Dance, Round 1 - Compulsory Dance

[ygrec]

It's not just home bias, it's simply outrageous!!!

I've seen some ridiculous judging in figure skating, but this is as bad as it gets. I always thought the Italians were a very average copule, but now the are even worse. They are not in the same league as the other top couples. With a lot of good will, I might place them 5th or 6th, but first??? I wish I were in Turin, because I really feel like spitting in the judges' faces, and throwing rotten eggs at them. I saw all the cds, and I can tell you Drobiazko&Vanagas were among the best, if not the best. British Eurosport commentator seemed to agree with me. That they should only be 8th, with quite a gap from the top couples, I find incredible. It's just outrageous!!!

 

[dorispulaski]

Well, my comment is ---Did you see the thread on why should I watch the ladies and dance? I started by predicting that my favorites B&A and C&S would be dumped. And B&A are in 6th and &C&S 13th. I will collect my bets soon.

Actually Barbara (Barbie?) doesn't look like she's dragging a sack of cement. She looks like she's dragging a gorgeously dressed supersized Ken doll. This dance should be a good one for them as the lady does most of the work-all the twizzles and tricky steps. He just has to 'partner'.

Politicks rides again. But I hope the home crowd is enjoying this...

Piel, you've got me still rolling on the floor with your ladies picks.

 

[kaesie]

farce

this olympic games is turning into a farce -

zhang's reskate & high marks

plushenko's "choreography"

matt's low scores

and the Italian Dance Team ????

I'm ready to turn off the television...or better
yet, become a golf afficionado.

This is pathetic

 

[rain]

Well, my comment is ---Did you see the thread on why should I watch the ladies and dance? I started by predicting that my favorites B&A and C&S would be dumped. And B&A are in 6th and &C&S 13th. I will collect my bets soon.

Actually Barbara (Barbie?) doesn't look like she's dragging a sack of cement. She looks like she's dragging a gorgeously dressed supersized Ken doll. This dance should be a good one for them as the lady does most of the work-all the twizzles and tricky steps. He just has to 'partner'.

Politicks rides again. But I hope the home crowd is enjoying this...

Piel, you've got me still rolling on the floor with your ladies picks.

To be fair, C&S did fall, which is why they are placed soooo low. But ITA about F-P/ M. They've only ever been an average team. Even in this dance you could see that her extension was markedly better than his, and I found they were even just slightly out of synch on said extensions once or twice. This is politicking at it's worst.

 

[Antilles]

CBC only showed brief highlights, but Martini seemed impressed with FP&M. For the little bit they showed, I noticed FP&M bump legs once. This is just depressing.

 

[jan]

FP&M did not perform the dance well. He did not match with her leg extensions. I wasn't impressed with Belbin and Agosto either. The best team I thought were Denkova and Stavinski, as well as G& G.Navka and Kos. had timing issues...very obvious timing flaws.

 

[Piel]

Melissa Gregory is wearing parts of Camille on her arms. Somebody call PETA!

 

[JonnyCoop]

Absolutely ridicolous. I find it impossible to imagine F-P/M winning the compolsury ANY year, but now that they have a system which is supposed to be more precise about technique and precision, plus having not skated internationally in 4 years???? I'm not surprised at all about Belbin/Agosto being dropped down to 6th. I've been watching Dance for 25 years and due to previous results, I am not conditioned to believe for one minute that a US team is going to win medals (I'm still recovering from that silver last season because it was such a shock) -- tho I do believe that will change in '10. In theory, anyway. After these results I'm really not sure. I am thrilled about Dubreil/Lauzon, tho; if they're 4th now, given that technique has been their weak point in the past, they should be able to move up, tho there's a lot of talent above and behind them.

What burns me up, tho, is the Drobiazko/Vanagas thing. This team, IMHO, is #1 when it comes to technique and precision, and COP should be right up their alley (I think the Euros results showed that). But here we are back to 8th again.

Well, we'll see how this evolves. At the very least, it's going to be very interesting, as I thought.

 

[Ptichka]

Lauzon should get a special medal for being the most comfortable and elegant man in tails! (Much as I love Agosto, he just can't pull it off like that!)

