Warm-up Group 2
They didn't show us the first group, so I didn't see Beknazarova/Kocherzhenko, waaah! Oh, I'm so annoyed about that, they have a couple of cool moves in their FD, I really wanted to see them...
Anselmi/Pedrazzini (ITA) - La Strada. Straight steps OK, there's been a lot of side by side skating so far...dance spin looked rather laboured, Chris politely points out that they're ripping off one of R/K's programmes LOL...3.7 to 4.3, 4.1 to 4.7, first, two seconds.
Kovalova/Szurman (CZE) - Danse Macabre, yay! (It's one of my favourite pieces of music). A slow section of something else in the middle, then back to Danse Macabre, with a really cool split lift similar to the one W/L have at the end of their OD. The choreography didn't seem to bear much relation to the music...4.1 to 4.6, 4.3 to 4.7, first to third, into first place.
Freizer/Lukanin (AZE) - Desert Rose. Sbs twizzles were out of synch, I don't quite get why she has that fixed grin on her face, more sbs twizzles also not together, good rotational lift at the end. A pretty good programme, I thought they did a good job of catching the mood of the music (apart from the grin), but still I didn't find the choreography specific enough in relating to the music. 4.2 to 4.6, 4.5 to 4.8, two seconds but the rest are firsts.
Gudina/Beletsky (ISR) - Started off with the Perry Mason theme from Blues Brothers 2000, sbs twizzles very well timed, there seem to be quite a lot of lifts...some kind of blues now, sbs steps not as well together as the twizzles, now the music's Jumpin' Jack, and they don't really project the energy and crispness it requires. The slow blues section in the middle was the best part of the dance, it seemed to suit their style better than the other parts. 4.4 to 4.8, 4.5 to 5.0, first to third, first on the FD, into second overall. I haven't been paying too much attention up until this point, I was eating my dinner, but I should be able to concentrate better now...
Gebora/Visontai (HUN) - Xotica, Journey to the Heart, and something from the soundtrack of Tarzan. Really cool lift with her in a split and upside down with her arms round his waist, something closely resembling a spiral sequence, hmm...dance spin one of the best we've seen so far, sbs steps well together, another good dance spin, sbs twizzles lost unison a little. I enjoyed that, they really gave an impression of confidence and sureness. 4.2 to 4.7, 4.3 to 4.9, first to fourth, they dropped a place in the free dance and moved into third overall.
Group 3
Nowak/Kolasinski (POL) - The Godfather. Circular step sequence had lots of changes of hold, a really nice lift with lots of changes of position from him, and her upside-down, sbs twizzles pretty well synchronised, not perfect, another cool lift, this one rotational, he swings her round almost like an adagio pairs move, some hydroblading from him. I actually quite enjoyed that, yikes...they interpreted the music well and there were some interesting moves. 4.9 to 5.1, 5.1 to 5.3, first across the board. Her hair is really cool, don't much like the slicked-back look on him, though...
Ouabdelsselam/Delmas (FRA) - Lots of fringe on their costumes...Another jungle beat programme, I recognise the music, someone's skated to it and I can't remember who...might've been the Czechs at the JGPF, actually...Really cool lift (I konw I just keep saying "cool lift" and not describing them, sorry...), they look very strong, fast, and dynamic, the music is Kodo drums now, I think it's called Lion, Stojko used it in a SP, nice sbs steps but lost synch, good programme. 4.6 to 4.8, 4.8 to 5.1, second, with three third places.
Hugentobler/Hugentobler (SUI) - West Side Story *yawn*. Fab lift where he swings her round and up and down at the same time, good fast circular steps, sbs twizzles OK, bit of a stumble straight afterwards. It looked good at the start, fast and confident, but then trailed off a little, the choreography got sparser and they didn't skate it so well. He was limping as he got off the ice, and apparently he had to have injections to be able to skate, because of a problem with his knee. 4.6 to 5.1, 4.9 to 5.4, second, one judge had them in first and one in fourth.
Agogliato/Milo (ITA) - Aaargh! Blues for Klook, one of my all-time most hated pieces of music...They're really expressing it well, though. Bit of a stumble, sbs twizzles weren't very well together and were weak anyway, some different music now, that's a relief...she seems to have learnt her facial expressions from Babs. The first minute or so was really good, didn't think much of the rest. 4.6 to 4.8, 4.7 to 5.0, third to fifth, into fourth, a few whistles.
