by Alexandra Stevenson

YU-NA KIM Exquisitely flawless wins GOLD

MAO ASADA Lands two triple Axels but later stumbles

JOANNIE ROCHETTE overcomes tragedy to take bronze with a near flawless showing;
blows a kiss sky-ward for her mother who died only days beforehand

Great Technical Standard Shown with NO falls in top 11.

1.Total Score 228.95; 1.Free Skate 150.06 (78.30 elements + 71.76 components); 1.Short Progam; Yu-Na Kim, 19, South Korea, the reigning world champion, who had been magnificent in her James Bond Short Program, showed absolute perfection can be attained in this sport. Performing in royal blue, third in her final group of six, to George Gershwin’s Concerto in F, she was dazzling and daring, giving a second perfect showing. If sixes were still given, it is not a question of whether there would be any awarded, but how many. She gave performances which, undoubtedly, were among the best ever. Those who witnessed such artistry and technical wizardry were privileged and will talk of what they saw for decades to come. She finished an incredible 23.06 points ahead of the silver medalist, Mao Asada, who won the 2008 world title. Skating immediately after the 2007 world champion, Miki Ando, third in the last group of six, she soared through a triple Lutz to triple toe. Each jump was equally high and travelled the same amount of distance before being lightly landed. She earned +2 over the base value of 10, banking 12 points. Then came a triple flip which was given +1.80 over the base value for a total of 7.30 points. Her double Axel to double toe to double loop was rewarded with +1.40 over base adding a further 7.70 to her score. The flying combination spin got Level 4 and +0.80 while her Level 4 spirals and double Axel to triple toe combo both received +2.0 GoE. At the bonus point, she executed a triple Salchow with +1.40 added and then a triple Lutz with +2 added. Her straight line steps were Level 3 and +1.0 (no competitor got a Level 4). Her last jump was a +1.40 double Axel. The routine came to an end with two Level 4 spins, which received +0.60 and +1.0.

She stood on the ice, while flowers and stuffed animals rained down on her, letting tears of happiness flow. Sitting in the Kiss and Cry Area, her mouth dropped open as her score popped up on the electronic scoreboard and was read. She had already broken her own SP record of 76.28 set in the Grand Prix this season in Paris but that was by a mere 2.22 points (78.50). But her FS total of 150.06, broke her world record set at this season’s Skate America 133.95 by 16.11 points. She had taken the overall world record from 210.03 (set by her in Paris) to 228.56, an advance of 18.53. Not only had she become South Korea’s first Olympic skating medalist, she had won gold by an enormous margin of 23.06 over silver. And her record score could stand for who knows how many years. South Korea also won gold medals in Vancouver and Short Track and Long Track Speed skating. "I still can’t believe the score that I received." After the Exhibition she was the guest of honor at the PyeongChang Bid Committee’s reception. After narrowly losing out to Vancouver and Sochi for the Games, they hope Kim’s charisma will help them win the 2018 Games.

2.TS 205.50; 2.FS 131.72 (64.68+67.04); 2.SP; Mao Asada, 19 (just 20 days younger than Kim), from Nagoya in Japan, has battled Yu-Na Kim for their entire international careers. They showed great promise on the Junior Grand Prix circuit. Asada was showing off her triple Axel as a substitute for her older sister, Mai, when she got ill, winning the 2004 Long Beach Junior Grand Prix, the first international competition in the US to use the new system. Asada took the gold and Kim silver in Kitchener, Ontario, in the 2005 World Junior Championships. Both were too young for the last Olympics. But, two weeks after the Olympics, Kim took the 2006 Junior World title from Asada in Ljubljana. Both have had ups and downs. Asada was the 2008 world champion. In 2009 Kim won the title while Asada finished fourth.

After the Short Program, set to Katchaturian’s Masquerade Waltz, Asada, said, "I am very relieved. This is the best short program I have skated this season. I am really happy with it. I tried to stay calm." Having demonstrated her triple Axel in her short program and still not won, Asada tried two in the long, one with a double toe and it still wasn’t enough. Asada, who did her long immediately following Kim, said, "I was listening to my own music, working on my concentration. I did not see her score but I could tell from the crowd reaction that she skated well. I do not feel much pressure competing against Yu-Na Kim. We both believe in ourselves. We do our own thing. I think we have both grown up. I made two mistakes so I do have some regrets. But I’m happy to have won a medal today. I singled my triple toe loop. I think my legs were a little tired. My feet went from under me. I had to make a quick decision on the spot. I should have tried to jump it again, but I didn’t want to be late with the music. Looking back, I should have done it. This is my biggest regret. The four minutes went by too quickly." When asked whether she thinks the value of the triple Axel is too low, Asada said, "There is not much I can say about it. All I can say is that I am proud to have completed three triple Axels at these Olympics." A triple Axel alone has a base value of 8.20. Combined with a double toe loop, the value is 9.50. A triple Lutz to triple toe’s base value is 10. Asada earned four Level 4s with her straight line steps Level 3. In addition to the two triple Axels and the single toe loop, she executed a triple flip to double loop and a triple loop, but her second triple flip which was combined with two double loops was downgraded. She said, "When I first entered the rink I had no special feelings. However, I experienced a lot at these Olympic Games, which I have not experienced elsewhere. So, overall, I had many good experiences.

