Marcus Leminen
We've missed everyone so far, but this a nice one to start with! He's 5th to
go, so we've missed Ben....oh well! Same free as last year....clean on the
lutz, and he nailed it! yum......triple axel double toe......flying
sit.....triple loop....and after last night I'm celebrating nothing until
the end!.......ben is leading......and he pops the toe to a double and does
another doulbe. and he only hangs onto the flip...way off axis...sit change
sit with excess mileage. but he stops on the music, and now into the slow
part......ben landed one triple axel simon says.......and Marcus is down on
his second.....spiral.....triple toe, just hangs on to it.....way on the
toepick.....double lutz.....camel spin.....straight line step......doubles
the sal.....sit spin....upright spin to finish.....and he's done and that is
a fine view......a program of two halves, and Chris tends to think that the
atmosphere in the arena is very dry...it's very warm, he and Simon are both
sat there in shirt sleeves. and skaters are saying that it's very
warm....tough to get through the program....and he's gone blonde too.
although not in a yags way...
Marks....4.3-4.5..3rd on night, 2nd overall....4.3-4.8
Ferreira leads, Meier is third.....

And now....Michael Tyllesen
His last performance in amateur competition....I refuse to apologise for
anything I might say or do in the next four minutes......The Right
Stuff......perfect 3ax!!! spot on and the flow! douible footed on the lutz
and down....he ran out of room nearly.....camel spin very nice......and
doubles the flip and falls out of it come on Michael.....triple toe double
toe that's more like it....spins......and the slow
part.....spreadeagle......oh this is lovely.....yes perfect 3a 2t!!! flying
sit.....oh I am happy right now.....when did he last land two in a
program....hand down on the triple loop, spoke too soon! 3sal
clean......triple toe! number 5, I trust you simon! steps,
steps,.....spin...camel to sit change sit......upright and he's
done......and I could just cry! The thing about this man is that, even with
the mistakes, it's not about the jumps. It's never about the jumps. The
choreography, the steps, the emotion....and that axel was a beauty.....he
took the theme of the painter and kept it going right the way through the
program....so much to admire here....and that's the way to go out!
Marks...I'd give him 6s for that smile! 4.3-4.9....he's not gonna take the
lead......ben is the best thus far....4.7-5.3...canada had him first....he's
second.


Ferreira
Tyllesen
Leminen
Meier
Rylov
Kostin

Dmitry Dmitrenko
Black velvet jacket, green waistcoat, white shirt, black trousers...Scent of
a Woman.....nails the triple axel triple toe! and he was moving slowly into
that! He nailed it! and he's down on the quad! Short on rotation....never
had a chance......nice camel spin....triple lutz double footed....triple
flip...Simon says it was ok, I have my doubts....nice combo
spin.....steps....steps out of the axel....doubles the sal....and here's the
tango.....nice....triple loop....half layback/biellman
thingy.....spreadeagle which is really nice!,,,,spiral step
sequence.....triple sal half loop double sal.....spin...sit........and he's
done, right in front of the judges.....Simon says it was the best he's had
all week, although that wouldn't be hard! that flip was ok...free leg was
slow but stayed off....
Marks...4,6-5,2......4.9-5.3...canada had him third.....
he leads

Ivan Dinev
Nice shiny trousers that will have him sliding if he falls.....black top
with white piping, and if I knew what language the music was I'd attempt to
type it....steps to start, to funky drum music.....and he singles his axel
in the opening combination.....and he's down on the quad....didn't get the
height on it.....camel spin...to sit...change foot, camel to sit....turns
off the end of the lutz.....triple axel and that took guts! triple
loop....he's coming back to himself....ina
bauer.....spiral....spreadeagle....flying sit......mimes playing
drums....posey choreography....steps....double flip.....more steps....triple
sal and he turns out of it...double something.....sit spin which travels all
over, into change sit ditto...and he's done....oh dear me....Simon says two
triples clean...axel and loop....he had 7 triples last year....what
happened? oh dear me....Simon says he might want it too badly, Chris says
expectations may have gotten to him....
Marks....4,3-4,7......eep....4.2-4.9.....he's second overall.....4th on the
night.

