Kaetlyn Osmond, Patrick Chan lead after short programs at skating championships

Patrick Chan acknowledges the crowd following his short program during the Canadian Figure Skating Championships, in Halifax, on Friday, Jan. 22, 2016. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese)

HALIFAX -- There have been plenty of days Patrick Chan has questioned his decision to return to skating.

Friday wasn't one of them.

The 25-year-old from Toronto, who took 18 months off following the Sochi Olympics, looked like he'd never left in winning the short program at the Canadian figure skating championships.

"It's a lot of fun," Chan said. "When I can skate that way, it's a blast, and I want to be here."

Earlier Monday, Kaetlyn Osmond won the women's short program, while Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje won the short dance.

Skating to Michael Buble's "Mack the Knife," Chan opened with a huge quad toe loop-triple toe loop combination, then followed it up with a triple Axel -- and a victorious fist pump. His score of 103.58 points gives the three-time world champion a massive lead going into the Saturday's long program.

"This is one step forward in the right direction finally, and the rest is just cruising," he said. "This was my only really stressful point of nationals, (Saturday's) a new day, but I know what I need to think about."

Liam Firus of North Vancouver, B.C., was second with 78.87, while Kevin Reynolds of Coquitlam, B.C., took third with 77.65.

Last year's winner Nam Nguyen, a 17-year-old from Toronto, fell on his quad and finished back in fifth.

Chan has had trouble with his short program this season, but Friday, he said, was as comfortable as he's felt during this comeback.

His coach Kathy Johnson said he'd broken through a big mental barrier.

"Thrilled thrilled thrilled for him," Johnson said. "There's something about being away from competition, it's like learning to be battle-ready again, dealing with the nerves and the pacing."

Chan has talked openly about the difficult days in his comeback, and Johnson echoed those sentiments.

"Patrick is incredibly mentally tough, he really is. He is a fierce competitor. And he is the hardest worker," she said. "Most days, he's on the ice by himself, there is no one on the ice with him."

Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu set a world record score of 110.95 for the short program in December. And while Chan's points Friday aren't recognized in international scoring, they are an indication that he is making up some ground on the field.

Johnson said Chan still has some tricks in his back pocket -- he regularly lands quad Salchows, for example. But they're taking a patient approach.

"He's been able to do that quad Salchow for awhile. . . but he brings a lot to skating that no other skater does, and he doesn't want to sacrifice (his superior skating) just to put elements in," Johnson said. "And we have a plan and we're not going to panic and rush that plan."

Osmond, meanwhile, took the first step toward reclaiming her Canadian crown, laying down the strongest program since a gruesome broken leg sidelined her for all of last season.

The skate was good enough to give her the lead after the short program at the Canadian figure skating championships. Afterward, the 20-year-old from Marystown, N.L., said it was the first she'd felt like herself since her injury.

"It's been a long time," Osmond said.

The two-time Canadian champion scored 70.63 points for her performance to Cyndi Lauper's lyrical "La Vie en Rose," her one misstep coming on a combination -- she doubled the planned triple toe-loop.

And when she turned her final spin, the Scotiabank Centre crowd rose in a standing ovation.

"It felt really good, it gave me the feeling that I am back," she said. "And no matter how many other competitions I've done this year, this is the first competition that I've truly felt back.

"And having that standing ovation was even better."

Later on Friday, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje easily won the ice dance short program.

Osmond broke her right fibula in two places in the fall of 2014, an injury that required two surgeries to repair. She virtually had to learn to skate all over again -- it was two weeks into her return before she could even change directions on the ice.

Alain Chartrand of Prescott, Ont., was second with a score of 68.81. Defending champion Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., fell on her triple Lutz and finished third (64.44).

"For me, it's just more important that I make the world team, whether it's first or second, I'm not really focused on winning exactly," Chartrand said. "Of course, winning would be amazing."

The Canadian championships determine the team for the world championships in Boston in March. Canada can send two skaters each in men's and women's singles, plus three ice dance teams and three pairs teams.

Weaver and Poje, world silver and bronze medallists, take a sizeable lead into Saturday's long program. The Waterloo, Ont., skaters scored 76.20 for their elegant skate to "The Blue Danube."

Piper Gilles of Toronto and Paul Poirier of Unionville, Ont., were second with 70.63 points, while Alexandra Paul of Midhurst, Ont., and Mitchell Islam of Barrie, Ont., were third with 68.30.

Weaver and Poje are one victory from being undefeated through two seasons -- their bronze at last year's world championships is their only "loss" since the fall of 2014.

Results Friday from the 2016 Canadian figure skating championships at Scotiabank Centre:

Women - Short Program

1. Kaetlyn Osmond, N.L., 70.63.

2. Alaine Chartrand, Ontario, 68.81.

3. Gabrielle Daleman, Ontario, 64.44.

4. Veronik Mallet, Quebec, 60.01.

5. Larkyn Austman, B.C., 53.87.

6. Roxanne Rheault, Quebec, 51.34.

7. Eri Nishimura, Ontario, 51.08.

8. Kim DeGuise Leveillee, Quebec, 50.88.

9. Michelle Long, Ontario, 49.90.

10. Kelsey Wong, B.C., 49.02.

11. Jane Gray, Alberta, 48.01.

12. Selena Zhao, Quebec, 47.76.

13. Emma Cullen, Ontario, 46.76.

14. Justine Belzile, Quebec, 46.73.

15. Valerie Bergeron, Quebec, 45.87.

16. Stephie Walmsley, N.S., 42.35.

17. Veronique Cloutier, Ontario, 41.53.

18. Valerie Giroux, Quebec, 38.49.

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Ice Dance -Short Dance

1. Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje, Ontario, 76.20.

2. Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier, Ontario, 70.63.

3. Alexandra Paul & Mitchell Islam, Ontario, 68.30.

4. Elisabeth Paradis & Francois-Xavier Ouellette, Quebec, 63.03.

5. Nicole Orford & Asher Hill, B.C., 61.46.

6. Brianna Delmaestro & Timothy Lum, B.C., 57.60.

7. Andreanne Poulin & Marc-Andre Servant, Quebec, 55.62.

8. Lauren Collins & Shane Firus, Ontario, 54.67.

9. Catherine Daigle-Roy & Dominic Barthe, Quebec, 54.09.

10. Carolane Soucisse & Simon Tanguay, Quebec, 53.19.

11. Roxette Howe & Jean Luc Jackson, B.C., 46.31.

12. Jocelyn LeBlanc & Danny Seymour, Ontario, 40.52.

13. Alexa Linden & Addison Voldeng, Saskatchewan, 36.73.

14. Elysia-Marie Campbell & Philippe Granger, Quebec, 33.54.

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Pairs - Short Program

1. Meagan Duhamel & Eric Radford, Quebec, 73.03.

2. Julianne Seguin & Charlie Bilodeau, Quebec, 69.73.

3. Lubov Ilyushechkina & Dylan Moscovitch, Ontario, 69.50.

4. Kirsten Moore-Towers & Michael Marinaro, Ontario, 59.67.

5. Vanessa Grenier & Maxime Deschamps, Quebec, 59.44.

6. Brittany Jones & Josh Reagan, Ontario, 56.12.

7. Shalena Rau & Sebastian Arcieri, Ontario, 53.37.

8. Hayleigh Bell & Rudi Swiegers, Saskatchewan, 41.35.