Time 0.55...or 1.55 if you think the clocks have gone forward.....

I've just been to iskater.com so I know that we've missed most of the first
group on Eurosport...we'll probably join up for the second group. And we'd
flippin' well better...if I'm going to stay up until damn near five o'clock
in the morning, they'd better not make me miss Jennifer Robinson or I'll be
seriously annoyed....which is probably good news for you lot, I'm even more
locquacious when I'm vexed.....

and starts the broadcast....Faye Davies...clips shots...including one of
Elvis from Nice...sniffle....clips of the ladies podium from Nice...blah
blah fluffy fluffcakes, and see this face Eurosport? This is me, not caring!
Does this girl even know how to pronounce those names? She's just butchered
Nikodinev....talking to Nicky....who backs Irina...he's talking about
Jen...they'd better show her....but if they're talking about her now, it's
looking good right?

And there's Tatiana warming up! Oh joy! Oh bliss!


Jennifer Robinson CAN
C'mon Jen...you can do this....black dress with locket on the neck...not bad
but not great...an Irish symphony is the music...hey they're playing my
song! she crouches and shushes the audience...goes around....and she's down
onthe triple loop...long set upfor that....no speed for the lutz, double
footed and made her fall....crowd clap...triple sal was fine....just gets
the triple toe....into spin....she needs to check with the left arm to stop
the rotation a bit more says chris....steps to get her breath back....triple
flip...sprial...back spiral is lovely....triple lutz good girl! had to dig
deep for the landing...fabulous layback....2ax with a lean...flying
camel...she stops and steps and runs and steps....not great difficulty
there....hand down on the sal...into a double toe...flying sit.....oh the
looks on her face....camel to sit to layback....change sit to scratch and
that's that.....a fight from beginning to end Simon calls it....she kept
trying...triple toe was df....she leaves the free leg very late....she
doesn't look too upset...calls people in to K&C, says hi to the world...
marks...4.4-4.9..4.6-5.3...she's first by seven, one second one
third...first overall.

Tatiana Malinina UZB
Lovely white dress...and I repeat, she looks way better than I've ever seen
her look...dress fades at the bottom to grey to black....Sweet Solo<?> the
music...ok sleevy things over her hands...huge triple lutz...nothing but air
there....double flip...rushed the timing..calm down girl....triple
loop...flying camel....pause...waving of the arms....around for the triple
toe and she puts a foot down and a hand and comes to a dead stop....around
again for the sal and leaning all over and freefoot down...layback...more
steps on spot...spiral...back spiral not as high as jens but nice
nonetheless....triple lutzz and turn on the 2toe at the end..stepped out of
landing....triple sal with step out and 2toe short on rotation...combo
spin..little bit of travel...circular step...double axel....scratch spin to
finish and she does, but behind the music....she takes her bows...it all
started off so well....we see the lutz again and it was just textbook...she
nearly ran out of rink on the lutz combo...double footed the landing of the
toe and very nearly an ito....and we see it from the cameras point of view
as well....kiss on the cheek from Roman...awwww...her father is the other
side of her...he's a coach too...Valery Malinin...
marks...4.7-5.0...4.7-5.2...

Susanne Stadlmuller GER
Black dress...purple belt slung slow...purple wristbands...hair in a
ponytail, grasped again halfway down...Simon and Chris are raving about
her....down boys....very tall girl...blues variations from the blues
brothers....triple lutz with a step out...not fully rotated...triple
something??...shimmys....down on the loop, does the double
toe...layback...spiral holding onto free leg...back
psiral..spreadeagle..she's not holding any position for long...double
sal....spin.....steps...triple flip...catch foot camel....pauses and dances
on the spot....moves around not as music speeds....double lutz...double
axel...circular step...musters smile for the judges as she goes by...camel
to layback holding skate...change upright holding onto free leg in
front..and she's done. She's only 16....looks older...chris tells us she
can sell the blues...very elegant, and she is...very long limbed
girl...goodlooking girl it must be said...S&C sing the sad refrain of the
dearth of good skating thus far in the ladies competition tonight...and do I
need to hear this at 2.27 in the morning? I think not....
marks ...4.4-4.9...4.7-5.0...ordinals from second to 7th...but third overall
and probably on the afternoon too...

