So it's 12.45 in the morning, I'm going to be up until five, and I've missed the GB women clinch a curling gold medal because I went to bed at nine o'clock because there's no way that I could teach on three hours sleep. There's a massive storm outside, the wind is howling, rain is lashing against my window, and I'm the only person awake in my house right now. I'm just waiting for the power to go off and if it does, there will be no words to voice my extreme displeasure. And Barry tells me that it's 22 years since Robin Cousins won his gold medal, and Robin adds that it's also ten years today since Kristi Yamaguchi won hers. I try to work out if it's ten years yesterday, the 21st, or ten years today for me, the 22nd, and decide that it's too early for those kind of deliberations. Or is that too late? And does it really matter?

Vanessa Giunchi ITA

Well, it fits her better than her SP dress. It's black and wine, and she's got a wine headband on her head....the dress is made up of panels, alternating, in asymmetrical designs (does anyone care how hard it is to spell that word at 12.55 in the morning?) One sleeve is black, one wine and she has wine gloves on each hand. Barry calls it interesting. Understatement. Bolero the music. Skate to the triple sal to start, nicely done. triple loop, held onto that... Robin reminds us she has no lutz....triple flip has a lean but its clean....round for the triple toe double toe....layback....then an upright spin...steps the width of the rink into camel which travels change to sit, very high sit at that, to upright spin and dance .....goes into step sequence, circular....nicely done but not difficult.....axel double, late with free leg....spiral....with grabbing foot in front of her....charlotte spiral....triple toe....flying camel.....doubles the sal, double axel....camel to sit travel change sit sit to shotgun...and she's done and she's doing a Sylvia! Tears are everywhere, and she's thrilled and fair play to her...crowd are getting into practice for later on, and Robin can't remember the last time a program started off without any mistakes in it....Robin picks on the lack of running edge in her jumps...she just does them and comes out he says....long wait for the median mark, which she uses to say hello to most of Italy...and why shouldn't she, fair play to her.

marks 4.3-4.7...4.3-4.7.

Roxanna Luca ROM

In a black dress, with bits of silver piping around the neck adn back...very kiss of the spider woman-y....24th after the short....theres an x superimposed on an x pattern on her back....like a web actually....falls out of the triple lutz, and under rotated by a rev....flip and she steps out of that, does a double toe...flying camel.....out of that and around we go.....axel double and that was fine...around into triple toe....stop and do into layback swith not much layback....loop leaning all over the place, not enough lift and she falls out of it....spirals....back spiral, leg needs to be straighter....better when left leg is extended....triple sal was just got...but better than all the rest!....loop and the same problem in the same palce....spiral move going round in tight circle...to the corner she goes and we have a striaght line step along the diagonal ...hand down on the triple toe...camel to sit ot half biellman change sit and out and over to scratch spin and she's done. She doesn't get a lot of height on her jumps Robin was telling us during the program, and you can really see it in the slomos....they 're having the should she have gone or should Romania have sent anyone at all debate...

marks 3.7-4.4....4.4 is from the SVK, who was crazy last time out....3.6-4.2.

Zuzana Babiakova SVK

Gypsy girl dress, with spangles, and flowers on the bodice...green trim on the edge of hte skirt, red netting, cut straight from the fishermans net except is shiny and red, is over the skirt.....redrose in her hair....lutz and step out of triple.....aroudn for the triple toe double toe combo and she flew into and out of it, it was fine...steps....turns on the ice...she's really flying compared to the other two....triple flip, double footed and falls out of landing....axel not much height but a clean double....flying camel......travels on it...and more when she comes out of it....and pause and the slow part....steps....but does nothing for half a minute before the tripel loop, df and fall out....camel spin.. around stroking for the spiral ....back spiral is nice.....hold leg in front spiral...into layback...all right but not great....and stop...and dancey but ...into spin....not sure what you call it but it was short....doubles the sal....and does a clean one next,I think....steps...circular step....camel to sit to layback change cmael to sit to shotgun, and after the change each spin lasted about a revolution....and that's that. Barry reminds RObin of the quote of his former coach "It's supposed to be on one foot you know" and Robin gives the other quote that Carlo Fassi used to have "There are two ways of landing - on your blade or on your arse, that's it!" They don't even give Carlo's second name actually,...Barry tells us that if you're watching a 20 past one in the morning, you'll know who he is. And really, he's not wrong.

marks 4.1-4.5...4.2-4.9...highest mark of 4.9 is SVK She's behind the Italian.

