Or whatever highlights Eurosport shows us, and I thank the gods for videotape! This is advertised as full highlights which appears to me to be a contradiction in terms, but as I see the first group warming up and hear Simon and Chris waffling on, I think that we're going to get to see the whole thing, which is rather nice. Slight amount of panic as the sound is going on my video machine, but I pack up and move into another room in the house; thank god for laptops!

Olga Boguslavska & Andrei Brovenko LAT
She's 21, he's 19 and she's in a white dress, him in white shirt and blue velvet trousers...Cornish rhapsody....steps around to begin with, and into the s.s jumps..axelsand he falls and she underrotates hers.... around we go... twist double and that was a heavy landing on that... throw 2saland they were setting up the triple... s/s spinscmales to sit loss of unison on the change, and then again on the change sit and she comes out of it early adn stumbles ... lift which is not the most secure thing I've ever seen in my life... spirals.. she could extend more, he's not bad...nice catch foot spiral from both of them actually... into f/i d/s... and pairs spins incl one that looks wrong but i think it was meant to be that way...butt ugly though, anyone else remember the deceny rule, or was that just in ice dance? They're done, to nice applause as Simon calls it tentative and that, dear friends, is the word of the moment. Chris notes the rink is longer than an Olympic rink adn much narrower which will be hard on the pairs since they use the width of the rink for the throws... s/s axels, she was low on that, think Tara Lipinski in her heyday without the accuracy... he was all over the gaffe. s/s spins synch wasn't bad through it says chris, and I note to him that they did lose it on each changeover, and then again at the end...

marks 3.1-3.5 / 3.6-3.9

Sarah Abitbol & Stephane Bernadis FRA

My favourites! The old familiar circus costumes, as Chris and Simon point out that they were lucky to be second in Malmo...Chris reiterates teh horrendousness of her injury...are now coached by Jean-Christophe Simond. And oh how nervous am I! Here we go...and aaaaw! Nice close up where we see the ring, I'm all aaaawey now! 27 and 29... start with her going up to him and his arms around her...lots of speed to begin... and triple toes...which she doubles...not great on the timing, and htere was no conviction from her.... round the corner... double twist a beaut! she had room to spare up there! throw 3loop good girl! and look at those smiles! into the f/i d/s and she waves ... stop... and in s/s spins...get it all weong going into the s/s sits...and while he calls the changes audibly, changes aren'y great.... he waves as he pulls her in spirals...and she's doing all the spiral work... though as I see his, I realise why.... they really are selling it through...lift with great changes of position and swingy out over the shoulder dismount...really fast...into pairs spin.... and horrible edit into slow music to end.... and they are done. Chris talks about her confidence, and Simon wonders why they both didn't go for a double, minimise the loss blah blah and Chris says that they'd be down the pan anyway if they did that. Chris says that on one of hte buses at euros they were even contemplating not coming here because they have such a packed exhibition schedule during the summer...tale wagging the dog notes simon...great close up of the lift, you should see the speed going through it...

marks 4.9-5.4...yeesh... 5.2-5.6...

Maria Guerassimenko & Vladimir Futas SVK

And all in bright bright blue are they...cut outs at the side of her dress, not the niceest of costumes it must be said, but plain in their not-niceness...she's 22 he's 23, this their first worlds, 11th at euros, nat champions...rachmaninov... nice smile from her to start.... high kick... and off they go.... s/s 3sals and she just holds onto it... loads of speed.. spliut twist, nicely done... throw 3sal and hands down from her.... into s/s camel to sit change sit... hood unison at the end, not so much at the start... lift.. hard work on the way up... does get it to one hand... spirals... and it's just loooking a little messy to me.... and he's flinging her arond the place in the spirals! d/s, f/i... very low to the ice ,but not much arch! and into the pairs spins... and that's them, done. Looked to me like they could have been skating to any piece of music, rather than the one that they were skating too, and Simon agrees that it did look ragged at the end. Chris notes that they did have to recentre the spin, because she slipped goign into it, so he has .2 off for that and the same for the throw...

marks 3,5-4.4.. 4.0-4.6 - slotting into second, which is right so far.

