Olympics 2006
Pairs’ Short
Missing the start of the competition due to a minor skirmish between me and my dad and Olympics vs the Man United match… hopefully the BBC highlights will fill in the blanks on the good performances… coming in on the ice resurface, I miss the first two groups, but a tape will go on for the BBC program… I’m hoping that even though they’re showing it live, they’ll go back and show some of the better performances – the Americans for example! If not, I’m off to Himself’s house on Wednesday, he of the broadband connection, so will be downloading videos if the worst comes to the worst!
Simon and Chris in the commentary box.
Warm-Up Group No. 1
1 AGANINA Marina / KNYAZEV Artem UZB
2 VOLOSOZHAR Tatiana / MOROZOV Stanislav UKR
3 SPASSOVA Rumiana / TODOROV Stanimir BUL
4
INOUE Rena / BALDWIN John
Warm-Up Group No. 2
5 PANG Qing / TONG Jian CHN
Black trouser suits for both, with sparkly rectangles of pink, and lines radiating out from the centre for her… she’s got a fabulous smile I note…variations on a theme by paganini… steps and kicks to begin… and the jumps to begin, s/s triple toes, and did her toe touch down? Not sure but well done for that… and throw 3lop is perfect and I love her extension on the landing…pull spiral into the death spiral nice position and change of hand holds from him… flying camel spin to sit change of edge change foot camel spin and going out of synch as Barry Davis loves how the spins change with the music… lift nice speed and position… steps, to the split double twist and the hang time on that was lovely and his hands were down by his sides…step sequence… and into the pairs spins… good changes of edge and position… and well centred. And they’re done with a huge smile from each of them. Barry (we’re on Beeb taped highlights here now) is in raptures…
Marks TE 34.09 PCS 29.10 for 63.19.
6 SHEN Xue / ZHAO Hongbo CHN
7 PHYO Yong Myong / JONG Yong Hyok PRK
8 PLA Marylin / BONHEUR Yannick FRA
Warm-Up Group No. 3
9 BELOGLAZOVA Julia / BEKH Andrei UKR
Mostly sky blue for her with a patch of darker blue on the left hand side and on the skirt, sleeve on the left, none on the right, and he’s in matching top with black accents on the sides, with navy/black trousers. She’s 18, he’s 22, tenth in Euros… he puts an arm around her on the way out, and smiles down, that’s kinda sweet… she looks nervy. Greetings to Morricone is the music… steps to begin, and down to the split double is fine… s/s triple sals and he steps out of his… he puts foot down too… not sure of her… setting up the throw triple loop… and that’s very well done! Star lift with rotational exit… spirals with change of edge… s/s camel to sit change foot sit and first set were way off line… got it back at the end but she came out before him, and Chris says no changes of edge on the spins…. Straight line step… ok… he pulls her with him in spread into the death spiral where she is nice and low… and into the pairs camel spin then change of position and much travel… better after the change of foot… and done. She looks happy with that, and so is he… Chris doesn’t think the program was put together for the new system… needed COE on combo spin… she had to work hard on the ending of that throw 3loop… Chris says it’s one of the best performances he’s seen from them, Simon says their PB is 42.06…
Marks TE 25.62 PCS 18.23 for 43.85 new PB and seventh place of nine so far.
10
HINZMANN Marcy / PARCHEM Aaron
She’s pretty in pale pink (ok, more lilac, but I couldn’t resist) and he’s in wine blouse with sparkles on the cuffs and black pants. Start off with her in near biellman leaning on him, sdtk to The Mission… good flow and speed to start but lovey please point the foot in that spiral… split double with her hand above her head, and no speed going into it and no prep either… throw 3loop with likewise no prep… nice. s/s triple toes and he goes down hard, Simon said triple sal? He went down hard on his side and now he’s doing s/s steps and it looked to take him a second or two to get his timing back… spinny bit in steps… and into the s/s camel with change edge to half sit to full sit and out of time and up… and out… and not great timing there… pairs spins with nice change of edge and lovely layback from her… move with spin and her in Y spiral and out of that… steps around, and lift lovely position from her… he looked very secure…. And into the death spiral which is nice and fast and low and lovely position from her, it must be said. And they are done. And that was lovely. Such a shame about his fall… think he said sorry to her at the end… Simon now corrects himself and says triple toe… Chris says it had everything, loved the choice of music… think that’s their families the camera finds there… four points off for the fall… slo mo, see the split again and oh that was great. Love her expression non landing the throw… he made the rotation, just landed too fat back though Chris says he could have had it… was loose on the left hand side. *bows down to Chris on the technik* He’s still smiling though…
Marks TE 26.75 PCS 23.83 for 49.58 and fifth, would have been fourth but for the fall.
