Courtesy of Susan D. Russell and International Figure Skating Magazine, check out our new photos of Cheltzie Lee, added to the images section from her official website.

In the ladies' free skating final, Sydney's Cheltzie Lee achieved her goal of a top - twenty finish. With a free - skating score of 86.00 points, this was six points above her previous best earned at last month's Four Continents Championships in South Korea.

Lee's total combined score in Canada is 138.16 points.

Smashing her own personal best, Gold went Korea's Yu-Na Kim. The silver medal was awarded to Mao Asada of Japan, and bronze went to Joannie Rochette of Canada.

The XXI Olympic Winter Games: Cheltzie Lee qualifies for the final

Cheltzie Lee has beaten her personal best by eight points with a faultless short program in Vancouver, earning 52.16 points. She has qualified for the free skating portion of the competition in 18th place.

Korea's 2009 World Champion, Yu-Na Kim, is currently in first position, with Japan's Mao Asada in second, and Joannie Rochette of Canada, standing third.

The free skating portion of the competition is scheduled for Thursday evening, Vancouver time.

The mother of Canadian figure skating champion and Olympic medal hopeful Joannie Rochette died suddenly in Vancouver Sunday morning, shortly after arriving to watch her daughter compete.

aussieSKATES extends our condolences to Rochette, her family, Skate Canada and its supporters at this difficult time.

Click here for more information.

Australia's Cheltzie Lee has drawn fifth postion out of 30 in the ladies' short program, to be held Tuesday evening from 4:30pm onwards, Vancouver time.

Challengers for the Olympic title include Yu-Na Kim from Korea, skating in 23rd place, Joannie Rochette from Canada in 26th, and Italy's Carolina Kostner in 29th.

Japan's Mao Asada, will start in 22nd position. Her team mates, Akiko Suzuki and Miki Ando will skate 24th and 30th respectively.

The top 24 will advance to the free skating portion of the competition.

Click here for the complete draw.

Days after the Icehouse facility opened at Docklands, Victoria's only regional rink hangs in the balance.

Click here for the news report.

On Tuesday evening, Vancouver time, the ladies take to the ice for the short program. In one of the most highly anticipated competitions of these games, the last three world champions, Miki Ando and Mao Asado of Japan, and Korea's Yu-Na Kim, will each by vying for the gold medal. Amongst the mix are Canada's Joannie Rochette and Italy's Carolina Kostner.

Australia will be represented by Cheltzie Lee.

Channel 9's Winter Olympics hosts Eddie McGuire and Mick Molloy on thin ice
By Sarah Witherspoon. Article courtesy of the Herald Sun, Melbourne.

CHANNEL 9 commentators Eddie McGuire and Mick Molloy have come under fire over comments made about the men's ice skating.

In their Winter Olympics wrap last night, the pair took aim at some of the costumes worn by the male competitors in the figure skating.

As the pair discussed the men's figure skating, Molloy said: "They don't leave anything in the locker room these blokes do they", before a sniggering McGuire interjected, adding "they don't leave anything in the closet either do they."

Molloy was quick to jokily reprimand McGuire, warning him he could get into trouble.

The network then cut to an image of a skater wearing a tuxedo-style costume, which Molloy described as something even singer Prince would not wear.

The footage then showed a skater wearing a costume of overalls and a flannelette shirt with McGuire suggesting it was "a bit of broke back".

Molloy agreed saying: "A bit of Brokeback Mountain exercises, you can't wear that."

The pair was referring to the Heath Ledger film Brokeback Mountain about a pair of gay cowboys.

Channel 9 was believed to have received several complaints from viewers about the comments, the Herald Sun said.

Social media networks were also awash with comments from viewers appalled at the comments.

Members of the Facebook page "Eddie Mcguire is ruining the 2010 Winter Olympics coverage" were also outraged.

Karen Turner wrote: "I watched for the first time last night and was shocked and embarrassed by his comments about the ice skaters, time for him to retire and replace him with someone more educated in life."

Channel 9 is yet to respond to the incident.

Australia's three - time national and current ice dancing winner, Four Continents and World Championships representative, Greg Merriman will be interviewed on 702 ABC Sydney this morning from 5:30 - 6:00am.

A podcast of the interview will also be available. Click here for the link.

