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Knowing it was my day Posted: Tuesday December 25, 2001 1:59 PM
Canadian aerialist Deidra Dionne may become one of the top young athletes of the 2002 Olympic Games. The 19-year-old was named 1999-2000 World Cup female rookie of the year and won a bronze medal at the World Championships in January. Check out Dionne's diary on CNNSI.com as she trains for Salt Lake. December 20, 2001 A week ago I did my first ever full double full. For all of those that are asking if that is some sort of Tim Horton's coffee, it is actually a triple twisting double flip. The same jump I worked on all summer in preparation for the Olympics. Similar to gymnastics and diving, the higher degree of difficulty an athlete chooses to compete, the higher they will score. During the past two years I have been at a disadvantage right out of the starting gate because the two tricks I competed were not as difficult as many of the other girls on tour. Completing this jump places me in a better position to be a legitimate threat and brings me one big step towards my goal in Salt Lake City. Doing the jump had been in the back of my mind since we started on snow in November, but I wanted to ensure I didn't rush myself. Technically, I had to be ready. My second camp was the most productive to date. Right from the start I was jumping the best I ever had. I was landing much better, my take-off was under control and my form was coming around. I had a meeting with my coaches in which we decided we would wait for the perfect day, a day in which the landing was soft, I was jumping well and the wind was calm. If any of you have ever been to Fortress, the wind isn't often very calm. I'll take you back a week... I woke up in the morning knowing it was my day. The night before I spent some time visualizing myself doing the jump well. I could really feel it -- I knew that I was ready. I went out to the hill with the mindset I was going to do it. I let my coaches know I felt ready. The most difficult was taking it one jump at a time. I had to do the necessary jumps to warm up and bring myself into a position where I would be ready. My coach wanted to make sure my more simple jumps were done well, and I wouldn't move on until he decided I was ready. After doing some single-twisting double flips and double-twisting double flips, we decided it was time. It wasn't the perfect day, but it was close. The snow was really soft and the wind was a medium crosswind (winds coming from behind and toward an aerialist are our worst nightmare because they change the speed in which we bring into the jump). Technically I was ready, mentally I felt really good. I wasn't overly nervous and wasn't afraid. I felt right about it and I was comfortable with the idea. I stood at the top of the inrun waiting while my coaches ensured everything was perfect. I spent a few minutes gathering my thoughts and visualizing myself doing the jump well. I could see it so vividly in my mind that I knew it was going to go well. As soon as my coach gave me the signal that it was clear, I took a big breath, counted to three and turned my skis. I was filled with confidence as I approached the jump. My mind was focused on what I was going to accomplish. I flew into the air and immediately remember the technical aspects I had worked on all summer. I saw the ground in-between my flips, wrapped my arms in to perform the double twist throughout the second flip and landed squarely on my feet. It was the most amazing feeling in the world. I can't describe the adrenaline rush I receive after an experience like that. It was the first time I have done a new jump on snow in two years, and as you can imagine it was a feeling of relief. Relief that it was over, relief that it went well and relief that I was on track. Now all that was left was getting back up and doing another one! I competed this past weekend for the first time this winter. It was a Nor-Am (North American) event, which was attended by the World Cup teams from the U.S., Australia, Japan, Sweden and the Ukraine. It was a great way to practice competition in a setting that was realistic but without all the stresses and importance of a real World Cup. Friday and Sunday were competition days, I decided to compete in both to work out all the competition bugs before the season commences. Friday morning I woke up to windy, blizzard like conditions. But like any other competition, it still went on. My plan was to compete with my new jump and try to gain as much experience as possible before February. Because of the weather conditions, I decided to take it one jump at a time. I ended up being able to do it in training and decided to go for it in competition. What did I have to lose? My first jump was a double-twisting double flip. I executed it well in the air and landed squarely on my feet. I scored well and was in second after the first jump. Because of the wind, the competition took much longer than normal, and I found myself with more than an hour between my first and second jump. I spent the time relaxing my mind and enjoying the thrill of competing once again. I approached my second jump with the attitude of doing the best I could. I didn't have any expectations, I was just happy to be competing my new jump so early in the year. I ended up being a kilometer fast coming into the jump and didn't take-off the jump as well as I could. I did the trick as nicely as I could but touched my back against the snow on landing. I took home the silver medal, but more importantly I gained confidence in myself and my ability to execute a full double full in less than perfect weather conditions. Sunday was much of the same, only windier with much more snow fall. The competition was shortened to a one-jump contest, and I decided to compete with a full-full (a double twisting double flip). I did a very nice job in the air but landed in a deep squat and lost points because of it. I ended up in fourth place, behind jumpers from the Australia, Ukraine and USA respectively. All in all, I was happy with my weekend. I competed well, although I know I still have the ability to do much better. I am feeling good about my jumping and am anxiously awaiting the start of our World Cup tour. I am approaching the season with a new-found confidence, confidence that will help me to maintain my high quality of training. I am now at home enjoying Christmas with my family, as it will be the only time I will see them before the Games in February. I wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season. Until next time, -- Deidra
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