And here we are, it is midnight, I have to be up at eight so that I can go to school and teach at nine, and am I getting a good night's sleep? Heck no, who needs sleep when you can listen to Simon and Chris? I think that we've got it from the start, as Simon tells us that the last american man to win worlds was Brian Boitano in 88...I'm sure Todd Eldredge would love to hear that one! And, d'y'know, I think we're getting everyone, and there's Tomas Verner so we are! Oh joyous day! Or night! Whatever!

Tomas Verner CZE
16, all in dark crimson velvet...21st after the short... music is Yanni... steps....axel triple and that was fine... spiral... steps around the corner... and dwon the rink triple flip and nothing on the end....lined it up and didn't do it, flip was over rotated a little..step into lutz and that was clean.... flying camel turning steps after that...to the boards and the striaght line step... little stubmle on it... into camel to sit change sit... and out of that... steps... including back spiral with bent leg.. slide to a stop, and posing moves...off again, around the corner... loop triple... steps around, dwon to the pop on the flip.... 3sal, ... sit spin change sit... music speeds again as he does steps ... little split jump...another turning jump... serpentine step this... axcel half loop after it....scratch spin.... and he'sdone. very impressed is simon, nad he's smiling too... didn't do a triple toe at all simon points out... and someone gave him a carrier bag! now that's an interesting gift! incredible jumps for a sixteen year old...for anyone! choreography weak simon tells us, but that will come in time...

marks 4.4-4.5 (4 4.44s) and 4.3-4.6.

Silvio Smalun GER

23, in red ragged shirt and black trousers... netty sleeve on one arm...simon has been banging the drum of the controversial fact of his being here over lindemann... this guy won nationals...has quad planned... turn on the spot to begin...mimes covering his eyes....is he looking in the mirror for that shirt? steps around and axel triple with ahnd down... next is quad toe, should be... and he triples it... axel double... doesn't look confident...music changes... and he does steps up the centre of the rink... down for the triple flip triple toe and he's down onthe toe... turns into the triple loop...and sit spin goes down on one knee in hte middle...great control there... out of that and more steps nicely done wit hte music... spread...lutz and big pop to single... turns to triple sal...sit nice and position cahnge sit, also nice position... down into camel to upright change sit.... and up right moving to two feet...around to the spread, step sequence.... double flip... heavy drums in music.. steps the diagonal of the rink... great choreography remarks simon... huge flying sit spin...and he's done, to the last beat of the music. Simon loves the way he skates and you can see the talent there...chris has him at three triple jumps that will count... triple flip combo, weight was too far back for the toe... real feel for the music chris notes...

marks 4.2-4.6... 4.3-4.8 he's second.

Andrejs Vlascenko GER

In black top, with waistcoat and floaty cape on it....red tie, black trousers. white shirt...and this could either be amazing or horrendous...28years of age. Wearing gloves. in 22nd. music is the count of monte christo... 5th in 98... axel to begin with triple toe in combo, good start...very dark intense music... lutz and he gets that... huge flying sit... nicely centred as well... music changes to faster and he speeds tino triple flip... around he goes, down the rink for hte triple toe... steps, and good steps, change of direction and edge....flying camel hops and hops again to sit... and slide to stop. skates in one spot for a moment, getting his berath back, he has another axel planned....ina bauer, nicely done. spread... and he's down on the second axel... triple loop and he just holds on, turns out of it...spins, layback change layback ish.... music gets faster again now. he does steps...running and turning in serpentine pattern... doubles the sal.. butterfly....the camel to sit layback change sit to upright scratch spin... and he's done. Well, not too bad...and he looks puffed! Well, it seems as if hte ugly costume came with some jumps! the first couple of minutes were as good as anythign we might see technically a little later on...

marks 4.6-5.1...wow, at this stage of the night! 4.7-5.1.

