Rochette Skating as Sentimental Favorite
Canadian skater Joannie Rochette is getting plenty of support at the Vancouver Olympics, including from IOC president Jacques Rogge.
Rochette, whose mother died on the weekend, stands third in the women's figure skating competition going into Thursday's long program.
"This must be a very tough time for her, I respect totally what she does," Rogge told reporters Wednesday. "I wish her well for the long program . . . A bronze or even better would be nice, it is never going to be a consolation but I totally respect her decision (to compete) and I admire her courage."
At an event to honour Olympic mothers at Canada Olympic House, dozens of Olympic moms past and present observed a moment of silence in honour of Therese Rochette after an emcee read a letter from Joannie.
"I never thought life could change so quickly, but it has," Rochette said in the letter.
"I'm fortunate enough to have a close family and friends that are helping me. I don't know if I could have gotten to where I am today without these incredible people supporting me. I'm sorry I cannot be here with you tonight, but please know that I feel your love and support."
Carol Morrison, whose son Denny competed in speedskating at the 2006 Olympics and is also competing in Vancouver, said learning about Therese Rochette's death hit home.
"I was watching (Joannie Rochette's performance) on television and I cried probably like the rest of everyone else in Canada," said Morrison after the event.
"Her mother is only a couple years older than I am, and as soon as I heard that news, I thought of Denny, and I thought, 'How would he react if that was me?' I give Joannie so much credit - she is a remarkable girl."
Morrison said Rochette did the right thing by competing.
"I know that any mother would want their child to do what she's doing and to go on and finish their competition - they would want that," she said. "And I'm sure that her mother's right there with her every step of the way. She is just one strong, awesome girl, and I feel for her."
Meanwhile, fans have flocked to social networking websites to show their support for Rochette.
"You may not have seen us, but worldwide you were getting a standing ovation! My sympathies from Boston!" said Facebook user Susan Szambelan.
Special Report: 2010 Winter Olympics
But Rochette faces at least two daunting obstacles: Kim Yu-na and Mao Asada are the two skaters to beat.
Their paths are almost sure to converge at the Vancouver Olympics medals podium Thursday night, with one wearing the gold medal.
It always seems to be these two trading titles and records in figure skating's version of leapfrog. Kim took away the world title from Asada last year. Asada scored the highest marks ever, only to have Kim surpass them. When Asada nails a triple axel, Kim tops her with showmanship.
It happened that way again Tuesday night in the short program, with Kim setting a world best with 78.5 points to take a nearly five-point edge over her main rival.
"We have a little bit of a cushion," said Brian Orser, Kim's coach. "But Yu-na will put the short program aside and focus on the free skate. This is no time to hold back."
Kim never does - not that her South Korean homeland would give her a chance to relax.
South Korea is still looking for its first Winter Olympics medal in a sport other than speedskating or short track, and fans there are expecting - demanding - Kim to deliver.
Anything but gold is unthinkable to them. Finishing behind Japan's Asada would be devastating to a nation that already has nicknamed Kim "Queen Yu-na."
"There's so much emphasis on the short. It's do or die," Orser said. "When that pressure is gone, there's like a lightness to your skating. There's an extra weight that is off your shoulders.
"I think she's just going to soar after this, she's just going to fly."
Kim might need to.
Asada is one of the few women in the world who attempt a triple axel, and she's the only one to do two of the 3½-revolution jumps in the free skate. If she lands a good one Thursday night, she might leap right over Kim.
A triple axel has a base value of 8.2 points, but Asada plans to do one in combination. Throw in the style points, and those two jumping passes alone could be worth almost 20 points.
"Usually, I think there's like a 10-point difference," Asada said after the short program. "So I feel good there's only this difference between myself and Yu-na."
Rochette is third, but she trails Asada by almost 2½ points, leaving little doubt one of the two most popular skaters in Asia will be wearing a gold medal when the time comes.
Miki Ando, the 2007 world champion, is fourth, followed by young Americans Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu.
"I'm not surprised at all," said Frank Carroll, who coaches Nagasu and Vancouver men's gold medalist Evan Lysacek. "They're both world champions and they're both amazing."
Kim skates right before Asada in the final, a reversal of their order in the short program.
Kim skates to Gershwin's "Concerto in F," a light, classical piece that highlights her artistry. Its gentle melody is the perfect fit for her whisper-soft edge quality, and she appears to float above the ice in her footwork sections. And unlike her James Bond short program, there is no character to portray.
"Yu-na has her own style, she's not trying to emulate anyone else," Orser said. "She just has a style that's very generous and is open for everyone to appreciate."
Asada, meanwhile, skates to Rachmaninoff's "Bells of Moscow." It's bold and strong, demanding that everyone recognize the advantage she has athletically - not that it could be missed with those two triple axels planned for center ice.
"I like it," Orser said, referring to Kim and Asada skating back to back. "It's a nice comparison of the two programs because they're different, different styles. Mao's program is a little darker, has more drama. Yu-na's is a little lighter."