Dear Channel Nine Australia,

Mere days after the highly - anticipated opening of our newest world - class Winter Sports facility, Melbourne's Icehouse, aussieSKATES, as did Australia's viewing audience, had great hopes for your coverage of the Olympic Winter Games from Vancouver, Canada.

Nine has a rich tradition in hosting the event, having aired the Winter Games in 1988 from Calgary, Albertville in 1992, and Lillehammer in 1994.

Early reports from skating fans posting at various message boards in Australia and around the world, have uniformly voiced their disappointment, if not disgust with lazy, bigoted, mocking commentary.

With Eddie McGuire as host, he is treating nightly recaps as little more than a self-serving, jocular variation on Nine's flagship, The Footy Show.

Two examples this evening highlight the tone of Nine's coverage.

Following Johnny Weir's short program skate, McGuire, grinning proudly, declared that Johnny (known for his delicate artistry) works on a construction site during the day, before adding, "Just kidding!"

A second moment was the comic, Mick Malloy, joking with McGuire, that World Champion, Evan Lysacek, borrowed the outfit he skated in from Malloy. Malloy's unprofessional presence begs one to wonder why a comic is part of a sporting commentary team at all?

Skaters do not need to defend themselves. Athletes in other sports, particularly in Canada where it is a huge ratings draw second to ice hockey, understand how difficult skating is to master.

In the lead - up to Vancouver, Canadian television created a reality series fusing both sports. The Battle of the Blades not only combined skating's top elite with hockey stars, the players went as far to say they had new found respect for ice skating. It was a great detail more dangerous and athletic than even they anticipated.

Since Australian Winter sport programs struggle for sponsorship to develop current and future champions, Nine's approach is particularly belittling to skating. Children and their parents watching the broadcast will not only be turning off with this base brand of humour, it does nothing positive to promote the sport, or encourage kids to try skating for themselves.

So Mr McGuire and company, either stick to what you know, or drop the ball and let experts who appreciate skating give the sport its due reward. What should have been the perfect opportunity to promote Winter sports in Australia, has probably curtailed the next generation of champions.

Nick Pilgrim
Content Co-ordinator
aussieSKATES: Figure Skating Downunder

Channel Nine Australia's Nine’s coverage of the 2010 Olympics commences with the Opening Ceremony, broadcast exclusively live on Saturday, February 13 from 12:30PM (Australian EST).

Here is the link to their official website.

24/7 subscription coverage is also available on Fox Sports over four channels.

Below is complete list of figure skating events in Vancouver time.

Send Cheltzie Lee your messages of support.

Australia's representative in the figure skating, Cheltzie Lee, will be competing in the ladies' event. Send Cheltzie your messages of support and we will email them to her personally.

We will also upload her performances to our page at Youtube as soon as they are made available.

LUCKY to be alive and carrying the hopes of Australia on her shoulders, teenage figure skater Cheltzie Lee has been dealt a blow ahead of the Winter Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee has banned the 16-year-old from wearing a good-luck charm during competition - a tiny yellow bracelet she wears in memory of her friend Morgan Innes.

Morgan, 14, was one of four people who died in a ferry crash on Sydney Harbour in 2007.

Cheltzie was invited to join Morgan on the boat trip, but she decided to keep training as she chased her Olympic dream.

Bracelets and similar items are considered "sponsorship" by the IOC and banned during competition.

Last week the IOC tried to have the Boxing Kangaroo flag taken down at the Olympic village in Vancouver, claiming it was a registered trademarks and not a national flag.

Mum Renita Lee said Cheltzie was heartbroken she won't be able to wear the bracelet in Olympic competition.

"She'll just wear it when she practises. It is her way of showing how much she misses Morgan.

"The day before Morgan died they had trained together. They were such lovely friends."

Although Morgan lived in Brisbane, the girls loved competing against each other and spending time together at ice-skating camps.

Cheltzie still has text messages in her phone sent from Morgan.

"It's been hard for Cheltzie, hard for everyone who knew Morgan because she was just such a beautiful girl," Ms Lee said.

The yellow wrist band has the phrase "Have a Morgan Moment" etched into it.

Morgan's dad Robert Innes said about 2500 bracelets were handed out or sold for $3 at the NSW Figure Skating Championships.

"A friend of mine came up with the term Morgan Moment. It's something we'd love everyone to have - a moment where you just hug your kids, no matter how young or old they are.

"The wrist bands were just a way of spreading the message. All her friends wear them. It wasn't really designed to raise money."

