Nelson Montfort (NM) Philippe Candeloro (PC) Annick Dumont (AD)
NM: What a great afternoon, because what we are watching now and will watch later in the 20 minutes to come seems crazy, there is a real chance of medal (bronze or silver) for one or two French skaters. That won’t be easy but it is possible. Now Yuzuru Hanyu, young Japanese contender, who eliminated Oda at Japan Championship, which is quite something. He was slightly disappointing yesterday (in the short program), but he is capable of doing much better this afternoon.
PC: So, is he going to stay as gentle as a lamb? (It is a French idiom. PC loves doing jokes because lamb=agneau in French and the pronunciation of “agneau” is almost the same as the one “Hanyu”, in french, that is, where we don't prononounce the "h"). We are going to discover that (as gentle as a lamb) now … he has a lot of qualities and so, look at this quad toe …
AD: Wow … Ohlalalalala, wow!!!
PC: It's the fifth quad of the afternoon … (1:19) here the triple axel, with a preparation out of the ordinary, it is a strong start … (1:33) triple flip, easy, now we’re going to the next.
NM: Let’s notice that this contender is seventh, just behind our French skater Florent Amodio after the short program. Amodio has succeeded in integrating the last group (concerning the order of the passage). It changes all but, we have to wait a moment because, here, regarding what happened yesterday evening, we may approach on a potential podium or a fourth place, he (Hanyu) is very dangerous for Florent.
(2:15) PC: Wow triple flip, look at the flexion work.
AD: Oh …What a … what a sheer will … what a wheer will to hold this jump.
PC: And normally, this jump should result in a fall to the ground.
AD: Of course, he absolutely didn’t put his weight on the right place.
NM: How did he succeed to stay up … I hope we will see the slow motion.
AD: It is just sheer will.
NM: It challenges the gravity … I really hope we’ll see the slow motion …. oh, and so a lot of …
(2:55) AD: No!!! This is unbelievable …
NM: What happened Philippe !...
AD: He has gone on the tip…
PC: Yes, yes, he toppled on the tip.
AD: … it is a novice mistake …
PC: It is not serious, but it costs 1 point…
(3:09) AD: … Oh triple axel, triple axel …. Ohlalala triple toe loop, THIS SKATER IS FANTASTIC !
PC: As I said yesterday, I made few galas with him in Japan last July, he was really very impressive. (3:24) here triple lutz, double toe, followed by another double toe … (3:48) perfect triple loop, it is an almost perfect program.
NM: Despite his novice fault, oh … what a pity, I hope we will see that …
AD: I think even him could not believe it.
PC: I think he is injured on his hand, because of the way that he looked at his hand when he went up after the fall. The triple axel just after the fall was fabulous… So now, we are seeing his step sequence, very fast …. (4:25) and supported by the crowd, especially Japanese. There are many of them this afternoon at Nice's Palais des Expositions … (4:47) he is light so he can hold the program a little bit longer but we can feel he's becoming tired.
(4:57) AD: Ohlala, he gave everything, he can't do anything more
(5:10) PC: here with a spin out of the ordinary, very rare in the men’s category.
AD: It is wonderful, this is a sporting feat. Oh he can be happy, I think he has no energy anymore, he pushed himself to the limit. I have the impression that he is injured … but this fall that no one expected, even himself … he is exhausted.
PC: I think his hand is injured.
AD: I don’t know if it is his hand, or ankle … I don’t know.
PC: Look at how he is sweating, we haven't seen that for any skater this afternoon.
AD: He gave the best of himself, even beyond that. He may collapse before leaving the ice rink…. So many Japanese in this rink
Then Annick Dumond sums up the jumps that he did (she admires the quad toe, and she said that it deserves at least 2 GOE points, same for Axel) and she cannot believe the fall, that it is a novice mistake, and in skating school, we explain that we must pay attention to the tips because there are big tips on the front of the blade and we always could verify to not attach it into the ice.
Then the slow motion is coming, they expect the triple flip motion but it is not on display. She underlines the fact that he makes his triple axel with very difficult entrance, let’s just say that he adds difficulties himself. After the fall, he did a triple axel and that is amazing, really amazing. Phillipe added that this type of fall could quickly disturb any skater. He said he would have stopped the program directly, and then gone to the infirmary (joking). When the camera focuses on Hanyu’s face, Annick says “ohlalala my god, his face”. Then, they said normally Hanyu should lead the competition at that moment, by far. When the score is coming, they're worried for their French skaters Amodio and Joubert and thankfully for them, Hanyu does not belong to the last group in the order of the passage, but still, he is a serious menace.