A young figure skater from Sudbury continues to prove he?s among the very best, and this made him one of Northern Life?s newsmakers of the year for 2002.
Just 10 days ago, Jeffrey Buttle indicated he?s getting older and better by finishing second in the senior men?s competition at the national figure skating championships.
Buttle finished a close second to Emmanuel Sandhu in the men?s singles competition and earned himself a trip to the world championships, set for Washington, D.C. in late March.
Speaking to Northern Life from his Barrie home?Buttle?s family moved from Sudbury to Barrie for Jeffrey?s skating career several years ago?Buttle said he was only one quadruple jump away from becoming a national champion.
?I?m very happy finishing second?it was a very tight competition,? he said. ?I two-footed my quad jump, but it was my intention to go for it and I managed to carry on and pull everything together and skate clean the rest of the way.
?If I landed the quad, I think I would have won it.?
Sandhu fell twice during his performance, but attempted two quad jumps and had an extremely difficult program and he doesn?t begrudge finishing second to an outstanding competitor like Sandhu, said Buttle.
Gaining a spot at the world championships was his goal and that mission has been accomplished, he said.
?I do know my main focus has to be to land the quad in competition. The rest of my program is very strong and if I can land that jump, I think I should do very well (at worlds),? said Buttle.
Buttle is in his second year of chemical engineering studies at the University of Toronto. His long-term goal remains competing for Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
?I?m pleased with my progress,? he said. ?I?m only 20 and I?ve come a long way the past two years and I think I?m only going to get better.?
Before the world championships, Buttle will compete at the Four Continents Cup in the middle of February in Beijing, China.
In 2002, Buttle competed in his first world championships in Nagano, Japan last March.
In Barrie, he?s coached by two of Canada?s top coaches, Lee Barkell and Doug Leigh, who happen to be Stojko?s coach and coach to several of the country?s top skaters.
Despite living in so many cities, Buttle says he considers Sudbury home because he really enjoyed living here and ?this is where I really learned to skate?.