Julia Soldatova BLR
Red dress, only one shoulder to it. Big slash down the middle and the back, with little xs on it....lots of sparkles and shimmers....little turns and dances to start...only one sleeve to the dress did I mention? triple sal double toe....lots of speed butnot on exit of second jump there....lutz and she can't hold the landing has to turn out of it...flying camel....nicely centred....little runny steps out of that and around building speed for the flip...which she promptly doubles....layback...nice position, one arm straight up in the air...turny twizzles into steps...circular step....loop triple and that was clean....axel which she singles and NO speed into that...spirals....including catch foot death spiral....nice back spiral too. although not held too long....doubles the toe which should have been another lutz she cahnged it on the flyin....combo spin....camel sit change camel I think.....around we go...she looks tired...triple toe steps into double toe.....camel to sit layback change sit to half biellman.....and dnace posey steps and that's the end of that. And she's smiling....and keeps smiling even in kiss and cry

marks 4.0-4.8....4.8 from BLR....ahem....Rus goes to 4.6....4.3-5.0..5.0 is again from BLR. she's leading.

Mojca Kopac SLO

A silver stripe makes its way down her body, black mesh making the rest of the dress decent. Just about. And it's a snake wrapped around her body, a silver snake, for I see the head of the snake on the back of her left shoulder. triple toe double toe to start...very nice and springy in the first jump especially.....round for the lutz and she's down on that...began to lean halfway through....no saving it...round she goes....loopand hand down there and fall then...flying camel....mussic slows....steps around...axel double but late with free leg...Robin says it was a touch down...spiral....triple sal and steps into double toe....that shouldve been a triple loop...layback spin...ok but not great....and stop and pose and get going again....circular step....and she keeps stepping and it's one of the better ones that we've seen thus far...triple toe, slightly df??? sit spin.....double sal...into camel to sit to layback change sit to finish. And she don't look like a happy girl, and Barry comments on the disappointing nature of hte opening group, as I mutter I got up out of bed for this? Mind you, I was inthe middle of a nightmare where I thought I'd slept it out and missed it, and then I couldn't find it onthe interactive, so I was quite relieved when the alarm went off.....Robin is telling us by the way that she under rotated some of her jumps and has a very high wrap on others....its a timing thing he tells me. That is definitely Uschi in the kiss and cry and there's Kristi Yamaguchi in the audience....

marks 4.0-4.6...4.1-4.7...she's 4th overall.

Idora Hegel CRO

Red dress, with gold all over it, a cut out in the middle of the chest, no sleeves, but little bands on the upper arms, to which there are wisps of red material attached, which are supposed to be sleeves, of a sort. They only cover though the underside of her arms...and there are many sequins on the hands part ,which the sleeves cover her hands, as if glvoes....oh yay....axel to start...half loop into triple loop....very nice....lutz double....triple flip double toe, double footed on the flip...triple sal was clean...triple toe....little jump after that....into camel to sit to layback change sit to very low shotgun and that just didnt look right some how.....spiral...spreadeagle....catch foot back spiral...flying camel....bit of travel I think but it was towards the camera so it was hard to see...triple toe double toe...layback....that does travel, definitely..straight line steps...good change of edge and position....triple loop horrible lean on the landing but well saved....axel, combo with double toe...spin change to same spin...and a few steps and she's done. And she can be very happy with that. Barry calls it the best we've seen so far and she was in 23rd place and seh should move up, although I may just have jinxed her on that...Robins' not sure of the program choreographically, presentation he says was ok....and it did look like she was more concerned wtih getting the jumps out and was concentrating on that more so than the presentation....thrilled at the end, blows kisses to the crowd....won't be 19 until April 3rd....

marks 4.4-4.9....4.2-5.1...she's second overall. 3 have her first, second overall. Soldatova leads.

Yoshie Onda JPN

Very plain blue dress for her...and she's been splatting on triple axel attempts...we saw Midori Ito during the warm up and when she saw herself on the jumobtron she jumped and went straight for hte flag....that was cute! Looks nervous...triple axel will be opening jump if she does it....and she made the rotation but she's down on it, just couldn't hold the landing....lutz with a double toe, scratchylanding on the toe....flying camel....nice position and centring....and a big pop on the flip...slow part to the music...loop...that was clean...steps...layback...arch of back is ok, position of free leg is not, and it travelled....triple sal...really had to check for that landing....spiral...back spiral wasn't held at all....music speeding again now....second triple flip much better with double toe....camel to sit with variation to chnage sit to camel with leg up in the air....and around she goes again....triple toe...steps into triple toe....circular step...double axel....and another....and flying sit to upright scratch spin and she'sdone....claps from Midori....and she just looks thrilled and the crowd really liked that, plenty of flags waving in the crowd. Half a turn short on the triple axel...she landed forwards and on the flat of the blade....second triple flip was huge....

marks 5.1-5.6...5.6 from SVK can someone talk to this person please? judge no 3. 4.6-5.2...row of ones.

Tatiana Malinina UZB

has withdrawn due to flu.

Laetitia Hubert FRA

Black dress, with silver on the neck going down into a little stripe, matching on the back...silver spangles on the cuffs as well. Nice and simple and elegant and considering some of the stuff she's trotted out in, I say thank goodness. 14th in the short....piano thing to start....and around she goes...lutz andshes down on the triple...leaningfrom takeoff....loop and that was clean....lots of speed...layback...arms up in the air, not great position with the leg I think.....music speeds and changes...more orchestral and I know I know it...triple flip forwards on landing but there....steps around....flying sit....touch down with free foot....and stop...slow part again.....triple lutz triple toe with turn out of the toe, and lutz had to fight for hte landing...spirals....she took a long time to prep for the lutz though....axel clean as you like, flying camel...and stop...music changes back to the same fast piece....circular step.....and around again for the sal which she dobules....and she does it again on two feet . camel to sit to layback change sit to scratch and she's done, slightly behind the music. We don't think that that will keep her ahead of Onda, but at least seh did more, I think I'm correct in saying, than she did in Nagano....wasn't it she who started off badly and totally threw in the towel halfway through or earlier? nearly ran out of rink on the lutz combo, and really fought for it, she would not put that free foot down!

marks 4.9-5.2 4.6-5.2...first overall.

Galina Maniachenko UKR

And it's the "I just splattered a pigeon dress" - do they have pigeons in SLC? Should I change it to a different bird? An eagle? Falcon? A kestrel perhaps? Anyhoo, she's walloped some poor bird in lieu of a top, there is a brown skirt and there are silver spangles. And there is no back. There's Oksana Baiul in the crowd....turns on one foot in the steps to start....lutz and she doubles that....and no combo which it was meantto be...triple loop was clean, nice entry into it, she turned into it, didn't telegraph it like lots of them do....flip clean as a whistle....turns to triple sal...over rotated it but kept it clean...flying camel with illusion exit....triple toe, not much height on that...layback....nice position on back....catch foot back spiral....triple lutz...really nice....axel and she singles it right after RObin said taht she was concentrating much better....pose for second into steps...the length of the rnik and shes not doing much with her feet on these.....axel and she sigles again does double toe loop after step...steps into camel to sit to layback change to shotgun...llots of travel on that spin...and out into scratch spin to close. Barry accuses Robin of putting the mockers on her....you see? It's not just me that does it! Music was called Well Balanced Heya Heya...just bailed out of first triple lz, there was no need for that....good position in the air on her triple loop....Robin tells us that classical style ie Schindlers list from the short , suits her much better. How do I agree with thee, let me count the ways....

marks 4.8-5.3...4/8-5/5//...5.5 from SVK big surprise there...6 have her 1st and she leads.

Elina Kettunen FIN

Red and black dress, off the shoulder number...lines of silver going across the red bit. Skirt is mostly black, red at the end...not as bad as it sounds really. 5th at Euros....lutz triple into double toe....round for the loop which she nailed...into flyingcamel.....triple flip with a lean but clean....double toe...stop right on the music....which slows now...sit spin to camel with leg up in the air...spiral....back spiral is lovely and we lose the picture....get it back....ina bauer...triple sal...into layback...nice archon back...leg could be turned outmore....music speeds as does she into lutz no 2 and its a double...axel a single no speed goign into either jump...steps in circle....axel double much better...camel to sit tobiellman change camel catch foot... and she's done behind the music. Threw the last axel in at the end...fitst lutz was forward on the landing, but waited well until she was ready for the toe, didn't rush it...the lean that was on the flip, I have no idea how neither hand nor foot went down....Robin tells us that the spins could use some work....I agree....

marks 4.9-5.3...4.8-5.4...second overall...5 have her first on the free.

