Europeans 2005
Free Dance
Tennis highlights run long, and we miss KELLER Daniela - KELLER Fabian SUI 20 56.61.
2 AURELI Alessia - VATURI Andrea ITA 19 63.85
We come in at the slo mos for them and we hear once again that Maurizio is tech specialist… and once more I laugh. They skated to Fame
Marks TE 34.17 PC 33.06 for 67.23 and 131.08 overall. They lead.
3 GALCHENIUK Anna - KRUPEN Oleg BLR 22 37.85
She’s in a red dress with a knee length
train at the back, and he’s all in black, though the top looks to have some
kind of dark velvet pattern over it. Both 17. Skating to West Side Story… start
with twizzles and in the first set he’s coming faster than her but she goes out
first, and then the second, she leaves first as well… dance lift out of that…
and then down the boards and a dance spin… posey steps and he cartwheels her…
more steps in one spot, and they’ve moving now… dance hold around the ice and
Nicky says disaster going into lift… rotation lift at waist level, Nicky says
Oleg looked to be getting his steps wrong, not flowing together over the ice.
Are very close together in the steps that they’re doing now… not sure of
difficulty though... serpentine patter, with twizzles and way off synch... and
when they’re both doing the same thing, of course the director focuses in on
the girl… I am not happy with whoever is doing this to me all week… maria the
music, and spirals in the steps… dance spin… mad amounts of travel. Very easy
Nicky calls it, and can see Oleg looking disjointed… one foot carry lift that
does not look safe and he nearly stumbles when he puts her down…
Marks TE 18.86 PC 22.32 for 41.18 and 79.03 overall. In third.
4 JANOSTAKOVA Diana - PROCHAZKA Jiri CZE 21 55.62
Another red dress, with pink inserts and the side cut out. He’s in black, with wingy thingys on his sleeve, and a high neck and a priest collar. As you do. Notre Dame de Paris is the music… and I love this music. Those wings are huge… and he’s got a red dot under his left arm… slightly left of the heart I would have said… they fell in the golden waltz… lift with him in besti squat and her around his waist, and change position… and then down into dance spin… he cartwheels her up, and then does lift with her upside down and him in besti squat, lots of changes of position… what looks to be a circular step… lots of content in footwork says Nicky… twizzles… second set better than the first, looked like they lost a tiny bit of unison there. Stop in front of the judges and wave arms as music changes… steps in which she goes under his arm, then facing him goes round the corner and lift with him in one foot as she lays back and does the splits (one of marina and Gwendal’s gender-bender lift, but not gender bended) … and another nice lift after that…dance spin with him in sit position and I’m not quite sure what she’s doing but it looks painful… twizzles… first set better than the second… diagonal step is all done very close together, and at end, she’s leaning over and he throws leg over her outstretched arms… steps along the ice now, plenty of kicking and spinning, and lift where she’s on his shoulder and he’s spinning, and they’re done. Chris notes the leap in standard compared to what came before, thought it really captured the music and feeling of NDdP. Not the same speed and flow over the ice of those that are to come says Nicky. But good… she has a cross on her chest, I see now… we see the change position change edge besti squat lift… and the first dance spin where they were both upright… and the handstand lift…
Marks TE 31.63 PC 32.27for 63.90 and119.52 overall. They’re in second which means that they’re going to move up. I believe.
Nicky Slater puts out a personal ad during the warm up… there’s not a seat to be had notes Chris… Nicky talks about the difficulty of twizzling… step wasn’t invented when he was in competition… reminded that he won a medal in these championships… did he? I’d forgotten that!
5 O'CONNER Pamela - O'DOUGHERTY Jonathon GBR 15 70.14
The lads are waving the flag… she’s in a
nice cerise pink dress, he’s in matching shirt and black trousers. Sergei
Ponomarenko is their coach… and oh.my.god. He got bad looking. Really bad
looking. Oh my god! OK, it’s’ actually a red jackety shirt he’s wearing…tonight
by Elton john is the music… love this piece. Steps and spinny more steps to
begin… lift with her in splits at waist level and him in shoot the duck… steps
in dance hold in circular pattern come next and it’s really nicely done… lift
along centre ice with him on one foot going backwards and her lying back at
waist level… steps along diagonal, nice and close together… rotation lift where
she’s draped across his chest, then he lets her fly loose… and stop. Start
again and twizzles are out of synch in both passes and miles apart in the
first. Dance spin… gets better as it goes on, and there’s Elton singing… move
where she goes under his raised leg… looked like she was going to lift him a
second later but didn’t… gliding steps… move like a death spiral except he’s
flinging her all over… second pass of twizzles are a little better but not
much… lift where he’s squatting and she’s standing in front of him… and
rotational lift on the way out… dance spin… facing each other in camels… change
position, and out of that… lift with him
in spiral and other foot and change direction as she’s bracleted herself around
him, holding onto her skate blades… and they’re done, kneeling on the ice. Live
performance by Elton john and
Marks TE 37.34 PC 36.98 and that’s 74.32 for 144.46 overall. In the lead by quite some way.