3.TS 202.64; 3.FS 131.28 (62.80+68.48); 3.SP Joannie Rochette, 24, had the entire population of Canada cheering for her courageous way of dealing with her mother, Theresa’s death. Her father and mother had traveled from their home in Ile-Dupas, near Montreal, to Vancouver to watch their only child skate in the Olympics. They arrived on Saturday but after the trip, Theresa, 55, had a heart attack and was taken to hospital where she died. The loss came only months after her years-long relationship with boyfriend Francois Louis Tremblay, the speed skater she met in the last Olympic Games, broke up. He was also competing in Vancouver. Her Short Program had been an extremely emotional showing. She skated to Camparsita and all eight elements were executed with positive GoEs. Her combination was a high, solid triple Lutz to double toe and gained a full point over the base. The flip was even more secure, receiving +1.60 and the double Axel earned a huge +1.80. Three of the five elements, which receive Levels, earned the maximum 4. The layback spin was Level 2 and earned her smallest GoE, +0.20. Her straight line steps got Level 3 but no one received a 4 on this move. She came into the Free solidly third, a substantial 6.60 over Nagasu and 2.42 behind the second placed Asada. At the end of her performance, the tears came and she blew a kiss skyward to her mother repeating "Mama".

Before taking her position on the ice for the Free, which she performed to Saint Saens’ Samson and Delilah in turquoise, she stopped to tighten her laces and give a high five to her coach, Manon Perren. She began with a +1.20 triple Lutz to double toe to double flip. She stepped out of the following triple flip getting saddled with a -1.80 off the base value. However, the subsequent triple loop earned +1.40 over the base value. Her flying camel spin and spiral came next. Both were Level 4 and earned, respectively, an extra 0.40 and 1.40. Her second triple Lutz timed when the bonus started, got a slight minus 0.20, but the following triple toe loop to triple Salchow sequence earned an extra 0.20. She turned out of the following double Axel and was saddled with a -1.28 and was unable to do the planned second double Axel. Her change foot combination was a Level 4 +0.50. Her final jump, a triple Salchow, earned +1.40. The circular steps were Level 3 and +0.80 and the final move, a flying sit spin was Level 4 and 0.40. When the music stopped the entire audience erupted in a standing ovation. Again she placed third. Overall, she was a huge 12.49 above the fourth placed Nagasu and only 2.86 from the silver medal. "When I stepped onto the ice for the Short Program, I didn’t think about the result. I didn’t think about anything because I didn’t think I could do it at first. When I stepped on the ice my legs were shaking. I don’t know how I ever got through the entire program. I’m sure my mum was there with me every step. Tonight, for those four minutes, I could only think of my skating. It was good because I really needed to be in a state of mind where I couldn’t be touched, where I could be in my own bubble. I still don’t know how I could do this and not start crying before the music starts. I’m really glad I could skate." Only when she was presented with her medal, did the tears flow again. "Yes, I stepped on the ice the same day I learned the news. My mum taught me to be very competitive with myself and with others. It was almost a relief going on the ice and seeing the others Yu-Na landing a triple-triple and Mao a triple Axel. I got so fired up and it brought me back to reality for the 40 minutes of practice. My mom always wanted me to do sports to meet other children because I was an only child. I tried swimming but I wasn’t very good at it. There aren’t that many things you can do in a small town but there was always the ice rink. She was always very proud of me but, even though she’s not here anymore, I’m not afraid to say it: Sometimes she was a pain in the ass. She was always proud of me, my biggest fan. But if I brought homework back from school and I’d got 98, she’d say, ‘Where did you lost those two points?’ My mom was always there watching."

4.TS 190.15; 5.FS 126.39 (65.83+60.56); 6.SP Mirai Nagasu, a 16 year old Californian of Japanese descent, who has yet to skate in a world championship, was piped in the free skate by Laura Lepisto by 0.22. The 2007 and 2008 US champion, who was runner-up to Rachael Flatt this year, was ahead by 1.94 on the elements score but the Finn received 2.16 more on the components. During the SP, which she performed early in the proceedings, 11^th of the 30, to Pirates of the Caribbean, she wanted to perform triple Lutz to triple toe loop but did triple to double. She said, "I think I made a smart choice. My landing wasn’t the best, so it’s good I did a double." Her GoE was -1.20. She executed her Carmen FS last of the 24 immediately following Rochette’s emotional showing. She said, "After the Short Program, I was really disappointed, but after the long and fourth place in my first Olympics, and I haven’t got to Worlds yet, so I think it was pretty good. I think my best years are yet to come. At 16 you don’t have the maturity that the medalists have. Hopefully, I will (in the future). It’s been my dream since I was a little girl. Knowing that I had to skate last in the Olympics was an extra pressure, especially after Joannie. I’m just savoring every moment and that’s what Kristi Yamaguchi told me to do. Next time, I hope to go for gold. I think Joannie skated for the love of everything, her mom and skating. If ever I’m in a tough spot, I can look to her. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to keep up the USA trend of making the podium. I hope I can make up up at the next Olympics." She began with a triple Lutz combined with two double toes which earned +0.60 above the base value. Then came a +1.40 double Axel to triple toe sequence, and a base value triple flip. Her flying sit spin was a +0.40 Level 3, and her layback a Level 4 with a huge Goe of +1.4. Strangely, her spiral sequence, the easiest element on which to get Level 4, was only a 2 with a +1.0 GoE. Obviously, she was not concentrating and COUNTING. At the point where the 10% bonus marks for jumps clicks in, she executed a second triple Lutz and a triple loop to double Axel sequence, which both earned +0.20 over the base value. Then came her third double Axel, which got a full point over the base value and a +0.80 triple toe. Her Level 2 straight line steps gained half a point over the base value. Her final move was a Level 4 change foot combination which received an extra +1.0. Her coach, Frank Carroll, said handling handling both Evan Lysacek, the mens gold medalist, and Nagasu was not a problem. "I’m a very disciplined, organized person in my head, so I’m able to stop at Evan’s time and now this is Mirai’s time. I am able to shift gears and get into this job. I finished that job and now I’m in this job. In my career, I have had a lot of good luck and success. There was one thing I did not have. I think a lot of people wanted it more than I did. People are just ecstatic for me. I think it’s lovely. We went to USA House to celebrate Evan’s victory. There were thousands of people there. We had to fight to get in! There were so many Olympic champions there. It was so exciting.

