Canadian Rochette leads after short program
Last Updated: Friday, October 31, 2008 | 9:51 PM ET
CBC Sports
Joannie Rochette performs her short program at Skate Canada Friday in Ottawa. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)Joannie Rochette of of Ile-Dupas, Que., posted a personal best score to lead after the ladies short program Friday at Skate Canada in Ottawa.
Performing to George Gershwin's Summertime, the Canadian skater, 22, earned 64.74 points from the judges and received a standing ovation from the Scotiabank Place crowd.
"I was just glad with the score I had, because we can say 'mission accomplished,'" Rochette said. "It's one thing when people around you tell you it's better, but it's another to see it reflected in the marks, and we were so lucky with that."
Fumie Suguri of Japan finished second with 57.92, and American Caroline Zhang placed third at 53.28.
Cynthia Phaneuf, of Contrecoeur, Que., stands in ninth after the short program with a score of 45.06, while teammate Myriane Samson, from Greenfield Park, Que., finished 12th at 40.42.
Phaneuf, 20, said she didn't perform as well on Friday compared with the results she was seeing in training.
"I just think I put too much pressure on myself and I wanted to show how I improved to everyone a little too much," Phaneuf said. "I just have to be confident, that's the only thing, I don't have any confidence on the ice."
Rochette, a top-five skater at last season's world championships in Goteborg, Sweden, was one of only a few performers who didn't fall during the ladies event.
"I felt really relaxed out there, even doing the warmup," Rochette said. "I was supposed to smile a bit more, be a bit more calm, it was one of my key words tonight: be calm, loose and just trust my training, because I've been training the best I've ever been."
Despite skating a relatively clean program, Rochette switched a planed triple jump into a double, which slightly reduced her score. Still, Rochette didn't complain about the marks she received from the judges.
"My first goal tonight was to improve my program component score, artistic mark and we achieved that, a personal best," she said.
"I'm really happy that the judges saw a difference in me, and it's really important to come in the first competition of the year and make an impact and give a new look to yourself, and I think we achieved that."
With files from the Canadian Press
