2013 Euros - Ziggy's Reports

[Ziggy]

Men - Short Program
Men - Free Skating

Ladies - Short Program
Ladies - Free Skating

Pairs - Short Program
Pairs - Free Skating

Ice Dance - Short Dance
Ice Dance - Free Dance

I hope you enjoy reading them. Any questions, comments, criticisms and discussion are very welcome.

I am not sure I'll have the time to cover all of the events but I will try.
ETA: I've managed to do them all. YAY, so chuffed!

Disclaimer:

Yep, I know I am very nitpicky (on triple twists in particular where the judges seem to be blind to numerous errors that usually happen :P).

The GOE values listed next to the elements are the ones, I'd give if I was a judge. PCS would be even more fun to do but just no time to think about them given I have to type everything up.

The reports are based on a tv broadcast so certain things (like ice coverage, for example) I don't get as good a sense of as somebody watching live.

All I can think about now, I think. If in doubt, just ask.

[Ziggy]

2013 European Figure Skating Championships
Ice Dance – Short Dance

Detailed Classification
Judges Scores

Overall, it was a great event. Ice Dance has never been stronger. Even the lower placed teams delivered very decent performances and it made me wish that 24 teams would qualify to the final, just like in singles. Outstanding performances from most of the top teams. A special mention has to go to Agafonova/Ucar who delivered a fantastic performance far exceeding anybody's expectations, including their own judging from their reaction to the marks.

On another note, with few exceptions I've generally agreed with the judges (I'd have Zvorigina/Bernadowski qualify instead of Elsener/Roost and would place Shtork/Rand and Coomes/Buckland a couple places lower but that's pretty much it). This has never ever happened before and it is a very surprising turn of affairs.

1. Ramona Elsener / Florian Roost /SUI/
Polka: Pie in the Face Polka by Henry Mancini
Waltz: Carnival de Venise Medley

waltz jump to twizzles: arm folded in front and catch into clockwise arms folded – slow and a little choppy [-1]
yankee polka – tentative, edges not held long [-1]
yankee polka – a little better but they lack flow [-1]
not touching circular step sequence – edges not very deep, they could use more speed [-1]
rotational lift: horizontal in catchfoot – positions could be better extended [0]

They seemed a little tentative throughout and didn't project very well. You just wanted them to push a little bit more. Basic skating weak for a dance team. Generic choreography. The waltz and polka parts seemed like two seperate programs.

2. Zsuzsanna Nagy / Mate Fejes /HUN/
Waltz
Polka

twizzles: arm above and catch into clockwise arms behind(his travelled a little and was a bit tentative) into arm above [0]
spread eagle straight line lift with changes of position [0]
not touching circular step sequence – quite good flow and quite deep edges throughout [1]
yankee polka [0]
yankee polka [0]

Their skating skills look improved. They got quite good glide and flow throughout and their edges were reasonably deep. Again, the waltz and polka parts looked like two different programs, however. They intepreted the waltz part quite well, capturing the mood of the music with their sweeping movements. The polka didn't work so well. A question about the timing on that part.

3. Sarah Coward / Georgi Kenchadze /BUL/
Waltz: Tennessee Waltz performed by The Dying Kicks
Polka: John Ryan's Polka (from "Titanic" soundtrack) by James Horner

not touching midline step sequence [0]
twizzles: arm above and catch(slow) into arms folded in front clockwise(he struggled and barely kept his balance) [-2]
yankee polka – he pretty much walked through it [-2]
yankee polka – again, shallow edges and poor control from him [-2]
one arm rotational lift – slow, positions not extended well [-1]

You could see he is very new to ice dancing. His movements were really awkward, posture and lines were poor and he struggled on most of the footwork. She is clearly a much stronger partner than him at this point. It looked a little like something out of a 'dancing on ice' tv show. The program did have a concept at least and the “hoedown” theme made the two parts work together as a whole.

4. Lesia Valadzenkava / Vitali Vakunov /BLR/
Waltz by Johann Strauss
Polka by Johann Strauss

circular not touching step sequence – weak, tentative footwork from him, he skated almost on flats, she had much better edges and flow [-1]
straight line lift: her standing on his boot in catchfoot – slow, positions could be better extended [-1]
yankee polka – foot placement not very precise, it looked a little chaotic [-1]
yankee polka – a little slow [-1]
twizzles: arm above and catch (a little off-synch) into clockwise arms behind into arms folded in front (him) and arms folded on hips (her) – really weird to see their positions not matched at all on the last twizzle [-1]

They didn't have a lot of speed. She is the stronger partner. His movements were quite stiff and he wasn't extending them. The waltz and polka parts had music that was very similar in nature and worked together very well. They did manage to capture the mood of the music reasonably well (she was selling it much better than him, though).