6 KAUC Alexandra - ZYCH Michal POL 16 69.60
He’s in black pants and white shirt with pale green sash, and she’s in a horrible dress. Top is white, and the pale green skirt has brown almost waistcoat thing over it going up her chest, and it’s quite spectacularly ugly. Did I mention the gold tassels? And the black on the bodice as well??? Steps to begin and he dips her and she looks like she’s going to come a cropper on that… move into dance spin and it’s nice and fast… quality spin Nicky notes… and stop.. as the gypsy music starts up in full force. He swings her under his arms and around… and then up and in a lift he falls and she’s wrapped around his neck, holding onto skate blades…. That was nasty. Moving very quickly into it and they’re right back in now for the step sequence… and into another lift with him in two foot squat and her sitting on his lap… spiral steps… early days, put it out of mind says Nicky… dance spin again… nicely done… holding one another in steps very close together… and lift with him in lunge and her on his lap, both feet of his on ice… twizzles mad out of step on first pass and worse on second… lift with him in besti, her lying and facing him, change position so that he’s wrapped around him again… so fast Nicky says, and they look shaken from that fall… step sequence in serpentine pattern… another lift with her lying in his arms and one leg around his neck, changing into hr in the splits… steps to centre ice and twizzles are rotten… and she’s really smiling but she can’t twizzle to save herself and I’m just wondering did she hurt herself in that fall… steps to the music and they’re done. And he’s kneeling and covering his face with his hands and he can’t get up almost... she goes over to him, and helps him up… we see the fall again... he was motoring, caught and edge, and she got her hand down to brace herself, Chris is now thinking that he came off worse… she’s smiling at him, and he just looks puffed…Nicky thinks the shock was kicking in at the end of it… lost it on the twizzles, last step seq was weak… and the speed of them going into that fall was something to behold… his foot just went over on the side, we see the carry lift with her kneeling on his leg with her other leg stretched out…
Marks TE 32.58 PC 34.98 for 65.56 ded of 2.0 and 135.16 overall and second place.
7 BEIER Christina - BEIER William GER 17 68.34
White outfits, Pocahontas style about sums it up… glittery sky blue sashes abound. And she has the headdress in white. She has her hair in plaits. He has a blue sequinned triangle on his chest. Martin Scotnicky the coach… a red Indian number is the theme says Chris. No! Surely not! Squatting spins and steps to begin, and twizzles… lift with her in front of him then going to him in besti and her in front of him still, another change of position and out….and spirals facing one another into dance spin, change of edge, no change of foot, needs balance and strength Nicky says. Music is more driving now, and they’re motoring around… down the diagonal and the little hydroblade kicks that shae and vic used to do… circular step… close together in parts, not so in others. Rotational lift with her in the splits the right way up… and this is fun Nicky says. Music changes as they slide to a stop, starting off again with twizzles and that was nice, though he might have fallen off in the end of the first pass… second was fine. From there to dance spin, nice and well centred. No matter where you go I will find you says the music… lift where she’s lying back in splits and my legs ache looking at her… speed for lift with him in spread with bent leg and she’s on his shoulders… music speeding again now, lots of waving of the arms… around the corner… diagonal steps, straight line step Nicky calls it… lift where’s she goes into it in a handstand, ends up pretzeled around him and down from that and they’re done. They both look happy with that, and these two are 1.8 behind the brits… Chris mentions that he thought there were more runs between the elements, and Nicky talks about them being more open in the holds, which makes it easier. Lifts good, but transitions were quite simple in their construction, and while straight line step was fast, there wasn’t a lot of content in terms of brackets Choctaws, Mohawks etc. Nicky likes that it was different though. Was good fun, I thought, though I did prefer the Brits.
Marks TE 34.59 PC 35.67 for 70.26 and 138.60 overall. Have gone up a place over the poles. And are second.
8 GOLOVINA Julia - VOIKO Oleg UKR 18 66.18
She’s in black and red and sparkles, he is in same… very latin looking, and not in a nice way. There is a very deep v on his chest, and red shirt effect, with red ruffles on his cuffs and a huge red cummerbund… she’s got one sleeve on, and the neck is quite high…if looking at from the left, it’s quite a marmish dress… lots of sequins and ruffles…. He’s got more grease in his hair than my chip pan downstairs… twizzles going into one another from a circle, which is new… dip her and lift with her lying back and straight up, and him in shoot the duck going forwards…. Wow… steps along the ice… she goes under his legs at speed… dance hold for the circular step, good speed, lots of one foot turns… lift with her at waist level and in the splits on either side of him, and rotating is he. And stop and do some posing… then into dance spin, him in sit and her facing him, then change of foot for him and camel for her… out of that and along the ice… lift with him in besti and her hanging upside down from his waist… around the corner and up into one foot lift with her braceleted around his waist… he did not look secure there. Was really thinking about it…dance spin… Nicky notes they lost flavour of the music in last section… twizzles… quite far apart and very loose and slow looking... serpentine steps… diagonal step… and they’re moving slower across the ice now… dance lift with her facing him at waist level and rotating, and they’re done. Chris loved music and costumes, thought it was skated with a lot of flair, thought there could have been more speed in it. We see the first lift again, and that really was something else… her boots, I note on the slo mos, are filthy. Second dance spin looked to have a little travel and Nicky notes it could have been faster… Gwendal is working on flamenco, and marina is spending ages working on just the fingers movements, this is the level of detail he says you need to be working towards…
Marks 35.02 TE, 35.26 PC, for 70,28 overall and 136.46 overall, second on the free and third overall, so they’ve pulled up over the poles.