Laetitia Hubert FRA
That's an ugly dress....spotted dalmation in need of a wash, with much
illusion fabric...actually looks more like newpaper...ugly newspaper.....and
there's faces on it...cut up but there...interesting....slow steps to
begin....also interesting....doubles the lutz...triple flip is ok....move
down for flying camel to sit...speeds triple toe triple toe now that's more
like it....double loop with a horrible lean....layback....tries to be novel
with position ends up at yuck....spirals....seems to like holding the leg up
in front of her to knee height....double footed the triple lutz....steps to
flyling camel hop to sit....think there was a change there too....leaning
on the triple sal and she's down badly...double axel with foot
down....circular step....camel to sit change sit....to blur spin and she's
done....and that fall took the wind out of her.....we see it again, leaning
in the air, hands went down to save herself, but ending up sitting down
anyway...Annick Galhaiget and Pierre Trent with her...Simon says she got
married last summer....talks about her unpredictability....when she's good
she's very good and you know the rest.....
marks...4.4-4.9...4.5-4.9..she's fourth.

Mikkeline Kierkgaard DEN
An aquamarine dress not unlike Michelle's Lyra one.....and her face is
orange. Seriously bad foundation mistake people...she looks like she's been
tangoed....and she was looking very frustrated, scared, teary ,whatever you
want to call it in the warmup...took her forever to nail the salchow....hope
she does better here...takes the hands of her coach, be brave he says as
they slap hands....starts at one end of the rink ...Symphony
Moderne....double axel double toe to start...triple toe double toe and this
looks good so far....camel spin...to sit really lwo...change sit to cross
foot upright....simon reminds us that she's only 16...you can't forget, she
looks 12...and she pops the flip to a big single...wasn't brave there simon
says...tiple sal double toe...flying camel...lost centing on the landing but
got it back...spiral..layback great position....music
slows....steps...triple toe on its own...triple sal on its own....charlotte
spiral and we lost the pciture! it's gone...black screen with a green line
through it....and now a flash card apologising for the loss of picture...and
it comes back and she's got a big grin taking her bows and some are
standing....not a hard program she doesn't have a lutz, but she fought and
she got there. ..you guys should have seen the warmup, she was
terrified....couldn't get the sal for love or money....and the crowd would
have seen that on the jumbotron and they know...big smile in kiss and
cry..and a lovely routine...first set won't be high....
marks...4.5-5.1...restless boos from the crowd, but chris says they're high
for what she did...4.8-5.4....all seconds 2 first and a fifth...Tatiana
leads on night and overall, but this girl is second.

Julia Soldatova BLR
Ugly ugly dress...purple and pink and blue flamey lines, avec the illusion
fabric...remember when she used to wear nice dresses? That pink sparkley
thing from Helsinki....that was nice....plenty of speed..triple sal triple
toe....wow....and she gets the lutz all wrong only a single....flying
camel.....nice position in the spin....straight line step...singles the
axel..no speed going into it....slow section....spiral...and she's down and
hard on the flip....and again on the loop....camel change
camel....spiral...almost a charlotte but not quite.....a char we can call
it...and another single lutz....eeep.....hard entry into a double axel..does
2toe...layback....not great position...spiral....camel to sit layback
change...loses speed after that and never gets it back for the final
positions...and oh dear says Simon....he mentions her shoulder injury,
withdrew from Euros over it, talks about her switching countries....not the
skater she was they both agree....some of those falls which we're seeing
again were brutal...chris talks about her cheating her takeoff on the toe
jumps...gets half a turn on the spot....he also didn't like the music...
marks...4.2-4.8....4.1-4.8...she's 8th overall...ordinals of 6th to 12th...

ice resurface....2.51 in the morning...and against my better judgement, I'm
still staying up. It can only get better.

