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Rochette on the edge of greatness
Canadian world silver medallist jumps effortlessly from competition to performance
| Source: |
Halifax Chronicle Herald |
| Date: |
April 23, 2009 |
| Author: |
Andrea Nemetz |
The fact she's a world silver medallist hasn't yet sunk in for Joannie
Rochette.
But then, she hasn't really had time to process her historic win March
28, the first time a Canadian woman has stepped onto the world figure
skating podium since Liz Manley won silver in 1988.
"After worlds, I did six shows, learned a new program for the Stars On
Ice tour, met the Prime Minister in Quebec, did some TV shows, and
then flew to Japan for a competition," she says Wednesday morning,
sitting by the boards at Halifax Metro Centre a day after returning
from Tokyo, where she competed in the inaugural ISU World Team Trophy,
helping Canada to a second place finish.
"I also spent a couple of days at school."
Rochette, who is finishing up a natural sciences program at a CGEP in
Quebec, says she wanted to be a doctor when she was younger and is
thinking of a career in pharmacy or something else in the medical
field.
Though it was her first practice in Halifax, the 23-year-old skater
from Ile Dupas, Que. showed no signs of jetlag as she rehearsed the
fun fast-paced, Latin tango program set to music by Shakira, she'll
perform in the Sears Stars On Ice show tonight at 7 p.m.
Her other solo is to Believe by Suzie McNeil. Rochette stars in the
video for Believe (Olympic Inspired Version) that supports Canada's
athletes on their journey to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
"It's a celebration before the Olympics and of my silver medal at
worlds, I do speedskating, mogul skiing, curling while trying to be
graceful," she says describing the program. "It's very
inspiring."
Rochette, now in her fifth season with Stars On Ice, competed at the
Torino Olympics in 2006, finishing fifth and she has her eyes on the
podium in Vancouver.
"I'm finally going in as a medal contender. It feels so great to be
one. I've waited all my life to be up there and this Olympics will be
my last so I want to enjoy it and the Canadian crowd. The most
important thing is to train my hardest, to do everything I can to get
onto the podium and if I have done everything I can, then we'll see
what happens."
She says that was the attitude she carried into her seventh worlds
"the most nerve-wracking competition of the season" in a year in which
she earned her fifth Canadian championship and finished second at the
Four Continents Championship.
Rochette, who loves jumping and speed, and picks the triple toe as her
favourite jump, has been focusing on improving her artistic
marks.
"I used to do six or seven triples and the other girls needed only
five to get the same points," she says, noting that she was happy to
come second at worlds with a program that was not perfect.
She credits skating with Stars On Ice — and with her idol Kurt
Browning who has shown her some tricks — with helping her improve her
performance.
"I've learned so much about loving performing. At worlds, some don't
want too much show in their program, but for me it helps me be better
with the crowds. My jumps are consistent but I need to project more
emotion and this has really helped."
Always known as a showman, Shawn Sawyer is thrilled to be making his
debut with Stars On Ice.
"I had two dreams in figure skating, the Olympics and Stars On Ice,
and I'm on the road," says Sawyer, who placed 12th at the 2006
Olympics.
"It's something I've always craved to do, to perform in different
cities, different venues, you really feel a family
connection."
He is also performing two solos, a new program to A Ha's Take On Me
and an old show program to Soft Cell's Tainted Love that has been
rebuilt for Stars On Ice.
"I love '80s music," he says, noting the show's finale is set to music
from the decade.
Sawyer particularly enjoys the group numbers.
"You put so many talented skaters together, they're all powerful, and
everyone can do the difficult variations.
And he loves the Act I finale.
"It's a little bit funky, we're in suspenders and hats and it's a real
crowd pleaser. It's like a skating class with Kurt (Browning)
directing."
Sawyer says his role in the "class" is that of the student doing weird
tricks.
"I do a back flip and a pinwheel at the end, and some things for which
there are no names."
The 24-year-old from Edmunston, N.B., who skated in Holiday On Ice at
the Metro Centre in December, envisions a professional career bigger
than his amateur career and notes skills like his back flip and unique
flexibility moves position him well for show skating.
But he's got his sights set on next year's Olympics, noting he was
especially happy with his Grand Prix season in which he won the free
skate at Skate Canada.
He'll be back on the ice after a short break to start working on next
year's programs, as will Rochette.
But she's also scheduled two weeks for a retreat in Banff in June and
a trip to Peru.
Skating since she was six, she has made a point this season of taking
time to enjoy life in addition to training hard.
"I've been living in an apartment in Montreal with my boyfriend since
the summer and I've grown more mature," she says, noting that
short-track speedskater Francois-Louis Tremblay is the cook.
They met in Torino, but only started to date in the summer, she
reports.
"It's great to have the same goals and it's great to be with a person
who is supportive of my skating," she says, noting she also watches
him train.
ICE BOX
WHAT: Sears Stars On Ice
WHERE: Halifax Metro Centre, 7 p.m. today.
STARRING: Four-time world champion Kurt Browning, 2008 world champion
Jeffrey Buttle, 2009 world silver medallist Joannie Rochette, 2006
Olympic silver medallist Sasha Cohen, 2002 Olympic gold medallist
pairs skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, 2008 world bronze
medallist pairs skaters Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison, two-time world
silver medallist ice dancers Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon,
and making their Stars On Ice debut Cynthia Phaneuf and Shawn
Sawyer. All but Cohen, who is from the U.S., are Canadian.
TICKETS: Adult, $32 to $102; senior, $27 to $102; child, 12 and under,
$19.50 to $102. Visit the Ticket Atlantic Box Office at Halifax Metro
Centre or participating Atlantic Superstores, at 451-1221 or online at
www.ticketatlantic.com.
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