MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Roman Sadovsky needs little time to recall the moment when Olympic dreams first began forming in his head and his heart.
The 22-year-old’s memory quickly flashes back to 2006 and the Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, when he witnessed a fellow Canadian figure skater land on the podium. Sadovsky was only 6 years old at the time, just beginning to find his way in the sport, but that Olympic moment provided him with plenty of inspiration.
“They were the first Olympics I remember. That’s when Jeff (Buttle) was third. That stood out to me the most because he was Canadian. I also remember Evgeni Plushenko winning that year,” said Sadovsky.
“I was just getting into skating back then, and it was a big boost to me to want to continue skating. When I was 5, I just wanted to play hockey, to be honest. But watching those Olympic Games … that was a real emotional boost for my skating.”
Fast forward, more than 15 years later to a rink in Oberstdorf, Germany, where Sadovsky himself was in the global spotlight for the first time in his career. As the man designated by Skate Canada to qualify a second spot at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China, he was under intense scrutiny.
Pressure? Without a doubt. And though it was a responsibility he willingly embraced, Sadovsky began to feel it as the first notes of his short program music (“Breathe For Me,” by Unsecret, featuring Lonas) began to play.
“It was definitely different than a typical competition, especially a typical Challenger Series event,” said Sadovsky. “Usually, it is just a competition to get ready for the Grand Prix Series,