Break for ice resurface and Marina and
Gwendal are with
See Irina’s short plus interview… she’s still not skating all the time, and now she just likes it and she works hard and she tries to do her best, and it’s coming and she’s so happy about it. Goal is not a 6th title, goal is to have her best skate. She just wants to skate well, to give to the crowd, to her friends and coach some good emotions. Just wants to feel good out there. And she looked great, I must say, wore trousers. Which is unusual, but which looked well on her.
Maxim Staviski is with Gwendal, says not skating because Albena is very sick, she can’t breathe, and the ISU doctor said not to skate to rest. It was impossible to finish the competition, because for him, if they’re skating, they have to skate well, they can’t skate badly. If we can’t compete, we won’t compete. It’s very hard to look at this competition, he concludes… and not be in it I assume he means. Chris reminds us that she has bronchitis, was coughing like a good ‘un at the start of the week… Nicky notes that when you’re injured, you’re conditioned to do it at all costs, as if you feel like you have to keep going… oooh and there’s Shae Lynn in the crowd! And that? Is quite the ring on her finger.
9 GUDINA Natalia - BELETSKI Alexei ISR 14 70.50
White and black shirt, mostly white, for him, black pants and orange accents… hers is mostly black and white dress, with little back, and they’re doing cats, which rather explains her hairstyle, she has what I call bunches but what Americans call pigtails in… start with straight line step in dance hold… she looks like a cat… good edges notes Nicky… and he has a cat on the back of his shirt. Steps, circular step… all blended in very nicely it must be said… good speed and flow, dance hold throughout circular step, and rotational lift with his arm fully extended and her hanging form it. Dance to the judges to Macavity… twizzles… and oooooh he got close to her on the second set… diagonal steps, and then a lift where he rolls her up onto his shoulder and then down again… nice. And stop as memory begins… and into dance spin, facing another in camels... change position and out…around the corner and lift with him forwards on one foot and she on his shoulders, then she changes herself so that she’s draped along his front… that was knacky… lift with him in forwards shoot the duck and her gliding along standing on him… spirals facing same way in pairs spins, change position… slide back as music changes….twizzles not great unison on first, ok on second though pic glitches on the TV so feel free to correct me… serpentine step… lots of speed, and lift with him again on one foot, and then change of position, and then another lift where she’s wrapped around his neck and he’s turning on two feet… jarring exit Nicky says, but steps on way out and they’re done. Chris enjoyed it but thinks it was ragged and wonders if the brits can move up over them… Nicky thinks not… linichuk and co have taken the rule book apart and they know what they’re doing… Nicky thinks her costume is disjointed… didn’t reflect the overall body shape, didn’t make cat movements he means… footsie cam shows us how they stayed on one foot in steps… Nicky thinks some of the lifts looked ungainly and thinks the isu might want to look at that - “how many times can we be turned upside down and twiddled about?”
Marks TE 36.50, PC 40.11 for 76.61 and 147.11 overall, and they lead on the night and overall.
10 PECHALAT Nathalie - BOURZAT Fabien FRA 13 72.38
She’s in white and trousers, with a little
wispy skirty tail from the top… he’s in brown and tiger stripes on the top…
some more cats. And they start kneeling and they lick their hands… straight
away much more cat like… and lift and spin where she’s all over him and comes
down his back and between his legs… steps… and even his hair looks like cats…
all streaky and two different colours. Circular step is very close together and
fits nicely to the music… using their edges well and nice flow along the ice…
speed into lift where he’s in besti squat leaning in and she’s full extended up
in the air… twizzles… are ok but just ok. Music changes now… steps into the
pairs spin… mungo jerry the music… I think… really picking out the music well
for this… very open section Nicky says… lift with her upside down aligned along
his body… angled towards the judges as he went to one foot…second set of
twizzles are better. And knee slide as the music changes and then into dance
spin… steps as music speeds… and lift with her lying back as he does besti, and
open going into… he ducks in hydroblade, and she leans with him… high to low,
nicely done. Running steps and turns… straight line steps and very simple ones
at that… slide lift with him on two feet and her facing him… and spinning lift
and they’re done. And I enjoyed that far more than the previous one… and I
can’t believe that they had two cats programs back to back… these trousers
might not be trousers for her, but very very thick white tights… *sigh* hard to
tell on the ice… but really good costumes, really worked well… and even his
boot covers had tiger stripes.
