Worlds 2006
Free Dance
This is supposed to be starting at ten in the morning, but in last night’s ladies’ short, Simon said it could be at any time from nine o’clock, if there was a whitewash in the snooker… so I was up at quarter to nine, have been in front of the computer since half nine, and with John Higgins one tantalising frame away from victory, my countryman, Ken Doherty, seems intent on making a battle out of it… and I’ve just looked up and seen that he needs snookers to win this frame… this could go on and on. Bugger.
To pass the time because I can’t go online (and John Higgins just won, yay!) I’m having a bet with myself on who will be shown… I’m thinking last two groups (possibly with one or two cut out, Gregory and Petukhov and Faiella and Scali being my favourites for the chop) and from group three, definitely the Brits and possible Khokhlova and Novitski who are one place behind them, especially if they over take them…*tempting fate*
As for who will win… *sigh* I think that Marie and Patch have a great chance, I’m just afraid they’re going to break my heart. I’m thinking… you know, I was going to write Bulgaria, USA, Canada, but I just can’t find it in my heart to think that Tanith and Ben’s free is that much better than Marie and Patch’s – because I found a download file of it when I was in Himself’s house (he swears I only love him for his broadband, I swear it’s not true… at least not completely!!!) and it was the first time I’d seen it, I just looked at it this morning and it reduced me to tears. I’m biased, but it honestly is my favourite of all the programs this season and I’d love to see it justly rewarded… but I’m afraid to get my hopes up!!! The judges seem to like the Bulgarians though, and their free is very good… but… *head desk*
I’m so tempted to fire up the internet… if it works, which it didn’t last night…
Eurosport are good to me – WinterPark trailers!!!
Ten minutes early!
So we miss…
Oooh hang on, someone’s chest… no, back… oh my! Nora Hoffman was hit by blade from Nozomi Watanabe and we see her back and she’s got the marks of the blades in it…we come in on group two, colour me surprised!!!
So we miss group one…
1 Alexandra ZARETSKI / Roman ZARETSKI ISR 22 69.01
2 Alla BEKNAZAROVA /
3 Anna ZADOROZHNIUK / Sergei VERBILLO UKR 21 69.73
4 Xiaoyang YU / Chen WANG CHN 23 66.53
Group 2
Hoffman and Elek asked to go at the end of the group, the referee said no, so they’re getting two minutes to pull themselves together and she’s in tears backstage… the Japanese were on, all ready to go but then got pulled off…and jesus god, we see it on the slo mo… and Nozomi was in a lift, lying back, with her blade up, and Nora was skating by as they were skating forwards, and they just collided, and the skate literally went across her back like the proverbial hot knife through butter… her arm is bandaged too…and she’s still in tears and I don’t know why the referee said no to their request, that’s horrible… the Japanese were good to go… and she’s not ready. She’s still in floods of tears… and the crowd stands as she comes out… coach blots her tears… and this referee? Has an absolute sin to answer for, I’m raging here.
5 Nora HOFFMANN / Attila ELEK HUN 18 74.57
Bright orange dress for her, orange shirt for him, black waistcoat and pants…flamenco medley… he spins her under his arm… and she’s certainly shimmying…twizzles… are not bad. Little far apart but fairly in synch… lift with him in squat, her leaning back with skate to head and that had to hurt… steps along the diagonal… really brave start says Chris… and this girl has guts. Circular step I think? Good stuff in it as well… losing unison a little and she’s not selling it like she usually would but to be here at all…second set of twizzles are excellent. Music changes, she leans against him…hydroblade move and knee slides, she goes under his legs and he pulls her… steps side by side, and around… lift with him in besti leaning back and her on his thigh, then she leans back in biellman, good girl… another lift with him in besti, her lying back in biellman around him, and he goes forward then stops and begins to turn, nicely done. Bit rough on way out, but ok. Dance spin is fine… music changes and speeds… serpentine steps… and I think the pain is really kicking in for her now… come on Nora… slow across the ice, but understandable… I feel so nasty for saying this!!! Turns…him in hydro, her leaning back with skate to head, and out and spin and she’s done. Literally on her knees on the ice. Big hug from him to her… and she is in tears… people are standing because they know what that cost her… and I say again, that referee? Needs to be taken out and horsewhipped with a horsewhip.
Marks TE 44.85 PCS 31.36 and 76.21 with 150.78 overall, and first place.
Break, and I’m guessing we skip the rest of the group?
6 Nozomi WATANABE / Akiyuki KIDO JPN 16 75.29
7 Morgan MATTHEWS / Maxim ZAVOZIN
8 Alexandra KAUC / Michal ZYCH POL 20 71.06
9 Elena ROMANOVSKAYA / Alexander GRACHEV RUS 19 71.50
WE DON’T SEE THE BRITS?????