Anabelle Langlois & Patrice Archetto CAN
And I wave my flag about the place! Black dress for her with silver and net cutouts, and he's all in black with wings! why why why???? shes' 21, he's 30... and they're picking something up off the ice... can silver medallists simon tells us... harlem nocturne... and very smooth opening to begin, really setting a mood.... throw 3sal and that was great! top drawer says simon... split double..she holds her hands up on the cathc, nice... glidey move wehre she holds onto him by the waist... as the music changes to teh smoosy bit..s/s triple toes and that were fine...s/s flying camels to sits and the speed...change sit... loss of synch on the end...and straight into pairs spins...great speed from them, is my tape working ok, or is it going dobule time??? spirals.... the length and breadth of the rink.... nice... lift... great changes of positions... made it look easy.... and into d/s...and that was great!oh yes and he claps the crowd... that was terrific! and it should lead says me, and I think the lads are in agreement as Chris notes how well they sold the second marks....off blance on s/s spins they agree... Chris priases her soft knee bend on the landings... throw was a beaut... s/s toes were mirrors of one another!

marks 4.9-5.6...from whence the four? 4.9-5.6... and they are in 1st! with 2 seconds.

Dorota Zagorska & Mariusz Siudek POL
And her hair has grown on me, if not on her...she's in black with little silver dotty lines on it, he's all in black with a white undershirt, which just looks wrong. silver piping around his trousers and neck...lord of the rings soundtrack... have moved to canada a month ago, train there full time... steps to start and get them going... down for the s/s jumps... and they get the triple toes... never take off at the same time but landeing was gine.. throw triple loop she had to work on but held it, just... s/s pcamel to sit change sit and timing all over the place...got it a third of the way through says simon, and that's gernous.... split twist with hands way over her head... spiral... move with him in eagle and her in front of him and doesn't she have great extension? into the pairs spins... nice changes of positions... and nice speed right the way along... lift.. great changes of positions and flip out on the end...tin death spiral...and they're done. and that was much better than euros! little kiss at the end, simon didn't like it as much as the canadians, nor did I, but that was very very good... didn't have the presentation of L&A, but still... lift looked a bit hard going up on the play back, but once in the air, she was inch perfect...

marks 5.4-5.6...best so far... richard gauthier trains them...5.3-5.6... 1st. with seven firsts, a second and a third. not good news for hte french!

Marina Aganina & Artem Knyazev UZB

Very flowery dress for her, he's in black shirt and pants with white piping and huger kipper tie that matches her dress...dacne diabolique...which just about is right... s/s 2ax and down she goes... his wasn't great neither... split double... throw triple sal and down she goes.. this loooks very messy as they do footwork... lift... that goes up and down realyl quickly... into s/s spins... miles apart but ok unison which they loose on the change and that went all wrong on the way out, and they truly were miles apart, spirals, and this music is horrible... and he stumbles going in footwork....into d/s which she needs more of an arch on... into the pairs spin... and they're done. Great pity says Simon. That tie on him is dreadful...chris has ded of .7, says she could have landed the throw... he also says that he was short goign around on the ice once he had his toe on the pivot for the d/s , and he stepped out of his double axel as well... throw 3sal, just didn't have the conviction he reckons... lots to build on they agree... and bless him Chris is also not sure about the tie! also notes teh dangers thereof, confirming that he is in my head!

marks 2.7-3.5.. and I wince though I was expecting it! 3.7-4.4 5th of 6.


Kathryn Orscher & Garrett Lucash USA

Not seen these yet, and am looking forward to it! 18 and 24, and nice from him! Blue blouse, black undershirt and trousers, and a nice matching blue topped dress and black skirt from her. These are costumes I can get behind. Cirque du Soleil is the music... much sparkles on her top...and plenty of presentation to begin... splitdouble twist, and was that rotated the otehr way? I'm just wondering... s/s triple toes wich were ok...and they're skating this the other way around... simon confirms it for me.... throw 3sal, leaning on build but it was fine.... s/s spins...nicely timed... kinda slow but unison was dead on... spiras... and great extension from her... nice move where her leg is on his shoulder ... lift... gets to one hand with flip over exit... lots of speed.... death spiral... nice arch... and into the piars spin.... ugly position to start but gets better once she striaghtens up... and they're done! Not bad at all says Simon and I gotta say, I loved it! Very intense passionate dramatic music, and they kept it going right the way through, didn't let it drop at all, sharp all the way though as chris notes that he stumbled in the first ten seconds, which I missed, but they didn't let it get to them at all... Vadim Naumov is their coach! Ah yes, I remember him well.... good links between the elements marks chris, lots of prep going into the throw sal but it came off... that was good. though my heart does ache for sarah and stephane!

