You know when the world's very best skaters step on to the ice, dazzle us with a sensational array of technical skills, passion-driven artistry, and a nice flat facial expression? Yeah, me neither. The smile is something we all take for granted in top level skaters, but every now and again someone forgets about it, and it really breaks something within the performance. That old adage "you don't miss something until it's gone" comes to mind. Read on if you want to find out why smiling isn't just important for world-class athletes, but for everyone!

Scanning through the endless photo albums available online which are cropping up seemingly exponentially as we advance through the Grand Prix season, there is always one thing that shocks me on the images. What gives with non-gold medal winners, who look like their world just ended?

I thought the subject of podium etiquette merited an albeit short, post, because it has such an impact on on-lookers, whether at club-competition or international-star level.