Vlaschenko
Still has the blue and silver jackety-shirty thingumy on....still showing
way too much of his chest.....that shirt needs taking in....triple axel
double toe.....doubles the sal after simon says it could have been a
quad....triple flip and he was leaning all over and doublefooted
it.....triple lutz was good.....flying sit...took a little while to center
it....steps....still more steps.....spiral....single axel.....oh
dear....triple loop.....camel spin to
upright.....steps.....layback....double sal triple toe, but latter was
double footed....music goes all oomph-y and he goes into overdrive on the
steps.....throws in a sal.....blinding fast sit change sit and butterfly to
finish.....he looks pooped!! Fair play to him throwing the sal! It's been
one of those weeks for him, you just get that feeling.....Chris questions
the choice of music Simon calls it dull. I say amen to that!....
Marks...and this is not the happy camper
corner.......4.7-5.1.....4.4-5.2...he's second, canada and hungary have him
first, and I don't understand that at all!

Vitaly Danilchenko
Black trousers and overblouse, red top underneath.....he was falling all
over in warmup...Mask of Zorro.....triple toe....room for an extra
rotation....could've been...he has been doing quads in practice....triple
axel double toe.....flying camel.....triple lutz...took ages to set it
up...sit spin change sit.....steps....triple axel!....clean as a
whistle.....triple loop.....triple flip...he's cooking now......straight
line step.....with plenty of attack, he's simply flying!....triple
sal....camel to sit which travels, change camel, even more travel, more
positions and he is done. 7 triples simon says, and he left out the last
one...simon anoints him top ten...kiss of death!<g> that was great....left
out the quad, sensible, having seen everyone else go splatty on
it........looked so confident, and focussed....and he looks happy!
Marks....5.1-5.4.....5.0-5.6...row of ones!!

Roman Skorniakov
A smile from Tatiana sends him on his way.....brown trousers, white blousy
sleeves, brown and gold waistcoat....First Knight.....triple axel triple toe
and that was mammoth! triple flip....down on th second axel....hands down
on the lutz....steps into a cmael to sit to half biellman to sit, crossfoot
halflayback type of thing....spreadeagle which is beautifully done and
held.....steps....steps out of the loop, just overrotated it a
little....flying camel...to upright.....triple flip....flying sit.....3sal
way off beam but got it...another triple which I missed, steps....scratch
spin to finish....and he is gulping in the air! Roman is also showing a
little chest....which is not a bad thing....no sir!....
no Tatiana in kiss and cry....marks....4.7-5.1 / 4th on the
night.....4.6-5.0 and he's fourth overall

Takeshi Honda
Can you believe that this kid is in the second group?? Nice black ensemble
with red trim.....Rising Sun is the music.....he looks calm.....triple axel
triple toe....just held onto the toe.....marcus is in front of chris and he
nearly leapt out of his seat...and he lands the quad, despite being at the
oddest angle in the air! double footed the triple sal...does he train a
quad? because I'm not sure! Nice spins.....steps.....crossovers.....into
HUGE triple lutz......slow part of the music...and overall this is really
good...he's come on in his artistry so much.....tripleaxel on its
own.....camel to change camel to sit to Rudy spin...travel on the sits
though.....big time!....triple loop and it was effortless! Now the music
picks up....as he does footwork down the rink...nicely timed I might
add....triple flip...seven triples says Simon and you should see the smile
on this boys' face ...ina bauer into spreadeagle sequence
beautiful....combination spins.....and THAT is how Takeshi Honda can skate!
And he is doubled over on the ice....he taps the side of his head....oh well
done Takeshi! That's the REAL Honda out there...and I'm gonna use a
Chris-ism here and say that Honda looked like a Rolls Royce!
(sorry...couldn't resist),,,such ashame about his nerves!
Marks....he got a Pikachu!! 5.4-5.6....5.1-5.8....first on the night but
second overall....


