This is a live New Year's Gala from Germany, broadcast live on Eurosport.
I've no idea who's going to be there, what they're going to skate to, so if
you want to delete this now, you can feel free, I won't be offended! (Hey,
it was this or Popstars, I've got some pride you know!) It's Chris in the
commentary box as we see nice pictures of Oberstdorf, which we're told is a
party town tonight,at -7 outside. It's called the Stars on Ice Gala, and I
try not to conjure up images of Scotty and co, as Daniel Weiss, our
announcer, announces some people onto the ice, a Russian pairs team with
names I don't get, Anna Rechnio, oh the joy, Drobiazko and Vanagas, whoopee!
Mandy and Ingo! Whoopee again! Evgeny Platov and Maia Usova, yum....Alexei
Urmanov....Surya Bonaly does a backflip....hair looks so much more natural
now that I've ever seen it....we're promised Stefan Lindemann and Laurent
Tobel also.

Steinel & Svetkov
Young pair, training with Scotnicky....German dancers Chris tells us,,
skating to Grease. Her skirt is yellow with cow spots, a pink top and black
leather jacket. And it is as unflattering as it sounds...he's in jeans white
t shirt and black waistcoat....terrible version of you're the one that I
want....slow into hopelessly devoted...with a brual edit.....lift sequence
into twizzles that need serious work...dance spin, ditto....into greased
lightning and I stop typing to do the hand movements....speed is a
problem....footwork not too great either, as I remind myself that they're a
young team....always be together plays....somersault ending, and can I say
once more how awful sounding those versions were? And Chris tells me again
that they're German juniors, and I remind myself of that once more. They've
been in the JGP final the last two years, won bronze twice. Stars of the
future. This was their free dance.

Andrea Diewald
Runner up in German nationals, 20, skating to Exotica in a black dress with
gold thingy going diagonally around the frount....triple lutz to open with,
and she does the sylvia fontana high leg wrap thing....triple toe from
footwork into flying camel spin.....which goes on for ages...and I can
confirm that the gold thingy on her dress is a snake....spirals...steps to
double axel with a little scratchy lanfing.....layback spin.....straight
line step....she likes her spreadeagles she does...combo spin to finish....I
imagine this was her short program and Chris confirms this. She will be at
Europeans....her first time there.

Leonova and Khvalko
Wind of Change...love this song...and she's cut her hair and gone all
blondey. steps for a start, with a nice spiral from her...nice lift where
she's in front of him...both in black by the way...lwvely low death
spiral....forward inside....huge throw double axel...she could've fit
another in there, and they goo into a headbanger where she's in the splits
and he's holding her skate...lift where she's standing straight up as he
holds onto her leg...into a headbanger where shes' again in the splits, but
in adifferent position....another one of those increidble lifts where she's
changing position all over the place, into platter lift, spin....crowd are
applauding....circular strps to end...and that was great! Far softer than
I've seen then in a long time, and more romantic looking, really loved it.
Amazing lifts Chris drools. Death defying stuff he tells us. We see a lift
in slo mo, the one that went into the platter spin, and it's unreal.

Andrei Vlaschenko
Skating to Ricky Martin, my life is just complete. Glitter shirt and black
torusers, and Chris promises me enjoyment. Chris you lie! He spins to start
and I recognise the music as She Bangs....make it stop...and it's in
Spanish, and there was pelvic thrusting there, I may go blind....double
axel....flying sit....and the shirt flies up to reveal much torso....dancing
on the spot...bit of moonwalking....exhorts the crowd to clap...more dancing
on the spot, you flirt you.....and he does the splits on the ice in a
slide....into triple toe from steps....footwork avec vamping into another
double jump....split jump that died halfway up and that was
better...butterfly....and another...into spin which travels....and we lose
the feed momentarily, it's still spinning when he comes back, and then he's
done. ANd CHris says he looks as if he might have enjoyed his christmas too
much. He was second in nationals, Lindemann the champion, people say that
Andrei should have won....he can't represent Germany in the Olympics, lack
of passport the problem there. He was originally Latvian I believe...or was
it Russia to Germany via Latvia? Something like that.