Group 3
10 Jana KHOKHLOVA / Sergei NOVITSKI RUS 12 77.64
11 Christina BEIER / William BEIER GER 14 76.49
12 Nathalie PECHALAT / Fabian BOURZAT FRA 13 77.59
13 Sinead KERR / John KERR GBR 11 81.34
14 Kristin FRASER / Igor LUKANIN AZE 15 76.32
None of the above are shown and I’m stunned. Also, foaming at the mouth. But the Brits lead. 86.49 they scored.
Warm-Up Group 4
15 Oksana DOMNINA / Maxim SHABALIN RUS 7 89.17
Him in white jacket with black trim, black pants, her in white dress with black trim, waltz of the spirits… or dance of the spirits one or the other… start with dance spin and change of position has skate to the head… steps around, twizzles nice second pass equally so… steps in dance hold down along the diagonal of the rink… no actually, serpentine pattern… very good… lift with upside down entry ad she’s upside down bent over with skate to head and him going forward in one spot… twizzles are a little out… second pass are better… slow section this… nicely done, and lift with him in besti, her on his thighs facing forwards, with skate to the head from behind… steps along diagonal… splits lift with him in besti and her parallel to ice, then change position to him in squat going backwards, her facing him… very nice. Change music again, and steps… circular step? Rotational lift with her in biellman in front of him, and lots of flailing in front of the judges for the last five seconds and they’re done. Really liked that… Simon says they’ve done their country proud, talks about how some couples can, even with all the restrictions, cut through the rules and show what they’re made of…Chris wasn’t sure of the music, didn’t think it suited their style; I have to say I kinda liked it…
Marks TE 48.62 PCS 41.60 and they go into first… 89.22 and ded of one… 178.39 and they lead.
16 Megan WING / Aaron LOWE CAN 8 85.44
Crowd are going to get into this, and they do… black shirt for him, and pants… she’s got a lovely black dress navy blue sparkles with cut out on the shoulder and circle on the neck… oh god he had food poisoning last night? Piazzolla is the music… twizzles and he’s all over the place on the first pass, second is better but miles apart... he dips her they go low nearly hydroblade… spins apart and back together to steps… circular step… lovely, nice deep choctaws in there… lift where she’s spinning her with her in biellman and he stops rotation midway and goes the other way… and stop right on the music…nearly kiss, swing apart from one another… twizzles… good second set good if not better… well done. Dance spin her with skate to head, change position in sits facing one another… Chris praises the lovely smooth change onto the back spin… lift with her lying back on leg on his shoulder other skate to her head and him in change edge besti halfway through… another lift with him in besti, her lying diagonal to ice… she glides forward, he dips low and holds onto her him going backwards… music changes now, and speed and crowd should clap… but are not… steps along the diagonal… twizzles, and no serpentine… very nice… he’s doing well… towards centre and splits lift rotational and down, and tango at centre ice and they’re done. Big hug at centre ice, and they take their bows and he looks all in! he kept going, didn’t let his illness show… she keeps checking that he’s all right… we see first twizzles and Chris says he’s “not quite as sharp as he would normally be, and it takes the slo mos to see that.” “You’ve got to take your hat off to him, just to get out there.” Very good performance as we see the change edge besti curved lift…
Marks TE 46.90 PCS 38.17 for less than the Kerrs on the night, 85.07 and 170.51, second at the moment.
And we go to a break… do I see the Italians getting dumped????
17 Federica FAIELLA / Massimo SCALI ITA 10 84.02
No I don’t! Blue sparkly dress for her,
with lighter flames of blue on the chest, he has matching colours in a blousy
shirt and very tight trousers. The Mission is the music… start with him pulling
her and spinning her then as she leans against him… into dance spin facing sit,
and up, change to him in Y spin, her holding onto him… spiral like things where
their legs intertwine… besti lift with her wrapped around him skate to head,
then down to him in squat and her lying back, very good. She twizzles, this
their serpentine step? Yep… lots of him twizzling then her… and now the synch
ones, are not bad… and pause, kneeling on the ice having flailed a lot to get
there… off again, steps with her in lunge and him bending over holding onto her
boot and it looks untidy… she lifts him, she’s going forward in squat and he’s
lying back… the look on his face, you
can tell he wants to wave… squat lift with him going forwards, her lying back…
Chris remarks on innovation in the lifts…twizzles are not great, second pass
are better… steps down the ice and back to centre… circular step perhaps? Lift
with her leaning back both skate to head, then one, first with him in besti,
then goes rotational after her change of position, and more steps to finishing
pose. And they look happy with that… Simon praises them for coming back after
the disappointment of
Marks TE 48.71 PCS 39.37 and best tech so far, 88.08 and second best so far, they move up, 172.10? and they’re second overall above the Canadians.