Gregor Urbas SLO

Deep green shirt and matching trousers, lighter green waistcoat...two guitars the music... the waistcoat should go and hte rest wouldn't be too bad believeit or not... down for the liutz and he doubles it but does a triple toe... triple axel and he has to put a turn on it, but got it... back spiral... turns and steps..spiral with purposely bent leg... flyin sit... steps into the triple flip... sit spin to upright... steps on spot... and stesp to the axel double footed triple axel, double toe... around he goes...triple loop, turns going into it... steps... lutz double.. scratch spin with head thrown back..travel on it too.... steps cirulcar possibly? and it is...but he looks tired.... stil goes for the 3sal and gets it...camel to sit layback ish change sit to scratch spin and he's done. hit and miss simon calls it...neither of the axels will count - jumped into circle on the first one and couldn't hold it, ahd to put the turns onto it, and in the second one it was an obvious 2f...

marks...he's only 20... 28th last year...4.0-4.7...4.2-4.8 he's 4th

Kevin Van Der Perren BEL
Yay! Black body suit, with gold and silver sash going diagonal on his chest... high neck on it...needs op on his knee...and gets some nice applause from teh crowd,...he's only 20 you know! starts at centre ice, to the mask of zorro... around for the cobmo first... triple sal triple toe triple loop! yes! in combo! lutz didnt' have the height, double footed it... down again for hte triple flip triple toe.... come on now.... I'm not celebrating, I"m not I'm not... axel double.... that's ok... really..around he goes for the lutz triple and double toe on it... flying sit.... and he stops and reaches longingly to heaven...bless him...circular step... nice changes of direction but circe is quite small..double axel from steps... more steps. pause.. and steps into camel to sit ....spiral... music is I want to spend my lifetime loving you...nah, it's too easy... flying camel... goes to the boards and straight line step... which is really well done... and end to end! axel double into cmael to sit layback with travel change sit to scratch....and he's done....and he roars! he's happy with that, and so am I! someone nearly nails him with a bear... that combo...here we go again.. sal,toe.loop in combo, and he did it in quals as well...and it looked incredible...every triple jump he did in the program was in combo chris tells us...

marks 4.6-5.2... 4.6-5.3...he's second on 5/4 split.

Vakhtang Murvanidze GEO
Yay! Cream shirt, grey waistcaot with ruffle on left hand side, matching trousers, but with no ruffle because not even he's that mad. And I would cheer for him were my house not asleep so I must whisper my "go vakhtang go" and I do. OK...makeup not all it should be... mozart a little serenade...eine kleine.... axel and he skidded on the takeoff and down he goes...you could hear him skid! next is the quad...oh god... toe down on that...I thought when elvis was gone I wouldn't have to do this anymore...triple loop....flying camel...nicely centred... nice close up tehre too in his posing bit at centre ice... down the ice... axel and he's down on the triple axel again and skidding badly on it... o dear... trple flip is ok... boards and step sequence te length of the rink... very light but he's not really selling it...soemthing I never thought I'd say of him...triple sal... triple toe... flying sit... cmael change camel... and out of that and around... steps...Y spiral included.. nice. including slide spiral... spiral... steps to triple lutz... cantilever leangin rihgt back... steps... camel to sit cange sit to scratch...and he'd done. and he doesn't look happy at all. manages a smile he does as he waves to the crowd... and I see Elvis in the background....some tough falls chris tells us... axel, he alsmot had it, just couldnt' hold the landing.. quad toe, landed on back of skate... blew a kiss after the cantilever too...

marks 4.0-4.8 - huge range in those there - 4.4-4.8 he's in 3rd with ordinals from 1st to 6th.

Vlascenko leads, from Van Der Perren and Murvanidze. I'd swap the one-two, but that's just me.

