Quiet Valentine's day for McCorkell and van der Perren

From Sportsbeat staff, in Vancouver

 GREAT Britain's Jenna McCorkell has forgiven husband Kevin van der Perren for not making a big deal of Valentine's Day - for one year only.

QUIET NIGHT: Jenna McCorkell, pictured finalising preparations in Vancouver, will not be letting her hair down on Valentine's Day with husband Kevin van de Perren (Getty Images)

Seven-time British figure skating champion McCorkell and Belgian skater de Perren are staying at opposite sides of the Olympic village.

But will try to sneak out for a quiet dinner, although the Northern Irish skater, who is making her Olympic debut, shouldn't expect candles.

"With my previous girlfriends, we always agreed that Valentine's was a money-making scam," said der Perren.

"But with Jenna I have definitely had to change my views on that! 

"However, we won't make much of a deal big of it this year because I start my competition in two days' time.

"We will probably go out to dinner but there's not much that Jenna will eat - no fish, no salad, no veal.

"Right now it looks like Chinese food is our best bet. It won't be much of a surprise. We'll probably end up at a kebab shop!"

The Belgian champion is sharing his living quarters with the couples' joint coach and choreographer Yuri Bureiko.

"It kind of, can you say, 'sucks,' or is that really rude?" he added. 

"We're not even in the same building at the Olympic Village, it's very strange for us but the Olympics has got to be the focus for the next two weeks."

AS IT HAPPENS: Day three from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver