And you've got two for the price of one here gang....Nora is at our place
tonight and we're watching this together, until 3o'clock in the
morning....and we both have days off tomorrow to recover! Although one day
to recover is being wildly optimistic....

they come in halfway through Tamura....we;ve missed Markus
Leminen....noooo...the drool bucket sits redundantly in the corner..and
Dmitry DMitrenko....

Yamato Tamura JPN
he just stumbles out of a triple loop...has landed the quad but we missed
it.....along with Markus...black costume with gold lines...kinda collar on
it.....Egyptian beading thingy.....bizzare....3lz 3toe.....phantom menace is
the music and we're in the final stages...and that was a double
something....camel spin to sit change sit....just dips on the triple
sal....then double axel to finish...hand stayed off onthe triple sal, well
done! We see the quad toe on replay....it was great...started off as the
Mummy....
marks...4.7-5.3...4.5-5.1...row of ones.

Roman Skorniakov UZB
Had a haircut since I saw him last....there's Tatiana giving him some
advice...she's looking well....brown waistcoat..with gold
crisscrosses..matching trousers. cream shirt. First Knight....triple axel
triple toe good boy!...very little prep for axel...triple flip triple
toe...he looks so composed.....steps around the ice...down on the second
triple axel...back around...just got it! the lutz that was.....well held
says Simon....camel to sit to upright...change sit crossfoot
upright....spreadeagle....;lovely and so well held and a nice smile to go
with it....steps...including back spiral....triple loop...so soft....flying
camel....and he's making it look easy....and he's down and hard on the
sal...too relaxed ...flying sit....and hedoubles a second sal....double
axel...circular step including high kicks and spreadeagle....scratch spin to
end. It did look relaxed Simon agrees....maybe too much so, focus went at
the half way point they reckon...that triple axel was a corker!...he looks
happy...choreography was nice...
marks...4.6-5.1...4.5-4.7....he's second behind Tamura

Gheorge Chiper ROM
Wow. Hello to the colours....tangerine, red, lime green tops....blocks of
colour...green trousers.....odd odd and odd and I have a headache from just
looking at it...steps out of the triple axel...triple sal triple toe. and a
hop coming out of the toe....triple lutz....I think....double loop....flying
camel....which is messy....double lutz...this is falling apart...Simon says
momentum is gone...high sit spin...stops and steps....spiral...waving of the
arms....crossovers...another spiral...triple axel...after all that!>..triple
flip....flying sit....to upright...faster music...triple
lutz....steps...circular...and into a sit spin cahnge cmael to sit tp
upright, much travelling done...those spins weren't centred at all....and he
shakes his fist as he finishes...hands to ears getting the crowd to
cheer....a program of two halves...some of it was great some if it it looked
like he forgot what he was doing...meandered after a spin, just lost his
way...Chris says he thinks he came out of the spin the wrong way. He looks
like a character...and he's got some ,to land that triple axel after all of
that!
marks...4.5-5.0...4.3-5.0...and he's third...

Vincent Restencourt FRA
All in black...Zotica....in 19th place...starts off slow...nice
steps...comes around...triple flip double toe....steps...axel is next...yes
he nailed it!..and another ! and again....a double??more steps....second of
those jumps was a triple...back shoot the duck to spiral thing....this is
nice....although his stretch ain't all it should be...leaning all over the
lutz and stepped out....sit spin change camel change camel....music gets
more clappable...triple toe....sit....change sit...music slows...panpipes
wail....foot down on the tripleloop he steps out of it....looked slow going
in...more steps...wit hkicks....and jumps...triple sal was good....into
flying sit...to crossfoot spin and he's done...he looks pleased with
that....I want to see that axel sequence again but I'm not gonna....S&C
pull apart his presentation lacks...no sparkle or charisma... has changed
from Brunet to Annick Galhaiget and Pierre Trent
marks. 4.5-5.2...4.4-5.1...he's second overall...

end of group one.
as I see Markus is last...come over to me baby, I'll make it all
better...Dmitrenko is right above him.

Warm up - back soon

And they've started the wave!