5. Federica Testa / Lukas Csolley /SVK/
March: Radetzky March by Johann Strauss
Waltz: Die schöne Galathee by Franz von Suppe
Polka by Johann Strauss

twizzles: arm above and catch into clockwise arm above(he totally lost balance at the start and stepped out after one or two revs) into arms above [-2]
midline not touching step sequence [0]
yankee polka – nice lines and extensions, good tempo [1]
yankee polka [0]
catchfoot rotational lift – a little slow but nice position from her [0]

Decent speed, big movements with decent lines and extensions. Very good attack, they sold the program extremely well. They captured the character of the music quite well and the three pieces of music were similar in style and worked as a whole. Shame about the big mistake on the twizzles because other than that, this was overall the highest quality of skating presented so far.

6. Allison Reed / Vasili Rogov /ISR/
Waltz: Claudia's Waltz by The Dreadoughts
Polka: A Rambler's Life by The Dreadnoughts

They have withdrawn due to medical reasons.

7. Kira Geil / Tobias Eisenbauer /AUT/
Waltz: Heidi halt mi by Hubert von Goisern
Polka: Brenna tuats guat by Hubert von Goisern

midline not touching step sequence – quite slow, not much flow [-1]
yankee polka – music nicely expressed with their whole bodies, good tempo, edges could be deeper though [0]
yankee polka [0]
difficult entry to one foot straight line lift – changes of position were quite effortless but he wobbled slightly (always very hard to keep balance in those kind of lifts) [0]
waltz jump to twizzles: arm above and catch(off-synch) into clockwise arms above(she struggled and eventually put foot down) into arms on hips(exit off-synch) [-2]

A folky “Octorberfest”-esque dance. Their basic skating isn't very strong but the've shown fun choreography, very much in-character of the music and used their whole bodies to express it.

8. Olesia Karmi / Max Lindholm /FIN/
Polka: Säkkijärven Polka
Waltz: Kesäillan Valssi

yankee polka – good speed, quite precise foot placement, edges a little shallow though [0]
yankee polka – they lost speed and momentum a little bit [-1]
twizzles: arm above and catch into arm above clockwise(a little off-synch) into arms above(they got really close to the boards and she almost ran into them coming out) – decent rotation speed [0]
midline not touching step sequence [0]
one arm rotational lift going to one foot – nice rotation speed increase towards the end [1]

Another folk program. It started well with good speed and character but then drifted away slightly and it looked like the choreographer has run out of ideas or they've run out of steam (or both). Still, their movement did relate to the music quite well and it was another program which worked quite well as a whole and had a clear concept.

Margaglio finally got rid of the fugly ponytail and it was the first time he looked decent. Quite dashing in a sharp suit. Good motivational speech by him in the k&c: 'You have done your best. I cannot ask for anything more. This is your first European Championships' He has done a good job developing Finnish ice dancing, hopefully there will be younger teams coming up soon as well.

9. Angelina Telegina / Otar Japaridze /GEO/
Polka: Schei-we-dei-wi-du by Die Mayrhofner

twizzles: arm above and catch(off-synch) into clockwise arms on hips – decent rotation speed but a little messy [-1]
midline not touching step sequence [0]
yankee polka – decent glide, quite long sweeping edges [0]
yankee polka – lost speed slightly [0]
rotational catchfoot lift [0]

Another “Oktoberfest” hoedown. They were trying really hard with the OTT facial expressions and the whole shebang but for me it just didn't work and screamed trying too hard. Whilst the miming was Lv5, they could use a little more speed and attack. There was this weird dissociation between how OTT their facial expression was in comparison to the slightly more muted movement. And whilst it was meant to be a fun, folky program, to me it looked like a bad parody. I just don't think that they really felt and connected with the music. But maybe that's just me.

Anyways, enough about miming. :P Their skating ability is decent and she's a stronger partner than Allison Reed. It's very early days for them but I think that the potential is there.

10. Lucie Mysliveckova / Neil Brown /CZE/
Polka: Charlie Chaplin (soundtrack)
Waltz: The Artist (soundtrack) by Ludovic Bource
March: Kid (Charlie Chaplin soundtrack)

yankee polka – good speed, quite deep edges [1]
yankee polka [0]
twizzles: arm above and catch(she lost balance and fought hard to stay on one foot) to arms above to clockwise arm above – quite fast and well synchronised [0]
rotational lift with her between his legs in layback with catch – very nicely extended position, decent rotation speed [1]
midline not touching step sequence – could use a little more speed and flow [0]

A very nicely choreographed program. Their movement was nuanced throughout and reflected the character of the music very well. They sold the program well.

Other than for the slight mishap at the start of the twizzles, the elements were performed quite well (although I can't speak about the levels). Even on the twizzles, the second and first twizzle were very sharp so fortunately they managed to recover after the initial error.

Best overall quality of skating so far and deservedly in the lead.