Danilchenko Honda Dmitrenko Vlaschenko Skorniakov Dinev Ferreira Tyllesen
Leminen...that's one to nine

Ice resurface

Michael is in the box with Simon! Whee! He says he's satisfied...talking
about the axel....really easy for him when he does it, but doesn't get a
chance to practice it....talks about lack of spare time balancing skating
with job as desktop publisher......what will you miss about skating
most....I love to be at international competitions, to skate with all these
great skaters, and the atmosphere....he talks about the skaters coming up in
the next group...Anthony Liu...best quad in the short...Goebel....quad sal
looks really easy.....Restencourt....and they take the ice for a 6minute
warm up....the rink....Michael didn't find it too hot....liked the
atmosphere of the crowd...nice audience.....what does MIchael think will
happen.....he thinks it's between the two Russians....and that Yags will do
it again! Simon thanks him for all the joy over the years and for coming up
and talking to them...

News on Dmitry Palamarchuk.....went to hospital, stayed in overnight,,,he's
been discharged and is back at the team hotel.

Anthony Liu
Aladdin.....white shirt, black trousers, simple and elegant, bless
him.....in 7th place.....hands down on the quad....too much height...calm
down boy....steps out of the triple axel and I am never supporting another
skater again.....that's more like it! 3lz 3t...free leg just down on the toe
on the way out but he had it! Steps.....into back spiral....huge triple
flip....forward camel to sitchange camel to sit.....upright.....stop....into
slow part....triple loop......flying camel.....to upright....3sal and he
spent a lot of time winding that up.....spin....3lz on it's own....straight
line step sequence.....triple toe.....flying sit......and that's it. and he
winces! seven triples says simon, right after "if only"
Marks4.9-5.5....4.8-5.5 canada has him first...he's first overall but third
on the night

there's elvis!!

Guo
Creamy shirt/blouse with ruffles down the middle. Black
trousers....ok....music is....familiar....triple axel triple toe...speed was
amazing....and he almost put a hand down on the quad, but it was
clean....busy violins as he does the sit spin.....what is the musci?? lutz
clean.....steps......camel to sit change sit....steps.......triple flip on
the end of step...sit spin.....triple loop, a smidge over-rotated......and
the music picks up....nope can't place it.....although maybe if he'd use
it...spiral....and just when the music wsa coming to a natural end, he picks
it up agian does a sal, nearly comes a cropper on steps, and winds up a
scratch spin to finish.
Marks...5.3-5.6 / 5.1-5.5...1st overall but second on the night.

there's elvis again talking to Katarina Witt

Stefan Lindemann
"my new middle name is Glitterball"...Rudy sdtk.....glittery bluegreen
shirt.....huge triple axel, almost a hand down but puts the toe on the end
of it! good boy! and he pops the lutz like Tonya in Lillehamar and I'll shut
up now....crowd claps....as he does steps.....into a sit spinchange sit
spin.....look at those red cheeks, isn't he lovely! bless him! ok more
footwork....tripleaxel on it's own! triple loop.... I like this......camel
spin to y spin to chame to sit to Rudy spin.....and he stops and the music
bounces up...and the crowd clap....triple flip doulbe footed but no mistakes
on the toe......pops the sal to a single......spreadeagle, well held.....sit
spin.....circular step.....gets a nod from coach as he goes by....flying
camel....and he's done...what a sweet young thing says Simon....go on Simon
you read my mind! What a little cutie! Really nice routine, aside from the
botched jumps...I believe he spotted all wrong on the flip, to which I'll
bow to Chris's considerable technical expertise....
Marks... and he smacks the head when he finished!!! 5.0-5.4...judges didn't
like it....4th on the night 5th overall....5.0-5.3 can you say whistles
fromthe crowd

And there's Michael Weiss backstage and Prince Albert again...but not
together.....if you know what I mean

Timmy Goebel
Seven Years In Tibet...y'know I've never seen this? Spiral into triple
flip...oh the Paul Wylies of it all......singles the triple axel....that's
not good.....4sal3toe!!!! woohoo!! steps, steps,flowy moves to the
music.....crossovers...quad toe loop although he did indeed as Simon says
wander into it...could he be more obvious?? just wondering! triple axel
with a step out....think he did another jump while I was typing...spin
combination which shows up the shoulder position or lack thereof....straight
line step.....as the drums beat....and he's smack on the lutz lands the loop
his third triple....vlying sit which travesl like nothing on earth, another
sit spin, good lord those shoulders! spreadeagle, very nice, from outside
to inside ....ydroblading...into another jump which I didn't get....sit
change ist......upright spin.....and that's Timmy done and he's happy it
would seem. Simon refers to the muscle injury.....4 triples 2 quads.....no
triple axel....mistake on the lutz.....no lift on that lutz....they question
the choreography....could've been much better....nothing was linked Chris
says....simon calls it jump wander jump wander...
Marks....5.2-5.7...that is not a bouncy boy...third on the free second
overall....5.0-5.5...canada has him first....I don't know what the canadian
judges are on, but it must be good!

