went first, and were perfect. But they went first! So low marks.
Perfect timing on sidebyside spins. Throw 3sal was great too.
Berankova and Dlabola were diabolical. He went splat on the 3toe, she on the
throw 3sal.
Filonenko and Chestnikh - never liked her, never forgave him for the see
through pastel trousers in the mens qualifying at worlds last year. Slow
slow slow - she doubled the toe.
Bereshnaia and Sikharulidze - much as I love the Poles, they were fantastic.
She put her hand down on the 3toe, but the rest was so good and so fast it
didn't matter. The throw 3sal was amazing- she went out of it twice as fast
as she went into it. ALthough I did scream at the death spiral -arch your
back woman, arch your back!
Totmianina and Marinin
Purple shiny nightmares - oooh yuk.....Pink Floyd, so the costumes are
purple - high split twist - these costumes are stupendously ugly - but
perfect 3toes - very tricky lift - ooh, down hard on throw 3loop,
under-rotated, great timing on spins - death spiral where I want to push her
head down - she has new short hair, most unbecoming, the costumes don't
help...finish behind music - just one flaw Simon says, could be fatal, but
so sharp so crisp choreography spot on, quite something. Simon is in love.
Just could be Russia 123 he gushes - you thought I was bad! Seriously, I
liked it, except for you guessed it, the costumes.
Marks - 4.7-5.4 / 5.3-5.6
Third behind B&S and the Poles
Kautze & Jeschke GER
Godzilla, which really does explain the black vinyl - both landed 3toes -
nice 2twist, if a bit slow, - throw 3toe<?> - slow on the lift, but nice
position - now that is a death spiral!- s/s spins, way out of kilter, got it
back - very good. Nice to see Marianna smiling again - should be top ten,
Simon says.
Marks - 4.3-4.8 / 4.3-5.2
4th place - good for them!
Rodnionova & Kroukov AZE
First time in Euros - soundtrack to French kiss - clean 3toes - nice twist -
clean throw 3sal long entry into it - music into La Vie En ROuge - s/s spins
a disaster - another death spiral quite good but with very little arch in
the back - slow spins to end. Well skated but no spark for me.
Marks 4.2-4.9 / 4.3-5.1
5th overall
Petrova and Tikhonov
Him in a white blousy affair, her in black sparkles. God he's weird looking.
Clean triple toes , fantastic split twist - huge throw 3 sal, the height and
speed was something else- great lift unusual dismount - good timing on s/s
spins, and finally a decent sit spin position! - death spiral ,best I've
seen all day. good spin to finish. Oh yes! I think they'll be second. Simon
says they just didn't have the magic...in a sense I agree. B&S even with the
hand down were just amazing. Chris points out that these two used three
quarters of the rink to set up the jumps -
Marks 5.6 -5.9 / 5.6 -5.9
SHIT! 7 of 9 have them first ! Holy Smokes!
Kraslitseva and Snatchkov ARM
Whose names I have butchered, as she splat on the throw 3loop . He is
attired in a splendid purple shirt, black waistcoat over it and the shirt
not tucked in. It's blousy, voluminous and everywhere. Badly out of sync on
spins. Not a scrap of purple in her costume. Him down on 3toe. Death spiral
very nice. Can you tell I have a thing about Death spirals?? Hims not a
happy camper.
I can see Dorota and Mariuz in the audience looking at them all. Just no
conviction on landing of throw, can see it now.
Marks 3.1-3.9 / 4.0-4.6
11th of 13.
Haddad / Lycenko ISR
Flamenco! She in brown he in green who dresses these people? Disaster on the
jumps - salchows of all things, can't describe how bad. Messy catch on
twist. Double throw sal - shaky enough lift . Don't start me on the side by
side spins.
Marks - 3.0-3.7 / 3.5-4.4
Obertas and Palamarchuk UKR
LIke these two. She cut her hair. She's looking older! He still looks fine!
Orlando Cafe is the music. She is taller She's down on 3toe - great 2twist -
throw 3sal - sell baby sell - heavy dismount from lift - she is taller, I
just hope she doesn't outgrow him! - She's heartbroken! But she smiled
through the whole thing.
Marks 4.7-5.2 / 5.1-5.6
5th overall
Kemp and Thomas GBR
oh boy get the earring out -Far And Away - low split twist - oh god, both
down on double axel, no speed no speed. oh shite down on throw . nice death
spiral . lost it on the spins too - all wrong on the lift, oh dear oh dear.
Oh dear!
Marks - 2.5-3.2 / 3.5-4.2
16th of16th - ouchie!
Abitbol and Bernadis
What did he do to his hair? Where is his hair? El Conquistador. Crowd
clap....no!She'd down on the toe! Amazing twist! throw 3loop beautiful! lift
with over the back flippy outy thing - s/s spins, fantastic! Good unison on
the step- death spiral, very nice indeedy.....
Fantastic routine, but oh deary me, the fall, the fall! Quality of true
pairs skating Simon doesn't think we've seen better tonight. To Chris she
looked a little off - not over her skates. She didn't get down on the knee
in the landing enough he says. Slow with the left leg on the 3loop - a
lesser skater could've been in trouble he says. What a shame!
The Poles may suffer from going first, but they were clean - these may be
4th or 5th
Marks 5.0-5.5 / 5.4-5.9
3 have them 3rd but 4th overall Very glum looking
Savchenko /Morozov UKR
Spartacus, GOd save us all! COmplete with chain mail for him, she ran into
the boards on 3toe - HUGE split twists,one of the moments of the evening,
and she did hit the boards on the throw 3sal for which there was no
preparation.... spins are all over the place but they got them back. Very
nice lift - death spiral nothing to write home about.
The highs and lows of figure skating illustated in 10 seconds Simon says. If
only he continues. Magnificent split double twist, then the throw into the
boards - elements very much tucked into the corner all the time. Cafe de
Columbia will be happy - she hit their board twice at either end of the
rink!
Marks - 3.8-4.6 / 4.5-5.5
10th
Schwartz and Mueller
I like her long hair. I don't like his blond hair - he looked better as a
brunette. Definitely. New World is the music - bluesy kinda thing, suits
them. Great split twist - hand down possibly from Peggy - S&C say not.
Excellent throw 3sal, she had to work the landing but! good lift. Good
choreography on step sequcen, absolutely fantastic death spiral ,best of the
night. No question! Oh ,she got lost going into the s/s camel - got back
well. Great ending with a somersault thing - I really enjoyed it, so did the
crowd. Chris says a lesser skater wouldn't have gotten that spin back - so
difficult to do.
Long delay for the marks. Simon says 5th just behind A&B Chris has them just
ahead in 4th - courage and all that
Marks - 5.2-5.7 / 5.3-5.8
Chris has it - they're 4th! Bad news for the french.
Danko . Emeljenenko BLR
The Rock - both down on 3sal, in perfect sync - does that count? Split twist
good , lands the throw 3sal - good s/s spins - she's too bony for a good
death spiral although the position wasn't bad. Someone seriously needs to
feed this girl!
Good recovery Simon says. Nasty fall on 3sal. Chris thinks the music had no
atmosphere - no guts and thunder about it.
Marks - 3.5-4.4 / 3.8-4.8
14th overall
So P&T
B&S
Z&S
S&M
A&B
T&M
O&P
K&J
That's all I can get, they move too fast! Last group should be great on
Wednesday - the Poles did great to stay in 3rd, having been first up.
Simon and Chris are backing B&S to win, if they are clean and the draw is
nice. Otherwise P&T are in pole position.