Elena Liashenko UKR

Very pale sea green dress, not a great colour for her...or indeedy for anyone...skirt different shades of the same colour..16th after short.... lots of flesh coloured material at top and going down the sides....lutz to open....triple with double toe...I just hate her entry into the lutz, goes into it with knee raised for an age...mind yuo I suppose if it works...steps aorund and around...to triple flip which is forwards....and does double toe down the ice rather than triple....flying camel wih lots of speed....loop long set ip for and seh gets it allwrong only a single....layback...spirals....one with leg out in front of her...and the feed goes again and I hope they sort it out...triple sal double toe...sit variation and out...lutz and shes short on rotation and lands it forwards...steps along the straight line of the rink....short on triple toe...gets that one....into double axel...camel to sit to layback change sit to finish. And slightly behind the music which is what happens when you throw the kitchen sink in late. Robin talks of her jumping technique, the long prep and then popping it off ..when it works, it works but when it doesn't, it's not pretty.

marks 4.8-5.5...g'wan guess who the 5.5. is???? highestother was 5.2...4.7-5.6...3 overall, 2 have her first.

In the warm up, we see Yags, Peggy Fleming, Brian O (yay!) Todd and Oksana....all sitting in the crowd...those camera operators must be so bored!

Fumie Suguri JPN

And how unlucky is she that she has to skate first in this group having gone so early in the short? Navy dress, with lilac at the top and for the straps....sashy thing coming out and down the back...Moonlight Sonata....slide to start...and turn and same thing in opposite direction....lutz will open....with a double toe on the end that was lovely....glide all on the one edge....music speeds....flip triple was perfect....triple sal....flying sit....and stop right on the music....inside spread eagle in a little circle...loop double....shame....lutz double footed....spiral .... into triple toe double toe, much lean on triple...layback is lovely....into camel spin...cahnge camel...a little travel but good speed....steps really fast and good....axel double was fine...spiral...back spiral...into camel to sit laybackc change sit to upright to scratch spin so fast! and done! delightful barry calls it and she finishes right onthe music....that was just lovely. She really used the music well, didn't skate through it, and one of hte nicest step sequences that we've seen thus far...and she's so relaxed looking even now! And I'm just dying to see what the SVK will do with this! <g>

marks 5.4-5.7...5.7 is from SVK....5.6 from ITA, 4 5.5.s....5.3-5.6....she's first overall. and a row of ones on the free.

Vanessa Gusmeroli FRA

Pale blue dress for her....sleeveless, very low on top and back, and shes' got the matching wristbands thing going on as well....around we go for the loopand she doubles that....triple lutz and hand down....no combo there....down for the flip which she doulbes and over rotates....does triple toe loop....this is not what she wanted at all atall.....triple sal...glide along for a sec....axel a single and this is not her night...very tense remarks RObin...back spiral...spiral....biellman....and does the splits on the ice...camel to sit with variation where her hand is between her legs and she's leaning...very short combo spin...drums are beating and seh's stepping in a pattern which I cna't make out....lutz triple and double footed and turned out of....axel half loop half loop double toe....dteps in circular step....flying camel.....and around into camel to sit to shotgun change cmael to half biellman and she's finished. And the final spin was travelling all over the place...weird take off on lutz, she seems to take it right around the corner....

marks 4.5-4.9....4.7-5.2...she's fifth overall.

Jennifer Robinson CAN
Wow! What a fabulous dress! It's white, with white meshy see through stuff over the top, and a shiny white dress....string of pearls, very elegant, very simple, quite like Nancy's in 92....love it. And this now is me being Zippy Mouth Girl. There's Kurt whistling and Brian O applauding....Brian O....sigh....this Canadian obsession o'mine is all his fault you know.....Liszt, Liebestraum.....steps to start...have I mentioned that her dress is fabulous? lutz to begin. yes! good girl.....triple sal with a lean but got it ! flying camel....stop....blows a kiss.....loop...triple and clean...tighton landing says Robin...steps...triple toe late getting leg out, but I think it stayed off.....triple flip....layback...lovely position...the back the legs are perfect...camel to sit really low poosition change sit to cross foot.....and stop.....and you dno't need to pray girl you're doing fine! off she goes again for lutz no 2 I can't watch.....and she's down! catch foot spiral...come on girl...back spiral...spiral....axel good girl.....very low but there....triple sal slight turn double toe...flying camel to cross foot to finish.....and I grab my Canadian falg and wave as Brian stands....sheclaps and RObin tells us that it never got beyond the barrier....she shouts thank you to the crowd (I think. I could be wrong) on the way off the ice....very elegant performance says RObin as we lose pictures again, but too much concentration...

amrks if we get to see the kiss and cry they'rehaving real problems with that feed.... 5.0-5.6...56. is russia! .. 5.2-5.6...she's second right now.