Min Zhang CHN
basic black to begin, with silver going along his neckline... a line of sparkles diagonally along his chest...panel of greeny-grey on one shoulder... 27 on Monday... 16th after short... steps to begin with, and he may have two quads planned....triple axel combo to ebgin... and he does it with triple toe... quad sal next planned... and he's down on that...couldn't hold that landing.... steps the length of the ice.. and around for hte toe quad with triple toe and our picture's gone funny...flying camel to sit and out... steps around into sit... and up... steps on centre ice... off he goes again... triple toe... steps... spread eagle.. lutz and that's fine.... triple loop wtih a lean...and pic is back to normal thank the gods... flying sit, did foot tocuh down? triple flip... into the corner for that... toe slipped ontakeoff...camel to layback to sit cahgne sit to scratch spin...and he's done, on one knee on the ice. simon has him at 7triple and a quad. Chris reminds us that it's quandry for the judges, what do you do in this situation? Both agree that the choreography was weak... too much lean on the quad sal we think... not so on the quad toe..

marks 5.2-5.6... 4.8-5.4... he leads.

Roman Skorniakov UZB
Pale blue shirt, navy blue trousers...words of wisdom from tatiana before he goes out, and someone hoolds up a great sign, I think it says roman, wonder of uzb? or something like that? the professional by ennio morricone... moonwalks back to begin... axel and he's down hard on that... not the height he needed.... aexel and hand down on that one... make eyes contact with tatiana.... triple flip triple toe but toe landed wrong, df... loopthat was fine... flying camel hops and hops again to sit... .music changes as he steps and slides to a stop, does little trns... steps....nice steps and every now and then he smiles.... spread... and he holds it ...very well and we get the test card up....and the eurosport logo. can hear music but no chris and simon. he landed something i cna hear the crowd...and now we have an empty rink...simon tell us what he's doing...no sound is now gone... and it has to be during roman...and there he is again! yay! just in time for a smiel... tripel sal...and spin... they say that he looks as if he's enjoying himself... into camel to sit nice and low...to catch foot ...change sit...to scratch spin...and beaming smile and he's done. big hug from tatiana... didn't make the rotation on the axel first.... triple flip was ok, but back end of combo, he was too far forward with his waist...he does have a lovely smile can I just say?

marks... 4.3-5.0.. 4.3-4.9... he's in second. 4th on the night.

Stephane Lambiel SUI
Cream shirt, black trousers, rusty gold waistcoat. 17 years of age, in 13th place... music is Chocolat...and we got a good look at his baby browns as he started off...I'm jsut saying...axel triple and you could see him go for that! quad triple toe is next... come on now.. steps...builds up speed going down the rink... leaning on the quad and down badly on that... shutting up now... steps into triple flip triple toe.... steps in one spot...was that a wiggle of the hips? glying spin with hadns out behind him and I coudl look at him spin all day... or night as the case may be... lutz and he's down... steps... turns into triple loop....so hard to control...dances for hte judges... ths step is nice... except for the little stumble going around the corner! jeepers, I'm shutting up! lutz which he puts the foot down and puase before triple toe...camel to sit to butt tto cahgne sit to upright... and steps... more steps the length of the rink... and from end to end it was super... triple sal with no height at all..camel to sit with variation that goes on and on...and out in to blur spin...and he's done. and big rounds of applause, and there are some people standing now which he reacts to graciously...shrugs his shoulders... had surgery in november on his knee... slomo of him schmoozing the crowd...

marks and he shakes his head a little... 4.7-5.4... 5.0-5.6...he's in the lead, second on the night behind Zhang.