5.TS 188.86; 6.FS 124.10 (62.50+61.60); 4.SP Miki Ando, 22, the Japanese 2007 world champion, performed second in the last group, skating in a green two-piece outfit dress appropriate for her Cleopatra music. She said, "I didn’t warm-up well and was a little worried. I hoped to have a little more speed. That’s probably the one thing I could have done better today. Other than that, I didn’t miss much." In the SP, which she executed last of the 30 competitors to Mozart’s Requiem, she was the only competitor to try a triple Lutz to triple loop, which was the second most difficult combination (to Asada’s triple Axel to double toe loop). But the second jump was downgraded. "I’m happy I went for it but the score wasn’t great. It was my decision. I did it well in practice. It was a disappointing. I did not get enough rotation. That was pretty bad. I really wanted to do it well. Overall that was a good program. I was not nervous. I was relaxed. So I decided not to try it in the Free. I didn’t want to worry about it. I wanted to enjoy my skate. In Torino, I made a lot of errors (finishing 15^th) so I’m really pleased with my performance today. The last Olympics I skated more for myself. I have grown since then and this time I appreciate more all the support I get. The Olympic Games is, of course, different than any other competition. Of course, I would love to win a medal, but it isn’t just about a medal. It is the most prized opportunity to skate amongst the most elite skaters before, not only the people in Vancouver, but, through television, so many people in so many countries." In the exhibition she skated in a knee-length dress with purple top and tan skirt, to a very dramatic different version of Requiem. "It’s not only the points and rank which count. I also want to perform so my audience will remember these Games. I want to be able to reach as many people as possible and, if that means it will help my rankings, that’s good, too. I believe Yu-Na Kim is a great skater. She has something I’m missing in terms of expression and her jumps. I was calm when I arrived here. I was able to be much clearer in my identity, my feelings and my performance. It would be great if the spectators felt I had improved since 2006 and if they remember me with a good feeling." In FS she presented six triples, two Lutzes, two Salchows, a Loop and a triple toe. All except the toe got base level or better. The toe loop received a -0.60. She was awarded four Level 4s, but her straight line steps were deemed only Level 2.

6.TS 187.97; 4.FS 126.61 (63.89+62.72); 10.SP The Finnish champion, Laura Lepisto, 21, from Espoo, was dethroned in January’s European championship by Carolina Kostner. But though Kostner gained an initial lead over her Finnish rival, there was no contest between the two in the FS. In the SP, Lepisto executed only a triple toe to double toe instead of the planned triple-triple as her combination jump and got a mere Level 2 for the steps and Level 3 for the layback spin and spirals. But in the FS she gave an enjoyably mature showing to the Tango Adios Nonino and Fuga y Misterio that was deemed the fourth best that evening and pulled her up four slots, despite having a false start when her music stopped after a couple of beats. She said, "It had to be started again. It didn’t affect me. I was really concentrating on my performance. I am happy about doing the triple-triple. I am happy about the whole performance except for the last jumping pass (which she doubled a Salchow combined with two double toe loops). It was all good quality. It was 16 points over my Personal Best. I am happy to do that here." If she executed a triple instead of the double, she would have overtaken the fifth placed Miki Ando, who was only 0.89 ahead of her. Her Levels were all 4 except for the circular steps which were 3.

7.TS 182.49; 8.FS 117.85 (59.37+58.48); SP.5. Rachael Flatt, 17, USA, a transposed Californian who trains in Colorado Spring, said she was thrilled to be in Vancouver. "When I got on (the Pacific Coliseum Olympic ice) for the first time and skated over the center figure (embedded into the ice) I got a chill. It was thrilling." She arrived in Canada for the Opening Ceremony, but then went back to train in Colorado. "I was watching the NBC coverage almost every night. I was up until 11 pm. Normally, I try to be in bed by 9:30. We are considering adding the triple Lutz to triple loop to the Free but there wasn’t enough time to add it before the Olympics. I know Joannie pretty well from competitions. It’s really hard to think about that." After the Short Program, Flatt said, "It was so exciting. I really performed my program (to Louis Prima’s Sing Sing Sing) well and that was my goal so I’m ecstatic about how things went. Aside from the solo triple Lutz being a little shaky, everything else was great." She got a -1.0 GoE and placed fifth in the SP, a little above Nagasu and only a minuscule 0.12 behind Ando but a very significant 2.72 behind Rochette. Her coach, Tom Zakrajsek, revealed, "We have definitely talked about winning a medal and being on the podium. It’s important she not get distracted at this time. I think that, apart from Yu-Na Kim, Rachael did the best triple flip-triple toe (in the Short). Flatt drew to skate first of the last six for the FS. Performing to Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, she began with a good +1.0 double Axel but then the triple flip of her combination with triple toe was downgraded. The next element, a triple Lutz gained the base value. Her flying camel got Level 4 with a small 0.20 positive GoE but the next spin, the change foot upright was only a base value Level 3. The triple loop placed as the 10% bonus marks click in earned +0.80 over its base value and the triple Lutz to double toe got +0.40 as did Flatt’s Level 3 spirals but then the triple flip in her combination of double toe and double loop was also downgraded. The final three moves, triple Salchow, Level 3 circular steps and Level 4 flying change foot combination spin earned +0.80, +0.60 and +0.50 over base. Flatt was taken aback that her marks weren’t higher and that she had dropped two places, as was the audience. She admitted, "I was honestly surprised by the marks. I thought the flips were fine when I watched the video playback. Initially, I was just stoked at how I skated. I didn’t care what the marks were then, but obviously I do now. I guess it’s just something to work on for Worlds.

