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Derochie returns with a mighty leap
The 25-year-old from Ottawa hasn't conquered the triple Axel just yet. But the fact she even tried one yesterday at the Eastern Ontario Sectionals at the Kanata Recreation Complex is news in itself.
Only Japan's Midori Ito and Tonya Harding of the U.S. have ever landed the jump in women's competition. Derochie couldn't hold the landing of the 31/2-revolution jump during her free skate program yesterday, but it's the first time she's ever tried it in front of a panel of judges.
"It's been there (in the program) all year," said Derochie, who trains the triple Axel regularly at the Minto Skating Club and often lands it on two feet in practice. "I just thought today that, it's only sectionals, I might as well try it now."
Derochie, who still represents the Gloucester Skating Club, is hoping the triple Axel can help give her a leg up on defending her Canadian ladies championship at nationals next January at the Ottawa Civic Centre. It's only one part of a difficult free program, skated to hispanic dance and piano jazz music, that includes eight triple jumps in all.
Not too many of them went well yesterday, but it was Derochie's first competition since a nasty bout of strep throat in late-September cost her the chance to compete at Skate Canada in Kamloops, B.C., this weekend.
Entering the sectionals wasn't a must, but Derochie felt she needed a tuneup before she heads off to the Cup of Russia, a Grand Prix series event in Moscow at the end of the month.
"This was a chance to see where I'm at now, performance-wise," said Derochie, who collected the senior ladies' gold here. "Now I know what else I have to do before Russia and how much harder I have to push."
GOLDEN GANG: It was gold medal day at the sectionals yesterday, with skaters from Ottawa-Carleton clubs leading the rush to the top of the podium. Winners from the Minto Club: Derek Schmidt (senior men), Fedor Andreev (junior men), Matthew Bueno (novice men), Nicole Till (novice ladies), Ashton Tessier (pre-novice ladies), and Alison Murphy and Christopher Glover (junior dance). Also striking gold were Nepean's Kaileigh Boyer (junior ladies) and Brennan Martin of Morrisburg (pre-novice men).