2013 European Figure Skating Championships
Pairs – Free Skating
Detailed Classification
Judges Scoreshttp://www.isuresults.com/results/ec2013/ec2013_Pairs_FS_Scores.pdf
Another strong event. It's been a great European Championships so far with the level of skating high and no splatfests yet (that will be provided by the Ladiezzz I guess ).
Some very nice improvement from a number of teams. Berton/Hotarek and James/Cipres are now (rightfully) perceived by the judges as belonging to the top couples. Kavaguchi/Smirnov on the other hand are being retired it seems. Although they did make numerous mistakes in both programs, maybe the judges would have looked at them very differently had they skated clean?
Volosozhar/Trankov were not able to replicate their extremely strong short program performance and were a little tentative today. Savchenko/Szolkowy have made some costly errors but as usually has been the case in the past, they've shown an extremely complex (although a little introverted) program that unfortunately did not get rewarded appropriately on the PCS. I have never seen any other pair team coming anywhere near them, as far as complexity of choreography and transitions goes.
1. Elizaveta Makarova / Leri Kenchadze /BUL/
Romeo and Juliet (soundtrack) by Nino Rota
Romeo and Juliet performed by Edvin Marton
2twist with arms above – not a lot of height but solid [0]
throw 3loop – not a great deal of height and distance but landed [0]
hand-to-hand lift to change of position to one hand to difficult dismount(a little laboured) [0]
throw 3salchow – fall [-3] (it looked like he didn't throw her right)
steps towards 2loop [0]
shoot-the-duck into fids with change of hold – rotation quite slow [-1]
to pair combination spin – slow, wobbly on change of foot [-2]
choreographic sequence: front catch spiral / back Y – poor extensions [-1]
toe lasso to one hand – laboured footwork [-1]
salchow lasso to one hand hold and dismount – choppy footwork, two-footed [-1]
2flip – she underrotated, they didn't do the planned combo [-1]
camel/sit/up/change sit/up butt out – a little slow, off-synch at the end [-1]
Quite slow. Skated from one element into another without much connection to the music.
2. Magdalena Klatka / Radoslaw Chruscinski /POL/
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg by Michel Legrand
2twist [0]
2flip – she stepped out with hand down [-3]
press lift to one hand to change of position to one hand and one foot carry to difficult dismount – laboured [-1]
throw 2loop – poor flow out [-1]
2flip/2toe(she singled) [-2]
camel/up Y/change sit to pancake – poor-synch throughout [-2]
a nice highlight: spread eagle and spiral
lasso lift aborted on take-off [no value]
choreographic sequence: front spirals [0]
back spiral into throw 2flip [1]
toe lasso to one hand hold and dismount – looked like it was also going to be aborted at the start but he fought hard and managed to see it through until the end [-1]
spread eagle and catch spiral into bids – slow, position not great [-1]
to pair combination spin – slow [-1]
They lacked attack and expression but the choreography wasn't bad and they've shown some nice lines.
3. Maria Paliakova / Nikita Bochkov /BLR/
Burlesque (soundtrack)
2flip(she stepped out)/half-loop into 2loop [-1]
back spiral towards 3twist – catch a little late [-1]
throw 3salchow – bad fall [-3]
back spiral into hand-to-hand lift to change of position – almost fell at the start, struggled throughout and had to abort early [-2]
2toe [0]
catch spirals into fids with change of hold [-1]
throw 3loop – two-footed, fall [-3]
pair combination spin – not much speed, changed rotation centre quite a lot on change of foot and travelled a little [-1]
choreographic sequence: back catch and front / spread eagle and Y – extensions not bad [0]
toe lasso lift to change of position to one hand carry to change of position to difficult dismount – really laboured [-2]
star lift with change of position – laboured [-1]
flying camel/sit/up L/change sit holding foot – off-synch [-2]
They were very slow and didn't even seem to pretend to respond to the music. I guess you can't really blame them, given they're a new team and at this stage all of the elements are a struggle.
Most of his chest was on show again.