8.TS 181.44; 7.FS 120.42 (60.98+59.44); 11.SP Akiko Suzuki, from Toyohashi in Japan, who will turn 25 on March 28, is a late bloomer. She had a period when she suffered from anemia and had to drop out of the sport for a while. "There were a lot of tough times in the past four years. My coach (Hiroshi Nagakubo) supported me all the way. Here, I was a little nervous and had my worries during the practice. But he said, "This is your stage. You are the one who can do it. Go for it." She has never previously been higher than fourth in her country and has never skated in a world championship. This year she won the national silver, but she still won’t be going to Worlds. The more experienced Yukari Nagano, who was third nationally, will go in her stead. But she was over-the-moon to be at the Olympics, and skated extremely well to Andalucia and Fire Dance by Bill Whelan in the short and West Side Story in the Free, choreographed very well by Canadian world ice dance champion Shae-Lynn Bourne. She explained, Shae-Lynn recommended I skate to West Side Story because I remind her of the character of Maria, emotional with strong mind and strong heart." After winning bronze in Tokyo at the Grand Prix Final after executing this routine so well and after being chosen for the Olympic team, she received a letter from George Chakiris, the American actor who played Bernardo in the 1961 movie version of West Side Story thanking her for chosing this music and wishing her Good Luck. Suzuki performed immediately following Leonova in the free and gave a wonderfully outgoing showing. She said, "I did not fall. I completed the program. I don’t have much experience but this was wonderful. It will help me in the future. I feel this Olympic experience will be something that I will treasure forever. It has enriched my life. I want to keep smiling. If I enjoy the performance, then I perform better. Everything happens so I could be here today. That is how I look back on the past. Of course, in competition, points are important but I’ve always wanted to transcend that." In the SP, which she had to perform immediately after Kim’s fantastic showing, Sukuri stepped out of her triple flip and couldn’t get airborne for the planned double toe. However, she successfully improvised, adding that jump to her subsequent good triple loop. She began her FS with a triple flip to double toe to double loop, a triple toe to double Axel sequence and a triple loop, all of which earned an extra +1.0 over the base value, meaning she banked 22.30 points at that early stage. Although she doubled her second triple flip, that didn’t affect the flow of the routine, but she lost the difference in the base values of 3.63 points, which would have increased her overall placing by one. She was saddled with only negative for her 12 elements. She stepped out of her last jump, a triple Salchow and had -0.30 taken off its base value. Her three spins and the spirals earned the maximum Level 4, all with positive GoEs. Her straight line steps were Level 3 but no competitor earned 4 for this move.

9.TS 172.46; 10.FS 110.32 (55.84+54.48); 8.SP Alena Leonova, 19, Russia, the current world junior champion, who made the six who qualified to compete at the Grand Prix Final this season, skated immediately after the ice resurface giving a very energetic performance to Chicago in royal blue. She held onto her lead over her country woman, Makarova, although the gap between the two’s final places was only 0.55, and she was piped in the FS. She said, "We arrived in Canada from Russia on February 11^th and trained in Abbottsford. The jetlag hit me badly for only one day and I stayed in bed with a temperature. Then we came into the Athletes’ Village on the 17^th. We watched the pairs and Mens short in Abbottsford, but we watched the Men’s Free live. We were upset for Zhenia (Plushenko) but he is still happy to get a third Olympic medal. The village is nice. My costume for the Free Skate is based on a lady in the mid-19^th Century. I like it. It’s a sexy character." She had skated to Russian folk music in the Short. After the Long, she said, "In the warm-up things weren’t going well. I tried all of my jumps and they didn’t go well. But afterwards, I was very happy. It was the best I have done and to do it at the Olympics is a great achievement. Some people call me a fighter. I always fight for every jump and every step." She earned +0.80 over the base value for her opening move, the combination of two triple toe loops. She said, "I’m especially happy with that. I did it at the beginning of the program and it made my day and set the tone for my whole skate." Then came her Level 4 spirals. However, she did get some negatives. She said, "I don’t really understand the new system completely. I try not to think about it and just focus on my skating and the audience." She stepped out of her third move, a triple Lutz and the following double Axel was saddled with -0.80 GoE. Her flying combination spin was Level 3 and +0.50. The triple loop was -0.20 but her triple flip to double Axel, performed after the point at which the bonus marks click in, got an additional 0.40 over the base value. Her flying sit spin was only Level 2 although the following straight line steps were +0.20 Level 3. Then came a triple Salchow to double toe to double loop with the last jump downgraded and a -1.0 triple flip. But she ended with a Level 4 change foot combination spin which earned an extra +0.40.

