You would think the pressure would be on Victoria Hamm to succeed at the Canada Winter Games.

After all, she is the only figure skater from the territory that will hit the ice to take on the best pre-novice skaters from around the country.

It's quite the opposite, though. She's going to do her best.

Hamm will compete in the pre-novice division SA国际影视传媒� skaters under the age of 16 SA国际影视传媒� and Hamm said she's a bit nervous but also excited.

SA国际影视传媒淚 get nervous before every competition but this is bigger,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚've had a countdown now for a while so I'm looking forward to it.SA国际影视传媒�

When it comes to Hamm being the only figure skater on the team, Brenda Dalton, Hamm's coach, said she was the only one who made the commitment.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was a big commitment to prepare,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淲hen the cycle for the Games began, we put the call out to those skaters who were eligible. Three skaters were at the same level as Victoria and three were above her.SA国际影视传媒�

Two of those skaters backed out and some others didn't make the cut, she added.

SA国际影视传媒淰ictoria was ready to do the summer camps and do competition events during the season,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

Hamm's competition season began back in August with the Wild Rose Invitational in Leduc, Alta., which Dalton said was the first time she had been up against more competitive skaters than what she was used to.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was a good way to see what type of competition is out there,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

Next up was the Alberta-NWT Sectionals in, of all places, Red Deer this past October, where she managed to improve on her score from Leduc. Last weekend, though, was where Hamm had her best competition result of the season so far SA国际影视传媒� a bronze medal in the pre-novice girls event of the Peace Region STARSkate Invitational in Grande Prairie, Alta.

Hamm said hitting the podium was a boost for the confidence.

SA国际影视传媒淭here wasn't as many people as past events but I was hoping to win a medal,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was a smaller pool there but she bettered her last result and she's peaking at the right time,SA国际影视传媒� added Dalton. SA国际影视传媒淪he still thinks she isn't up there but she does belong with those other skaters.SA国际影视传媒�

At the Games, Hamm will start with the short program, where skaters must perform a series of required elements. They can perform them at any time during the routine but they must all be done in order to receive credit for them. That's followed by the free skate, where the skaters can do whatever element they wish. The scores from both parts are added together for a skater's final score.

Hamm has no pie-in-the-sky aspirations about hitting the podium in Red Deer but rather to improve on Grande Prairie.

SA国际影视传媒淚 mostly want a personal best and not to fall,SA国际影视传媒� she said with a chuckle.

Dalton agreed with Hamm's synopsis.

SA国际影视传媒淪he wants to go out and better her scores,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淪ome of the other skaters in the competition are doing triples (jumps) and she's not there yet. A personal best would be awesome.SA国际影视传媒�

Figure skating is happening in week two of the Games, meaning Hamm will have some extra time to fine-tune her routines before leaving for Red Deer.

Dalton said that fine-tuning will include working on spins and choreography.