Drobiazko and Vanagas
And they will soothe me! Blue almost there top for her, black trousers.
Purple blouse with sequins for him and black trousers....a man warbles in a
language I don't know as they move beautifully around the ice ...he drapes
himself backwatds over her....lift, right on time with the music....and
spinny lift....she kneels on the ice, he comes to her and lifts her and they
twizzle around and go into spiral...besti squat from him and she's doing the
splits....ice slidage....ice kneelage with expressive arm waving....lift
where she's hanging on upside down around his ankles...spinny thing....more
steps...another lift and spin to end....and taht was lovely. Hard to
describe ice dance sometimes, as you can see, but I really liked that! Very
nice and romantic...Chris tells us that they beat the reigning world
champions at the GPF....their final season as amateurs and Chris hopes they
can do well. Since Chris has the same luck as me, I think they're screwed.
Excuse the language, but you know it's true!

Laruent! Yay!
Hang on to your hats says Chris! Yay! Pink Panther! Peeks head our through
curtains, and he's the detective, with hat and trenchcoat and all....mimes
picking up a clue, badly smellin....love the footwork! And the coat
goes....and the hat, and its' the blakc costume we remember....triple
flip...eh runs on the ice...mimes looking in the window...to all four
corners of the rink.....and he's getting very confused! pratfall to the
left.....dtraight down! moves to the music in the footwork...huge triple
lutz!....spin....and he's done! Love that routine! Wife is expecting a baby
Chris satys, and that he's not too happy about it - says he's too much of a
baby himself! Facial expressions make this routine, and I can't do it
justice here....just wonderful.

\Tischeler and Mytnik
Much red sequins on both, paired with black....spanish music....soulful
lifting and arm waving....she does a handstand, holding on to his boot and
goes into the splits....undignified much? Come out of that and around into a
lift where she is literally in the air, doing a handtand, that only thing
holding her up is his two arms and then she lets one of them go and still
holds up! Wow! Lift where she's standing on his hands, he lifts her ip
again, full extension....change hold...and flip out of that...wow....she
must trust him so much! And then another lift to end, where she's upside
down, shaped like an X, being held up by one of his hands....Chris is
speechless. yet strangely chatty. has never seen anything like it. Holiday
on Ice gave them the night off for this. 3months ago, she had their baby
daughter.

Anna Rechnio
Skating to Robbie Williams, she's the one. Oh joy. Oh rapture. Oh joy
unconfined. Pale aqua dress, with wingy thingys on the sleeves...ina
bauer....into layback....nicely done...brutal music cut....double
flip....untidy looking...into flying sit....back spiral with leg
bent....double axel....camel spin to sit to layback change to sit....will
she do the backflip a la Robbie? No, a double jump instead....into flying
camel to catch foot camel...to upright...and we get a close up on her face
in that , and htat's scary! And more steps and she's done. Meh. Chris raves
about her. I repeat. Meh.

Usova and Platov
Oh holy god. Matdor thing, comeplete with cape for him...and that's his paso
costume from 96....she's in a black dress with red flower....you wave that
cape Evgeny....toreador...you know, looking at him, I realise that crimson
velvet with gold lamay trim just doesn't suit everyone, and she wraps
herself in the red cape and then gets it draped all aroudn herself again.
And they spin, and it's what he's holding onto and she's' in the air...must
be strong stuff....music changes and ti's her turn to spin the cape, lets it
fo as he lies on the ice. I expect him to throw a tantrum but no,she just
drapes hersefl on him instead....somersault entry into a lift....and he gets
his cape back as they glide past....and then she gets it back again....and
it's all around them in the lift. Musci changes again....spinny lift....that
red sheet is very distracing....they play tug of war with it, when she jumps
on him, which many in her position would also do I hear, and again, he spins
her with the sheet trpapped around her knees...and she must die of fright
for she lies on the ice...Evgeny ,regretting not sharing the sheet with her
when he had the chance, drapes it tenderly over her, before lying on the
ice, his guilt too much to bear....and they end....am I reading too much
into the ending there do you think?? As Chris recounts the partner swap
saga, and tells us that these two live together in the states, but not
together he hastens to add. Her suitcase got lost, this dress belongs to Mrs
Tobel...Slyvia...