It'd better!

Simon apologies forthe quality so far....and promises it'll get better.

Thats it....we're in for a splatfest....

Simon assures us once more that this'll be worth it...will you write me a
note for school on Monday if it's not??


Elina Kettunen FIN
Pale green dress...quite simple...Reflections of Passion...I lovethis
music,,,.she's got a butterfly dotted on her chest with stick on
sequins.....running steps backways to start...and she's clean onthe
lutz...very late...but there!...triple loop...shut up simon don't jinx
her....triple flip...and she pops the toe....into flying camel....toe was a
single as chris raved about her lovely deep knee bend....lutz...and she
doubles it and does a 2toe...layback....spiral...back spiral holding
skate....triple sal...good girl....come on....2ax is fine....steps aournd
for camel to sit..tchange sit....to one with leg up and out. and
bent....circular step....flying camel..to upright...she stops...oh she's
finished! oh, ok....started well, then it kinda died a little...she's
another one who nearly ran out of room on that lutz...Simon says technically
shes the best (that'd be hard. really. I mean that) but that
choreographically, it wasn't up to much. Chris mentions that she didn't
really skate to the music...but softens it by saying its a good performance
for her first worlds...
marks 4.8-5.3....best by a long way...4.9-5.3...7 1sts a 3rd and a 4th

Fumie Suguri JPN
Now c'mon my girl, I'm rooting for you....so you're in trouble already, but
anyhoo....c;mon, wake me up....navy blue dress, silver piping and stars on
it....music from the Planets...jupiter to start....she runs to begin....goes
around the ice building speed....triple lutz double toe...goodgirl...and she
leans on the flip and doubles it...did well to get that far....2ax....great
running edge....triple toe...flying camel....she stops with arms out...music
changes...steps into layback....nice and smooth....and she's down on the
loop...wasn't quite around....triple flip double toe....comeon girl...amzing
back spiral, so well held...halfway down the rink! more spirals....flying
sit....nice position in the air...circular step....triple sal....camel to
sit to layback....change sit....to scratch and she's done....wow says Simon
what a finish...and at last we have something...class of the night so
far...chris raves about her position in the air onthe jumps
marks Nabuo Sato father of Yuka who looks like him is her
coach.....5.3-5.5...hooboy....5.1-5.5....a row of ones and she leads by
seven miles...


Sylvia Fontana ITA
Dress is mostly creamy colour, much sequins, flames dancing up it in many
colours...and it looks great on her...one of the few ladies who can pull off
a costume like that...and though as a fan I shouldnt entertain doubts,
history and tonight has me rattling with nerves right about now....and my
computer is making funny noises which is never good, but I type on....cause
I'm dedicated like that...time to say goodbye....don't give me ideas
lady....slow steps to start...take your time....triple lutz double
toe.....comeon....yes triple flip....she smiles....hope comesdown and sits
beside me....has to step and turn from triple toe but that's ok....steps
with little turns....she's got lovely smooth stroking....and she doubles the
toe?? not sure on thatone....she's jumping the other way you nkow....pause
and around again....triple sal....good girl....has to turn on the end of the
axel but its' gonna count...great layback...love her
position....bigsmile...spiral in y position...other spial.....more
steps...around the corner....down the ice....leans on the toe but gets
it..stars to flying sit...to y spin....and out of that.....comes on girl
nearly there....back spiral great extenstion...camel...catches foot to
layback change sit shotgun holding edge of skate she's done and she pumps
her fist! yes! oh good girl....good girl...now I'm awake and smiling and
happy! a couple of errors chris the grinch points out..but she does her
little hoppy things coming off the ice....chris talks about her wrapped free
leg, blah blah markherdowncakes.....but wow!....she won't drop that's for
sure....
marks....she's happy....4.9-5.3..little whoop when she saw them...mouths hi
to john...i love you..aww....5.1-5.5 second in a row and sh'es sobbing! aw
bless her....she's in bits.....aww...bless......big smile!

and so worth staying up til 3.29 for!