10.TS 171.91; 9.FS 112.69 (58.77+53.92); 12.SP Ksenia Makarova’s parents are Olympic bronze medalists, Larisa Selezneva and Oleg Makarov. They were third in pair skating in the 1984 Olympics representing the Soviet Union. They came to the United States some years ago and now live in New York State. Makarova explained, "Ever since I started skating, I really wanted to follow in their footsteps. I watch their videos all the time. Being here felt great. My mother chose my music (Ladies in Lavender by N. Hess for the SP; 13^th Warrior by J Goldstein for the FS)." She now trains alongside Johnny Weir in Wayne, New Jersey. "Every time I’m with Johnny, he calms me down. I feel like a diva. He tells me to skate like a Queen, so we selected music that would allow me to do that." Two seasons ago, Makarova entered the Russian junior championships and finished fifth. This season, she tried the senior level and, to her own surprise, the 17 year old won the title. Performing the Free Skate in deep blue with a touch of pink, fifth in the third group of six, she opened with a combination of two triple toe loops and, although the landing on the second jump was a little wobbly, and she had -0.60 deducted from the base value of 8 points, it was still a great start. She says, "I actually like the triple-triple. I feel really confident about it." She followed that with triple flip, double Axel, triple loop, second triple Axel, Level 4 layback spin and spirals, and triple Salchow to double toe loop to double loop, all of which got base value or better. Her only other negative GoEs were on the ninth and tenth moves, a -0.30 on the second triple Salchow to double toe and her Level 2 flying sit. She ended with +0.50 Level 3 straight line steps and +0.24 Level 4 change foot combination spin. She said, "My parents tell me to have fun. They went through what I’m going through. They want me to enjoy it because the skating life is really short. My goal was to skate two clean programs. Nothing is really expected from me so there’s no real pressure. My room mate (Alena Leonova) and I were just baffled by how Joannie was able to skate. It wasn’t her grandmother. It wasn’t her aunt. It was her mother. How terrible!"

11.TS 161.57; 11.FS 108.61 (54.93+53.68); 17.SP Kiira Korpi, Finland, 21, soared up six places but finished almost ten points out of the top ten. She performed second in the second group, in a deep blue top with sparkles and black skirt skating to Crooked Room and Passenger to Copenhagen, two pieces by Kerkko Koskinen. The first half contained no errors. She performed a triple Lutz to double toe loop, triple Salchow to double Axel Sequence, a triple flip, Level 4 combination spin, triple loop and Level 4 spirals. But then she singled a second loop which was meant to be a three jump combination. She wisely improvised, adding a double toe and double loop to the following double Axel. Her flying sit spin gained +0.40 over the Level 4 base value. The straight line steps were +0.50 Level 3. Her final jump, a double Axel, gained the base value and her final element was +0.50 change foot combination spin. She said, "I am satisfied. I only made one mistake. I was disappointed after the short program (in which her triple Lutz was downgraded and she wasn’t able to do the second jump of the combo. And she had -0.48 deducted from the base value of her double Axel). I was a bit stiff. But then we had a day off and I got the fighting feeling and decided to do a great skate. This is my second Games, but I was very young in Turin (where she finished 16^th) so it was more like a learning experience. It made me more prepared and I really enjoyed the Games in Vancouver."

12.TS 156.62; 13.FS 99.46 (48.94+51.52 -1.0) 14.SP Cynthia Phaneuf, Canada, 22, skating first of the second group of six, benefited from the see-sawing of places in the SP and FS to finish higher overall than she had in either section. She was very upset that she fell in the short. She said, "It wasn’t even on a jump. It was just stupid. It was a big surprise and it cost me a point. I was so disappointed. I couldn’t forget it when the program was over." For the Free Skate, she performed an extremely graceful routine set, skating to Mission Cleopatra, dressed in a backless white with gold creation. She began with a lovely +1.0 sequence of triple toe loop to double Axel but then fell, very softly on her triple Lutz. She recovered with a +0.80 triple loop to double toe followed by a +0.60 second triple loop. Her first spin was a Level 3, +0.40 flying sit. Then she doubled her Salchow. Her spirals were Level 4 and +1.0. But then came a messy single Axel. She explained, "After I popped the Salchow, I was afraid of the double Axel." Her straight line steps were Level 3 with +0.50 but she had to do a double three to hold onto the landing of the second jump in the triple toe to double toe and could not add a planned third jump. Her last two moves were Level 4 spins. The change foot spin earned +0.50 over the base value and the change foot combination +0.40. She said, "I’m not happy with that program. It’s the first time that I didn’t do my very best here and I had so much practice. This was not what I was doing at home. It’s not my best. I know I can do better so maybe I will be at the next Olympics. I was training very good long programs at home but I had a very bad warm-up here so I was a bit nervous. I lost some confidence. Maybe I put a little too much pressure on myself. I should have skated like Joannie. She was kind of like a computer. She didn’t let her emotions get to her. That’s how she needed to skate. She can’t be distracted by emotions. We should all skate like that. I was very sure she’d be able to skate clean. I’m a very emotional person so, as a skater, I’m always fighting with that. I always have to try to stay in the moment."

