Huc & Rolland FRA
Huge roar for these two...I'm wondering if they staggered the draw for a
French pair to get the crowd going! She fell onthe double axel but they
landed a throw 3sal...pretty good and the crowd loved it. Music was Cool
Drivers by Larry Garner.

Zagorska and Siudek
I saw these two on warmup and I literally screamed. I cannot believe these
two were on so early AGAIN after being first up at Euros as well!
Incredible! But once again they didn't let it bother them, they were
perfect. Side by side toes and a throw triple sal...bit dodgy on the start
of the lift, but not bad. They were so happy...she was sititng on his knee
in kiss and cry which is very small by the way. Marks were low for skating
second....5.4-5.7/5.5-5.7

Bestandigova and Bestandig....Art of Noise (again!)....not to put too fine a
point on it, I couldn't get over her hair. Black roots, blond hair, red
ends. I kids you not. She doublefooted the toe and they doubled the throw
salchow

Shklover and Mintals EST - I like these, they have a lot of potential.
Gremlins Rag they call it. Huge split double twist.....she landed forwards,
short a half rotation on the triple toe, great throw triple sal, and a
fantastic lift with a flip out on dismount - death spiral could be lower.
Simon says that the routine was quite easy for them...marks 3.6-4.3/ 4.0-4.6

Pang and Tong - these two now are what Shen and Zhao were in Edmonton.
Although she is far too thin. Huge, huge, huge throw triple sal...it was
half the width of the rink, easily! She got it all wrong on the toe, but the
split double twist was incredible - highest of the night, no question, even
though it was early! They lost it a little on the s/s psins, which were
miles and miles apart. A tango theme, quite well done. 4.4-5.0/4.6-5.1

Berankova and Dlabola
Lawrence of Arabia and a routine they'll want to forget. Hand down on triple
toe, fall on 3 sal. Marks 4.3-4.7 / 4.8-5.2

Abitbol and Bernadis
Good grief, that's loud! El COnquistador by Rodriguez.....crowd clap....yes!
Spot on side by side 3toes, great synchronisation......huge 2twist.....throw
3loop!! and now it's sell and the crowd is buying! Fantastic lift....good
s/s spins bit dodgy at the end.....steps....death spiral, good low and fast
and you should hear the crowd! Oh yes! And he screamed when it was over! I
can't remember ever seeing them skate better! Could be problems with
lift...was he on one foot when he put her down? she was slow with the free
leg on the throw, but clean! Chris says second behind the Poles.....
Marks 5.5-5.7 / better tha nthe Poles..... 5.5-5.9 even thePolish has them
first by a mile....Canadian in second.

Schwartz and Muller
New World......split double twist to start.....clean triple toes.....throw
3sal.....a beauty!....nice lift, although didn't look as hard as some
others.....nice step sequence....death spiral well done.....pairs
spin.....excellent on the s/s spins.......and they are happy! This has been
a great pairs short! This was great, but for me lacked the oomph factor of
the french or the poles.....chris says it had everything, and he hopes it;s
second. Which as you all know is the kiss of death for any pair. There are
rumours these two might be splitting after this competition. They're showing
the s/s spins in slo-mo - WOW!
Marks 5.4-5.6 they're second, and I can't see the poles being happy 5.5-5.7
canada has the germans first and I think they might have some explaining to
do!

Sargeant and Wirtz
He looks great. Pink not her colour. Simon says they might quit after this
worlds?? Santana......she steps out of the toe.....nice split twist, love
her face! again good s/s spins, but I think he travelled a little.....easy
star lift with a twist out but a little ungainly on exit,....she held the
throw 3sal well.....pairs spin.....steps....and he falls on footwork! Oh no
no no no no! No! Caught the toe rake....nice death spiral....oh no...he
looks devastated! As am I! That's just horrible! She just couldn't stop the
rotation on the jump....on dear me.....and he still looks like falling on
the throw.... yup, just caught his toe.....
Marks....4.5-5.0 ouch! go up....5.1-5.4 they're in fourth.