Gheorge Chiper ROM
Mostly black with glvoes. Puffy sleeves. silver sash, red accents going diagonally, white undershirt...music sounds spanishy... he's got netty sleeves that go all puffy when he waves his arms...and df the triple axel, triple toe...quad.... and he doubles it... spotted too far behind him... triple loop and he can't hold htat landing... little hop...and slow skating... lots of it on one spot in front of hte judges.... steps, lots of turns... and spins... sit spin... up and down again... around the corner he goes... turns and then 3ax, over rotatedand turn after it...flying sit... and slide to stop...runs at the judges... circular step very nicely done... triple toe triple toe and falls on teh second... more steps... down the length of the rink to the triple flip??.that is a double I think..camel to sit ...and out of that...double flip... camel to sit to upright.. and he's done. he does look tired now i must admit....we see the axel again... which was df... and we see it on footsie cam too...

marks big long wait... 4.3-5.2...4.5-5.2...he's in 3rd.

and ther'es ygs in teh crowd as we see a sign saying alexei we are thinking of you

Ivan Dinev BUL
Mostly in black with dark designs of red and grey on his chest...kismet is the music... little mini inside spread to begin... steps into the triple flip to begin... around again... axel triple with double toe, not greatest landing on axel, he did well... strokes around the corner down for htelutz... triple and nearly ran out of rink! flying sit, and the foot touched down i think, nice position though nad good speed throughout... turning and stepping the centre of the ice... builds up speed for axel double... around for loop and he was leaning on it but got the triple out..cmael hops to sit... and up and out... circular step... spread eagle... nicely held... down for the triple toe with turn out of it...scratchy landing simon calls it... treple sal... much better... flying camel... to sit upright... and to the boards... straight line step... camel to sit change sit and upright out of that... and he's done. He seems happy enough with that, he's smiling at any rate... he';ll take it though, broke his leg last summer...6triples, only Zhang has done more so far... we see the striaght line step, and chris didn't like the music, nor did I... he's married with two year old son...

marks and another big long wait as chris jokes that it's going to be a long long night if the waits keep up like this - I'm like, what do you mean GOING to be? It's 1.37 in the morning! 4.6-5.2, pres 4.5-5.3... he's in 3rd so far.

Stanick Jeannette FRA
All in pastel velour...creamy tan on one side, fading to blue on the other, with stars on it, yellow scarfy thing coming out from the back of the neck... it'd look lovely as curtains in my room... hey, I'm just saying, you all know that I like him! 15th after the short... l'enfant pure... starts with hadns clasped, now he knows how I feel... double axel to begin, snatched at the takeoff a little... stpes out of the quad but kept free leg off... steps around... and down the ice... combo axel and a big single...flying camel...to sit with variation... does knee slide...into sit change sit... with variation... and stop and kneel in ice...mimes picking something up... spins on the ice... does the hand things , miming following it... as he does steps and cantilevers... triple axelwhich he just held! that was gutsy... loop which he doubles..to the boards... steps...serpentine pattern? ..it is and nicely done too... triple flip... and around for the lutz.. triple, late getting free leg back but does it..flying sit... steps wtih spread... triple toe double toe... flying camel hops to sit change sit... to scratch...and stop...bit of musical interp...and he's done. shrug of the shoulders....4trples will count.....oooh nad the look his coach is giving him...if I could harness that for school, I'd never have to give lines again! music was specially composed for him.... we see the hand/snake thing going again... coach is standing in k&c...not a happy man!

marks 4.3-5.0... 4.5-5.5... he's in 4th. ordinals 2nd to 9th.

break for ice resurface - lambiel, zhang, dinev, jeannette, vlascenko, chiper, van der perren, skorniakov, murvanidze, verner, smalun, urbas.

