Taryn at the OLYMPICS

My new post: A Hero's Journey (inspired by some Joseph Campbell) is over at my main site: www.tarynoneill.com.

Yup! That's me and a teletubby!?

Post game picture opp while heading to the airport - will post all new pics and do a closing post tomorrow.

Another Olympic moment for the ages, another Olympic memory that I will cherish.  Joannie Rochette surpassed everyone's expectations, and amidst personal tragedy, skated an incredibly strong free program to win the bronze.  I honestly have to admit that I didn't think she could do it.  Skating a clean short program, hopped up on emotion, is one thing, but a long program?  A four minute program is akin to a marathon and I just didn't know how Joannie was going to have the physical and mental strength to maintain her connection with the ice for those four minutes. I am so glad that she proved me wrong, she is and has been an inspiration this week, and I hope her bronze medal is a small consolation for the terrible loss that she has endured.

I am also beyond thrilled to see Brian Orser finally win the gold.  Yes, I know it was a ladies event and he may not have actually won it himself, but his star pupil, the luminous and uber talented Yu-Na Kim won the spot atop the Olympic podium that alluded Brian his whole career.  Yu-Na (who everyone on my twitter feed seems to think is named Kim :)) is just such an anonmaly.  She can do everything: jump, spin, emote, and it's all packaged in this lithe, graceful package.  I just hope that the Korean people don't place more pressure on her as she can't weigh more than 90 pounds.

I also witnessed TWO triple axles tonight in one program.  Mao Asado may not have the maturity and refined grace of Joannie and Yu-Na (though Yu-Na honestly stands on a platform of her own), her jumping abilities were mind blowing.  What was also mind blowing was the placement of the American ladies.  Both Rachael and Marai skated absolutely clean (and difficult) programs but they still found themselves off of the podium.  Though I am still (friggin') learning this new scoring system (honestly it is akin to marking a grammar exam), I was surprised that they both scored so low on their technical marks.  I don't think I have ever seen an Olympics where an American skater (especially the US champ) isn't on the podium if they skated clean.  Perhaps in light of the new scoring system they should have sent Sasha Cohen.

And speaking of the new scoring system, someone commented to me tonight that the Free Program is no longer free.  Under the old system, your long program had limited requirements and restrictions, it was basically yours to create.  The judging was subjective and compared skaters on the day.  Today, you are not allowed to compare skaters, only mark and score what you see.  The programs have so many required elements under the new system that the freedom of the long 'free' program has been lost.  I get bored knowing that everyone is going to have a spiral sequence in the middle of their program where one of the positions will be held for six seconds (so maximum points can be earned) and the other position will be unassisted (ie. leg up no assist from an arm). I also know that every skater will attempt as many triples as their tired legs will allow them right after the half way mark as extra points are again awarded and that their spins need to have three positions.  The 'program' has lost some of its luster to me as skaters don't do something just for the sake of the performance, only for the sake of additional points.  And in knowing how the point system works now, I think like a mathematician when I watch the programs: that triple toe was big so she gets a +2, the spin is a level 3, she ended late on the music so a -1.  The judges must secretly loathe their job and I can only hope that skaters aren't running numbers in their head while they perform. "Sh%t I just doubled my triple loop so now it's only a 1.4 instead of a 3.5 so I have to make up the two points by adding some difficulty to my second spin".  Yuck! Though sadly, to win at this system I guess the numbers must always be present.