Vidrai HUN
Skating in leather with motorcycle sounds, lord help us. We've just seen
the first quad of the evening, although he fell out of the landing of it.
Quad toe loop. Fall on 3a....2lz....chris has reminded us that if the jumps
fail there's not a lot there....says it all no? He's just done a
hydroblading move, hand on the ice. Someone tell me, is that illegal, or is
it only in ice dance? Triple lutz clean, then zero choreography until the
motorbike starts again. Pop on triple flip<?> gets it later.
tech 4.1-4.9
pres 4.0-5.1

Tobel!
yay! Pink Panther! yay!
3a-3t double yay!!!!!! 3lz....crowd are clapping....2a, leaning in the air
all the way so no choice......the choreography is brilliant. So
funny.....3loop...3flip/3toe......oh, he nearly went over in the circular
step, but didn't, we're ok......was going for the 3sal, and just circled
around it - remember at landover when kristi forgot her jump?....tried to
fit it in again, but ran out of music! Started off well, but then it got to
halfway. Neil Wilson is in doing a bit of commentary, he's just said that
this is what figure skating is all about.
tech 5.2-5.5
pres 5.1-5.7 <5.1????????? that finnish judge is on drugs! bring back the
hungarian from minneapolis!>

he leads

Grzegorczyk <POL>
lads, he's skating to Dragon. forget about this one, i prefer my
flashbacks! ALthough he did start off with a great 3a/3t.....3turn at the
end of 3lz.....3flip....music into a piece Elvis didn't use, thank
you.....down on the 3a.....double footed the sal terribly, a very low left
leg Chris and Neil agree....3toe....fall out of 3flip<?>....back to main
theme....spread eagle o/s to i/s. i've seen better.....3sal/2t.....if
that's his idea od a staight line step, he needs a new
choreographer.....spins and an ending that fades out.
tech 4.9-5.3
pres 4.9-5.3
he's second overall

Danilchenko <UKR>
3a, great height, scary take off say I. 3lz, but he has a weird takeoff I
care not what you all say! 3loop same old same old. great spins
though.....down on 2nd 3a, but lands 2toe.....3sal, lovely entry??...what
I think is a triple flip double toe.......3flip........Nicky's said he had
a full house on the triples, that must have been a triple toe at the end of
the flip.....he's beaten Piluta and Dimitrenko at Nationals?
tech 5.2-5.5
pres 5.0-5.5

they're getting Neil to talk about the Russians and he's just tipped Plushy
to win based on practices. So if he's wrong, there you go!

Piluta
3lz, popped planned 3toe into single...there's room for another turn in the
lutz....triple axel......3loop...great sit spin....great combo
spin.....neil likes his style and choice of music (finally, a minimalist
commentator! keep him! he doesn't really want to go to the next
Olympics!>.... 3flip/2toe....3lz.....3sal....3toe...he is very happy.
"Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini......really feels the music...wonderful
technique......"
tech 5.1-5.6
pres 5.3-5.7

he's now second, three judges have him first....Tobel has won the free.

Dinev
3a/3t....just fell off the landing of the quad
toe!....3flip......3axel.....camel spin.....2lutz! first real
mistake!.....underrotated 3loop, landing short on 2 feet right in front of
the judges.....3sal....2a....
"focus on the big jumps.....quad so close"
tech 5.2-5.5
pres 5.2-5.5
finnish has him 6th......get glasses fer cryin' out loud.


PLushy
total concentration........quad toe triple toe.........here we
go!....perfect 3a, I hear gushing....oh my god! Setting up for loop and he
fell! just about to go into the takeoff!....gets it back with really fast
sit spin! I can't believe that!....and he's down on the 3a.....Nicky says
he nearly banged his head on fall...doubles the 3lz.....great footwork,
flirting with the judges....donut on a stick spin....3lz/3toe, which he
barely hangs onto...3 something<flip??>.....3loop......biellman......3sal
out of nowhere......biellman in combination spin.....
roar from the crowd but has he done enough? Only for the middle.....three?
bad mistakes? But he had the quad. THe door is open that's for sure....fall
on the loop unexpected, thus nasty.....
tech 5.7-5.8 with those falls? what might they have been?
pres 5.4-5.8
first with every judge

Yags
in 3rd at the moment....looks relaxed....clean 3a, huge!...clean quad toe!
he's happy!.....3a/3toe....who was worried about him being knackered tired?
He doesn't look it!......3flip.....3loop into sit spin....nicky says
choreography not going from end to end, it's all in the centre....3lutz no
preparation for it....ropey on the 3sal...good combo spin to finish, he is
thrilled! \So is Tatiana! He almost did a Tara at the end! OMG! The crowd
are standing. This had everything! She looks like a proud mamma grizzly
bear!! This was great, and I don't usually like this.
tech 5.7-5.9 (3 of each)
pres 5.8-5.9 (5x5.9)

everyone had him first

Urmanov
Hate to have to follow that.
A more streamlined costume.....no gloves.....gold waistcoat, but total good
taste was too much to hope for, right? Bouncier music too...a gold dicky
bow, oh please! quality 3flip......3a/3toe with 3 turn at the end....purple
velvet with gold?....down on triple axel "that'll cost him dear" nicky
says. Gee, ya think? combo spin......3lz.....how did he get into that spin
position?it looks sore!....3loop....3toe?flip?something! ...covering a lot
of ice.....pops the sal into a double, does the same again....spin to
finish and finishes behind the music. Plushy and Mishin watching, not been
Mishins day has it? there does not look a happy man. So close...nicky says
the ice coverage could have given it to him.....chris has just anointed
Yags....nicky is hoping the wins and lemons don't throw any loops.....
tech 5.4-5.6 youch!
pres 5.6-5.8
3rd overall, and he's gone from kiss and cry like a light!

Restencourt
only 17, world jun silver medallist
this is the one who I think they'll be pushing in years to come....
smack on the quad, underrotated it and just came down HARD.
clean 3a/3t....clean 3a....3lz.....2flip......3flip....3sal.....down on
3loop. no real speed. My personal problem, all the jumps were too packed at
the end. They need to be more spaced out. It got to the stage where I
thought he was nearly finished and all he'd done were axels and lutzes. He
limped out of the quad when he got up let me tell you!
tech 5.3-5.6
pres 5.0-5.4
they go down and rightly so. 7th overall.

Vlascenko
remember the last time he went last at Euros?.........**grin**
clean 3a.....3sal.....falls off landing of 3a. does 2toe....
3lz......3flip....pops the loop.....unusual spin.... this time he lands
3loop, with 3turn on the end....3toe???.....fast footwork, crowd
clapping....
where was he after the short again? I must say, I didn't think he would
hold his nerve, I thought he'd be worse. Chris has just said he can't get a
medal, 4th if he's lucky. That's kinda what I was thinking....Chris says he
needs Urmanov to finish lower than 3rd in the free.....
tech 5.3-5.6
pres 5.5-5.8
he'll go into 4th

It's a Russian 1-2-3 again lads.

Oh and look, there's Pasha getting her photo taken.

Yagudin, Plushenko, Urmanov.

Tobel 5th overall

Neil Wilson in 13th.

Not a bad competition all in all.