"The spot I always looked to was the Canadian flag up near the finish line," [Jessica Zelinka] said Saturday night, having just set a national record of 6,490 points to finish an excellent sixth in her first Olympic Games.

"I thought, 'OK, I'm not alone, a whole country is supporting me.' Just to be in a huge stadium like that, just to feel that contentment within yourself and on the track -- this is why I love doing this, this is why it's a beautiful sport.

"The whole year, the last four years, I've had my mind set on August 2008. That's when I was going to be at my best and healthy. Nothing that happened before mattered."