Figure Skating

Four-time world champion Kurt Browning says the race for the men's gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics is currently so confusing and fraught with so many questions, you could "spin the wheel, throw the dart'' right now.

Still, even though Patrick Chan hasn't competed yet this year because of injury, Browning would still include him in his top three.

"He's just so good, for all the right reasons,'' Browning said of Chan, 18, of Toronto. "I just think he's one of those skaters that changes from one circle to another in a way that is so pleasing that it becomes a transition,'' Browning said.

"He's so pleasing to the eye and almost everybody feels the same way when they watch him skate. It's how he works the body and how he flows over the edge [of the skate blade], and how he'll roll a shoulder. It's just his way. And he almost can't help it.''

Also, Browning says Chan's quad is "right there,'' and he can use it as a tool in practice. "Even if he just lands it every once in a while and just sort of elevates himself to their level [men who do quads], it keeps the wolf at bay a little bit.''

It would be good for Chan to land a quad, Browning said, because for him, becoming the first man to land a quad in competition was momentous. "It's a .7-second high that lasts a lifetime,'' he said. "I hope he does it, just for him.''

And Chan has such quality that he's one of only three or four teams or skaters that render he and Tracy Wilson silent when they're in the CBC commentatary booth.

There are about eight men, maybe 10, who could win the gold medal in Vancouver, said Browning.

The 2007 world champion Brian Joubert of France finally redeemed himself with a victory at NHK in Japan, but Browning said: "I was dangerously close to wondering if Joubert was going to squirrel his talent into the ground.

"You don't want to lose him. He's really exciting and fans love him.''

Two-time world champion Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland is happy to be back after missing action for a couple of seasons, but he's dealing with chronic injuries.

And Browning wonders if 2006 Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko will continue to get high presentation marks? "I think he was really smart to step on the ice, get some big jumps done, get some people talking,'' he said.

Tomas Verner of Czech Republic looks like a contender, but he finished only 11th in the short program at Skate America last week, although he was ill with the flu.

Nobonari Oda of Japan, is taking a front-running position after winning his two Grand Prix this season.

Everyone awaited the return of the talented Daisuke Takahashi of Japan, but he finished fourth in his first Grand Prix, underrotating three jumps in his long program (including his quad) and falling twice.

He returns to make amends here this week against Chan.

Takahashi has the highest total score ever recorded by a man - 264.41 - and is the only man ever to outpoint Plushenko.

Chan has competed against Takahashi only once, Lambiel twice and Plushenko never.

He hasn't met Takahashi since the 2008 world championships in Sweden, when Takahashi went as the favourite to win. Takahashi missed last season because of injury.