Lastly...

Before I go to bed I just wanted to post this because I've completely ignored the news (blog-wise) that Jeffrey Buttle has retired.

So... here's the CBC coverage of his winning long program at Worlds. Try to ignore Scott Oake :P



When I first heard that Jeff was retiring, I was a little shocked. I think that since he looks so young, we tend to forget that he's getting up there for a skater. He'll be 28 for the 2010 Games. While I still think that he has a couple more years in him, I also understand his decision. I don't mean this in a critical way... because I'll never land a triple, never mind a quad... but at the age that Jeff is at, it's very unrealistic that he'll add a consistent quad to his repertoire. Sadly, if he wants to compete for the gold at the Olympics, he'd need one. His win at worlds said a lot about skating and how the whole package is important to be competitive... and he won by a whole heck of a lot... but realistically, the quad is still very important.

Quad or no quad, this program will still go down in history as one of the best long programs of all time and one of the most surprising wins of all time.

This Ararat program is gorgeous. If you have time, go back and watch his first performance of it at the 2007 Canadians when he came back from his back injury. Truly inspiring. I simply love this program. Every component is planned. Every movement is choreographed. All to gain maximum points. And yet, it looks so free and easy going. Kurt Browning is known for his Casablanca long program. This is Jeff's Casablanca.