Svetlana Pilipenko UKr

Blue dress...starts off kneeling onthice ...final skater in opening group....4Rooms sdtk....as a soprano shrieks in the background...lutz df the triple...chris says she was short on rotation but kept the free foot off...triple toe doulbe toe was better....glying camel....dancy bits as the music goes more bluesy...turns into the loop but its clean...long entry into it....triple sal inthe smae place....more mives on teh spot....little hop then a 2flip...layback....axeldouble nad double toe too...chris tells us the program looks disjointed....spiral steps...music gets the crowd going....axel, and shes skating through the musci now...combo spin...lots of changes of position with loss of centering..and she goes into the butt spin to finish...which has already lost her points in my book.....this is her first euros, shes 18...and chris was right the foot did stay off on the lutz but it was cheated....we see the butt spin on the slomo....thanks for that guys....

and theres dmitri dmitrenko in the kiss and cry with her....marks....4.3-5.03.8-4.6...5 have her in first so she leads on the day but is second overall to Heigl.

Group two on the ice.

Susanna Babiakova SVK

In a gypsy dress with green leaves and red flowers and net on it....red flower in her hair...lutzand that triple was df., but hse did 2toe after it....around for the 3toe and that was clean.....music changes, stronger now....turns on the ice....all on one foot...down into doulbefoored 3flip....handd down on the 2ax....flying amel.....travelling to the righton that...slow part now....spirals, two of them....moving in slow circles on centre ice...ouble loop...camel to uprigt...spiral..nice position, back spiral with nice straight leg...layback.....music changes again and this is the selling part...spoin....crowd clap...triple sal....triple toe....circular step...camel to sit nice position...change camel sit shotgun...and she's done, kneeling in a lunge position on the ice. MUsic was sdtk of Bandita. lutz was df...and we see the flip from the overhead angle but it was df too....she doesn't get a lot of height on her jumps chris tells us...and I've just realised that Nicky's not here ....

marks 4.4-4.8....4.6-4.9...she's leading on the day and overall. 2 have her second .

Vanessa Giunchi ITA

Black and red dress...red gloves...and red hairbandy thing inher hair which should be lost....and its bolero....oh boy....steps around the ice....triple sal forwards on landing..df on the flip and stumbles out of it...and shes got the hight wrapped free leg going on....loopand double footed and again she steps out of it....left foot too low chris tells us....ands eh spops the toe horriblu....flying camel.....nicely centred....turny steps coming out it down centre ice into cmael in front of the judge cahnge camel....circular step and she doesn't seem to be selling it as much as she might, there's no joy on her face, theres nothing on her face....double axel and she steps out of it....spiral step.....charlotte spiral...of which we get a lovely view from the camera in teh corner....triple toe good girl and her hands when she finished it, just like take that! layback....round we go....triple sal....double axel...and the sal shouldve been in combo to countr....fast combo spin to end including a very nice sit spin, and she stumbled off her landing pose a little, but seh held it. No let up through the program chris tells us, and for me that aws the problem. I know its Bolero, but it seemed to keep going at the same tempo all the way through for me....very hard to keep it going all the way through, as Chris pointsout the lack of linking steps between teh jumps...it was jump go down do another one, and he too feels taht the program would have benefitted from a lighter piece in the middle....I'm agreeing a lot with Chris and NIcky this week, I'm getting worried!

marks her skate blades are the colours of the italian flag! 4.1-4.5....4.3-4.8...she's third overall.

Marta Andrade ESP

29...and every time I see her, I'm shocked she's still around...purple dress...selection of classical music...double flip and there was no speed going into it...none! you could see by her face she wasn't happy with it....lutz triple....could been df....turny steps....triple toe double toe....and there just seems to be a long wait between all her jumps and the set up..layback....spiral...as we ggo into the hovis ad which my memory tells me is dvorak, new world symphony no 9...axel double....in to triple sal...spread esgle... combo with half biellman and ncie changes of position in the spin.....down the ice...triple toe on its own....back spiral...double axel double toe....flying sit....and she stops...music changes to something very famous that I can't place...andshe pops the sal...got her timing wrong and lost her speed too....straight line steps....flying camel....and she's done. Not bad...put it this way, I 've seen her skate worse. Big smile from her as she takes her bows...competed in Euros in 97 and was 21st...has been at worlds the past few years but last qualed for the free 3 years ago....not great on the presntation chris tells us....

