canadian men’s champion has developed a new free program, although he doesn’t plan to unveil it in international competition until next year’s ISU Grand Prix season.

The competitive fire still burns in the heart of the world champion. “My goal is to return to a full competitive schedule after this year,” said Chan. “I am proud of my accomplishments in Sochi and my world championship titles, but I do feel that there is still more that I can achieve. I will return to competition having learned new ways of training and preparing from this year off.”

He has been working on a new free program, choreographed by David Wilson to a Chopin medley. “This program uses very contemporary movements in my skating. I’m taking the time to enjoy building out the program and working on the flow of the artistry. And I’m experimenting with different things in my training cycle, without feeling that same intensity to do full run-throughs of each program every day that I felt building to the Olympics.” As a result Chan feels “I’m learning how to accomplish the same results from a more relaxed, less intense training regimen, that I feel will help me going forward next year.”

Chan’s new free program will be revealed when he competes as part of the North American team at the Japan Open invitational event, to be held in Saitama, Japan later this week. He is also slated to perform exhibition programs with Stars on Ice and is planning to participate in other activities, including An Evening with Scott Hamilton & Friends Ice Show & Gala in Cleveland and SKATEMANIA in Quebec City, Que.

His main training base continues to be in Detroit and he is working with Kathy Johnson. Although eligible, he has declined Sport Canada and Own the Podium funding, allowing several other athletes to benefit from the financial assistance.

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