8TH DAY OF THE GAMES

HOT. COOL. YOURS.

14 February 2014

The Olympic Village Newspaper

A dance of ice and re

Figure skating is a beautiful sport and often can represent the feelings felt between lovers on Valentines Day. The music that accompanies the elaborate routines is often just as wonderful as the skating itself.

YOU CANT LIVE WITHOUT LOVE! ROMAN KRECH

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EDITOR'S WORD

Dear readers! After the stunning performances and breathtaking nals of the team gure skating and pairs gure skating at the Iceberg Ice palace and on the eve of the mens competition, we devote this issue to maybe the most romantic of sports gure skating, which is loved so much all around the world and just as much in Russia. Everyone is feeling the love today and hopefully gure skating will keep this feeling owing throughout the Olympic Park. Maybe today your loved one is far away from you or you are still searching for your soul mate but today love is in the air. Just listen for its melody. Kamanga Amangalieva

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24 HOURS WITH... BRIAN JOUBERT

At practice we got a unique chance to observe this outstanding athlete. So self-disciplined and reserved on the ice, easygoing and open outside of competition, Brian Joubert - the 2007 World Champion, a three-time European champion and an eight-time French National champion in men`s gure skating.

Of course, in my life too, there is a person who I would like to call just to say: I love you

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24 HOURS WITH... BRIAN JOUBERT

Brian gives the impression of an athlete determined to ght for a gold medal with dignity. Just after a really hard training session, Brian spoke about how he felt this year competing in Sochi. "In Sochi everything

is awesome! said Brian. Everything is organized for the athletes. What I appreciate most of all are the villages. They are small and comfortably located. Skaters can walk everywhere or just ride a bike,

8TH DAY OF THE GAMES

especially when the weather is so nice." Experienced enough to judge about the organization of the Olympic games (he participated at three previous Games before), Brian emphasized the high level of security at the Games in Sochi, "It is so simple and not as obtrusive as it was, for example, at the XIX Olympic Winter Games 2002 in Salt Lake City. Here you feel safe, but do not notice how actually such great ohand security is provided. You are not under pressure, no one censors you by turning all of your things out each time like at the airport." According to the athlete, in Sochi all conditions and commodities are done for athletes. For example, the way nutrition is provided. Joubert said that his daily ration here is quite balanced but after the competition, he will probably

eat a burger. When there is some free time between practices, the athlete prefers to walk inside the Olympic Park, enjoying his stay in Sochi, while taking photos: "I do love everything about sports, especially extreme ones. I just admire what other guys do, for instance snowboarders - all the tricks, jumping - it's so spectacular, and the atmosphere is so cool!" Joubert however has never tried snowboarding, maybe he should! On February 14th, both in France and in Russia , everyone will celebrate Valentine's Day, but this day Brian Joubert will be alone. "I need to focus on my challenge, as I have a really important performance that day. Although, I will denitely nd some time to call to France. Of course, in my life, too, there is a person who I would like call just too to say: I love you"

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CROSS-INTERVIEW

QUALIFYING

Isadora Williams Figure skating, Brazil

1
MUSIC

It was great, I was so proud to be the rst Brazilian in gure skating at the Olympics, I was so happy.

2 3
VALENTINE

Its so important in gure skating, because you tell a story with the music, and you express yourself. I love this holiday, but unfortunately my Valentine is back home. Im going to call home and wish everyone well.

4
FUN

Its very hard to cope with emotions. Youve got to shut out the rest of the world and focus on your job, and compete like you do in practice.

The opening ceremony was great, besides, Ive seen lots of beautiful sites, met so many people, and for sure the best memory will be my performance at the Games.

MEMORY

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Adrian Diaz Figure skating, Spain

QUALIFYING

1 2

I could not believe it until the next week when I was on holidays, I just woke up and analyzed. It was unique, the dream came true. It is the way we express ourselves, pass to people what we feel. It is something we are going to work with the whole season, because if you dont feel attached to the music, the programme will be fake.

