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Usually when the Olympics come around, I have a favorite skater in each event. This year, my favorites won in each of the three events preceding the ladies. But once the final group of ladies took the ice, I realized I really just wanted them all to skate their best. Having written about all of them for so long, I know all of their stories. As a skater myself, I just wanted to share in their enjoyment of the sport and their Olympic moments. Of course I wanted the Americans to do well, but I am so impressed by Yu-Na Kim; Mao Asada; and, of course, Joannie Rochette, the Canadian champion who lost her mother earlier this week. I felt like a skater mom to all of them, wanting to be next to the barrier holding their guards, cheering in my frumpy coat.
Since I've recapped most of the events this season and written at length about all of the top skaters before, I'll continue in that style for those who missed the event and for those who want to relive it through the eyes of a skater. I also want to share the emotional impact the Olympics have had, because somehow the pressure of Olympic gold and other trying circumstances always alters the outcome. My overall feeling after watching the 2010 Olympic ladies free skate was complete amazement. I knew Yu-Na Kim could do it. I'd seen her do it before. But things happen that nobody expects during the Olympics.
Rachel Flatt, the new U.S. champion, took the ice first. The American skater with what seemed to be the best shot of taking a medal, she has a sparkling personality and is incredibly smart, not unlike Sarah Hughes in intelligence, dedication, talent and attitude. I could feel the crowd support building behind her as she completed each element, skating with a sense of confidence and delight. While the commentators said, "This is the best I've ever seen her skate," I wasn't too sure. I felt she was perhaps too relaxed somehow and unfortunately, she was downgraded significantly for slightly under-rotated jumps. I was a bit bummed for Rachel. Her elements didn't have the polish of some of the other skaters, so she came in behind Laura Lepisto of Finland, one of the earlier skaters, eventually placing seventh. Still, not too shabby for a first Olympics. Quite impressive, in fact. We should all be proud of her.
I must admit Miki Ando has grown on me over the past few years, although I still never thought she would make the podium in Vancouver. When she won the World Championships, I was impressed by her jumps but not her artistry. I think she's definitely improved, and her Cleopatra program suited her well. Her speed is always impressive. She still has a tendency to make clunky steps in between major elements that detract from the overall performance, and her jumps weren't as perfect as I know they could have been. After another solid performance without major visible errors, she pulled into the lead at that point. But, with 188.86, I knew she probably wouldn't make the podium.
The third skater in the final group, Yu-Na Kim, had an excellent position to skate, providing ample time to rest after a full warm-up. Immediately relaxed by Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F, I watched as Kim took off into a gorgeous triple lutz-triple toe and another huge triple flip. A breath of fresh air after Ando, Kim's loose balletic style and intense concentration took her through the entire program, never losing character until the music ended, when she jumped up and down with joy and started crying from happiness and relief. She was so spectacular, we were all expecting such perfection, it wasn't shocking she skated so well -- it was more amazing when her scores came up at 228.56, obliterating her previous record and posting the best score in the world ever by a woman. It was really incredible.
While the media likes to focus on Kim's celebrity factor -- her face is everywhere in South Korea -- they don't often explain the pressure put on her by being the first Korean world champion and how many expectations were on her to win gold. For a 19-year-old, she had a lot to live up to from her own record-setting skates, for her coach, Brian Orser, two-time Olympic silver medalist, and for her country. Now she will forever become an icon in Korea, but more
