Free Dance

[MissIzzy]

1 Oksana DOMNINA / Maxim SHABALIN
RUS
186.77 1 2 1
2 Tanith BELBIN / Benjamin AGOSTO
USA
186.41 2 1 2
3 Jana KHOKHLOVA / Sergei NOVITSKI
RUS
179.50 3 4 3
4 Anna CAPPELLINI / Luca LANOTTE
ITA
173.11 4 3 4
5 Anna ZADOROZHNIUK / Sergei VERBILLO
UKR
158.90 7 5 5
6 Kaitlyn WEAVER / Andrew POJE
CAN
157.20 6 6 6
7 Alexandra ZARETSKI / Roman ZARETSKI
ISR
148.17 5 7 7
8 Xiaoyang YU / Chen WANG
CHN
139.66 9 9 8
9 Xintong HUANG / Xun ZHENG
CHN
133.40 8 8 9
10 Jiameimei GUO / Fei MENG
CHN
115.15 10 10 10


Result Details

Pl. Name Nation TSS
= TES
+ PCS
+ SS MO PF CH IT Deduction
- StN.
1 Oksana DOMNINA / Maxim SHABALIN RUS 91.19 44.20 46.99 7.95 7.60 7.75 7.95 8.05 0.00 #10
2 Tanith BELBIN / Benjamin AGOSTO USA 91.18 44.30 46.88 7.90 7.60 7.80 7.90 8.00 0.00 #9
3 Jana KHOKHLOVA / Sergei NOVITSKI RUS 88.70 44.30 44.40 7.35 7.15 7.60 7.60 7.50 0.00 #8
4 Anna CAPPELLINI / Luca LANOTTE ITA 85.37 45.10 41.27 6.85 6.55 7.05 7.05 7.15 1.00 #7
5 Anna ZADOROZHNIUK / Sergei VERBILLO UKR 79.24 43.00 37.24 6.20 5.85 6.25 6.55 6.45 1.00 #6
6 Kaitlyn WEAVER / Andrew POJE CAN 78.52 41.90 36.62 6.10 5.85 6.20 6.15 6.40 0.00 #5
7 Alexandra ZARETSKI / Roman ZARETSKI ISR 70.36 36.80 33.56 5.80 5.35 5.65 5.70 5.60 0.00 #4
8 Xiaoyang YU / Chen WANG CHN 67.91 39.70 30.21 5.20 4.75 5.15 5.25 5.00 2.00 #2
9 Xintong HUANG / Xun ZHENG CHN 60.55 31.60 30.95 5.40 5.00 4.95 5.30 5.20 2.00 #3
10 Jiameimei GUO / Fei MENG CHN 58.35 34.34 25.01 4.40 3.95 4.25 4.30 4.05 1.00 #1

Domnina & Shabalin won the free dance by literally a hundredth of a mark!

 

[demarinis5]

That was close, it could of went either way. D/S and B/A were the class of the field for me.Two completely different programs but I loved them both. Congratulations to the winners.

 

[Hsuhs]

Congratulations to the winners.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Still sleepy, but I woke up for this and got the final group. They all skaterd very well, but the music was oh so warhorse except for D/S using Spartacus. I don't remember Spartacus as being used for dance before.

For the music, I agree D/S should get the win

B/A are looking like they used to be. Too late to change music now but for Olys.

Cap/LaNot are not Virtue/Moir but nice to see them away from Verdi music.

Khok/Nov not their usual thrill type of routine which I prefer.

I continue to like Zadorozhniuk/Verbillo despite the use of Carmen.

Weaver/Poje hanging in there. Good for them.

 

[skatingfan04]

Not a bad score for Weaver/Poje. Did anyone see their FD? I really like Dr. Zhivago for them ,and i'm curious to see how they did with it. There aren't even any pictures online yet. Another thing that I noticed is that the judges have really toned down the FD scores this year. I know that scores usually increase as the season goes on, but the best score last year was almost 15 points higher than the best scores out of the first grand prix's! Just a thought.

 

[Tinymavy15]

man....that was so close. I erally wish B&A would have gotten it. I didn't love Spartacus as I thought i would... it was too strong.... not the passionate, gentle adagio I pictured. I didn't love the costumes either. I did that first lift...beautiful.

 

[missysays]

Just saw the top 4:

Cappellini/LaNotte- I get the feeling that this team is getting their sea legs technically-speaking this year. There's much more surety as they move through their steps and edges. This FD to Love Story, while lovely and polished, mutes their personalities down a little. But they're young and experimenting with different styles and I think they can be very happy with how well they skated and performed here- even moving up on Khok/Nov during the OD- what an achievement. Good job.

