Once again, I am up and dressed and looking at this, hoping to get something reviewed before I head down for breakfast....this is going to be a mostly video review job this afternoon though I think - it's a slightly later start, and it is, after all, the free.

Viktoria Shklover and Valdis Mintals EST

The two of these are all in black. And shiny black. On which they will slide like crazy carpet should the worst happen. The Matrix sdtk.... he's got a gold belt on, did I mention.....throw 2ax with scratchy landing....nice elevation though... split trriple twist slight bump on landing.... throw triple sal with turn out of it... s/s toes...she doubles her....his was 3.... lift that goes to one hand with swingy dismount....slide s/s along the ice... they don't seem to be very fast but that could be me... spirals... and he needs to extend more...around we go.... star lift...with her legs striaght together,,,and another swingy over and around dismount.... s/s 3toe double again from her, into s/s 2toe....around again... music gathers in intensity... press lift from back entry, nicely done.... f/i death spiral....arch your back girl... pairs spins with travel to start, including natalia death spin before the change....and stop...into s/s flying camels....which were well in synch... him in d/s position her in besti squat which just looks wrong. and icky. and eeew. And that's them. Andshe smiles at the end ,but Simon tells us that she looked terrified and she really did... she was great in the air on the sal and she just hesitated a little too much....I note that her right knee is wrapped... Chris talks about the lack of breathing points in the program and the lack of light and shade...

marks 4.3-4.5...could've been worse quoth Simon... 4.0-4.3.

and it's time for breakfast.

back from school with a currant bun and cup of tea and with -

Marina Aganina and Artem Knyazev UZB
Hes in white shirt and grey fading to black trousers, she's all in white...nutcracker....s/s2ax to toes double....which she singled on the axel, and then she did another single while he did another double axel.... around we go for the throw double sal....split double twist which is very messy....spirals...one with her in spiral him in ina bauer....lift where she's lying on her back legs spread...tell me that's not undignified....throw 2ax and down she goes and bad fall that was.....seemed to over rotate it chris says....s/s sit change sits...lost timing on the change and badly so....lift ....very slow across the ice on that.....footwork not great....f/i death spiral....music lulls....then builds again..as they do something that is meant to be a step sequence.....into s/s double yoes which hse falls off of...b/o death spiral....around and into pairs spin in camel position....change of position, then change foot to camel spins wehre they face each other.....star lift......and they crawl out of it.....she kneels on the ice to finish....is his hair supposed to be that grey? I'm just saying....I also can't help but note that he's wearing more eye make up than she is...come to think of it he's wearing more eye makeup than KISS.....heavy work coming out of star lift...

marks ... 3.4-4.1...3.3-4.3

Maria Krasiltseva and Artem Znachkov ARM
Sh'es in a lttle grey dress. he's in kinda like what Anton Sikh wore last year, with grey pinstripes on the tux...Cabaret....little bit of posey dancing to begin... she singles the axel, he doubles his , and both do s/s 2toes.... her right wrist is taped.... splti 3twist.... throw 3sal and dwon she goes.... she doesn't seem to have the belief most of hte time.... star lift...to her straight up in the air being held by the waist... throw double loop... around for s/s toes which she doubles... slow part of the music.... spiral... including one where she goes the length of hte rink with leg to the side and holding the blade.... around for the lift....slow in footwork is he... into f/i death spiral... nice position... press lift back....slow and position not the greatest ever.....stop on center for music cahnge////s/s flying camels...lost timing in the middle there...steps around which are lacking attack.... little runny steps.... into pairs spins.... and he kneels and she skates around him a couple of times before lying back across his knee...and that whole last minute with the steps, they were trying to sell the program, and Iwasn't buying it at all... there was no conviction, no oomph in it at all...thye were just going through the motions it seemed to me, and they were holding back on that.

marks 3.9-4.2... 3.7-4.4...row of twos.

