Skater in the Spotlight August 07
Canadian Figure Skating’s Joannie Rochette
The North Country's leading lady has been on a steady rise to the top of the international standings.
Joannie Rochette won Eastern Divisionals seven years after she began skating, and she hasn’t stopped climbing the ranks of figure skating’s elite. In fact, she is the first Canadian woman to sweep Nationals at all levels: Novice, Juniors, and Seniors.
That first place finish at Novice Canadians back in 1999 led to a 1st place ordinal at the 2000 Canadian Novice Nationals. It was then that the young athlete’s focus and talent became apparent. At 5’2” (157 cm), the Île Dupas, QC, resident has since proven herself to be a skillful performer under the tutelage of coach Manon Perron.
After a series of other wins in the novice division the same year, Joannie exploaded onto the international scene with commendable placements in ISU 2000 Junior Grand Prix events and a culminating win at Junior Canadians 2001. She placed eighth at the World Junior Champions the same year.
Again, after fine-tuning her programs on the Junior Grand Prix circuit, Joannie rose three places in the international standings, this time placing fifth at the 2002 World Junior Championships. That season, she proved herself ready for the Senior competitions, winning the bronze medal in her first attempt in that level at Canadian Nationals.
Her progress was aptly noted back at home, as her figure skating club – Berthierville CPA – celebrated her back-to-back silver medals at Nationals in the next two years. From her training rink in St. Leonard, QC, her support system cheered her on to first placed finishes at Nationals in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Along the way, with the help of choreographer David Wilson and (recently) others, Joannie posted several top finishes in major competitions. Gold medal finishes at 2003 Bofrost Cup on Ice and 2004 Trophee Cachemire, along with a 2004 Grand Prix Final bronze medal, helped her gain the confidence and competitive experience she needed to place fifth in the world at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino.
Ever the sportswoman, Joannie Rochette had never missed a season since her humble beginnings since she began skating when she was six years old. Her persistent effort continues to pay off as we look forward to seeing more of this skater in years to come.
Joannie has announced that she will be competing on the Grand Prix curcuit again this year. Watch for her during Skate Canada and Cup of Russia during the 2007-2008 season.
Keep tabs on this skating star by visiting her website, www.JoannieRochette.com. Her site hosts lots of beautiful photos in addition to occasional updates. Her journal hasn't been updated since September of 2006, but it's still a great resource for personal bites.
For a little treat, you can check out her skating at the Japanese Open. There are also several clips of her on YouTube.
