Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette will skate in the Olympics just days after the death of her mother. will likely be one of the bigger stories of the final days of the Olympics. Rochette's mother died Sunday of a heart attack, yet Rochette plans to skate in the women's figure skating competition.

And when she does, Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! writes, she'll have an entire nation cheering her on.

Writes Wetzel:

"The death of a parent sends even the strongest into a temporary shell of mourning. Rochette is going to try to step alone into a global spotlight and perform a technically challenging program where a single bobble will send her crashing down.

"It’s an event that requires intense focus and concentration. It’s nerve-shattering under the best of circumstances. These are the worst."

While Rochette has been thrust - for all the worst reasons - into the spotlight, the New York Times breaks down the who's who of the other Olympic contenders, including American Mirai Nagasu.

And for those who haven't paid attention, no, the darling of the 2006 Games - Sasha Cohen - isn't skating in Vancouver.

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