Emanuel Sandhu CAN
A blue velvet and black bodysuit....red piping...don't like the suit...at
all....nor does Nora....take your time...that's not a confident face....fast
footwork to start...builds speed...quad toew triple toe yes! keep
thinking!...around...yes triple axel triple toe...impressive...toe was low
but clean....just hangs onto the triple flip...not elegant but it'll
count...triple sal....flying sit....comeon!...can you believe I'm typing
this? ...slow steps....and he's down pjn the second triple axel...its ok,
keep going keepi going spreadeagle....and another inside
on....steps...backwards gldide...flying sit to upright to cross foot...don't
see that spin often!>...triple loop good boy!...music speeds and the crowd
go wild as he shakes his ...well, you know!...steps straight line and he
gets them clapping.....never seen him pump his fists like that ....triple
lutz and he justheld on...had to fight!..spiral with bent free leg, on
purpose...camel spin..to sit to ewwww butt spin change to camel to sit to
upright crodd foot...fantastic illusion spiun and there is a happy happy
man! and the canadians stand....that was great...and what's more....gang...I
enjoyed it....he doesn't take bows first, goes straight over to Joanne
McLeod, then goes back to centre ice.....and he's smiling.....and he's
dancing on centre ice! I swear to god...you can almost hear him thinking
Party TIme! Quad was amazing...his jumps, when they're on, are
great....great flow...Joanne dances in K&C...
marks ....4.9-5.5..but only one 49 the rest are 5.3andup....5.2-5.7..wow!

Min Zhang CHN
follow that! and take your time...25 in 2days time...white ruffled
shirt....black trouser....17th at the moment...Shostakovich....steps to
start....triple axel triple toe...made it look easy..quad is next...and he
pops to a double and then does a double toe on the end...flying
camel...around the rink...3lutz....music changes...he twizzles...circular
step....camel which takes an age to centre....more steps....long wait for
the quad...wow!...made it look easy...triple flip....he's
back!..stops...music changes....sit...change sit, nice change....down hand
on the 3loop....triple sal...easy...not much in between the jumps...more
steps....camel again not centred...combo spin and he moves all over the gaff
on the changes...and he finishes right on the music. Right....jumps are good
when they're good. But there's not much in between the jumps, nothing there
choreographically, at all. Its a very Russian-y traditional junior type
program....and don't start me on his spins, please don't start me on his
spins! This guy is here skating, Neil Wilson is in the audience
watching....where's the justice?
marks..5.0-5.3...4.4-5.1...two different sets of marks! second place.

Patrick Meier SUI
Greeny shirt....black black hair..like shoe polish....black
trousers....starts with hand resting against ear head tilted..>I could sleep
like that...aaah..sleep....I remember what that was like.....anyhow, he's
moving around for the axel...and he got the takeoff all wrong and landed
forwards and on his knees....steps to triple lutz...nice circly steps....in
time with the music...triple loop was smooth....edgy steps....camel spin to
sit change camel to cross foot half biellman....spiral....nice spiral
actually....and a back spiral.....so graceful...except when he falls on the
axel as he did there....music is very samey samey....hand down on triple
flip...or close.....triple sal...flying sit....triple flip double
toe...flying camel....and knee slide...straight line step..sit which is
really low to upright and he's done....and while that was lovely and smooth
and flowing and all the rest of it....the music was very much the same right
the way through. Wonderful artistry they say, and there is, but I'm not too
fond of the music...Chris says if you take out the jumps there was still
something to keep your attention...this much is true....plenty of inbetween
skating and you can really see that in comparison to Zhang...
marks..4.2-5.1...4.6-5.2..Simon is disappointed...but he's in third...


Sergei Rylov AZE
And he's in his tuxedo look onepiece...red tie...gold piping....goes around
the ice...triple axel and Carmen is the music...triple lutz...dit
spin..grabs hold of free leg and moves up....steppy things...twirls...moves
around again...hands wave, feet arent as busy and that second axel was
double footed terrible lean did a doiuble toe at the end....3loop half loop
hlaf loop double toe...sit...hop change sit....serpentine step....triple
flip.....swings his arms....marches down the ice...triple lutz double
toe...triple toe...and another sal....camel.. to sit to upright change cmale
to sit....and he's mercifully done...he looked like he ran out of gas at the
end...worked hard throughout the routine....landed 7 triples. Strange
editing of hte music Chris says, which is mild. God-awful is Nora's take on
it, and I'm with her...just as it gets going, it changes...not a lot of knee
bend on the landings so if it isn't right, it all goes...Paskevitch in K&C
with Kudriastev
marks...and he's pooped! 4.6-5.2..some boos from the crowd....4.7-5.3...and
he's second...which I don't agree with but that's just me.