Jelena Sirokhvatova and Jurijs Salmanovs LAT
All black for these two... hers is not a bad dress actually, very simple, sleeveless number...his shirt is a bit blousey, but not disastrously so...Gladiator is the music....s/s toes which she dobules as does he....axels, her a single...his was just about a double....split 2twist... throw 3sal leaning all the way.... but she held it....star lift...and slide to stop.... into lift...from steps....nicely done... throw 2ax, df.... him in spread eagle, her lying back holding on to his foot... music begins to speed a little... he does double axel before her she does single, adn double toes from both... flying sits... and big loss of timing there... press lift which looks like hard work getting up there... f/i death spiral... into steps, with bestis...into pairs camel spins....and more pairs spins... straight line steps, with crossing over paths to begin which makes it look interesting... into pairs spins... change foot pairs spins....and they're done....Simon talks once more about the lack of attack in the program...Chris questions the conditioning...throw triple sal I Don't know how she landed it, she was leaning in the air and her arms were all over the place..

marks .... 3.7-4.5....3.8-4.5...czech has them 4th which is odd...but they are in third overall.

Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Markuntsov JPN
He's in a red soldier boy thing, gold epaulette on left shoulder and all, she's in wine and pink...his is more wine than red, I sit correct...Carmen is the music.... good unison to start in the steps....s/s sals which hse puts a turn on...into s/s triple toes which are clean and into double toes... you can see Moskvina all over this....f/i d/s... split triple twist where she lands on him....needed more height... throw 3 sal where she just kept hand off, double axel to follow couldn't see what he did...steps out of that... lift....goes to one arm very quickly - most impressive... throw 3loop...late getting leg around but it didn't matter.... steps... star lift.. goes to lift where shes lying on her stomach and flip out...really nice...spiral steps...good innovations, one where hes leanign all the way back...b/i d/s... into pairs spins... again, nice innovation.... into s/s flyinf camels..slow but they get the unsion back ...into catch foot camels.. straight lines steps... crowd get clapping....lift with somersault entry adn she slides down his front and leans over and holds that on the way out...and they're done. And that was excellent...real innovation there and wouldn't you know that Tamara Moskvina had her stamp on that... they're leading at the moment... 15th in Vancouver... didn't go to SLC, he's got no Japanese nationality...this their second season at this level.. chris says that there wasn't much entry into the throw triple sal... and thre wasn't...and we see the dismount from the lift at the end again...and I just loved that...

marks 4.7-5.0... simon sings the aria of stars of the future... 4.6-5.1...row of ones.

Marianna Kautz and Norman Jeschke GER
He's in white shirt black trouseres shes in black with flowers on bodice...la vita e bella....split triple twist with heavy unsteady landing.... around they go... into triple toes.....which she lands on two feet and badly so... short on rotation also.... throw triple loop also on two feet and how she stayed on her feet I don't konw but It was huge....lift...very confident... spirals.... from her anyawy... into 2ax whic hseh singles....and into the toe loops...she was off axis on the toes...into pairs spin... throw triple toe.... and welll done says simon....b/i deaht spiral which she almost slips out of at the end...music changes now... and pose on the ice.. pres lift turns to hip lift...bit of dancing on the ice... steps in a serpentine pattern....lift where she's lying back...and nicely down out of that... spirals...and he's got a nice one...into s/s flyinf camels... nice timing....into f/i d/s ... and they're done. And neither one looks too happy... for Simon it wasn't as good as the Japanese and I cna';t disagree with him...it was very nice and you can see the style that they have, you can see how good they can be...it's just a shame about the elements! throw triple toe was the best element...

