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From boys to men
To the Canadian public and media, this will be Sandhu's coming out party at the senior international level. And as a result of that, the pressure on the young skater will be tremendous in this country.
But for the rest of the world, the 17-year-old Canadian will be just another young skater fighting to make a mark for himself at the 1998 world championships, which begin on Tuesday at the Target Center in Minneapolis. While Sandhu will be under the spotlight at home, he'll skate in relative peace this week.
Meanwhile, with defending Olympic champion Ilya Kulik of Russia pulling out yesterday because of a bad back, many eyes worldwide will be on his replacement, the 15-year-old Evgeny Plushenko, a dynamic performer who finished second at this season's European championships and won the junior worlds. There's talk Plushenko could actually win this event.
"Hopefully, that will work in Emanuel's favor," said Louis Stong, the Canadian federation's director of skating development. "Emanuel's certainly well known (in Canada), but not around the world yet."
Sandhu heads to Minnesota's twin cities carrying the burden of great expectations on his lanky frame, expectations based almost exclusively on his wonderful, second-place finish at the Canadian championships last December.
There, the Richmond Hill skater, who loves to be the centre of attention, nailed nine triple jumps and skated an artistically exquisite free-skate program, to Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2.
BALLET STUDENT
A longtime student at the National Ballet School of Canada, the personable and somewhat soft-spoken Sandhu earned as many rave reviews for the artistic portion of his program as he did for the technical elements. At the junior worlds last fall, Sandhu, recovering from a leg injury, finished a less-than-spectacular 11th. So, the international media won't exactly battle for interviews with the rising Canadian star -- especially with Plushenko two years younger and a proven senior performer.
However, it's a safe bet that Sandhu will eventually make his mark on the world scene, and could even make major waves at these worlds if he skates the way he did at the Canadian championships. But national team officials will be pleased simply with a solid skate from both Sandhu and Canada's other entry at this year's worlds, Jeff Langdon, 22. A top-10 finish by either would please Canadian officials. One thing is clear though, the way judges mark skaters based on reputation and longevity, it's unlikely, even if Sandhu or Langdon skates a medal-worthy performance this week, either would be placed on the podium.
Sandhu and his coach Joanne McLeod have been dropping hints about the 5-foot-9 Baryshnikov-on-blades attempting a quadruple at the worlds.
Sandhu has confessed to dreaming of nailing a quint (five rotations). That's nice, but he should concentrate first on nailing a quad in competition if he plans to crack skating's elite, considering that the International Skating Union is talking about allowing the quad into the short program.
Still, even though Elvis Stojko, will not be at these world championships and can't deflect media attention from his younger teammates (he pulled out because of a groin injury suffered in Nagano), the pressure on Sandhu will be applied mainly by the skater himself.
What's generally forgotten is that Langdon, sore ankles and all, also could turn a few heads this week.
The Smiths Falls, Ont., native has been skating in Stojko's shadow for a years and already has been placed behind Sandhu in the eyes of the Canadian public. But Langdon is a proven, if unspectacular, performer.
Last year, at his first worlds, the easy-going skater finished an impressive ninth. Langdon's achievement received little fanfare, however, mainly because Stojko, his Mariposa Skating Club teammate, won the event. Langdon finished 12th in Nagano.
"Don't count Jeff out, he's been there," said Stong.
A few optimists have suggested that Sandhu or Langdon could move into medal contention at this week's worlds with Stojko, Kulik and Olympic bronze medallist Philippe Candeloro of France out (Candeloro turned pro). That's a longshot at best. In fact, for the first time in years, Canada has only one legitimate shot at a medal at these worlds, and that, of course, comes from popular ice dancers Shae-Lynne Bourne and Victor Kraatz. With defending Olympic and world champs Pasha Grishuk and Evgeny Platov of Russia taking their 'see-me, love-me' act to the pro circuit, it's a good bet the likable Canadians will again move on to the podium.
"They've made changes to their free dance and they'll be ready," CFSA director general David Dore said earlier.
The judging panel for ice dance in Minneapolis will be quite different from the group in Nagano, with some of the riff-raff dumped. That comes in the wake of the International Olympic Committee's warnings in Nagano last month that ice dance will be thrown out of the Olympics Games if it isn't cleaned up.
LIPINSKI WITHDRAWS
As for the other events, the artistically peerless Michelle Kwan, 17, of the U.S., stands to recapture her world crown, won in 1996, after Olympic and world queen Tara Lipinski pulled out of these worlds with a gland infection. Kwan's chances are further helped by Olympic bronze-medallist Lu Chen's decision to turn pro.
The women's competition will be important for Canadians only because one of our women will actually compete. Women's skating in this country has been debated and dissected since the team failed to qualify a skater in the women's singles event at Nagano -- a Canadian first for an Olympic Games.
So, if anyone is under pressure, it is Angela Derochie, 24, of Ottawa. The current Canadian champion's job in Minneapolis is to bring some excitement and legitimacy back to the Canadian women's scene. The last Canadian to win a world medal in the event was Liz Manley's silver, 10 years ago in Budapest.
"My advice to her would be to just mind your own business and skate your buns off," said Stong.
The pairs competition should be won hands down by Olympic champions Oksana Kazakova and Artur Dmitriev of Russia. World champions Mandy Wotzel and Ingo Steuer of Germany will not compete.
The Canadian pairs team of Marie-Claude Savard-Gagnon and Luc Bradet arrived in Minneapolis battered and bruised after a bad fall in training last week, but it is looking for a top-10 finish, as is the other Canuck pairs team, Kristy Sarjeant and Kris Wirtz.
World championships that follow an Olympics are often anti-climactic affairs, with many of the top skaters pulling out.
This week's event is no exception. But such worlds give young skaters a chance to step up.
"Well, we'll have three new world champions, and that's always exciting," said Stong.
WORLDS SCHEDULE
The world figure-skating championships at the Target Center in Minneapolis begin on Tuesday. CTV will broadcast on all six days of the event.
* Tuesday: Compulsory dance and pairs short programs.
TV coverage: 1-2 p.m., 10-11 p.m.
* Wednesday: Men's short and pairs free-skate programs.
TV coverage: 1-2 p.m., 9-11 p.m.
* Thursday: Original dance and men's free-skate programs.
TV coverage: 1-2 p.m., 8-10 p.m.
* Friday: Free-dance and women's short programs.
TV coverage: 1-2 p.m., 9-11 p.m.
* Saturday: Women's free skate.
TV coverage: 3-5 p.m., 9-11 p.m.
* Sunday: Parade of champions.
TV coverage: 7-9 p.m.