18 Galit CHAIT / Sergei SAKHNOVSKI ISR 6 89.36
Shimmering backless and pretty much sideless and frontless cream dress for her, he’s in matching shirt, blue waistcoat with a nice skirt to it and matching trousers. Bolero the music… start off with steps around, eyeing up the judges here and there… circular step but I doubt it… lift with her in biellman around him, him going forwards on one foot, up he goes and spins her around really quickly… fantastic balance… twizzles are out of synch… second set are better… dance spin… just the one position there. Steps in serpentine pattern… twizzles in it are well done… keeping the speed up well… lose the feed and her upside down in straight vertical position, arms behind her around his waist, and him in besti… twizzles get miles apart… he dips her low… and biellman bracelet with her diagonal across him, he goes forward, then backwards on one foot, really good balance again! This the circular step… good unison… he hydroblade and pulls her back… steps around and back near centre,,, lift with her parallel to the ice, rotational lift that, and spin her in place and that’s them. The lads think that the music was a mistake… how do you replace perfection wonders Simon. Chris says they’ve done a lot of work on lengthening their edges, having had criticism for being short and sharp…
Marks TE 48.70 PC 43.23 which gives them 91.93 and 181.29, they lead overall and on the night. Not overjoyed by the marks.
Simon says five to go, but surely it’s six, and as we go to a break, I fear for the Americans… mind you, it’s only twenty to eleven, isn’t this supposed to go until twelve??? Although we have learned from this week that maths is far from Simon’s strong point… listening to him try to add the TES and PCS on the fly can be quite comical. Though we’re all so afflicted… it’s hard to add when your head is spinning, your mind is addled and your heart is pounding! (This is me building a defence for when I’m incapable of working out the sums after Marie and Patch skate!)
Quel surprise!
19 Melissa GREGORY / Denis PETUKHOV
Pink dress for her, with back cut out, and little lattice cap thing in her hair. He’s got matching blouse, and wine pullover type thing and trousers to match in velvet… he rolls her over his body, down to nearly lying on the ice and pulls her up again… steps and he dips her and pulls her around and through… Romeo and Juliet and the art of war the music…rotational lift with her out to the side, skate to head… kicks out to the side in time to music in steps… circular step, nicely done… though Prokofiev never intended it to sound like this…first set of twizzles whack out, second set better though still looks as if she was faster than he was… slow section and twizzles again first set not great, second better… steps around, and lift with her in skate to head lying back, and him in besti… and lift with her lying back, him going forward in squat, then up from that, and her lying back horizontal and him spinning her…dance spin with skate to head, change position, her in camel him in sit. Music changes as they go around the corner… and down the ice in step sequence… serpentine by the looks of it… she’s eyeing up the judges, but I detect a distinct loss of pace… move where she’s nearly in death spiral position holding onto his legs and spinning… back to Romeo and Juliet… handstand lift with him in besti, and then she goes over her head and down onto the ice, and a couple more steps and they are done. Nice move to end on! Chris was disappointed with that… was looking for change of pace… Simon wonders can the Kerrs move up… I’m biased, hope they can, but it would HAVE BEEN NICE TO SEE THEM!!!! (Bitter bus, party of one!) Chris wonders did they suffer from going after the Israelis…Simon talks about charisma, and Chris is saying that it’s reflected in the second mark, or that it certainly should be…someone wrote in asking should charisma be a second mark all on its own…
Marks TE 47.42 PCS 39.03 lower than Kerrs on the night, just hold them off overall, 86.45 and 171.06 and they’re fourth, just above Wing and Lowe.
Another break.
