Sabolcs Vidrai HUN
Schmoozy bluesy music - long blond locks....perfect 3ax/2t best we've seen
so far....just hold 3lz.....almost into the boards! pause between take off
and steps, so possible deduction as he mimes playing the harmonica, nice
step seq....clean 2axel, now it's the blues brothers and sell baby sell!
elvis hand movements in the sit spin - he loved it! Best performance of the
night - I can't believe he's only 22! His rink in Budapest burned down, so
he's had to practice elsewhere.
Marks 4.6-5.0 / 4.9-5.4
1st by a country mile

Gabriel Monnier FRA
Never seen him before. Qual in 8th. 2nd in nationals. SDTK Rangoon. Nice
costume, black with gold braid. 3a/2t...speeding into the 3a! stumbles out
of the lutz...change foot sit spin. eeep! Struggles with the axel, no
control on landing, so a deduction. I swear the amount of trouble with the
2a in the early groups is shocking! Program of 2 halves Simon says - and we
see Mr Brunet, Phillippe's old coach in the audience. Once the lutz went it
was all gone really!
Marks 4.4-4.9 / 4.8-5.1

Robert Grzegorczyk
Tango Jealoosy - he skated to Dragon last year you know! But someone needs
to buy him a razor - designer stubble Polish style ain't good! DF the 3a,
turn before toe - clean lutz though . and now he sells it with a great step
seq! great sit spin position - he should teach Mariuz Siudek a thing or
three! Nice 2a and spins to finish. That was great - shame about the axel
really. I've just seen a woman that stayed in the hostel with us in helsinki
giving him a present and a kiss!
Marks 4.3-4.9 / 4.9-5.2
He's second overall

Vlaschenko
To blow up or not to blow up? He was tested last week and is fighting fit
..... All black with a silver waistcoat - down on the axel 2toe combo...they
shoulda sent Hopfes, clean 3lz...not sure if this is meant to be comic but
I'm laughing! - or cringing, one or the other, clean 2a....and he's done!
Simon is annointing him - excusing him over the injuries....yeah whatever!
Marks 4.6-5.0 / 5.3-5.6

Matthews Davies GBR
No Neil Wilson but this chap is from N Ireland too so yay! Invisible
Circus - excuse me while I shout! 2ax - combo next, 3l/3t I hope! 3fl/2toe!
good enough fantastic sit spin! Choreo by Robin COusins, double yay! flying
sit slow but safe...oh no! Down on the lutz! combo spin to finish not as
nice as Neil but hey! Not a bad routine at all - that is the way to shut up
people like me who railed against having him sent here! (ask me later) The
boy done good! His double axel is so good - there is room for another turn
in there. lutz - just couldn't hold the landing - Sue Walsh makes a face! A
lot to be proud of!
Marks 4.0-4.5 / 4.7-4.9
In 5th right now, with 12 to go so 17th at the worst. Not bad!
Patrick Meier withdrew.

Great group next - including Tylleson! Yay! And Jeannette Hernits, little
larry Lindemann the leprechaun, Danilchenko, I've just seen Tylleson - worst
costume ever ever ever! Tangerine Tarzan! And Vakhtang Murvanidze!

Margus Hernits EST
This guy was really good last year, quite endearing. Greeny-yellow shirt -
dark olive green trousers. Weird music. splat goes the axel, but does the
toe, double. steps into lutz, clean. flying back sit, right on the spot, no
travel...drums come in crowd starts clapping. great sit spin position, again
no travel. clean 2a.. interesting combo spin, unusual positions. Really
unusual....he doesn't look happy! Stuffing went out of it with the triple
axel.
Marks- long wait. He's in K&C saying it was ok....I'm a special case he says
as we wait even longer 4.2-4.7 / 4.7-5.1 4th at the moment.

Vitaly Danilchenko UKR
Blousy brown affair.... Rhapsody in Rock is the music - 3a/2t - clean
3lz....he's got a big chance now says Simon, I await disaster. Not on the
step anyway, that was very nice! Huge 2a - it was nearly too big! GOod fast
centered sit change sit.....more steps, and I am liking this more and more!
fantastic spin to end it and oh yes! That was some performance says Simon
and Jeanine agrees! Super. Chris says there was a long pause between the
lutz and the footwork preceding it which is a deduction(.1-.3) - be
interesting to see if they mark it hard, I always think it depends if they
like a skater or not! Very good spinner, and you all know what I'm like for
spins. Coach was happy
Marks - 4.8-5.2 / 5.1-5.5
He leads