13.TS 155.53; 12.FS 102.37 (53.57+48.80); 16.SP Min-Jung Kwak, 16, showed that South Korea isn’t a one-skater only country. Skating last of the second group, to music from the movie, The Les Miserable in black and turquoise with one sleeve, she began with a +0.80 triple Lutz, but it was not combined with the planned two double toes. Then came a triple flip, which got a wrong edge takeoff call, and a -0.40 triple loop. Her first spin was a +0.20 Level 4 change foot combination. She tried to improvise a double toe after landing her second triple Lutz but it was very under-rotated. After her Level 4, +1.0 spirals, she did a +0.40 triple Salchow to double Axel sequence and a great Level 4, +1.0 layback spin. But her circular steps were only Level 2 and earned merely the base value. She concluded with a base value double Axel and then a second double Axel with a double toe which earned +0.20 over its base value. She concluded with a Level 4 flying sit spin which earned the base value. She said, "I was just as nervous as I was before my Short Program, but I tried to empty my mind and feel no pressure today. The Olympics is such a big thing. I just came here to experience it. Previously during competitions, I wasn’t able to show some of my improvements that I made in training. I am better at controlling my nerves, so I am able to show some of my improvements during competition now. My score is better than I expected. I’m hoping to compete in another Olympics. Although I try to answer questions about Yu-Na Kim, honestly and truthfully, I feel uncomfortable and nervous about answering them, still. I’m glad there is someone from my own country who I can watch and learn from. I’m not sure I can ever be as good as her, but I’m definitely going to try. Performing in the Olympics has always been my dream. I might never be back, so I gave it my best."

14.TS 155.24; 17.FS 93.32 (40.64+53.68 -1.0); 9.SP Elene Gedevanishvili, 20, skating last of the third group of six, could not repeat the splendid showing she put up when earning Georgia’s first ISU figure skating medal ever, in the recent European championships. She performed to Carmen in a long sleeved backless maroon outfit. She fell on her first jump, a triple Lutz which was down-graded as was the second jump in her combination of three jumps, triple toe loop to triple toe loop to double toe loop. Then she doubled her Salchow. But she fought back, executing a spiral into a double Axel and adding a double toe loop to it. But on her next jump, a triple Salchow, she was forced to put two hands on the ice to keep from falling, which resulted in a -2 GoE. A +0.40 double Axel to double toe loop followed. But her straight line step and the spirals were only Level 1. Her final jump was a base value double Axel. However, she left the audience with an audience pleasing final element, a Level 4 change foot combination spin. She said, "It felt hard, even in practice. I was nervous. I lost the feeling in my legs. It happens. This is my second time at the Olympics. I love Canada. I loved the spirit of the competition. It was good. The lighting was a bit bright. I was a little anxious because I’ve had a little back injury." In the Turin Olympics she finished tenth but then had problems growing into a woman. In the European championships, she went from 25^th in 2009 to 3^rd in 2010. She said, "These Games started with the really sad news for our country (with the death of luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili who crashed during a practice run), so it has been hard. I know I did everything I could. I have worked really hard and I did a triple-triple so that made my performance better than the Europeans."

15.TS 152.81; 14.FS 96.11 (43.87+52.24); 15.SP Sarah Meier, Switzerland, 25, who was eighth in the last Olympic Games and silver medalist in the 2007 and 2008 European championships, had an unfortunate time after arriving in Vancouver. She ended up by being hospitalized for a day before the competition started. "My training started off really well. I was hoping to do the triple loop this time which I didn’t do at Europeans. But then I got very sick. I couldn’t move. It was the stomach flu or something. I lost a lot of energy and couldn’t train. And then I got disoriented." She skated fourth of the second group to Prokoviev’s Romeo and Juliet in white and gold. She had collided with the barrier in the warm-up. She looked upset, shaking her head as she left the ice to await her turn. She admitted, "I didn’t have a good day, but I can’t blame it on illness. When I went on the ice, I was not 100% confident. I was already behind (after the SP) so I felt discouraged." She began well with a triple Lutz to double toe loop combination. But then her next three jumps, flip, loop and a second Lutz, were doubled. The flip also got an "e" for wrong edge take-off. She said, "The Lutz is my best jump but I stopped the rotation before I completed it. Otherwise, I would have fallen into the pads. (The rink was surrounded with enormous pads for the short-track speed skaters to crash into.) She did manage a base value triple Salchow but doubled the second attempt. She earned three Level 4s. The straight line steps and her layback spin were Level 3. She confirmed she would continue to Turin. "It will probably be my last Worlds." The 2011 Europeans are in Bern in her home country, so there surely will be pressure for the very graceful Meier to skate in that event.

16.TS 151.90; 19.FS 88.88 (34.84+57.04 -3.0); 7.SP Carolina Kostner of Italy, who turned 23 four days before the Games began, is skating’s equivalent to a pendulum clock. When she’s on, she can be superb. She earned silver in Worlds in 2008 and a bronze in 2005. This is her second Olympics. She was 9^th in 2006. When she’s off, as she was in the FS both here and in the 2009 world championships, you feel her agony, making her painful to watch. Although she messed up the landing of her triple Lutz in the Short Program, in which she skated 29^th of the 30 competitors, she was still lying a reasonable seventh. When figures were around, there were swings in positions because figures demanded very different kinds of introverted skill while the free skating favored the extrovert. Between then and when the new system was adopted, the proportional system made it very hard to make a soaring leap forward, or an unceremoniously deep descent. Now that is possible, and Kostner dropped nine places. Kostner is now training in Los Angeles with Christa Fassi. She skated third in the third group of six skaters to a Bach Air and a piece from Vivaldi’s Cello Concerto dressed in shades of blue and white. It was apparent she was not on right from the first jump, a triple flip, which she landed with two hands on the ice, and did not do the two double toe loops with which it was meant to be combined. Then she fell on a triple Lutz, which was under-rotated. Her third element, planned as a double Axel to triple toe became single-double. After a Level 4 flying camel, she executed only Level 2 spirals, the easiest of the elements to gain the maximum Level of 4. Kostner then fell badly on a triple flip and fell again on the subsequent element, an under-rotated triple loop. She said, "I am just so angry because I’ve worked so hard. I felt so good. I was so ready. I really thought this was my moment to prove to myself and to other people how great I can skate." Asked how she was going to redeem herself, she said, "First of all, I’ll take some days rest, then I’ll go back to training. I’ll examine with my coaches, to see what went wrong, what to improve, and how to avoid situations like this. And then, well, I’ll come back and fight again, again and again!"

