Polina Edmunds is doing her homework - literally
SOCHI, Russia – If you're wondering why you haven't heard much from Polina Edmunds at this Winter Olympics, it's because she's been busy – busy doing her homework.
With all the focus on the United States women's figure skating team centering on Gracie Gold and Ashley Wagner, Edmunds has been quietly jamming an hour of schoolwork each day into her activities while preparing for the ladies' individual event that starts Wednesday.
The high school sophomore from San Jose, Calif., can't afford to fall behind with her studies. She has even enlisted the help of the 22-year-old Wagner to help with a Spanish project that has an Olympic twist.
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"My Spanish teacher wants me to interview an Olympian that speaks Spanish here so Ashley has been helping me find someone that I can interview that will speak it to me," Edmunds said. "I am probably going to interview Javier Fernandez."
The Spaniard is one of the most accomplished men's figure skaters in the world and finished fourth in the individual program at the Iceberg Skating Palace, narrowly missing out on the podium by just over a point.
"I just have to ask him five questions in general – things like what does he like to eat here," Edmunds explained. "I haven't officially met him but Ashley says he is really nice."
Figure skating, especially in the ladies' field, is so competitive that the athletes regularly have to make enormous sacrifices to have a chance of reaching the top. However, Edmunds' parents Nina and John remain determined to give Polina as normal of an educational experience as possible and have kept her enrolled at San Jose's Archbishop Mitty High School.
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"It has been really important to her family, this home time, to keep her in school and not do home schooling," said David Glynn, Edmunds' coach. "That was a really big priority for them and they have committed to sticking with that, no matter how far she goes in competitive skating.
"She is used to it. She is used to having homework to do and studies to do while she is at competition. It is full-time."
Edmunds finalized her pre-Games training in Munich, then in Graz, Austria. Even now, when she is surrounded by all the excitement the Olympics have to offer, she will hit the books during her rare moments of downtime.
"I have some other homework and I am trying to get it done but there is a lot to do here," Edmunds said. "I've got math, English, Spanish and science mostly."
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Said Glynn: "She is just a very typical American teenager."
Edmunds will skate 12th out of 30 athletes in the ladies short program on Wednesday night. Gold and Wagner are considered the best U.S. chances for a medal, but if Edmunds can stay error free in a routine of high difficulty, she may have an outside chance of making the podium.
Glynn knows hype counts for nothing when it comes time to perform. He is perfectly happy with Edmunds having a significantly lower profile than her teammates.
"We are OK with flying under the radar here," Glynn said. "It is her first experience; she is so excited to be here. She is a professional. She is really grounded and down to earth."
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