Vitali Danilchenko UKR
Red tousers...illusion fabric for the top with black red and white lines on
it...skating to Volcano, dressed like one...here's hoping he doesn't blow
up....it's one memorable costume....for all the wrong reasons...thumpy start
of the music...tried quad sal in qual...should be first....and it's a
triple toe....triple axel and couldn't quite hold the landing...dropped the
right hip...camel spin....he's changed the jump order since qual....triple
lutz and he was leaning in the air...camel change camel...nice speed coming
out of that....and got the loop all wrong...slow in between the jumps Simon
says...I 'd say going backwards but that's just me....circular step...back
spiral...more moves around....and he's down hard on the 3ax....doubles the
flip...triple flip...crossfoot spin....striaght line step along the edge
ofthe rink....just hangs on to the triple sal, his 4th...combo spin...which
is travelling on the changes....and he's done. Simon says he didn't like the
choreography...what choreography say I??? 3loop was short on
rotation....nice sit spin position where his free leg is resting on his bent
knee....that was great....even if it did travel....
marks...4.1-4.7...4.2-4.6...he's 9th

Stefan Lindemann GER
Or as Nora and I call him, little Larry Lindemann the Leprechaun....has to
do with his Corrs short program....and he's in black trousers and sparkley
blue jackety shirt....Rudy...aww isn't he cute? besti squat to
start...pocket battleship Simon calls him....triple axel...low on
thelanding, no combo possible....steps the diagonal..into a perfect triple
lutz...nice twisty steps...sit spin...chnge sit....that was
great....pause....sway at centre ice...steps around to get his breath
back...lovely flow to the routine...makes eye contact with the judges....and
he's down on the axel....and on the loop....and that had to hurt....winds up
the camel spin to sit change sit to upright Y spin....waves arms as music
changes ..and hes down on the flip...gets the toe though!...tdouble
sal....all a rus h now....circular step mae of spirals...flying
sit....serpentine step...looks slow...flying camel....and the music
fades...and he's done....he runs a hand through his hair....and he's not
happy ...
marks...4,3-4.9....oh well....4,6-4.9..6th

Ice resurface

And there he is the birthday boy...and I could just throw up.....and I'm a
Liu fan as well, so I've got ten minutes of jingle jangle and here we go...

Anthony Liu AUS
Blue trousers...white shirt...matching waistcoat with sequins on it..Cirque
du Soleil....journey of man....builds speed....and down on the quad...looked
great in the air...great speed....and he doubles the axel and falls off the
landing can I cry now??? flying camel.....round teh houses....triple lutz
double toe good boy!...steps...little turns...glides...arms out...into
camel....to upright..stop...moves back along the ice...double toe, shoulda
been quad....spiral....spreadeagle....bestisquat on inside edges....triple
loop....steps...triple sal....he stops, turns arouns drums arms....great
straight line step...triple flip...little turns on right foot left
extended...camel to sit to upright with caught leg change....most
spins....stops and moves across the ice into scratch spin. Simon talks of
travel on the spins of the end. Simon laments the lack of quality of skating
so far...no real great performances....Chris wonders if the ice is alittle
hard...ice is fracturing away on some of the toe jumps....crowd are roaring
for Elvis already....I am never ever ever doing this again. And this time I
mean it. Really. I do. It's too hard. Christa Fassi in K&C....
marks...4.3-4.9...my stomach, none too steady, lurches....4.7-5.2....3rd
overall