Sarah Meier SUI

Purple dress with lots of different colours on it...going into a blue skirt....and I do not know what is wrong with these pictures but ti's killing me here! Big smiles from coach on way out...and I'm looking at black screen and/or blotches...back now tos ee her doing steps along the ice....lutz triple double toe....triple flip...slow...and mistimed the toe...camel spin....steps along the width of the rink....loop and she over rotates that and welose the sound....circular step....still no sound....doubles the lutz....catch foot spiral...back spiral....spiral....back spiral, really nice extenstion with right free leg...layback spin....and we have sound again@ yay! ...catch foot camel stragiht up....seems very slow....triple sal....triple toe....just hiung on ....double axel? ...camel t sit wuth varitation change sit and cross foot spin and sehs done and the spin at the end was all over the sop...not centred at all and for a Swiss miss, those spins were distinctly average. Claps her head comign off the ice and not in a good way and we now have pictures and sound but no Robin and Barry. And as long as these gremlins are gone for the final group I dont care....and she was down on the toe which I didn't see because I HAD NO PICTURE!!!!! Sorry for the shouts but it's 3.24 in the morning, and I'd like to see what I'm losing sleep over!

marks 4.9-5.4....4.6-5.5...she's fifth overall.

Sylvia Fontana ITA
Black and silver on top, deep v going down, bright flourescent pink skirt, with a matching pink bit of material on the left wrist. And this once more is me, zippy mouthed girl . 11th after the short....and Barry isback! attitudeto spare at the start...lutz triple double toe....doubles the flip....come on now girl....triple toe...catch foot camel.....and stop and pose....straight line step...this is carmen....habanera....turns to the triple sal...good speed in and out....loop and pops to single...axel was clean and crawled into...layback which was lvoely.....stops on the music a little.....spiral...with leg held in front of her...into the sal with hand down and does the doulbe toe...too late to count as combo....leans on the toe and get s a double...stars to flying sit....claps hand as she goes by the judges...circular step....camel to catch foot to layback change sit shotgun and she's done right onthe music....there's John in the crowd, id as her fiance....and his expression speaks for us all! no dancing this time....first lutz was great, I had such high hopes! we've lost barry again....why does nina petrenko have a large roll of silver duct tape?

marks...and the long wait can't be good.... 4.6-5.2...I think I'm bruised.....go up....5.0-5.4...she's third. With seven to go? 5th on the free. Did she move up a place or is my maths really bad?

Viktoria Volchkova RUS
Lilac dress, with sparkles on the chest...very raggedy wispy skirt....sparkley bands up the top of the arms in lieu of sleeves. Gone with the Wind for the seven gazillionth time and after tonight and this year, I certainly hope it is...it's time for a new program Vicky......doubles the sal...supposed to be 3/3 combo...not the start she wanted....lutz more like it.....triple, no combo....layback spin....well centred....slide to stop and get going again....flip...and she just hung onto that!....triple sal....turns in steps....and slide to stop....stretch arms adn spin in place....stop some more...glide some more...and now she's going again....loop and she pops that no speed atall going in...flying cmale with illusions.....and stop ... around we go...lutz and she d idn't get up at all for that; literally just didn't take off at all, didn't get off the ice....triple toe with turn out into double toe....axel no speed and df.....spiral...great extension...change to spiral....and camel to layback change sit to shotgun....down to scratch and she's done. 12th place after the short and she's not going to move up from that, and it just wasn't there tonight...triple lutzhad such a shaky landing, can see it on slomos....and that is not a happy girl....

marks .. big long wait....4.8-5.5...5.5 is russia....4.8-5.4....rus gave her 5.6 and has her in first. She's third overall.

So thus far is Suguri, Robinson Volchkova and Fontana. I think. Yes, Kettunen in 5 then Maniachenko.

And the final group...anyone else nervous yet?