4. Stina Martini / Severin Kiefer /AUT/
Sissi and Franz
Blue Danube (An der schönen blauen Donau) by Johann Strauss
Radetzky Marsch by Johann Strauss
axel lasso to one hand hold and dismount – two-footed [-1]
dance lift to 2twist – poor height, catch not very strong [-1]
throw 2salchow [0] – mean to be a triple but she opened up early
spiral to press lift to change of position to one hand to difficult dismount – laboured, two-footed [-2]
2axel – she underrotated, landings quite weak [-2]
spread eagle and catchfoot spiral into bids [0]
choreographic sequence: back catch to spread eagle and front split – nice positions [1]
transitions to throw 2loop – had to abort the landing quite quickly [-1]
camel/sit/up/change up butt out – quite far apart, not a lot of speed, exit off-synch [-1]
pull-through to toe lasso to change of position to difficult dismount – once they had to change the position, it became a real struggle and they had to fight until the end [-2]
2flip/2toe/2toe(she didn't execute the last toe) [-2]
pair combination spin – slow [-1]
Whilst on the technical side, there were many of shortcomings, the program was well choreographed, featured a number of interesting highlights and reflected the character of the music quite well.
5. Nicole Della Monica / Matteo Guarise /ITA/
The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber
3salchow/2toe – solid [1]
2twist – quite high and solid [1]
throw 3loop – fall [-3]
catchfoot spiral into fids [1]
flying camel/sit/up/change sit/up L – well synchronised, decent positions [1]
2axel – she fell, he put hand down and stepped out [-3]
axel lasso to change of position to one hand carry to difficult dismount – a little slow on the carry [0]
choreographic sequence: very nicely choreographed, interesting movements (not only spiral but also spread eagles and a dance lift) [1]
throw 3salchow – foot down [-2]
salchow lasso to one hand hold and dismount – strong [1]
star lift to difficult dismount – solid [1]
to pair combination spin [0]
Choreography was quite generic but they've shown very good speed and decent lines and extensions. Elegant throughout and everything they did was good quality.
6. Stacey Kemp / David King /GBR/
Pomp and Circumstance by Edward Elgar
3twist – poor height, underrotated, crash [-3]
3toe – she heavily underrotated and two-footed, he fell [-3]
throw 3flip – good height and distance, solid landing with nice extension, a little telegraphed though [1]
choreographic sequence: front coe – extension could be a little better [0]
2axel(she underrotated)/half-loop into 2toe(he singled) – not much control [-3]
spread eagle and catch spiral into fids with change of hold [0]
flying camel/sit/up/change sit broken leg [0]
ina bauer to spread eagle to axel lasso lift with changes of position – laboured [-1]
pair combination spin – slow [-1]
spread eagle and spiral towards throw 3loop – solid, good flow out [1]
flip up entry into star lift to ina bauer carry [1]
toe lasso to one hand – a little laboured [0]
Much better than in the short. They seemed to be skating with more power and the program was well choroegraphed featuring a lot of various moves in the field as transitions.
Good to see them upping up the ante by adding the throw flip and finally going for both toe-loop and axel but unfortunately Stacey keeps underrotating her jumps.
Coomes/Buckland were going mental in the stands.
7. Julia Lavrentieva / Yuri Rudyk /UKR/
The Last Samurai (soundtrack) by Hans Zimmer
dance lift to steps to 2twist – two-footed [-1]
throw 3loop – solid landing with good flow out [1]
spread eagle and front spiral to axel lasso to one hand – strong but two-footed [0]
2flip(he stepped out)/2toe(only she executed it) [-3]
flying camel/sit/up/change sit broken leg – well synchronised but off-centred at one point [0]
2flutz [-1]
choreographic sequence: nicely put together, their spirals could have been better extended though [0]
dance lift to star lift to one hand – strong, nice extensions [1]
pull-through to toe lasso – strong but two-footed [0]
throw 3salchow [0]
spread eagle and catchfoot spiral into bids with change of hold [0]
to pair combination spin – could use a little more speed [0]
Decent choroegraphy featuring various interesting in-character movements throughout. They could have shown a little more attack but their movements were well extended, really nice lines.
They're still young (he's 21, she's 15 and this is the first season she can compete in seniors) and there's plenty of potential here.
8. Daria Popova / Bruno Massot /FRA/
Chocca by Apocalyptica
Far Away by Apocalyptica
3twist – incredible height, solid catch [2]
3toe into 2toe – solid [1]
star lift to change of position – strong, flowed well [1]
2axel – landed but telegraphed and a little off-synch [-1]
throw 3loop – clean but over the toe on the landing [0]
flying camel/sit/up Y/change sit holding foot to cannonball/up – a little off-synch at the start but quickly got back into it [0]
choreographic sequence: front basic / front Y [0]
throw 3salchow – very high but overrotated (they overcooked it) [-2]
axel lasso to one hand – ok but looked like hard work [0]
salchow lasso to one hand to change of position(lost balance and had to abort early) [-2]
Y spiral into fids with change of hold [0]
to pair combination spin – slow [-1]
The program featured a few interesting highlight moves but other than that they just skated from one element into another and didn't really respond to the music. They had quite a lot of speed though and seemed “in the zone” tonight, showing a lot of power and attack. Shame about the silly mistake on the lift at the end because the program has been going really well until then.