Marks TE 34.50 PC 41.44 for 75.94 overall and 148.32 they lead on the night and overall.
11 HOFFMANN Nora - ELEK Attila HUN 11 76.93
Black dress for her with sparkles on it, and the edges of the dress, which go deep on front and back, are trimmed in red. He’s in black pants and shirt is red with high neck, jacket bolero style black with red sparkles, as there are on his trousers…. Once upon a time in mexico... start off with dancing to one another, then running steps and turns… speed a plenty and lift with him in besti and her upside down and she’s spinning really quickly… makes Chris wow… another lift with her around his neck holding onto her skate blade and again really fast rotation… I am impressed. Circular step also done at breakneck speed, lots of turns from both and done quite close together… twizzles… he nearly falls off it, and the second one’s not great either…dance spin where both are really low to the ice, and change position… incorp elements really well Nicky thinks but he also said step sequence wasn’t that difficult… around we go now and lift with her in splits and besti from him and that goes serpentine around the ice… down and another lift that’s got him squatting low and her leaning back in his arms… s/s steps and twizzles… much better the second time around, in particular the second set… lift with him in squat on two feet, her leaning back… dance spin… low to upright… and she spins after he stops and he catches her in his arms….and speed now… and got that wrong, recovered well… straight line step… and they’re going and have been going flat out the whole way… but all done with hands held, and spinning in and out, hat’s hard… and they’re done… and they look absolutely knackered. As I am, just watching them… Chris thinks she’s stronger than he is, and I’m just staring at him and his rosy red cheeks… man he’s puffed! Not much height diff Nicky says, but he thinks they match…skated well together and portrayed music changes well. I enjoyed it, and I didn’t think that I would, having heard this music so damn much this week… three lifts in same place right in front of the judges… rules stipulate that you present to the whole audience… she really sold it…
Marks TE 39.61 PC 43.59 for 83.20 and 160.13 overall and first overall.
12 GREBENKINA Anastasia - AZROJAN Vazgen ARM 12 73.46
OK… her dress is cream with peach accents and very raggedy looking. He’s in brown trousers and his top is also raggedy, with lots of peach and cream bits of material stitched haphazardly onto it. Symphony 25 by Mozart… steps to start and lots of speed down the ice twizzles are fin, and so is second pass… good unison. Lift with him in two foot squat going forwards and her leaning back in splits… another lift with one of her legs on his shoulder and he spins her around and goes down low to besti from him and her still in splits horizontally… dance spin, not a movement form it… not relating to one another says Nicky… which is true. And he says they’re relating to the audience which I don’t get… they might go over the boards, but not through the camera… step sequence is not too hard… and this is hard music to skate to I would have thought....lift with her leaning towards the ice and him on one foot going backwards, and he changes position to besti squat… steps and lift where’s she’s braceleted around him as he squats… lost some of the speed Nicky says, and dance spin… where’s the soul where’s the passion Nicky wants to know…twizzles… and again… good. And I’m asking Nicky the same thing, except I want to know where the caffeine is, I think I might need it… straight line step down centre ice and lift with her in splits as he spins her half the length of the rink… and flail arms a bit and we’re done. Nicely skated says Chris… who was silent, I thought he’d fallen asleep. He thought they were going through the motions…Nicky didn’t think the choreography was interesting, found the outfits distracting and old fashioned and not sophisticated… I think I’ve been watching this channel for too long, I’m sharing a brain with the commentators at this stage. Can the French overtake them? Nicky thinks it depends on the component marks for these two… they showed no relationship, didn’t look at one another… two people skating side by side… but not a pair.
Marks TE 39.16 PC 41.69 for 80.85 and 154.31, second overall and on the night. Their allotted slot. That same old song again.
Warm up for group four, which houses the Kerrs (the boys will be once more singing The Song of National Pride) and the Italian pair (the roof will come off the arena as the audience give a far more rousing, and dare I say it, cacophonous, rendition of same). John Kerr runs into the Russians on the warm up… Nicky says hello to his mammy as he sees her by the boards….