marks annick galhaiget choreographed this....3.9-4.7...4.5-4.9...she's in second overall

Mojca Kopac SLO

26...dress is black see through with arcs of silver to keep her decent...oriental selection...triple toe double toe....around she goes....in for hte lutz...which is a triple that leans and lands low but is clean....doubles the loop....flying camel....into upright....music changes in to the slow part....single the axel....spiral...triple sal....and there doesn't seem to be a lot in between the elements...layback with not much backarch in it....music changes again...builds speed....circular step...much of it done in the one direction....looked like she was setting up a jumpo but didn,t chris says it was the toe....does a spin..and around the ice...triple sal whichshe falls out of and tries another jump doubles it and does the same...combo spin and she ends behind the music....she's carried alot of injuries all season so her training isn't what it might have been....in 14th at the moment...as chris reminds us that she skated throughthe music a little bit...oh that man is so my boyfriend.....spent the summer training with Uschi....perhaps says chris hoping that some of the stojko magic would rub off...so many comments, so little time...

marks 4.3-4.8...4.5-5.1...she's in first from 5 judges, 2 2nds 2 4ths

Lucie Krausova CZE

Nice white dress, reminiscent of Nancy K's at the 92 Olympics music is my fair lady....step out of the 2ax....and shes only 15 nad looks it....triple lutz was a beauty...really fast rotation.....triple flip df...and steo out....camel spin to sit change sit to shotgun...and I raelly dislike that position of spin....but thats just me..therewas also much travel on teh sin...spiral...incl charlotte wehre it looked like she overbalanced nearly...triple loop....teriple toe....pops the sal...flying camel....to cross foot upright....couldve danced all night is now the music....great speed adn flow form her....and she pops the loop once I praise her...and down hard ont he sal....camel which she lost, and then changes to upright....shouldve kept my mouth shut..thats a better camel hop to change camel with illusion...and upright scratch spin arms over head....and she's doing a few more steps and shes done/ What a shame says Chris...and just when we were both beginning to enjoy it, it all feel apart...overhead shot shows travel on the spin...fall on the sal she wasn't quite aroundon ....

marks ...4.3-4.8...4.3-4.8...she's 4th overall.

Sarah Meier SUI

And this is where hte home crowd get going....nice purple dress. with flowers and stuff up the middle....starts bent over at the wiast, flapping her arms...i'm thinking butterfly? Anna nad the king.....nice interp of the music from the off...triple lutz double toe, and I'm jst thinking that she looks taller than last year...triple flip out of steps and down she goes...flying camel....bang on center....steps fit in nicely with the music...doubles the loop..long puase between the jump and the turns setting it up..music speeds up and the crowd claps as she odes her circular step....triple flip double toe....good girl....spiral..holding the free blade...back spiral, noce straight leg....into layback with great position and cnetering...she didn't move!...down and into half biellman....upright ....triple sal to which she just held on....triple toe and down she goes, looked short on rotation...double axel...calem to sit changes it.....and upright and she's done. Chris calls her a brave girl, and hteres a little shake of the head from her....swiss flags wave like crazy....too much prep on the loop chris feels? much improved interpretation....

marks 4.7-5.2..crowd are not happy 4.5-4.9...she's first on the day, with 2 2nd and a 3rd, but she leads on the day and overall.

Ice resurface for group three.

Vanessa Gusmeroli FRA

Pretty blue dress for her...she's in 9th place at the moment .. music by vangelis to start...flies into the 3loop and its df....lutz triple and 2toe...turny hoppy steps...down theice leaning hard ont he flip and down she goes....I can feel the bruise forming from here.....doubles the sal....axel double..back spiral....into spiral...biellman....splits on the ice...music changes as she goes into camel to sit with nice variation on the position...arm down between legs...crowd clap..steps....sits on the edge for a long time on the loop and pops it to a single and that was a change cause it shouldve been lutz....triple toe late getting the foot aorund chris says two feet on the landing...circular step...flying camel....into camle to sit to shotgun change camel halfbiellman adn she's done. What a pity says chris, and i've got to say that it was way more traditional than we're used to from a french skater...and not one of her better performances , either technically or artisitcally..I think that when the timing went, she didn't sell it like she could have....great speed on teh ice....she singled the flip yesterday in the short....circular step was great chris says and it was one of thebetterbits and she's in tears...

marks 4.6-5.0...chris says he thinks shes lucky to get 5s for that....4.9-5.1...she leads with one third.