Alexei Urmanov
Black pleather...much sequins....macho pose to open...and then he moonwalks,
which kinda negates the macho...great speed ....into double axel....which
was huge....dancing on the spot....triple flip with a hand down....flying
sit....with arm waving....music is drummy and modern...and he vamps at
center ice, with hip wiggles....backcrossovers...triple toe....sit
spin....change sit....straight line step...this is doing nothing for
me....and when there's claps on the track ,you know you're in
trouble....fast spins, and he's done. IN summary and conclusion? Great
speed, espeically in spins. Content and artistry ? Did nothing for me. He's
coaching in St Petersburg now Chris tells us as he runs down the long list
of titles that the man has not won.

Wotzel and Steuer
Once Upon A December ,LOVE this song! And hello to the muffs on both of
them! Purple skirt for her trousers for him...cream tops...spin to
start....into a pair spins wher she wraps arms around him ,and who can blame
her really? She loses the muff as does her....star lift to upright
one....huge throw 2ax...lift and jump...and another...graet unison in the
steps....backwards lift where he spins like crazy....s/s spins...camel... to
sit...lost it on the timing on the change but got it back great....b/o death
spiral to finish....lift to end.....and they're done...how much do I love
these two? How much do I lvoe this song? He's coaching now, opened a pub
linked with a laundry room....Chris opines the death of German pairs
skating...

Surya Bonaly
Skating to Monserrat Caballe....greeny dress with flowers....March with
me....and her hair is loose! I've neve rseen her hair loose before! Wow!
Spiral to start....wow, she's looking great...can't get over the
hair!...double loop....I think, couldn't see her feet, damn camera
operators....double axel out of nowhere...skates around a little...triple
toe....more skating around into camel spin to cahgne camel...to chamge
camel...to variation, cahnge sit, to shotgun...which no one should ever do,
but that's me....backflip where she puts a hand down....back spiral with
nice extenstion, held well...flying sit...to y spin....crwod clap...she does
steps up the ice....stars to flying sit and to scratch spin and she's done.
Crowd loved it. For me, she's much less jerky than she used to me, much
better flow, but there wasn't a lot between the elements....lots of forward
skating and back crossovers, but not much in the way of footwork. Lots of
arm waving though. She presented herself well...and I did like it better
than lots of her stuff, but like I say, not great on the incidentals.

That's the end of the first half.

I spend the intermission trying to work out why Yahell has bounced me out of
some of my groups

Stefan Lindemanm....
IN brown velvet...cream shirty thing...much chest....drums begin to
blare...steps to triple lutz out of nowhere! into triple flip with hand
down.....nice footwork in time with the music....double axel....straight
line step....nicely done....flyinf sit...lose the feed for a moment....back
again, and we're into steps, circular pattern....triple toe...sit change sit
to really bad shotgun....and that's him done. Hes 21 now Chris tells us, has
had to fight his way back and aren't we glad that he did? Chris recounts the
tale of him being carried off the ice at nations cup last year after
damaging his knee. And he's back out for an encore....has to be 8th or
highter at Euros to go to Olympics....that's the German olympic council and
their requirements...I remember Kati and Rene in 98....ah Rene....let us
pause for a moment and miss him. We'll be doing that a lot this season.

Tischler and Mytnik
And he's dressed as a lion. Seriously. Mask and beardy and little tail and
all. She's in a tiget stiped dres...jungle book...somersautl from her....and
more amazing lifts....handstand lift to drop....I don't know if this is cute
or just plain weird....lots and lots of weird and wonderful lifts...rolling
on the ice...does she weight anything? Or have any bones at all?? The crowd
get clapping....she jumps and he helps her somersault over his
head...dacning on the spot...mock fighting....these lifts must be just seen
to be believed....and for the finale, she stand on his shoudlers, and does a
backwards dive off them, and he catches her. Words quite simply fail me.

