2024 ISU International Adult Competition | Oberstdorf | May 12-17

[CaroLiza_fan]

Ah, Hilary GREENHALGH (GBR) didn't formally withdraw, so we are having to wait around for her.

Right, minute over, straight onto Group 3.

Although we have lost one British skater from the bill, there are lots in this group. Four of them, all going back to back!

Actually, unless somebody is hiding out of camera shot, I can only count 6 skaters on the ice. So, there might be a fourth withdrawal from this competition coming up.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Anja BOHK (DEU) is the second German skater of the week to wear the white T-shirt with blue denim shorts combination.

And our second "Wipeout" of the week. But, this time it was joined by "The Time of My Life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes.

Not bad!

She goes into the lead.

Now for the string of Brits!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Sel PASOS (GBR) was wearing a beautiful sky blue dress.

That was nice. She may have went into 13th and last position, but she was delighted!

Nicki TORRINGTON (GBR) was skating to a beautiful song that I hadn't heard before. But, the voice made me think it was Britney Spears.

She goes into 12th position.

Even before the music started, I knew Nadia COLBOURNE (GBR) was doing a "Cabaret" programme. The costume gave it away! And she certainly got into the part!

She goes into the lead!!!

Mandy KIRBY (GBR) was skating to "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper. And she did!

Oh, and in case you are wondering, she is the mother of Joel KIRBY, who at the 2022 British Championships was 10th in Junior Men, and 1st in Advanced Novice Pairs with Jessica HENNESSEY. (Seeing Mandy here, Joel is the absolute picture of her!)

She goes into 8th position.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Oh, we did have our full quota of skaters. I clearly can't count!

Well, Caroline ANDREWS (AUS) has stopped the run of Aussies looking nominations. She was wearing a perfectly sensible olè dress.

Resurfacing now before the final group.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Awww. Isabel WINKLBAUER (DEU) is kicking off the final group with an Indian programme. And her costume is roughly in the colours of the Indian flag (green top, skin coloured midriff, orange skirt).

As I was listening, I could just picture lines of people dancing to that music at a wedding reception or something!

Wasn't familiar with the song, but I enjoyed the programme.

She goes into 11th position.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Hello Sailor!

Sandrine RABEMANANJARA (FRA) brings us our second dose of the day of the theme tune from "The Love Boat".

Her face reminds me of somebody, but I can't think if it is somebody I know in real life or have seen somewhere else.

Actually, I just realised. It was the aforementioned PJ Kwong.

She goes into 7th.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

We had a German Doris double-bill earlier on today, now we have a Polish Agnieszka double-bill.

Agnieszka PUCULA followed by Agnieszka PASTUSIAK.

When I saw Agnieszka PUCULA come out and saw her costume, I thought "Oh, yes! Another Middle Eastern programme!" So imagine my disappointment when the music started and it was an awful song that I have seen skated to before but don't know the title of because I can't make out the lyrics.

Thankfully, Agnieszka PASTUSIAK skating to something more conventional. "Welcome To Burlesque" by Cher.

Mind you, there was a pretty bad edit in the middle where you thought the record was stuck because you heard the same line twice in a row.

Skating made up for it, though.

She goes into 5th position. Agnieszka PUCULA was in the crowd, and reached over and gave Agnieszka PASTUSIAK a peck on the cheek after the scores were announced!

That was nice!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

I know we've seen skaters doing programmes before with mumus, but not of the size that Chihiro AIKAWA (JPN) had. They were massive!

The dress was absolutely beautiful, but I would imagine that it would be very difficult to skate wearing something like that. Yet, she made it look effortless.

That was a beautiful skate.

Missed the scores.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

"It's time to play the music. It's time to light the lights..."

Yep, Maria BALL (GBR) was skating to an instrumental version of the theme tune from "The Muppet Show".

The pink flowery dress didn't exactly say "The Muppets", though. She should have gone the whole hog and dressed up as Miss Piggy (see what I did there! )

And a whole crowd was with her.

She goes into 2nd.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

A German version of "Eviva España" for Agne RIEß (DEU)!

Her costume is practically identical to that worn by Oksana RYNDINA (UKR) yesterday, with one major difference. Agne was wearing a miniskirt, whereas Oksana's skirt went to her ankles.

So, I suppose we have now seen the full range of this skirt. Agne RIEß (DEU) with the short version, Sara HURTADO (ESP) with the medium version, and Oksana RYNDINA (UKR) with the long version.

