Circus themed number, him in a harlequin type thing, except for it's black
and white. Her dress is more like the SOI Red Hat dresses from a couple of
years ago. Fun routine, they should keep the top ten place.
Marks 5.0-5.3/ 5.0-5.4
In first at the moment.
Chait and Sakhnovsky
Never been able to take these seriously since Helsinki - the announcer
insisted on pronouncing her name like a swear word, rhyming with White, and
he looks like Frankenstein, so you can imagine what their nicknames are
round here. They're skating to a Columbus routine....yes, 1492, Elvis'
music. She has a very nice blue dress, he isn't unlike Todd the Bod's 96
costume in Edmonton....and there is such a difference in these two since
they started to train with Tarasova. They have improved their speed no end
this season, and this is a really good routine, despite the fact that he
scares small children. Just a guess, but I'd say he's meant to be Columbus
and she the sea....it's that shade of blue and aquamarine, and it'd explain
his outfit as well. They had a great OD as well, which was not a vintage
competition by the way, but their straight step sequence was fantastic. The
OD was to "Senorita Sexy".....you can imagine what Simon and Chris made of
it. They've just finished....and Simon says that he's never seen a better
male skater since Chris Dean, Sergei is quite striking. I am giggling
uncontrollably......striking isn't the exact word I would use! I'm sorry,
I'm sure he's a lovely fella, nice to children dogs and his mother, but holy
god, imagine wakening up next to that!
Marks 5.2-5.5 / 5.5-5.8
Novak and Kolasinski <POL>
Nice blue outfits...Ballads and Jazz by Chopin??? Whatever you say
Simon.....it's nice, but kinda blah....not leaving a major impression
although following the Israelis wouldn't have helped.....can't believe I
just wrote that.....getting definite Usova and Zhulin flashbacks here too,
in a major way.
Marks 5.1-5.4 / 5/3-5/5
Grushina and Goncharov
Nice perm mate.....he also goes for the slightly barechested look. A modern
version of Tosca....and the music started wrong. INteresting....Tosca with a
percussive beat right the way through. She's wearing a kind of insipid light
pea green floaty confection.....like the Poles before them, they just are
not grabbing me....quite a bit of grabbing each other though....how many
times can he lift her? Simon adored it, full of difficulty....not a moment
of alarm all the way through he says, and that for me was the problem.
Intricate, great speed, but it just didn't reach out and leap out....I
didn't feel it.
Marks 5.0-5.4 / 5.4-5.6 In third place behind the Poles
Semenovich and Kostamarov
Balladic music with some one talking over it....note to team, pump up the
volume on the lyrics! Nice lift and spin to start. And it's that Sweet Box
thing....Everything's Gonna Be Alright,,,,classical music in the background
which I will remember once I send this....another great lift, where she's on
his shoulders...good unison on the step spin...this girl reminds me a lot of
Pasha, circa 1994....she even has the whole mouth wide open all the time
while staring at the judges thing going on. And the bare midriff. I think I
preferred him last year with Navka though.....he's good here, but I thought
better last year. Lift with him in besti squat....that was nice. Crowd are
applauding. Vocal music.....Simon thinks it may have given the ISU
apoplexy....there was a segment with the lyrics "touch me hold me feel me
tease me" or something along those lines.
Marks 5.0-5.2 / 4.9-5.4
In 5th,,...Simon thinks it was the music. I think he's right.
Break for the ice resurface.
Winkler and Lohse
After looking at the tango compulsory, and looking at the state of him in
the OD, and looking at him now, I can truthfully say, no matter what you put
that man in, he just looks fine. Fine, fine, fine, fine fine. You remember
from Helsinki, I fell! Which hopefully he won't do if they are to hold off
the Israelis. Costumes are pastel, 60s hippy style things, and the theme of
the dance is Time Goes Millenium. Yum. (Sorry, gratuitous smut thought)
Picasso Clocks on the costumes, and he holds her upside down and makes like
a pendulum.....pro-German crowd clap along.....great unison, and speed, and
skating close together. Into the slow piece...low to the ice move...pairs
spin.....almost a dicey moment coming out of the lift, into another pairs
spin....techno blues music as they motor across the ice...mmm wish I had a
swing like that in my back garden.......the more I see this the more I like
it.....Super! Oh it was great! So precise! Such unison! Martin Scotnicky is
a god! That's it, just a god! And there's drips of water painted on the
costume which we heard dripping throughout the routine...it's something that
you discover something else everytime you see it.
Marks 5.3-5.6 / 5.5-5.7
6 to 3 they're in the lead!