marks 4.5-4.7...4.5-4.9..second across the board

Viktoria Borzenkova and Andrei Chuvilyaev RUS
She's in black top and yellow skirt, and he's in black all black...he's 6ft 5 and a half, or two metres dead...tallest ever international skater I'm told... lots of speed...onto threow triple loop and s/s triple toes striahgt after it.... good start... split triple twist...no a double, I'm wrong! ...s/s triple sals and she goes down and he singles it and then he does the double toe after that...she doesnt.... into s/s flying spins..camels with illusion and great synch in those... braething part of program chris call this and into throw triple sal...and she made it look easy....lift...inpressive, with one arm on dismount.... s/s inside spread eagles... sprials....where thye both hold leg out to the side..lifty sequence....one where his arms are out and up and she's draped in front of him across his shoulders...lift where shes upside down in splits and he swings her all over the place on the exit....steps in to the f/i d/s... and lift andturn... press lift where she ends up in the splits holding her leg.... wow says Simon, ouch says I....straight line steps... stop at boards... into pairs spins.... and they're done. Simon liked it and so did I...it just seemed a bit disjointed to me...the fall took a lot out of them, but they got it back well...and Simon is raving over her flexibility in the lift... I am slightly agog too...Chris notes that they don't have that traditional russian style... he didn't even single the sal...he just went up and down again... simon would have them in second which I think is about right...

marks 4,4-5.1... bit up and down.. 4.5-5.1...3rd...1 first, 3 second the rest third. OK then.

Tatiana Chuvaeva and Dmitri Palamarchuk UKR
And hello to the royal blue sparkles! He's got Vs on his top in gold, and navy pants...her dress is blue with cut outs at the waist... split triple twist... s/s triple toes...and she turns out of hers.... around to s/s double axels which he starts before her, and she had to put a turn onto hers....lift....nicely done... throw triple sal and down she goes... into who wants to live forever... b/o d/s...go down...go down...ok don't then... around the ice we go...lift where she's on his hip and lying at an angle to him... throw double loop and she puts the foot down..simon calls it a triple.... into pairs spins....bit of travel in that one... star lift... and around they go... into s/s double axels wit h hops into double toes....steps ... and around into s/s flying camels... steps... down to centre...and f/i death spiral... into pairs spins of a camel sort....and that's the end of that. she was short on rotation in the triple toe.... chris tells us that a little more grind in her skate (ie a deeper hollow in the groove) might help her.... or a blade not tapered towards the end here....that is double dutch to me but someone might get it....

marks ... 4,3-4.6... 4.3-4.6...a row of fours.

Dan Zhang and Hao Zhang CHN
In the rusty brown top for him and dark brown trousers....rusty brown dress for her with lattice effect down the middle...she's 16 hes 17....11th in Olympics 10th in short... dtart with death spiral, f/i....split quad twist..lateral.. .and that was huge!! I'm agog!...and into the s/s triple toes...nailed them too... throw 3sal.... steps as chris tells us theres time for another turn in teh sal.... step soem more....lift with flip out... s/s triple sals where she puts her hand down... and into s/s flyinf camels and they lose the timing badly but get it on sit and lose it on exit... throw triple loop...not a hint of a doubt... steps in spirasl., including little lifty thing... and another lift...his hand on her hip, but not from normal star lift entry... b/o death spiral... into piars spins.. into s/s single axels....into s/s double toes... into star lift with nice changes of positions...and they're done. It did tail off at the end says Simon, but gee whiz the beginning....that quad twist I'm amazed by! didn't quite make it chris says and she did kind of land on his shoulder but oh me oh my it's as close as you can get... chris picks on the balance of the program...all the hard stuff at the start...

marks 5.0-5.3...4.7-5.2...a row of ones.

