Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008

SKETE CANADA

OTTAWA (AP) 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.

Final preparations: Fumie Suguri skates during practice on Thursday for Skate Canada. The ladies short program at the Grand Prix event is scheduled for Friday. AP PHOTO

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 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."

Evan Lysacek, Caroline Zhang, Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker, and Meryl Davis and Charlie White will be among the 18 U.S. skaters competing at Skate Canada, 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, Dec. 10-14.

Japan will be represented by Fumie Suguri, Nana Takeda and Yasuharu Nanri.

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.

Two-time U.S. junior silver medalist Brandon Mroz is also making his Grand Prix debut.

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.

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