Don’t write off Joanne Carter…despite producing her worst-ever international result finishing 25th at Palavela in the short program, she is not quitting and has set herself for Vancouver 2010.

“After three days of crying, I tore a page off the dinner menu the other night and wrote a four-year plan on the back of it,” Carter said.

“Galina (coach Pachin) and I have decided we will do whatever it takes to get another shot at the Olympics. I can’t leave the sport on this note when I know I have not performed to my ability.”

By missing the cut and finishing behind seven competitors who have never beaten her at international level, Carter did not get to perform her free skating program. She even contemplated not watching the free program but coach Pachin stepped in.

“It was heart-wrenching and probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” the 25-year-old Sydney physiotherapist said.

“Watching girls who I know I can beat. It was very tough, but in hindsight it was the best thing I could have done because it fired my self-belief. I told myself I don’t belong at the bottom, I belong at the top of the middle pack and that’s where I aim to be.”

Her coach, Galina Pachin believes Carter won’t be too old to consider the Vancouver 2010 campaign.

“Twenty nine is not too old in 2010 if she looks after herself. If you can do it on the day, age has nothing to do with it,” Pachin said.

“I believe in her and will support her all the way, year by year.

“She can do all the elements for example, performed by Arakawa (gold medallist). Jo has incredible talent, an incredible personality, is very tough mentally and physically and she never makes excuses.”

Although dismissing her bad draw in the short program as a factor in her failure, there is no doubt Carter suffered by skating last in a group of six that featured two of the gold medal favourites, Shizuka Arakawa of Japan and Irina Slutskaya of Russia.

After making two early mistakes when she fell on the triple lutz and then wobbled on a flip, Carter fought back bravely, but comparisons with the two superstars appeared to weigh on the judges’ minds.

“Figure skating is unpredictable,” Carter said.

“One minute your legs are underneath you, the next you’re on your bottom. That’s the nature of the sport.

“None of the top girls skated a flawless performance in the Free but you have to keep going after a mistake. That’s what I love about the sport. You are constantly challenging yourself.”

Arakawa deservedly won the gold medal from American Sasha Cohen with Slutskaya taking bronze. Cohen had led narrowly from Slutskaya and Arakawa after the short program but faltered on her first two jumps in the free skating.

The men’s competition was dominated by Russian superstar Evgeni Plushenko who beat Switzerland’s Stephane Lambiel by a whopping 27 points with Jeffrey Buttle from Canada taking bronze. Plushenko carried the Russian flag at the Closing Ceremony.

Pairs figure skating produced another Russian triumph for Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin who had a comfortable margin over China’s Hao and Dan Zhang after Hao fell heavily but then courageously continued minutes later. Hongbo Zhao and Xue Shen from China won bronze.

Russia’s procession to the gold medal dais continued in ice dancing with Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov clinching gold after brilliant routines in the set pattern dance and the all-important free dance.

Silver went to Americans Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto, with Rusian Goncharov and Elena Grushina from Ukraine winning bronze.

Looking to the future, the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia is prepared to reconsider a national coaching co-ordinator role. That position was capably filled previously by former Olympian, coach Belinda (Trussel) Noonan who had to relinquish the position.

Gordon Bray/AOC
Torino