Cheltzie will first compete in Vancouver on February 23, the same day a coroner will deliver his findings into the ferry tragedy.

Cheltzie first visited an ice rink 11 years ago on a hot summer's day, Canterbury Ice Rink as a five-year-old on a typically sweltering summer day.

"We were looking for something to do to get out of the heat, so Dad took me ice skating," Lee recalled last week.

"I loved it straight away and didn't need to hold the rail.

"It just felt natural."

Her inclusion was confirmed earlier this month after Israel declined to send its qualified skater, Tamar Katz.

After missing out on automatic qualification, Lee was prepared to wait until the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.

Lee, whose African-American mother was raised in Louisiana, contested the Youth Olympics in 2007, and finished in the top 20 of her her first open-age event in Vancouver last year.

She went on to the world championships where she finished 33rd as the youngest competitor in the field.

Her coach Kylie Fennell said a Michael Buble instrumental, Feeling Good, would accompany Lee's short routine, in which she needs a top-24 finish out of 30 girls to continue.

The AOC last night referred the matter to the IOC, who did not return calls.

Lee joins fellow high school students, snowboarder Scott James, and moguls skier Britteny Cox, in the Olympic team.

It is the first time that the Australian winter team has included three such youthful competitors.

Lee initially fell short of selection at the international qualifying event in Europe but she was highly placed on the reserve list, and withdrawals from other countries opened up a place for her last night, just nine days before the Games begin.

However, her event does not start until February 23, giving her an extra nine days to prepare for her Olympic debut.

Her entry brings the Australian team to a total of 38 athletes, with the women's bobsleigh still to be finalised.

Lee finished 13th in her first senior international event, the Four Continents competition, held at the Olympic venue in Vancouver last year. She went on to the world championships where she finished 33rd as the youngest competitor in the field.

Cox, who turned 15 on September 29, is the youngest of Australia's teen trio for Vancouver. Like Lee, she received a late quota place.

James took his chance after Australia's No 1 male snowboarder broke his ankle in training two weeks ago and was ruled out of the Games.

The Victorian immediately boarded a plane to Canada and qualified for the Olympics two days later, by finishing 15th in a World Cup event. He will become the youngest male to represent Australia at the Games.

Tamar Katz met the International Skating Union's (ISU) standards for Olympic eligibility but the Israeli Olympic Committee imposed a tougher benchmark, including finishing in the top 14 at the recent European Championships.

Katz finished 21st.

As first reserve 16-year-old Lee is now expected to get the call-up. Lee's coach Kylie Fennell was still cautious about the Israeli Olympic Committee's announcement, saying Katz may still have other avenues of appeal.

"Until anything comes through from the ISU we still stand as first reserve," Fennell said.

"Never assume anything in figure skating."

Any action from Katz will have to happen swiftly though, Tuesday being the deadline for nominations.

Regardless, the Israeli Olympic Committee remains steadfast in its decision.

In a statement to AAP it said its qualifying criteria for the Winter Olympics had been plainly set out two years ago and it no longer had a policy "just to participate".

"With all the sorrow Tamar Katz and other athletes who qualified the international criteria won't be included in this delegation," the statement said.

An Olympic Games berth would be another upswing in a rollercoaster two years for high school student Lee - regarded by some as a potential star in the sport.

In December 2007 she was involved in a car accident on the way to her first training session in Colorado, sustaining a double stress fracture to her back.

Carrying the injury she finished a disappointing 23rd at the world junior championships in March 2008 but after limiting her training for the next eight months to fully recover Lee bounced back spectacularly.

In her first senior competition, against a full international field, she finished 13th, with Canadian four-time world champion Kurt Browning seeking Lee out for a personal congratulations.

Then things took a dive again, Lee disappointing at the world championships and subsequent competitions, eventually leaving her as third reserve for the Winter Olympics.

With further international withdrawals Lee rose to first reserve, the Katz imbroglio taking her for another emotional ride.

Meanwhile in other Winter Olympics news Jenny Owens (ski cross) and Ramone Cooper (moguls) have been cleared to compete at the Games.

Cooper's was a remarkable turnaround after tearing his knee cartilage two weeks ago, the Jindabyne-based skier surprising doctors with the speed of his recovery.

Owens was always confident of getting a start despite ongoing knee issues but the multiple World Cup medallist will be stretching things to get on the podium after disrupted campaign.

