Rochette to skip the World Championships...

[transplant99]

Cant blame her a bit....likely everything has come crashing down all at once.

Still a real testament to courage in the face of adversity though...way to go Joannie.

But she said Monday that the emotional events of the last few weeks have caused her to miss too much training time.

"That means I'm not prepared either emotionally or physically to skate well at these championships and challenge for the podium," Rochette said in a statement. "Whenever I compete I want to give my best to the fans and to respect my competitive nature of the sport.

"I just would not be able to do that for either the fans or myself next week."

[transplant99]

And now the ISU is threatening to sanction her should she skip the World's and skate an exhibition in tribute to her mother.

Wow...that is just cold.

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/van...urn=oly,227991

[valo403]

I always wonder if these organizations like the ISU have a functioning PR department. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to see that the position they have taken is going to be bashed by the majority of the mainstream media and much of the public. With the way Rochette's story caught on with the general population the ISU should be going out of their way to build on it and bring positive attention to the sport, instead they come off as the same heads in the sand people who were behind the decades of corruption that plagued the sport.

[mykalberta]

She should fake an injury. It works for athletes in joke events like all star games etc.

[kirant]

Originally Posted by transplant99

And now the ISU is threatening to sanction her should she skip the World's and skate an exhibition in tribute to her mother.

Wow...that is just cold.

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/van...urn=oly,227991

Update: According to Rochette's agent, David Baden, the skater is free to perform in the benefit show and is not facing any sanctions from the International Skating Union