11. Alexandra Zvorigina / Maciej Bernadowski /POL/
Polka: Gaite Parisienne by Jacques Offenbach
Waltz: Emperor Waltz (Kaiserwalzer) by Johann Strauss

yankee polka – decent edges and speed [0]
yankee polka – maintained the momentum, decent tempo [0]
twizzles: arm above and catch into clockwise arms folded(he struggled to keep his balance) – first set was good but he lost balance and barely kept free foot off at the end of the second [-1]
not touching circular step sequence [0]
one arm rotational lift going to one foot – quite good rotation speed [1]

This was surprisingly decent, given their modest competition results so far. They showed a lot of expression throughout and sold the program very well. Nice lines and extensions from her. Quite a lot of improvement since last year.

Having said that, her basics are much better than his. His posture and lines were quite poor and there was quite a big contrast between them in this regard.

At the end of the event, it turned out that they've missed qualifying to the free dance by 0.04 points. They must be bitterly disappointed. :(

12. Charlotte Aiken / Josh Whidborne /GBR/
Polka: Devil Went Down to Georgia

not touching circular step sequence – quite nice speed and flow [1]
straight line lift with him sitting low and her standing on his boot in a split – very well extended positions [1]
twizzles: arm above and catch into clockwise arms on hips(a little weak from him) into moving arms – decent rotation speed [1]
yankee polka – they seemed to be behind the music slightly, edges a little shallow [-1]
yankee polka – likewise [-1]

Great attack and character throughout. Sharp movements, a fun program, presented well from start to finish.

They are not the strongest skaters in terms of basic skating and it really showed on the yankee polka which was clearly the weakest part of the program. But their performance ability and decent choreography hid their flaws well. The program was quite open however. It was mostly skated apart or in open holds.

13. Alisa Agafonova / Alper Ucar /TUR/
Polka: Fairytale by Alexander Rybak

twizzles: arm above and catch into clockwise arms folded in front – quite fast, secure and very well synchronised [1]
yankee polka – decent speed but edges a little shallow [0]
yankee polka [0]
midline not touching step sequence – well synchronised, sharp [1]
sit straight line lift with him sitting very low and her laying back in a split – great positions, secure [1]
impressive hydroblade move towards the end

Wow. I don't think anybody has expected them to skate anywhere near this well. All elements were solid and they skated with ease, great unison and near perfect synchronisation throughout. It all looked simply effortless.

The choreography was a little generic and they could have shown a little more attack (although that would probably come at the expense of control). Still, it was a very strong performance.

Hats off to Zhulin and the whole team, their improvement is simply remarkable.

14. Siobhan Heekin-Canedy / Dmitri Dun /UKR/
Waltz: Marguerite Watlz by Charles Gounod
Polka: Irish Party in Third Class (John Ryan's Polka)

not touching circular step sequence [0]
twizzles: arm above and catch into clockwise arm above(off-synch) into clockwise arm above [0]
yankee polka – neat and precise foot placement [1]
yankee polka – likewise, it was all very tidy (although the edges could have been deeper) [1]
rotational lift with her in a split – solid and rotated quite fast [1]

Same as usual from them. Solid technically (altough not outstanding), quite neat and composed movement but they just fail to excite. Choreography was quite generic and the two different rhythms didn't blend together very well. Expression was a little lacking (especially on his part).

Interestingly, Dmitri Dun used to skate with Alisa Agafonova at the international Junior level (representing Ukraine which both of them come from).

15. Tanja Kolbe / Stefano Caruso /GER/
Waltz: La Foule by Edith Piaf
Polka: French Can Can (from Gaite Parisienne) by Jacques Offenbach

twizzles: arm above and catch into clockwise arms on hips into arms above – quite fast and well synchronised [1]
not touching circular step sequence – deep edges, good glide [1]
rotational lift with her in a split – solid and quite good rotation speed [1]
yankee polka – quite deep edges, decent flow [1]
yankee polka [0]

Another strong performance. They've shown quite deep edges and good flow throughout. Probably best basic skating so far. They moved with ease (both in terms of their skating anad their relaxed upper body movement). Solid elements as well.

16. Sara Hurtado / Adria Diaz /ESP/
Waltz: Jane's Waltz
Polka: Modern Times

she fell on her knee as they were skating in a closed hold at the start
not touching circular step sequence – decent speed and flow, quite well synchronised [1]
holding foot into twizzles: arm above and catch into clockwise arms folded(she really struggled to keep her balance and rotated very slowly) into sit spin twizzles [-1]
yankee polka – edges a little shallow, foot placement a little messy [-1]
yankee polka – they just aren't getting enough glide or genereting enough speed from each push, their lack of basic technique is showing here [-1]
spread eagle curve lift with her in layback – could be a little sharper [0]

They've shown heaps of character and expression. Their performance ability is fantastic. But once again their lack of basic technique proved their achilles heel. A mistake on the twizzles (which happens quite often for them) but it was the yankee polka which exposed that they struggle to generate speed from steps and turns if no cross-overs or progressives are allowed, with their edges being quite shallow and scratchy

This team seems stuck in a rut, if not regressing, in terms of competition results but I do hope they continue working on their technique and turn the tide around in the end because they are fantastic performers. Always enjoyable to watch and showing plenty of character.