Elvis Stojko CAN
Oh my....shake....shake....nice Gladiator costume...black with bronze
epaulettes....and wristbands....starts with arm out....away from judges he
faces...he turns...waves sword....slow to start....triple flip to
start....quad is next...oh god...oh god.....shit down on the quad...and you
saw the ice splinter up,,,music speeds....yes! quad with a foot down step
out.....straight line step...credit for the attempt Simon....triple loop is
clean...flying sit.....love his speed in that spin...points the sword at the
judges...snicker....spiral...flying camel....CTV booth is packed!...circular
steps...double axel....arms thrown out on the beat....and antoehr double
axel.....upright spin....music speeds....fast footwork....serpentine
pattern....crowd c lap....foot down on ttriple sal....and a hand down on the
lutz....calem to sit change ist.....upright scratch spin and he's done....oh
girls you should see the loook on his face.....simon says it reminds him of
the finals scenes of Gladiator...death of Maximus he had no chance, injured
when he went out there and elvis died too...I'm rapidly losing all respect
for Simon....hug from Uschi...and they have them singing!...he looks close
to tears says chris - i'm there...
marks .....4.6-5.3....4.8-5.5...he's first right now ,but second on the
night??

Takeshi Honda JPN
As I mop up....he's got a black trousers and kinda peasant sackcloth
top....the crowd tell him there's something on the ice and there is....so we
start again and I remind myself that this is the last time I'm ever doing
this....nice flowing start....and he puts a hand dow nand slips on the
3ax...nearly gave it too much....and he gets the quad double footed and
turns off hte landing...was it df?? and he pops the sal to a double..or
single? ,,,spin....triple loop...camel spin....hop to sit....and out of
that....he stops and pauses....swivelly steps...spreadeagle..into triple
axel double toe! yes!...steps...guitars strum....strings come in...triple
lutz....inside s/e....this could've been great....he's got real
artistry....triple flip from steps...triple no 4...camel. tpo sit to upright
change camel to sit....such a difficult program raves Chris...another
outside s/e....flying sit....inside spreadeagle takes him out. Now that was
a program of two halves....four triples at the end and what guts to salvage
something from that. Not sure what the music was but I liked it...foot
stayed off on the quad...changes of edge before the triple flip, so hard!
Lori Nichol choreographed....there's Doug and Michelle in the K&C and his
Japanese coach
marks head up says Doug....advice for us all DOug!...5.1-5.4..they're good
says Takeshi....5.3-5.7...he's first but second on the night...

Chengjiang Li CHN
Navy blue /greeny jumpsuit,...pale silver lines on it, going along right
chest, down left leg. Blue Men is the music...speed from the start....quad
toe triple toe and that's how they should be done....and he speeds around
again....and a double sal?...should've been triple...flying
camel....circular steps...flying sit...nice and low....he stops...he walks
and turns and poses...and ducks...and swivells...and he gets the axel all
wrong, a single...that's better triple axel, smackdown on triple toe...nice
low sit spin....nice moves fitting in with the music....triple
axel....triple loop....triple sal....he runs...he steps along the centre of
the rink...striaght line that was....and down the ice into a camel sit
upright change sit....moves down into a scratch spin....little steps and
that's the end of him! quad and five triples says Simon....the quad triple
was a beauty...and when things went wrong says Chris, he skated tothe other
end of hte rink and put them right....Renee Roca did the
choreography...Gorsha Sur did Min Zhangs....
marks...5.1-5.6...4.8-5.5...he's second overall.

Ivan Dinev BUL
Black velvet suit with gold inserts and belt....in 12th....twirly steps to
begin...and he doubles the quad toe...arms a waving to the music...triple
axel triple toe with a hand down....flying sit....posey steps....triple
lutz...slow steps...serpentine step....including spiral...slight ina bauer
there but thought better of it...triple axel was a beauty...camel...to sit
...travel to camel to sit after the change....triple loop which had a little
bit of a lean...but it all counts....step sequence...diagonally along the
rink....music could be ROmeo and Juliet ,,,camel to sit to
upright....ttriple flip and he just hung on!..down the ice....triple
sal....triple toe double footed....sit spin....steps and a butterfly and
he's done...punches fist...seven triples in the end....
marks...5.1-5.4...4.9-5.4...fifth overall....