Humphreys/Baranov (GBR) - Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. Dance spin is more like a pair spin, catch-waist camel and then her in a catchfoot position, the crowd are starting to make some noise as the music speeds up, good rotational lift, lift with him in a spiral holding her underneath him, Wheee! That was great, a really good programme (very traditional), skated extremely well, and Marika's as fab as ever. 4.8 to 5.0, 4.8 to 5.2, second to sixth, they go into second, they've moved up a place, woohoo! A very well-deserved result for them :o)
Group 4
Delobel/Schoenfelder (FRA) - Good sbs twizzles, OMG another lift with him in a spiral and her underneath him, but she's upside-down and her head is like two inches from the ice, cool lift with her in a split and him in a besti-squat (I love besti-squats, especially in lifts), sbs steps with twizzles fairly well together, not perfect, another amazing lift at the end with her kind of doing a handstand on one of his legs...too many flappy bits on their costumes, especially his. I thought they captured the mood of the music really well, but once again the choreography just didn't relate to the music enough. 4.9 to 5.3, the crowd don't like it, 5.2 to 5.4, into first.
Winkler/Lohse (GER) - Gospel, still with those horrible yellow outfits. Sbs twizzles perfect, good circular step sequence, fabulous rotational lift to finish, with her wrapped round him in some impossible position. Chris loves it, hmm...I did enjoy it this time, but I still think they could've had something better... They did skate it very well. 5.2 to 5.6, 5.5 to 5.7, first across the board.
Navka/Kostomarov (RUS) - Elton John's Funeral for a Friend. Lots of lifts with fast, secure rotation and great positions and lines. I enjoyed the skating itself, but the programme didn't do much for me. 5.1 to 5.4, 5.3 to 5.6, second, one judge had them third.
Denkova/Staviyski (BUL) - Xotica, Journey to the Heart. Amazing lift at the end, with her practically bent in half backwards...um, no notes on specific moves other than that, I was too busy watching it, what a fab (and bizarre) programme! Wow...5.0 to 5.4, 5.2 to 5.6, second to fourth, into second but only third on the free, behind Navka/Kostomarov, hmm...
Grushina/Goncharov (UKR) - Gladiator. Sbs twizzles OK, he had a bit of a stumble later on, second set of sbs twizzles better. Either she has one of the worst wedgies I've ever seen, or she's wearing *really* skimpy pants - which is entirely possible, she never seems to have enough clothes on...Well, it was OK, their usual mix of too many lifts, lots of flailing, and OTT emoting. 5.3 to 5.5, 5.3 to 5.6, first (from the Ukrainian judge) to third, into second place.
Group 5
Fusar-Poli/Margaglio (ITA) - Romeo and Juliet. More new costumes, black and grey, with sequinned hearts...I *love* the circular step sequence. I'm liking this programme more ever time I see it, and they skated it superbly. 5.7 to 5.9, mostly 5.8s, 5.8 to 5.9.
Lobacheva/Averbukh (RUS) - Toccata. Sbs steps well together, both sets of sbs twizzles perfectly timed. Lots and lots of frantic whooshy twirling, blah...Commentators both gushing over them, hmm...Joanne's going on about how brilliantly they skated it. 5.6 to 5.7, 5.7 to 5.9, every judge has them second.
Anissina/Peizerat (FRA) - Beethoven's Last Night. Her dress is pale lilac and slightly less naked-with-toilet-paper looking than the previous one. Lost synch on the twizzles again. Huge, huge fall, both in a heap on the ice at a dead stop, took forever to get back into the programme, 5.2 to 5.6, some whistles from the crowd, er, what exactly were they expecting? 5.7 to 5.9, how the heck can you give a 5.9 for that? It wasn't a good programme in the first place, and that was one major splat...second to fourth, third on the free, but still in second overall, hmm...I'm so glad F-P/M have won, but I wish they could've done it on their own merits rather than because of A/P's mistake, I think they outskated them tonight anyway.
Drobiazko/Vanagas (LTU) - Tango, she has a new dress, black and red with sequins. I really wasn't paying that much attention to them, sorry, I'm still in shock...5.6s except for one 5.5, 5.6 to 5.8, fourth on a 5-4 split, hmm...
Chait/Sakhnovsky (ISR) - Variations by Andrew Lloyd-Webber Their speed is incredible, and I think they have the fastest rotation on the lifts of anyone. This programme is much better choreographed to the music than last year's FD. I still think they have way too much scampering and not enough skating, but I do like the crispness in their movements. "They're all literally knocking on the door" says Joanne of the fight for medals - literally? Is she sure? 5.3 to 5.7, 5.4 to 5.8, third to eighth, they stay in fifth place.