On Site Reports:@ Euros 2016

Hello, I'm really sorry that I write this post 3 days after the end of EC, but I was pretty busy in Bratislava and then I had to do all school homeworks and studying which I missed, so I had no time before. But better late than never right?
First I will write something about pairs competition:
Very nice surprise was the couple from Lithuania-Goda Butkute/Nikita Ermolaev. I didn't expect such a nice performance, because I've never heard of them before. But it was very nice, they have got good technique and remind me Atakhanova/Spiridonov. They will need more difficulty but overall it was very good skate. Also liked Ziegler and Kiefer. SP was very solid, FP not so good, but SBS 3Lz was very nice.
Astakhova and Rogonov have interesting programs and some of their elements were on a very good level, but for me it doesn't look so elegant or clean like ohers. But I still think they were underscored a little.
In SP Vartmann and Blommaert was just great and I liked her dress, but in FP it was not very good, pretty bad actually because of their mistakes. Not their day at all.
James and Cipres were pretty good in FP. In SP it was such a shame with death spiral. I don't even have an idea how it happened, one moment they were going into death spiral and next she was out of it. I was sad for them, especially her, she looked so disappointed. Without that mistake it would be really good, they look great together. Vanessa is elegant but at the same time, very strong, has power, I liked it. FP wasn't perfect either but I good enough. I was worried at the end, during that lift, it looks scary
Valentina and Ondřej were great in the FP!!! She looked focused on the elements but other parts were really joyful. Everybody enjoyed the dancing part, the end of the program, it has brought a lot of energy to the arena
Tarasova and Morozov are really strong couple, but there is still something missing. The personality is just not there yet. They have a huge 3Tw, when they land a jump it looks really good, technicaly they are just strong. FP wasn't so interesting but I pretty enjoyed SP. It looked boring for me, when I watched it on TV during GP, but here it was pretty good I was able to get into the program in the end.
Volosozhar and Trankov deserved a gold. In SP they were really better, it looked cleaner and I think they were really sure about themselves. Aliona and Bruno were just beautiful in the SP, program was great, I saw Aliona how she was enjoying it, she looked really happy to be back, I saw the experience during lifts in SP, when she was smiling high in the air . But V/T were a little bit better there.
In FP, it was a shame about lifts. But I think Aliona and Bruno had better twist. V/T have of course a really good twist, perfect position, high in the air but just not so good. I think in 3Tw V/T were behind T/M. I mean, all top 3 couples have the amazing twist, but Aliona and Bruno have a really really huge twist. Just amazing to see it live. Also I liked SBS spin, also pair spin and death spiral more in case of Aliona and Bruno then the others. Again, all top 3 are great, but Aliona and Bruno looked faster during spins. But giving gold medals to V/T was fair. Aliona and Bruno had a mistake in the FP, V/T skated clean. Just the program of V/T...they're good, but there is nothing so special for me in their FP choreography, however their elements looked superb.
I was so happy seeing Aliona back, smiling, I just don't know about this comeback. Of course I love her being back, I just still remember her crying in Sochi 2014. I don't wanna see her like this again...But for now, they proved they have a potential together and have chance to medal at big competitions.
About Ladies FP:
First about Nicole Rajičová. It wasn't so bad, but could've been much better. Maybe she was nervous in front of home crowd I don't know. She's done some mistakes. But the support from the people was amazing, arena was cheering for her really hard, it was great atmosphere and I love her music.
Joshi Helgesson and Roberta Rodeghiero looked in tense a little bit, Roberta a little bit more. Viveca Lindfors was nice but quite slow, comparing to others. I enjoyed Mae Berenice.
First four:
Elena just stole the show. Whole arena was in the program with her. Last year, while watching her on TV I thought she is overacting too much, but this year watching her live was amazing. I think she is more matured now and has good lines and better posture. I also liked her dress more than the previous one. Some jumps looked a little bit out of the axis (I don't know the right word in English for it, sorry) but overall performance and impression was great. Standing ovation from many people including me.I could really feel something from her performance. For me she was better than Evgenia that night. Evgenia has really beautiful lines and posture, she is very elegant but the effect just wasn't the same like from Lena's performance. Beautiful spins and skating, but then fell on 2A. I think she should've been 2nd, it just wasn't clean. Lena was clean and beatiful too and should've been first. I know this is how the system works, I know it all. Just saying I really felt something from Lena's program more than from Evgenia's. JJust my opinion. And I get why Lena looked so upset. She put everything into her program and still didn't win, was second despite Zhenia's fall. And I'm not saying Zhenia wouldn't try. I'm sure she also tried really hard. Not really sure about the placement.
Anna's FP is really good, and she is beautiful but those two hard falls. It was really good how she recovered after and ended her program with some more good jumps. The first and second combination looked great, jumps are very solid when she lands the.
Angelina was really good ending of the evening. She was going from one jumps to another like nothing and I think many people in the arena were with her. When the score was announced many people started whistling. I must say I was very angry as well. Angelina skated super clean and Anna had two falls. I know this is the system,Anna had more difficulty , and as some time has already passed since then I've dealed with it a little bit, but that moment I was really upset to the judges. And I still don't know about the results.
Free dance:
Will be quick, I don't understand ice dance technique anyway.
I don't really like Stepanova/Bukin's FD. It is a weird music and choreography and I wasn't able to see something in it. Still superb twizzles in a sit position.
Sinitsina/Katsalapov have really nice lifts, I really liked their rotational lift (I believe that's how is it called??). But I felt like music is maybe too big for them in some moments.
Bobrova and Soloviev have never been my cup of tea but I quite like their Anna Karenina. It fits them perfectly and I think they're actually really telling the story.
Cappellini and Lanotte have a very fresh and joyful FD and after P/C's FD I liked it the best. P/C were just amazing. Already their last year's FD looked so easy, but seeing this FD and live...it was beautiful. They made it look so effortless. They're really skating so easy. And Guillame is really a DANCER. When I saw him on the practice before FD it looked so great. They were doing just crossovers and it already looked very very easy and it looked to me their gliding is the best out of everybody. Which could be of course just my subjective feelings, I'm not really specialist to technique in ice dance. But I just loved it and was so happy for them when the score came up.