marks nina petrenko choreographed it... 4.3-5.4...and from whence the 4.3??? 4.6-5.5...crowd not happy! they're 4th, which is about right I would ahve siad. one had them second. crowd boooing.

Katerina Berankova & Otto Dlabola CZE
Black outfits on one side, blocky silver and black on the otehr...sdtk to Bandita... s/s toes to begin.. and perfect are they.... split double twist... nice interp of music where they move to the beating heeart.... steps... throw 3sal and that was terrific! s/s spins, nice tming... great timing! so sharp raves simon, and I gotta agree... lift and holy extension! I'm aching just looking at her! nice change of position and down she goes...into the death spiral. where she could be lower, but great arch..spiral steps... and I marvel once more at her carriage.. so elegant she si which is why the costumes I'm not crazy on..nice pairs spin to finish... and they're done, with more interp of the beating hearts...and that was great. Wow... never in top ten in worlds but they have to be now...simon enjoyed it more than anything we've seen so far as did Chris, great character they say,, and the big elements while not as difficult as the poles they were done well... couldn't have skated it better says chris, and simon points out that it will test the judges... which is waht I'm afraid of!

marks 4.8-5.4..disappointing says simon and I hear whistles...4.8-5.6... 4th at the moment... behind the french

Dan Zhang & Hao Zhang CHN
Red tops for both with spangles, and black skirt for her pants for him. jnr world champions 9th last year? steps along the ice... good beat to the music, though I can't palce it.. throw 3sal with huge length and speed.... s/s 3toes... and spot on... into the s/s spins... cnamel to sit cahnge camel and sit , very far apart are they. good timing through out though. she's 17 he's 18... lift..again loads of speed and ncie changes of position, it went on forever! spiral... shes goes under his leg, catch foot spiral from her.. into the d/s... steps on the spot... and into the pairs spin... lots of travel on it... spilt twist, and there was some delay on that, adn slow rotation, and that was sensational says Simon. Technically it was amazing; my one nitpick is that it didn't reach over the barrier if you know what I mean, and ther'es Lulu! Chris says slow across the ice in places, which I didn't get at all, but then I would'nt! he propelled her into that throw! no prep from throw into triple toes and then back threes on the end notes chris...they do a 4twist in practice which explains the wonderful twist double that we saw there...I'm telling you I'd hate to be a judge!

marks 4.7-5.7...I do not understand some of htese marks... 4.7-5.7...loads of boos..3rd at the moemt, 31sts. one 5th. I'd have gone with them on tech, but no so much on pres. But 4.7? on tech? Not a hope!

Jacinthe Lariviere & Lenny Faustino CAN

Red dress for her, black pinstripe trousers for him, black waistcoat, white collar and tie and cuffs... where's buddha? (sp???) Very jazzy, and she's selling it from note one! as is he it must be said.... throw 3sal... perfect. landed right on with the music... split double twist. nice and high and well cuahgt before she landed. s/s toes. and she's down...oh no! and not great timing starting off either...spirals... nice exntesion from both of htem... into the s/s spins... timing not all it should be... completely out of synch says simon, and every time you through they had it back, there it went again! lify is nice, lots of speed along the ice...death spiral is great... and into the pairs spin... and she slaps his face and then they're done! tale of two halves simon calls it... and such a shame, cause it was a great program... but the toe just unnerved them chris says... and on a night like tonight... we see the throw again and it was lovely, and I say again, they've got one of the best double twists in the business... entry into triple toes from the choctaw chris notes, which he liked, but she got it all wrong and it was leaning from the spot he tells us... the spins look worse from this angle, she had to recentre the spin... nice ending though! and a nice program.

marks 4.0-4.9... 4.4-5.3... 7th.

