Tomas Verner is a figure skating athlete competing at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics for the Czech Republic.
Career Highlights
2008 European champion, six-time Czech champion (2002-2004, 2006-2008)
2009-10 Music
Short Program: "Zorba the Greek" by Mikis Theodorakis
Free Skate: "The Godfather" by Nino Rota
As the fourth place finisher at the 2009 Worlds, Tomas Verner should be feeling confident heading into the Vancouver Olympics. But that confidence most likely took a hit at the recent Czech Nationals where he was defeated by younger teammate Michal Brezina. He was again defeated by Brezina at Europeans. With the men's field as competitive as it is this year, he may have a hard time making the podium.
A medal was almost his until Tomas Verner doubled two jumps late in his free skate in Los Angeles. He told the press, "I'm too angry to talk right now. I had it in my hands til the end, and I missed the easiest jumps ever. I don't know how to punish myself... I was close to being happy, but I'm not anymore... Fourth place in the World is not bad. But I've already been top four. I want a medal."
On the return of 2006 Olympic Champion Russian Yevgeny Plushenko, Verner says, "I respect him off the ice, but on the ice, don't expect me to back down. It's my time as a skater and I'm not going to give up."
Verner's 2009 goals were to make the Grand Prix Final and then return to the European podium, "where I belong," he says, referring to his sixth-place finish last year. As for the Olympics, he told NBC, "I'm not going to say a placement, but I was fourth at (2009) Worlds, fourth at (2009) Grand Prix Final, and fourth at 2007 Worlds—I don't like fourth anymore."
Verner is known for skating well in the short program and then struggling in the free skate. To combat this, Verner now skates full run-throughs of his short program and free skate every day. In the past, he only ran through his programs with all of the jumps "once in awhile," but now that he does, it's helped with his confidence.
Verner started skating at age five, and until he was 13 he woke up every day at 4:30am to skate. He was also passionate about soccer but chose skating because of the beautiful girls in the sport and the opportunities to travel around the world.
Career Highlights
2008 European champion, six-time Czech champion (2002-2004, 2006-2008)
2009-10 Music
Short Program: "Zorba the Greek" by Mikis Theodorakis
Free Skate: "The Godfather" by Nino Rota
As the fourth place finisher at the 2009 Worlds, Tomas Verner should be feeling confident heading into the Vancouver Olympics. But that confidence most likely took a hit at the recent Czech Nationals where he was defeated by younger teammate Michal Brezina. He was again defeated by Brezina at Europeans. With the men's field as competitive as it is this year, he may have a hard time making the podium.
A medal was almost his until Tomas Verner doubled two jumps late in his free skate in Los Angeles. He told the press, "I'm too angry to talk right now. I had it in my hands til the end, and I missed the easiest jumps ever. I don't know how to punish myself... I was close to being happy, but I'm not anymore... Fourth place in the World is not bad. But I've already been top four. I want a medal."
On the return of 2006 Olympic Champion Russian Yevgeny Plushenko, Verner says, "I respect him off the ice, but on the ice, don't expect me to back down. It's my time as a skater and I'm not going to give up."
Verner's 2009 goals were to make the Grand Prix Final and then return to the European podium, "where I belong," he says, referring to his sixth-place finish last year. As for the Olympics, he told NBC, "I'm not going to say a placement, but I was fourth at (2009) Worlds, fourth at (2009) Grand Prix Final, and fourth at 2007 Worlds—I don't like fourth anymore."
Verner is known for skating well in the short program and then struggling in the free skate. To combat this, Verner now skates full run-throughs of his short program and free skate every day. In the past, he only ran through his programs with all of the jumps "once in awhile," but now that he does, it's helped with his confidence.
Verner started skating at age five, and until he was 13 he woke up every day at 4:30am to skate. He was also passionate about soccer but chose skating because of the beautiful girls in the sport and the opportunities to travel around the world.
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