Stanick Jeannette FRA
And he's still got the ugly green costume...if he's getting a job doubling
as ivy, he's away on a hack but for a skater no...Rondo
Capricioso.....ruffly and tight...my two favourite words in a
costume....why????.....really interesting shapes to start with...each one a
comment all on its own....triple toe....real feel for his music....as it
speeds up...yes! deep landing on axel but it's there...and a double
dflip....flying sit..the speed the positions youch!>..amazing....he
slows...footwork....serpentine pattern....nice moving to the music...step
out of the axel....won't count....and he does the splits along the ice.,
which is his entry into a back sit spin....another spin that I've never
seen!>..drums beat....double lutz,,,,technical aint there tonight....and he
pops the loop t oa single...triple sal...triple toe...sit change sit...keeps
the speed up...and now he's mocing in a circle....ends up sliding balancing
on one foot going forwards...final combo spin is incredible.....and he's
done....Simon calls it wonderfully unorthodox...strange jumps missed...did
four triples...shakes his head as he comes off....as if he's made of rubber
Chris says...look at those spins! aside from the positions he just doesn't
lose speed during them...if anything, he actually speeds up! Annick
Galhaiget and Pierre Trent sit with him...
marks...4.5-5.3....they're not good..considering where he is.....4.8-5.5...
he's fifth....

so now then.....Honda, Li, Sandhu Stojko jeannette..Dinev is the one to six

warm up for the final flight as I try to prise Nora off the ceiling!

Chris' prediction...Plushenko Yagudin Eldredge. Simon agrees and just as I
think the world is coming to an end, Simon switches his vote for Li to
third.

And here we go....and Nora can't look....I'm unpleasantly numb, and I
haven't even been near alcohol!


Alexei Yagudin RUS
Same costume as all season...I'm not going to describe it....starts with
arms wrapped around himself...raises them to the ceiling....moves around
,,qwuad toe triple toe, just about! hops on the toe rake,no speed from
either jump!..triple lutz,,,,triplr axel turn out and a hand down on the toe
at the end...half loop and scramble in between...flying sit....he
pauses...slow moves....stops...unclenches his fists....hands to head...comes
around by K&C...anbd he's down on two feet on the flip...second 3ax no
problems....music speeds...circular step.....fast footwork...triple loop is
fine....sit spin...change sit...upright...almost a shotgun spin but not
quite....throws up his hands...unclenches the swords....move around
again..spreadeagle....around again....triple sal....he was pleassed with
that....and he does the splits and slides down the ice....thats'
new...spin...he claps the crowd asthey clap him!. diagonal step and he's
putting his heart into it....a long loud scream from the audience...Rosemary
is that you??? combo spin and he's done. Well.....what a hero Chris says.
quad and 6 triples. He's done things there on one leg and painkilling
injections that men in the whole of their health haven't done tonight.
..that toe on the end of the quad was a scramble!..over-rotated the triple
flip....and a big hug for Tatiana
marks...5.5-5.7...he makes beaver faces with his little beaver...all 5.8s 1
5.9 for presentation

Alexander Abt RUS
Judge Dredd in red....how many ways can you say I don't like this routine?
He doesn't look like a gladiator he looks like a robot....down on the
quad....and he's down on the axel too...that was a nasty....almost
embarrassed smile...and he got the lutz just about...steps down the ice into
a cmael to sit change camel to sit....once he's out of that steps towards
the judges..he spins and steps....and glides....doublefoots the axel and
hand down.....spiral which needs work....around the ice....triple
flip...flying camel....and a clean triple something else...flying
sit.....circular steps....triple sal?....footwork!...glides down the
ice...triple toe...flying sit....nice speed actually...to scratch spin and
he kneels down and slides on the ice and he's done....and he puts his head
down....takes his bows, kinda sheepish looking grin...Simon calls it a bad
skate, and lesson learned .don't use the same music as Yags...he kept on
trying notes Chris....head is in hands...looks as if he's asking what the
bleep happened to me. From tonights skate, he may well join the
chorus....not one clean program tonight.
marks...4.8-5.2...yikes...5.1-5.5...he's fourth.


