Feb. 11--Less than a month after being criticized for becoming national champion without trying a quadruple jump, figure skater Jason Brown of Highland Park is surprisingly planning to do one in Thursday's short program at the Four Continents Championships in Seoul.
In a text message, Brown's coach, Kori Ade, said she decided after the skater was named to the U.S. teams for the Four Continents meet and next month's World Championships that "he would begin to integrate it here."
Ade said he would do the jump, a quadruple toe loop, only in the short program.
"My quad is getting more consistent every day and it's something we think is time to start integrating into the program," Brown said in a statement posted by U.S. Figure Skating. "We feel this event is that perfect opportunity. We have six weeks before worlds to decide if we put it in at worlds based on how it goes at this event.
"I'll take this event as a learning experience. I'll try it and reevaluate after that. I haven't integrated a new jump in about two years so to have this opportunity is really exciting."
Brown, 20, who finished ninth at the 2014 Olympics, has never done a quad in competition. He was the first man since 2009 to win the U.S. title without attempting a quad. The nine men who finished behind him overall all tried at least one.
When questions about when he would try the quad came up at nationals in Greensboro, N.C., where he finished second in the free skate, Brown addressed them by saying it was a matter of first being able to do one consistently in practice. He implied that the first quad would wait until next season.
"I'm hoping that (at) some of the events in the (upcoming) summer for sure to start trying quads," he said after the short program at nationals. "I don't ever want to go in with the quad and think too much about that one jump and take away from the rest of the program."
The quadruple toe loop jump has a base value of 10.3 points, 1.8 higher than any triple jump. Under current rules, it is possible to get full base value for the jump even if it isn't landed cleanly.
Four Continents is a competition involving countries outside Europe. It includes the U.S., Canada, China, Japan and Kazakhstan -- home of reigning Olympic bronze medalist Denis Ten -- among others.
The 26 skaters in the men's event have planned an aggregate 29 quads in the short and long programs, according to program breakdowns provided by the International Skating Union. Some men listed a quad in the short program and two more in the long program.
This is Brown's first appearance at Four Continents.