Vanessa Gusmeroli FRA
Leopard print...Jeanne d'arc is gone...legends of the fall is back...in 7th
place at the moment.....starts at one end of the rink....goes
around...triple lutz double toe...doubles the flip...doubles the
loop....steps in one spot...goes into circular step...nicely done...3sal and
ice flew on the takeoff...triple flip doulbe toe...df landing on the
flip?...ina bauer is great...back spiral....and doubles the sal...flyinf
camel....double axel is huge....does the splits..intentionally I might
ad...camel to sit to upright change camel..grabs foot abd holds it baove
head....into a layback....and movea gain into camel change sit, leaning,
hand through leg...into camel and change camel....lovely spin
sequences...and Simon tells us that she's lvoely to watch out there as she
finishes...only two triple that counted in the routine he laments...such a
pity laments chirs...and I was right, she did change direction in the
spins....there were so many different sequences, at least three at the end,
I was so busy trying to type the position I forgot about the direction! bad
me!
marks 4.7-5.3...very charitable says Simon...5.2-5.4...she's second...suguri
still leads sylvia third.


Sarah Meier SUI
Orange dress...sequins down the front and a ferny frondy thing coming down
over one shoulder....big smile to coach as shesends her out ...Miss
Saigon...5th in euros...triple lutz double toe.....triple flip...into a
triple toe....she's motoring simon says...flying camel....moves around the
ice...triple loop, justheld on to that!...spiral...and she doubles the
lutz...into a layback...travels on it...double axel was very low but
ok....and a double sal...triple sal...camel to layback...to sit..change
camel with foot caught and up....turns into a double flip....more steps
around the ice...and that's the first decent step seuqnce we've seen from
her...flying sit....to scratch...and she's done. Well, I thought it was ok,
but if you look up above, you;ll see a list of elements with not much
between them...which is what I saw although Simon says there was much to
admire. He also says that the group is starting to come alive now...can't
argue with that....
marks...4.9-5.4...4.7-5.2...5th at the moment...

Elena Liashenko UKR
Plain white dress...flamey whiter lines inserts and sequins...but
nice...d'y'think she'd talk to Soldatova about dresses? she's in 9th right
now...4th at Euros....Griegs Piano concerto no 1....triple lutz double
toe.....simon raves about her wonderful balletic quality....triple
flip....triple toe....round for theloop short on rotation..caught between 3
and 2...spin....music changes as she pauses....stretches at centre
ice....into spirals....mostly woth held blade...into uprigiht spin....move
around the ice...triple sal bit of a scratchy landing...but got
it...layback...nice position....lutz....and she popped it to a
single....straight line step which is nicely done...including split
jump...then triple toe??...camel to sit to layback change sit to catch foot
camel, halfway up her back....and she's done...four triples simon has it at,
and it's second for him...i had her at 5 jumps but if that was a toe as the
last jump it won't count cause its not in combination...could've been worse
Chris tells us...she smiles and waves...sylvia second on the night but
vanessa second overall as chris praises sylvia for being second on the free
going into the final group...we wait for the marks...and wait...and then we
wait a little bit more....they introduce Cinquanta....and more waiting..
marks...5.0-5.4...5.1-5.4..second it is. although she's ordinals from 1st to
5th

so suguri, liashenko, gusmeroli, fontana, kettunen and meier are the one to
six.

3.52 and back soon!

The home stretch....<looks at the clock and shakes her head> I must be
mad....

