Early Forerunners - Dance | Golden Skate

Early Forerunners - Dance

russell30

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 14, 2004
After assessing Int B events and the Grand Prix Series I thought I would make a start of the favourites for the upcoming European Championships to be held in Sheffield - GB.

Dance:

Have not watched much of the Dance this season, so I will assess as best as I can. I have lost some admiration of this discipline, not sure why but I feel I am not a great lover of the new SD and we have lost a lot of the innovative teams of years gone past. I just don't know how the judges separate them when they are all doing the same elements. Also seems to be a sameness when we come to the marina/Igor teams (but of course that will be world's).

Favourites - Bobrova/Soloviev - Russia

Have been better this couple of seasons, the SD is very lively but not too sure on their new FD. I have given them favourite status as I think they may well snatch the Gold this time around. It will be close but you feel Russia is due for another Ice Dance Title.

Close Favourite's - Pechalat/Bourzat - France

I feel for Nathalie and Fabian, they were doing so well with Zhulin, that the new coaching team has taken them a step backwards rather than a step forward. I truly felt they might have given up after another 4th spot at world's but their back to defend, but B/S are hot on their heels and it will be very close between the two. Always come up with something different, they are one of my favourite teams out there and probably one of the last of the innovative teams around. Their SD and FD are very good but I have seen better programs from them in the past.

Other challenger's

Cappelini/Lanotte- Italy

A team that have got back on track, always a couple full of exuberance and expression. Their SD is probably one of the best, not in favour of their FD but it is still fun, great to watch, possibly a medal here.

Ilinyk/Katasalapov - Russia

They burst on the scene last year but like P/B have taken a step backward this year which is very unlike the Russian teams. Their FD to modern take on Ave Maria is very nice, but the team still lacks a spark about them, lets hope it is a transition year, they will battle with C/L for a medal.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
We'll definitely see how B&S and P&B rank at the GPF this weekend, as to which is ahead of the other. Whichever finishes ahead definitely has the edge to win Europeans.

Capellini and Lanotte have made a huge leap in skill & quality this year. For one thing, they are both healthy. For another, Faiella & Scali have finally retired, leaving C&L the top Italian team. C&L are the only team this year to date to get level 4 on both rhumba sequences in the SD, too. I would not be surprised to see them take 3rd or even second at Europeans.

P&B didn't so much take a step back as Fabian caught bronchitis and they had a difficult outing at Skate America in consequence. It takes a while to recover from a serious illness, so I doubt that they were at full strength by TEB, their second GP outing. I'm hoping to see them do well this weekend and win Europeans again.

As to other European teams that have done fairly well this year:

Tobias and Stagniunas won the bronze at Skate America.

Zhiganshina & Gaszi have done well in Senior B's and have a couple of 4th places on the GP.

Russia gets 3 spots at Euros. I'm assuming Riazanova & Tkachenko will get the 3rd spot on the Russia team.
They got really low base level calls at CoR but may do much better at Euros. Just where I&K fit in is something to be interested in. I will be especially be interested to see the results of Russian nationals.

Coomes & Buckland just missed the bronze at CoC, due to severe errors in the FD. They could easily finish top ten at Euros.

Carron & Jones won the bronze, but have worse programs than C&B this year. Her SD in the parrot costume is pretty fowl.
 
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pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
Toss the idea of B&S being favored over P&B down the drain now. Unless there is some major Russian politiking or P&B have a disaester of some kind P&B will defend as European Champions.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
There was definitely agreement by the judges and spectators that B&S deserved last place at the GPF. However, we have Kustarova giving an interview that is because of the bad tech specialists at the GPF, not because of the bad skating.
 

CassAgain

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 27, 2004
There was definitely agreement by the judges and spectators that B&S deserved last place at the GPF. However, we have Kustarova giving an interview that is because of the bad tech specialists at the GPF, not because of the bad skating.

Did she criticize specific calls?
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Not in the article that I saw translated.

And I have not seen any call I'd have questioned on B&S's marks. Other than their Skating Skills marks seem inflated to me. The team skates with bad posture to get their speed, and still can't manage clean edges with that speed, as witnessed by their inability all season to get the levels on step sequences and even the rhumba. Therefore, I would not give them 8's in skating skills. And obviously, that's not the change Kustarova was looking for ;) .

If anything, I thought the GPF tech panel was quite forgiving.

I would not surprise me at all to see B&S finish behind C&L at Europeans, the way they are skating.

Russian Nationals is going to be interesting.
 

russell30

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 14, 2004
Rumoured Bobrova/Soloviev might go back to Melody of the White nights FD from last year, but no definite source.
 

alithia

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 29, 2005
It was a beautiful FD,but if they go back I guess there will be changes in the FD.But it suits them like a glove.I think this is more their style,but is it "uplifting" enough?
 
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russell30

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 14, 2004
Yes Love this FD also, i think that is why it is rumoured they would have to adapt to this year's changes, but can be achieved, My guess is that they might use Walpurgis Night at Euros if they don't succeed with it there they might change it for World's - well I think they would have to for World's.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
OTOH, repeats of past programs are seldom very well received in ice dance.

Even V&M's SD rework of the FD (where really it is only the music that is repeated, and even the cuts are mostly different), has come in for some criticism.

The only really positive response I can remember was P&B's clowns program, which was repeated only at Worlds in the following year (2010) and which replaced their Time program.
 

figureskate

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 7, 2011
Your link causes following 3 entries in browser history and they are hard to be removed. I have seen such entries before and was wondering which link caused the problem. Now I know. What do you want to do?

http://ol5u8o2ka38be34j62ktnefji390...2012/01/european-championships-ice-dance.html


http://r1rk9np7bpcsfoeekl0khkd2juj2...2012/01/european-championships-ice-dance.html

http://e2a66cn9997j2srbkidin2psq2du...2012/01/european-championships-ice-dance.html

sorry, i don't really understand what you are talking about. Is it a problem you have just with this link or with all links related to the blog? Are you still able to view the page or you just see these links? And what does it mean they are hard to be removed? Do them cause you some problem on your pc?
 

bsfan

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 10, 2011
sorry, i don't really understand what you are talking about. Is it a problem you have just with this link or with all links related to the blog? Are you still able to view the page or you just see these links? And what does it mean they are hard to be removed? Do them cause you some problem on your pc?

Once I visited your blog following your link from your post, these 3 junk links will stick in my browser history forever. I don't want to try your other links in men's women's or pairs prediction. I bet they will add more junk links to browser history.
 

figureskate

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 7, 2011
Once I visited your blog following your link from your post, these 3 junk links will stick in my browser history forever. I don't want to try your other links in men's women's or pairs prediction. I bet they will add more junk links to browser history.

I am really worried about your problem. I checked with other computers and what you described did not happen. I understand your unpleasantness but I do not know how to solve it. If you have any suggestions I will be ready to receive them
 
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