6

6 is the number of women in the final group during the Ladies Free Skate Thursday night.

6 is the number of great performances performed in that final group.

Your math is good...that means that every woman in the final group of skaters had a great skate. So many back-to-back great performances is a rarity in figure skating. It's even more of a rarity at the Olympics. Not a single fall in the final group and solid performances all the way around.

Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu continued to exceed expectations for the U.S. Both had clean free skates, Mirai with the better of the two, placing 4th. Miki Ando, while a bit conservative, was leaps better here than she was in Torino, placing 5th.

Joannie Rochette, who I cannot even imagine how, had an amazing free skate with just one little glitch. Joannie, who lost her mother just Sunday, has shown unbelievable strength at these Olympics and I'm sure with her mother watching from above, found herself winning a Bronze Medal. Amazing!

The top two ladies again didn't disappoint. Kim Yu-Na skated first and was unbelievable. She had unimaginable pressure placed upon her by her native South Korea and delivered big time. She had the previous high score ever set for a woman and shattered that total by about 18 points. Mao Asada, with a Gold basically out of reach after Kim's performance, fearlessly attempted and hit two triple axels in her free skate, becoming the first woman to land three triple axels in Olympic competition. With her effort, she took the Silver behind Kim's Gold, the first figure skating medal ever for South Korea.

Tomorrow all these girls get to unwind and have some fun without the pressure of the judges during the exhibition gala.

You can read this and all my other blog posts at the One Winter Five Dreams Gold Blogger Site!

"Proud" - Tugba Karademir

I first met Tugba outside of the training rink here in Vancouver. She came out of the rink with a confident step and a gleam in her eye. I said, "I'll try not be the crazed skating fan right now...I'm beyond excited to meet you!" Her response, "That's awesome." I knew right away I liked Tugba.

We chit-chatted skating and as I got to know her I realized she is very real. There is nothing put on or rehearsed about Tugba...she's real.

Spending some time with her will certainly be one of the fondest memories I take from these Olympics. I've been following her career since 2003 when I first saw her compete at the World Figure Skating Championships in Washington, D.C. When I asked her about her preparation for this event she was very confident and self assured; "I know I'm well trained. I see myself as one of the top girls this year and I know what I've done in training so I feel very ready for this event. I qualified quite early for Vancouver so I've been able to really prepare. For Torino it was rush rush rush to make the Olympics and here I've been able to really focus and prepare." There is that confident Tugba I was speaking of.

When I asked her what one thing she would have me blog about her she was clear in her response; "That I'm proud to represent Turkey. It means a lot to me. Turkey has made some real progress as far as creating a skating program and I feel like I was a part of that, and it makes me really proud."

Like Clyde and Robel, she said all the comments on her athlete blog were motivating and help justify the sacrifices she has made. "When you train as an elite figure skater you don't have the life that others have. When all my friends are going out or going to the prom I was training. But it's what I want to do. I love being out there on the ice and I know all the sacrifices that my family and I have made is worth it."

Tonight she'll perform her Free Skate and 'proudly' represent her home nation of Turkey. No matter the result, she can be 'proud' that she has been the face of Turkish Figure Skating through two Olympics now and is a role model for many in Turkey and around the world.

Tugba is proof that you can achieve what you put your head to. We are all fortunate that she has "Shared her Passion" with all of us.

You can read this and all my other blog posts at the One Winter Five Dreams Gold Blogger Site!

Testament on Ice

The Ladies Short Program was a testament on ice. It was an evening of amazing skating, great personal triumphs, small victories, and big accomplishments.

First, One Winter, Five Dreams athlete Tugba Karademir gave us all something to cheer about. Tomorrow I'll share some insights about Tugba and the time I spent with her but I am pleased that she has qualified to skate in the free program. She gave a wonderful performance to 'Bazaar Istanbul' and while I was a little disappointed in the judges marks I was not disappointed in her at all. We proudly waved the Turkish Flag she had signed for us! Great job Tugba and go get em' the free skate!

The American Women have exceeded expectations here and both Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu find themselves in the top group of women heading into tomorrow's free skate. U.S. Media has been harping on the fact that American women had little chance to medal but both Rachael and Mirai have proved they are in this competition too!

Joannie Rochette, had probably the toughest job of all. On top of the pressure to compete for your home country, she tragically lost her mother to a heart attack just Sunday and had to deal with the intense grief that accompanies such a painful lost. But rather than withdraw from the competition and mourn in private, she choose to continue with the competition and compete. When she took the ice, I have never felt such a wave a support for any athlete. Canada is well aware of her loss and the crowd at Pacific Coliseum showered her with love prior to her performance. I watched with tears in my eyes as she hit element after element perfectly...effortlessly. At the end of her performance she was met with thunderous applause, an instant standing ovation, and a flood of tears from the Canadian crowd that was so proud of her and behind her. She herself collapsed into tears in the arms of her coach as she received her marks. She's in position to medal, but I suspect that doesn't really matter at this point. What's more important is she is doing what her mother wanted her to do...her best.