9. Ksenia Stolbova / Fedor Klimov /RUS/
The Addams Family (soundtrack) by Marc Shaiman
3twist – late catch, crash [-3]
3toe/2toe/2toe – not a lot of flow out off her jumps but clean [0]
axel lasso to one hand to carry to change of position and difficult dismount – solid, nice extensions from her [1]
shoot-the-duck into fids with change of hold [0]
pair change combination spin – well extended positions, decent rotation speed [1]
flying camel/sit/up L/change sit broken leg – good positions and synchronisation [1]
backwards lasso to one hand hold and dismount – slightly two-footed, a little heavy [-1]
short entry into throw 3lutz – fall [-3]
spiral sequence: front and back catch [1]
2axel – a little off-synch, she stepped out, he underrotated and fell [-3]
flipped around dance lift to star lift (all on one hand) to difficult dismount – strong [1]
throw 3salchow – solid, nice extension and good flow out [1]
Another well choreographed program featuring an unusual, difficult element layout, with three jumping passes towards the end of their routine. They cut a really nice pattern over the ice, had some interesting connecting movements and showed quite a lot of character. Although having said that, again they could have pushed the expression more and sell the program better.
10. Yuko Kavaguti / Alexander Smirnov /RUS/
February by Leonid Levashkevich
3toe(weak landing from him) into 3toe [0]
nice dance lift and spread eagle + spiral
2axel – she singled, poor landing from him that eventually became a fall [-3]
dance lift to 3twist – crash [-2]
shoot-the-duck into bids – quite weak position from her [0]
camel/sit/up var/change up L – well synchronised [1]
choreographic sequence: spread eagles / charlotte and front spiral [1]
backwards lasso to one hand hold and dismount [0]
throw 3salchow – two-footed [-2]
throw 3loop – step out, good distance covered but quite a long entry [-2]
star lift to one hand to change of position to spread eagle dismount – strong [1]
spread eagle to axel lasso to one hand to change of position to carry to one foot – laboured [-1]
to pair combination spin – quite good rotation speed [1]
The program featured a lot of detailed movement (both upper body and transitions) at the beginning, presented beautifully. The problem, however is that whilst it started really well, in the second half it was just throws and lifts crammed together to maximise the points, without anything else going on. So the choreography wasn't balanced at all.
11. Mari Vartmann / Aaron Van Cleave /GER/
Passion of the Christ (soundtrack)
Blood and Glory by Audiomachine
2twist – high and solid [1]
3toe(he stepped out)/2toe(off-synch since he did his after the step out – and it won't count anyway since his free foot touched down) [-3]
3salchow – she doubled, he stepped out [-3]
throw 3loop – fall [-3]
transitions into flying camel/sit/up/change sit broken leg [0]
choreographic sequence: spread eagle and front spiral, a dance lift, front spiral [0]
backwards lasso to one hand hold and dismount – a little heavy, two-footed [-1]
axel lasso – aborted on take off (so no value)
shoot-the-duck into fids – decent position and rotation speed [1]
dance lift to star lift to one hand to carry to difficult dismount [0]
throw 2salchow [-1] – meant to be a triple obviously, but she opened up early, not a lot of flow out
back catchfoot spiral into pair combination spin in both directions – well extended positions from her [1]
The program seemed quite well choreographed although it's hard to say much about it after a performance like this. It kept going downhill and it looked like they were just giving up more as it went on.
She's flexible and hit some lovely positions, his posture and lines on the other hand leave quite a lot to be desired.