Emanuel Sandhu CAN
OK, he didn't hear me telling him to shave because he does need to...those sideburns are if anything worse than ebfore! orange and rust waistcoat, white shirt, black trousers...not as bad as short program costume...but the hair! oh man! and the makeup! oh man! 10th after short... spread to begin... quad is first up for him... the toe... and he gets it with a double toe on teh end...3ax next with triple toe...low on landing of ax was free foot...and the triple loop? ... spread going the width of the rink.... lots of speed... tripl lutz scratchy landing but ok...simon is happy...flying sit...and stop... and pose a little, skate, stare piercingly at teh camera...that'll bansih the sleep from my eyes.... triple sal... spread... axe triple with double footed landing...spin upright hcange to shotgun... chris mentions that he looks tired...join the club chickybabe.... steps with spiral in them... triple flip double toe... double flip again after that..steps from the boards... pretty good and better the more he did of them...cmael to sit to butt spin...change camel to sit to scratch...and turning stpes adn illusion spin to scratch spin...and he's done. well done says simon and there are people standing... chris enjoyed it too, best of the night I would say.... like skating in a sauna chris tells us... quad toe was double footed ever so slightly... chris would like to see him hold his landings a little longer...

marks there's brian boitano! and another big long wait...linda leaver beside him,,,brian, not emanuel... 4.7-5.3.. 5.0-5.5. he is in first place but second on the night.

Ilia Klimkin RUS
leather look trousers, netty shirt with stuff stuck onto it...my kids' art lesson next friday basically...dr diesel the music? goes from side to side...this not his qual program.. axel triple toe from nothing! no speed no prep no nothing! wow! down on the quad toe... flying camel... goes to bent leg and then upright... out of that... the elngth of the rink.. down on second attempt of the quad, and it was better....camel to camel in toehr direction... and does a triple sal out of the last one...mimes looking through glass and look out at the side...spinny moves... down on the lutz stumbled out of it rather...camel to sit upright change camel to sit.... and scratch via upright... around the corner...cantilever... 3loop... goes to boards and stops...does a shimmy then the striaght line step... forthe steps into lutz and down hard on thta... triple flip... back spiral... split jump... stars to flying camel... hops and hop to flying sit and striaght up to upright spin... and he's done, right on the music. his first worlds...that wasn't what he was looking for say the lads... gets great height on his jumps it must be said... spinning in both directions was great... and then the jump right after it...colour me impressed!

marks 4.5-5.1... 4.6-5.4... he's in secondoverall...ordinals 3rd to 8th. 4th on the night

Stanislav Timchenko RUS
He didn't get rid of his baggy sacky crimson and grey nightmare of a top....trousers are dark wine, jesus christ superstar.... steps and turns to start, going into a spin...axel and clean and triple toe on the end... triple lutz and a nasty fall, he almost did teh splits.... axel and squeaky landing but he got it... steps.. nito the camel change camel... travel on end of that...and music changes to gethsemane... steps... down for the triple flip wtih anohter bad landing but clean...squat to spread... loop popped to single... flying camel... and stop... waving of arms... and steps to teh double sal... trple toe... circular step and he looks tired but he's still trying.. camel to sit change spin..crossfoot going to two foot spin...and he's done. in 12th t the moment... simon thinks he could over take klimkin, though neither he nor I would put him there...chris picks on teh choreography, also the lack of charisma that is out there. see if I said thta I'd sound like an overtired crank, but if he says it it must be true.

marks big huge long wait... think he's getting impatient too... as we see a long shot of ryan...4.3-5.3.. 4.5-5.2..and he's 5th overall.

Ryan Jahnke USA
brown vest, white/cream shirt, black trousers... kinda sashy ,chainy effect around his neck...cinderella prokofiev... glide to begin... could be paul wylie says simon...ah, if only... triple axel and down he goes... tripleflip double loop...df on the flip... into camel to sit nice and low...change sit... to upright...and to the boards... step sequence... along the diagonal methinks... lutz and he goes down hard on that one... camel.. well held... steps out of that... glideing moves wtih spirals and spreads... along the ice for thet triple axel that he steps out of, not enough rev on it... lutz with tano! triple...sit with variation... dancing steps... loopadn he's short on rev for triple and ends at two and a half... triple sal is ok... flying sit... double axel and he finishes kneeling on the ice. only three triples, andwe get a shot of the elegance on ice banner... he admires brian b and paul wylie we're told and simon thinks he looks like paul...actaully flip/loop may have been non double footed... it's hard to tell wehn he didn't bring the toe back to spot... we see the tano again ... that were great! and there's brian! who waves, bless him! ryan claps him, that's nice!

