2026 Daugava Open Cup | Mar 12-15

[CaroLiza_fan]

Yep, I was right. Maryia was the taller of the two girls wearing white jackets during the Warm-Up.

She is now wearing a beautiful black dress, and skating to "Unstoppable" by Sia.

Her spins and her Step Sequence looked really good.

She was very tentative doing her jumps. I think if she had a bit more confidence, they would actually look really good too.

I think that is Alina sitting with her. And a seriously cute coach!

They all look very happy.

Maryia goes into 11th position, splitting the two skaters from the host club.

She has potential. I am looking forward to seeing her again.

WELL DONE MARYIA!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

And now. The end is here. And so we face. The final curtain.

We finish the 2026 Daugava Open Cup with a Beginners 2005-2010 double-bill. 11 girls, followed by 2 boys. They are arranged into a group of 6 girls; followed by a group containing 5 girls and 2 boys.

And the second group contains the last of my Cypriot kids.

Since this is the last competition (and because I am getting worried by the fact that there is now a Fazeway logo in the corner), I am going to delay eating until it is over.

ALL THE BEST EVERYBODY!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Austeja URBELYTE (LTU) wearing a diagonally split half-and-half dress. The top left hand half is red, and the botton right hand half is white.

It's a "Gladiator" programme. That explains a lot.

I really enjoyed that.

A good way to start the final competition.

I think that's a team-mate with her rather than a coach. But the two of them got very excited over the score.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Emma SMULLEN (FIM) wearing a red dress. Are we going to get a costume change to reveal a black dress?

It started off as that trailerised female cover of "Paint It, Black" that we heard earlier. But, then it turned into a remix of it, which was even worse!

The skating was good, though.

In case you are wondering, there was no costume change. But her coach is wearing black.

Oh, no. When the replays ended and we went to the results area, she was crying. But her coach was comforting her.

She goes into 2nd position.



CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Viktorija VISSARIONAVA (LAT) was wearing a black dress with white pattern, and the end of the skirt part was white.

She was skating to "Can’t Pretend" by Tom Odell.

She had a freak fall, and was very tentative in her sequence of jumps. But otherwise was good.

A very jolly trio sitting on the sofa. I think it is a coach and a team-mate, rather than two coaches.

She goes into 3rd position.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Two Lithuanians now, from different clubs. First up is Rugile TURONYTE (LTU), who is wearing a dress in various shades of brown.

I have no idea what it is, but I love the music. At times it sounded Middle Eastern, at other times it sounded Chinese.

I loved that programme.

Although there were a few issues, she seemed more confident in her jumps than the skaters of late.

Again, not sure if that is a coach or a team-mate with her.

She goes into 2nd position.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Julija BOROVEC (LTU) wearing a beautiful black dress with silver pattern.

It's hard to tell, but I think she is skating to an instrumental version of "Your Heart Is As Black As Night". Either that or a piece that sounds similar to it.

She had a fall on her very first element, but after that was good.

And they are showing replays of the wrong skater! That's the previous skater that we are being shown!

She goes into 4th position.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

The final skater in the opening group, Marija JEKABSONE (LAT), is wearing a beautiful sky blue dress.

She is skating to female rapping! I hate rapping!

Oh. My. Goodness. I just looked up some of the lyrics. It's actually Lana Del Rey! "I Want it All"

The main thing, though, is that the skating was actually good.

She has a coach and two much younger team-mates sitting with her.

She goes into the lead.

Awwww. The little girls got very excited!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

I was dreading this happening.

The skaters in the final group were presented to the audience while we were watching the previous skater waiting for her results. I don't actually know what Anna looks like, and I don't see any Cyprus team jackets.

I'll go back and watch the Warm-Up again after the competition is over, once I know what she and her dress look like.

When we went to the Warm-Up, Anna was in shot, and we saw her circle around and go out of shot. When she came back into shot, she had to go the long way around 3 other skaters, then she come across the shot and did a very tentative combination jump right at the edge of the shot. And then she when out of shot.

She came back in close to the camera. and then went into the middle of shot where she did another combination jump. She then went to the far side of the rink and started lining up a jump, but she was just going out of shot as she took off. So we didn't see it.

When she came back into shot, she did some mini-jumps in the middle of the shot, then went to the far side of the rink, and then went out of shot.

She came back into shot close to the camera, did some more mini-jumps in the middle of the shot. She then went out of shot, but immediately came back in, and went to the middle of the rink to do a combination spin, but it started going wrong soon into it. She eventually fell... right as the 1 minute warning came through. I do think it distracted her.

She immediately got up, circled round, and started doing another spin, but then changed her mind just after she started, and went out of shot. She came back in, and did a lovely combination spin.

In the dying seconds of the Warm-Up, she started doing a Camel Spin, but had to abandon it when the announcer told them it was time to leave the ice.​

It's not long to wait until she skates. Just 1 Latvian skater to go before her.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Elza ZELLANE (LAT) is wearing a lovely black dress.

The music is beautiful.

But she is skating like she is terrified. Which is a shame, because it would definitely look really good if she was doing it more confidently.

She goes into 7th position.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Now for the last of the skaters from the Amathusia club in Cyprus. The skater that I have wanted to see for a long time, because I have been intrigued by her.

ALL THE BEST ANNA!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

The announcer wasn't sure how to pronounce "Kalogirou"! He stumbled over it a bit!

Anna is wearing a gorgeous purple dress.

And the music is beautiful too.

She is definitely more confident in what she is doing than some of the skaters in this competition.

That was really good. I really enjoyed that.

I like her.

Awwwww. While she was sitting with her coach, Alina and Maryia came in and joined her. And the three girls had a big hug.

She goes into 7th position.

WELL DONE ANNA!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Ieva KRONBERGA (LAT) is wearing a black dress, that turns red in the skirt part.

I suppose it is an Olè programme. But, it was different to what we normally consider to be one.

She skated it well, though.

She goes into 3rd position.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Saule NAVIKAITE (LTU) is wearing a deep red dress with white pattern.

Sounds like big and dramatic music.

You know something. Even with the fall near the end, I wouldn't be surprised if she wins this. She was that good.

She has two team-mates sitting with her.

She goes into 2nd position.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

The final girl, Emilija SAUJA (LAT) is wearing a dress that starts as deep red, and becomes pink at the end of the skirt part.

She was skating to "Undressed" by Sombr. Not sure if it will pass the appropriateness police.

She did so well attempting to prevent falling early on, but it was in vain.

By the halfway point, she looked liek she was bored and had given up. She was just going through the motions.

She finishes in 11th and last position.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

The first of the boys, Aleksejs SCHERBAKOVS (LAT) from the host club, is wearing a mainly blue top with a white triangle at the top. And black trousers.

I'm not sure whether this is a cover of Elton John's "Sacrifice", or just a re-mix. Either way, I don't like it.

I did like the skating, though.

Platonova sitting with him.

He is happy, doing double waves.

But, he looked more sombre when the scores came through.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

We finish the 2026 Daugava Open Cup with Norbertas SAKALYS (LAT), who is wearing all black.

I don't know this song, but I really like it. Unfortunately, I can't make out the words to look up what it is.

Not bad. But I think the other guy has won.

Yep, he finishes in 2nd position.

His coach is not impressed!

CaroLiza_fan