2018 GP Helsinki Pairs Free Skate

[ancientpeas]

Well done Alexander and Natalia!

1st GP win, correct? Half way to the finals kiddos.

 

[sequinsgalore]

8 Natalia ZABIIAKO / Alexander ENBERT (RUS)

Music: Toi et Moi by Igor Krutoi

Black costumes

3Tw4
3T+2T+2Lo
3S - he fell
PCoSp4
3FTh - hangs on
4Li3
5RLi4
3LoTh
ChSq
5ALi4
FiDs

One fall, otherwise solid skate which should be enough for gold. But boring program

FS: 66.50+65.42 = 130.92 (SB), 198.51 (SB), 1/8

 

[ancientpeas]

I think if their program had had one fewer music cut and one fewer sound effect they would have won the silver medal. Honestly folks.. I thought my phone was ringing.

 

[Colonel Green]

How on Earth did she land that throw flip?

 

[rachno2]

A well-deserved win, but tbh? Boikova/Kozlovskii are my favorite Russian team right now

 

[Spirals for Miles]

This program was a mess and yet they received 64+ in PCS, whereas Boikova/Kozlovski received 61 last week for absolutely perfect? That is just... I have no words for that.

Right and with so many errors, isn’t PCS supposed to be capped? I’m outraged right now. This could mean no final for Daria and Denis and it’s wrong - they were so good today.

 

[cathlen]

ESP guys mention Ksenia :luv17:

 

[WeakAnkles]

Well the music is just gawdawful, but it's great to see how Z/E are trying to stretch artistically. How she landed that throw is amazing.

They have this in the bag.

 

[Mrs. P]

A well-deserved win, but tbh? Boikova/Kozlovskii are my favorite Russian team right now

I love them so much! I really enjoyed seeing them live. She is especially charismatic.

 

[Ziotic]

Well, the Russians should be 1,2... but the judges wanted "diversity".... I hate political correctnes.

How do you figure?? The Italians rightfully lost the free by like 8pts, they just had enough of a buffer from the short to keep them above overall.

 

[draqq]

Natalia ZABIIAKO / Alexander ENBERT (RUS)

Well, if they stand up, they win...

- Beautiful 3Twist, a little rough on the landing (+3)
- Strong 3T+2T+2Lo, well-paced landings (+2)
- Fall from Enbert on the 3S (-5)
- A struggle with the chance of direction in the spin but fairly good speed after the change of foot (+2)
- Very tilted in the air but somehow got the landing of the throw 3F (-1)
- Fairly good lift, nice one-armed position (+2)
- A bit slow on the reverse lasso lift but steady (+2)
- Much better on the throw 3Lo (+3)
- Some decent shapes in the choreo sequence (+2)
- Simple one-handed axle lasso lift (+2)
- Better death spiral to end the program (+3)

Meh. Good enough to take the gold here, but I found the music slow and the performance quite cautious and lumbered in spots. The slow beat just makes them more lethargic than they really are. But very good 3T combo, 3Twist, and throw 3Lo today. I just wish the program had more impact, well, anywhere.

 

[Baron Vladimir]

I don’t see why there would be bias for the Italians??

Because we don't have other European teams fighting for the medals here (at the European GP), except Italians

 

[cheerknithanson]

Congrats to all the medalists!

 

[Anni234]

Estonian for the gold!

 

[Ziotic]

Because we don't have other European teams fighting for the medals here, except Italians

I think you’re reaching. If anything I would say Finland would be Russian friendly.

 

[readernick]

I was not particularly not impressed with any of the pairs. ( liked the North Koreans best) But, the last program definitely the cleanest. They deserve to win. After seeing all the Russian pairs, Boikova/Kozlovski are definitely my favorites.

 

[Spirals for Miles]

How do you figure?? The Italians rightfully lost the free by like 8pts, they just had enough of a buffer from the short to keep them above overall.

Yeah, no. They lost the free to them by 5 points. And with so many errors. How is that 117 if Daria and Denis had 122?

 

[flanker]

Well, the Russians should be 1,2... but the judges wanted "diversity".... I hate political correctnes.

Even czech commentators on Eurosport, who did not value P/K pair much, are wondering what just happened with that score...

 

[NoNameFace]

The FS is a bit of a snooze for me... SP is on the whole other level of clutter and strange, but it catches eye and makes you at least intrigued. This FS is an attempt I feel to channel more contemporary aesthetic, but with dramatic, lyrical flair, but for me it is too much of one-note performance at this point. Some cut in that music, a second piece would maybe add some more structure to it...

 

[Colonel Green]

Peng/Jin, Moore-Towers/Marinaro and Boikova/Kozlovskii must be rueful watching this. The first two would have won gold here with their SCI scores, the third would have easily taken silver.