Singles, Women

There was no heavier favorite in 2010 Olympic figure skating than the Korean Kim Yu-Na. Kim was the defending World Champion, and had only lost twice since 2007, placing third at the 2008 Worlds and second in the 2009 Grand Prix Final. In 2008-09, she won the World Championships, Skate America, and the Four Continents, while in the 2009-10 season she had already won Skate America and the Grand Prix Final coming into Vancouver. In the short program, she opened well, taking a comfortable lead over Japan’s Mao Asada. Two nights later, in the free skate, her performance was the stuff of legend, as she scored 150.06 for a total of 228.56, both world best marks for women in the new scoring system – the previous bests were 133.95 and 210.03 by Kim at the 2009 French Grand Prix. This gave her a huge victory over Asada, who held on for the silver medal, leading her by 23.06 points. Kim was coached by Brian Orser, the 1988 men’s silver medalist.

The bronze medal was won by Canadian Joannie Rochette, but on this day, it shone as brilliantly in the Vancouver sun as any gold medal. Rochette had been runner-up to Kim at the 2009 World Championships and was a six-time Canadian champion, having twice won the Trophée Éric Bombard. A native of a small-town in Québec, on Saturday, only days before the short program, her mother and father flew to Vancouver to watch their daughter compete in the Olympics. On arrival at the airport, Thérèse Rochette developed chest pains and was rushed to a Vancouver hospital where she died soon thereafter from the effects of a massive heart attack. Joannie was scheduled to compete in the short program on Tuesday but it was not certain if she would compete. She elected to skate, honoring her mother, and she placed third in the short with a solid program with no significant flaws. On the night of the free skate, her father, Normand Rochette, watched from the stands as his daughter skated beautifully. She had one small stumble coming out of a combination jump, but she held up both physically and emotionally, to mount the podium in her mother’s memory, the first time a Canadian had won an Olympic medal in the ladies’ singles since Elizabeth Manley in Calgary in 1988. All Canada cheered for her.