Chapter 102: The Olympic Experience

"One of the best things about being a dancer is that it's Tuesday, the Olympics don't end until Sunday, and we are done!" Sophia was saying.

"Har-dee-har-har" replied Liz Cushman, who didn't start until the next day. "Besides which, you still have to do the exhibition on Saturday."

"Yeah, but that's easy, the pressure's off," said Warren.

"Thanks. Thanks a lot," Liz said.

"Hey, you're going to be fine, you know," Sophia told Liz. "You've been skating like a house a fire all year. Just think of Rich, and attack, eh?"

Liz giggled. "I generally do think of attacking when I think of Rich, yes."

Sophia and Warren spent the day just wandering from venue to venue. They started at the ski jumping, watched some bobsled, and then some speed skating. The next day was more of the same, starting on the mountain with some skiing.

That evening, it was time for the ladies' short program.

Christine Arsenault was the first of the main contenders to skate, and she was clean as a whistle. The current world champion, Olga Privolchina, was also clean. The German champion, Dagmar Schrade, and the young phenom from the Ukraine, Svetlana Tamaschenko, also skated well.

Elizabeth Cushman was the last of the favorites to skate. The best artistic skater in the world, she was consistent and reliable in the short program. She started her program, began with a gorgeous spin, and then launched into her usual combination, the triple lutz-double toe. She had been using that as her combination for years.

Not this time. "That was a triple toe!" Warren screamed to Sophia. "She did a triple-triple!" and it was clean. The triple flip and double axel were clean, as well, and the spins were solid. The spiral sequence was gorgeous, the choreography impeccable and perfectly delivered.

Liz Cushman moved into first place on every judge's card.

"Where did that triple lutz-triple toe come from?" Warren asked Liz at breakfast the next morning.

"Oh, I've been working on that for months," Liz told him.

"Heck, Liz, you've been working on it for years. But I'm amazed Frank let you put it in a program!"

"He didn't have a choice," Liz laughed. "I told him at the beginning of the year--we aren't going to beat Privolchina with just a puny triple toe-triple toe; and I knew Christine had better triple-triples than that, too. Because of my second mark, a dead heat goes to me, but I wasn't getting any dead heats. So, I told Frank, and my Dad, and my agent, and everybody--by the time we got to the Olympics, we were going to have more than that. All or nothing, that's my motto. I didn't come here to win another silver medal."

"I'm impressed. Balls-to-the-wall aggressive isn't your usual deal, Liz."

"Didn't used to be, you mean. Look, I love Frank, and Lori my choreographer, and my family, and my agent, and all--but sometimes I think that I'm surrounded by a support team that thinks that creating great art and making a statement is more important than winning. You're a skater, you know how convoluted the whole art/sport argument can get."

"Yeah. Maybe even more for ice dancers. Romeo and Juliet was a chance, and a chance based on making an artistic statement--but our OD, while satisfying to us artistically, was designed to win, no doubt about it."

"Right. And I can guarantee that, four years from now, you will only be concerned with winning. You've got your silver medal, right? Well, that's how I feel. Frank and Lori brought me their ideas for my programs last summer, and they were going on and on about how beautiful and inventive and this and that they were; and I said to them, 'I only have one question. Can I win with these?' I think they were shocked."

"I bet. You never used to talk like that."

"You're right, but coming in here with a silver medal from four years ago, plus two silver medals from the last two World Championships--I'm tired of it. We've been playing it safe, trying to do just enough technically and eke out wins based on the second mark. No more. I am the best female singles skater in the world. I aim to prove it."

"I take it that means there are more surprises in the long program?"

"Ah, Warren, my boy, you ain't seen nothin' yet! Especially since I skate first in the final group tomorrow night. I plan to lay down one hell of a gauntlet."

Later that day, Warren and Sophia were on the ski slopes, watching the ladies' slalom.

"Shawna apologized to you?" Warren asked.

"Yes, and she seemed sincere. I guess she's having some serious problems. She's decided to see a psychiatrist. She didn't elaborate, but she told me she's been a mess. She did apologize, and was practically in tears when she did it." Sophia told him.

"Good. Going to the newspapers like she did seemed so out of character."

"I know. I just hope she can work out whatever she is having a problem with."