Tatiana Totmianina & Maxim Marinin RUS
Well this should be good. Except for someone needs to talk to her about her makeup, she looks like she's been tangoed. Pale dress for her of beige, he's in black with leaves stuck on him...morning by greig.... into the paris spin to begin, one position with her in biellman.... lovely lines in the spin notes chris.... spirals coming out of it, and again with the ncie lines of it all... throw 3loop right on the music, clean as you like... s/s triple toes...perfect... and the unison and hte musicality of it all... into the s/s spins... nice unison... and she's grinning already.... steps with great timing and expression... and thye're motoring around the ice...split doulbe twist was fine... lift with slight drop exit and turn out.. death spiral... and stop right on the music! and that was quite superb, and if that gets beatne I really do want to see it! there are people standing, and that was completely excellent. skated like champions says chris... silver last year, and chris echoes me with "If that gets beaten I can't wait!" You and me both babe, you and me both! Live and train in Chicago with Oleg Vassiliev now... and the slo-mos are basically a "how to" guide, you have no idea! poles lead at the moment, but this has to over take them...

marks 5.7-5.8... (8 5.8s) 5.8-5.9 (5 5.9s)

Yuko Kawaguchi & Alexander Markuntsov JPN
Yellow dress for her, golden yellow at that. His top matches, fading to white along one side, and black trousers. Both are 21. Piano music for them... with trumpet? into the death spiral to begin... split double twist... heavyish weather of the landing of it... s/s triple toes, perfect unison no hesitation... throw 3loop... wow! that was a high kick there! s/s spins camel to change camel to sit... and nicely timed...very impressive chris calls them... lift...where she ends up almost straight in the air... spirals... great stretch from her... and she's only a tiny wee thing! pairs spin... travel towatrds the end of it and done every so slightly before the music, but there was a lot to admire in there and they are so happy! Can anyone remember a pairs short that was EVER this good? Seriously, I mean it! And there's Artur Dmitriev in the crowd! Big hugs from coach and from MOskvina...and as Chris says, Yuko doesn't have the look of a girl who can pull off these elements! and she leapt on him at the end there! I swear to you, the smile's nearly as big as she is!

marks 4.4-5.6...and they are not bad... 4.3-5.7... I find the 5.7 a little high, and 4.3 a little low, 7th, from 4th to 9th....

Tiffany Scott & Philip Dulebohn USA

He's in blue tshirt and black trousers, and she's in a blue top and black shirt... 25 and 29... her top is sparkly, adn had she cut her hair since I saw her last? heartbreak hotel.. s/s toes.. and he stumbles out of his, which will cost them .2... lift and good lord look at her free leg! nice lift! slplits and drag her along the ice adn arund the corner...throw triple sal... perfect.... split 2twist... spirals... he looks a little unsure of himself notres chris.. . s/s spins... nice unison and even on the change with the little hops and they're perfect coming out of it! pairs spins... and into the death spiral... and they're done right on the music. and he does not look impressed with himself...ooooh someone's coming down with a big fluffy white bear for them! .2 for hte toe, .1 for the wobble on teh spiral... chris says weight too far back, got leg cuaght up.... chris says .1 off for two feet on split2twist, and he was tight on the d/s , so he thinks they cvould have a few deductions on the first mark. chris says that her body language was negative on the way out ot begin this, btu she held it together.

marks 4.5-5.3.. and here come the boos... 4.8-5.5... 8th. he winced!

Eva-Maria Fitze & Rico Rex GER

Now I loved these at Europeans, which means disaster! Black dress for her, with white piping, and black tshirt and pants for him also avec piping. 1st worlds, coached by ingo... very drummy music.. s/s triple toes were fine... lots of speed and energy... split doulbe twist was fine... throw 3sal and she screams with delight! she had to work hard it wasn't very high but she got it! big smile from her, adn she's giving it loads on teh spirals... sell baby sell, eh what? steps into lift... and out of that... s/s spins...sit change camel to sit adn loss of uniosn and they were getting further and further apart... into the death spiral... not so keen on the music now, it was better at the start. pairs spin is nicely done and she's got such great expression...and they're finsihed. They haven't been togehter a year notes Chris. it's obvious he continues, that she's enjoying the pairs skating because we never saw that sparkle from her as a single, and I gotta say he's right. He thinks they need to work on their lines...and the spins look worse on teh slo-mo, and the angle they have on the slo mo is much better....