Katerina Berankova and Otto Dlabola CZE
Pale blue dress for her, with no back and very little front, he's in navy blue with pale blue cuffs and collar...in 9th place... steps to pose to start... lovely style these two have..s/s 2ax...not a problem....hops ... and stop and back the way you came...and this is the day when you love me isn't it? s/s toes...she doubles and he triples... split triple twist...throw triple sal two hands down....into f/i d/s ...chris and simon say hands stayed off....music puases and changes....as she spins holding leg up high and I wince.... and not just because of the music....lift with her in stag going out to splits....and out... steps leading to thrrow and get it all wrong...didnt get a thing on the throw triple toe... lift.... goes nicely to one hand with nice exit... into s/s triple toes into s/s doubletoe....s/s sit spins...standing up and back to sit again and great timing there! s/s steps....he lifts her as she does little hops... star lift... with spin lift and she went lower than seh thought...that couldve been nasty... move where she's in charlotte holding his boot to b/i d/s/// and apart and into pairs spins... and they like to show how flexible she is... and they're done. And you can just see the doubt on her face...they have a lovely image on the ice Simon says, and Chris comments on their chemistry...and they really have it. I enjoy that program although i hate teh music... and I was right hte two hands DID touch down... lift on dismount, she was spinning down and it looked like he just got his hand in the wrong place and missed her....disguised it well...

marks 4.5-5.3... and she's sobbing... 4.7-5.4...second overall...5 1sts though..2 2nd 2 3rd.

Annabelle Langlois and Patrice Archetto CAN
She's in a little white dress with ribbon in her hair...and she's smaller than the flower girl! He's all in black... let's wave the maple leaves people! Shes 20 he's 29... as we hear the story of how she broke her skull for the gazillionth time...the story not her skull...Umbrellas of Cherbourg... nice flow... throw triple sal...and she nailed it.... s/s 2ax... steps along the ice...they looked relaxed chris says...nice split triple twist...s/s toes... and she just about lands hers with a skid..into s/s double toes... lift... slidey thing wehre shes hanging onto his waist... and another glidey move...move where he's in ina bauer, she's lying and holding his legs... spirals... throw double toe... I was just thinking that this was going well... star lift...nice dismount.. into s/s triple sals which she doubled ... not sure about him... steps.. lift...from bnack entry and somersault exit.... and camel spins in pair position.... to the boards they go... straight line step... pairs spin.... into s/s flying camels.... to sit...and great great great timing!! he slides her through into death spiral which is so low you couldn't slide paper between her and the ice and that's how they end and wow! Loved that! Simon calls her eye catching (down boy) but thinks the tech dropped off on the end...and he did double the sal as well... wasn't sure abotu that I was looking at her. she was leaning on the seocnd part of the first jump combo as well.. as chris points out how important it is for canada to have one team in the top ten...final d/s was f/i, with difficult entry as I've already raved.

marks... 4.8-5.2... 5.0-5.3..2nd place overall...4 1st though. they've moved up! I'm told.

Valerie Marcoux and Bruno Marcotte CAN
He's all in blakc and looking good...she's in pale aquamarine.... beyond the forest the muusic.... thats one low neckline on that dress.... split 3twist with bumpy landing to open... I can't get over the dress.... s/s triple toes... he strats it before her and they both land just about...double toes on the end... lift... with some disomount! throw 3loop, late getting leg back but manages it....lift and gaze adoringly at him...f/i d/s... bring him home! I love this song! stop at centre ice... spiral..and she's got a lovely spiral.... lift...his arms out and her amrs over them.... her in front of him on that.... s/s 2ax and he just holds his.... lift press from back entry... throw triple sal and she was leaning a little ... slide and glide to finish that piece...and back outside death spiral to finish that...that was exquisite. s/s flying camels to sit...loss of timing on ist... and he was out when she was still spinning...that could have been nasty... steps in a circle... around the corner... lift...star lift and I"m not sure about the entry on that it wasn't great... into pairs spins... and that end that! And that was not bad at all...not bad at all. and she shakes her head a little...SImon speaks of lack of concentration... and there's paul wirtz withthem.... jumps not the best it must be said as Chris picks on his tech...lifts were something else and that dismount on the first one was a sight to behold... worked hard onthe throw sal... chris thought much shadow skating in middle section...perhaps but I adored the middle section so we'll differ..

marks 4.8-5.3.. 4.8-5.3...czech has them first, 4th overall.... Chris and SImon can't believe what we're seeing from the czech judge, that's number one... and even I've noticed the dodginess of it!

