Christina Gao (see right), the 2009-2010 Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medalist and 2009 U.S. Junior bronze medalist, is gearing up for the new season. Her first international competition is the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Graz, Austria, which begins this week. The 16-year-old phenom trains in Toronto at the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club and her coach is none other than two-time Olympic silver medalist Brian Orser. In case you've been hiding in a cave the past few weeks, Orser recently parted ways with Olympic champion Yu-Na Kim who also trained at the same facility. I caught up with Christina before she left for Graz and asked her first, if the media attention on the breakup had affected her training. [UPDATE: Christina won the silver in Graz -- Congrats!!! Click here for complete results.]
Hopefully your skating club is back to "normal" after the Yu-Na and Brian separation. Did the media attention affect your training and what was your relationship with Yu-Na?
CG: My training was not affected. Yu-Na was great to skate with. I got to witness her training leading up to the Olympics and it was just amazing to see her win gold. She was and still is one of my idols in figure skating and it was a great experience to get to train alongside a world and Olympic gold medalist. (photo 
at right, Christina and Yu-Na)
Last season you caught everyone's attention by placing fifth as a senior lady at the US Nationals in Spokane, Washington. In January 2011 you will again compete at Nationals as a senior. In what ways do you feel you are a different skater from last season?
CG: I feel I am a different skater from last season in many ways. In this past off season, I've worked really hard on my presentation, skating skills and maturity on the ice. I know that I still have a long way to go with my presentation, but this season, I think that I look more like a senior lady than I did last season. Also, I loved my music and programs last season, but this season, I feel like my programs and music really fit me as a person -- they are not too mature for me but not too young for me either. I love my programs this year so much and I hope that when I do them in competition, the audience can feel that I love my programs also.
David Wilson choreographed both your programs this season. Can you tell us a little about your short and long programs, what they are, how you chose the music, the stories they tell, etc.
CG: We started with my long program first. My long program music is Yellow River Concerto. I love my long program because I love the music and of course the choreography! It was so great working with David and so much fun as well! I actually skated to Yellow River Concerto when I was in Novice a few years back, the music was cut different, but I really loved this music. It fits my personality because there are a few cute parts in it and mature parts also. I love the way the program is put together. My short program music is Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor. I love this music because it's has a little bit of a "dark" feel to it, and David said that I was a dark angel in this program. I really just love both of my programs this season because I love the music and also how the choreography fits the music!!
What are your favorite memories from watching the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics?
CG: Wow, there are a lot of memories from watching the 2010 Olympics. Watching Yu-Na Kim and Evan Lysacek win Olympic gold was great. Seeing someone that you trained with every day go out and achieve their dream is a really great feeling.
You've stated that your goal is definitely the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. What do you think you need to do to make it there?
CG: There are many things that I need to do; however, I think that right now, I need to focus on improving each aspect of my skating one thing at a time. If I think about too many things at once, then it can get overwhelming and then I end up not improving anything at all!
Who were your skating idols growing up and who do you admire present day?
CG: My skating idol growing up was probably Michelle Kwan. I admire a lot of skaters present day because I think that a lot of the top ladies skaters have traits in them I can learn from. Michelle Kwan's ability to capture the hearts of everyone in the audience, Yu-Na's presentation on the ice, Mao Asada's jumping ability, and Sasha Cohen's flexibility and beautiful line are all things that I admire in present day skaters.
After your skating days are over, do you have other career goals?
CG: When I was younger, I always said that I wanted to be a doctor, but now when I think about it, I'm really not sure of what I want to do when my skating days are over. I sometimes think about it, but can never decide what I really want to do. I definitely want to go to college and after that sometimes I think I want to stay involved in skating, other times I don't, so I really don't know.
What's a typical day like for you, from the moment that you wake up?
CG: I get up in the morning and skate, then I have a little break and then skate again. After skating, I go home to do homework until the evening, and that's pretty much a normal day for me. I skate on Saturdays but have Sundays off -- that's when I like to hang out with friends.
For fun and relaxation, any good movies to recommend?
CG: The last movie I saw was Despicable Me... in 3D! :) It was a cute movie, and pretty funny too. I also love reading -- I'm currently reading the book The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. I haven't gotten that far into the book, but I hope to read more on the plane ride to Austria!
From all your travels that skating has provided, which has been your favorite city and why?
CG: I enjoy going to all these new cities, it's so cool! My favorite so far has been Tokyo for the Junior Grand Prix Final last year. I loved everything about that trip! I skated great programs and Tokyo was a really cool city. Everything was pretty modern and I like that kind of thing.