Today the men skated their free programs, and there was a lot of shuffling amongst the top skaters. The winner was the two - time world junior champion, Adam Rippon, from the United States. Second, was Japan's Tatsuki Machida, and Canada's Kevin Reynolds, the leader after the short program, in third. Australia's Mark Webster dropped from 15th to 18th place overall; Matthew Precious, in his first senior championship event, finished 19th.

Check out our site at You Tube for some of the Australian team's performances.

Ice dance wrapped up today with the free skate. Danielle O'Brien and Greg Merriman skated to a tenth place finish. Maria and Evgeni Borounov placed 11th in the free dance and 12th overall. The event was won by Canada's Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje.

In the ladies' event, Cheltzie Lee skated a season best in the free skate, moving up one place to finish 14th. The event was won by Japan's Mao Asada, with her team mate, Akiko Suzuki in second, and Caroline Zhang from the United States placing third.

Ice dance continued with phase two, a folk or country dance.

Canada's Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje stayed in first place, while their team mates, Allie Hann-McCurdy and Michael Coreno, moved from third to second. The Chinese team of Xintong Huang and Xun Zheng dropped to third.

Danielle O'Brien and Greg Merriman presented an Aboriginal themed dance, while Maria and Evgeni Borounov, skated to tunes in tribute to being Australian. Both couples remained in 10th and 12th.

Later, the men skated their short programs. Canada's Kevin Reynolds was the clear winner, with China's Nan Song in second, and Brandon Mroz from the U.S.A. in third.

Australia's Mark Webster earned a personal best and is in 15th place, with Matthew Precious sitting in 18th. Nicholas Fernandez just missed the cut and placed 21st, while Cameron Hems from New Zealand finished in 27th.

Competition continues on day three with the ladies' long program, to be followed by the free dance. Click here for full results.

Ice dance kicked off today with the Tango Romantica.

Canada's Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje are in first with 32.67 points, followed by Xintong Huang and Xun Zheng of China with 30.12 points. Allie Hann-McCurdy and Michael Coreno, also from Canada are in third with 29.89 points.

Team Australia's Danielle O'Brien and Greg Merriman are in 10th, and the husband and wife team of Maria and Evgeni Borounov lie 12th.

Following the ladies short program, the surprise leader is Akiko Suzuki of Japan. In second place is Amanda Dobbs from the U.S.A. Mao Asada, the 2008 World Champion, is in third. Australia's Cheltzie Lee qualifies for the free skate and is in 15th position. Phoebe Di Tommaso finished the event in 22nd.

Competition continues on day two with the original dance, the pairs' free skate, and men's short program. Click here for full results.

Official practices begin this morning for the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.

Australia is fielding a team of three men, two ladies and two dance couples. New Zealand is represented by one man. The highest placed single or pair in each discipline will continue on to the World Championships in Torino, Italy.

Click here for the official web site.

Ice Skating Australia speaks out on Russia’s Indigenous ice skating routine

The Russian Olympic figure skating team will be taking notes from Australia’s champions, Danielle O’Brien and Greg Merriman as they perform their Aboriginal themed Original Dance next week at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Jeonju, South Korea.

The recent unveiling of the Russian World Champion’s Aboriginal inspired dance has attracted debate within the ice dancing community.  Danielle and Greg’s respectful interpretation of Aboriginal culture was developed after a year in consultation with indigenous company members, and was first performed in 2008.  The Australian’s routine is performed to an authentic, Australian Aboriginal music score. 

The International Skating Union sets a different theme for the Original Dance category every season; this season’s theme being ‘Country / Folk’.  

(Press release courtesy of ISA)

Riedell has some fun news to share with our readers: the brand new Riedell catalog is available to view online and features their new product additions:

Two brand new skate feature designs: Higher Box-toe increases toe clearance for better comfort & Tongue Pad Stitch enhances tongue contour for improved fit

New blade series: Quest from Riedell. Two models (Quest and Topaz) offer style and performance, made from high quality carbon steel.

This one-stop resource for skating needs is available at Riedell dealers across the country and online at http://www.iskateriedell.com/catalog10/

Completely redesigned, the 2010 catalog features tips for skaters of every age on skate care, nutrition and training.  Fans can also learn about their favorite Riedell skaters, from their favorite warm-up music to their favorite boots and blades.

Readers can then share their skating favorites on their blog, iSkateRiedell.com and become a fan of Riedell Skates on Facebook.

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