Fusar Poli and Margaglio
Or if you've seen their OD, we now have the new nicknames of the Italian
Stallion and the Psychedelic Skanky Ho. Lord of the Dance....for which I do
not see red bondage gear. But to be fair, they have really improved their
speed. Tarasova gets the sound people to turn up the music. Quite fast
footwork...be interesting to hear Robin Cousins call the difficulty
later.....into Braveheart...which was Scottish, not Irish, if you want to
get technical. And vocals too....pseudo hydroblading move....inverted
lift....pairs spin as we go into Lord of the Dance and they step dance down
the rink.......and he just doesn't look comfortable to this! But strong
ending and they look like they liked it, the crowd sure did. They're holding
onto each other for dear life.....it was good and all, but it just didn't do
it for me.
Marks 5.7-5.8 / 5 5.8s and 4 5.9s......
whatever.
Lobacheva and Averbukh
Simon and Chris give this the big thumbs up....Afro Celt Release....which
explains red and black. When did red begin to signifiy Celtic tendancies?
Spins to open. Heavy drum beats...And he lifts her onto his shoulder...very
nice.....I have decided. Whomsoever decided that vocals should be allowed
has a sin to answer for. Nice move where she leans back and looks at him,
and a lift, and we're into shake your groove thing as we fly around the ice
making crazy faces and do a straight line step smiling like a toothpaste
commerical...and what is it with all the step dancing? You can do other
celtic moves you know. Nice ending, although he did nearly drop her....I'm
convinced she almost hit the ice.
It was ok, I guess, but what can I say? I feel not the love. Plus I think
the Lithuanians, who I adore, and should have beaten these in the OD, can
overtake that. Or course,they can and not be given the marks (nah, that'd
never happen) ...and I'm saving my screams for them. And for Rene....BUT
back to the Russians. Good, but can be better
Marks 5.4-5.7.....they have left room..../ 5.6-5.8 the Brit has them in 4th!
Anissina and Peizerat
Bidding to become the first french winners in 38 years....Carmina
Burana....a monks battle between his desire and his beliefs...and there is
the head lift! Me like! Toss that hair Gwendal! Wonder what gel he uses? And
do they sponsor him? He makes little hoppy things across the ice. Into O
Fortuna......the Old Spice Ad...pairs spin....lift where he's squatting,
she's on his knees standing and they close up on her face....sure! this is
really good......there's the gender bender lift! They are finished, the
crowd are standing and for the last thirty seconds I had chills! That was
something! And they flew through it, you never thought for one minute, god,
when will it be over?? Even the Italians are standing....and Simon and Chris
discuss the possibility of 6.0s....I have to say I think we'll see it. And
there was such control ....you never thought it was going to go totally
wrong. Just saw a close up of the final g/b lift and the finale....great!
Marks 4 5.8s, 5 5.9s.......two of them! From the French and the Italian!
Hows that for you! The rest are 5.9s (duh) and they have it!
Now I must calm myself for my Lithuanian lovelies... Drobiazko and Vanagas,
skating for a medal
Puccini, Tosca.....she is just stunning, but this is a bad dye job in the
hair. Nice slinky black number with gold sequinned lines....he's in elegant
black and a blinding pairs spin to start. Hydroblading, and the stretch of
her free leg is something to behold. Not seen a better one since Natalia
Annenko. Great lift, seamless transitions....dodgy moment on that lift,
which could cost them a medal......fantastic unison now though.....another
pairs spin, him holding her with her in a camel position.....they're giving
it everything....straight down the length of the rink...another great
lift...and now that they're finished I must say, dodgy lift well covered up
or not, I still prefer that to the Russians. They just have such a great
flow across the ice, .....and of course, with their history of being
undermarked, I don't think that they're going to get it. They would have had
to be perfect and I think that that little bobble just gave the juddges the
excuse that they needed.
Marks she's praying! as am I ! 5.5-5.7 /
yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!5.7-5.8 5 judges to four!!!!!! YES!!!!!!Let's
all dance around the room and scream with barely contained joy....oh who am
I kidding it's unrestrained joy! When was the last time the Russians didn't
get a medal in ice dance? Answers on a postcard! But who cares! Justice is
served! God's in his heaven (in these politically correct times, I insert
the standard disclaimer, insert your own personal deity where appropriate)
and all is right with the world!
OK, I'm calm, and happy as a clam. The French were fantastic and deserved to
win. The Germans were also great. And Rene was amazing as always. And
Drobiazko and Vanagas are on the podium. Oh happy day! Go, those of you who
have part of the day left and spread the joy! Share the love! And the throat
sweets, which I am without question going to need!