Qing Pang and Jan Tong CHN
In pale grey for her, matching top for him, darker grey green trousers and bowtie undone effect..Rachmaninov Piano Concerto Number 2.... around for the s/s jumps to start..2ax... into triple toes.... out of nothing! split triple twist which was huge...and lateral, as was the first chinese couple....throw triple sal and it was huge... and perfect landing too... lift... s/s flying camels... and upright to out.... stop at the centre.... into f/i death spiral... spirals... nice steps in the spiral with one of her on his back when he's in spread...and inside spreadealges side by side.... into s/s 2ax ... throw triple loop....again,huge! and i just notice her right wrist is taped...lift where hs'e straight up and down ... pairs spin... nice interp of the music as they go around..crowd getting into it now... good unison on the steps. s/s double toes... lift... and move where he swings her all around the houses,,,adn they finish right on the music. That was great...the throws were something else... and he doubled the triple toe. I just saw that now....but double it he did. both are 22... 5.3-5.5... 5.2-5.5...a row of ones.

Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn USA
This pair drive me nuts...I can never tell their elements since they both jump the wrong way@ Her dress is lilac and sparkly and quite nice...he's in the white shirt and the navy waistcoat and trousers.... piano concerto no 3 by someone.... building speed... into s/s triple toes.... not a hint of doubt... nice speed... triple twist split...nice... lift ... goes to one arm and flip out... steps around the ice... into throw triple toe with hand down... lotsof length but no much height.... and lift which foes into her in a chair and then standing and he puts her down from a standing position...into s/s camles.... to calem with bent leg up...excellent timing... spirals... move where she's on one fotot glide him in s/e.... throw double sal... and s/s 2ax and and she turns out and df...and 2toes after.... camel spins in pairs position... and more pairs spins... steps... lift.... never gets to one hand... b/o d/s.... and that's that. Chris points out the lack of breathing space in the program - no time to recover if you make a mistake... tough program to skate but they made it look easy he says... timing was spot on between them... the timing on the s/s spins was something else...had to beseen to be believed...

marks 4.9-5.4... 5.1-5.4...a row of 2s Canada has them 3rd and second overall.

Jacinthe Lariviere and Lenny Faustino CAN
And now I wave my flag! She's in an offwhite dress and he's in white shirt and black waistcoat and black trousers... she's 20 he's 22... Romeo and Juliet.... then Coriollanus?.... into s/s toes..she just gets hers..into double toe... she was under rotated in triple toe.... and that's a great twist, triple ... into s/s 2ax...she singles.... you see what I do to skaters I like? ... lift... nice to one hand and out... steps.... throw triple loop with hand down... steps...lifty thing in the steps... he pushes her away and they stand apart...go to one another..and into pairs camel spin.... change ... and out... star lift... nicely done... throw triple sal with one heck of a lean... height not there...s/s flyinf camel to sits. and they get the timing back on the sit...spirals... move where hes in s/e she's in spiral...leaning on him.. steps... lift raised from her sitting on his knee...and slide down the back and between the legs to exit that... and around for the death spiral... b/o.... and that's that. Impressive finish but not impressive performance Simon feels...and they can barely look at one another...Simon thinks they will drop and I wouldn't be surprised.. boy there's a height difference there! how did I not notice that beofre? loop was leaning in the air all the way.. they kept fighting though...

marks 4.8-5.4... 5.1-5.5..3rd overall ordinals from 2nd to 7th...which baffles me...even Canada has them 4th!

