Olympic Athlete Profile (2 of 25)_ Tugba Karademir-Figure Skater from Turkey

Many folks might be surprised that Turkey, a country with relatively few ice-skating rinks, has a competitive Figure Skater named Tugba Karademir (pictured) who placed 21st in the 2006 Winter Olympics.

I have a special interest in Turkish athletes because I am a Turkish-American. No Turkish athlete has ever medaled at the winter games though quite a few, including legendary weightlifter Naim Suleymanoglu (who first won gold at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul) have won Olympic medals in the summer games.

Karademir, who is also one of five Turkish Winter Olympic athletes, is competing again in Vancouver. The skater who will turn 25 on March 17 actually resides in Canada and is attending college at York University in Toronto where she is studying biotechnology. Karademir is also Turkey's first ever international ice skater.

According to Turkish Canadian blogger Sertac Sehlikoglu Karakas, Karademir began ice skating at the age of five in 1990 at the first ice rink which had just opened in Turkey.

But, international skating for Karademir started shortly thereafter when she was eight and she skated at a competition in Holland.

Karademir went on to win a gold medal at the Balkan Games when she was 10, but due to the fact that Turkey lacked training facilities for a skater of her caliber, her family decided to move to Canada where she was coached by Robert Tebby.

There were some trials along the way as Karademir got injured, but she began skating again in 2000. She placed fifth on the Canadian junior team, but she ultimately decided to represent Turkey.

Her major breakthrough performance came during the European Championships in 2006 where she placed 13th. As a result, the Turkish Olympic committee decided to make her carry the flag in Italy for the 2006 Winter Olympics.

In a 2002 interview with goldenskate.com, the then teenage Karademir said that she loved reading, rollerblading and spending time on Turkish beaches, presumably the likes of resorts like Bodrum and Kushadasi.

She also said that performing in front of an audience was a genuine, fulfilling experience:

"I love doing shows. Presentation and the crowds are probably my favorite part of skating."

On her Twitter page, Karademir said the opening ceremonies in Vancouver 'were a blast.'

SIDEBAR: There were many medal events today in Vancouver, but we are going to focus our attention on a very exciting men's mogul skiing competition. Alexandre Bilodeau (pictured here) was able to pull off a moderate upset by beating previous champ Dale Begg-Smith of Australia, who actually grew up in Vancouver before moving to the land down under.

Bilodeau became the first Canadian to win a gold medal on Canadian soil even though the 1988 Winter Olympics were held in Calgary. Begg-Smith got the silver, and American Bryon Wilson of Butte, Mont., who like Bilodeau was not favored to medal according to "Sports Illustrated," got the bronze.

Bilodeau told the AP that the victory was a personal triumph for him and for Canada:

"I don't think I really realize it. It's too good to be true."