13 KERR Sinead - KERR John GBR 9 81.79
Lilac sparkley halter neck for her, with
gold trim. Skirt to match bare midriff … He’s in black, t-shirt with lilac on
the collar, and sparkles… aren’t they skating to Justin Timberlake? *headdesk*
Not a JT fan am I, but I’m looking forward to this. There’s MammyNicky again…
and the Brits as she sends them out… start miles away from one another… he’s
vamping a lot and goes over to her.. and steps… ooop… not sure what that was,
but the crowd are getting into this… lots of speed… she goes through his legs…
quite open… and leap up to her braceleted upside down and him in squat and
change direction and change of position… nicely done. High to low and on one
foot in first part… dance spin… losing speed… steps… and turns in unison…
twizzles and she loses it one first set and again on the second. That was not
good… looks a little off at times says Nicky… circular step also looking slow…
lift on one foot going forwards, her up in the air… smiling now, they liked
that… lift where he turns her over and was up and then goes down to squat, then
up again and rotates holding her and the twizzles are all over the gaffe
tonight. Second pass of second set was better… steps circular step… again quite
open… and lift and spin and change of
position with flick up and nice speed… dance spin… those trousers are leather
are they? How did I, of all people, miss that? Dance hold to do straight line
step… and she leans forward on his thigh with him in squat and that’s the final
lift and they’re done. Power packed program says Chris… something missing he
adds. Not as good as
Marks… TE 38.03 PC 47.22 for 85.25 and 167.04 overall and they’re in first, their allotted place. Will not drop says Chris. He gives her knee a shake as if to say buck up little camper.
14 FAIELLA Federica - SCALI Massimo ITA 6 90.06
Hot pink and black dress for her, with sparkles around the neck and radiating down to the bodice… he’s in silver sparkles and black, with pink lines on his legs…. As predicted the place erupts…they’d better play the music high! Spirit in the dark the music… dance spin to begin… and very gospel type music… interp well from the get go… and now they’re motoring into the steps, very sharp… and spin with her legs spread wide as he turns her… diagonal steps, lots of energy… staying in hold… twizzles are great going both ways… crowd are clapping… little dip and lunge from her, and lift with him in one foot squat going forwards and her leaning back away from him, holding hr by the arms… natural woman now… into dance spin.. very nice. Really picking the music well… think we’ve lost Chris and Nicky… and lift with him in besti, her lying back on his thigh and him not holding her, change to her around his leg and he didn’t move his position…nice… gliding moves… and she lifts him, her in squat and him leaning back! Think the music now, and pause to change and get breath back… this is really good… turns in unison and does he lose it on the twizzles? Possibly but anyway! Circular step… a little open in places, quite far apart body wise… holds not too bad, and a lift to finish and as he spins her , she’s leaning back so that she can see him and she’s beaming up ant him and it’s really sweet… and they’re done. And at the end, they just take a moment to stare at one another as the place erupts around them, and she taps him on the face as if to say snap out of it… and Chris and Nicky have pulled out a microphone methinks… because there’s not a sound from them but I think there should be… that was great. Really enjoyed it… and they are beaming. Close up of the dance spin… and the lift… really good transitions from them, and they kept going the whole way through… there’s the lift with him in one foot shoot the duck and there’s Nicky back! Mid sentence to boot…
Marks TE 38.91 PC 52.92 for 91.83 and 181.89 and first overall. Bestimianova and Bukin did the choreography? Really? And I liked it? Will wonders never cease?
15 KULIKOVA Svetlana - NOVIKOV Vitali RUS 8 81.82
Black velvet and red, red netty skirt for her that’s a wisp of fabric, and high neck… and you know how they say blondes should not wear black? Someone needs to send this girl the memo, stat. He’s also in black velvet, red accents, high necked collar and, I swear to God, puff sleeves. And there are diamond shaped wingy thingys dropping from his back… mon amour is the music. If mon amour dressed like that, he wouldn’t be mon amour, but that’s me. Lift and lean back to begin… flowing into the lift and the changes of position, and then into dance spin with her in camel him in sit… and then change of foot and position… to him in sit and her in camel… twizzles are fast but the second set are out of synch… steps in front of the judges… reverse into the circular step… keep the hold and very close to one another… and the crowd like this… and stop and dance in spot… and she slides back as he throws left over her, twizzles are not great on either pass of the second set of twizzles… Nicky comments on same… lift with him in back spiral and her leaning back, body against his chest… another lift with her in handstand on his thigh as him in squat, then he straighten up, she stays and he spins… and then lift with him in back shoot the duck and her upside down… .and then a dance spin. Sit to upright. To the boards… straight line step… turns and steps very very slow… looks tense is the word Nicky uses and that’s exactly it! And then speed and lift with her in splits at shoulder level in front of him and he spins…end kneeling face to face, her leaning back, his head on her chest. Loads of drama says Chris, and he says their straight line step looked like it came from two different skaters… looked like nothing we’d seen before. Nicky thinks the flamenco could have been brought out more… Tarasova and Platov did the choreography to this… nice lift that we see in slo mo. He’s over six foot tall we’re told… gives confidence on the lifts, but he doesn’t seem happy in dance holds on straight line steps notes Nicky…
Marks TE 38.89 PC 48.39 for 87.28, and 169.10 overall and are second behind the Italians… and the crowd roar.