Maria Butyrskaya RUS
Pale pinky lilac dress, with sparkles on the shoulders, cutouts the middle, and it's most unflattering both in cut and colour. Which is not something I ever thought I'd say about this woman but there you go. In 5th at the moment. Barry says she looks focused. And he would be right. steps to start and you can see the flow thus far....triple flip...late with free leg but I think it stayed off....round for the lutz....and just got it! flying camel.....that was to have been a lutz combo....and she stops after the spin...and goes around again....triple toe half loop triple sal and just got around on the sal....around to layback....may have been something some spin in the middle there....msic changes and we go into the slow bit....nice steps here....lutz and she doubles and steps out and into double toe....back spiral is lovely....loop...ssqueaky on the triple.... triple toe landed right on the toe rake...flygin sit.....axel and that was double footed....you cna see it in her face....circular step....ending with spiral...and camel to upright change sit...catch foot camel.....and she's done leaning back and looking to heaven. Tale of a Journey was the music....and oh Maria. The Todd Eldredge of the ladies comp Barry calls her. first lutz was double footed we see from the angle....sal on the combo was very small and real fight on the landing...

marks and she waves from K&C....4.9-5.6...5.6 from RUS and BLR....and she's going! 5.2-5.7...she's second in free. not sure of overall.

Sarah Hughes USA

Lilac dress for her, sparkles on the top, very plain otherwise.And we have noise. anda you go girl sign from the stands....she's in 4th....and she's smiling and does anyone else think that she looks like Willow from Buffy? I'm just asking. steps to begin....god I hate this....sprial....double axel....triple sal triple loop!....turns on one foot....around we go.....lutz triple with a doulbe toe....and flip....triple, that was good.....camel spin with catch foot high....stop and smile....andsteps....into triple toe triple loop!!!!flying camel....with illusion and stop....spiral....back spiral....layback...lovely lovely layback.....and out....steps....nice steps actually....along the straight line now....little jumps in there too....triple toe scream from her! split jumps....and spin ...combo spin is relally fast great changes of position....and she done!! that was great! and people are standing and shecan't believe it! makes eye contact with the coach i think......oh wow oh wow I'm awake now I'll tell you that! Robin W is in tears.....and she makes her stnad at the boards and look out at the ice and the crowd before she goes to k&c...oh wow.....oneof the loops (first combo) was cheated...half turn short....I don't think we'll see the combo spin but it was too fast! And lovely expression on way out!

marks 5.7-5.8(7)...andshe screams! 5.6-5.8...(1 6 2 7s the rest 8) all firsts. And she says she wants to do it again!

and I'm in tears.

Julia Sebestyen HUN

Royal blue dress, cutouts here and there and some verging on indecent. And it's a horrible colour and a really old fashioned looking dress. And imagine having to follow that! and to precede what's to come! steps and wavey arms to start....I know the music....man in the iron mask...huge 3lzwith turn out and double toe...but when I say HUUUUGE that's what I mean.....triple flip...turns to triple toe with foot down.....turns to tripleloop and down she goes....not the right position at all....dancey steps....flying camel...to catch foot looking like a biellman....doubles the sal....layback....spirals....back spiral with purposely bent leg....steps to huge triple lutz....flying camel....with illusion....single axel...and another....split jump...ina bauer....steps the length of the rink this....camel to sit layback change camel to catch foot pull up to biellman....to finish. She smiles and great support from the crowd....this is a great crowd I must say...and who'd'a thunk that she'd be here now? Her triple lutzes are just unreal...she just springs up for them....loop with back three turns going in,she just didn't have the height for the rotation...

marks 5.1-5.6...5.0-5.4...she's 5th.

Sasha Cohen USA

Wine dress, very little back, fading to orange and yellow in the skirt. And there are sparkles. We hear how she passed the phone to President Bush at the openingcermonies and asked him to speak to her mum...Carmen the music....spiral in the start...axel is clean to open....plenty of attitude...lutz just hang onto it and sits down on the triple toe....triple flip doulbe toe....shouldve done 2toe on lutz too....triple toe....triple sal....layback....seemed to take a while to get into it but hwen she did it was lovely....and she kept it going well, good speed....loop...triple...lutz and she just hangs onto it and you saw it in her face that she wasn't happy with that....spiral....that was amazing how she kept on one foot ending with leg straight up...flying camel...f/i edge....steps...split jump....she claps hadns.....crowd get her hint...split jumps a plenty....camel to sit really low change sit to shotgun....so fast!.....and around into scratch which she really winds up and she kneels on the ice to finish. And the crowd are standing and roaring...big waaves as she comes off...RObin has problems with edit of the music...landing on first lutz was dodgy, should have left it, went for triple toe, under rotated it and landed half rev short , sat down on the ice.

marks....5.5-5.8..3 5,7 4 5,6s......5.53 5.8s the rest 7s and shes second! Sarah has the bronze for sure!

