It has been a long day.  I have been spending more than the usual amount of time reading and ooking for information about Worlds and whether or not Tokyo will be able to host the event.

I have to say from what i have seen - the news isn't good. An insider at the highest level disclosed to me that to try and relocate the event would be very difficult given the amount of work that goes into putting on a Worlds. The logistics alone of hotel rooms and two empty rinks and re-organizing people's schedules seems like a longshot - not impossible - but challenging to say the least and I am only talking about the skaters and officials at this point and not even touching on how to manage fans and media and everything else.....

Then there are the problems 'on the ground' in Tokyo where many things are 'business as usual' but other things like the ability to buy water and staples and the issue of power conservation would make it again more difficult. This information comes from a couple of people who are in Japan. Let's face it - we're talking about 2 natural disasters and the tragedy is almost too big for me to comprehend from the safe haven of my family room.

The ISU is wading through tricky territory at the moment and I am impressed that they have been so  forthcoming about information. Today's media advisory located at the isu.org website  promises more information by Monday morning (European time) The ISU has acknowledged that one of the many factors has to do with the stability of the Fukushima area's nuclear plant.

it seems as if a number of federations are weighing in -I read the release from the German federation that  indicated that they are respecting the advisory set out by their government about not travelling to Tokyo. (Thank goodness for my high school German). I also received an advisory from the US federation that they are waiting for more news before making any decision. 

I don't know what the answer will be. More than anything, it appears to me as if there is no way to make this work without hurting someone. If Worlds goes ahead - it could be seen to be at the expense of the Japanese people in their hour of pain. If Worlds doesn't go ahead - I feel for the countless hours of work already invested by the Organizing Committee and the Japanese federation but more than anything, I also feel for the skaters whose whole year is built around this competition.

As a big picture kind of person - I have to say when it is all said and done -' it's only skating' and Japan has bigger things to deal with at the moment. As you might imagine, I am speaking only what I believe and will roll with whatever decision is made.

My thoughts go also to the decision makers - this can't be easy.

I have been getting messages all day long and now into the evening from skating fans wanting to know about the ISU World Figure Skating Championships taking place in Tokyo in the next 10 days. As might be expected of the 'extended skating family" the notes show genuine concern for the tragic losses as a result of the earthquake and tsunami. Also characteristic of the hard-working people who make up the travelling ISU family, they have gotten the word out as quickly as possible; with the following note being having been posted on the isu.org website this morning:

Earthquake, Tsunami in Japan
11 Mar 2011 10:32

On Tuesday, it was Games Day at the rink for the children in group lessons who are at the learn to skate stage. One of the children in one of my groups is a tiny, delicate, little girl who love, love, LOVES her pink skating dress and matching gloves. Her name is Clara and she reminds me of Cindy-Loo Hoo from the Grinch Christmas debacle and even I have to bend way down to hear her through her hockey mask. Not surprisingly, as we were setting things up, it was bedlam with kids tearing around at ( their) top speed. It can be a bit overwhelming if you have a delicate constitution. Clara skated over to me and said "Um...Pj...um...PJ..." I bent down and as I did, her wee face crumpled and she started to cry. This was the kind of pitiful, silent yet stoic sob that let you know that Clara had been carrying some enormous weight on her tiny shoulders. I asked her what the matter was with the appropriate degree of concern. Sniffling, she said: "My tummy hurts." I asked her if she wanted to skate with me for a bit until she felt better. "Yes please." We skated for a minute or so, hand in hand and she elaborated about the situation (I had thought that it was simply a case of being overwhelmed by all of the chaos and often sore tummies are kid code for HELP!) Clara said: "At school, they said that there were Stomach Flies going around and I really don't want to catch a Stomach Fly."  Eeeeuuuw. Who would? A tummy bug by any other name...stomach fly...somehow sounds more icky! Skating hand in hand, it was clear to Clara those damn flies wouldn't be able to catch us!

