Sasha answers questions
about Olympics from fans

Answers to your Olympic questions will be posted daily. If you have comments or questions during the Games, Sasha will try to get to as many as possible upon her return.

Questions and comments must be addressed to jimfair@charter.net

Please include your first name only, city, state or country. We will verify questions and comments before publication via the e-mail submitted for security reasons.

What was the most embarrassing moment that had ever happened to you at the Olympics?
Anna Marie from the Philippines
Anna Marie, I don't think I told this one. My most embarrassing moment is being interviewed on TV after I skated the short program and I had this pinky beige lipstick on my teeth. I think that was the most embarrassing. One of my most memorable incidents was when I forgot my tights. You go through so many layers of security, opening and pulling out your things, I just grabbed my bag and went to the arena. You can’t skate without tights and Fumie Suguri gave me hers!

On your days off from your competition at the Olympics what sports are you most looking forward to watching?
Melanie from Moncton, New-Brunswick, Canada
Shawn from Newark, Delaware
I hope I get to watch some skiing. I saw the gold medal hockey game last time but being in the rink all the time, I think I will try to get out some.

Do you fix your own hair before the competition?
Yes, We learn to be self sufficient.

February 14
Day 4

How much sleep do you get at night?
My body needs nine hours of sleep a night.

Do you eat "special" foods before the competition?
I bring vitamins. They have a good selection of food for the athletes and it’s healthy. I ate at the Village last year and plan on doing that again this year.

February 13
Day 3

Who was the most interesting friend you made at the Olympic Village in Salt Lake?
Greg from Leesburg, Virginia
One of my friends I met from the last Olympics is Jeremy Bloom. We’ve stayed in touch through the years. We talked about going to Italy and how different it would be going back for the second time. We talked about the pressure at the Olympics and how we plan on handling it.

How long are the practice sessions at the Olympics? Can you seek out other rinks in Italy for additional practice time?
Caitlin from Lisle, Illinois
Practice sessions are 35-40 minutes. Caitlin, the IOC has a practice site when we can’t use the main venue because of competitions going on. We just can’t go out and find a rink for extra practice. I thought that was an interesting question.

Will Mia the cat show up at the Olympics?
Cynthia and Norman from Tucson, Arizona
No, not this time. Mia will be waiting for me to come home.

Will you be going back to a performance like Malaguela? That program is definitely a show-stopper and you do it with so much fiery passion with grace!
Mary from Seattle, Washington
Thanks for your compliment Mary. I enjoyed doing that program and it's among my favorites. My programs have been set since late summer. It’s too hard to go back and re-work a program in the middle of the season and especially right before the Olympics. I hope you enjoy the short and free programs this year. They are very special to me.

February 12
Day 2

What is life like in the Olympic Village?
Catherine
At Salt Lake City we stayed in a very tiny dorm room. It was me, Naomi Lang, Sarah Hughes and Kyoko Ina. Only a curtain separated Naomi and I from Sarah and Kyoko.. That’s four girls with a lot of stuff! And ONE bathroom. Our clothes fit under our bed. And that’s only because the beds were raised off the floor. We came with a lot of clothes and then had all the Olympic clothes/gear we received from a hughe warehouse near the University of Utah. Catherine, I don’t think you would think it’s as glamorous as it sounds!

What do you think is the best thing about staying at the Olympic village with so many other athletes?
Joyce from Hong Kong
Staying in the Village was not as much fun as one would think. The training and nerves of competing in the Olympics was a challenge to also stay in the Village. Joyce, after a few days I thought it was best to fly back home and train for two weeks with few distractions. I only went to one practice in the main arena before the competition.

It's very cool that you're having an Olympic section on your web page! I've always enjoyed watching the Olympics and have always been curious about the Olympic Village. What kind of activities go on in the Village? Are there lots of parties?
Mary from Great Neck, N.Y.
Mary, when we arrived and after processing, we were bussed into the Village and the U.S.A. house. Some of the activities were nice. There was a spa, a movie theatre, a place to get a facial and manicure. It did get noisy at times when U.S. athletes would come back from winning medals.

February 11
Day 1

How do you feel going to the Torino Olympics?
Shaun from Chicago
Shaun, it’s like working four years to reach a goal. There plenty along the way but you have to meet those to reach the Olympics. It’s exciting. I feel I am in great shape and I am very happy with my programs. Italy is a pretty country and I’m looking forward to visiting.

How many people will travel with you?
Karen from Conklin, New York
Shere from Kentucky
I have my whole family coming. My mom is coming with me to Italy. Natasha will come a little later. My grandparents and dad are coming. There may be about 20 family and friends coming to see me skate.

Are the Olympics more of a challenge than say the World Championships?
A fan
I think the Olympics are more of a challenge simply because they are once every four years. The World Championships, like you said, is every year. Every fourth year it seems the prize is a little bigger, mostly because the Olympics are not held less frequently.

Are you planning on attending the opening ceremonies?
Laura from Manhattan, Illinois
I am going to miss the opening ceremonies. I decided to spend the entire final week leading up the Olympics at my home rink practicing. Laura, I felt it was more important to be as rested and trained as possible before arriving in Turin. I am leaving Friday, the day of the opening ceremonies. I will miss being there. The ceremonies at Salt Lake City were beautiful and we had a good time watching them as a team in our host country. I hope you get to watch them.

What is the most important thing you learned from your experience in Salt Lake that you will take with you to Turin?
Victor from Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
I don’t mean this the way it sounds Victor, but I will make sure I have my tights with me! At Salt Lake City I lost my tights going through all the security checkpoints and had to borrow some at the last minute. That was a good question and made me smile when I saw your question. But it wasn’t a very funny thing at the time!