MUSIC

3 4 5

VALENTINE

I dont have a girlfriend and, besides, I have 2 practices on the 14th. Maybe, I will make a little surprise for my partner Sara, but we are not dating. I try not to expect anything great, until the end. Sure, I hope to perform well, but to cope with emotions one should just switch o. Im impressed with Sochi, everything is amazing, but the best memory will be if my team-mate Xavier Fernandex wins a medal.

FUN

MEMORY

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DISCOVERY Valentine's Day Saint Valentine, the patron saint of lovers, was s a priest who was martyred by the Romans on 14 February 270. The emperor Claudius II abolished marriage because he thought that married men made poor soldiers because they did not want to abandon their family. As a result Valentine encouraged young couples to come to see him in secret, and to receive the blessing of marriage. He was therefore arrested and imprisoned. While he awaited his execution, he made friends with the daughter of his jailer who was blind. Before being beheaded, he gave her heart-shaped leaves with the message, from your Valentine, and she could see again from that day on. Before Valentine's Day, a pagan feast was celebrated in mid-February, young men picked the name of a young girl out of a box and this was his lover for one year. In 496, the pope banned this feast because it disrespected women. To replace it they chose Saint Valentine to be the patron saint of lovers and decreed that 14 February would be Valentines Day, the day of lovers.

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A dance of ice and re

Figure skating is a beautiful sport and often can represent the feelings felt between lovers on Valentines Day. The music that accompanies the elaborate routines is often just as wonderful as the skating itself.

FIELD OF PLAY

Everybodys doing the same stu, so music helps to interpret it dierently to distinguish yourself between other skaters.

Alexandra Paul Figure skating, Canada

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Mitchell Islam Figure skating, Canada Especially in ice dance, the way you interpret the music is the way the judges and the audience distinguishes you from other teams.

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FIELD OF PLAY

The famous theme from the Addams family composed by Andrew Lippa made our hearts swell as the Russian pair Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov spun on the ice. We then found ourselves in the middle of a winter fairy tale created by the pair from Germany, Robin Szolkowy and Savchenko Aliona, as they launched into a jump combination to the sound of the Nutcracker. The skaters always connect to their music and take the role of the characters in the music, whether it is the White Swan or James Bond. They dont just dance to the music once though, they must connect to it as much as the composer did, and feel at one with it when they are performing and when they are training. They must also make the audience fall in love with the music. For the Olympics, you want something thats really

memorable and really epic, said Gracie Gold, You want the kind of music and kind of program that people watch over and over again in years to come, as they watch the dance, they remember the Olympic moment. With pairs and dance, music selection can be twice as tricky because of individual tastes and a couples personal style. When the athletes nd the right song it tugs the heartstrings of the performers and spectators alike. Much like in Vancouver with Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir who danced to the Farrucas by Pepe Romero they were the rst pair to receive 10 points for a programs component score under the new judging system. They had tremendous grace and exibility that will never be forgotten. Neither will their wonderful stop in the center of the skating rink, where there was something watching that no one else could see. This dance was more like theatre a

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competition performance and the pair were more actors than athletes taking their time not just to fulll the program, but to show a breathtaking, captivating love story. Speaking of records during the Vancouver Olympic Games, Kim Yuna from South Korea must be mentioned. In a ladies singles program, as she was skating to the sounds of Gershwins Piano Concerto in F. She made the most dicult routine look like a romantic springtime walk through a park in Seoul, not a gold medal winning performance. The grace of her jumps and the complexity of her choreography set a new Olympic record of 150.06. A record that seems almost unbreakable. If you look at all the favourite soundtracks for gure skating programs, the true greats seem to emerge such as music from The Sound of Music which has been used ever since the movie was produced in the early

1960s. Also Ravels Bolero is a classic that was made popular by the 1984 Olympic Ice Dance Champions Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean. Also during every gure skating competition season, skaters everywhere will be seen competing to Beethovens Moonlight Sonata - the ultimate love melody. In recent years we have seen more and more modern music such as the James Bond theme and music from the Phantom of the Opera become very popular with skaters. Andrew Lloyd Weber work was heard for the Russian pair, Volosozhar Tatiana and Trankov Maxim as they won their gold medal skating to the sound of Jesus Christ Superstar. The pair mesmerized the audience and the millions watching at home, the crowd couldnt stop clapping for several minutes, as they threw countless bouquets of owers onto the ice. It truly was a dance Saint Valentine would be proud of.

