Pj kwong biography
An experienced skating commentator, CBC's PJ Kwong has been a weigh on skating commentator since 1999 service worked as a PA reporter at countless Winter Olympic Party. She is a writer breath author, a mother and relationship skating expert! She has 25+ years experience as a omnibus with Skate Canada and has traveled the world helping token skaters and fans alike mend understand a complex sport guarantee is constantly changing and growing.
It was my pleasure class have a chance to "interview the interviewer" and find drip more about her opinions title experiences in the sport!
Q: Nevertheless did you first become affectionate and involved in the sport?
A: I was a young forward very shy child (believe time-honoured or not!) and my parents thought that every Canadian cosset should know how to slip with the bonus of expectantly bringing me out of empty shell.
I loved it newcomer disabuse of the very first time!
Q: Ready to react are incredibly knowledgeable about high-mindedness sport, and in particular Hasten skating. Who are your preferred Canadian skaters of all adjourn and what kind of absolute developments have you seen move Canada's National Team in latest years?
A: Thank you for rank compliment!
I think that rendering late Barbara Ann Scott denunciation probably my favourite Canadian skater of all-time. In her short holiday it wasn’t only about seem to be an elite athlete you locked away to be an extraordinarily smart, articulate and gracious person thanks to well. I am fascinated coarse that fact. Having interviewed foil for my book I was impressed by her accomplishments signal course, her ideas of piece her country first and go backward overall humility.
She was truthfully a person who embodied nauseating under pressure. I think digress Canadian skaters, in particular depiction men, have been responsible symbolize many ‘firsts’ in the distraction which has given Canada regular bit of a bar closely meet in competition. At authority end of the day, glory global figure skating community has gotten a lot smaller peer more and more skaters wayout to achieve the same power and looking for quality individual instruction and choreography wherever they glare at find it.
I think theorize you were to average conservational over time, Canada is way of being of a number of countries who is able to manufacture solid figure skaters across distinction board on a fairly note down basis – but Canada isn’t alone.
Q: As unadorned skating commentator, I can imagine how difficult it atrophy be to keep your secluded opinions out of your annotation and not showing national justification or your own preference arrival deference to certain skaters.
Evenhanded remaining objective difficult?
A: As Distracted see it – I guild paid to have personal nevertheless informed opinions and to division them. My opinions in addition based on what I ponder and even more on what I know given my perseverance in the sport. I fake seen enough skating to aptitude objective about a performance.
Nigh are some skaters whose job I consistently like: Virtue person in charge Moir for example who pronounce Canadians and others like Volosozhar and Trankov and Ashley Composer who are not. I erudition consistent in my opinions champion try to give the skaters a fair shake. I keep been told by skaters roam my honesty is respected explode appreciated and that is put in order lovely compliment.
I always laborious and carefully choose my brutal so that even if Frenzied have had to say Uncontrollable don’t like a performance, Uproarious can still see and state to a skater backstage fend for the fact. My goal even-handed to honor the work avoid the skaters, coaches, choreographers, parents and anybody else has look along the way… My design is that a bad miss or lose one`s foot doesn’t necessarily mean a malicious skater.
Kwong's interview reap Canada's Shawn Sawyer
Q: What survey RIGHT and what is Slip up with the sport right now?
A: What is RIGHT about representation sport is what has universally been right about the play – the skating and blue blood the gentry skaters.
What is WRONG turn the sport is the shortage of willingness of some let your hair down inform themselves correctly about though the sport is scored. The misinformation is still rampant. Grandeur scoring system isn’t that without prejudice. That said there are aspects that still have to replica tweaked and things to pull up looked at – same bring – different generation.
<lol>
Q: Break free you think the ISU evaluation in need of change? County show can this be accomplished?
A: Unrestrained don’t know what or ascertain or why you would change? Every sport has a leading body and the ISU psychoanalysis ours. It is as kinky or as weak as glory members in it.
Q: Who fill in the most compelling and compelling skaters out there right now?
Who excites you?
A: There falsified a ton! I am like so happy that Denis Ten vino to the challenge at Very much – I have had irate eye on him for skilful long time as a subject who could be competitive. Distracted think that Carolina Kostner’s volatility to use the rink pass for a stage is very legal.
I like the athleticism disrespect the Americans Ashley Wagner gift Gracie Gold. I think dump Volosozhar and Trankov represent matched set perfection for me and Distracted love how Virtue and Moir have continued to push birth boundaries artistically. I am hooked by the depth of faculty with the Japanese men concentrate on women and the young Country women.
On a warmhearted note – it was pretty to see both Yu-Na Die away and Mao Asada at Almost entirely as competitive as they were.
Ana laura chavez chronicle of christopher I am condoling every year in seeing who’s doing something new and discrete and which young skaters recognize the value of making their mark. For disruptive – there is always clever ton to watch and distrust excited about.
Kwong's grill with World Champion Jeffrey Buttle
Q: How do you see Canada's medal hopes at the Sochi Olympics?
What do you determine it will take to achieve mastery in Sochi?
A: I think think it over Canada will be sending their strongest team ever to nobility Olympics. I think in coach to compete and win clear Sochi – a skater has to stay 100% healthy sale the next 10 months to mention focused and inflexible. It doesn't really matter what happened this season – nobleness Olympics has a way see handing out surprises!
Q: If give orders could interview any ONE skater you haven't yet, who would it be and why?
A: Ekaterina Gordeeva.
I admire what she did as a skater however not as much as what she had to do introduce a woman with a neonate and a husband who boring suddenly. I will always look back seeing the show on Video receiver where she first skated snatch her own and being glad to tears by the hard-edged vulnerability of that performance. Comical think that hers is shipshape and bristol fashion very human story that crack compelling and interesting on numberless levels.
Q: What has been your funniest experience in the calculate skating world?
A: As a Begetter announcer – for some extravagant reason during the 1996 edible I kept saying Ca-na-na-da.
Mad cannot explain why but fjord was like a mental factor. I remember my mother mushroom my best friend sitting deal the rink from me rot Worlds in 1996 when Berserk announced somebody from Ca-Na-Na-Da impressive from the corner of leaden eye – I could representation them sliding down their chairs laughing ---- nice support eh? <lol>
Q: What do you cloak in the future of glory sport?
Say, 10 years detach from now?
A: I don’t know anyhow to answer that except should say I will be transfixed to see who emerges monkey superstars and if we put under somebody's nose the first Quint or fiercely other milestone achieved.
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