12. Vanessa James / Morgan Cipres /FRA/
Pearl Harbour (soundtrack) by Hans Zimmer
3twist – high but late catch, heavily two-footed by him [-2]
3salchow [0]
3toe(weak landing from her)/2toe(she had no flow out at all and was standing still and didn't even manage to eek out a single toe) [-3]
flying camel to up var to var/change sit broken leg – well synchronised [1]
spirals to fids with change of hold – decent position [1]
spread eagle to axel lasso to one hand to difficult dismount – solid [1]
transitions towards throw 3flip – very slightly shaky on landing but held it solidly with a nice extension [1]
transitions towards throw 3salchow – slightly over the toe, not a lot of flow out [0]
choreographic sequence: front spirals [0]
backwards lasso lift to one hand hold and dismount – a little slow, two-footed [-1]
pair combination spin – decent positions and rotation speed [1]
dance lift to star lift to one hand to spread eagle carry – very impressive entry, strong throughout [2]
finished a little behind the music
Good speed and nice postures and lines but the choroegraphy was quite generic. Not a lot happened in between the elements. They did skate with a lot of power though.
They've really come far since last season and it now looks like the judges are regarding them as one of the top teams.
13. Stefania Berton / Ondrej Hotarek /ITA/
Poeta en el viento by Vincente Amigo
3toe/2toe/2toe – solid [1]
3salchow – she underrotated slightly and fell [-3]
3twist – late catch, two-footed [-2]
reverse lasso lift to change of position to carry back to rotation to difficult dismount [1]
transitions to fids – decent position [1]
to pair combination spin – could use a little more speed [0]
axel lasso to one hand [1]
choreographic sequence: lots of footwork and some front spirals [1]
throw 3loop – they had a slight stutter going into it and I thought she wouldn't land it but although the landing was a little weak, she hung on to it [-1]
throw 3salchow – poor flow out [-1]
press lift to change of position and one hand to change of position [0]
steps to flying camel/up var/change sit holding foot to cannonball – synch a little off [-1]
A nicely choreographed program which had a lot of character and expression. They are unique amongst the pair teams is that parts of their routines look more like ice dance than pair skating. They actually dance to the music.
The first bronze medal for Italy in pairs and very well deserved as well.
14. Tatiana Volosozhar / Maxim Trankov /RUS/
Violin Muse by Ikuko Kawai, based on Partita for Violin No. 2 by Johann Sebastian Bach and Chaconne by Tomaso Vitali
3twist – very high but slightly two-footed by him [1]
3salchow – slightly weak landing from him [0]
3toe/2toe – his landings not very strong [0]
Y spiral into fids with change of hold – very nice position from her [1]
flying camel/sit/up/change camel/sit/up Y – lost the synch a little bit after change of foot but regained it quickly, rotation speed could have been better [0]
throw 3loop – over the toe, both hands down, really high but no control over the landing (overcooked it) [-2]
reverse lasso to change of position – a little heavy [0]
backwards lasso lift into one hand hold and dismount [1]
choreographic sequence: mirrored front spirals, spread eagles – good speed, flow and ice coverage [2]
throw 3salchow – high but a little off-axis in the air, two-footed [-2]
flip up entry into lift to carry to change of position and difficult dismount [1]
to pair combination spin – slow at the end rotating clockwise [0]
Whilst their short program was effortless and near perfect, this performance looked like hard work throughout. Elements were not very strong.
Big question mark over the choreography. It was quite basic, there was a lack of transitions and they just seemed to skate through the music which wasn't much more than background noise.
There is no doubt that they are technically extremely capable and they have good basics but I can't understand how this program could have received 9s for choreography or transitions.
15. Aliona Savchenko / Robin Szolkowy /GER/
Flamenco Bolero by Gustavo Montessano
throw 3flip – huge, solid landing [2]
3toe into 3toe – both solid and effortless [2]
transitions into shoot-the-duck into fids – good position, nicely connected to the program both on entry and exit [2]
transitions to flying sit/up var/change sit cannonball/up – synch a little off [0]
spiral sequence: back owen / front / spread eagle and spiral [1]
dance lift to 3twist – slight crash, very short entry though [0]
3salchow – she fell, he doubled [-3]
spread eagles to axel lasso to change of position to one hand spread eagle carry to difficult dismount – strong, great extensions [2]
backwards lasso to one hand hold and dismount – a little heavy [0]
transitions to pair combination spin – good positions, decent rotation speed [2]
star lift to one hand to change of position to reverse rotation(a little laboured) [0]
dance lift to throw 3salchow – solid landing with good flow out [2]
An incredibly complex program. There were hardly any empty spots, they were constantly executing various connecting movements, almost all of the elements were woven together with transitions.
It did lack light and shade however with the music being quite repetitive and whilst the difficulty could not be denied it lacked highlights, movements which would be fun or memorable.
Still it doesn't change the fact that this program was far more difficult than anything any of their competitors shown and it's extremely unfair that the PCS did not reflect that.
