A Moment of Olympic Courage

UPDATED and BUMPED: Joannie Rochette wins the bronze. Her mom would have been proud.

I hope this young figure skater ends up with a medal:

But what we witnessed a young Canadian figure skater named Joannie Rochette do late Tuesday night in a packed arena at the Vancouver Games was gut-wrenching on another level.

Here was a woman who on Sunday learned that her mother Therese died quite suddenly and extremely unexpectedly. She was just 55. But young Joannie hit the Olympic ice at the Pacific Coliseum nonetheless and proceeded to skate what turned out to be her best short performance of the season. She then melted into tears upon receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.

It must have felt to her like 50,000 hugs, and probably still not enough.

But Rochette, being a figure skater, most remarkably soldiered on by herself. She didn't have 50 some other teammates to lean on. She didn't have an offensive line and running backs and receivers to support her effort. She didn't even have a doubles partner.

All Rochette had for a few minutes was herself. She faced the music alone.

Her selection of music was utterly appropriate. It was the Uruguayan tango La Cumparsita. The lyrics begin: "The little parade of endless miseries ..."

Rochette stood alone on the brightest and biggest stage she'd ever been on in her life, and with the weight of losing the foundation of her life pressing on her, she skated like she'd never skated before.

"Words cannot describe it," Rochette said afterward in quotes relayed through Skate Canada's high performance director Mike Slipchuk. "It's hard to be precise. I have no regrets. It was a very nice, warm welcome. Hard to handle, but I appreciate the support. I will remember this forever."

Everyone who witnessed it will remember her performance forever too.

I can't imagine how tough it must be for her to continue to compete. She ended up in third position after the short program. Tonight she could end up with a bronze, and wouldn't that be something?