11 ZHANG Dan / ZHANG Hao CHN
He’s in a dark suitlike jumpsuit with olive sleeves and a gold shirt collar… she has a dress to match it, with many many sparkles on it…. And lots of gold leaf… Simon calls them the best pair in the world. Kashmir is the music as I continue to mutter “Whuh?” over that one… start off stalking one another, then skate face to face… star lift to begin with changes of position, really speed and changes of position… lop throw is fine and triple and she really held position on way out… death spiral with him doing the lifting leg and sliding her under on way into it… s/s triple sals are fine… great timing and synch… s/s camel with change of edge to sit spin to Y spin and change foot sit spin to Y spin… steps, circular I think… and this is very good and all but I hate the music… steps and the split which is huge! Into the pairs spin… with travel… and a Natalia spin with mad travel that it looks like it takes her a while to get into? And then they’re done and the roar of the crowd is something to behold. Simon thinks it might have slowed at the end… not sure about that but it wouldn’t surprise me… he mentions that they’ve worked on the second mark… certainly, it’s better than it was, and I think I’d have enjoyed it more had I not found the music horrible, but Chris is praising the music so what do I know? Chris has them in the lead… we see the lift on slo mo and good lord they motored through that… Simon prefers P&T, Chris agreed they are nicer to lift… throw had jump entry, i.e. where he lifts her up and she does a split, he sets her down and she does the throw… no prep in any of the elements Chris notes… and they look thrilled.
Marks TE 35.21 PCS 29.51 for the lead!
64.72.
12 RENNIK Diana / SAKS Aleksei EST
Basic black with bright orange sunbursts on the side for these two… and I’d hate to have to follow that up! They take their time, and who can blame them? Music is Explosive… start kneeling on the ice facing one another… and he helps her do a cartwheel… steps into the s/s flips, double, and no matching timing on them… down the ice and the throw sal triple is high, and her foot touches down… star lift where she goes upside down in splits and I wince as he changes direction because it did not look safe and Chris notes he almost lost balance… he does kick through into the death spiral… mini lift with her in the splits and spin her… and steps to the double twist with not much height or split and a heavy landing… s/s flying camels… to sit spin and bad timing, change of edge and change foot sit spin and they’re getting more out and further apart… s/s steps down the midline and it’s all looking very messy and I think she might have lost her footwork in the middle there? In for the pairs spin… and they’re done. Slo mos confirm that the throw had the touchdown of the foot, he looked tired near the end, Chris mentions heat in the arena… we see the change of direction in the lift, and I’m still scared…Chris mentions the lack of the height difference for these two… we see the spins again, lost the timing during the back sit, move to forward inside and completely out of synch… can’t get timing back but he tried, bless him!
Marks TE 22.57 PCS 17.15 for tenth… 39.72.
Zhangs with Gwendal… he says it all seems simple of them, “Is it coming from the work?” Through a translator, she says they have training every day, and they are very strict on themselves… G asks do you expect to be Olympic champion today… she says at this time, the champion is not the most important, most important is that we do another perfect program in the long.
Warm-Up Group No. 4
13 FITZE Eva-Maria / REX Rico GER
She’s in bright pink and black bikini top, bare midriff, pink belt and black pants. He’s in black trousers and t-shirt with pink on the right hand side. She goes out with a beaming smile after slapping hands with the coach… start off holding hands, look at one another… drummy music… safri duo… and the s/s triple toe and he pops his to I think a single… oh dear. Chris says double… split double is great… and the throw triple sal with a lean and she did well with that one. Steps, and the lift, goes to one hand and change of position before he puts her down… she grabs leg in Y spiral, then turns and goes into the death spiral, nice position and right into the pairs spins… loss of speed in those… and then the flying camel spins s/s to sit spin… change foot sit and upright and badly out of synch near the end there… steps where she looks to loose her balance near the start… gets better towards the end… and stop. Muted applause from the crowd… very muted, I have to say. We see replay again, as Chris wonders did she even know he doubled out? Simon mentions their coaching dilemma, and Monica Scheibe, I knew it was Knut Schubert who sent them out… this their last competition together… you can see her left arm taped…
Marks TE 23.74 PCS 20.12 ouch! 43.86 and ninth place. Ouch again.