17.TS 151.26; 16.FS 93.80 (41.32+52.48); 13.SP Julia Sebestyen, at 28 the second oldest competitor, was representing Hungary in her fourth Olympic Games and was chosen to carry her country’s flag in the Opening Ceremony. Talking about those experiences, she said, "In Nagano in 1998, I was too young. It was my first big event and I finished 15^th. In Salt Lake City, it was the best and I was 8^th." In Turin she was 18^th. "Here, I wasn’t my best but I tried to fight until the last moment. Carrying the flag was amazing." She performed to Voice of Violin and Allegro in purple and silver, opening with a +1.0 double Axel but then put her hand down on a triple Lutz which was meant to be combined with two double toe loops. Her following triple flip was very high but received an exclamation mark which is a warning for a wrong edge take-off and got a -0.40 GoE which means that some of the judges who were selected to count thought it was satisfactory, and some didn’t. The triple Salchow which followed was +0.60 and her solitary Level 4 move, a flying camel earned 0.50 over its base value. However, she was leaning in the air and landed on both feet on her second triple Lutz. That and the second double Axel in a sequence of two of these jumps were downgraded. Her final jumping pass changed from a triple to a double toe loop. In the short, she had skated immediately following Joannie Rochette. Sebestyen said, "First, I congratulate her, to show how great it is to skate at this difficult time, with this tragedy. To skate after competitors doing great performances is not new for me. In previous Olympics, I have skated after Michelle Kwan and Sarah Hughes. I came here to enjoy the skating and not care about the results. The field was very strong. I tried to enjoy my skating and I’m very happy."

18.TS 143.94; 15.FS 94.90 (50.98+43.92); 23.SP Sarah Hecken, at 16, is Germany’s youngest competitor in these Games. She is the 2008 and 2010 German champion. "They call me the duckling because I’m the youngest. If I need something, there is always someone there for me. Everything is so well organized. It’s been wonderful walking around in the German team uniform. You see someone else in the same outfit and they start talking to you, asking questions, even though you don’t know them." In the short, she changed her music around after Europeans. "I always liked my short, but now I like it better." She sustained a badly bruised right lower arm from a fall in the Europeans. "I had to train a little less at first but I got over that period." Performing the Free Skate last in the first group of six, to piano music, Croatian Rhapsody, Wonderland and Lee Loos Tune, in a very pretty light and dark blue outfit, she began with a +1.0 combination of two triple toe loops. But then she had a long run-up and executed only a single Lutz. "It was just the timing that was off." Then came a +0.60 triple Salchow. She said, "I was very motivated to do the Salchow after I fell on it in the Short. In the Short, I thought too much about it and was too cautious going into it." After the halfway point, where the 10% bonus for jumps clicks in, Hecken executed triple Salchow to double toe and a double Axel combined with two double toe loops. Then came her final jump, a double Axel. These "bonus" moves all received positive GoEs. Two of her three spins and her spirals were Level 4. The other spin, the flying change foot combination, was Level 3. Her straight line steps were only Level 2. She wrapped up her experience by saying, "I take home a lot from here. I did expect the Games to be big, but I was surprised to see how really big it was. I met my first goal here and was very happy to get to Free Skate in front of such a large crowd with so many cameras. It was a bit strange to have a day off after the long and to have practices at such an early hour."

19.TS 143.47; 18.FS 91.73 (49.33+42.40); 19.SP The very graceful Yan Liu, 25, is the four-time Chinese champion. She skated third in the first group, to Why Are the Flowers so Red? dressed, naturally, in red. Liu finished 11^th in the 2006 Olympics but has gone through a very disappointing period. Last season, in her fifth appearance in Worlds, she had her worst placing of 42^nd and had to qualify for the Olympics through the secondary competition in Oberstdorf this fall, where she skated very well. She said, "Even though this was my second Olympics, I was still nervous. After all, the opportunity only arises once every four years. I am satisfied with the results. I was able to spend more time this time to enjoy the whole Olympic experience. If I can stay in form, I would like to continue skating until the next Olympics. I am not the oldest competitor. I have deep feelings for this sport. It’s my career. It’s my love. It’s my life! My program was the same as last season. I decided not to change it because it has difficult elements which I wanted to perfect." She began with a -0.80 triple Lutz, a +0.80 triple toe and a +0.20 triple loop to double Axel combination. However, were only two other triples, a toe loop and a Salchow, and she singled her third double Axel. She admitted, "I could have controlled that better." On her Level moves, she received two 2s and three 3s.