Pairs – Free Skating
Detailed Classification
Judges Scoreshttp://www.isuresults.com/results/ec2013/ec2013_Pairs_FS_Scores.pdf
Another strong event. It's been a great European Championships so far with the level of skating high and no splatfests yet (that will be provided by the Ladiezzz I guess ).
Some very nice improvement from a number of teams. Berton/Hotarek and James/Cipres are now (rightfully) perceived by the judges as belonging to the top couples. Kavaguchi/Smirnov on the other hand are being retired it seems. Although they did make numerous mistakes in both programs, maybe the judges would have looked at them very differently had they skated clean?
Volosozhar/Trankov were not able to replicate their extremely strong short program performance and were a little tentative today. Savchenko/Szolkowy have made some costly errors but as usually has been the case in the past, they've shown an extremely complex (although a little introverted) program that unfortunately did not get rewarded appropriately on the PCS. I have never seen any other pair team coming anywhere near them, as far as complexity of choreography and transitions goes.
1. Elizaveta Makarova / Leri Kenchadze /BUL/
Romeo and Juliet (soundtrack) by Nino Rota
Romeo and Juliet performed by Edvin Marton
2twist with arms above – not a lot of height but solid [0]
throw 3loop – not a great deal of height and distance but landed [0]
hand-to-hand lift to change of position to one hand to difficult dismount(a little laboured) [0]
throw 3salchow – fall [-3] (it looked like he didn't throw her right)
steps towards 2loop [0]
shoot-the-duck into fids with change of hold – rotation quite slow [-1]
to pair combination spin – slow, wobbly on change of foot [-2]
choreographic sequence: front catch spiral / back Y – poor extensions [-1]
toe lasso to one hand – laboured footwork [-1]
salchow lasso to one hand hold and dismount – choppy footwork, two-footed [-1]
2flip – she underrotated, they didn't do the planned combo [-1]
camel/sit/up/change sit/up butt out – a little slow, off-synch at the end [-1]
Quite slow. Skated from one element into another without much connection to the music.
2. Magdalena Klatka / Radoslaw Chruscinski /POL/
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg by Michel Legrand
2twist [0]
2flip – she stepped out with hand down [-3]
press lift to one hand to change of position to one hand and one foot carry to difficult dismount – laboured [-1]
throw 2loop – poor flow out [-1]
2flip/2toe(she singled) [-2]
camel/up Y/change sit to pancake – poor-synch throughout [-2]
a nice highlight: spread eagle and spiral
lasso lift aborted on take-off [no value]
choreographic sequence: front spirals [0]
back spiral into throw 2flip [1]
toe lasso to one hand hold and dismount – looked like it was also going to be aborted at the start but he fought hard and managed to see it through until the end [-1]
spread eagle and catch spiral into bids – slow, position not great [-1]
to pair combination spin – slow [-1]
They lacked attack and expression but the choreography wasn't bad and they've shown some nice lines.
3. Maria Paliakova / Nikita Bochkov /BLR/
Burlesque (soundtrack)
2flip(she stepped out)/half-loop into 2loop [-1]
back spiral towards 3twist – catch a little late [-1]
throw 3salchow – bad fall [-3]
back spiral into hand-to-hand lift to change of position – almost fell at the start, struggled throughout and had to abort early [-2]
2toe [0]
catch spirals into fids with change of hold [-1]
throw 3loop – two-footed, fall [-3]
pair combination spin – not much speed, changed rotation centre quite a lot on change of foot and travelled a little [-1]
choreographic sequence: back catch and front / spread eagle and Y – extensions not bad [0]
toe lasso lift to change of position to one hand carry to change of position to difficult dismount – really laboured [-2]
star lift with change of position – laboured [-1]
flying camel/sit/up L/change sit holding foot – off-synch [-2]
They were very slow and didn't even seem to pretend to respond to the music. I guess you can't really blame them, given they're a new team and at this stage all of the elements are a struggle.
Most of his chest was on show again.