Elina Kettunen FIN

Black dress from her, part of chest is red as is end of skirt...very tall leggy girl.....and great presence from the off...mr bean and cider house rules....leaning on the lutz but she got it....looop clean as anything...flying camel.....triple flip again leanign in the air, but it was clean....and into the triple toe double toe....stops as the music changes...into sit to camel with raised free leg....spiral...this is lovely....if she'd just smile....back spiral is a beauty....lovely flow and speed....ina bauer....triple sal....layback....music changes to faster.....lutz yes! good girl! long wiat for it....axel is clean and the crowd roar!....circular step....smile, you can do it! ....lovely interp of the music....camel to sit to biellman....change camel to half biellman to cross foot upright and shes done! oh yes! she wobbled on teh spin at the end and she looks knackered, but after that, who can blame her? Oh that was great....so much presentation and presence, and the slow section in particular was fantastic...beautiful music, really well interpreted....a little over the toe on some of hte jumps, and off axis in some of them aswell, she has to be so strong to hold them together....and when she ladned the 2ax taht was the first time that we could see the emotion from her, otherwise as Chris says it was total concentration from start to finish...

marks 5.2-5.5...7th here last year 11th at worlds....5.3-5.6...a row of ones.

Julia Lautowa AUT

Purple dress bias cut with black flames at top and bottom...only one short sleeve....lutz and she pops it badly....triple flip double toe....not alot of running edge though....stops on the ice and dances....turns adn spins....around she goes...triple loop...huge distance...triple toe after that....flying camel.....hop to cahnge camel....spiral....nice exntesion in all he spirals....lutz and had to put in a turn on the end, ...split jump...triple sal....high wrap on the leg...biellman spin...change foot half biellman..remember wehn they used to be rare???? Music changes.....steps ....double toe double toe.....cicrular step...axel.....and she wobbled on he landing...layback...lsoing speed near the end of that...steps into a camel to sit layback change camel..to half biellman and she's done. with a big smile. Only landed 2triples in qual ....

marks 4.8-5.3...she's happy with what she did...4.8-5.4...she's in second unanimously.

Laetitia Hubert FRA

Black dress for her...silver sparkles in a y on the front and on the cuffs....the Diva soundtrack is the music....piano music to you and me....triple lutz was clean as a whistle... triple loop and seh motored into that...layback very fast and nicely centred....crowd clap to this.....steps down the ice...down the icedoubles the flip, rushed the take off...and she doubled the start of hte triple triple combo and came out of it after two turns and facing the wrong way...got that all wrong....slow part...triple flip which was leaning in the air but she got there...change edge spiral nicely done....back spiral also nice...double axel...flying camel straight after....music speeds again...circular step....triple sal....triple toe double toe scratcyy lamding on double...combo spin with very nice nad low sit spin and great speed all the way through...chris calls it fnatastic, 5 triples, don;'t know that I'd go as far as fantastic....I preferred Elina, but Laetitia kept fighting, and she had good presence and interpretation of the music...fabulous speeed.....Galhaiget and Trent the coaches Mary Scotvold the choreographer....program got better towards the end notes chris, which (my words) is unusal for her....spin at the end was great.

marks there are three happy people in the kiss and cry! 5.2-.5.5....5.2-5.5..second on 6/3 split and second overall. I cna live with that.

