Canadian female figure skater Joannie Rochette has delivered a personal best short program skate in the BEST moment of the Olympics so far, by a long shot (CTV Video).
Just three days ago, on Feb 21, Joannie was getting ready for the biggest competition of her life, the Olympics on her home soil. That was when her Father had to go to the Olympic Athletes’ Village and tell her that her Mother Therese passed away suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 55 (CTV).
It would have been easy for Joannie to withdraw. However, she drew herself together and delivered a gutsy and emotional short program of her life tonight in front of a packed house of her fellow Canadians. Joannie skated a clean short program to the famous tango, La Cumparsita, by Gerardo Hernando Matos Rodriguez.
It was her first competition skate without her Mother.
The skate was excellent, earning her 71.36 points. However, considering the circumstances, is one of the greatest and inspirational skating performances you will ever see. I was in tears the whole way through just watching, right when she posed to start, never mind doing as she was! Joannie understandably burst into tears after it was over, and is still in tears now as I write 10 minutes later. So brave, yet so heart touching.
We’re all so proud of you, Joannie… almost as much as your Mother is right now.
Joannie currently sits third overall after the short program.
Best of luck Thursday night in the free skate, Joannie. We’ll all be watching and our hearts will be with you.
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Joannie Rochette has a big 6.5 point gap on fourth place Japanese Miki Ando. Mao Asada of Japan sits in second and Yu-Na Kim of South Korea is in first after just a dazzling skate. This was my first time seeing her skate and she stunned me, though did not move me anywhere near Joannie did, of course. Yu-Na Kim calls herself that way, in case you were thinking it was Kim Yu-Na. She calls herself that. It’s good enough for me!
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Reading Level: 6.9
Bridges in the elemental valley blog of shotblogstole this.
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