Anna Rechnio
Black hat on center ice. Michael Jackson's hat, and she's borrowed Alexei's
shirt....white gloves...loud bangy music....triple toe., short and badly
landed....she moonwalks to Billy Jean....double axel, landing a little
wild....nice sit....move aroudn the ice...nice spread eagle....camel spin
change camel...catch foot....out of that, into scratch spin, music changes
as she comes out of that, sliding on the ice, ending crouched there...and
oh,she's ended. That was short. Hat goes on her head as she takes a bow.

Andrejs Vlaschenko
Short program from him....brown blouse with deep v neck...double axel to
start...steps triple flip...flying sit...which was big....piano music which
I know I know....steps....circular pattern, which is nicely done as the
crowd take the hint and clap along....triple toe....sit spin change
sit...you count those rotations baby....vamping on the ice...kicks and more
kicks.....spins and twizzles....camel spin to sit to layback change
sit....and he's done. And that was inoffensive to say the most. Born in E
Germany, back to Soviet Union, grew up in Latvia...,moved to Germany in
94...which answers my earlier nationality questions.

Drobiazko and Vanagas.
And the sea program from them. Nice aqua dress for her, aqua shirt and black
trousers fro him. Fate of Ariadne Chris tells me....nice lift with which to
start...these two have such nice flow across the ice, they make it look
easy. Anotehr pair of lifts.....kneeling on ice from Rita as he skate around
her, lifting her...more carry lifts around the ice...and the transitions
between their lifts are seamless...dance spin with legs intertwined...away
from each other...and back again...liftw here hse's on his haunches, she's
on top of him and he lies back on the ice and they slide...lovely....and a
lifty psin to end. That were lovely that were! out for the encore as Chris
once more wishes them well...lift where he carries her in splits, then move
to upside odwn and diagonal postion....he slides backwards on the ice, she's
in the splits....and a spin kind of like a headbanger, but more delicate.
And like I said, seamless.

Laurent TObel
Doing carmen on ice. A la Katarina....and he comes out in the skate covers!
Dress, for it is a dress, is red...there is red fluff on the collar, and
around the rose in his hair.....it's Katariana's opening pose! you know the
famous picture! red fluffy fans in his hand....bad skating atround the
ice....little jump...and another...and he flings up his hands and loses the
fans....hip wiggleing....and hand waving....spin....which makes him
dizzy....fix the hair...pose...anda gain....and once more...and waht's one
more....around the ice we go....perfect triple flip, big smile....wave the
arms....spiral...and fall....baby flying spin, oh so slow, stop and
pose...and vamp once more to the music.....pick up the fan, fan yourself as
the audience clap to toreador.....he dusts the camera with teh fan!!! gets
the crowd to clap as he speeds up...triple lutz! adn there are bobbles on
his skates! split jumps to the booms in the music...spin....including not
quite there beillman, and he's dead on the ice at the end! Just brilliant
says Chris and what more can I say really? The mixture of comedy and jumps,
and he eggs the crowd on, milking it for all he's worth...that was
priceless! Out for the encore....does a weird thing that's a split jump with
a kick over and through, butterflies...slide son the ice on one
knee.....twizzles to finish....now I know why Daniel Weiss was rattling on
about Katarina in the intro....

Leonova and Khavalko
Purple floaty things...Luna is the music....nice jump lift into his arms to
start with....great speed on the ice....lfip over into lift...amazing, she's
in a wishbone position, he's on his haunches....around the ice they go....he
drags her in a spread eagle....death spiral nice and low....s/s
steps...great unison....lift where she's straight up in the air....and he
carries her....spins pairs spin....lifty things....more steps around the
ice....throw double axel...huge again....more steps....and another straight
up lift...she chagnes to biellman positions, to splits on her side and he
spins her....andthey're done......dramatic stuff says Chris....she was
junior world champion in 85 and 86 you know....