16 FRASER Kristin - LUKANIN Igor AZE 10 80.93
Black dress for her, cut-out on the back, and the skirt is raggedy wisps of black…neck is high and red, with red sparkles going down on her chest… and oooh, it’s mostly made up of black net. He’s all in black also, with red on his shirt collar… Zhulin coaching, music a tango selection. They take their time starting off… I think he found something on the ice. Chris says he did. Big earrings she has in. start off with tango steps… and really getting into the music right away… steps and turns and it all looks very sharp.. nice lift, her upside down along his back… his hand higher than head? Also not allowed to have girl lying on back…Nicky wants replay! Circular step is not that hard, and Nicky agrees… off to the boards for the dance spin… which seems kinda slow to me. Nicky also agrees. Steps the length of the ice… twizzles… and loss of unison… and second set are better. Around the corner for lift where he’s leaning back in cantilever and she’s balanced on his legs then change position… nicely done. Steps now and then another lift her all pretzeled up and hanging on his arm, change position and he spins with her like that…twizzles again, not bad. Steps along and lift where he’s in shoot the duck going forwards, her tucked up and leaning back against him… and stop and turn on centre ice as Nicky laments the lack of interaction between them and general tango ness of it all. Diagonal steps look slow… not sure of difficulty, and rotational lift out of that where she’s in the splits, and then dance spin…nice change of position which involved him ducking and her throwing the leg over his head. And they’re done. Good performance says Chris not flawless not capturing imagination of the crowd. And not mine either… started off as a tango, and a good tango, and then became something else and I’m not sure what it was… C&N think that these two could overtake the brits, even if Nicky wants them to relate more to one another, and could do more tango moves… the wrapping leg and kicking off, the eye movements, the hand movements… he wanted more of that. Picks n the step sequences and the lack of difficulty therein, then damns with faint praise by calling it competent skating. So if these are third, then the brits have dropped… I think…
Marks… TE 38.77 PC 46.26 for 85.03 which gives them 165.96 overall and they’re 4th, behind the brits.
17 DOMNINA Oksana - SHABALIN Maxim RUS 7 88.61
Oh my. Pastel white and pink for both, and men should not wear pastel white and pink… her skirt is deeper pink, I see now, was blinded by the sparkles. Fifth element the music. Army hand movements to begin…lots of them and in crouched position... start with steps… and then dance spin and lots of speed… and more arm waving… twizzles… ok, second set better than the first… straight line step is very fast, one straight line… she’s tossing that head around an awful lot… lift with him in two foot crouch and her upside down and tucked up… dippy glide from her… and out of that in to lift with him in besti, her facing him, doing splits… lovely view for the judges, and Nicky says that it’s not that elegant…to put it mildly. Pause in front of the judges, standing straight, twizzles are all over the place… steps… and lift with her upside down, one leg around his neck, and then she grabs her skate while he turns… another stop and dance spin.. and lots of travel on that one. Better once they change position. And stop and she shimmies a little… and then he grabs her and spins her…circular step now… again with the arm waving and I’m not sure how big the circle actually is… steps and lift with him in besti, one of her legs around his neck, and the other around his waist… and down and lift with her upside down in splits as he turns her…and down and stop and go again, cover head and you’re done. Chris loved it. I didn’t. He thought it was powerful. Thinks the Italians could be in trouble. I disagree. Nicky agrees with me, thanks to overall makeup of Italian program. Thinks she’s fantastic. Every movement they do is very sharp and impressive. Maybe it’s a TV thing? Chris loves the fact she uses every inch of her body, head moving all the time…Nicky wonders how to commentate on this, because he’s looking at something and he’s thinking that’s not such a great position to have, attractive lifts etc… oh Nicky, amen! Not that appealing to him he says, and I swear, I know he put out that personal ad, and I’m coming around to his way of thinking… it’s not just you Nicky, don’t think that!!!
Marks TE 38.94 PC 51.36 for 90.30 and 178.91 and they’re second on the free and overall, and the roar that goes up is quite something because the Italians still lead with four couples to go.
Resurface, with the pretty Gwendal and
Interview with Grushina and Goncharov… married in 1995… he says they know what they want – gold. See clips of OD, no secret for everyone that ice dancing the couples keep the medals for a long time he says… Chris says they were right to wait and to keep on going, finally winning bronze at euros last year… after 7 attempts. They are very cool all the time says Gwendal, don’t make fuss, make noise ,are discreet all the time, good with skaters good with coaches, never a word higher than the other, are very quiet. Did it their way in a very smooth way. Elena says he’s a very good husband and friends to her, and working together is easy, it’s healthy for them. FS is life to them and it’s all together. He says some people ask if they’re not tired of being together all the time. He says no, and then pauses and adds, but sometimes yes… and she laughs. Luckily for him I would say!
See clips of the OD again, and all of N&K’s. When we come back, there’s little time left and Nicky’s refusing to tip the bronze medal… wouldn’t be surprised if there isn’t more movement on the marks than we expect… and I can’t dissect the grammar in that!