Khoklova/Novitski- Last year, I really admired their artistic confidence and the intent behind their programs. They really carried coherent themes across their OD and FD. This year I feel like that coherency is a little cloudy. The FD that they skated had different orchestrations of Themes on Paganani (the first part traditional and the last part a little more modern) but the purpose and vision for this program isn't as fully formed as previous years. She's dressed in a balletic tutu with black tights and at first I thought they might be doing a slightly whimsical program a la Rahkamo/Kokko but as the program progressed it looked as if they were doing a straight interpretation of the music in which case the slightly oddball costuming and more modern orchestration of the music at the end didn't really work for me. They're talented skaters but you can tell by their placement that the judges aren't ready to let them lead the pack.

Belbin/Agosto- This was a stronger performance then SA. I felt like the choreography came a little more naturally to them. I didn't feel as if Tanith was hesitating as she was going into that dramatic split lift. They skated the best technically of all the couples and I like the drama but they're not transporting me yet. There are odd little moments when I'm almost captured almost entranced but I haven't yet found myself completely emersed in the program. I look forward to the end of season when I'm sure this program will be at its best.

Domnina/Shabalin- This team could just stand at center ice and they would look like they were making a statement and commanding the space around them. They are blessed with great physical beauty and long, long Amazonian body lines. For that reason though, those lines tend to look best when they're doing simple straight moves. However in this day and age in ice dancing that's not the name of the game- multitude of transitions in lifts and steps are.

For this reason, I've always felt that I should be really loving this team since their CDs can be quite mesmerizing when they're on their game and when they start the first position of their FD I'm ready to go there with them but then they start to contort their bodies into difficult positions and because they're so long limbed it looks awkward as they come in and out of movements. Having said that - Linichuk has done a decent job of the choreography giving them some interesting moves that emphasize their body lines. They also had an interesting transition between their twizzles where they tip into a spiral position.

But it's not a masterpiece by any means- though I'm sure they will continue to carry the day in competitions. Although the overall score was as tight as can be you can tell the judges gave them the lead in the Program Components. Technically I felt Tanith and Ben were crisper and stronger in the steps- Oksana and Maxim had some wobbly slow moments. Also, Maxim seems to have completely stopped pointing his toe in moves. It's not even flexed- it's just hanging there. I wonder if it has anything to do with his caution since his injury?

 

[1795]

D/S- doesn't interest me this season. of course- their lines and positions are great but it didn't wow me like before (except their first lift) costumes are bland and stereotypically gross. i found the whole program slow in general.

B/A - ben please stop smiling.

C/L - i want luca's sweater. ( they do look like V/M hahaha) i need more lifts from them. im bored. greatly executed though.

K/N - seeing a child forced into a tuxedo. WHY?! their style is so wild and free its awkward seeing them characterized something classic and polished like this. her skirt is...distracting. love the music - but not on them. seeing mega split lifts and crazy acrobatics with violin solos....hahah love it but not working.

 

[eleonora.d]

where do I begin..to tell the story of how great an ice-dance couple can be...?
Cappellini Lanotte can only complain about teaming up late, but they're working so hard I bet on them to be our next Fusar Poli and Margaglio.
I just love them, they have great skating skills.

I appreciated a lot this ice dance evening. B/A were great but I also loved Domnina/Shabalin, I just can't understand why their dresses could be so cute last year and so ugly this season :think:

 

[life684]

I some how felt sorry for the K/N; I would have given FD to them just for the difficulty and SPEED on the ice. I think the extreme flexibility of hers is used to mark them down this year (withdrawal Syndrome) .

As for the season, I would say in a fair WORLD Domnina/Shabalin will win CD, Kerrs OD and K/S FD. Hope V/M will change this stat.

 

[fiercemao]

Never paid much attention to ice dance. After I caught the first 15 seconds of Oksana DOMNINA / Maxim SHABALIN's free dance on youtube, I had to stop. How the hell are these two a top dance pair, even world medal contenders. Watching them skating is like watching slo-mo replay, they are very sloppy, the body lines are also ugly.

 

[Fredegunda]

Not a bad score for Weaver/Poje. Did anyone see their FD? I really like Dr. Zhivago for them ,and i'm curious to see how they did with it. There aren't even any pictures online yet. Another thing that I noticed is that the judges have really toned down the FD scores this year. I know that scores usually increase as the season goes on, but the best score last year was almost 15 points higher than the best scores out of the first grand prix's! Just a thought.

I saw it but unfortunately can't remember much, it was a bit late over here and I was mad because Eurosport were showing snooker when they said they'd be showing skating. Anyhoo, the mood and costumes -- I think they might have been wearing gold and white??? -- reminded me of their Madame Butterfly FD. A much more classical feel than last year.

Kaitlyn wears her hair up, looks sleek, tidy and absolutely gorgeous (I'm saying this bc I haaaated her hair for their OD last year). I find Andrew to be quite self-effacing in a way, perhaps it's the contrast in their colouring and the way that her blonde hair just glows.

