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Family proud as Kaetlyn Osmond wins Olympic silver

Figure skater Kaetlyn Osmond thrilled family and friends in her southern Newfoundland hometown as Team Canada secured a silver medal in the team skating competition of the Sochi 2014 Olympics Winter Games.

Marystown native, Team Canada win second in first Olympic team figure skating event

Kaetlyn Osmond, second from left, stands with the rest of Team Canada after the flower ceremony in the Iceberg Skating Palace in Sochi. The Canadians earned a silver medal in the competition - Osmond's first Olympic win. (Darron Cummings/The Associated Press)

Figure skater Kaetlyn Osmond thrilled family and friends in her southern Newfoundland hometown as Team Canada Msecured a silver medal in the team skating competition of the Sochi 2014 Olympics Winter Games.

Osmond, 18, skated for Team Canada in the women's free skate portions of the competition.

This was her first time competing at the Olympic level.

Osmond scored 62.54 in her inaugural short program on Saturday. During her long program on Sunday, Osmond scored a 110.73 after a fall in the middle of her program.

Drawing a crowd

Hometown support was strong for Osmond, with family and friends cheering her on in Marystown.

Crowds of people showed up at St. Gabriel's Hall in Marystown over the weekend to watch hometown sweetheart Kaetlyn Osmond skate in her first Olympic competition. (CBC)
Hundreds of people gathered at St. Gabriel's Hall over the weekend to watch her skate.

"My nerves are just about gone. They're rubbed right raw, they are," said her grandfather Clem Lambe.

"We're very excited about it all, and we're very proud of our girl."

Troy Power, Osmond's uncle, had a crowd of people in his home on Mount Pearl to help cheer his niece on during her program on Sunday.

"They were there cheering, and I think they're just as proud as I am to see what Kaetlyn does, and what Canada does, and she's coming home with a silver Olympic medal - it's amazing," he said.

"She's just 18 years old. She was a little girl, and now she's an Olympic medalist. Isn't that amazing?"

Family on edge

Power said the spotlight may be on Osmond, but she's not the only one feeling the pressure.
Troy Power, Kaetlyn Osmond's uncle, says he always feels more nervous than his niece looks while she's skating. (CBC)

"I shake — she's more relaxed than I am," he said.

"Every time she's going to make a jump, I'm almost jumping with her."

Osmond placed fifth in both rounds of the team skate, earning a total of 12 points for the Canadians.

Team Canada finished with 65 points on Sunday, behind the Russians with 75 points. The United States team got the bronze with 60 points.

Osmond will be training at an arena in Germany, before returning to Sochi for her individual figure skating competition on Feb. 19 and 20.