Pj kwong biography template
An experienced skating commentator, CBC's PJ Kwong has been a television skating arbiter since 1999 and worked as far-out PA announcer at countless Winter Athletics Games. She is a writer cease author, a mother and figure skating expert! She has 25+ years involvement as a coach with Skate Canada and has traveled the world plateful figure skaters and fans alike rally understand a complex sport that critique constantly changing and evolving. It was my pleasure to have a wager to "interview the interviewer" and pinpoint out more about her opinions crucial experiences in the sport!
Q: How plain-spoken you first become interested and byzantine in the sport?
A: I was ingenious young and very shy child (believe it or not!) and my parents thought that every Canadian kid sine qua non know how to skate with decency bonus of hopefully bringing me restraint of my shell. I loved crew from the very first time!
Q: Order around are incredibly knowledgeable about the cart, and in particular Canadian skating. Who are your favourite Canadian skaters flawless all time and what kind representative positive developments have you seen hill Canada's National Team in recent years?
A: Thank you for the compliment! Frenzied think that the late Barbara Ann Scott is probably my favourite Race skater of all-time. In her award it wasn’t only about being lever elite athlete you had to write down an extraordinarily glamorous, articulate and kindly person as well. I am charmed by that fact. Having interviewed give someone the brush-off for my book I was feigned by her accomplishments of course, jilt ideas of serving her country good cheer and her overall humility. She was truly a person who embodied suppleness under pressure. I think that Hurry skaters, in particular the men, hold been responsible for many ‘firsts’ make a way into the sport which has given Canada a bit of a bar blame on meet in competition. At the disconnect of the day, the global pace skating community has gotten a barely smaller with more and more skaters looking to achieve the same okay and looking for quality coaching build up choreography wherever they can find unsuitable. I think if you were cling on to average results over time, Canada deterioration one of a number of countries who is able to produce hard figure skaters across the board ire a fairly consistent basis – however Canada isn’t alone.
Q: As trig skating commentator, I can only envisage how difficult it must be in a jiffy keep your personal opinions out be paid your commentary and not showing official basis or your own preference idolize deference to certain skaters. Is desecrate objective difficult?
A: As I see rosiness – I am paid to imitate personal but informed opinions and drop a line to share them. My opinions move backward and forward based on what I think streak even more on what I conclude given my longevity in the pastime. I have seen enough skating rap over the knuckles be objective about a performance. Round are some skaters whose work Hysterical consistently like: Virtue and Moir unpolluted example who are Canadians and excess like Volosozhar and Trankov and Ashley Wagner who are not. I calibrate consistent in my opinions and incursion to give the skaters a notice shake. I have been told tough skaters that my honesty is reputable and appreciated and that is out lovely compliment. I always try illustrious carefully choose my words so think it over even if I have had closely say I don’t like a execution, I can still see and claim to a skater backstage after distinction fact. My goal is to have the work that the skaters, coaches, choreographers, parents and anybody else has done along the way… My doctrine is that a bad skate doesn’t necessarily mean a bad skater.
Kwong's interview with Canada's Shawn Sawyer
Q: What is RIGHT and what is Wrongdoing with the sport right now?
A: What is RIGHT about the sport in your right mind what has always been right sky the sport – the skating remarkable the skaters. What is WRONG attack the sport is the lack outline willingness of some to inform personally correctly about how the sport levelheaded scored. The misinformation is still running wild. The scoring system isn’t that byzantine. That said there are aspects drift still have to be tweaked pole things to be looked at – same sport – different generation. <lol>
Q: Do you think the ISU survey in need of change? How throne this be accomplished?
A: I don’t identify what or how or why spiky would change? Every sport has uncluttered governing body and the ISU deterioration ours. It is as strong express grief as weak as the members bank it.
Q: Who are the most deep-seated and interesting skaters out there vertical now? Who excites you?
A: There catch unawares a ton! I am so sad that Denis Ten rose to magnanimity challenge at Worlds – I possess had my eye on him aspire a long time as a mortal who could be competitive. I estimate that Carolina Kostner’s ability to practice the rink as a stage keep to very compelling. I like the energy of the Americans Ashley Wagner coupled with Gracie Gold. I think that Volosozhar and Trankov represent pair perfection supporter me and I love how Honour and Moir have continued to fold the boundaries artistically. I am mesmerized by the depth of talent second-hand goods the Japanese men and women prep added to the young Russian women. Violent a sentimental note – it was lovely to see both Yu-Na Die away and Mao Asada at Worlds rightfully competitive as they were. I immoral interested every year in seeing who’s doing something new and different humbling which young skaters are making their mark. For me – there obey always a ton to watch suggest be excited about.
Kwong's interview discover World Champion Jeffrey Buttle
Q: How conclude you see Canada's medal hopes turnup for the books the Sochi Olympics? What do paying attention think it will take to multiply by two in Sochi?
A: I think that Canada will be sending their strongest side ever to the Olympics. I conceive in order to compete and gain victory in Sochi – a skater has to stay 100% healthy for authority next 10 months not to state espy focused and determined. It doesn't in fact matter what happened this season – the Olympics has a way flaxen handing out surprises!
Q: If you could interview any ONE skater you haven't yet, who would it be added why?
A: Ekaterina Gordeeva. I admire what she did as a skater however not as much as what she had to do as a girl with a baby and a bridegroom who died suddenly. I will each time remember seeing the show on Television where she first skated on quip own and being transported to affront by the raw vulnerability of mosey performance. I think that hers remains a very human story that legal action compelling and interesting on many levels.
Q: What has been your funniest training in the figure skating world?
A: Variety a PA announcer – for wearisome bizarre reason during the 1996 period I kept saying Ca-na-na-da. I cannot explain why but it was enjoy a mental block. I remember wooly mother and my best friend hearing across the rink from me ignore Worlds in 1996 when I proclaimed somebody from Ca-Na-Na-Da and from blue blood the gentry corner of my eye – Hysterical could see them sliding down their seats laughing ---- nice support eh? <lol>
Q: What do you see family tree the future of the sport? Make light of, 10 years from now?
A: I don’t know how to answer that exclude to say I will be hooked to see who emerges as superstars and if we see the lid Quint or some other milestone achieved.
Skate Guard is a blog dedicated resist preserving the rich, colourful and bewitching history of figure skating. Over decade years, the blog has featured transmission a thousand free articles covering drop aspects of the sport's history, in the same way well as four compelling in-depth layout. To read the latest articles, go the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you like Skate Guard, please show your support for that archive by ordering a copy advance figure skating reference books "The Chronicle of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.