This is pretty much everything. I could also write a post about who I saw where, who has been the nicest while giving me their autographs etc...But it still some time after the end of EC so I don't wanna boast with my signatures from skaters or be annoying with it or something. So I will write something more from off-the ice just if you want (so let me know if anyone is interested). Also if you're interested in something and have some question ask me. I don't know if I will know the answer, but you can ask

NicolettaL said:

Sophie - Anna I think if you want to have an autograf from Tatjana you should just tweet to her, because that way you will know when you are not disturbing, and I bet she will give you one

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Thank you for advice, the twitter was also on my mind, but luckily I got her signature. I asked her between Ladies FP practices. I was there watching and she was there sitting and watching as well. And there was a small break between the training groups so I just asked her. First she was like: but I'm not a skater So I told her, I know about what she is doing and I admire her hard work so she gave me her signature and was extremely nice to me

thoakun said:

Great to hear that you're having a blast at the event, Sophie-Anna. I Didn't expectancy to see such a fully packed arena and Olympic-like atmosphere.Is there a wide variety of nationalities in the audience? I can't help feeling warm and fuzzy seeing the friendly, supportive crowd cheering for every skater. Euros may not be a deep field but now I can see why many people are enthusiastic about it. It's truly an event for solidarity and understanding.

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I don't know if it was Olympic-like atmosphere because unfortunately I've never been to Olympics before Until gala arena wasn't completely full, but the atmosphere was IMO great. As viennaskater already said there was a wide variety of nationalities. Many Spanish, French, Russians. Of course great support for Slovakian and also Czech skaters. And then many other flags in the audience

Thanks so much Sophie-Anna, for lovely, lovely reports.

Thank you Sophie-Anna! It sounds like you had a wonderful time, and I can't wait to see all of these skaters (esp Elena, Evgenia, P/C etc.) at Worlds.

Cheers Sophie, as someone who didnt See a single skate this year I appreciated your reports

Thank you so much for your detailed reports, Sophie-Anna!!

And I would love to hear more about your off-ice experiences with the skaters!!

This is pretty much everything. I could also write a post about who I saw where, who has been the nicest while giving me their autographs etc...