Restencourt
More Mask of Zorro as the French crowd go crazy....quad! and he punches the
air in delight! camel spin, very nice position....there's Chris Dean in the
BBC commentary box.....with Robin Cousins.....triple axel triple
toe....little hoppy on the spot steps...as he goes into his straight lin
estep....and the crowd clap...not bad step....crossovers as he builds speed
for the flip which he doubles.....spins.....more posey little steps and he
claps his hand in a subtle hint to the crowd.....not that they need it!
tripleaxel which he doubles.....lutz but the free foot might just have
scraped through, he was way forwards.....the girlies scream...whatever
you're into....spiral....steps....I'm so sick ofthis music....and he throws
in a triple axel and just scraped the free foot on the landing...combo
spin.....crowd clap into the steps....triple loop.....triple sal, and he
threw that in...sit spin...and he's done and he is thrilled! Punching the
air all over the place, and Prince A;bert smiles and claps...not bad! Not
bad at all!
Marks....and the boos go up! 5.2-5.6 not bad for what he did, the triples at
the end help....5.-1.5.6....he's second o nthe night and overall

Stannick Jeannette
Now this fella is so good with the choreography....nice cream shirt and
black trousers.....he has such flow on the ice, you can see it from the get
go. huge triple axel triple toe and that was a beauty....crossovers....into
a triple flip....spin combo with travel in the changes but unusual
positions...the music gets more drum beat heavy and the crowd clap and he
goes smack onthe lutz....flying camel into sideways spin which we lose the
angle of since Eursport went to the top...Lucinda spin...how did he get into
that! And how does he get out more to the point! Lovely lovely step
sequence here.....spiralish.....just the flow and the smoothness is
great....and he doubles out of the axel....he needs this next triple and he
nails it! the loop.....the sal......the toe. one after the other...into a
sit change sit ....good boy good boy good boy! Crowd get into it agian as he
does a straight line step, complete with a flying hoppy thing, and splits
across the ice, and he's done.....and I'm tired just looking at him! Good
grief!
Marks..I can hear the names for the warmup....I can feel the blood pressure
go up already....5.0-5.4....eepp.....5.2-5.7
He leads overall but didn't win the free.

OK...going to look for the Rescue Remedy now...and smelling salts......etc

Mens final group…..

Aka Heart attack city. Valium Valley. Shake like a leaf street. Bouncing
Boulevard.

Do you get the idea here???

It is a measure of my respect for you all that the only thing that is
keeping me in my seat right at this moment is the thoughts that if I bail
out now and turn off the tv and computer that (a) I will hate myself and
(b) god knows what kind of virus filled emails you might send to me in
revenge.

Oh god.

Take me now.

Scotty beam me up.

They're coming off the ice.

Going into overdrive here...the lads have tipped Elvis for bronze.

Here we go.

Elvis
The Mummy....deep breath out...and that's just me.....oh my heart is
pounding!...he stands in the opening pose.....and now he moves...quad is
first....oh god oh god..and he's down onthe quad....ok I'm fine I'm
fine....nice spin....stillok, still fine....triple axel double toe loop and
that was a low landing on the axel....sit spin as Simon writes him
off......and I shake from head to toe...and he does the head rolling
thing.....and crossovers.....and I'm never doing this agian and I mean it
thhistime....c;lean on the lutz and he nearly ran out of room there! nice
twizzles.....hard word to type whrn you're this nervous with the zzzs and
all......oh the artistry of this....just great.....triple axel triple toe
loop and that took guts and what a man he is say chris! Proposed and
seconded here! More ssteps.....triple flip triple toe....hydroblading
move.....right on with the music....triple loop....I could just cry....combo
spin and that ladies and gents is a sit spin position! music steps it
up....and he looks tired to me!....triple sal....8th triple says
Simon....glad he can count! And there's a smile......he takes a bow Simon
says he's not the man he was....all together now SHUT UP SIMON!!!!!!! OK,
breathe now.....skate landed sideways on the quad.....ok can I go now??
Marks....breathe...5.5-5.7......he's in the lead.....5.3-5.8 (AUS & JPN in
second, all first otherwise)

Right. I'm fine. I'm stopped shaking. Honest.