The two top competitors gave the crowd an epic showdown. First, Japan's Mao Asada hit the first ever triple axel combination in an Olympic Ladies short program on her way to a huge score that brought the house down. Completely unaffected, Kim Yu-Na from South Korea, turned in an equally brilliant performance to music from 'James Bond' that also was an instant hit in Pacific Coliseum. The crowd went nuts when she broke her own World Record with a new high top score. I was sitting behind Kim Yu-Na's choreographer David Wilson, who basically skated the program with her from his seat. He was probably one of the most nervous people in the room and was delighted (and I think relieved) to see her score. These two ladies, Yu-Na and Mao, were billed as the two to beat coming into these Olympics and they didn't disappoint.

What will the free skate hold?

You can read this and all my other blog posts at the One Winter Five Dreams Gold Blogger Site!

Poster Boy

Last night at Pacific Coliseum an American star was born.

The last time an American man managed to take the top spot of an Olympic Podium, the Olympics found themselves in Canada. Then, in 1988, it was Calgary and Brian Boitano won the "Battle of the Brian's" in a close match with Canadian favorite son Brian Orser.

Since then, Soviet or Russian skaters have dominated the Men's Olympic Figure Skating Podium. Viktor Petrenko in 1992, Alexei Urmanov in 1994, Ilia Kulik in 1998, Alexei Yagudin in 2002, and Evgeny Plushenko in 2006.

Now Plushenko was back for seconds in Vancouver and was the leader after the short program but two skaters were right on his heels; American Evan Lysaccek and Japan's Daisuke Takahashi.

In the free skate, Plushenko and Takahashi were good, but on this night Lysacek was great. With that great free skate, he won the men's title with Plushenko only grabbing the Silver and Takahashi the Bronze.

Everywhere I turned this morning I saw pictures of Evan Lysacek. Lindsey Vonn and Shaun White have been the American face of these Olympics...well...move over, Evan Lysacek has arrived!

You can read this and all my other blog posts at the One Winter Five Dreams Gold Blogger Site!

Russian Domination Comes to an End

Pairs Figure Skating is synonymous with the Russians. Since 1964, the Russians (or Soviets) have won (or shared as they did in 2002) the Gold Medal. It's just understood in Pairs Figure Skating...the Russians win.

But the last four years, after the retirement of 2006 Olympic Champs Totmianina and Marinin, Russia has struggled to produce a top form team. Last season, however, the Russians finally had a team that could go toe-to-toe with the best. Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov won the Bronze Medal at the 2009 World Championships and put everyone on notice...the Russians weren't going down without a fight.

In the short program here in Vancouver the Russians were on, and they gave two Chinese Teams, Pang and Tong & Shen and Zhao, as well as Germans Savchenko and Szolkowy a run for their money. The Russians were third after the short program daring their competitors to deny them their legacy.

But everything changed in the free skate where the Russians made critical mistakes and ended a dynasty of Russian and Soviet Champions. In fact, they failed to even make the podium, finishing an unimpressive 4th.

Instead, a new legacy was born. A legacy that has been in the making since 2002 when Shen and Zhao finished third in Salt Lake City. They finished third again in 2006 just behind their teammates Zhang and Zhang. This time, however, China took the top two spots with Shen and Zhao finally winning Olympic Gold and their teammates Pang and Tong taking the Silver. World Champions from Germany, Savchenko and Szolkowy, backed into a Bronze Medal.

Now it's understood in Pairs Figure Skating...the Chinese win.

Panasonic's Olympic slogan is "Sharing the Passion" and I can think of no other team that has done that more than Shen and Zhao. It took four Olympic attempts to win the Gold Medal (they were 5th in 1998) and they have worked so hard for it. It's nice to see hard work and a journey well traveled pay off!

You can read this and all my other blog posts at the One Winter Five Dreams Gold Blogger Site!

Let the Blogging Begin!

It hit me when I was sitting at the airport waiting to board my flight. I was sitting there, and Ice Dancers Cathy and Chris Reed who represent Japan walk right past me and sit down. Two Olympians...right there! They had their team coats on with matching Team Japan bags in tow and it just hit me, "I'm on my way to the Olympics! Oh wow!"

This past week at work everyone has asked me, "How can you even sit still? Aren't you excited?" Well...it was very hard to sit still and yes I was excited but I wanted to keep it all contained until I arrived in Vancouver and began blogging. I wanted the excitement and anticipation I have for this once in a lifetime event to come out in my blogging.

I can't contain my excitement any more...I'm at the Olympics...it has really set in that I'm here. I've looked out my hotel window several times just to confirm to myself, "That really is Vancouver out there?" I'm smilng from ear to ear and this grin probably won't leave my face for the next year.

I'm in Vancouver and I'm ready to go...let the blogging begin!

You can read this and all my other blog posts at the One Winter Five Dreams Gold Blogger Site!