marks...and there's ingo. yum. sorry. big long wait for the marks. simon blames it on a tech problem whiel Chris thinks its the fact that there's tech nothing to choose between some of the marks..and again, has anyone ever seen a competition this good? I really do want to know! we can see the tech boys hard at work... and we're getting close ups of the computer screens! now a closeup of the Jumbotron...back to the K&C..and 4.0-5.0... how do these people make these marks? 4.2-5.1... 11th place.

Diana Rennik & Aleksei Saks EST
Purply sparkly dress for her, adn matching top for him, black trousers. she's 18 tomorrow, he's 20. feet of flames by michael flatley... yeeesh..... s/s 3sals and she doubles her... throw 3sal and she needed to work for htat.... lift and down she goes... not great footwork notes chris adn I was just about to type that... split double adn that could've been nasty, she landed right on her toe rake... spirals... not badfrom her and getting better as we go along... into s/s spins... he has to recentre and loser the timing, get it back a little on teh change but lose it again... death spiral.. into pairs spin... some not very flattering positions... and steps ...and what was that? lost it completely and crashed into one anohter, but they're smiling about it, and they're done. Skating rather a lot through the music rather than to it, they could have been skating to anythign I felt. And compared to waht we've seen so far, it cmae up short, but they're smiling through it. Chris has ded of .5...

marks 3.4-4.0, 3.8-4.4. 13th

Qing Pang & Jian Tong CHN
White dress for her, matching blouse for him and blue trousers. 5th last year, won 4CC 2002, both are 23, skating to Illumination. steps to begin. into the triple toes and she doubled hers... incredible.... throw 3loop and the freefoot did touch down on the way out, but amazing height and length, just a real stuttery landing... and spirals. with nice exntesion... double twist was spectacular! s/s spins..camel to sit change sit... to upright... miles apart, you could hear him claling the change... lift... nice speed and change of position from her, good footwork from him... into the pairs spin... good speed throughout... into the death spiral... and they're done. Strange Simon calls it... it was all lovely, but something was missing.... chris remarks on teh quality of the skating...he just doesn't know what happened.... and there was a touchdown on the throw... base mark will be high he thinks...the twist was a sight to behold...

marks - another big long wait- 4.9-5.6... 5.2-5.8...they're 5th with placements of 3rd to 8th

Tatiana Volosozhar & Petro Kharchenko UKR
Oh my good god...browns and beiges and sparkles and very gardenish colours. secret garden is the music...you know, I hate literal costume interpretation... into the s/s triple toes and down he goes hard... .3 off.... split twist is nicely done... throw 3sal with leaning in the iar, very tight... lift... where seh's holding onto her leg, with her doing the splits...I am in awe. also in back ache... s/s spins..camel to sit change camel ...very very slow... from both of them... spirals ... get better as they go on, esp from him...death spiral...nice arch adn nice and low... pairs spin... one position with her in the biellman. and they're done. she's 16 he's 20...S&C say they skated it very well, which they might well have done, I just wasn't that gone on it... costumes were vile, and I didn't like the music, but Chris points out that there's a lot of promise there; says it was a very junior program.

marks 7th in euros... 3.8-4.8...4.1-5.1... 13th across the board.