Michael Tylleson (swoon lovesick sigh)
My tangerine tarzan. I love him but not the costume.
I go to scream.
step out of axel turn out of flip oh well. primal scream in music - this is
how I feel! mimes playing bongo drums...clean 2ax thank you! love the
steps - blows a kiss to the audience - great ending!
George of the Jungle.
Such a shame! It;s a great piece, I love it, but the mistakes mean trouble
for my Danish dreamboat.
Choreographed by Igor Bobrin - french lunatic skater from years ago euro
champ in 81, originated the straight line hops that Candeloro does, married
to Natalia Bestemianova.
The jumps are there but no conviction.
But how can you not adore him???
Marks 4.4-4.9 / my thoughts are not printable. go up. 5.0 to 5.4
He's third o nthe short, second overall....he'll be 10th I think


Vahktang Murvanidze
Saw him at worlds - stone lunatic. He's great! Scent of A Woman, he plays Al
Pacino! Seen this, love it. and he goes wild on 3a in the air - was it
something I said? Did 2toe, just caught the 3lutz - landed right on the
toepick! Good spin combo. And the same on the double axel. That's it lads,
if you hear me shout for anyone ever again, slap me ok? Straight line
step....the crowd love him. He just doesn't look happy! Simon says this
happens to him a lot in the short. A lesser skater chris says would have
been on the floor twice. Didn't get down into the right knee at all. 5th in
world juniors last year. My Georgian gem goes up in smoke as well.
Marks - 4.1-4.6 / 4.9-5.2 Ordinals from 4th to 10th. He's 7th


Stanick Jeannette
What the bleep is he wearing????? Green jumpsuit with flamey things across
and down it. Art of Noise. Just puts a foot down on 3a, double toe. This is
weird. down on the lutz, long pause going into it. Great sit spin but.
straight line step with lots of strange shapes...very fast spins, great
positions, including a backstrain waiting to happen, how did he do that?
Just squeaks the 2a, and there's the backstrain spin again! There is talent
there says Simon, and I think that this would have been a much better
program had he actually done the jumps! Cross between Tobel and Candeloro
Chris reckons - he's trained by the same peoples as Tobel - Annique
Galhaiget and Pierre Trent, whose names I have just butchered!
Marks - 4.2-4.8 / 5.2-5.5
5th on short, 3rd overall

Stefan Lindemann
Here we go! Lindemann the leprechaun in green appropriately enough! And he
kept his Corrs program. Sally Gardens and so forth. spreadeagle into 3axel
oh yes! 3flip 3toe, off axis on both jumps! into toss the feathers and the
crowd go wild! can't type, must clap! stumbles on triple lutz, but that's
his first mistake. Great sit change sit. that was great! Only guy who went
for 3a on its own rather than a double axel, not even the top group are
doing that. But he was great! I'm so glad I got to see that! Can that boy
step dance or what?? I hope you guys get to see him some time, he is so so
so so good! And he's the cute tiny little thing....just adorable! Yes, I am
gushing and I care not! Eeeep, that combo was something else! All over the
place on the flip!
Marks - 4.8-5.3 / little harsh? esp 48 from Canada, boo! 5.2-5.6 . 4 1ST, 3
2ND, 1 5th 1 6th!

Danilchenko
Lindemann
Tylllesen
jeannette
Vlaschenki
Vidrai

Matthew Davies in the box with them now - more than he expected at his first
euros, but he wasn't as nervous as he thought he was going to be. He is
through to the free which is a lot more than he expected. 3 weeks ago he
didn't even think he was going to be here....grr....only pressure is
pressure he put on himself, you believe that if you want, my thoughts ain't
printable. He likes Yags to win, he has the overall package.

Simon says neither of the two Russians were on top form at qualifying. Chris
says Plushy is fired up. Betting on Yags to go clean - this could be the
kiss of death, you don't know chris howarth! Of course, maybe you do now!
You will by the end of the season! Plushy just did a quad off camera.

Here we go!

Yagudin
Black velvet with a treble clef on it. And the right hand take it from me is
heavily and obviously bandaged. Costume is nice though - quite flattering on
him. Did I say that? Nutcracker - quad is first jump....clean! He nailed it!
combo - heavy landing on axel, but got the triple toe from nowhere - could
be slight deduction on flying spin, foot touched down. easy double axel.
this is good ladies, I;m even clapping! Nora is going to be thrilled! He's
ending now with a very good spin - oh yes says Simon ,and the applause is
thunderous. Simon and Chris are in full gush mode - phenomenal, absolutely
everything, didn't he let rip - you name it they are saying it. Hyperbole
abounds. Pressure is now on Plushy. Brutal landing on the 3a - how he got
the toe onto it is just beyond me!
Marks 5.8 across the board / 4 5.9s, 5 5.8s
Simon can't believe Plushy can beat that - he said the same about Tara
though!