marks 4.2-5.0... 4.6-5.4... and he's 6th. ordinals 5th to 13th, mostly 10 and 11s

Jeffrey Buttle CAN
In pretty dark blue shirt with sash going down it...and here I am, waving my flag. Jeffrey, I'm sorry i have to do it! come on now, you can beat my jinx I know you can! steps and looks up...turns and mimes blocking one ear...off he goes, building up the speed...come on now... down on the quad toe...had the height not the control...come on..spread...tin otriple lutz...yay! goes into spiral... and steps around.. into axel down on triple....flying camel.... and out... buttergly to sit with great position... steppy turns... spiral with good extension... ina bauerish move, spread, and ina... triple sal... slide spiral....little mini spread to stop.. hands over heart as he steps... axel down on the triple axel... turns on one foot into camel ... and another camel after steps, catches foot in this one... loopand leaning all over that one triple.... giding move like extended ina bauer... steps along the diagonal... and around to a pop on the triple flip..I think... split jump and another... simon calls it almost unwatchable... triple toe double toe... camel to sit to buttp sin to change sit with variation and he's done. and that's teh first time I've seen him finish and not smile... oh dear me...there's my smile! slaps the hip, he's not happy... just didnt seem to get the height on his jumps sometimes?

marks... and he can hardly watch... we get a grimace from him...and a thumbs down... 4.0-4.9...youch. 4.6-5.1...he's 8th. and he's gone!

Brian Joubert FRA
His Untouchables costume and doesn't he just look fine in it? Having trouble with jumps in warmup...and after what's happened to the last two, I'm shutting the heck up even as chris mutters bad rehearsal, good performance...first up the quad... and a toe and just perfect...flew in and out of it... who care about warmup sats chris as I say shut up, and he nails the triple axel... crowd are beginning to clap him... down for the quad toe, get it but not in combo, wont' count...that was a double looop...sit spin with great speed... and out of that... mini spread eagle... double axel...chris should've stayed quiet mlike me....sit spin change sit nice speed and positioning... boards and step sequence which is very good... just wish the crowd would get more into it... lutz triple with dfouble toe, ahd to work it... teriple sal... into camel spin to sit with variation cahgne sit... and out ... spread eagle... and change edge ... triple flip where he had to work for the landing... flying sit spin with variations to upright scratch spin...and aa buterfly where both his hadns go down and he's done. well. there now. what do you do with that? four triples, two quads but only one counting... biggest applause of the ngiht... sandhu leads on the night...chris thinks this will beat him on quality of the jumps that were there...and the quads were lovely... see the butterfly again... and he can smile over it at least...

marks and there's todd! who someone has told simon was the last amer man to win! 5.0-5.7.. 5.3-5.7 he leads. simon mutters overmarked. nine first places.

final group are on to warm up at 2.54 at night.

Takeshi Honda JPN
White shirt, black trousers, quite high waisted, gold down along the sides of htem. this is a costume I can live with...black t shirt under the shirt. oh my goodness, I am nervous now... again, still... in 3rd place right now...riverdance...jjust for his irish fans??? throws arms to heaven... and off he goes... around the ice... steps out of the quad toe... it was big and should've been combo... another planned next, the sal... and he triples it...oh dear... axel triple and he goe the toe on the end of it too... camel spin hop to sit... turns coming out of it... and to the boards... gestures with his arms... and around... crossovers to speed for hte quad toe and I hiss yes and hope I woke noone! triple flip... better...come on takeshi....steps... and what nice steps they are... crowd are trying to clap.. stars to flying sit... nice centering... spreadeagle that is rather nice...spiral back out of it... trple loop... triple lutz with bad landing...flying sit... here we go with teh music and he goes to the boards...and he step dances the length of hte rink.. not bad... not sure the irish dancing teachers would liek it, but I love it! camel to sit change cmael to sit....and screatch spin.. and he's done...and I loved that! And he's heaving in breaths just standing there... it's apparently quite warm in there! best so far, he has a chance for a medal simon says... quad and 6triples... the height on the first quad was somethign else... and I'm telling you he was leaning on hte second quad as well...we see the footwork on the striaght line step again... love it.

marks 5.4-5.6... 5.4-5.8... he leads with the door wide open behind him.

