XX Olympic Winter Games

[DisneyDaniel]

Excerpt from this article:

Johnny Weir, second after the short program, dropped to fifth overall with a free skate that included six triples and only one combination. Weir said a lack of preparation for the free skate after he missed the bus for the arena didn't help his cause. He had to take a car to Palavela and didn't arrive until 9:20 p.m., less than an hour before he was to take the ice for warm-up.

"I felt very rushed," he said. "I missed the bus and had to jump in a car. I got here late. I never caught up to myself, and my body didn't catch up.

"I'm very disappointed in myself. I'm beyond angry with myself right now," he continued. "My elements weren't strong. I don't deserve a medal tonight; I didn't expect one."

In tough competition such as the Olympics, isn't mental preparedness just as important as physical skill? Hence, Weir didn't expect to get a medal, so he didn't ... and he didn't skate very well in the free skate either.

Onto women's figure skating, I think this is Sasha Cohen's time to shine. She's proven she has the athletic skill, artistry and elegance to compete on the international level. As long as she doen't make any small mistakes--the cause of her several second and third places in recent years--I think there's a chance Sasha (a Southern California/Newport Beach resident) could beat Russia's Irina Slutskaya for the gold.