18 GRUSHINA Elena - GONCHAROV Ruslan UKR 2 102.40
She’s in blue and lilac, and very elegant looking… he’s in dark blue, with lilac accents on the top… four seasons the music… start off with the famous music… and she’s got bell sleeves that accent her arms … dance spin to begin… and nicely done… off we go around the ice… lift where she’s upside down and leaning back and he’s in one foot glide going forward… around the corner as Nicky says how hard that was…turns and spin and knee slide in steps… circular step with lots of ice coverage… really fast and close together and holding one another all the way through… and more steps with her doing little running steps in front of him… lots of speed… lift where he crouches in one foot shoot the duck and carries her…twizzles, perfectly line d up and very fast… and he swings her around the ice… and she dips into him and slides to a stop. Slow part now… and steps and turns… and gliding move where he’s leaning over and she’s against him…rotational lift with her carried at waist level… lift with her on his shoulder, legs in splits and he’s in one foot and it looked like she nearly came a cropper…forward edge to back edge, and lots of changes of position and dance spin after that… and music speeds as they twizzle again and perfectly lined up. Steps t the corner and the diagonal step… lots of energy still, lots of turns from both and they’re giving it everything… lift where he’s’ in splits and he’s going forwards on one foot, come down and rotating with her straight out and we lose the picture and I curse a blue streak but it comes back quickly and they spin and they’re done and oh my god my fingers! Carpal tunnel syndrome here I come! Nicky has never seen them skate better… and I concur. The lifts, their slo mos look like they were skating at normal speed. The outfits work, the dark and the light, and the lifts were so hard… Nicky admires the arch of her back in the first lift (kinda fishhooked over his arms, legs over her head) and then we see the lift where he dropped into a crouch… that was really spectacular and they enjoyed it, what’s more. Sold it really well.
Marks, and there’s Nikolai with them… 41.56 TE, PC 61.34 for 102.90 and 205.30 overall. Leading by a mile for the moment. And there’s Shae. And Zaggy.
19 Denkova and Staviski should have skated here, but withdrew.
20 DELOBEL Isabelle - SCHOENFELDER Olivier FRA 5 97.72
Lots of red and lilac for her, also for him, red in the chest, and black trousers, and his shirt looks like he’s wearing a skirt, so does the tail come down. And ok, he’s more multicoloured…sdtk of frida is the music… is she frida and he the painting? OK… off they go, into dance spin to begin and that’s nice, changes of position… sophistication and quality Nicky comments on… I love her dress I’ve decided…lift with him in squat and her lying body to the ice and almost swimming…. Steps down the ice, and then the straight line steps and her dress is more colourful than first thought... good edges in the steps, and it goes literally end to end… rotational lift is very fast with her in splits… so crisp are they. Turns and steps around and out... twizzles are excellent, and also on the second set… steps to centre, and pause and spin… and off again… lift with her doing handstand and then leaning over so that she’s perpendicular to his body, him in besti all the while… and move where she’s draped against him, holding his thigh… lift where she’s lying away from him… and move where they both lie back on ice facing one another and glide… and then she puts leg through his harms when they straighten up and into dance spin… circular step has loads of speed and content… this I really really like, god help them and have mercy on their medal aspirations… twizzles out of synch and there I go, get it back on second pass, stop just about on the music beat… and off again.. plenty of reaching around … around the corner and lift her hand standing and leaning away from him and look at how that went… wasn’t supporting her, pushing the rules…and they’re done. OK, I’m sorry but I loved it. On skating skills Chris has these in first place, particularly on twizzles where you don’t hear a sound… maybe if I employ reverse psychology… I love it but they don’t have a hope of winning bronze. *nods* Chris and Nicky are raving, which means they’re really screwed, and the French are standing and blowing air horns… Chris and Nicky are giving 8 or 9 on skating skills, and Nicky is saying if they’re not a ten, he doesn’t know what is… and all the slo mos are just wonderful… he doesn’t think they did enough to push up to second… everything flows together, lots of speed and ice coverage… did I mention I adored this? She nearly got that dress caught in the lie back and glide …
Marks TE 44.90, PC 59.48 and that’s 104.38 and 202.10 overall. They’re second overall and she’s thrilled with that!
