Chan leads Four Continents after winning short program

By Sportsbeat staff

REIGNING world champion Patrick Chan is perfectly placed to win the men's title at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships after overcoming a stumble to win the short program.

The 21-year-old, who claimed the Four Continents crown for the first time in 2009, couldn't have asked for a worse start after he failed to land his first jump cleanly - touching the ice to regain control.

However the Canadian show great composure to recover from the early stumble and post 87.95 points - a score that put him right to the top of the leader board in Colorado Springs, where he trains.

Chan, who won the Grand Prix Final in Quebec back in December, was followed by three Japanese skaters - Takahito Mura edging Olympic bronze medallist Daisuke Takahashi into second.

Mura scored 83.44 to Takahashi's 82.59 while Tatsuki Machida ensured gold could end up in one of four hands after he posted 82.37 well ahead of Kazakhstan skater Denis Ten's 77.73.

Ross Miner was the highest-placed American ranking sixth on home soil and with the free skate following swiftly Chan admitted that he is getting used to making up for early mistakes.

"The six-minute warm-up was a little shaky. I was having trouble finding my feet and staying grounded. I was getting high in the shoulders and tight in my upper body, so my jumps weren't as poppy," said Chan.

"I was very happy with how I was able to gather myself and I've been really good at doing that this year," said Chan. "I saw this as a challenge and a test, and I was able to get the best with what I had."

© Sportsbeat 2012