All the expectations about who is going to be on the podium … how are you feeling about your chances and what the competition is going to be like?
This is a very cliché answer, but I don’t have any control over that at all. If I think about those things sometimes it makes my job like muddy. Those things are out of my control, so the best clear vision I cab gave for myself is to do the best that I can do. I have a lot of training time before the individual event, so I know that I can really fine tune some things. I get to be on the competition ice for so long. So I am using all those opportunities to just be the most prepared I can be. And then – it is the Olympics – I want to skate really well and enjoy myself and whatever happens, happens.
On her age and one of the gold medal contenders being 10 years younger:
It is funny because it was something I never spoke about. It was all of a sudden at nationals there were these facts being thrown around that I was the oldest ain I don’t know how long. I was like ‘oh great!’ That title was given to me and I’ll gladly take it. It is not something I have ever thought about. I don’t feel much different than when I was 17 or 18 other than I have more experience.
I have more experience competing and dealing with excitement. At this point it is really just like a job. I have all my tools and I get to pull them out when I need them, and I get to enjoy my skating and have all these amazing experiences.
On the women doing quads:
I think it is amazing. If they can do them they should do them and they can and they are doing them. It is like this new wave of skating that we are seeing and that is not to say that that the quality and doing the lesser jumps and doing them well is not also to be rewarded. But it is so exciting to be part of this new generation.
On her teammates and the Athletes Village
We are all at USA House so we are not too far from each other. It is so fun, we are able to hang out and we are all really good friends and to share this experience together is really, really cool. I did get to walk through with Nathan and Michal Březina. We are all close because we train together. It is cool because there are moments when we are like ‘wow! This is the Olympics.’ The rings are everywhere, the flags … and when you are walking through it together it is really cool.
Do they have robots serving you food?
No, but Adam showed me. I know at the hotel they do. That is super cool.
On being in the bubble:
I feel very safe. They have done a really great job, even in the dining hall. They do such a great job. You kind of have your own space that you eat in. You wash your hands and put gloves on when you enter and it feels very safe and secure. I cant say enough about China has put this on. It has made me and the people I have been talking to feel very safe.
The Olympics is amazing by the way. This is like my third day and I am living my best life.
RELATED CONTENT:
2022 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES
OLYMPIC NEWS BRIEFS FROM BEIJING
NATHAN CHEN EXCITED FOR BEIJING OLYMPICS
