World Events

Stars

China

Basketball

Soccer

Tennis

N.America

Olympics

Skating's Grand Prix Series heads to Canada

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-10-22 10:24

OTTAWA -- Canadian skaters will get a taste of the pressure they'll feel at the Vancouver Olympics when they compete before home crowds at Skate Canada this weekend.

Joannie Rochette and her teammates know expectations will be at an all-time high in Vancouver in 2010, where the Canadian Olympic Committee has set a target of finishing atop the overall medals podium.

Skating in front of the hometown crowd this weekend at Scotiabank Place makes it one of several important Olympic tuneups.

"Every time you have the opportunity to compete at home in front of a home crowd, it's a practice for 2010," Rochette said on Thursday. "It can go both ways. You get more pressure from the crowd, because you're there, you want to perform for them, your fans, your family are here. But also, you have twice as much cheering because they want you to do so well."

Skate Canada is the second of six events in the Grand Prix series. The top six point-earners in each of four disciplines will qualify for the Grand Prix final in Goyang City, South Korea from December 10-14.

Evan Lysacek, the 2005 and 2006 world bronze medalist, is coming off a bronze medal performance at Skate America last week. This will be his first appearance at Skate Canada.

Caroline Zhang is the world junior silver medalist. She will be joined in the women's competition by Alissa Czisny, winner of the 2008 Nebelhorn Trophy and 2005 Skate Canada, and Bebe Liang, who is competing in the Grand Prix series for the fifth time.

Rochette, the four-time Canadian women's champion, has teamed with renowned choreographer Lori Nichol, another Canadian, in an effort to meet the high expectations being set for Vancouver.

"She really analyzed my skating, she watched my old programs, she just really tried to point out little things I was missing in my skating," Rochette said.

The 22-year-old will skate as part of a young Canadian team that's coming off a surprising performance at last spring's world championships in Sweden, and is keen to set the stage for another strong showing at Vancouver 2010.

Rochette hopes the two new routines she'll unveil this weekend, along with a new big-picture approach she's taking to this season, will help her climb the podium after several years of knocking on the door. She finished fifth at the 2006 Turin Olympics and fifth at last year's world championships.

"I want to show that we do more difficult things, difficult entry before my jump, difficult exit on one foot, things that I didn't do before, and to use my upper body more, to be less stiff and more floaty," Rochette said. "It's the first year I don't go in thinking about one element in particular. I'm just thinking of the whole package."