Warm-Up Group 5
20 Isabelle DELOBEL / Olivier SCHOENFELDER FRA 3 97.32
Same costumes as Olympics, the red with gold lattice on the centre, him in black pants, green sleeves, her dress is red skirted, with gold accents on the waist, and we see the gloves… Flight of the Dove is the music… starts in steps as I try to find the language of the words… don’t sound like English, I’m thinking French… him going forward in squat, her on his knees leaning back, then up him going backwards, and she’s got her chest against his with her legs all the way up with skate to head…twizzles are excellent… steps around and she leaps on him so that she’s lying back upside down against him to make an X effect… steps in dance hold, serpentine pattern… did he nearly skid there? Her in death spiral position as he spins her…the glovey thing with the close up cam… into the dance spin and the smile on her face… up and out… she leans back and down, he supports her… hand stand lift from her, him with one foot going forwards… twizzles in both directions are good… leaning back away from one another and down low with legs out… and pop up… so hard1 circular step, and I’m not kidding people, I have a lump in my throat… the passion, the drive… lift with her perpendicular to him, lying back as he’s in besti… and to centre, leaning back as he dips here and they’re done and oh my word that was so good!!! And I have such a horrible feeling people, such a horrible feeling, that they are going to end up being dinked off the podium in favour of Tanith and Ben… can they get a medal wonders Simon, he thinks it’s deserved… they think they did their best OD of the season a few days ago… oh I can hardly look…glove thing was her idea, she thought it was impossible to do Carnival in Venice without getting masks in there somehow… the technique, the difficulty, the charisma, the originality…
Marks TE 50.52 PCS 47.60 98.12 and they lead, 195.44. they got 8s for choreography and interp and timing. (I think…is that the last PCS?)
21 Margarita DROBIAZKO / Povilas VANAGAS LTU 5 96.12
Long white dress for her, he’s all in black, avec gloves, white accent on his sleeves, and ruffle on the deep V of his chest… Phantom is the music… start off with dance spin… change of position to her in biellman… he kneels on the ice in front of her and spins… twizzles are really fast, and have good unison… Chris comments on amazing ice coverage on the twizzles… another set in the steps… passing in and out in front of one another, and around the comer to the somersault entry into lift with him in squat, her lying back one leg in the air… another lift, her in banana facing down, him going forward in one foot, then besti… great speed…. Glide back where she’s nearly doing the splits her leg is so high in the air…change of music, he kneels on the ice… and up now, All I Ask of You the music… she dips in front and he spins… slow section is very nice… him in squat going forwards, her lying back on his legs… dance to centre…. Twizzles… out of synch on second pass? Music is building now, as we go down the ice in serpentine pattern… she does splits and he brings her around…and lift now where she ends up with leg around his neck, he stops the rotation and brings her around the other way, and it’s great, but it looks untidy as hell on the way up there… down from that, spinning in steps and to centre ice for the finish. People are standing in the crowd… very very good, really liked it, could live with it being second but not first. Chris is exhausted, thought it was brilliant, best he’s seen them skate it (I agree), he talks of the speed in the opening section (oh hell yeah) you can’t help but be sucked into it (yes, but not as much as the French), one of the best things they’ve ever done (ok, one of, but I adored Spente le Stelle), he calls it special and says that he hopes the judges go with it… “How’s that for charisma?” …charisma seems to be the buzz word of the night for these two… two good performances in this group so far, dear lord, let it continue… my stomach is in knots!
Marks TE 52.58 PCS 47.17 and 99.75 and they have the lead… 195.87 and they are first with a chance of a medal… and ok, I’m happy for them but my heart breaks for Isabelle and Olivier…
Eurosport go to a break, which I intend to use that I may sit here and rock back and forth, whimpering quietly to myself…
22 Albena DENKOVA / Maxim STAVISKI BUL 1 99.40
Red dress for her with black on the shoulders and skirt and going down the front…so more black then red then… him in black pants and then matching black sparkle top with red on the side… Adagio by Albinoni is the music… she leans back on the ice and it looks like he jumps over her… and now off they go skating together… little hop from him… lift from the back with her on his shoulder and X effect, goes to change of position and rotational with her on his shoulders, wrapped around him and down… dance spin… and can he lift her on to his shoulders? I just want to know! Running steps and that starts off serpentine pattern… twizzles are good inside that… and they’re using every inch of the ice to be sure… twizzles are slow and far apart, out of synch just slightly on the second pass and getting further apart… crossovers back to lift with him in besti, her lying on his legs, facing away from him… steps down the ice, ok, maybe this the serpentine pattern? I’s addled and confussed!!! Twizzles are definitely out of synch on the second lot… stop as they music changes… builds now… lots of kicks and turns and another leap from him, he does like to do that… glide back with him in besti, her in kinda spiral… besti lift with her in splits facing away from him, goes up to biellman bracelet her diagonal, him going back on one foot… then got to forward glide from him with her sitting on his knee leaning back…out of that and down to the ice and they are done. Very good, muted applause from the Canadians, who are not going over the top at all… good applause though. Simon talks about the cushion that these two have…Chris didn’t spot any mistakes, they gave it everything… I’m sure I’ll like it more when I know the results and I go back and see them again on the video! Chris thinks maybe not doing Euros means they’re not as tired, so are a bit crisper… Simon is mathsing, says they can afford to be second as long as not badly so…
Marks TE 51.56 PCS 48.18 virtual tie! Beaten on the night 99.74 how close is that!!!! 199.14, they are first for now with two to go… oh dear lord someone tell me the results now, I can’t do this again!!!
