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Derochie takes leap of faith
But the 24-year-old Canadian women's figure skating champion from Carlsbad Springs handles it like just about everything else on the ice these days -- she smiles and gets on with it.
Derochie is the lone woman representing Canada at the world figure skating championships in Minneapolis this week. Starting with today's qualifying round, her mission is all about one thing -- respect.
For herself in particular, and Canadian women's skating in general.
"When people believe in us more, we tend to skate better," she said a few days before departing for the worlds. "We've been talked down so much ... I'd really love to be the one to stop that."
Lately, there hasn't been a lot to believe in. Not since Josee Chouinard cracked the top five in 1994 in Japan has a Canadian woman been anywhere near the podium. Windsor's Jennifer Robinson posted 19th- and 21st-place finishes in 1995 and 1996.
A year ago in Lausanne, Susan Humphreys of Edmonton didn't even finish the competition -- a result which, eventually, led to Canada not having a woman's representative at last month's Winter Olympics in Nagano.
It's a lot to lay on Derochie's shoulders in her first world championships. But she seems to have the temperament necessary to handle it.
All week long at the Canadian championships in Hamilton in January, Derochie talked about having "to do my job." Her approach this week will be no different.
The wait since Hamilton has been a test in itself. Derochie took a holiday in Cuba shortly after winning her national title -- a break she admitted recharged her batteries.
"It was hard for me (to go back to training) ... my goal was to win nationals and go to worlds, and I was on such a high when I did it," she said. "You train so hard and all the pressure really sinks in after you're done. It exhausts you. I really wanted to get away for awhile."
The long break did prove to be a blessing in one way. She injured her left (takeoff) foot in training in early February, but had plenty of time to recover. The injury also allowed her to spend extra time working on her choreography, which has improved. Now, she'll strive for a top-10 finish in Minneapolis.
"I'm skating well," she said. "I want to do a clean short program and a clean long. If that only places me 12th, I'll still be happy.
"I just want to prove that Canada has (a woman) who can skate well."
CANADIANS QUALIFY: At Minneapolis, Jeffrey Langdon and Emanuel Sandhu breezed through the qualifying session yesterday, finishing fifth and eighth, respectively. American Todd Eldredge was first. Meanwhile, the FBI has been called in to protect French ice dancers Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat after Peizerat received threats before arriving here. The duo was part of the Olympic controversy involving Canadians Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz.
-- with files from CP