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Boast away!
really all the impressions are welcome
Huge thanks

So, you wanted some more experiences and here they are (though maybe too late, sorry)

I got signatures from many people, mostly coaches, because skaters had their special entry and public wasn't allowed to be near it. Good thing is nobody was nasty to me, when I asked them for their signature, some very in a hurry so just gave me their signature quickly, some had more time, but basically they were very nice to fans.
Almost every coach or former skater, everybody were smoking in front of their entry... : Fabian Bourzat, Artur Dmitriev, Robin Szolkowy, Pasquale Camerlengo, I also saw there Barbara Fusar Poli, Gorshkov...

Some of my comments of certain people while asking them for autograph:
Award for a nicest person goes for:
Deniss Vasiljevs...by the time I got his signature I already had the one from Tatjana Flade. I wanted signatures from her and Deniss the most, so I thouhgt: now you have T. Flade, let's find Deniss...We spent every ice-resurfacing break on the corridors of A sector, watching people around, walking etc. And during Ladies FP I was just standing there on the corner and Deniss was walking really fast, more running so I didn't catch him. But I saw he disappeared behind one door, so I was just waiting there. Then I almost wanted to go back to my seat, but I was really lucky, because at that moment I saw Deniss and some Japanese ladies asked him for a photo so I just ran toward him and asked him too. From all the people I just have signatures but with Deniss I have also a photo - I'm happy person now . We took the photo and then I asked him for an autograph. He had some snack in his hands, so he said : I will take this (I have a special small book for signatures) and you will hold this, and he gave me his signature. Most people just quickly wrote their name but he got some time with it. This is written there: With best wishes Deniss Vasiljevs. And under there is a signature, like Vasiljevs. I was a great fan before but now I'm a fan even more.
Tatjana Flade- I already wrote about this one in some previous post.
Elena Buianova- met her nearby the entry for coaches and officials. It wouldn't be nothing so special, but it was like 4 of us who wanted her signature and she was smiling around to everyone. She went from the arena and when she saw we want her autograph she was really nice to everybody. I can't describe too much, but it was nice to see her smile like this.
Igor Shpilband- I don't remember the exact day but it was in the morning when I was on my way to morning practice. I was crossing the street and I saw Shpilband walking the opposite way than me, so I asked him. He had the smile on his face, which I would describe as a perfect Holywood style. Great to meet him.
But many others were nice to me as well!!!
Others impressions:
Olivier Schoenfelder looks really good when you see him face to face!
After Jorik Hendrickx gave me a signature they were two girls waiting to take a selfie with him (I guess 12-13 y.o.). It was on the corridor and I heard him saying: I look terrible on this photo, the light is terrible (or something like that). And then he opened the door to the stands, probably wanted a better light and better photo
I have a signature from Javier Fernandez but not from the official autograph session. He just appeared on the corridor and all the people were like: oh it's so many people out there, which skater is there? It was Javi of course, has a lot of fans.
I saw Anna Pogorilaya talking with pair skater Goda Butkute, lookes they're friends.
After free dance competition, we joined other people, waiting in front of a press conference room. After 10 minutes of waiting Bobrova/Soloviev appeared, after another 10 minutes other 2 couples. Then we had to wait about 20 minutes or so, when the press conference is over. First skater who went out was Luca Lanotte. He looked like he is in a big hurry, however he gave signatures to everybody who was waiting there (I guess 20-25 people). Next was Anna Cappellini. She was smiling around, she had enough time to gave signature to everybody and also take photos and selfies with everyone who wanted. Also, there were some small girls, who didn't know English so thay said "děkuji" to her, which means thank you in Czech and Anna replied "prosím", which is also in Czech and it means either "please" or you're welcome"(like in this case). She probably got this from Ondřej Hotárek . It was sweet.
Next was other two couples and they were nice as well. At first I thought I won't need a signatures from Bobrova/Soloviev, I like their FD this season, but they're not my favorites. But then I said to myself they're here and I'm here too, so why shouldn't I take it. So I got signatures from all top 3 couples.

Spotted in front of the arena:
Morozov entering a restaurent, minute later he is out with Vasilisa Davankova with him...

Spotted in the mall near the arena(also it was next to the hotel of coaches)
Ivan Righini with Dmitri Soloviev went down on escalators started laughing like crazy and then went up again Later I saw Tarasova/Morozov in the mall.

That's all, maybe something else will come to my mind later, but I believe this is the most important