Newcastle figure skater Kailani Craine plans to soak up every moment of her second Winter Olympics when she hits the ice in Beijing on Tuesday night.
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The 23-year-old will skate in the women's short program for a place in the top-24 free skate final, which will be held early Friday morning.
The Hunter Ice Skating Stadium product was a finalist and placed 17th overall on Olympics debut in PyeongChang, South Korea four years ago.
"It feels like yesterday but it also feels like a lifetime ago," Craine told the Newcastle Herald before flying to Beijing this month.
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"It feels different this time. I've already had the experiences of the first one to know how I can lap it up even better.
"Even though I am going to better my results from the last Games, I don't feel any pressure now. It's more about enjoying the experience and doing the best that you can do and just putting on a great performance."
Getting to another Olympics has been "an absolute journey", full of ups and downs.
It has included more than 12 months without competition due to the coronavirus pandemic, and a four-month period in 2020 where she could not skate at all. But Craine believes that has only served to make her stronger.
"This time around, missing a full season and bit with the pandemic, that was not something that is very easy to come back from," she said.
"Being a little bit older this time around, things don't happen as easy. You don't get your fitness back as easy as what you do when you're a teenager.
"That was a challenge but it's actually worked out in my favour. It makes me compete better now. When I was younger, the littlest thing could throw me off if I was uncomfortable. But nothing really fazes me any more."
Craine is scheduled to compete at 9.47pm AEDT on Tuesday and hopes to continue the strong performances which have earned her passage to a second Olympics.
"This whole season, I've been going for a triple-triple combination in the short program," she said. "It's a triple loop and, even under all of the pressure this season, I've been able to throw it out at every event.
Renee Valentine
Renee Valentine is a sports journalist with more than 20 years of experience in Newcastle. She is passionate about increasing the visibility of sportswomen in the media. Got a sports story, email Renee at r.valentine@newcastleherald.com.au
Renee Valentine is a sports journalist with more than 20 years of experience in Newcastle. She is passionate about increasing the visibility of sportswomen in the media. Got a sports story, email Renee at r.valentine@newcastleherald.com.au