20.TS 138.16; 20.FS 86.00 (42.44+44.56 -1.0); 18.SP Cheltzie Lee, Australia, was a last minute replacement for Tamar Katz of Israel, whose association decided not to send. Lee skating third in the second group of six, performed in purple to Elizabeth, The Golden Age. She said, "Well, I was a little bit shaky in the legs throughout the performance, but I’m happy that I kept it together. That’s the best score I’ve received internationally, so I’m happy that I did the best I could. Hopefully, by 2014, I’ll be up there with the best of them. It’s been a very draining experience emotionally. Maybe next time I won’t stay in the Athletes’ Village. It’s been a long couple of weeks, emotionally draining." She started with triple Salchow and triple toe loop both combined with double toes. Then came a +1.0 double Axel. She earned Level 4 for two of her spins. However, her second triple Salchow and triple toe loop were both down-graded and she fell on the Salchow. "After that fall, I was happy I could do the final jump. I knew I could do it. It’s one of my easiest jumps. I’m going to work very hard in between now and Sochi."

21.TS 134.19; 22.FS 83.39 (39.11+45.58 -1.0); 20.SP Elena Glebova, Estonia, 20, skated fourth in the first group to Capriccio Espanol by Korsakov in a long-sleeved, high necked black and pink outfit. She said, "I was very disappointed I fell on the Salchow in the Short because that’s my favorite jump. In the Long, I wasn’t nervous at all at the beginning and maybe that’s bad. I’m usually more nervous and that’s when I skate better. I did the most difficult move (combo of two triple toes) but the easiest ones I missed. It was very strange. Now I understand that I have to be nervous before a competition and concentrate on each jump." She began with a triple loop which was a little dicey. After a double Axel she went into a planned combination of three jumps which turned into a single Salchow. Although her combination of two triple toe loops earned +0.80 over the base value, she fell on her second attempt at a triple Salchow, although she was given credit for the rotations. Dispirited, she singled two double Axel attempts. She failed to earn one Level 4. She admitted, "My challengers have very good spins and I lost some points. I work on them. I do believe the ladies should try triple-triple and the men should do the quad. I have had fun here. I went to Whistler and saw Bobsleigh and I’ve had time to go shopping and taking pictures downtown."

22.TS 133.51; 21.FS 83.77 (43.97+40.80 -1.0) SP 22.SP Sonia LaFuente, 18, would never have become a figure skater if her parents had not moved from the Canary Islands to Madrid. In 2006, she showed her talent by becoming the first skater from Spain ever to win an ISU figure skating medal, earning silver behind Caroline Zhang in the 2006 Junior Grand Prix in Mexico City. In Vancouver, skating second to Orobroy by David Pena and Poeta Vincente Amigo, dressed in white, she began by falling on a triple flip, but then pulled herself together and executed a triple loop which earned the base value, a +0.20 double Axel and then a second double Axel with a double toe. But she doubled her second attempt at a triple loop. She received one Level 4 which was for her final element, the change foot combination spin. She said, "I felt really good. I had some problems on the first jump but I finished with a good triple toe loop so I am happy with that. I got more points than I’ve had so I was pleased with that. We travel with a small group of skaters normally to events. This time, we were with a really big team from Spain. That was great. But once I was on the ice, I did not think. ‘It’s the Olympics!’ It was just as if I was competing at any other big competition."

23.TS 131.65; FS 82.63 (41.47+42.16 -1); SP.24 Anastasia Gizmazetdinova, from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, who will turn 30 on May 19, was the oldest competitor in this event and was the last skater to make the cut to Free Skate. She is married to former Russian track and field athlete, Eduard Kamynin. In the last Olympics, she finished 29^th. She skated to Otonal by Raul di Blazio, most famously used by the 1999 world champion, Russian Maria Butryskaya. Her best placing at Worlds was 21^st in 2008 but last year she dropped to 31^st. Skating fifth, dressed in a long-sleeved, backless purple number, she began with four jumping passes, a triple Lutz which she doubled, a triple toeloop which was meant to be combined with a double toe, a triple Salchow and a double Axel. She added a double toe to her second triple toe and then came a second triple Salchow, combined with a double toe. In a planned sequence of two double Axels, she landed slightly off on the first and left out the second. She fell on her Level 1 circular steps but then pulled herself together for a Level 4 change foot combination spin. Her final element, the layback spin was Level 2.

24.TS 129.54; 24.FS 78.80 (37.64+42.16-1.0); SP.21 Tugba Karademir of Turkey was the first to skate. She is very popular with the Canadians and the crowd gave the 24-year old a great reception. She first came to Canada to train when she was 12 and has become "one of us" to many Canadians. This is her second Olympics. In 2006, after carrying Turkey’s flag in the Opening Ceremony because she was the first figure skater from that country to compete in the Games, she finished 21^st. Her parents were not in that audience, then. This time, although they failed to get tickets through Canada’s lottery system, a sponsor stepped in and they were delighted to witness their daughter perform at the highest level of her sport. Unfortunately, she did not skate her best. Performing first to the poignant Tango de los Exilados in purple and black, she made a tentative start. She planned to open with a three jump combination but after accomplishing the triple Salchow, she executed only a single toe loop. Then, after a triple toe loop, she fell on the second jump in that sequence, a double Axel, and singled the following planned triple Lutz, which was tagged with an "e" as a single flip. Later, she successfully brought off a double Axel and a triple Salchow. She gained four Level 4s and a Level 3 for her final move, the straight line steps. It was a disappointing showing. She admitted, "That was the worst I’ve ever skated. I wasn’t feeling nervous or anything. I missed the first three jumps. I don’t know what happened. My expectations were higher that my last Olympics, a lot higher, so it’s more disappointing. Up until this point, my focus was all about the Olympics, so I have no future plans."