Danko and Emilienenko BLR
The Rock SDTK....smile child, smile, have you ever seen such a dour woman???
and they both spin out of the side by side jumps. she under-rotated the sal,
he overdid it and had to put a turn at the end. If you put the two together,
you might get a perfect jump!!!...split 2twist, not great height....throw
3sal....star lift, straight up and down again....side by side spins...again
really well timed, the feature of the event thus far....as the bagpipes
play, they go step dancing.....death spiral....no oomph factor here, purely
skate by the numbers as they do a pairs spin...and they're done I think part
of the problem for this pair, as well as going in such a great group, is
that there is NO height differential between the two of them, they're
practically the same size. Which doesn't bode well for lifts etc
Marks..long wait!! 3.8-4.1 / 3.9-4.5
9th of 10

Obertas and Palamarchuk
I love these two! She has a lovely red velvet dress on...Orlando Cafe....he
looks great too.....and she steps out of the triple toe, she just could'n't
hold on...huge double twist....throw 3sal, and it was looooong......she did
well to hold it......and she has shot up this year! Lost the s/s spins a bit
at the end.....circular step.....nicely done....great extenstion from her on
the star lift......death spiral.....Sharpness not quite there...she doesn't
look too happy.....he has an injury to the ligament on this wrist....all
bandaged up
Marks..4.9-5.1 ...5.1-5.4 4th across the board, between the Poles and
Canadians

Shen and Zhao
D'y'know I haven't seen them since Helsinki?? Whatthebleep are they wearing?
Black with red flowers?? ooookay........deathspiral to begin,
unusual....perfect triples toes.....unison was great!.....HUGE double
twist...she could clean the lightbulbs when she 's up there...and the throw
triple loop clean as you liek, and the timing on steps is fantastic
too.....spsins.....timing great, but I may kill them for the sit
position.....star lift...pairs spin and they're done....round of applause!
Oh this was good.....
Marks 5.8s and 2 5.9s.....5.7-5.8..(2 5.7s)....leaders by a mile, but room
for Jamie and David

Totmianina and Marinin
Dear lord, please let them change their costumes. That much flesh coloured
net is not appealing. Pink Floyd and Peter Gabriel.....huge split
twist....and he just about held onto the toe....nice extension onthe star
lift...throw 3loop......all over the gaff on those spins, he lost an edge
going into the camel....really low death spiral....footwork could be
better....pairs spin and they finish behind the music. Not bad, but not
great either. Them spins will cost them. It wasn't like normal where he was
just behind, I'm talking half a rotation and more here. Mind you, I'd deduct
for the costumes!
Marks 5.1-5.4 / gonna be 5th....5.2-5.5 5th across the board!

Kautze and Jeschke
If he falls with those trousers, he'll slide half the rink! Godzilla...jumps
ok, but he took off half a rev before her.....split double twist, not the
highest ever....throw 3toe, with a very deep landing....perhaps a toe down?
Slow, slow slow lift.....steps, good timing, but not as difficult....slow
slow slow death spiral.....pairs spins...nice positions....s/s spins went
off on the change but got it back pretty good.....and pretty good all over!
Simon opines about the high standard and how it continues. Chris says that
it didn't have the polish, or the speed add I. Makes it tough for the judges
says Chris.
Marks...4.5-5.0 / 9th place! 4.6-5.1

Ice resurface Chinese in first, France second, Germans third, Poles
fourth....Sargeant and Wirtz in 7th

Zaharjeva and Salmanovs
Whose names have I butchered.....split twist to start, solid.....she singles
her 2ax....and she couldn't hold the throw 3sal....and all ove rthe place on
the spins, but they got it back.....hip lift very nice, and fast too!
straight line step, nice to look at but not hard....took ages getting into
the death spiral but it was low when she did! combo spins....and a funny odd
ending....they tried, but there wasn't much there.
Marks eeep! 3.4-4.1/3.9-4.4
15th so far

Kalturina and Artyuchov KAZ
What is that in her hair??? Time Forward is the music....dark pink and
black.....high split twist....what is withthe hair????.....clean
3sals....lovely lift....really good timing on the s/s spins....forward
inside death spiral ,so low and so fast! circular step......nice timing on
it too....oh! and he's down on footwork and she's fallen over
him,,,,momentum is gone and it;s taken them ages to get it back and they do
a throw 3sal which she touches down on but it could have been worse, oh lord
that fall looked bad. Canadians take heart! And they were doing so well,
hair notwithstanding.
Factoid - she used to skate with Andrei Krukov who is on two skaters later
with his new partner skating for his new country.
Side by side spins are great this evening....so many have been
spoton....fall came out of nowhere, Chris says not an elements as such, so
it might not be marked on technical,but certainly on presentation....long
delay waiting for the marks.....and waiting....and waiting....
Marks....and still waiting......4.0-5.0 / 4.8-5.4 .....11th of 16