Agne only has one bloke sitting with her.

She goes into 23rd position. And she is delighted!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

No messing about. Straight onto the next competition. And it is the first of the normal Free Skate Competitions. Or, should I say "competitions". Because there are so many Bronze I ladies entered that they have been split into two competitions. This competition has 21 ladies, and the next competition has 20 ladies. The first 21 ladies are arranged into three groups of 7.

Livestream for the Bronze I Ladies A FS is now on air.

Here is the link for the livestream:
https://sportdeutschland.tv/deutsche-eislauf-union/isu-adult-fsc-2024-monday-may-13th

Here is the Time Schedule:
http://www.deu-event.de/results/adult2024/FSKWSINGLES-ADVNOV--04FNL-000100--_StartListwithTimes.pdf

And here is the live scoring:
http://www.deu-event.de/results/adult2024/SEG038.htm

Hope this helps

ALL THE BEST EVERYBODY!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

After spending the past 24 hours watching skaters that are older than me, it is now a bit surreal watching skaters that are younger.

These girls are the age you would expect to find competing at Senior level if it hadn't been taken over by Juniors.

What, did somebody speak...

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

What a beautiful programme from Anastasiia BELOKUROVA (UKR)!

The black dress she was wearing was simply gorgeous!

Not just it, though. Everything about that programme was beautiful. The costume, the music, the skating. Everything.

No surprise at all that she took the lead.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

And from the sole Ukrainian in this competition, we go to a German with the most Irish name that you can find. Katharina DOYLE.

Well, maybe not the most. Because this competition actually finishes with an Irish skater, Gráinne WRAY!

Don't know the song, but I loved it!!!

She goes into the lead.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

That was the most surreal medley of music I have come across for ages.

It started off with a female singer, and then some bloke started rapping while she was doing high-pitched wailing, and then we finished off with some techno music.

But such a beautiful colour of dress.

I just looked Kathleen YARNOLD (AUS) up, and she actually belongs to the Macquarie club. That's the rink that @anonymoose_au skates at.

Do you by any chance know her, Moose?

She did well.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

I don't know what the song that Franziska ZONTAR (DEU) was skating to was, but even though it was beautiful, I couldn't stop singing "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by Eiffel 65 along to it in my head.

The next skater, Manon MIGLIACCIO (FRA), was wearing a black dress with a gold sash thingy, and was skating to what I can only describe as Gothic folk music. ( @elektra blue - I can really imagine you loving it!)

She goes into 9th position.

And my comments are going to become less as I am eating while watching.

CaroLiza-fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

When I saw Linda GOTTSCHALK (DEU)'s name in the entry list, my first thought was "I wonder if she is related to Timo GOTTSCHALK" (co-driver to quite a few Dakar Rally winners).

I don't know, but I do know something. That programme she just did was absolutely beautiful!

She was skating to "This Is Me" from "The Greatest Showman".

Oh, and nice to see a skater that wears glasses. (And they were very similar to mine, as it happens).

She goes into 9th position.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Just while the final group are doing their Warm-Up, I want to point out something from the previous group.

You know how a lot of skaters in Germany are part of the army's sports programme, and a lot of skaters in Italy are part of the police's sports programme. Well, when Giulia BARILE (ITA) was getting her scores, she had a guy sitting next to her that was wearing what looked to me like an army uniform.

Never seen that before!

I don't know if Giulia is on a military sports programme. But if she is, it is good to see somebody taking an interest in how she is getting on.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

I was dreading hearing how the announcer was going to pronounce Gráinne's name. But, she actually made a better job of it than I was expecting. She was only very slightly out on the final syllable.

It is very rare for somebody that is not Irish to get as close to getting it perfect as she did.



CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Right. Either I have seen Samantha EDWARDS (GBR) before, or she looks VERY like another skater.

She was skating to that epic version of "Can't Help Falling In Love" that I don't like.

She goes into the lead.

And then the first of two back-to-back Turkish skaters came out in a green and yellow dress and did a "Riverdance" programme. But I missed the first half of it because my Dad came in and showed me a very noisy video on his phone of something I had already seen on the TV a few days ago. (He has an awful habit of doing that. You sitting watching something, and him coming in and putting his phone in front of your face. And it being something you have no interest in whatsoever).

Elif Sirma OZEL (TUR) goes into 2nd position.

CaroLiza_fan