Dorota Zagorska and Mariusz Siudek POL
And she's still got the pretty cream dress that i love so...he's in the brown waistcoat and trousers and cream shirt of which I'm not so fond, but her dress makes up for a multitude! Somersault to begin... and ss toes... which he puts the hand down on.... and around for hte s/s axels which she singles and then the double toes... split triple twist was fine... throw 2ax... b/o death spiral.... steps.... nice timing in them and good expression to the music... lift with upside down entry into it and huge changes of positoin...love that lift! another lift...where she goes to splits and meno sand swing dismount.... slide and glide... move where he lifts her low and leans her along his lap... into camle spins in pairs position change position....she skates around him... and back together and around the corner we go... throw triple sal... slide and glide again... lift star lift... him in s/e position...and she slides down his front for the exit... and another lift from steps wehre she's upside down and he's holding her...s/s sit...change sit nice timing but he travels away from her... lift with upside down entry from the side hip...and out of that and around as the crowd calp...unusual entry int toeh final f/i d/s.... loads of speed throughout the program... split was nice... throw 2ax was lovely too... and some of the lifts had really unusual entries which were wonderful... and we get to see them all again and goggle at them in slomo! and I complain not...

marks 5.2 -5.6... 5.3-5.5...2 1st, the rest 2nd and second overall.

Maria Petrova and Alexei Tikhonov RUS
Red dress for her...she did'nt have that at SLC or Euros did she? He's all in blakc, with a couple of lines of sequins and sparkles going down the front and back...she's got a snaky shiny red thing on the top of her right arm...music from Chess but these are new costumes.... taking their time to get out to centre ice... around for the s/s 2ax.... and tinto tripe toes with both having the hand down in perfectsynch.... down into triple toes which were fine... around they go again... split triple twist with a bumpy landing... steps... throw triple sal and that was fine...long prep for it though... around the corner... and press lift....her legs bent and she comes down in flip over his shoulder... nice move there where he spins her around as he ducks and swings her over....into pairs spins... nicely centred... spiral ffrom him, her lying in front of him... him in spread, her behind him... throw triple toe and she just baout held it...dicey...had to work hard on that... star lift... him going to spread with one hadn...and down from that.... running steps... to the boards... turn and into straight line step... flying s/s camels ....pretty good on the timing, maybe a millimetre off ... but not bad! star lift.......and down with flippy thing... into f/i d/s... and stop just slightly behind the music ... and these costumes are so much better...but wait until you see the toes! Perfect synch with the hand down....I've never seen anything like it...although remember when Artur and Oksana first got together? that fall... even the free legs matched on this one! you'd think they planned it! just baout caught her on the triple twist... she tends to get the free leg out quite early in the jumps... I think that's the most I've ever liked that routine...

marks 5.3-5.6... 5.3-5.7..one has them second the rest first.

Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao CHN
And oh my god my stomach is churning....and maybe the dinner break I took before this last group was not the best idea I've ever had in my life...she's in red, he's in black, I'm in terror.... first move will be the throw sal...but what will it be...steps to start... and my heart is pounding!.. here we go.... triple sal. didn'tneed the quad but thetriple was a beauty...and into the s/s 2ax into triple toes and shes down! oh no.... lift.... and they can't afford another mistake....oh me oh my...lift where shes wrapped around his hip...stop on centre ice, he circles around her.... around they go... split triple twist and it was huge...s/s spreafs into axels...doubles...and hesingled...oh no...into the b/i d/s.... you see whathappens to me...pairs spins... nicely done.... steps... crwod are clapping.... circular step is really nice.... throw is next come on now... loop..yes! was there ever a doubt.... hush while she was in the air though! spirals...him in spread, her leg on his shoulder...s/s spins...not great timing but they got it back....nessun dorma... liftdown along his back.....around for another lift ...and down from that...and she kneels and slides, he spins...and that's that. and oh oh oh oh oh oh oh...... my head is just spinning....Simon says if they do win gold it will be by default...and they've left the door open...Chris praises the balance of the program...having the throw loop so late...she did'nt have the height on the toe... both throws were outstanding... someone gave them a huge giant panda bear

marks... 5.6-5.8... 5.7-5.8 (5 8s)...a row of ones.

Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin RUS
And now what? Mottley grey and wine drab affairs.... West Side Story...shes 20 he's 24...I'm terrified how are you? around they go... s/s sals and that was clean...not perfect synch... split triple twist and that was nice.... he goes over her... throw jumps is next..triple loop... and she nailed it... running edge coming out was great... dancey poses... along the ice we go... he's down on the toe and she does the double after it, he's still getting up....can you believe this.... and as maria plays....eh gets his sleeve cuaght in her blade...lift..... her right up...and throw up and spin on the way down...can you believe this? lift... her in stag position..and down from one hand.... around they go...and throw triple sal... and she tilted forwards but held it.... f//i d/s.... into the s/s flying camels.... to upright with bent leg camel... star lift.... and to the boards... stiraght line step... crowd like it... sprials.... and into pairs spins....bit slow...and that's that. slightly ever so slightly behind the music...and what in god's name doyou do with that? Simon says the package was better for the Chinese... only one mistake where the others ahd two but it took them a while to get into the program..Chris questiosn the choice of music... as have I all season... and for me I'd have this behind the Chinese, but I'm not a judge.... oh my goodness.... throw loop was great.... he was leaning all over the toe...slipped on takeoff.... sleeve caught in her skate hook eyelet thing....good lord above! nice shots on the oleg-cam!

marks 5.5-5.7...5.6-5.8...a row of twos.

Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman USA
And I just wonder do they know....and I thought I was freaking out beofre! She's in her aquamarine....he's in matching shirt and black trousers....and I'm ZippyGirl... shes 29 he's 28.... take your time gang....Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a theme of paganini.... oh god...off they go... s/s triples to start... toes... and he dalls out of it...s/s axels are clean and double... come on John.... split twist... triple and that was good.... s/s 2ax she pout hand down, 2otes...he jumps and kneels to her.... steps... little hoppy turns... press lift... with nice change of position... s/s bestis.... into throw...good girl nailed the 3loop....him in spread, her at his feet and who wouldn't be really.... he stops and goes to her... into s/s pairs spins...camels nad the timing off...get it back on sit.... around the houses we go..for the candle lift....which i adore...and how do they do that???? throw is next? sal and she's down...and thats the gold gone... and into the f/i d/s.... crowd clap in the steps... star lift... and down from that... lift and spin...and him in spread...before they go into pairs spins... change position..with natalia death spin... and the lift where hes in besti and she's leaning back....and they're done. Well now. Well now. I shake my head and scratch my head and wonder ....Simon doesn't think they've got on the podium and I just have to agree with him and my heart is breaking for them... we see the Chinese backstage... I think these willl do well to stay third...and I just wish they could... but I think P&T are on the podium, I really do... that candle lift which we see again was somehting else... and it was a bad fall on the throw sal , left shoulder too far back...and that oculd cost them the brzone...and Tamara knows.

marks... 5.4-5.5 (4 and 5) 5.6-5.7...they're third! I'm stunned! I'm thrlled! and stunned!

and we see the chinese backstage.... Totmianina and Marinin second...and John's expression when he saw the bronze was a pciture!

Petrova and Tikhonov in 4th Pang and Tong in 5th, Zagorska and Siudek in 6th.

Scott and Dulebohn, Lariviere and Faustino, the Zhangs, Langlois and Archetto, Bernakova and Dlabola, Marcoux and Marcotte, are the one to 12.

Kawaguchi and Markuntsov, Kautz and Jeschke, Borzenkova and Chuvilyaev, Chuvaevaa and Palamarchuk, Shklover and Mintals, Krasiltseva and Znachkov are 12 -18, and Sirokhvatova and Salmanovs and Aganina and Knyazev round us out.

I'm stunned...quite simply, in shock and stunned. An anti climax Simon calls it, and you can't argue with that....it's surely ironic that Shen and Zhao won with what is one of hte poorest skates I've ever seen from them....it must've been a long ten minutes...oh me oh my.