Zhang/Zhang
Yangtze River Piano Concerto
-2A –triple toe – Dan Zhang stumbles out
-throw 3sal - good
-3twist –good height
-lasso lift
-death spiral
-SBS spin
-throw 3L
-I missed a jump, think it was a 3T? – both landed there
-lift
-lift
-footwork – slow, needs more conviction to match the music
-combo spin
Should go in first, but probably not gold overall...
So far none of the top teams are going for this title. The programs are too difficult!
I must say though I really like the improvements the Zhangs have made in their presentation. The problems on the SBS jump passes and the unison troubles on the spins didn't do them any favors.
Huh? They just showed them. Nothing to be embarrassed about. Everyone has a meltdown once in a while.
The lack of clean long programs in pairs not just here, but throughout the entire season, indicates that everyone's programs are just a little too hard. This is not the first season we've seen this either. S/S won with a pretty flawed long last season.
Mukhortova/Trankov- she underrotated the 3S and stumbled out of it. Put her hands down on a throw. Lift a bit off. We've seen them do worse than this, but it was another lackluster long.
It was purely a timing issue. Broadcast started just as denny and barrett was announced. keanu and rockne's long was shown during the ice resurfacing after the next group was done.
Mukhortova/Trankov
The Lady and the Hooligan
-3twist – good!
-SBS 3T-2T – not the cleanest, but OK
-SBS 3S – hand down for Maria, messy landing
-throw 3L – OK
-death spiral
-throw 3S – hands down for Maria
-lift
-lift
-SBS spin
-footwork –Max stumbles a bit…or was that part of the choreography?
-lift
-combo spin
Well, I applaud Masha & Max for not having any MAJOR mistakes, but there were quite a few sloppy places in that program and they lacked speed, which was evident without the commentators having to mention it, but they did say it anyway. I believe it was the best they've performed this program all season long though? Top 5. They should be okay with that, I think.
Probably not the time for this, but M/T's program seems to have some strange underlying storyline. I'd like to think he represents not a hooligan but some kind of streetwalking transvestite. She of course will have none of that!