4. Stina Martini / Severin Kiefer /AUT/
Sissi and Franz
Blue Danube (An der schönen blauen Donau) by Johann Strauss
Radetzky Marsch by Johann Strauss
axel lasso to one hand hold and dismount – two-footed [-1]
dance lift to 2twist – poor height, catch not very strong [-1]
throw 2salchow [0] – mean to be a triple but she opened up early
spiral to press lift to change of position to one hand to difficult dismount – laboured, two-footed [-2]
2axel – she underrotated, landings quite weak [-2]
spread eagle and catchfoot spiral into bids [0]
choreographic sequence: back catch to spread eagle and front split – nice positions [1]
transitions to throw 2loop – had to abort the landing quite quickly [-1]
camel/sit/up/change up butt out – quite far apart, not a lot of speed, exit off-synch [-1]
pull-through to toe lasso to change of position to difficult dismount – once they had to change the position, it became a real struggle and they had to fight until the end [-2]
2flip/2toe/2toe(she didn't execute the last toe) [-2]
pair combination spin – slow [-1]
Whilst on the technical side, there were many of shortcomings, the program was well choreographed, featured a number of interesting highlights and reflected the character of the music quite well.
5. Nicole Della Monica / Matteo Guarise /ITA/
The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber
3salchow/2toe – solid [1]
2twist – quite high and solid [1]
throw 3loop – fall [-3]
catchfoot spiral into fids [1]
flying camel/sit/up/change sit/up L – well synchronised, decent positions [1]
2axel – she fell, he put hand down and stepped out [-3]
axel lasso to change of position to one hand carry to difficult dismount – a little slow on the carry [0]
choreographic sequence: very nicely choreographed, interesting movements (not only spiral but also spread eagles and a dance lift) [1]
throw 3salchow – foot down [-2]
salchow lasso to one hand hold and dismount – strong [1]
star lift to difficult dismount – solid [1]
to pair combination spin [0]
Choreography was quite generic but they've shown very good speed and decent lines and extensions. Elegant throughout and everything they did was good quality.
6. Stacey Kemp / David King /GBR/
Pomp and Circumstance by Edward Elgar
3twist – poor height, underrotated, crash [-3]
3toe – she heavily underrotated and two-footed, he fell [-3]
throw 3flip – good height and distance, solid landing with nice extension, a little telegraphed though [1]
choreographic sequence: front coe – extension could be a little better [0]
2axel(she underrotated)/half-loop into 2toe(he singled) – not much control [-3]
spread eagle and catch spiral into fids with change of hold [0]
flying camel/sit/up/change sit broken leg [0]
ina bauer to spread eagle to axel lasso lift with changes of position – laboured [-1]
pair combination spin – slow [-1]
spread eagle and spiral towards throw 3loop – solid, good flow out [1]
flip up entry into star lift to ina bauer carry [1]
toe lasso to one hand – a little laboured [0]
Much better than in the short. They seemed to be skating with more power and the program was well choroegraphed featuring a lot of various moves in the field as transitions.
Good to see them upping up the ante by adding the throw flip and finally going for both toe-loop and axel but unfortunately Stacey keeps underrotating her jumps.
Coomes/Buckland were going mental in the stands.
7. Julia Lavrentieva / Yuri Rudyk /UKR/
The Last Samurai (soundtrack) by Hans Zimmer
dance lift to steps to 2twist – two-footed [-1]
throw 3loop – solid landing with good flow out [1]
spread eagle and front spiral to axel lasso to one hand – strong but two-footed [0]
2flip(he stepped out)/2toe(only she executed it) [-3]
flying camel/sit/up/change sit broken leg – well synchronised but off-centred at one point [0]
2flutz [-1]
choreographic sequence: nicely put together, their spirals could have been better extended though [0]
dance lift to star lift to one hand – strong, nice extensions [1]
pull-through to toe lasso – strong but two-footed [0]
throw 3salchow [0]
spread eagle and catchfoot spiral into bids with change of hold [0]
to pair combination spin – could use a little more speed [0]
Decent choroegraphy featuring various interesting in-character movements throughout. They could have shown a little more attack but their movements were well extended, really nice lines.
They're still young (he's 21, she's 15 and this is the first season she can compete in seniors) and there's plenty of potential here.
8. Daria Popova / Bruno Massot /FRA/
Chocca by Apocalyptica
Far Away by Apocalyptica
3twist – incredible height, solid catch [2]
3toe into 2toe – solid [1]
star lift to change of position – strong, flowed well [1]
2axel – landed but telegraphed and a little off-synch [-1]
throw 3loop – clean but over the toe on the landing [0]
flying camel/sit/up Y/change sit holding foot to cannonball/up – a little off-synch at the start but quickly got back into it [0]
choreographic sequence: front basic / front Y [0]
throw 3salchow – very high but overrotated (they overcooked it) [-2]
axel lasso to one hand – ok but looked like hard work [0]
salchow lasso to one hand to change of position(lost balance and had to abort early) [-2]
Y spiral into fids with change of hold [0]
to pair combination spin – slow [-1]
The program featured a few interesting highlight moves but other than that they just skated from one element into another and didn't really respond to the music. They had quite a lot of speed though and seemed “in the zone” tonight, showing a lot of power and attack. Shame about the silly mistake on the lift at the end because the program has been going really well until then.
