Patrick Chan was ready to throw it all away before 2018 Olympics

GANGNEUNG, South Korea — It’s not every day you hear an athlete talk openly about being selfish and nearly giving up.

But when you’ve gone through the ups and downs Patrick Chan has it makes for a refreshing retrospective.

When it comes to legacy talk, Chan will go down as one of Canada’s best figure skaters ever. Countless Canadian titles, three world championships, three Olympic medals, including a well-earned gold in the team event at PyeongChang.

But it hasn’t always been pretty for the 27-year-old, who faced as much pressure as any athlete during his time in the Olympic spotlight. In a candid interview he did with us in South Korea, Chan admitted how frustrating it has been at times and that he thought about quitting three months before the Games.

His decision to take in one more Olympics wasn’t aimed at amending any losses — or even necessarily winning gold. These Games were all about going out on his own terms.

Good thing he decided to show up.

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