14 PETROVA Maria / TIKHONOV Alexei RUS
Blue dress for her with flamey effect on the top, pink underskirt, and he’s in deep V necked blue blouse with sparkles and matching trousers… I remember loving this at Euros, and find myself hoping that they’ll reproduce it… and then I remember my luck with Olympic predictions and bite my tongue! Simon confirms they are a couple “on and off the ice” for those of us who like to know such things *raises hand* and they take their time… starts with him standing behind her… lots of speed to begin… s/s triple toes and he had to fight his, not timed well together… split double twist with hands above the head and lovely exit to that… throw loop triple, very nice… right on the music…come out of that holding him with spiral…flying camel spins to sit spin with change edge to change foot sit spin to upright with leg in front of them spin… and then into the pairs spins… nice changes of position and hold… and lift with pendulum entry and change of position and throw up and rotation exit… steps now… and the crowd are liking this… good synch on the steps… he kicks up leg, she goes under… crowd are clapping… and shoot the duck under his leg into a death spiral… and done right on the music. And I loved that. Chris mentions minus one on, I think, his jump (was flicking the channel to check if the Beeb had the highlights on yet, have to run into other room to put on tape!) and listen to the crowd… his triple toe had lean and he had to work hard to keep foot and/or hand off but he didn’t put anything down… Chris has them at first or second, Simon third… I would have them in first over the Zhangs but that’s on a purely no-technik emotional thing… Chris mentions they were faster on the spins than any Chinese…
Marks TE 33.71 PCS 30.56 second. 64.27. And there be boos.
15 ZAGORSKA Dorota / SIUDEK Mariusz POL
She’s in lovely white dress, he’s in white shirt, pink tie, black waistcoat and trousers. There are chants of “Polska” from the audience… la vie en rose, Louis Armstrong… she gazes adoringly up at him… awww! He dances with her and spins her… and the jumps begin, s/s triple toes... and they get it…with decent timing!!!! I’m stunned! Throw sal with triple and lean on that … spin into him and he dips her back… s/s camel spins to sit spin to Y spin change foot sit spin with change of edge… and she’s out before he is… timing on and off throughout.. split double is huge, and he does spread on way in and both do on way out… and pairs spin…. Kinda slow and he looks to hop in the middle at the start and definitely does on a later change. Ack. Mack the Knife now as they dance along the diagonal… crowd are clapping… and he looks tired…Chris wanted more difficulty in footwork… lift with upside down cartwheel entry, love it… holds her foot on his as they go into death spiral and change of hands from him on that… and they’re done, kissing on the centre ice. Spins let them down says Chris… he put extra rotation in one s/s spin, step sequence needed more work… he knocks his head as he comes off the ice, she’s had a cold the last few days… he dropped right shoulder down the landing of the triple toe…
Marks TE 29.79 PCS 26.31 for sixth and 56.10 …eight marks back though.
Fitze and Rex with Hendrik… H says last time we met, you had tears in your eyes talking about how it was last comp, how does it feel now. R says we wanted to do our best, feel we did. She says she thinks short was really good, enjoyed it, had fun.
16 DUBE Jessica / DAVISON Bryce CAN
She’s in red backless bathing suit dress with silver sparkles on the chest, he’s all in black, shirt and trousers and sparkly buttons… stars with her skating around him as he stands all stalwart like… s/s 3sals are good… and the lift nice and fast, good changes of position and drop dismount… they fly, don’t they? Pairs spin… good and centred… nice positions… and out of that… split is very nice, well landed, and he dips her out of it and slides back with her… steps in which he does spread eagle… throw loop with a lean and she made it and how she held it I don’t know…Chris says it leaned left first then right… timing is all over the place on the pairs spins s/s but they get it back… steps … to the boards… straight line step… not sure of difficulty… and the death spiral where he spins her all about the place before she drops down and they’re done. Big hugs from both of them… she had to work hard on the sal… we see the throw again, she looked to be late getting her feet in the right position, and then the oscillation was crazy… was done as the music was building so it done really well…
Marks TE 31.06 PCS 24.42 for 55.48, seventh place and a new PB.
G with Petrova and Tikhonov… he asks is knee getting better, T says that she’s practiced triple toe twice since Euros, not enough for this elements, but she was a hero to him today because she skated from the heart and the soul and wanted to do her best for the audience, and for her and for him… and this? Is the sound of my heart, melting.
Warm-Up Group No. 5
17 MARCOUX Valerie / BUNTIN Craig CAN
Nice fetching red dress for her, he’s in white shirt, red tie and black trousers, with a white waistcoat. Oooh he’s pretty. Big Spender the music. Sleeveless dress, with sparkly chocker… s/s triple toes and her hand goes down… lift where she doesn’t look great in the air, and then change of position on the dismount… flying camel spins… to sit spin with change edge and change food to camel with change edge and upright with change of edge and great synch there. Shallow thought… that white waistcoat is appalling…twist is great throw 3loop from nowhere, skid on landing, did hydroblade move into it, her leaning back draped all over him as he’s low to the ice… pairs spins… good position and centring… straight line step is very good… and nice entry into the death spiral and a great position on it… and stop, with her pulling the red handkerchief out of his pocket… nice. Chris didn’t think it was possible to do a pairs routine to that but it did work… Simon talks about financial problems… shame about the hand down… we see the lift again… looks better n the slo mo, cartwheel dismount… Choctaws down middle of ice into a great split twist… oooooh she was leaning on that throw, went way down in the knee but she got it… and we see it twice on the slo mos just so we can appreciate how fine it is!