9. Ksenia Stolbova / Fedor Klimov /RUS/
The Addams Family (soundtrack) by Marc Shaiman
3twist – late catch, crash [-3]
3toe/2toe/2toe – not a lot of flow out off her jumps but clean [0]
axel lasso to one hand to carry to change of position and difficult dismount – solid, nice extensions from her [1]
shoot-the-duck into fids with change of hold [0]
pair change combination spin – well extended positions, decent rotation speed [1]
flying camel/sit/up L/change sit broken leg – good positions and synchronisation [1]
backwards lasso to one hand hold and dismount – slightly two-footed, a little heavy [-1]
short entry into throw 3lutz – fall [-3]
spiral sequence: front and back catch [1]
2axel – a little off-synch, she stepped out, he underrotated and fell [-3]
flipped around dance lift to star lift (all on one hand) to difficult dismount – strong [1]
throw 3salchow – solid, nice extension and good flow out [1]
Another well choreographed program featuring an unusual, difficult element layout, with three jumping passes towards the end of their routine. They cut a really nice pattern over the ice, had some interesting connecting movements and showed quite a lot of character. Although having said that, again they could have pushed the expression more and sell the program better.
10. Yuko Kavaguti / Alexander Smirnov /RUS/
February by Leonid Levashkevich
3toe(weak landing from him) into 3toe [0]
nice dance lift and spread eagle + spiral
2axel – she singled, poor landing from him that eventually became a fall [-3]
dance lift to 3twist – crash [-2]
shoot-the-duck into bids – quite weak position from her [0]
camel/sit/up var/change up L – well synchronised [1]
choreographic sequence: spread eagles / charlotte and front spiral [1]
backwards lasso to one hand hold and dismount [0]
throw 3salchow – two-footed [-2]
throw 3loop – step out, good distance covered but quite a long entry [-2]
star lift to one hand to change of position to spread eagle dismount – strong [1]
spread eagle to axel lasso to one hand to change of position to carry to one foot – laboured [-1]
to pair combination spin – quite good rotation speed [1]
The program featured a lot of detailed movement (both upper body and transitions) at the beginning, presented beautifully. The problem, however is that whilst it started really well, in the second half it was just throws and lifts crammed together to maximise the points, without anything else going on. So the choreography wasn't balanced at all.
11. Mari Vartmann / Aaron Van Cleave /GER/
Passion of the Christ (soundtrack)
Blood and Glory by Audiomachine
2twist – high and solid [1]
3toe(he stepped out)/2toe(off-synch since he did his after the step out – and it won't count anyway since his free foot touched down) [-3]
3salchow – she doubled, he stepped out [-3]
throw 3loop – fall [-3]
transitions into flying camel/sit/up/change sit broken leg [0]
choreographic sequence: spread eagle and front spiral, a dance lift, front spiral [0]
backwards lasso to one hand hold and dismount – a little heavy, two-footed [-1]
axel lasso – aborted on take off (so no value)
shoot-the-duck into fids – decent position and rotation speed [1]
dance lift to star lift to one hand to carry to difficult dismount [0]
throw 2salchow [-1] – meant to be a triple obviously, but she opened up early, not a lot of flow out
back catchfoot spiral into pair combination spin in both directions – well extended positions from her [1]
The program seemed quite well choreographed although it's hard to say much about it after a performance like this. It kept going downhill and it looked like they were just giving up more as it went on.
She's flexible and hit some lovely positions, his posture and lines on the other hand leave quite a lot to be desired.