17. Penny Coomes / Nicholas Buckland /GBR/
Polka: Scalliwag by Galic Storm
Waltz
Polka: Rhythms of the Fall

twizzles: arm above and catch into clockwise arms on hips into arms folded in front – first and second set were very fast but they were slightly off-synch on the first set, she rotated slowly on the third set [0]
yankee polka – no major issues but they were quite far apart [0]
yankee polka [0]
not touching circular step sequence – quite fast footwork, decent speed [1]
difficult entry into rotational lift with changes of position – secure with fast and effortless rotation and changes of position but it could have covered more ice [1]

Whenever I watch them, I have SLIVER's 'speed skaters on crack' comment in my head. They are very fast and very expressive but I can't help but think 'this isn't ice dancing'. They skate quite far apart and whilst their routines are always entertaining, it looks more like show skating than sport. There's a lot of pizzaz and since she's so slightly built, he throws her around with ease but ice dancing is supposed to be (at least for me) about skating closely together, showing deep edges and mastery of the blade. And that's not something that you can really get from them. Just my two and a half cents.

Having said all that, it was a very sharp performance. They were fast, they showed tons of attack and there was absolutely no hesitation or holding back. They just tore through the program.

An as aside, I don't see how their (hideous) generic skating costumes – especially her mango and blue dress (who puts those two colours together...) - related to the music.

18. Pernelle Carron / Lloyd Jones /GBR/
Polka: Cotton Eyed Joe
Waltz: Tenessee Waltz
Polka: Cotton Eyed Joe

yankee polka [0]
yankee polka [0]
unexpected entry into twizzles: arm extended into clockwise arms behind into arms folded on chest [0]
spread eagle straight line lift with changes of position [0]
not touching midline step sequence [0]

Elements were ok. No major mistakes but nothing outstanding either.

The program was quite fun but it was something that would be much better suited to a novice team. Seeing two adults doing lasso movements and 'punching somebody in the face' was quite ridiculous. They skated mostly apart and it was another performance which looked much more like a show routine than a competitive program.

Still, given how dull their performances used to be in the past most of the time, at least they've shown some character here. They do seem stuck and not really going anywhere in terms of their competition results, though. I do think that she deserves a stronger partner but it's not like any are available. They are now in their third season together and I still get the impression he's being dragged around the ice and barely keeping up, 'dancing on ice' style.

19. Ekaterina Riazanova / Ilia Tkachenko /RUS/
My Fair Lady by Frederick Loewe

not touching circular step sequence – quite deep edges, big precise turns, flow could be a little bit better, though, some snow coming from under her blades [1]
waltz jump to twizzles: arm above and catch into clockwise moving arms into arms on hips – quite fast [1]
yankee polka – good speed, decent edges, precise footwork [2]
yankee polka [1]
rotational lift with her in catchfoot – secure, decent rotation speed [1]

Elegant, big and sweeping movements, quite good flow. Slightly old fashioned choreography but in a good way. A vintage, sophisticated program which worked well for them.

They don't have the basic skating of some of the top teams but they did a very good job tonight.

20. Elena Ilinykh / Nikita Katsalapov /RUS/
Andijan Polka

twizzles: arm bent in front of face and catch into clockwise arm above into arms above – fast and sharp [2]
not touching circular step sequence – good edges, decent flow [1]
yankee polka – close together, deep edges [2]
yankee polka – sharp [1]
difficult entry into catchfoot rotational lift – solid, good position from her, fast rotation speed [2]

Fantastic basic skating. The whole package: music, theme, choreography and even the costumes, made the program stand out from the crowd. They sold it well and the elements were very strong.

21. Ekaterina Bobrova / Dmitri Soloviev /RUS/
Polka: Put in a Good Word for the Poor Hussar (soundtrack)
Waltz: The Crew (soundtrack)

yankee polka – fast, effortless [2]
yankee polka – likewise [2]
waltz jump to twizzles: arms folded in front(she lost balance at one moment but managed to get back into it and maintain her speed) into clockwise arm above – fast [1]
spread eagle straight line lift with changes of position [1]
midline not touching step sequence – deep, smooth edges, clean turns [2]

Fantastic speed and attack throughout. Rich and detailed choreography with constant upper body movement as well as transitions, with a substantial part of the program being skated in closed holds. And they sold it really well. Everything just looked effortless.

I loved how the twizzles were integrated with the yankee polka sequences, with transitions (in closed holds) in between and a very short entry, especially given most teams tend to telegraph them nowadays. The first twizzle could have gone really pear-shaped for her but she showed nerves of steel and quickly recovered the balance.

The make-over Zhulin has given them is quite remarkable. They look better, happier and carry it across in their skating. Kustarova and Alexeeva used to weigh them down with boring, unimaginative programs that clearly breached the uplifting rule. It's quite a turnaround. Zhulin is just an excellent polishing coach.

I am a little surprised the judges thought this was only 0.44 better than Ilinykh/Katsalapov (the base value of the top two teams was equal). I would have had this clearly in the lead.