Sergei Davydov BLR
White shirt, black trousers. very understated. could go from this to a job at the bank. 24th last year. and now here he is in the final group. he might look just a tad nervous - which is a diplomatic (hey I can be subtle!) way of saying his face is the same colour as his shirt. Anyhoodle, he flies around to the tiplre axel which he turns out of and put triple toe on the end... motoring around hte ice he is... axel in same spot and this is better... flying camel... and out of that, nicely held in position I might add...dancing on centre ice, eyeing up the judges the whole way... movement to the music is really good, picking out all the nuances... loop and he gets the triple... lutz and he just about holds it! flying sit... nice speed.... steps andstops.... and does it again... down for the triple flip... steps... chris mentions that he's looks off axis in everythign he's done...camel to sit layback change camel to sit upright.... and out of that... around the corner... triplesal... triple toe, not running edge..butterfly... steps...and into sit change sit... and turns and he's done. and well well well...that was great. Not too sure about the music, or indeed if it reached over the barrier, but that was very good. applause is good too, eight triples, for simon it beats honda, not for me or chris...simon says on first mark it has to... for me, it's honda too... but this guy did, as chris says, skate out of the box... fair dues to him.

marks 4.8-5.5.... 4.8 is harsh...5.0-5.5... he's in 3rd, ordinals second to fifth.

Timothy Goebel USA

Black waistbcaot and trousers, white shirt, and big old tie that caused all the hassle last year... he's sick, has the flu, I just have nerves... and fatigue, but you know, it's 3.17 in the morning over here! American in Paris... and I'm smilinalreadl...gets the 3lutz clean... simon says... I missed the edge!... quad sal triple toe, made it look easy.... axel triple triple toe...not much running edge but clean..sit to camel,... spread... nicely withthe music... down the ice... quad toe... come on timmy... turns into flying camel...and upright....and spread...goes to centre ice... does his little puasey bit to get his breath back....oh god, I've got butterlflues...axel triple clean on its own... camel to sit nice and low change camel to sit.... to cross foot scratch...and pausing..music speeding again now... he's skating... triple sal... steps and jumps ...and htat was clever, not goign for hte other quad...playing safe... triple flip, foot was low but stayed off....steps and turns and steps... spread... hdyro... loop hand down on the triple...flying sit... to scratch... and butterfly to sit and he's done...and he's beaming! and so am I! worth staying up for! standing O from teh crowd...and that's piling the pressure on plushy...8 triples, 2quads, one hand down ... Simon's tally... big hug from frank... said post-short that he felt bad before and after, but fine on the ice, also that when he feels bad he seems to skate his best... love the expression on his face! man oh man oh man... they have to leave room chris reminds us...oh god...

marks...he blesses himself...there's yags beside robin wagner, and brian b... 5.7-5.9..5.7-5.8...they've left room. they have. but a row of ones thus far.