23 Tanith BELBIN / Benjamin AGOSTO
Red dress for her, with black effect and pink on the neckline, he’s all in black with lattice diamonds on sleeves and shoulders, same costumes as all season, and he’s got his red on the neck… flamenco music… start off with some flamenco moves… they certainly look sharp… lift with her lying back in his arms as he does besti, goes to rotational lift then…. Music changes to very clappy bit…twizzles are ok? So are second set… lots of speed here… serpentine step… very nice, lots of changes of hold and position… down the diagonal and to centre ice… and stop there right on the music… slow part now, dancing on the spot, and off to the dance spin where she does lovely layback, change of position to bent leg camel, him in sit… lifty glide with him in besti, her between his legs… and shoulder lift where he’s back on one foot, then drops her down to waist level… and lift with her lying horizontal then change so that she’s diagonal and he drops down… and out two twizzles… very nice. And he nearly fell there… just going around in steps… fast part here now…. To circular step… this Michelle’s short from 95, I remember it… good steps, but a little slow? Good unison though… and lift with her in splits one leg on his shoulder and they spin and put her down and they are done, and listen to that roar… Simon praises them with a note in his voice that contains the word “but” and says that he’s not sure of the program… he doesn’t think they’ve done enough tonight. Chris doesn’t think that was a world champion’s program… it might have been the performance but not the program… he’d have everything we’ve seen so far ahead of this, including the French… he has Rita and Pov in front first… we all know where I stand… (on slightly wobbly knees at the moment, but anyway!) Chris says from beginning of the season, he felt something was missing here, it left him empty… there was little stutter from Ben, he missed that on the first go round…
Marks TE 52.48 PCS 47.02 and that’s 99.50 overall second, 196.74, above Rita and Pov… means French will not get a medal… well Simon, I wrote that off a long time ago.
And just to let me whimper a little more, they go to a break…
I am actually shaking here. I swore, after Bourne and Kraatz that I was never, ever going to put myself through this again… oh my…
24 Marie-France DUBREUIL / Patrice LAUZON CAN 2 98.12
Lovely white shiny dress with little bit of gold on skirt for her, and he’s in the white pullover shirt with gold tie and dark brown trousers… Somewhere in Time is the music and I love this music and I love this film… and in the break I got my pen out and I know that 101.02 ties it…and listen to the crowd… hush now, she leans back on him… come back to me whispers the music… and I nearly forget to restart my tape… bugger! Start off with nice bit of spiral… lift where she stands on him and he goes forward on one foot, drop down to glide… steps around, and they looks so secure… serpentine pattern… lovely knee bend along the ice… she glides as he turns… down diagonal towards centre twizzles are good, and second set good… get further apart but still good.. lift with her leaning away from him sitting on his lap him in besti, then rotational with her in the splits and the roar to that… he pulls her in spiral… and spins her in steps, twizzles… and again… and steps and rotational lift that hey fell on in Olympics and he stops rotation and does it the opposite way… and the kick throughs… and steps, in dance hold, circular step sequence and the way they fit in with the music… and the smile on her face… and also on mine… running back steps… and he dips her and brings her around… hand to her face… dance spin… change position and they’re side by side… and out of that, and around again… and glide with her in spiral him on one foot going back and the final lift is stunning and they’re done and people are standing and she’s nearly crying and oh my god that was so good!!! Simon calls it wonderful to watch, was it enough and we see one lady in the arena in tears… and I have chills. I don’t know if it’s enough, I don’t care if it’s enough (I lie, I lie so badly!) I thought it was fabulous! Chris saw no mistakes, lifts the highlights of the program, thought it might have been a little open in places when compared with the Bulgarians… see, they could win but the Bulgarians have the cushion of the lead…
Marks … oh god… TE 53.07 PCS 47.50 100.57 so close! 198.69 and second! I thought they had it… and they lost it on the components… and it was the best on the night by over a mark… we see Bulgarians backstage… they’re thrilled…
So… Denkova, Dubrueil, Belbin is the podium.
Then Rita, Isabelle, Galit, Domnina ITA, USA CAN are the one to ten, Kerrs are eleventh.
And I am shaking. Still.
We see the podium and Albena is beaming… she looks very like Shae-Lynn! This is one long anthem! Nice applause from the crowd and Marie and Patch look thrilled up there… I’m so happy for them!