Surya Bonaly
IN reddy pinky purply bubbly dress....posing to start as the accordian
plays....layback....nicer than I remember....the trumpet begins to
play...double axel out of nowhere....I know this music too nad I can't place
it....double toe, got that one all wrong....malevocal starts up as she does
flying sit to Y spin....big smile to the crows as she flies aroudn the
ice....doulbe toe...and again with the lack of footwork ....single axel out
of nowhere....back crossovers...bck spiral....triple toe with hand
down....combo spin with change of foot....including shotgun spin, see
earlier comments.....slow turns on the ice, little hoppy steps....more not
footwork....backflip again iwth the hand down.....back to center ice where
she ends with flying spin. She still has sparkle says Chris. Guess you need
to be there.

Usova and Platov
White blouse for him, lilac dress for her. Moonlight Sonata....is it wrong
for me to say taht all these years later , I still see G&G on the ice when i
hear this music? nice lift wehre she's upside down....and into another
slidey lift....move where he's squatting and lying back....and he's fond of
the squat position because there it iss again....upsidedown lift....speedy
up part onw...running around and away from one another....he practices his
twizzles....he lifts her....she ends up sitting in ihs arms for a
second...she slides on the ice...he picks up a boot and spins her
around....and flip up lift where she ends up hanging onto his back....and
spins....and they kneel on the ice and they're done...and it strikes me that
I'm sure that dress belongs to Rita Drobiazko, I'm sure I've seen it on
her...and they weren't done before but they are now....and Chris raves about
it....

Alexei Urmanov
Prince of Egypt...black cloak to begin...why do I know it wont' stay on? But
can I just wish? Please? and there goes the hood as he does a little
hydroblading this....eeeek!...no!!!and the cloak goes and there is much
illusion fabric! much ! double axel....triple flip as the music asks deliver
us to the promised land...deliver me to the end of hte progrma....hush now
my baby says the music...it verily speaks to me as he does a very nice and
fast sit spin into combination...slide on the ice in a half split...put some
clothes on man! triple toe....long lead up into it, talk about telegraphing
your jumps....triple toe again.....and he lies on the ice....si he dead yet?
Soulful closeup and we see more of his chest than I ever watned to
see....steps along the ice....he mimes lifting something, raises his hands
to heaven and I know the feeling...fast music, fast steps....vamp to the
audience and close your mouth! flying sit...to upright...and he's done. Very
expressive says Chris. Could he not have been expressive with more clothes?
Just a thought.

Wotzel and Steuer
A Wink and A Smile...and he's all in black and he could wink and smile at me
any time....and she's left him all alone...I'll keep you company
babe.....flying sit to start....and here she is...nice aqua marine
dress....lift to start her off....and they link arms and step along the
ice....and why not? nice and lighthearted this....banana lift with one
arm.....dance on the spot on center ice.....and right in time with the
music....pair spin...change position and one more....ending iwth her istting
on his shoulder....and walk along the ice once more....throw azel, she
opened up in midair...big pop....star lift....he slides her under his legs,
change direction, do it again, lift up and drop her down behind him and
they're done. Loved it. Loved it, loved him, loved them. And they're the
final two.

Except for we're promised a grand finale as Chris plugs the Europeans in
Lausanne...he and NIcky will be there...and the Winter Olympics from Salt
Lake city, Eurosport have 24 hours live coverage....making Feb the month
that sleep forgot for me, but htere you go....

M People is the finale music...Anna Rechnio is first out...the the pair with
the amazing lifts....the Laurent....Leonova andKhavalko....Rita and
Povilas...all are in gold dresses, and gold tops and black trousers for the
men...Mandy and Ingo in a really fast costume change, and his top is
black...guess he didn't have time to change to a gold tshirt....Maia and
Evgeny....and gold tops don't suit a lot of the men, so maybe Ingo was
clever....Alexei....Surya....and they all join her at center ice....and do a
little line dnacing.....into a line the length of center ice...and they take
their bows....

Chris wishes everyone a happy new year, and I echo that - Happy New Year
everyone!