Scott and Dulebohn
These are the funny ones right? Both jump the other way? Improviso is the
music....and they fly into the toes.....which they are perfectly solid
on......and she stutters on the death spiral but no big and a nice
position.......split 2twist....pairs spins a mile apart but the timing is
good......star lift one handed, into a two handed thingy where she's lying
flat......throw triple sal.....very nice, very nice.......circular
step....and they're done, and that was really good! They more than held
their own, and for a first worlds that's not too bad at all. Chris and Simon
bemoan the lack of specialness on a night of specialness....is that even a
word?? I know what they mean...it was good, clean , precise, but lacking in
the all powerful oomph factor. THere was nothing to make you sit up and go
wow. But fair play.They done good
Simon says 5th Chris 6th... Simon ."You just want to be difficult don't
you?" Chris "No, I just want to be right!"
Marks 4.7-5.4...and there are boos...and Chris is right! 4.7-5.4 CZE says
12th, SVK 9th but they're 6th overall

Rodionova and Krukov
Blue costumes....clean triple toes.....split twist...throw 3sal, not very
elegant and they sat on it a long time....music segues into La Vie En
ROse...s/s spins...you guessed it, really good!! ....star lift and he
doesn't look comfortable...caught edges a couple of times....seen better
death spirals.......pairs spins....nice height differnece to make the camel
look good....French Kiss is the name of the program. Again, not bad, but for
yours truly, and Chris, no pizzazz. But what they did, they did well, on a
night where most other people did it well too. She had to fight on that
throw!!!
Chris reckons that it'll all come down to speed of spins and footwork etc
....
Marks .... 4.4-4.9 as boos spring up, they're out of the top
ten.....4.6-5.2.....
11th overall.

Group 6 on for warm up...let's all shout for Jamie and David!

Ina and Zimmerman
All black velvet, Truman Show.....can't you just feel the love???....clean
triple toes....clean double twist......throw3sal and she nails it! And there
is a smile, I can confirm....great low death spiral.....Chris says best of
the evening.....s/s spins ans she changed a bit before him and they're
off-kilter...steps......hip lift......pairs spins, inc Natalia death spin,
and there's Robin Cousins in the background! Yay! And hugs and smiles....and
the American's wave and he looks happy, and hthe Judges are in need of some
serious antacid!!! Whatever will they do?? Where will they place them??
Chris thinks the step sequence was a series of poses, and I must say I
agree. I thought it was me being nasty. Again, lack of an oomph factor.
Might be third....Poles in fourth at the moment, yikes for them
Oooh, they are sparkly
Marks 5.4-5.6 4th at the moment it is....5.4-5.8
Rus has them 6th!!! USA in 5th!

Petrova and Tikhonov
Francesca da Remini is the music, he still has his blousey white shirt
on....not sure pure white is the best look for these two.....clean triple
toes.....high double twist.....throw 3sal....I can feel the judges blood
pressure go up....lift looked funny coming down...a smidge off in the spins,
but they get it back and do the rest spot on.....slow going into death
spiral but it was good when it got there....what a night! pairs
spin.......and do they like not that!!!
Simon ponders on the irony of the title possibly going to Anton Sik;s
expartner, should these two win it.....oh me, what to do what to do? They
did leave room though on Shen and Zhao's marks although S&C say second,
although Simon prefers the French
Marks 5.6-5.9 / they are second.....5.6-5.9


Sale and Pelletier
My hands have gone absolutely ice cold.....her in a nice red dress....him
just looking fine!!!!.....Spanish thingy.....throew...yes, clean triple
sal......yes triple toes!!!! wonderful rhythm hard word to type when nerves
hit....great split twist....spins, natalia spin, this is great......and disa
ster on the spins the worst we've seen she lost an edge going in, and they
are alarmed. Straight line dtep, they get it back, and my thoughts are
untypable......fantastic change on the lifts.....spreaedeagle from him into
adeath spiral....anf they're done and it was wonderful and what a disaster
on the spins. They can't be second even the mistake came just out of nowhere
and my blood pressure must be seen to be believed......what a shame! But it
was still my favourite and I admit it! And she was smiling
throughout.....heres the spuns and she stepped on the left foot got too
much outside edge and the skate ran away from her, she was lucky she got
anything....watch for the coach's reaction he just knew!
Marks....5.5-5.8 they have been lucky.....in third place5.7-5.9 America has
them in first POL in 6th.....not bad at all...and the cheers go up as the
Canadians see it. Abitbol and Bernadis will be upset

Filenenko and Chestnikh
Ugly costumes....The Circus Soundtrack....and she doubles and fall out of
the toe....3 off.....split 2twist, a little odd looking.....arms
everywhere.....throw 3loop, great landing....star lift and she didn't let
go! and they lose the spins on the change.....together at the end
though.....pairs spin...and they're done.
It was ok, but nothing great.
Marks ...3.9-4.3 / 4.2-4.5
18 of 22

So standings......
Shen and Zhao
Petrova&Tikhonov
Sale &Pelletier
Abitbol&Bernadis
Schwartz&Muller
Ina&Zimmerman
Zagorska&Siudek