Cynthia Phaneuf has been forced to withdraw from the Canadian National Championships because of a knee injury. She was expected to take one of the top positions, assuring her of a place on the Canadian Olympic figure skating team. Phaneuf can skate but, because the injury is to her landing knee, she can’t jump.
Joannie Rochette, who is the defending champion, is expected to win in Ottawa next week, and Mira Leung, Amanda Billings, Lesley Hawker and Meagan Duhamel now are favored to fill out the team competing in Turin.