Sarah Hughes USA
Black sparkley dress...flower in her hair...sparkles crisscross the
bodice...I like this dress better than the other one...it flatters her much
more....takes her time, putting the skatecovers on over the skates....takes
a drink of water...good girl take your time...Don Quixote....she listens to
the coach....and out she comes....the american card flag is looking spotty
today....and she takes her place....goes around the rink builds
speed....double axel to start...settles her down....triple sal triple
loop....flying sit...to camelly thing...little steps....triple loop....she's
picking out the nuances of the music really well....and her boot cover is
coming off her skate I notice....but she keeps on going...into a triple lutz
double toe, no height on the toe but got it.....spiral...back
spiral....triple flip into flying camel....and she glides and then dances as
the music changes...step sequence....crowd are clapping....layback is
fnatastic....around she goes....triple lutz on its own...she's
flying!...triple flip...jump like the splits...into combo spinn....great
changes of position ending in Y spin and she does an illusion spin to finish
and she's done! how about that shouts simon....wow...and the americans are
standing....she blows a kiss into the crowd....and if she doesn't get a
medal, we're in for one hell of a night! we see the sal/loop on the footsie
cam...coach mops her eyes....she thanks the person who made the sign we just
saw..
marks...5.3-5.8...DEN says 5.3, I say the hell??? 7 triples??? hello!
5.5-5.8..a loud yeah from her at the 8s....she smiles and waves...

Angela Nikodinev USA
Gorgeous white dress...not unlike Gordeevas man i love effort but
shorter....forget Liashenko, she cantalk to them all about dresses....this
is a lovely one....and you just wonder how hearing Sarahs marks will affect
her....another big roar from the americans and the card flag is much better
now! Sleeping Beauty...again with the giving me ideas!...lovely flow from
the off....double axel settles her down too....triple lutz double
toe.....she's off and running....slide stop....and pause...and steps around
and into the flip, clean as anything....triple loop....steps into a flying
camel....spiral...back spiral trying to get there....come on out you know
youwant to...into a lovely layback...she didn't move!...and she's down on
the sal....and the crowd groans...as they clap to get her back....come on
now girl....and she doubles the lutz....triple toe and the free leg scrapes
down....no weight transfer though...and a final combo spin......and she's
done and the americans stand again, So close says simon and from her face
she knows....the first two and a half minutes were great and she just might
have shaded it but not now...not with two mistakes....and chris has
disappeared as he's unwell....and that was a crashing fall on the sal...she
literally sat... and she has the biggest beanie baby bear I've ever
seen....is it big enough simon asks...
marks and another long wait...she shakes her head...5.3-5.6...with only four
triples, if she'd landed the other two...high general quality of
skating....5.4-5.8..she's second...

Michelle Kwan USA
Wow....cerisey purpley dress...sequins along the bodice and neck and back,
of which, by the way, there is precious little....very nice dress....strong
colour and it suits her....she takes her time, and the card flag is the best
one yet....triple loop to start....sporeadeagle...and around the
ice....triple toe tripel toe and thjey roar!...flying camel....steps around
and a lovely glide in the middle there....triplel utz double toe....she's on
form says simon and chris is back...camel spin....to layback....and the
spins were on opposite feet....triple sal....triple flip....charlotte
spiral...just sublime...spiral....double axel....camel to sit to Y spin
change sit to upright cross foot leaning back...pause...little steps....down
and around ..straight line step....lutz...and she nails it!...back spiral
with a huge smile. and great extensions...little leap...and flying
sit....and scratch spin and hse hops a little and she's done! the americans
stand and she couldn't hear her own music atthe end! fists are pumping eyes
are teary....simon says these were better than anything she's won
with....chris says if she was last there'd be sixes...and she comes off the
ice and flies into Frank Carrolls arms...big smile....he's saying his heart
won't take it....and can I just say right here and now that so far, all
moaning aside, this was worth staying up for! after group 2 I wasn't sure
but now I am!
marks...5.7-5.8...3 7s....5.8-5.9...CRO has her second...the rest in the
lead....don't think they're that overwhelmed with joy...