Elena Liashenko UKR

Pea green dress for her...sparkles on flesh coloured sleeves....darker green leavy things on skirts....lutz triple and a 2toe...and she pops the flip to a single...triple toe....flyinf camel....starts to travel near the end....loop and she landed that short....layback.....good centred and speed not great position though....slow part now...smiles at the judges....spirals....with bent leg..triple sal with a fall out into double toe???? flying spin...half sit....triple flip anda beaming smile ...straight line step....triple sal ahnd down...axel....camel to sit layback....change sit....catch foot camel and she's done behind the music. Didn't do much for me I'm afriad...not the form of her practice sessions chris tells us.....lutz at the start was fab....triple loop was underroatated and landed forwards....bronze at NHK this year...

marks 4.8-5.3....5.0-5.4...she's second with 7 to go..but third onthe afternoon, 5/4 split with 4th

Julia Sebestyn HUN

Short hair now..white dress with red squiggles down the fron and back....man in the iron mask...love this music...great flow already from her....lutz huge and I think she just got the hand off...one hell of alean on it....down the ice we go triple flip also leaning back not as much... and then a double toe....turns into a double loop....dancing on centre ice...flyinf camel catch foot to half biellman....triple sal....stops on the ice...layback....starts to move the more shes in it....nice position though....spiral...back spiral with bent leg....double lutz./flip? ...flying camel...with illusion out....axel...triple toe double footed....ina bauer....camel to sit to layback...change catch foot to biellman...and she's done....capable ofmuch more chris tells us as he relates the tale of how her ice rink in Budapest burned down so she's training in Sweden and USA, so disrupted prep...I'd be more sympathetic if I hadn't heard this tale last year and can't help thinking htat you'd get used to the disruption in a year....short hair really suits her....

marks ... 4.8-5.1...4.9-5.3...she's 4th.

And Chris tells us that any one of the top three can win the gold...not really..because if my maths are correct, Irina can't win unless Maria is third or worse.

Warm up for group four.

Irina Slutskaya RUS

Horrible draw for her....wine dress...nice and elegant...as Chris marvels that shes still only 22....music is Tosca...steps to start...lutz...and shes right over the toe rake and has to put in a turn on the end no combo....triple sal triple loop andshes down on the loop...flying camel....spins and stops and covers her face..moves again....triple lutz double toe...much better....triple loop with turns into it...flyinf sit....stops...turns arm waving and more covering of hte face ...steps....circularstep is nice...good changes of edge in teh sequenec done all on one foot....huge triple flip....axel.....layback....great speed... holds one hand up in a fist as she turns...psiral point youtr foot...back spiral with skate blade gripped...and with it not....triple toe ... camel to sit layback biellman change cmael to biellman.....and cross foot with travel and she's done after alittle bit of frantic running around the place....chris loved it...I thought it was good, and I think if she skates it clean it'll be really something else, but it's probably not going to win this competition....although the speed and the power are certainly something else, but she did sit down on the triple loop....Giuseppe Arena did the choreography....and she never stopped selling it...but hte door is open.

marks and she's got a bear bigger than she is! 5.6(2)-5.7....5.7-5.8(3) -she leads with room.

Maria Butyrskaya RUS

This girl should not wear pale pink. Just no. Washes her out totally. And she looks pale...don't know if its nerves or the dress....tale of a journey is the music...alfred schnitke....lots of harps in teh background...triple flip...lutz triple late getting free leg around but did double toe...flyinf camel....around she goes....triple toe half loop triple sal...layback....travels on it....little steps...lutzand shes down hard on that....smack!....back spiral....lovely exntesion on that....loopand shes clean....number five i'm told....triple toe and double footed and turn after it...flying sit....axel ands eh screambled on that landing too...touched down on it....split jump....camel change sit to half biellman.....andshe glides to a stop....and oh dear me says Chris. 2 big mistakes at the end..he has her one triple less than Slute....and I'd have her behind SLute, but it must be said that neither one of them blew me out of my shoes....solid start to the program...all went wrong near the nend..that was a hard flall on the lutz weight was too far back...

marks 5.1-5.7...and theres oceans of room there....me oh my...5.6-5.9...ordinals from first to 4, mostly seoncd but she leads overall.