Xue Shen & Hongbo Zhao CHN
Red from both of them ,and much flesh coloured net for her! black toursers for him...beethoven's last night, 24 and 29... he spins her head around to begin... into the s/s jjmps... triple toes and spot on... steps into the tthorw...3loop and it was huge and long and all we've come to expect from them...s/s spins..camel to flying sit and he's lost it on the sit! oh no no no... great speed across the cie from them...split double with delay adn it was huge... spirals... around we go... lift... nice changes od position bit of a bumpy landing? into the death spiral... spin pairs...much travel on it... and they're done....oh me, oh my. I'm stunned. and he's not happy. far from impeccable simon calls it. and there's just a flat sense around the place, as if no-one else can believe it either -she injured her ankle on Sunday, she's out there on painkillers... we see the jumps again, and Chris says you'd never have known she was injured. he's right, because I didn't and I didn't!throw is amazing..and here's the spin, just lost it on the flying part of the spin and took him a while to get it back, big old loop on it, and a lesser man says chris would have been sitting!

marks 5.4-5.7... 5.6-5.8... he mimes beathing himself up, 2nd, with one 4th

Rena Inoue & John Baldwin Jr. USA
Again never seen them! Shades of black and teal... gold clasps on the trousers legs for him, 26 and 29... Jill Watson their coach... spanish flavour... and they both have tassles too I just see! split to begin and it was huge! carmen? steps down to the triple toes... which aren't in unison but are clean, if quite far apart also... throw 3sal.... bit scratchy on the landing but she got there.... chris notes she was off axid...lift... with spin out dismount... and s/s spins...lots of speed... and nicely timed... and they dont lose it a bit! spirals... back spirasl... death spiral... nice position from her... and pairs spin... and finish to tumultuous applause from the crowd. Standing O from the 14,000 here... Chris thinks it might have been a little old fahsioned ... he also wants to see the toes again... and if he missed it so did I! here we go... no he did two turns! how did we miss thta - because they were so far apart we think! that's what we're saying anyway!

marks 4.3-5.6... don't understans the high end I don't... 4.7-5.9... the holy hell???? one 5.9..and someone has them 3rd? Inquiry please! am stunned and have to wind the tape back to find out that between the jigs and reels they're in 9th. 3rd, the 7th, 3 9th, and a few 10s and 13.

Julia Obertas & Alexei Sokolova RUS
Pale blue dress for her which is lovely, if not quite right for her colouring. Black trousers and grey/black shirt for him. summer of 42 the music... nice soft piano to begin...s/s triple toe were perfect... this is lovely so far... split doiuble twist which was huge... throw 3loop with stutter on way out and she needed to work at it..d.eaht spiral is lovely... lnice soft light touch to the two of them...s/s spins, unison seems ok, but I could be wrong...somethign didn't sit right with teh middle it seemed to me but I can't out my finger o nit..lift where sh'es vertical in the air! spirals... and into pairs spins... with nice variartions in position, incl one wehre she's leaned right the way back... and they're done. Exquisite at times says Simon, and I must agree...real chemistry says chris and thye're getting stronger and stronger. I really like these two myself, and this is a lovely program....loop was right down the middle of the rink, no much curve on the takeoff, so she had to work hard on that one... and great close up on her at the end!

marks 5.3-5.7... they went with them! 5.4-5.7..good solid marks, 3rd! a 4th, an 8th, the rest 3rd.

Maria Petrova & Alexei Tikhonov RUS
Black dress for her, which may in fact be very dark green. which it is. Matching top for him, black trousers. and spangles on teh front, with little Xs of silver near the top... blues under the rain is the music... they're taking their time to get settled... he looks up as teh music starts and puts up his hand to check for rain - nice! lots of speed.... split double was confident and high... s/s toes... clean... throw 3sal, nice and long... lift her on her side, and put down was not the best - that could've been nasty... steps around... cmael spins... to sit...change sit...not so much on the unison I think? not terrible tbut not great, little turning steps... around the corner into spirals..him in spread.... death spiral... and into pairs spin... and they're done and he's smiling. Virtually faultless says simon but not the magic of T&M...Chris has these third, quality of skating not as good as teh chinese, I think myself that they might be in second, but I'm just playing devil's advocate! Mistake for the chinese was only a .2 ded for all that it looked dreadful, so you know, it could be third for these two... but the way some of them are marking, I'm not calling it!

marks 5.4-5.8.. they're good says chris... 5.4-5.8... and they are in 3rd. Chris was right!

Whew, what a night! T&M, S&Z, P&T are the 1-3. O&S, Z&S, L&A (canada) in 6th, what a great result for them! Z&Z (Chn) P&T (Chn) A&B (France) in 9th, B&D (CZE) 10th.

Back on Thursday afternoon for the free!