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IOC COLUMN

Protect your sport from competition xing

The evolution of the betting market, following the rapid development of the internet, has opened the door to a new dimension of cheating and corruption in sport. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), in its mission to protect the integrity of sport and

clean competition, has been tackling this issue since 2006. It has been monitoring the betting market on Olympic competitions since 2008 to enable quick action should any suspicious activities be detected. You can learn more about this

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in the Important Information section on the 17 Days mobile and web app, which you can nd on your Samsung Galaxy device. There is also a video on betting that could be useful to you in the Fun Stu section of your Samsung. Everyone with an accreditation for the Games signs up to respect the IOC Code of Ethics which contains key ethical principles. Amongst others, the Code prohibits all participants from any betting linked to the Olympic Games and from any form of cheating aecting the Olympic competitions. This is to protect the integrity of your sport. You train hard and it is important that the competitions are fair. Here are the four Dos to protect your sport: Be True: always do your best, never x an event Be Safe: never bet on your sport or competition

Be Careful: never share information that could be used for betting purposes Be Open: if you are approached to cheat, speak out! If you do come across an incident or a fact that you think could be a breach of these ethical principles, it is your duty to inform the IOCs Integrity contact by e-mail Integrityprotection@olympic.org or via the telephone hotline 0800 12 14 16. These contact details can also be used if you have any questions on ethics in sport. The IOC treats any communication with complete condentiality. You can also learn more about this topic at the IOC Space in the Olympic Village or by visiting http://www.olympic.org/playfair. The IOC Space features dierent fun tools which show how you can protect your sport and its integrity. Test your knowledge by having a go at the quiz. It is fun and quick.

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N.B. WEATHER

Have some fun alongside the team that helped you prepare for the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. Happening today, Friday 14 February, at 7 p.m. in the Mountain Village Chef de Mission Hall. We look forward to seeing you there!

CHIRP @hattiebrett I LOVE THE WINTER OLYMPICS

@gymoslabyrinth #Love is always somewhere, working on this one #ValentinesDay #art #heart #chicago #nyc #Olympics

@AmrapaliAmbegao Beautiful watching #Olympics pair #skating where the couples' #Love is shown through their #Art #Sport

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IN THE CLUB

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OLYMPIC FACTS

Do you know which two winter disciplines were once part of the Summer Games programme? Figure skating and ice hockey. Before the rst edition of the Winter Games in 1924, these two disciplines in fact appeared at the Summer Games. Figure skating was on the programme of the 1908 and 1920 Games in London and Antwerp respectively. It was also at the 1920 Games that ice hockey made its debut on the programme. Among the current winter sports disciplines, it is therefore gure skating that has the longest Olympic history. ubiquitous in the sport world.

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OLYMPIC LEGEND

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Name Hermann Maier Nationality AUT Sport Alpine Skiing Born 07 December 1972 Medals 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze Hermann Maier's parents managed a ski school in Flachau, Austria, and Hermann began entering ski races at the age of ve. When he was fteen, a growth disorder forced him to give up the sport temporarily. Spectacular crash right to the top of the podium He began representing Austria internationally in 1996 and achieved immediate success. He qualied to enter four events at the Olympic Games in Nagano in 1998. During the downhill he lost control and took a spectacular fall, ying more than 100m through the air and crashing through two retaining fences before coming to a stop. Incredibly, he not only survived without serious injury, but three days later he raced in the super-G and won the gold medal. Three days after that he earned a second gold medal in the giant slalom. "The Herminator strikes again During the 2000-2001 World Cup season, Maier tied the men's single season record for most victories (13). Injured in a motorbike accident, he had to withdraw from the Salt Lake City Games. Living up to his nickname, "The Herminator", at 34, Hermann Maier was not only present at the Turin Games in 2006, but he also won two medals: silver in the super G and bronze in the giant slalom!

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PHOTO REPORT: FIGURE SKATING Open the photo gallery