She's the current Pairs Figure Skating World Champion and is a strong bet for the gold medal at the Winter Olympics here in Salt Lake City.

But when Jamie Sal? wants to get away from all the pressure put on her by the Canadian media and figure skating fans, she heads for the quiet of her father's home - in Bermuda.

"I have been to Bermuda twice and I really love it. I feel I can really get away from it all," said Sal? who, along with partner David Pelletier, holds down second place following Saturday night's short programme.

"I am so happy that my dad's there because it is great to go on holiday to Bermuda and see him. I will definitely be coming back to Bermuda even though the two times I was there the weather wasn't so great. But it is just a beautiful place."

Jamie's father, Gene Sal?, is getting married to Bermudian Edie Marshall some time in May or June this year and they both made the trip to Salt Lake City to watch Jamie perform before sold out crowds at the Delta Center.

After completing her short programme on Saturday night, Jamie was worried that Gene and Edie hadn't managed to get into their seats in time for the performance.

"Did my dad get in?" she asked afterwards. "When the event started there was hardly anyone here. They were all stuck outside (going through security). I hope they made it."

And she also didn't see the bright pink six foot by three foot sign Gene and Edie brought with them to the rink which read 'Bermuda Loves Jamie And David'.

Added Jamie: "No offence but I am glad we have something around the rink which can help shut everything out. We don't see that much and don't hear that much except for some Canadians clapping."

As it turns out, Gene and Edie did make it past security with their pink sign. "We got in line an hour early," said Gene yesterday morning. "There must have been 5,000 people behind us and I know a lot of them didn't get in. I don't know if anyone saw the sign. We were four rows from the top - in the nose bleed section!"

Of her daughter and partner David's performance, he said: "They are in second place which is actually where they like to be and they are not far behind the first place pair (the Russian team of Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze).

"Jamie likes to be in second place because there is not the expectations and pressure of being in first place after the short programme. And their long programme (set for tonight) is very good.

"They will perform to the theme from Love Story. The first time they did it was at the Grand Prix and they got a 10 minute standing ovation."

Of the Love Story theme, Jamie added: "We feel very comfortable with this programme. Love Story is like an old sweater - you can't get rid of it."

Gene Sal?, who works for Elite Electric in Bermuda, said his daughter loved to visit the Island.

"She has been twice for about eight days each time. Unfortunately both times it has not been very good weather. She basically comes down to hide! The first time was two years ago during Christmas when we had that bad weather and the second time was last May when it rained the whole time. But she still likes it.

"When she came down once we (Elite Electric) were doing work at the Bank of Bermuda and I took her down to introduce her to all the guys. They got a real kick out of it - they all asked for her autograph."

The Sal?s are from Alberta and Gene said Jamie had been skating "nearly all her life". Of her pairs partner, David, he said: "He is also her partner off the ice."

Jamie is 24 years-old and is five foot one inch. She and David set the world alight when in 2001 they won the World Championships in Vancouver, Canada. That same year they also won the Grand Prix final in Tokyo, Japan and finished the Grand Prix standings last year in first place.

At those World Championships in Vancouver they overcame China's Xue Shen and Hongbo (currently third in these Winter Olympics) and two-time world champions, Russia's Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze (currently in first place) to win Canada's first World Pairs title in eight years.

They are coached by Jan Ullmark who also is a fan of Bermuda. He said on Saturday night after the competition: "I have been down there a few times. I love it. I go scuba diving in Somerset. I can see why Jamie likes to go down there."