Abt
Red and black, floopy sleeves - 3ax, something funny on the toe, only a
double, and not a very appealing one....doubles the quad, disaster! Too much
stretch, plant in the wrong place, just like the end of the axel. Very nice
camel spin though - most every one else has done the sit. I like a good
camel I do. Step sequence, and whatever he's selling I ain't buying. THis
isn't doing much for me at all, which is a shame because I liked him the
last time I saw him. Clean double axel. Combination spin to finish, and he
lands on his knees to finish. I wonder does he want to stay there? ONly
going to be marked out of 5.6 because of .4 deduction on the quad - it had
to be a quad or a triple. Not a lot of speed...and he is very frustrated!
Marks 4.8-5.2 ouchie! 5.3-5.7
3 2nds, 3rd on short, 2nd overall.

Restencourt
Red trousers. Red vinyl trousers. Tie dyed shirt. I leave my thoughts to
your imaginations. Skating to Madonna.....Donna will kick me off the list if
I write what I think! Down on the quad, so .4 off. And it's Frozen by
Madonna. Step out of triple axel, foot goes down, does a double toe. Clean
double axel. Simon says the French commentators are about to slit their
wrists. Now it goes into meet her at the love parade by DaHool...good spins,
and a nice camel. Into Insomnia by Faithless...was this music cut with a
garden shears or what? It';s all over the place and back - now to Da Hool
again. The jury is still out says Simon. Come back Laurent say I. He has red
vinyl boot covers on his skates, good grief! Simon says he has work to
do...I agree. His jumping lets him down says Simon. Gee, ya think??
Andree Brunet, ex coach of Candeloro coaches him
Marks - eek! 4.5-5.1 / 5.1-5.6 The American has him in 11th! The Japanese in
3rd. 4th overall.

Dinev
What the bleep is he wearing? Come on the guy needs all the help he can get
and you put him in beige? Could there be a more unflattering colour? And
with glittery snakey things down it? Hello???? This must be seen to be
believed. Terracotta is the music -terracotta is brown correct? Not beige!
3a/3toe combo - if you're going to dress like that, you must land the jumps!
Restencourt take note! He gets the triple flip - Simon comments on his
powerful legs - well a velvet beige pantsuit does tend to accentuate these
things....interesting position on spins...sit change sit right in front of
the judges and never moved. He sports blonde highlights in the hair - clean
double axel - jumps are fine, but he needs to get himself to a fashion
consultant as soon as possible. He is happy with that, pumping the fists.
Simon says he is very classy. Made the most of himself he says. But not in
looks add I. Chris is going on about his consistency. As a jumper. His hat
is off to him, he's improved so much over the past two years.
Marks - 5.2-5.6 / 5.2-5.7
He doesn't like them but he's second between Yags and Abt.

Plushenko
He must wait while they redo the marks for presentation for Dinev. Now here
he is. Also in black velvet, but with knickerbocker type trousers, you know,
real high boots? Scott Hamilton used this music for a comedy routine, tell
me what it is! - clean quad! clean triple axel triple toe, almost a carbon
copy of Yags! Donut on a stick spin....Sabre Dance I presume from the mock
sword fighting. Clean 2 axel. Sit change sit.....He gets the audience to
make more noise, biellman to finish......bang on the music!
Simon is in full gush and babble mode! Hmm.....I dunno. I think that Yags
had the better routine, but with the draw and everything, he might get it.
The landing on the 3ax was awful Chris says. He got the toe out of nothing.
Marks - 5.7-5.9 / 5.7-5.9
5-4 judging split, but he's second!

Dmitrenko
Won Euros in 93 with two left blades. In grey today. Adagio....3a/3toe,
possibly df on the toe. I think it was. 3lutz, clean as you like. flying
camel. nice position, extension on the free leg. double axel, easy as
anthing. Sit change sit, also very well done, nice speed, good centering.
serpentine step. into final combination spin. Very very nice indeed! A slow
piece, direct contrast to the last few routines, and it was just lovely! I'm
thinking possibly third, probably fourth - he'll probably be much lower now
that I've jinxed him! Yep, doublefooted the toe. Delete my last statement.
Marks 5.3-5.5 the judges saw it! / ;5.5-5.9
Third on the night and overall, I was right Woohoo!

So here we are - top 20 is all I got.
Yags
Plushy
Dmitrenko
Dinev
Abt
Danilchenko
Restencourt
Lindemann
Tyllesen
Jeannette
Vlaschenk
Vidrai
Grzegorczyk
Hernits
Murvanidze
Monnier
Davies
Rylov
Dolfini
Shmerkin
Sviatko