Evgeny Plushenko RUS
Again the same costume as all year. So I now say my usual mantra...cut your
hair cover your chest and uncover your hands. And he's off...out goes the
hand to Exotica.....and such arrogance, right away!....quad toetriple toe
doubleloop.....and he made it look easy....almost as hard to type as it is
to do....triple axel....he hops and poses for the judges....looks them up
and down....smokes his cigarette....crooks his finger and shimmies....triple
axel triple toe.....flying camel.....here we go.....stop!hip s swivell and
nora looks away!...steps and the crowd clap....this is great@ and I mean
taht!...triple sal....sit to upright...change upright.....hands
waving....triple lutz, slightly over the toe rake but it all
counts....soulful gazing towards the rafters....spiral in biellman
position.....triple loop.....triple flip.....arms to heaven stares down the
judges...double axel....camel to sit to biellman.....change sit upright and
moves around and a sit to scratch spin and he's done and hee's done it...the
crowd stand....he's done it...he knows it, we all know it.....there is no
earthly way he's not gonna get this. The first clean program of the night.
Nerves of steel....and the crowd love him...that was something else....Chris
and Simon are in full gush and babble mode...jeepers creepers gang you
thought I was bad! but Chris says he skated slower this evening....whatever
Chris! every replay a skating lesson....love the reaction at the
end...thumbs up from him in the kiss and cry...
marks ...5.9s save 2 5.8s....a row of 5.9s for presentation and Canada boos
cause they wanted sixes!


Todd Eldredge USA
Goldy bronzey big jackety shirt...there's the American placard flag inthe
stands..cool....he's taking his time and rightly so...Conquest of
Paradise....starts off with a glide to the judges.....triple toe...leaning
in the air..another triple that I missed...flying sit.....to the
boards....waves arms...straight line step....triple flip...spiral....triple
axel triple toe....cleanch fists...triple lutz....flying sit.....steps to
the piano music....circular step....more steps....triple axel number
two.....flying sit...huge and fast and well centred.....3sal....this is
really good....split jump and another...he's skating with heart and
soul...final combo spin...sit change sit is incredibly fast and he's done
and the place is on it's feet! It's as if he was never away! That was
fantastic....no quad, not that he needed one....the supposed quad was
leaning, so he was right to pull out at three....after what we've seen
tonight...
marks....5.5-5.7. and hello to the boos..and we're all amazed at that....I'd
have said 7s or 8s...5.7-5.8...he's in third...unreal...he should be second.
that's just wrong. that's just wrong. he was better than yags and nora,
consummate yags fan that she is agrees with me.

Yunfei Li CHN
White shirt with sequins along the neck and middle...going down to grey
shirt and trousers....hand down on the quad but gets the triple on the
end....and he pops the axel to a single....camel spin....wnding with bent
leg....triple flip triple toe....triple something esle, possibly sal...sit
change sit to shotgun.....I'm trying to factored placement Tim Goebel in and
type at hte same time...spiral with leg up at the side! wow!
spreadeagle.....not much in between the jumps....triple lutz double
toe.....flying sit....and he doubles the axel....triple sal....sit
spin...ending in Y spin...scratch spin....and he's done......he jumps up and
down a la Tara....
he's happy....doesn't know what's happened....waves to the world...shouts
happily....5,4-5.6...5.0-5.4....and he's fifth


Timothy Goebel USA
Now, according to my maths...if he's second on the free, he's second and
Yags bronze. third, he's bronze. yags silver. Same costume as all
year....triple lutz....quad sal triple toe....perfect!...step out of triple
axel double toe...sit spin....to cross foot upright.....and he's hands down
on the quad toe....fast footwork...camle to sit change
sit.....steps....triple axel and he needed to work at that landing..triple
number 3.....spreadeagle....quad sal....sit spin change sit....comes around
the corner.....stpes along the diagonal....triple flip....triple
loop....stars into a sit spin....and scratch spin and he's done. Now. Very
good try says Simon. DIdn't have the buzz of Eldredge he thinks....he thinks
Todd has the bronze...and I tend to agree. the sal-toe was great...quadtoe
he was just late getting the free leg out....Frank Carroll in kiss and
cry....
marks...5.5-5.8...5.4-5.7...fifth across the board.

Plushy, Yags, Todd...which is how Chris called it.....he's gonna live off
that for months! Honda fifth Li 6th.....Li (C) Abt Sandhu Stojko round out
the top ten.