Chengjiang Li
Riverdance...sky blue top not a good colour on him...showing a bit of
chest...why do those with not so good chests feel the need to flaunt it? Why
can't the lookers show it off?? Quad toe, steps off the triple toe at the
end of it....triple axel triple toe and there was no mistaking that....camel
spin....as the theme comes on, he waits for like twenty seconds before
starting to try to step dance....good grief can you spell skating through
the music...oh look, just did!....;lutz horribly doublefooted even if simon
didn't see it...sit spin not as good as Elvis and it travelled.....slow
part.....combo spin.....also moving....smack bang wallop as he landes the
triple axel on his hip...triple loop ....and the music goes into the
Riverdance theme....and he doubles the sal....use the music man that's what
it's there for!! Michael Flatley would spin in his grave...if he were
dead.........spin to finish.....can I take this time to bewail the lack of
artistry and the total skating through the music of the thing, and point out
that Irish step music is so hard to skate to, and then might I just cut and
paste the body of this to apply it to Alexander Abt,because it's the same
song same verse? No? OK then. Simon talks about a russia one two
three....all together now...SHUT UP SIMON!!!
Marks ....5.2-5.7 he's not above Elvis thank you Simon...better on tech, not
on artistry...I should say not....5.1-5.5....three have him in 7th! Not
canada though,,,they say second.

Alexander Abt
And he had moved back to the Michael Flatley wannabe costume....too much
chest!! Way way way too much. Lord of the Dance. Shiny trousers. God forgive
me my thoughts....double footed the quad toe...which simon didn't catch, but
I swear ,he did....triple axel double toe and that toe was iffy in the
extreme...I swear God I'll go to confession
tomorrow...honest.....steps....nice flow I must admit....and he falls on the
triple axel...camel spin to sit change camel and the travel could send him
back to Russia.....doubles the lutz,,,.....camel spin.....and the travel
sends him back to Nice.....now into Riverdance...as he tries to step dance
Simon calls the step sequence majestic..compared to who I want to
know????...triple loop....combo spin.....straight line step.....or waht
looked to be the beginnings of one but wasn't ......triple flip double
footed.....triple sal.....flying sit and he's finished. Salvage job at the
end....I'm boiling right about now! He does, he has so much potential but
this routine just does nothing for him. Nothing! Hopefully we'll get to see
the quad again.....and it was double footed.....I was right!
marks...reminding self to breathe once more...4.7-5.5...the Ozzie hated it!
So did the Brit! 4.8-5.6 ...2nd down to 13th! third overall.

Jeanine reminds herself that she must do a month in confession.

Michael "I am a Glitterball" Weiss
He's taking his time....as well he might....I'm remembering Helsinki...not
much changes in a year does it gang?? quad..and he steps off
it.......ok....spiral...two months of confession beckons for me....triple
axel double toe....that was to have been a 3/3, as with a 4/3.......camel
spin...nice position....to upright same thing....triple flip triple toe he
needed that.......look at the choreography says Simon ,,,,,spin......and
here come my shakes back....crowd clap along to the music and he's selling
it.. and he puts a hand down o nthe triple axel ....flying sit.....steps,
steps.....triple loop....lovely.....triple sal...a little off axis but it
counts.....steps again to the music....clean on the lutz....camel
spin......to sit.....to upright.....that's it! OK....Simon says it was
better than Elvis....Elvis has 8 triples, Michael had 6....he's splitting
the marks and on the fence, as is Chris and I'm right there beside
them,....although they lean to Michael.
You all know where I am.
(Aside from on my knees praying of course)
Severe case of the shakes.
Here we go.
Marks...breathe....in out...in out...heart stop pounding! 5.5-5.6.....better
than Elvis....secondmark not as good...simon says 5.6-5.8
SCREAM SCREAM SCXREAM SCREAM SCREAM
HES SECOND SECOND

I can't type. I can't...I'm shaking too much.....

