Joannie Rochette kept mother's word who died in heart attack.

Joannie Rochette,champion,figure skating,ice skating,carries mom's word in the winter skating championship.

"I always encouraged her to have confidence in herself, to believe in her dreams."

Joanie Rochette's mother's words drifted with powerful warmth through the chill of the Pacific Coliseum on Tuesday night, connecting hands, filling eyes, lifting her child.

"The hurdles she faces encourage her to reach over them, Joannie has always been naturally determined and persevering."

,Here,on Sunday morning, Therese Rochette, the author of those words, went passed suddenly of a heart attack.

On Tuesday night, with impossible strength followed by uncontrollable tears, daughter Joannie Rochette skated to their soundtrack.

In an Olympic short program that few imagined possible, bearing a burden that few can understand, Canadian star Rochette honored her late mother less than 72 hours after her death with the performance of a lifetime.

Thus ,Rochette,boarded on the ice as per her word., and nailing her program on the summit. When she received her marks, she blew kisses to the roaring, adoring crowd and touched her heart.

"It was very nice to have the warm welcome," Rochette said in a statement. "It was hard to handle, but I appreciate the support."

Answering questions about her emotions, she said simply, "Words cannot describe" them. She did not speak directly to reporters, but gave her comments to a figure skating official.

Rochette, 24, landed a triple Lutz-double toe combination, a trip flip and double Axel, and skated with grace and elegance. Before taking the ice, she stood at the boards saying, 'okay' and nodding her head as she received last-minute encouragement. Her mother, Therese, suffered a heart attack the night she arrived from Montreal for these Games. She was 55. Rochette learned of her mother's death from her father at 6 a.m. Sunday and never considered not skating here.

Rochette considered her mother an important part of her skating training. She asked her mother to visit her training at least once a week to push her.

"My mom, who was always close to me, took more distance from my skating for the last couple of years,'' Rochette wrote in 2008. "I was missing her input and support as well as her approach to getting more and more solid with my elements.

"She has always been the most critical person about my skating, pushing me harder to improve.

"Even if it requires quite a big deal of humility at 22 to admit you need more of your mother, I expressed it and she drives from home to St-Leonard once a week to come to supervise with her unique eyes my training.''