Michelle Kwan USA
Red dress....gold sparkley lines on it....very little back, although more than Cohen...I like it, I must say. and oh holy god i am nervous. Forgive the typos that are sure to follow because I can feel my stomach twisting in on itself....steps to start....loop triple to start....looked tight on landing? triple toe double toe....robin thinks triple on two feet? around we go....lutz triple double loop! smiles as she does her steps...flying camel....layback cross foot....stop....and steps again, little turns .... back spiralish move....axel ....and she does a flip too slow and has to put the handdown and nearly sits...combo spin....did anyone else hear the door bang open? come on now...triple sal....spiral.....her change edge speciality....camel to sit to Y spin change sit to Y spin.....charlotte spiral.....and she's speeding with the music now....lutz good girl! steps along the ice....straight linestep....triple toe...and flying sit...to Y spin...and scratch spin and she's done! right on time with teh music and she smiels and pumps her arms but it's going to be a long ten minutes I'll tell you that! Crowd are standing, they want her to win.... Robin has it lacking compared to Sarah and I'm not so sure I disagree....triple toe in the combo was two footed....and I can't look....

marks ... 5.6-5.8(5 6s 3 7s 18) 5.7-5.9...2 59s...she leads ...second on the free! holy cow!

Irina Sluteskaya RUS

Black dress with sparkles....slash going zigzag down the chest, flesh coloured net in it...and I'm nearly sure I'm right in saying that if she finishes second on the free she still has it... and I am....oh dear me. she's taking her time and well may she ought.....starts wtih triple lutz double loop....truple sal double loop halfloop double sal...flying camel... think Robin is being generous calling that a half loop....but that's jsut me....triple lutz with a lean and scratchy ladning...tense but there is hwo Robin call it...triple loop....flying sit....turns in steps....and steps sequence...where she just seems to be marking time for flip prep...and she hasto work hard not to put hand down, 2ax layback....and around we go....steps....spiral....catch foot back spiral....grabs the head and aroudn for triple toe....and into camel to sit layback to biellman to change camelt to biellman...and run along the ice...and she's done. And that my friends is surely the Olympic gold medal. She bobbled the flip, had to do almost an illusion spin to hold on to it, but she didn't put the hand down and she didnt fall. For me, I'd have Sarah ahead of the pair of them, and then it's a toss up between Irina and Michelle, but all Irina has to do is finish second.... that flip was scary but she fought for it!

marks.... we see Sarah and Robin backstage....holding hands....tightly! marks 5.7-5.9 (2 of 7 1 of 9 the rest 8) 5.6-5.9..she's second!

SARAH HUGHES IS THE OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST!

Irina gets the silver michelle is the bronze and I cannot belive this! i cannot believe this!

we see irina and she's in floods of tears...and I read what I wrote at the end of hers and you can tell that I didn't do that maths very hard on taht at all and I'm in shock and it's 4.44 and that was so worth staying up for! I didn't factor her in at all.....she has 3.0 and so did Irina and she won the free....I didn't even think, I didn't even think! oh my god! oh my GOD!

Question - will I get any sleep tonight?

and we see Sarah and RObin and she literally, the pair of them literally ended up on their knees!

Better question - do I care if I get any sleep tonight? Big long art class tomorrow. The whole afternoon. Can I bring them down for PE in the morning? Anything to save me teaching.....oh my god....

Right podium! I've come this far I'm staying the course! To heck with sleep! To heck with exhaustion! The crowd has stayed....is that really a surprise I ask myself? wow wow wow.....there's Michelle,,,and you cna see that she's in tears but she's smiling and that is so so classy....you just know that she's dying, but she's hardly letting it show....and I feel for her so badly right now. there's irina, tears gone and she's beaming now too...and again, so classy. and jus tlisten to this! wow wow wow....and we see poor Michelle and I've never felt this up and down at a medal ceremony before! Cinquanta and Juan Antonio Samaranch to present....waaves from Michelle....and there it is, the gold to Sarah! wow!

and now the Star Spangled Banner.

And now to bed