I've let out a couple of screams I'm calm

I'm lying through my teeth

OK

Yags... Tosca....
Stop shaking!!!! 4toe triple toe, with a turn out of the toe...the second
one I mean....oh sweet mother of god.....second quad! and nora must be just
in tears.....he's piling on the pressure....hand almost down on the axel,
didn't put the toe on.....steps steps....triple flip.....triple axel, turn
too close to the boards, tried to do a single toe...will it count...missed
what triple that was...thought, you are not my friend this night! triple sal
fought with it...sit spin....combo spin....choreography recylced from last
year...spreadeagle......and he falls onthe lutz!....split jump...combo
spin......he's finished. And that is not the happy bunny. Simon says his
brain is whirring....2 quads....5 triples PLushy is the likely winner thinks
Simon and I am shaking from head to foot....this is too much!!!. Oh god I
wish I was there! Of course if I were I'd be a weeping puddle of mush...or
propping up the bar. Either way.....we've just seen Tatiana from the
fall,....very funny!
Marks....5.4 from britain, the rest 57s and 5.8s....5.7-5.9....comfortably
in first, with an open door.

Plushy
Still calm.
Still lying.
Crowd clap from the off......and he doubles his quad....the drama just keeps
on coming!!! Could you write this!!! goes for it again does the
triple...uphill all the way....triple axel...decided to leave the combo...he
was leaning too much on the landing....and he falls on another quad!!!!! Me
and Nora are in for the mother of all confessions.....I don't think three
hail marys will be penance for this one!! triple lutz.....mishin roared
something at him as he went past....oh to speak Russian! the crowd
holler......biellman spiral.....mishin roars again...isn't coaching from the
side banned??? triple flip......tripleaxel double toe, loop......triple
sal.....triple loop....you build up that technical mark!!! camel spin...to
sit...to biellman....to sit....that's it!
Ooooooh.....do the math on that one!
Yags has it.....he must.....the crazy just keeps on coming!! Silver and
bronze....where do they go??? Oh the horror of being a judge!
Second mark has a lot to play says Chris....he can't beat Yags....might beat
Stojko and Weiss.....they say...
Chris isn't handicapping the positions....that means trouble!
Marks....5.3-5.7....ohmy god.....Weiss has the bronze! 5,4-5,9!!

Yags gold Elvis silver Weiss bronzze!!!!
OH MY GOD!!! SILVER!!! SILVER !!! sILVER!!!!

Join me gang in the happy dance as I describe the podium to you. I will take
time out from the penance to end all penances to share my joy unconfined
with you.

Simon and Chris say that some are angry that Plushy is not on the
podium....Chris says that the program let him down...changed it three or
four times to get the elements in...and he wasn't skating to the music...and
Mishin was nearly over the boards at some points.....and we all thought it
was gone when Yags skated....we're just seeing Yags and Tatiana I presume
when the marks came up....no elation, just exhaustion.

Well....it wasn't Helsinki....but I'll take it! I just wish I was there!!!

There's Elvis hugging Yags....and they're coming up to the boards now...such
a great sportsman says Chris, as Elvis pats Yags on the shoulder.

Here's the presentation committee....Simon and Chris say they can't remember
an evening when the last group made so many mistkaes.....em Minneapolis
anyone??

Here's Yags! First man to hold the title three years in arow since
Kurt....and Elvis applauds.....as Alexei salutes the rink....

Here's Elvis....that is a smile! And he thanks the crowd....and look at the
joy on Canadian faces!! Good on you he says to Yags.

And now the Glitterball....oh I can be charitable! Michael Weiss! Thrilled
with it!

And Prince Albert and Ottavio Cinquanta come out to present the medals.

and they do.

amd the flowers...yags sniffs them.....

elvis points to someone in the crowd..

and the anthem....and the flags go up......

and spot the Michael Tyllesen in the crowd _ I win!!!!!

Going to bounce happily!