Michael Weiss USA

short polo shirt, navy with bright blue sparkles in Vs on it, black trousers and glittery belt... as I try to remember how to breathe... I'll tell you what though, I'm awake now! malaguena.... stares the judges out of it to begin... quad to begin.. triple toe! ok.... little jumps and turns... quad again? and toe and he steps out....sit spin way low! love that...and to upright... pausing at centre ice... around the corner now... axel triple with squeaky landing and no running edge... loop and that was fine, triple... flying sit.... with bit of travel... back spiral... with bent leg... turns on one foot... axel double...oh dear me... triple flip triple toe and he needed that.... steps.. trple sal.... lutz triple and he lands that... huge flying sit...nice position... to the bords and pose... straight line step... turns into camel to sit nice and low change sit tp scratch spin.... and he's done. very strong says simon, but he's not sure it will beat honda. to be honest it wouldn't for me, but weiss with a timmy like performance wouldn't beat honda for me, and that's the long and short of it! uncomofortable skate chris calls it, and I think that Honda will take him... Chris does too... and they don't look happy as he hugs lisa... leaning in the air all the time on the axel... managed to get it though... triple flip combo was sheer guts...

marks 5.2-5.5...5.3-5.8... he's 3rd behidn honda and goebel.

Evgeni Plushenko RUS

Top is grey, dark grey and white velour, black trousers, and there are the gloves but we can live with this one! just may the dear lord forgive me for the thoughts in my mind...easter confession will be interesting! oh god... leads after the short, st petersburg 300... away we go... quad teo triple toe double loop with bad lnading on loop... down for the quad, looked hard work for him compared to waht he noramlly does...upright spin... holds hand up high... and pauses on the ice... skates around... axel triple, deep landing... lutz triple... goes to centre ice... waves the arms about...goes around 3ax half loop and triple flip and steps out of it... triple loop...camel to sit... to upright... and out... and stop right on the music... catch foot spiral.. spiral on other foot... triple sal... spin.... and glide back....his own striaght line step which is something else... to the centre... flying sit... and around to camel to sit to biellman change sit to scratch... and he's done. right. to me, the landings didn't look as secure as Timmy's, but I'm seeing what I want to see, no question there. simon has both at two quads, tim at 8 triples, him at 6. more choreogrpahy for plushy they think. chris's heart says plushy, but he says timmy skated his heart out with passion...you know, you all know where I am on this, but it's so so so close! (watch now the judges make it not close!) second quad could have been df, free foot was mighty low, as simon thinks goebel might hve the edge...dont' say things like that simon, or you chris...your rep is bad as mine in this!

marks 5.6-5.9...who goes? who gets thrown out? 5.9 across the board for pres....he has it, a row of ones. well, you can't argue with that can you? though I did hear one loud boo.

Chengjiang Li CHN

Black velvet, wtih white piping in geometric designs, and pieces of dark grey on top right nad going down his arm, actually I tell you a lie, they're sequins...it's late, I'm tired, gimme a break! I'm also emotional and shaken... and shaking...sdtk to star wars... steps around to begin... quad toe triple toe... though chris calls it a double... another quad sal is next... and he gets that too... flying camel with travel.... and more on way out.... axel triple with triple toe... steps... and steps into the double lutz... first mistake notes simon... triple flip is good... camel change cmael.. posing steps, including him leaning over and swinging his arms... steps to the loopw which is doubled... spiral... nice expression on that ... loop with a lean and go ti....into camel to sit nice and low to Y change sit to upright..and out... step sequence is ok... flying sit... to scratch... and he's done. big effort simon calls ut...5triples a couple of quads...he may over take honda on the night, but I'm just looking at my printout of the standings post-short and I don't think that he can overtake him overall, just from a maths standpoint. THough after Sara and the olympics I could be wrong. Simon backs me up, he needs someone between himself and honda should he beat honda on the free...do we have such a thing? and we don't. it's pplushy goebel honda weiss...but then that's overall, what is it on hte night?

marks 5.6-5.8...well simon tells us to hold on... 5.3-5.7...they may have... no...he's 4th! so close! 4 3rd, 4 4th and a 5th!

PLushy Goebel Honda Li Weiss Joubert are 1-6. Davydov, Sandhu, Klimkin, Lambiel, Zhang..lost the rest. Buttle 15th.

And now to bed, if I can stay awake for the medals!