Joannie Rochette

Once again the great Joannie Rochette has proven herself and the
world she can with her outstanding qualities in competitive figure skating.

Most people were amazed by Yu-Na Kim's splendid performance this morning and supporting her all the way they shall. As for me I was blown away by Joannie Rochette's incredibly brave and emotional performance. Despite her mother's tragic death approximately three days ago, she certainly shows poise and determination in the face of grief during her short program and placed third for that by scoring 71.36 clean. Her performance shows no mercy for my poor nerves as I'm terribly afraid she'll fail to land her triples, but she has fought a good fight and score herself a possibility in the 2010 Winter Olympic podium position.

Bronze, silver nor gold we'll soon find out this Friday. What she gave today was far most the best short programme I've ever since yet, based on my judgment of course. She held her nerve for three incredible minutes and dazzled not just the crowd but the world with her well prepared short program. Yu-Na Kim was great, no eye see for that, breaking her season's best and boosted her own world record scoring 78.50, total madness. & as for Sasha Cohen sadly placed fourth on the US Nationals, boo for that as well. Believe me, what I've seen this morning, almost, haha ALMOST brought me to tears. I find myself been less emotional since the year has began, can't blame. I will be supporting her all the way till she's done with her four minutes of free skate/ long program, while you people go for Yu-Na Kim XD

Let's see what the media has to say,

''They cried for her courage, they cried for her strength, they cried because, by skating with her heart broken, Joannie Rochette broke theirs.

The tears started soon after Joannie Rochette took the ice Tuesday night in the women's short-program figure skating, less than three days after her mother died.

Therese Rochette, 55, died of a heart attack Sunday, the day after arriving in Vancouver with her husband to watch their daughter compete.

Tuesday night, it didn't matter if the reigning world silver medallist gave a perfect performance in the short-program skate, or one that dashed medal hopes for her and for Canada. What mattered was that she skated. And, in spite of the crushing burden of grief, she put in a beautiful performance, drawing massive cheers when she landed difficult moves. She received a standing, uproarious ovation when she finished, then sat, in tears, to wait for her scores.

Rochette took third place in the short program, the first part of the two-portion women's skating event. Medals will be awarded after short-program results are combined with those from the free skate Thursday.

Rochette's Olympic experience started off with excitement. The Ile Dupas, Que., native met Team Canada hockey goaltenders Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur, and had her photo taken with U.S. snowboarding star Shaun White. Just a week ago, she told media at a press conference that winning a medal would mean a great deal to her, but she was trying not to think about it, instead concentrating on her performance.

But early Sunday, her father came to the athletes' village to tell her that her mother had succumbed to a massive heart attack.

Rochette had not yet seen her mother in Vancouver. The grief-stricken skater went to Vancouver General Hospital to say goodbye to her mom. She practised later that day, as her father watched from the stands, wiping away his tears.

Skate Canada president Benoit Lavoie said it appeared Rochette was "going back to her Olympic mode to cope."

On Monday, Rochette and her coach, Manon Perron, released a statement saying an outpouring of support from Canadians was helping them to get through such a difficult time.

The five-foot-two-inch Rochette, 24, is a six-time Canadian champion. She finished fifth in the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin.

Rochette began skating before age 2 when her father, a trainer of young hockey players, introduced her to the sport, and she credits her mother with involving her in different sports, and pushing her to succeed.''

Before leaving the arena, the tearful Rochette blew a kiss to the audience.''

She certainly inspires me, allowing nothing to impede what is her stage of life at this very moment in spite of her mother's tragic death. Like what one of Ziyan's strip of advices state ''Take time and figure out what matter the most to you now'', as I'm sure Joannie herself is well aware of it. Not the future, not the past but right here, right now. She has fought a good fight and finished the race, well almost, there's still ladies free skating waiting to be amaze this Friday. What she did this morning, Malaysia local time, wowed the world succeedingly and that I salute her.

Her mother would have been so proud :)