FIGURE SKATING: From training on her own in the middle of the night, to double masking and not eating in public, Kailani Craine has put everything on the line to make sure she could represent Australia in Beijing.
The 23-year-old decided she wouldn’t leave anything to chance in her bid to compete at her second Olympic Games, amidst the constant threat of the pandemic.
“It’s been a tough lead-in, and it’s been quite isolating in many ways, but now that I’m here I know the effort has all been worth it,” Kailani said.
The Newcastle skater has been training alone in late-night sessions at her local rink, and has avoided social outings and interactions beyond her skating bubble.
“It’s definitely been a sacrifice and at times I’ve been quite lonely, but everyone has been affected by the pandemic and I’m just so grateful I get this opportunity.”
Her campaign starts on Tuesday with the women’s short program – a technical routine which requires skaters to execute a set number of elements with little room for error.
“I always find the short program more challenging because there is that pressure of hitting your elements and making sure you don’t lose points on silly mistakes.”
“But I’m proud of how I’ve been running that program in my practices, so now it’s really a matter of going out there and doing it like I have been.”
Her routine includes a difficult triple-triple jump combination, something she opted out of during her debut at PyeongChang 2018.
“If I can land that solid combination it will be a real milestone because it will show how far I’ve come and how much I’ve progressed from the last Olympics.
“It’s much more consistent now and my mindset has changed, and I know I’m going to go for it no matter what.”
Known for her artistic interpretation, Kailani also hopes to bring her trademark sparkle to the ice.
“It is a technical program but I still want the audience and judges to enjoy it, so I’m hoping I’ll be able to really get into the choreography too.”
She won’t be alone out on the ice. As well as her coach and support team cheering her on, there’ll be another familiar face taking prime position rink-side.
“I’m definitely going to have BK (the boxing kangaroo) with me on the barrier, because he’s become my little good luck charm.
“I’ve been bringing him to practices with me and he’s definitely become an extra member of my team.”
Katherine Firkin
