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After the 2006 Olympic Winter Games were over, I felt that I had skated every performance with those skaters. I
understood the pressure they were under, and old memories came flooding back. Olympic pressure is unlike any other
mental or physical pressure an athlete will face. The constant media hype and attention is a lot to handle, and the
constant coverage does unflinchingly reveal much about oneās true character.
While these Olympics seemed short on truly memorable performances, what I did like was the spirit I saw÷some
competitors were quiet and serious, and some were rebels. These are Olympic ćGamesä after all. Youthful exuberance
should be celebrated!
Years from now the athletes will look back on their Olympic participation in Torino and finally understand what
they did there. That perspective takes a long time to arrive. My Olympics took a long time to sink in and sometimes I
can hardly believe it all happened. Certainly the Olympic Games changed the direction of my life! This yearās Olympians
will carry their memories with them forever and those recollections will continue to have an impact on their lives. Iām
looking forward to the next Olympic Winter Games!
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