22. Irina Shtork / Taavi Rand /EST/
Polka: Cotton Eyed Joe
Waltz: Old Country Waltz
Polka: Cotton Eyed Joe

twizzles: arm above and catch(quite fast but a little off-synch) into clockwise arms extended in front(not a lot of speed, hers not very secure) [0]
yankee polka – pattern seemed quite small, not getting a lot of speed off each push [-1]
yankee polka – edges a little shallow [0]
midline not touching step sequence – quite laboured footwork from her [-1]
catchfoot rotational lift [0]

Their basic skating is quite sub-standard for an ice dance couple and their ice coverage wasn't great. He still seems to be a much stronger partner.

They had fun music and choreography but they didn't play it out very well. The performance needed stronger expression and they seemed quite bored.

They seemed really out of place in this group and I think that skating so late helped them with the marks. I would have placed them a couple places lower (definitely behind Hurtado/Diaz).

23. Julia Zlobina / Alexei Sitnikov /AZE/
Waltz: Valse Violente performed by Caravan Palace
Polka: Dolly Song by Holly Dolly

twizzles: arm above and catch into clockwise arm above [1]
midline not touching step sequence – decent flow, solid footwork [1]
yankee polka – good speed, edges could be more pronounced [1]
yankee polka [0]
catchfoot rotational lift [0]

A fun, quirky program sold very well. Tons of attack and expression from start to finish. But it was more than a show routine. They skated closely together, mostly in closed holds and the connecting footwork was quite detailed. And managed to maintain very good speed despite that. Quite strong on the elements as well.

24. Nelli Zhiganshina / Alexander Gazsi /GER/
March
Polka by Alfred Schnittke
Waltz: Admiral (soundtrack)

waltz jump to twizzles: catch(speed not bad but turns a little choppy) into clockwise arms above [0]
yankee polka – good speed, edges not bad [1]
yankee polka [1]
midline not touching step sequence – deep edges, decent flow [2]
difficult entry into sit straight line lift [1]

Very solid on the elements, quite strong basic skating and good expression throughout but the choreography fell short for me. If you took the OTT facial expressions away, it was basically a generic ballroom dance.

25. Anna Cappellini / Luca LaNotte /ITA/
Polka: Barn Dance (from "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" soundtrack)
Waltz: Bless Your Beautiful Hide and Wonderful, Wonderful Day (from "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" soundtrack)
Polka: Main Theme (from "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" soundtrack)

twizzles: arm bent in front and catch into clockwise arm above into moving arms – fast [1]
yankee polka [1]
yankee polka [0]
circular not touching step sequence [1]
rotational catchfoot lift – decent position and rotation speed [1]

A lot of character throughout, the different pieces of music worked very well together as a whole. There was a consistent theme, presented really well. Technically, however they weren't as strong as the Russian teams.

The main issue that has always held them back is still there. They skate on quite shallow edges and it really showed on the polka where they just wouldn't get as much glide from each push as other top teams which made the footwork look a little choppy.

Them being 4th on TES is right on the money, in my opinion. As far as PCS go, you could definitely argue for them getting 2nd highest (on everything other than SS anyways) but overall I believe that placing them behind both B/S and I/K was the right result. Overall those two teams just showed a higher standard of skating.

26. Charlene Guignard / Marco Fabbri /ITA/
Waltz: Buongiorno A Te performed by Luciano Pavarotti
Polka: Tritsch Tratsch Polka by Johann Strauss

twizzles: arm above and catch into clockwise arm folded in front into arms on hips – very fast [2]
not touching circular step sequence – good speed, decent edges [1]
catchfoot rotational lift – solid, good rotation speed [1]
yankee polka – good speed, decent edges [1]
yankee polka [1]

Very good speed and flow throughout, strong on all of the elements. In the past the lack of character and expression held them back slightly but this was a decently choreographed routine with a playful theme, which they've presented quite well. I would still like them to push a little more on the expression but technically they are very strong.

Their improvement over the last two seasons has been remarkable.

[Ziggy]

2013 European Figure Skating Championships
Pairs – Short Program

Detailed Classification
Judges Scores

It's a shame that only 15 teams took part but the level of skating was generally high and a number of teams have noticably improved since last season. European pair skating is in a decent place right now.

Again, the judges have mostly got this one right (I can't believe I am saying this ). Volosozhar/Trankov were outstanding and whilst Savchenko/Szolkowy skated well, they didn't skate to their full potential and their program looked like it has been cobbled together by Steuer in 15 minutes (it's still good but they deserve better).