My daughter Caroline is a Cub leader and 2 weeks ago they went on her favourite field trip - to the police station. To say that the kids, who are 8-ish years old, are excited doesn't begin to cover it. The police officer who talks to the kids is beyond cool as he shows them his handcuffs and even puts them on one of the leaders or a parents to squeals of delight. There were a couple of interesting exchanges - namely when the officer asked if any of the children could say what a stranger was? Colin, a sober and serious little guy put up his hand and said: "A stranger is someone who kills animals." Whaaaaat?  I think it's time to turn off the cable Scream channel and start talking as a family. Then there was the hyper but genius Edson who is that kid in every group who is always shooting his hand into the air with an accompanying "Oooh, ooh, ooh" sound. He wanted to share the following with the officer: "Don't you think it's ironic that police officers are supposed to help people but sometimes they end up killing people. Ironic eh?". The officer, bless him, said "huh." and left it at that. This same officer though shared the following story with Caroline: he had heard about a group of children who had gone to visit a police Headquarters somewhere and were stopped in fron ot the Top 10 Most Wanted poster. After some discussion about these ne'er do wells, one little fella put up his hand and asked the officer: "Why didn't you just keep them when you took their picture?"  Good question when you put it that way.

Laughter is indeed the best medicine.

I liked this book: Taking The Ice - you will too!  www.takingtheice.com

I cannot believe in another couple of weeks, we are basically at the end of the road for another season!

Time to Talk Tokyo with skaters on their way to Worlds.

Canada's national silver medallists Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje returned from the iSU Four Continents Championship in Taipei City with more lessons learned. In their free dance performance there, Andrew's blade got tangled in Kaitlyn's dress on his way into their dance spin - "the amazing part was that we didn't fall ...but without the required revs to make a combo spin element, we got a zero."  With pride in her voice, Kaitlyn goes on to say that in the past they would have let it take the wind out of their sails, but this time, they just kept on and "didn't let it ruin our vibe." Just an unfortunate hiccup for this team whose steely resolve was so clearly evident as they looked into each other's eyes at the conclusion of the national championships where they finished in second. They were less than a point behind Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier. Interestingly, they don't think of the rivalry but concentrate on the work that they have done to this point and really just want to get to Worlds and show the world what they know how to do.  They have made some real strides this season and attribute their improvement to efforts of their coaching team: Pasquale Camerlengo, Anjelika Krylova and Shae-Lynn Bourne.  The hours upon hours spent on basic stroking and edge quality and skills has paid off facilitating their joy in skating their two programs which are "the most fun to perform for an audience that we have ever done." says Kaitlyn. In a charming twist of fate, Kaitlyn remembers seeing Anjelika and partner Oleg Ovsiannikov in a skating show that came through her hometown of Houston. Although she was already a skater, it was seeing Anjelika that really inspired her to pursue her goal of ice dance. When she is with Anjelika, she says she really tries to "soak all that up". 

New this season, is the more regular connection that the team has made with a sports

therapist who has helped them with strategies of relaxation and how to put in competition what they are able to do in training at home. They had always worked with one before intermittently through Skate Canada.  This was different though, as it was a commitment and a priority that they made before the season started. Kaitlyn says: "We don't talk to her every day but we like her as a person and we connect with her."  The goal has been to put things into perspective - to not focus so much on results and to realize that there is life after competition.  Sounds sensible to me.

As one of the teams who will be competing in the Preliminary round of the ice dance competition at worlds - Andrew's comment sums up their positive and philosophical attitude; "We see performing our free dance in front of the actual panel as having an advantage. It's like doing a dry run and we are looking forward to that."

They say this is almost like going to their first Worlds - they feel new and fresh and feel as if they have something new and fresh to offer.  Kaitlyn and Andrew say that their goal is to make top five in the world. We all know the first step in achieving a goal is naming it. "If we skate our best - why not?" is what  Andrew says. They are planning on celebrating their programs and enjoying the work they have done. They aren't making any changes to the programs aside from maybe some minor arm and head movements.

"We are looking towards the future with hope and not fear and are ready to work hard to get the results we are working for,"

In other words - Weaver and Poje - ready to take on the world.

Taking the Ice has great reviews - got your copy yet? www.takingtheice.com