12. Vanessa James / Morgan Cipres /FRA/
Pearl Harbour (soundtrack) by Hans Zimmer
3twist – high but late catch, heavily two-footed by him [-2]
3salchow [0]
3toe(weak landing from her)/2toe(she had no flow out at all and was standing still and didn't even manage to eek out a single toe) [-3]
flying camel to up var to var/change sit broken leg – well synchronised [1]
spirals to fids with change of hold – decent position [1]
spread eagle to axel lasso to one hand to difficult dismount – solid [1]
transitions towards throw 3flip – very slightly shaky on landing but held it solidly with a nice extension [1]
transitions towards throw 3salchow – slightly over the toe, not a lot of flow out [0]
choreographic sequence: front spirals [0]
backwards lasso lift to one hand hold and dismount – a little slow, two-footed [-1]
pair combination spin – decent positions and rotation speed [1]
dance lift to star lift to one hand to spread eagle carry – very impressive entry, strong throughout [2]
finished a little behind the music
Good speed and nice postures and lines but the choroegraphy was quite generic. Not a lot happened in between the elements. They did skate with a lot of power though.
They've really come far since last season and it now looks like the judges are regarding them as one of the top teams.
13. Stefania Berton / Ondrej Hotarek /ITA/
Poeta en el viento by Vincente Amigo
3toe/2toe/2toe – solid [1]
3salchow – she underrotated slightly and fell [-3]
3twist – late catch, two-footed [-2]
reverse lasso lift to change of position to carry back to rotation to difficult dismount [1]
transitions to fids – decent position [1]
to pair combination spin – could use a little more speed [0]
axel lasso to one hand [1]
choreographic sequence: lots of footwork and some front spirals [1]
throw 3loop – they had a slight stutter going into it and I thought she wouldn't land it but although the landing was a little weak, she hung on to it [-1]
throw 3salchow – poor flow out [-1]
press lift to change of position and one hand to change of position [0]
steps to flying camel/up var/change sit holding foot to cannonball – synch a little off [-1]
A nicely choreographed program which had a lot of character and expression. They are unique amongst the pair teams is that parts of their routines look more like ice dance than pair skating. They actually dance to the music.
The first bronze medal for Italy in pairs and very well deserved as well.
14. Tatiana Volosozhar / Maxim Trankov /RUS/
Violin Muse by Ikuko Kawai, based on Partita for Violin No. 2 by Johann Sebastian Bach and Chaconne by Tomaso Vitali
3twist – very high but slightly two-footed by him [1]
3salchow – slightly weak landing from him [0]
3toe/2toe – his landings not very strong [0]
Y spiral into fids with change of hold – very nice position from her [1]
flying camel/sit/up/change camel/sit/up Y – lost the synch a little bit after change of foot but regained it quickly, rotation speed could have been better [0]
throw 3loop – over the toe, both hands down, really high but no control over the landing (overcooked it) [-2]
reverse lasso to change of position – a little heavy [0]
backwards lasso lift into one hand hold and dismount [1]
choreographic sequence: mirrored front spirals, spread eagles – good speed, flow and ice coverage [2]
throw 3salchow – high but a little off-axis in the air, two-footed [-2]
flip up entry into lift to carry to change of position and difficult dismount [1]
to pair combination spin – slow at the end rotating clockwise [0]
Whilst their short program was effortless and near perfect, this performance looked like hard work throughout. Elements were not very strong.
Big question mark over the choreography. It was quite basic, there was a lack of transitions and they just seemed to skate through the music which wasn't much more than background noise.
There is no doubt that they are technically extremely capable and they have good basics but I can't understand how this program could have received 9s for choreography or transitions.
15. Aliona Savchenko / Robin Szolkowy /GER/
Flamenco Bolero by Gustavo Montessano
throw 3flip – huge, solid landing [2]
3toe into 3toe – both solid and effortless [2]
transitions into shoot-the-duck into fids – good position, nicely connected to the program both on entry and exit [2]
transitions to flying sit/up var/change sit cannonball/up – synch a little off [0]
spiral sequence: back owen / front / spread eagle and spiral [1]
dance lift to 3twist – slight crash, very short entry though [0]
3salchow – she fell, he doubled [-3]
spread eagles to axel lasso to change of position to one hand spread eagle carry to difficult dismount – strong, great extensions [2]
backwards lasso to one hand hold and dismount – a little heavy [0]
transitions to pair combination spin – good positions, decent rotation speed [2]
star lift to one hand to change of position to reverse rotation(a little laboured) [0]
dance lift to throw 3salchow – solid landing with good flow out [2]
An incredibly complex program. There were hardly any empty spots, they were constantly executing various connecting movements, almost all of the elements were woven together with transitions.
It did lack light and shade however with the music being quite repetitive and whilst the difficulty could not be denied it lacked highlights, movements which would be fun or memorable.
Still it doesn't change the fact that this program was far more difficult than anything any of their competitors shown and it's extremely unfair that the PCS did not reflect that.
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