 

[SailorGalaxia518]

Well, all I can say is that the after see this huge shock that FP/M are in 1st that after this phase of the competition................The gold medal is up in the air

 

[missBella]

All I can say is who knew that at the Olympics in 2006 the most interesting discipline would be dance?

 

[clairecloutier]

I'm not usually one for conspiracy theories . . . But in this case, I wonder if Cinquanta bribed or threatened the judges to make them put F-P/M in first place. Otherwise I don't understand how they could have been placed so high. I watched their dance twice and was not impressed. Their extension and overall line didn't match up to the other top teams. And their footwork seemed okay but not outstanding. I agree with Tracy Wilson that Barbara is a good performer and did a fine job of "selling" the program. However, that isn't enough to merit first place IMO.

Personally, I would have put the Bulgarians in first. I thought they were brilliant tonight. After their subpar season, I had all but written them off, so it was nice to see them come back and skate great.

 

[mylastduchess]

People lets not start a riot here! The top 8 are all virtually tied, all are still in contention for a medal! Now in the Original dance we will get to see how F-p/M fair with the side by side twizles I can't see a way how they could remain at the top spot after the OD, anyways I'm they would still get the medal... home counrty hoobla!

 

[SailorGalaxia518]

Tanith Belbin did not look happy after the compulsory round

 

[JonnyCoop]

I agree with you but would like to embellish on that. As far as I am concerned, the compolsury dance is not a PROGRAM. It is a SET COMPULSURY DANCE MEANT TO BE PERFORMED IN A CERTAIN FASHION WITH CERTAIN STANDARDS OF TECHNIQUE. (Sorry, eyria, I'm actually not yelling at YOU -- tho it might look like it -- but since you brought this point up tho I've gone into rant mode again... ). Much like the compulsury figures were. (Yeah, granted those were judged oh so accurately as well....) The "selling it" factor should be the difference between say 2nd or 3rd if all technique is equal, at least at this stage in the game. I can see it being more of a factor in the OD or FD when things are a little more subjective. Maybe they should have them skate the CD with bags over their heads so the judges might actually look at WHAT THE FEET ARE DOING. Because it is apparent to me that they certainly weren't doing that here.

Ptichka -- what DOESN'T Patrice Lauzon look fantastic in?? Give Ben some time, tho; I think in a few more years he'll have that same thing going completely on -- he just isn't quite ripe yet....

 

[flying camel]

Yea, Tanith's face said it all. She looked like I will tear this place up!

 

[SailorGalaxia518]

Yea, Tanith's face said it all. She looked like I will tear this place up!

They still have a shot for gold, definitely silver. I don't think that FP/M are going be at the top after the OD. I'll probably have a heratattack if they do

 

[FauveNik]

yep I had to sleep on this one! I mean M.M. looked like a bad Elvis empersonator! and her with the very BAD hair dye job... what are the judges thinking???? They were wild on the ice, at best! Well im sure we can rely on him to trip in either the final or the comp,, he always did in the past!
I really felt for the isralie couple, but you know they were not going to place anyway ,, the juges have it in for her ever since her father threatened them a few years back ( not smart).
Im sure the Russians are having a stroke right now, but you would never see it. Sasha Zulin and his comments,, berk!
Im actually now looking forward to seeing the rest of the dance( was not really at 1st!) but this whole Italian in 1st on Italian soil,, well it gets my funny bone,, im complelled
bizsous a tous!
Fauve!

 

[dorispulaski]

I'd have Denkova & Staviyski in first (very fluid and flowy, great unison) , G/G, B/A, D/L, tied for second (in the same group they are now all with tiny issues) and N&K at least a point below them because of the timing faults. I'd have F/PM (bad unison, he looked clunky somehow) definitely below Drobiazko/Vanagas and Domnina/Shabalin and probably below Faiella Scali. Although speed is such an important part of compulsories that I hesitate to get on too much of a soapbox and wouldn't break up the group of 3 that really are close. We didn't get to see Delobel, so I can't comment there.

 

[Jaana]

E.g. the first 6 skaters are so close to each other that anything can happen. I have though a feeling that this will not be an easy competition for Navka & Kostomarov, because if there is even a remotest possibility of taking the gold medal alway from that pair, it will be done by the judges. Russia has gotten already two gold medals, and those skaters were too strong in the lead to give the gold medal to somebody else.