Irina Sluteskaya RUS
New dress for her...leather bodice....crisscross sleeves...red skirt....it's
nice...and she knows that its' there for her...the dooris well and truly
open...Don Quixote...I have a tension headache again....simon has a feeling
that this is her time....didn't he say thatlast year? I"m just
sayin'....anyhoo, she starts...litlle steps and poses....down the
ice....triple lutz...kinda deep on thelanding, weight a litlte
back....triple sal triple loop double toe! flying camel...she won't go
easy!...music changes....triple lz doubles foot s the double toe and does a
loop double on the end i think...not sure....and there was an oh from the
crowed....steps....and she pauses with the music....is that enough to open
the door again....spiral....change edge spiral....back spiral....triple
flip....double axel....layback....really fast and well centred....little
runny steps...triple toe on its own...circular step....beaming smile...she's
selling it..camel to sit to layback to biellman change camel to
biellman....and scratch spin and she's done.....and people are
standing....just one little flaw....technically harder than Kwans...but
Kwans was nearer to perfection Simon says...and he predicts a split
panel.....he's in full gush mode, and I'm thinking of just tossing a coin
here...I'm sure that's what the judges are doing....just at the end of the
triple loop...badly double footed...she barely got around on it....oooh
thank god I'm not a judge...
marks....5.7.5.9...2 7s...and 1 9......she second! 5.7-5.9....7 to 2..and
she's gone.....oh me oh my

Viktoria Volchkova RUS
And the costume fairies were doing so well! then we had this....white pale
material, fading to baby pink, including sleeves, like gloves...fading to
mauve to deeper purple as we go down....she looks like a testcard....and a
badly designed one at that...shes in 5th....Free Choice is the
music....triple sal step out then triple toe....I think....moves
around...huge triple lutz single toe....flying camel.... big triple
flip....triple toe....spiral...bent free leg....spreadeagle...kinda ina
bauer....moves around...triple loop...battled with it...layback....triple
lutz...double axel....circular step.....camel to layback to camel with leg
up change foot to shotgun....around again...to upright...and scratch spin
and she finishes....and she closes her eyes and puts her hand to her
face....again , she knows....musters a big smile...she's had an achilles
tendon problem all year...Paskevitch is still there in K&C as is
Kudriatsev....
marks I'd have her fifth right now...but sure, who am I? long
wait....5.5-5.7...they're good....5.3-5.6..and she's fifth. Yay me!


Maria Butyrskaya RUS
Another nice dress...white...sparkles on the bodice...crisscross lines at
the back of the neck.....and Chris is in absentia once more, leaving Simon
in full possession of the drool bucket...save the best till last says
he...oh Simon, use the bucket wisely....he says if shes 3rd on the free she
can medal....17 moments in spring....violins as she speeds...triple flip to
begin....you can see the focus....triple lutz double toe....flying
camel....lovely position in the spin....steps...that emphasise her
line....turns into a triple toe half loop triple sal....the hloop was
acutally necessity....doubles the lutz?...layback....and leans on the loop
but get sthe triple....hoe did she hold that? spiral....back spiral has
great extension....triple loop double toe...double axel, shakey on the
landing...flying sit and out of that...steps and she kneels on one knee and
glides on the cie...mor esteps..combo spin,...travels on the changes..but
she's done , and with a big smile...and the crowd are standing. hugs the
coach...6 triples ...mastery of presentation, that's simon not me....he's
using that bucket I tell ya....and telling us the story behind the
music/film...russian spy in nazi germany...yep, that's an upper of a
thought.....i don't think she's done enough for a medal...simon says if she
does it's unfair on sarah and I agree..
chris is back to share the bucket
marks....5.3-5.7....she's standing and moving for the door....she's
fourth....5.6-5.9..one second two seconds 2 thirds the rest fourth....

Kwan golden, Sluteskaya second and Hughes thrird. Angelafifth.

What a night!

And now, at 4.49 in the am, my leaba is calling me and now....now dear
people, I answer it.

Gala tomorrow (I hope!)