Galina Maniachenko UKR

She's wearing a little brown skirt. And a top that can only be desribed as grey feathers stuck on netting....it looks like she hit a low flying pigeon on warmup... shes 21, Chris praises her performances this week...Well Balanced by Oliver Shanti is the music...steps to start...triple lutz...solid...not much runningedge on way out....triple loop out of nowehre....triple flip....triple sal...and this is a clinic....flying camel....with illusion on exit....doubles the toe...I had to sayi ti didn't I?? layback...really fast....slow lyrical music now....back spiral with foot held.....triple toe....double axel and shes down on the double toe on he combo....steps... straight line steps and not much difficulty Iwould have said...axel that was clean....shes had trouble wit hthat all eweek...combo spin with really fast cahgnes ....and then into sit spin with variation on position...and she's done. All faded away Chris says and I cna't say it better than that....but she got all the big jumps in....gets such huge elevation on the jumps....and she flies along the ice...loads of time in the air....yeah, leaning on the toe all the way....

marks dmitri there with her... 5.2-5.6...I would've said that was low me, 5.2-5.7...third place....not sure if thats on he free or overall, her ordinals allover the gaffe

Sylvia Fontana ITA

Come on Sylvia!! Black and bright red dress....looks flamencno-ey and it's carmen! so there you go...come on now....double lutz...triple flip free leg very low...but stayed off...I think....trple toe...into a half biellman....and seh stops...and poses...and starts vamping and the crowd clap...straight line step...alos known as the part where she eyes up the judges....doubles the lutz again....come onkeep going....triple loop that she just held onto....crawls into double axel but gets it...layback ...to puright...and ends bang on music....slow part....such great expression in her face....spiral with foot held in front...triple sal...couldn't control the landing, spin out of it...triple flip again with weight far back..double toe...flying sit with stars in....claps the hands....circular step loads of energy....camel to half biellamn layback change shotgun...and she's done! and she claps her hands over her head....so much charisma....and I'm not sure where they'll put her. For me personally it'd be fourth behind what we've ahad now, but that's because I love her and I know they're going to drop her.Tech wasn't the best as CHris reiterates the point about her wrapped free leg, but she kept on sellng it nad she has such great presentation....asnd you've got to love that smile!

marks uh-oh she says...oh! 4.9-5.4...crowd hate it! go up! 5.0-5.6...she's fifth ordinals of 4,6,7,10 and 11!

Viktoria Volchkova RUS

Kinda periwinkle bluey mauvy dress...not a great colour for anyone....lots of sparkles...Gone With teh Wind...again? starts with triple sal double toe....lutz and she puts a hand down and falls out...as chris treminds s that placemarks are all over the place...really fast layback nice position....doubles the flip....oh dear...circular setp.....and she stops....reaches out....spins....loopand that was clean...flying camel....with illusion....ands top....as the musiccontinues to build but whatever.....down the diagonal we go flip! and sheneeds that!....triple toe.....axel crwals into it....spiral is fantastic....and on the other foot too....nice interp....camel to layback...to sit to shotgun.....along the ice for a scratch spin...and she's done! ahead of the music but done. And what do you do wit htat? Was it good enough...but I really do think that even if she comes second, with Irina first, doesn't she still get it? Granted, scribbled factored placement on the back of an envelope might not be the best way of working it out, but I think I'm right.....or not....this was great and of the three russians probalby my favourite..so she's in trouble....

amrks ....5.1-5.6...the hell? I'm in shock....5.2-5.7...3rd place agina...ordinals second to 6th.....

Susanna Poykio FIN

As I attempt to close my mouth, I admire the nice white/creamy dress which she wears. I raelly do, for it's the nicest of the day...violin concertos is the music....loveyl flow fomr the start....double axel with alean but its there....triple lutz haand down double toe....triple flip....triple toe double toe....did well there....flying cmael....with ahrding spin variation...doubles the loop....little turning steps...spirals....nice extension...layback....well centred....triple toe....triple sal with a real lean on it....steps....this her circular setp....into a stars into a flying sit....and camel to sit layback change cameland she's done behind the music. Wellskated program chris tells us....he calls her a joy to watch...for me didn't quite have the sparkle of some of the toehrs (plus I was still in shock) but that's to be expected when you close the afternoon on your first Euros I guess. some of the jumps had leans on them....1st finnish lady to medal at isu champ (bronze at jun worlds)

marks 4.9-5.5....5.1-5.5...she's 6th overall...4th to 11th on free.

So Butyrskaya 30 Slutskaya 32 Volchkiva 50 Maniachenko 72 Kettunen Poykio Fontana is the one to seven. Yeah. Maria second on free Irina won that. Viktoria third. Not so sure about that...Viktoria was second for me, but what do I know?