Marks TE 29.88 PCS 25.74 for seventh and 55.62.
18 OBERTAS Julia / SLAVNOV Sergei RUS
Pale lilac for these two, his is a blouse and pant combo. Her dress has deep V at the back, and sparkles on the middle and the sides… shrieking female vocal… possibly someone who’s seen his outfit? s/s triple toes and he went before she did… very obviously so. throw triple flip was lovely, and not much prep in it… lift, with change of position and one handed dismount has her smiling… split double twist is huge, lots of hang time… steps and more steps… circular step methinks? Or perhaps not looking at the pattern… death spiral… nice speed from her. s/s flying camels to sit spin to upright and change upright…change foot sit with change edge into upright and yikes they go out of synch badly… into the pairs spin… and she sits on his knee and they’re done. Simon thinks they faded away a little at the end… a real shame he calls it. Chris breaks out the “there was a lot to admire, wasn’t there” which basically tells you all you need to know… says Sergei looked like he felt tight in the spin at the end… he doubled his toe. Chris is saying she barely made rotation but I’m convinced he doubled his. Anyone??? Chris points out that tariff for throw 3flip is same as throw 3loop… I still want to see those s/s toes again now, just caught it on the last slo mo.
Marks TE 32.78 PCS 27.47, sixth with 60.25.
19 TOTMIANINA Tatiana / MARININ Maxim RUS
Navy-black trousers and sky blue shirt with wingy thingys on the chest and shoulders…she’s in matching pantsuit with cut outs and no left sleeve. Also, quite little back. She had gall bladder problem? This runs in my family, I say youch. Start with shoot the duck into the death spiral… such a lovely position from her. And the throw 3loop is lovely… steps facing one another, and then around the corner and along the ice for the s/s triple toes, perfect. Steps along the ice in opposition to one another, and then the split double twist that’s fab… lift, with spin dismount, bit of bounce on landing, steps now, think a circular pattern, but could be wrong. Flying camels to sit spin change edge and upright… and change foot sit spin upright and out… and into the pairs spins… and they stay on one spot… and don’t lose speed… and they’re done, right on the music. And that was magic. Spellbinding Simon calls it. And no great fan of these in particular am I, but that was gorgeous. Though I hesitate to call it, not after the last time. Simon calls it one of the best short programs we’ve ever seen, says they will lead, Chris says no question. We see close up shots of his blades during the lifts…
Marks (PB 70.12) TE 35.93 PCS 32.71 for the lead and 68.64, almost four points clear of the Zhangs.
20 SAVCHENKO Aliona / SZOLKOWY Robin GER
Black pantsuit for her… and she’s FakeBaked to within an inch of her life. Seriously. Normally, we’re talking TangoOrange. Tonight? She is a fetching shade of mahogany. Somewhere, Diana Ross is singing “Do You Know Where You’re’ Going To?” She’s got white piping on her side; he’s got it around his neck and a Superman sign, minus the S, on his chest. Somewhere, Remy Zero are singing “Save Me” because Robin has heard Diana’s in the building and is terrified… I jest, you know I love these two… we see a shot of Ingo as he sends them out… oooh her pantsuit is backless. And the midriff is black net. Jean Michel Jarre Souvenir is the music…. Lots of speed. Besti in to the s/s triple toe and perfect from both. Mini lift with him in spread and her up on his back,…she goes through his legs, then split double twist… me like. Steps where she shows a terrific spiral… and then the throw and hand down with triple sal… bugger! Lift change of position and I thin direction from him? Flying camel spins to sit spin change edge to upright shotgun spin change foot sit spin to upright and badly out once they got to last upright… steps in opposition to one another… Chris loves the construction of it… they come together as he spins and dances with her… and into the death spiral… nice position from her, nice and low… and pairs spins… in two directions? Need to check that. And done, right on the music. Ingo sporting the most hideous jumper known to man (navy blue with lime green stripe and snowflakes) … slo mos… great transitions into each element… throw was huge with a lean and both hands went down, she did well to stay on her feet says Chris, as he and Simon discuss the Ingo factor…
Marks TE 31.78 PCS 29.18 for 60.96 and seventh place, behind Baldwin and Inoue.
So, the line-up is: Totmianina, Zhang, Petrova, Pang, Shen, Inoue, Savchenko, Obertas, Zagorska Marcoux Dube Voloshozahar, Hinzemann… and then I lost it.
T&M with Gwendal… she says what you saw is a good sign, we work very hard to give emotion to audience, and we did it so that’s a good sign. G says they’re 4pts ahead; will you go on the same way, or live better? M says he doesn’t think the Olympics are a comp where you have to do better than you usually do, they’ll just do the normal practice tomorrow, day after do the same routine and he hopes everything will be fine.