1. Maria Paliakova / Nikita Bochkov /BLR/
Toccata
Salut D'Amour

2flip – high and quite solid but off-synch on the three-turns going in [0]
throw 3salchow – telegraphed, shaky landing with hand down, she was slightly off-axis in the air and didn't cover a lot of ice [-2]
Y spiral into bods – poor position [-1]
spirals into 3twist – not really much of a catch, she pretty much landed on her own, heavily two-footed landing from him [-3]
back spirals into hand-to-hand lift to change of position and reverse rotation to difficult dismount – they've really struggled and stopped for a moment changing position and rotation direction, two-footed [-2]
step sequence – quite weak, scratchy footwork [-1]
flying camel/sit/up holding foot/change sit holding foot(off-synch, weak positions) [-1]

They are a new team and you can see it's early days for them. They seemed really happy with their performance and skated well for their standard but the quality of the elements was poor. Not a lot of speed and their skating didn't really seem to have any relation to the music.

They were short of a small fraction of the point on the FS minimum score but fortunately ISU has decided to allow them to compete.

Nikita has pretty much his whole (slightly hairy) chest on show for us to admire. Quite a hunk so a PCS bonus is in order.

2. Julia Lavrentieva / Yuri Rudyk /UKR/
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (soundtrack) by Hans Zimmer

2 split twist – quite effortless [1]
throw 3salchow – solid with strong landing edge and a nice extension on the landing [1]
2flip – landing a little shaky for him but that's nitpicking [0]
hand-to-hand lift to one hand hold and dismount – solid with nice extensions from her but two-footed landing from him [0]
shoot-the-duck into bods – poor position, slow rotation [-2]
flying camel/sit/up var/change sit broken leg – decently synchronised but slow rotation and far apart [-1]
straight line step sequence – quite slow and laboured [-1]

A strong performance for their standard. Solid on all the big elements and the start, quite nice lines and extensions from her. They could have made better use of the music (which had a strong beat and accents) though.

A new personal best for them, by almost 2 points.

3. Stina Martini / Severin Kiefer /AUT/
Selection of Music by Parov Stelar

2twist – very poor height, two-footed from him [-1]
throw 3salchow – strongly pitched forward on the landing and put hand down, not a lot of height or distance [-2]
spiral to hand-to-hand lift to change of position and one hand to difficult dismount in spread eagle – laboured [-1]
2flip with hand above from him but not her [0]
flying camel/sit/up var/change butt out(not very well extended) – rotation quite slow, a little off-synch coming out [-1]
straight line step sequence – a little slow and laboured [-1]
Y spiral into bods – tentative entry, really weak position, barely made one revolution if that [-2]

Everything looked laboured. They seemed quite tentative and didn't sell the program very well.

A new personal best for them, by 0.15 points.

I have to say I am surprised that they keep on going. She's almost has high as him and neither she has a slight built, nor he is a muscly hunk. The odds are stacked against them.

4. Nicole Della Monica / Matteo Guarise /ITA/
Nothing Else Matters by Metallica

3twist – decent height but late, weak catch, two-footed landing from him [-2]
3salchow [0]
throw 3salchow – landed with good flow and a nice extension but she went to deeply on the outside edge and unexpectedly fell [-2]
hand-to-hand lift to one hand to change of position – strong, decent extensions from her [1]
straight line step sequence [1]
Y spiral to bods – rotation speed and position not bad [0]
flying camel/sit/up var(he wobbled)/change sit/up L – their positions didn't match very well [-1]

A totally different standard of skating. Quite elegant, decent flow throughout.

He is just stunning. You can definitely tell he's a model.

5. Stacey Kemp / David King /GBR/
Doctor Zhivago (soundtrack) by Maurice Jarre

3twist – poor height, under-rotated, two-footed landing from him [-3]
2axels – take-off slightly off-synch, she landed forwards and stepped out with hand down [-3]
throw 3flip – high and solid [1]
bods with change of hold – could use a little more speed [0]
straight line step sequence – edges not very strong, quite slow [-1]
flying camel/sit/up/change sit broken leg – off-synch until the change of foot [-1]
spiral and spread eagle into hand-to-hand lift to change of position and one hand – quite strong [1]

They really lacked speed and attack (given this is their first performance this season, having been out with an injury, they probably still are far from being in top shape). Generic choreography.

This was probably the first time they've performed the throw3flip cleanly in competition (they stopped attempting it after switching to Siudeks).

6. Magdalena Klatka / Radoslaw Chruscinski /POL/
Chopin by Edvin Marton

2twist – not much height but solid [0]
throw 2loop [0]
2axel – messy landing from him (he made a mistake but didn't notice exactly what as I was looking at her) cheated over 1/2 revolution by her [-3]
sit(off-synch)/up Y/change sit to cannonball(he went into a different position than her and then almost stopped rotating and in the end just stood there barely moving, must have lost his balance) [-2]
hand-to-hand lift to one hand to change of position to one hand(slow) to difficult dismount [-1]
catch spiral to bods with change of hold – weak position from her, no arch of the back [-1]
straight line step sequence – a little slow, finished slightly behind the music [-1]

They lacked attack and expression. She in particular looked like she wanted to be anywhere else but on the ice.

Their first competition since 2012 Junior Worlds almost a year ago (I assume they were out with injury) and I don't see very much improvement, I'm afraid.

