NOTES

Four years after leaving ice dancing for Cornell University, Jamie Silverstein pulled a pair of ice skates out of her trunk.

"I was home over Christmas break and decided I wanted to go skating," Silverstein said in an interview with Skate Today. "I had kept my skates in the trunk of my car for a couple of years.

"But, there was a leak in the trunk and my skates were all covered with mold and rust," Silverstein said. "I managed to get the boots cleaned up and salvaged the blades."

Silverstein skated throughout her winter break. And before returning to Cornell for the spring semester, she decided to trade classrooms for ice rinks.

Skating was fun for me again, she said.

Three months after returning to the ice, Silverstein picked up her phone. On the other end was 2005 Four Continents Championship bronze medalist Ryan O'Meara.

"I was just fooling around with skating again when Ryan called me," Silverstein said.

His partnership with Lydia Manon ended a few weeks earlier. "We split the day after Four Continents," O'Meara said in an interview with Skate Today. "It was a total surprise to me.

But, I went to talk to Igor Shpilband and told him I really wanted to skate this season. We were talking about possible partners and Jamie's name came up so I gave her a call."

Silverstein agreed to try out with O'Meara. "I was pretty nervous," Silverstein said. "But, we tried out for about three weeks and skating was fun again for me."

Silverstein and O'Meara began training in April 2005. The pair trains with Igor Shpilband, Louis Soma, and Marina Zoueva, at the Arctic Edge Ice Arena in Canton, Mich.

Lake Placid Ice Dancing Championships

In August 2005, Silverstein and O'Meara made their competitive debut at the Lake Placid Ice Dancing Championships. The couple finished first in the compulsory dance, second in the original dance, and first in the free dance.

"The whole event was both intense and an absolute blast," Silverstein said.

Skate America

In October 2005, Silverstein and O'Meara made their international debut at Skate America in Atlantic City. The pair finished fifth after placing sixth in the compulsory dance, fourth in the original dance, and fifth in the free dance.

Pacific Coast Sectional Championships

Silverstein and O'Meara won the Pacific Coast Sectional in November 2005. The couple finished first in all three phases of the competition.

The Pacific Coast Sectional Championship qualified Silverstein and O'Meara for 2006 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis.

U.S. Championships

At the U.S. Championships in January, Silverstein and O'Meara placed fourth in the compulsory dance, third in the original dance and second in the free dance.

Silverstein and O'Meara finished the competition in third place. With their bronze medal performances, the team also qualified for the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino, Italy.

"We really, really wanted this,” Silverstein said. "We were kind of afraid to say how much we wanted it.

Four Continents Championship

Two weeks after skating at the U.S. Championships, and earning a spot on the Olympic team, Silverstein and O'Meara competed at the Four Continents Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The pair finished fifth in the compulsory dance, sixth in the original dance, seventh in the free dance and sixth overall.

Olympic Games

Silverstein and O'Meara will march in the Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 10. "I will be the giddy one with a camcorder," Silverstein said.

The couple makes their Olympic debut in the compulsory dance Feb. 17. Silverstein and O'Meara will also skate in the original dance Feb. 19 and the free dance Feb. 20.

Silverstein and O'Meara will stay in the Athlete's Village during the games.

World Championships

Silverstein & O'Meara withdrew March 10 from the World Championships in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, citing personal circumstances.

An Indefinite Break

Silverstein and O'Meara announced May 3 their decision to take time off from competitive figure skating indefinitely.

Silverstein, who returned to competitive skating to partner with O'Meara, will return to Cornell University in the fall.

Silverstein is a junior "catharsis across culture and context."

"I am examining the opportunity for liberation throughout different artistic media, and also, how one can achieve an 'emotional purge' through personal experiences within the arts," she said.

O'Meara, a student at the College for Creative Studies, is joining the staff at the Alltell Ice Den in Scottsdale, Ariz. He will be the ice dance director.

"I'm excited to try something new in my life," O'Meara said. "I worked hard to get to the top in competitive skating, and I want to give back to the skaters in Arizona."

Both Silverstein and O'Meara expressed the possibility of returning to competitive skating in future years.

-- Various information provided by Skate Today