21 CHAIT Galit - SAKHNOVSKI Sergei ISR 3 98.99
It’s going to be interesting to compare these side by side... he’s in black pants, black top with lots of red accents. She’s in lots of red, a little black and a whole lot of skin. Start with him in spiral, her looking up at him… and he’s pulling her around the place… and lots of speed to begin… lift where he’s in one foot squat going forwards and she’s leaning back… wow says Nicky. Amazing speed… and she gets dragged and spun again… knee turns from her... jump to lift in splits and he turns really really quickly… and down from that… lots of turns in these steps into the circular step… good speed, seamless from one element to another. This orange is very bright, I’m just saying. Dance spin… travelling on it… and slowing down post change of position…run to the judges… and steps on centre ice…twizzles are much as I hate to admit it, pitch perfect, until the end… out of synch Nicky says… I didn’t do it on purpose! Dance spin… lift where she's around his back, then around his front, legs in the air and never staying in one place for long…diagonal step sequence… doesn’t seem to be as fast as the rest of it, and by fast I mean crisp… twizzles facing into one another, and if they’re supposed to be in unison they’re not… speed now, lift with her on his shoulder, leg in front of him… steps and another lift where he’s holding her out and spinning her… and puts her down and they’re done. Klaxons are blowing… gave 110% Chris says… yeah ok… very well skated, but my heart is with the French and I make no apologies for it… Nicky says his style and her style is so dramatic that it didn’t really fit the music…at times it’s a bit frenetic…twizzles slower, linking movement were there but didn’t flow as a hold…Nicky thinks these could go down to fourth. OH! The French are ahead of the Ukrainians in the free! Ok then! That’s why she was so happy. Right though…Nicky thinks these are dropping, I want them to, therefore they are safe for the bronze. Is my prediction. 1.27 in it, which is nothing… technically, nick has the French…
Marks TE 42.55 PC 59.44 total 101.99 and yes!! 200,98! Yes yes yes!! French are bronze!
22 NAVKA Tatiana - KOSTOMAROV Roman RUS 1 107.81
She’s in purple and sparkle, with lots of cut outs on the side… he's in black, with gold rope belt, white collar, and Tosca the music. Still bouncing over the French… ok. Start with her kneeling and he lifts her up and right into the twizzles and he fell off the opening section… not good. Dance spin…. And I thought he didn’t twizzle well in the OD either… steps where she dips… and around the corner… more steps… lift with her kneeling on him and leaning back, him in two foot crouch… he spins her… and up again… so assured says Nicky… steps and lots of speed…lift and spin with her behind him, reversing angle of turn changing positions… and down and around and she leaps on him and he carries her in besti and it looked like he wobbled a little in the lift… dance spin as I ponder if roman’s having a good skate tonight… nice positions in the spin and well centred and controlled. Stops at centre ice and posing steps and moves to get breathe back… and he needs to. He turns her in circular step… and I don’t know, is it just me? Good flow but not that difficult says Nicky as she goes under his legs… close together and holding one another as they do diagonal step… very difficult holds… clever use of edges says Nicky… twizzles and yeah, he lost if on both steps at the end… lift with him in besti and her leaning through his legs, and change of position… and frantic moving as she leaps on his shoulders, spins, she slides down his back and spins, and they’re done, her staring up at him. Good but not flawless and Chris says they didn’t’ get into it… Nicky says reaction was muted. Not coming off their seats for the champions and the keyboard has just broken on my computer with the letter that comes beside b in the alphabet… Nicky thinks the French have the best free skate… the skate had more quality to it… the new system means they don’t have to win the free to be champions…
Marks TE 42.57 PC 64.59 and they get 107.16 and 214.97 to win overall. They defend their title.
So N&K, then Grushina and Goncharov, then the French.
D&S are with Gwendal… they’re thrilled from the sound of her voice! It’s perfect Chris translates, they can’t believe it… silver in free, they did everything…marvellous reception, did a good job, are so happy, it’s a good result. He says he can’t believe it, really hoped for it, couldn’t have asked for anything more. … Murille is delighted too.
Nicky thinks the marking is still a little bit as it was… wishes they would do more with the components area… and this keyboard thing is very much annoying me right now…and tomorrow is going to be a long day with that particular key missing. And it’s a laptop where I dropped something on it in the summer and I know just what it takes to replace the keys!
Tatiana is with Gwendal… she felt very well today, little mistake on twizzles, after that is hard to concentrate, did very well all program. After that it’s hard to concentrate, but the audience liked it and she’s happy.
And now is the podium.
Petra and Gwendal, and he says it’s exactly what we predicted, with the new
rules and judging system anything can happen and that’s what happened tonight.
Something very interesting to see, D&S moving from 5th to 3rd,
which is amazing, even with withdrawal of Bulgarians… very interesting to see
movement. Was it a surprise for you that D&S got second place in free? Was
surprise looking at beginning of comp everyone knew tech was good but from beginning
of the season they didn’t get the pay off for that, so everyone was wondering
was it worth having the technical… that’s all he says, she says thank you and
we go to the slo mos and the podium. And there is some roar when the French
come out to take their bows… and touch wood but I may have managed to fix my c
key enough to get me through the weekend… this is not a good thing. And I
didn’t’ even drop anything this time, I hit the damn key and it came away! They
just don’t make keyboards the way they used to!
Anyhow, enough of my woes… the medals are being given… and Chris reminds us that the Russians actually pulled away on the free…Nicky thinks that worlds are going to be interesting… when you factor in Ben and Tanith, it surely will be… Nicky is in full gush mode about N&K, Chris gives a thought to the Israelis and to Albena… congratulations from the referee to the medallists… and for the third time this week we have the Russian national anthem… what price a fourth rendition of it tomorrow afternoon? Roman does not look like the world’s happiest man up on that podium… ok, now he’s smiling as he sees the flag go up… and that’s it for tonight.