7. Elizaveta Makarova / Leri Kenchadze /BUL/
Tango Amore by Edvin Marton

2twist with arms above – decent height and catch but two-footed from him [0]
throw 3loop – painful fall [-3]
steps to 2loop with arms above [1]
hand-to-hand lift to change of rotation direction and change of position to difficult dismount – very laboured [-1]
Y spirals to bods – weak position [-1]
flying camel/sit/up/change sit/up butt out – off-synch at the start and coming out [-1]
straight line step sequence - slow [-1]

Elements were a struggle but the choreography was actually quite decent (or maybe it's almost a whole length or rink of steps into the solo jump that has left such a memorable impression) and she has a nice posture and lines.

They skated a clean performance at the Mentor Nestle Nesquick Cup in Poland very recently to finally earn their minimum scores and it's a shame they weren't able to replicate it here.

8. Yuko Kavaguti / Alexander Smirnov /RUS/
The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss

dance lift to 3twist – crash and touch down with free foot on landing from her [-3]
3toe – he fell [-3]
spread eagle dance lift towards throw 3loop – scratchy landing and then a step out [-2]
bods – position not very good, she struggled on the exit and almost fell [-2]
flying camel/sit/up var/change up L – decent synchronisation but could use some more rotation speed [0]
spread eagle to hand-to-hand lift to one hand to change of position to one hand to difficult dismount – decent extension from her, quite strong [1]
straight line step sequence – a little tentative [0]

This is a well choreographed program with long, sweeping edges, good glide and elegant movements all of which capture the mood of the music very well. And after all these years, Kavaguti has finally improved her posture and lines and was pointing her toes and looked very neat throughout. The technical elements, however were a completely different story tonight.

9. Daria Popova / Bruno Massot /FRA/
La Belle Histoire (soundtrack) arranged by Gablé

3twist – high with decent catch but heavily two-footed by him, she slightly touched down with free foot on the landing as well [-1]
3toe – decent height, quite solid landings with decent flow, a little telegraphed though [1]
counterbalance dance lift to hand-to-hand lift to change of position and one hand to difficult dismount – quite strong, difficult positions from her in the air [1]
throw 3loop – telegraphed, step out with hand down, good height though [-3]
Y spiral (from him) into bods – position not great but edge and rotation speed decent [0]
straight line step sequence – a little tentative at the start but picked up later on [0]
flying camel/sit/up L/change sit holding foot(a little off-synch) [0]

Decent job on the elements but they lacked expression and didn't show much relation to the music.

Nathalie Pechalat was sitting in the K&C with them! Maybe she helped on the choreography. Or maybe I've gone mad and I'm seeing things? :P

10. Vanessa James / Morgan Cipres /FRA/
Rhumba d'Amour
Safri Duo

3twist – very bizarre, messy catch; it was overrotated by almost half a revolution and she flipped out [-3]
3toe – quite high with decent landings (although hers a tiny little bit scratchy) but quite far apart [1]
throw 3flip – good height, decent landing edge (although she wobbled very slightly on landing but that's the case with most thrown flips) [1]
Y spiral to bods with change of hold – position could be a little stronger, foot down coming out [-1]
straight line step sequence – one of those GOES ON FOREVER step sequences that have tons of footwork to try to make the levels but not a lot of speed and flow [0]
unexpected entry into hand-to-hand lift to change of position and one hand to difficult dismount [1]
flying camel/up camel var to up var/change sit broken leg(he travelled) [0]

Decent speed, postures and lines. Good attack, they presented the program well.

The two pieces of music don't seem to have much in common and I don't feel that they work together very well, though.

A new personal best by around 3.5 points. They've really come far as a team.

Nathalie Pechalat (unless I've gone mad) in the K&C again. Maybe she's the French team's team leader?

11. Mari Vartmann / Aaron Van Cleave /GER/
The Messiah Will Come Again by Gary Moore

2twist – high and quite effortless [1]
3toe – well synchronised and very solid [2]
hand-to-hand lift to one hand to difficult swung around dismount – strong at the start but a little hesitation going into the dismount, she possibly brushed with free foot on the landing as well [0]
transitions into throw 3salchow – solid with good flow out and a nice extension from her on the landing [2]
circular step sequence – decent speed and flow [1]
Y spiral into bods – a bizarrely twisted position that again left a lot to be desired, speed and edge seemed ok though [0]
flying camel/sit/up/change sit broken leg – decent synchronisation but rotation could be a little faster and positions better extended [0]

Quite good flow and speed throughout and their program was decently choreographed with a fair amount of transitions and they've manage to capture the mood of the music well.

A surprisingly strong performance, given they've been out with (his) injury for most of the season so far and their first performance (at NRW Trophy in December) was very disappointing.

On another note, he's so hunky, it's unreal. Lumberjack hotness.