I do remember that the Norwegian commentator talked about how sometimes they cut corners (in the CD) and that they had some problems during the step sequence in the FD when one of them was skating on a flat. Sorry, my Norwegian is not fluent enough for me to know exactly what was said. I think that the two step sequences are one right after the other, which the commentator mentioned was an unusual choreographic choice.

I really enjoyed the program. One thing I recall thinking while watching them was that they make good use of rhythm, you feel them skating to the beats in a much more obvious way than with some other couples, but I could be mistaken. But I do have the sense that they are still trying to find the right style. IMO Zhivago and Butterfly suit them better than Blues for Klook -- modern classical, sort of.

Well in reading back over this, I don't think I said much but hope that it will at least sate a bit of your curiosity! This program is IMO more enjoyable and more suited to them than last year's.

 

[npa]

I some how felt sorry for the K/N; I would have given FD to them just for the difficulty and SPEED on the ice. I think the extreme flexibility of hers is used to mark them down this year (withdrawal Syndrome) .

As for the season, I would say in a fair WORLD Domnina/Shabalin will win CD, Kerrs OD and K/S FD. Hope V/M will change this stat.

Sorry, who is K/S?

 

[dutchherder]

I preferred Belbin and Agosto to Domnina and Shabalin.

D/S had a lift where his face was pressed up against her butt. AWKWARD!

 

[mycelticblessing]

Is Maxim's injury still really affecting his skating? I love their skating, but his footwork really was below their usual standard in the FD. I hope he gets well in time for worlds. I love their lifts though. Gorgeous!

I really like B/A's FD this season. I was surprised how well it suited them. They skated really well!

K/N's FD doesn't do them justice. They are such amazingly talented skaters. This FD didn't showcase their talents well. I loved seeing them skate to ''Night on A Bald Mountain'' in the EX though. I'm seriously hoping that they will go back to that music for the Olympics. I cannot imagine anything them skating to anything else that could be better than that!

 

[chuckm]

Weaver/Poje's FD was pleasant and had a romantic feel, but it didn't make me feel I had seen something special, and apparently the judges felt the same way. They didn't have any obvious mistakes, although their combination spin and circular footwork were only L2. While they didn't receive -GOE on any element, they also didn't get many +2 GOE from the judges, and their PCS scores were lukewarm, mostly in the lower 6s.

I think the problem is they don't have deep edges, and they don't command the ice with great speed and power.

It was not a good thing that the Ukrainians Z/V passed them at CoC, since W/P had beaten Z/V at Worlds 2008.

I think it is likely that Crone/Poirier will be the #2 team at Nationals 2009, and W/P will have to hope V/M and C/P together can earn 3 spots for Canada at the Olympics. Otherwise, W/P's Olympic hopes may be dashed.

 

[life684]

Sorry, who is K/S?

Sorry i meant K/N

 

[dorispulaski]

I some how felt sorry for the K/N; I would have given FD to them just for the difficulty and SPEED on the ice. I think the extreme flexibility of hers is used to mark them down this year (withdrawal Syndrome) .
.

What was used to mark them down was their over ambitious choice of rhythm. They picked cuts of the music that were just too fast for them to keep up with. Unfortunately, timing is one of the PCS components, and it wasn't working for them today. Not to mention, the tutu is an unfortunate look on her anyway.

I have high hopes for this FD later in the season, but they absolutely must drastically rework their OD to win competitions this year.

 

[skatingfan04]

Weaver/Poje's FD was pleasant and had a romantic feel, but it didn't make me feel I had seen something special, and apparently the judges felt the same way. They didn't have any obvious mistakes, although their combination spin and circular footwork were only L2. While they didn't receive -GOE on any element, they also didn't get many +2 GOE from the judges, and their PCS scores were lukewarm, mostly in the lower 6s.

I think the problem is they don't have deep edges, and they don't command the ice with great speed and power.

It was not a good thing that the Ukrainians Z/V passed them at CoC, since W/P had beaten Z/V at Worlds 2008.

I think it is likely that Crone/Poirier will be the #2 team at Nationals 2009, and W/P will have to hope V/M and C/P together can earn 3 spots for Canada at the Olympics. Otherwise, W/P's Olympic hopes may be dashed.

Thanks for the info. I agree that C/P will probably go to worlds this year, and believe it or not, I actually think that it may be possible for them to quailfy three spots for Vancouver. I haven't seen W/P's program, but I still have high hopes for them. I loved their FD last season, and felt that they were generally underscored in that section, but that's just my opinion. They generally improve as the year goes on, so I hope that they can give C/P a real run for their money at nationals. BTW, are there any pics of W/P online from this competition? I've found shots from the OD and CD on daylife.com, but I haven't been able to track down any from the FD.

 

[dorispulaski]

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/ondemand/

CBC sports ondemand should have the program up relatively soon-Day 1 CoC went up yesterday and is still available. The free dance stub is there, and I can't see CBC not showing W&P!