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The Two Faces of Drama

The Olympic Sport for Day Twelve:

Women's Figure Skating, Short Program

The Olympic Athlete for Day Twelve:

Joannie Rochette

Her Moment:

I doubt there was a dry eye once she started sobbing immediately upon finishing her performance. Heck, I'm teary right now just typing about it. Honestly, what a champion. I really felt bad for her, the cameraman closing in as her coach hugged her, although it wasn't as simple as media feeding off of people's suffering. A skater gets off the ice after a performance, cameras are going to be there. Still, I think I wish they had given her a moment right then -- or even just afforded her the appearance of a moment, by backing off physically and letting her feel less intruded upon. She is in a position where she has to choose between grieving so very publicly or letting go of everything she has worked for in the past few years. Is it too much to think television cameras can choose to use their zoom functions to show a little respect?

Honourable Mention:

Ladies Ski Cross. Quarterfinals. Spain's Rocio Delgado is missing for much of the run shortly after jumping out of the gate. When she does show, she goes down within metres of the finish line, losing both skis and completing a tumbling sommersault to slide across the finish line belly-down. Once she stops sliding, she arches her arms and legs backwards like a killer whale posing on a platform at Sea World, to the cheers of the crowd. On replay, we see why she was late getting to the finish line: after stumbling over the first jump out of the gate, she slammed spread-eagled into the second gate like Wile E. Coyote after the Roadrunner disappeared into a trompe-l'oeil hole in a wall that doesn't allow him through. Excelente for getting back up, and retaining your sense of humour after that, Rocio! Ex-ce-lente!

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