12. Aliona Savchenko / Robin Szolkowy /GER/
Kismet by Bond

throw 3flip – incredible height and distance, solid landing (she could have better speed and flow coming out but given the monstrous height, it's understandable, you can't have everything) [2]
3toe – high, very solid and in perfect unison [2]
dance lift to 3twist – decent height, catch less crashy than usual [1]
Y spiral to bods with change of hold [1]
turns to flying sit(he travelled slightly)/up camel/up/change sit(a little off-synch) cannonball(a little off-synch)/up – good positions and rotation speed but little mistakes here and there [0]
circular step sequence – good flow, they could use a little more speed and attack [1]
counterbalance dance lift to hand-to-hand lift to change of position to one hand to difficult dismount – solid, they are capable of performing it even better though [1] (very difficult “charlotte” like position in the air from her)

This program is not very flashy but all their strengths were on show. Transitions in between the elements, most of which have quite short entries (and they never just telegraph stuff), very good speed and flow. Their basic skating, postures and lines are all very strong. Everything looks neat and is beautifully presented.

Technically, they are capable of better though. Whilst there were no major errors and the jumps were very strong, most of the other elements were not executed as well as they are capable of. And I do wish the program was more interesting or would try to tell a story. It's nowhere near the best work (like “Clowns”), sadly.

13. Tatiana Volosozhar / Maxim Trankov /RUS/
Love Theme from "The Godfather" by Nino Rota

3twist – incredible height, strong catch [2]
transitions to 3salchow – both had very slightly skiddy landings (especially Maxim) but clean, difficult entry [1]
throw 3loop – very high, soft and solid landing with good flow out and a very good extension [3]
shoot-the-duck into bods with change of hold [1]
spread eagle to hand-to-hand lift to change of position to one hand – very solid, nice extensions from her [2]
straight line step sequence – good speed, flow and expression [2]
flying camel/sit holding foot/up/change camel/sit/up Y – very well extended positions, well synchronised (it could be a little bit faster) [2]

All the elements were very strong, their movement was precise and composed and the whole program was skated from start to finish with good flow and no hesitation whatsoever. It was an incredible performance.

There are very few times I found an element strong enough to give it a +3 but that throw loop was just perfect (and the twist was close to a +3 as well, IMO).

The overall impression, without getting mathy and looking at the levels in detail, is that Volosozhar/Trankov were much stronger than Savchenko/Szolkowy, as much as I hate to admit it.

14. Ksenia Stolbova / Fedor Klimov /RUS/
Interview with the Vampire (soundtrack) by Elliot Goldenthal

3twist – underrotated, crash [-3]
short entry into throw 3flip – step out [-2]
straight line step sequence – could use a little more speed [0]
unexpected entry into hand-to-hand lift to change of position to one hand – strong, decent extension from her [1]
3toe – he fell [-3]
spread eagle to shoot-the-duck to bods with change of hold – slow rotation, not a good position from her [-1]
flying camel/up L/change sit broken leg holding foot – decent rotation speed and synchroniation [1]

This is one of the better choreographed programs of the season. A very unusual and difficult element layout with solo jump coming late in the program and quite a lot of transitions. Unfortunately now that they have upgraded the throw from salchow to flip/lutz, it doesn't come as the last element anymore, nevertheless the program is still impressive.

I wish they'd have done more with the music, however, shown more expression and brought the theme out better.

It's extremely frustrating how when you look at their PCS breakdown, their judges did not reward the strengths of this program at all.

15. Stefania Berton / Ondrej Hotarek /ITA/
Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones

3toe – high and very solid with good flow out [2]
3twist – not a lot of height, slightly underrotated and two-footed (by him) [-2]
throw 3loop – very slight hesitation at first but then a soft landing with a nice extension [1]
hand-to-hand lift to one hand to change of position to change of position to one hand – strong, nice extensions from her [1]
straight line step sequence – very good flow, clean turns [2]
Y spiral to bods with change of hold – high position from her but quite good rotation speed and deep edge [1]
flying camel to up camel var/change sit holding foot to cannonball(a little off-synch at the start but quickly got it together) – good positions and rotation speed [1]

A beautiful, elegant and sophisticated program, presented really well with nice lines and good flow.

They've beaten their personal best by almost 4 points.

[Mrs. P]

Wow, what a thorough report. You took great notes. Thanks for sharing!

[ImaginaryPogue]

Thanks!!! Yes, Pechalat is France's team leader.

[demarinis5]

Thank you Ziggy for your reports!

[Ziggy]

Thanks!!! Yes, Pechalat is France's team leader.

Thanks guys and yay, it means I haven't gone mad after all.

[Tonichelle]

Thanks for these! love them!

[Mathman]

Super reporting!

[dorispulaski]

Wonderful job, Ziggy! thank you!

[plushyfan]

Thank you !

[LRK]

Thank you, Ziggy! I hope you keep up the good work - soon the men - can''t wait!

[pitterpatter]

Wow! I look forward to reading your observations on the rest.

[La Rhumba]

Thanks for a great read Ziggy. Look forward to the rest.

And much appreciated that you took the time and effort to share your impressions.

[eyria]

Great reports, Ziggy! Thanks!! Sounds like you should be a judge. :-)