Warm-up Group 2
(The Eurosport broadcast began an hour after the short programme started, so obviously we missed quite a few skaters...)
Dmitri Dmitrenko (UKR) - 2axel, looked like he was going go go for the toe but didn't; 3lutz two-footed; changefoot sit; straight steps; 2axel; combo spin; circular steps; flying camel really flew. 3.5 to 4.4, 4.7 to 5.2, first to fourth, into the lead.
Michael Shmerkin (ISR) - 3axel fall out 2toe; steps into 3lutz landed forward, and a long wait after the steps; changefoot camel; straight steps didn't look that hard, but used well with the music; 2axel; death drop; good combo spin, fast and well-centred. Folk music, I should know the name of it but don't remember...3.6 to 4.1, 4.5 to 5.1, first to fourth, first overall.
Zoltan Toth (HUN) - Fall on 4toe, he got the rotation but couldn't get his feet uncrossed in time, his feet went up in the air and he fell really hard; changefoot sit; 3lutz; steps; flying camel; 2axel; combo spin; straight steps, fall; ...Shostakovich's Waltz 2 from Jazz Suite. 3.3 to 4.0, 4.2 to 4.8. I liked his skating but he seemed a little slow.
Konstantin Tupikov (UKR) - Dragonheart. Fall on 3axel, underrotated, 2toe; 3flip nicely integrated with the steps; changefoot sit; lovely straight steps, really light and flowing; 2axel; flying camel didn't fly; circular steps; combo spin. 3.7 to 4.4, 4.3 to 4.8. Ordinals from first to seventh, into second.
Silvio Smalun (GER) - Kodo, I have this piece on CD but I can't be bothered to look up the name of it...Messily popped axel, I think it was a double, put other foot down immediately; 3lutz, huge height; deathdrop; circular steps; 2axel; combo spin; cool serpentine steps with a split jump that just floated, besti squats, and loads of other bits and pieces, lots of unusual body positions; changefoot sit. He seems to be right over the toe on the spins, they're very dodgy-looking...4.0 to 4.5, 4.5 to 5.1. Five first places, three thirds, and a fourth.
Group 3
Konstantin Kostin (LAT) - Changefoot camel; 3axel2toe; steps into 3flutz, hands down, leaning badly in the air; flying sit, good height; circular steps; 2axel; straight steps, started by running down the ice; combo spin. Music was something quiet to start with, then Also Sprach Zarathustra, then the 1812 Overture, hmm...and he didn't really seem to use any of it. 4.0 to 5.0. 4.6 to 5.2, all firsts except one second.
Kristoffer Berntsson (SWE) - Smoke on the Water. 3axel stumbled out 2toe; steps into 3flip; flying camel; straight steps; changefoot sit; 2axel fell out; circular steps; combo spin. He has a good basic skating quality. 3.8 to 4.2, 4.4 to 4.8. fifth to eighth, into seventh.
Markus Leminen (FIN) - Gettysburg. Steps into 3lutz; death drop; 3axel hands down 2toe, landed at a standstill; changefoot sit, fast; straight steps; 2axel landed with arms folded; circular steps; combo spin, had a little trouble with the back part. Joanne Conway absolutely gushing over him, constantly calling him "beautiful". 4.4 to 5.1, 4.8 to 5.3. Six firsts, two seconds, one third.
Sergei Rylov (AZE) - La Traviata, nasty grey-green velour costume...3axel step/fall out 2toe; changefoot sit; steps into 3lutz, bit of a wait after the steps; straight steps; combo spin, pretty good; 2axel, easy; flying camel didn't fly; circular steps. 4.3 to 4.8, 4.6 to 5.3, first to fourth, third overall.
Frederic Dambier (FRA) - Music was apparently Last Temptation of Christ, it was G/P's Arabian music by Peter Gabriel. 3axel step out 3toe; steps into 3flip; combo spin, good, really well-centred; steps; 2axel, kind of dodgy in the air; kind of a death drop, but seemed to get length more than height; straight steps; changefoot sit, very good. 4.6 to 5.2, 4.9 to 5.3. Four firsts, others second down to fourth, but into the lead.
Vakhtang Murvanidze (GEO) - 3flip3toe; steps into 3lutz; death drop; 2axel; changefoot camel; circular steps used well with the music, but not many actual steps; straight steps, better; combo spin, well-centred. Wheee! Cool programme, and he has such charisma. 4.7 to 5.3, lots of boos and whistles, 5.1 to 5.4, yay! All firsts except two thirds.
Group 4
Sergei Davydov (BLR) - Australian Tango - 3axel3toe, fall out/hand down, the axel was perfect; 3lutz; combo spin, some travel; 2axel; flying camel; circular steps; changefoot sit. 4.8 to 5.3, 4.9 to 5.6, all firsts except a second, a third, and a fourth. He takes the lead.
Andrejs Vlascenko (GER) - 3axel2toe; 3lutz; flying back sit; circular steps; 2axel; combo spin; straight steps; changefoot sit. Tango music. He's looking really strong and confident. 5.1 to 5.4, 5.3 to 5.6, first place across the board, but into second overall.
Stephane Lambiel (SUI) - 3lutz3toe, gorgeous; good steps into 3flip; flying camel; circular steps; 2axel; changefoot sit, fast and good positions, but some travel; straight steps; fabulous combo spin, really interesting postions and very fast, and this time centred as well Commentators discussing Sergei Dobrin, but they couldn't remember his name... 4.8 to 5.4, 4.9 to 5.4, second to seventh, into third.
Alexei Kozlov (EST) - Toccata. 1axel; steps into 3lutz; flying back sit; serpentine steps with several spreadeagles; 2axel; changefoot camel, rather slow; circular steps; missed the entry to the combo spin, didn't make the first part of it and barely managed the back part. 3.6 to 4.2, 4.6 to 5.0, ninth to eighteenth, into tenth, thirteenth on the short.
Vitali Danilchenko (UKR) - Gypsy Passion (I hate this kind of music...) 2axel; 2lutz; flying camel; straight steps started a long way up the ice; 1axel; changefoot sit; circular steps, nice; combo spin. It's quite impressive how he still presented the programme well while making such a mess of the jumps...He didn't wait for his marks. 3.8 to 4.6, 4.7 to 5.3, didn't catch the ordinals, oops...
Robert Kazimir (SVK) - Texas Flood. Crowd clapping along to the music. 3axel, just held on, over the toe and at a standstill; combo spin; 3lutz3toe, screams from the crowd; steps into 3flip turned/stepped out, very close to the boards; Joanne complaining about the steps into the flip not being difficult enough, but seeing as he made it up on the spot I think is was pretty impressive!; changefoot something spin, I wasn't paying attention..;straight steps; flying back sit. 4.6 to 5.2, some boos and whistles, 4.9 to 5.4, second to ninth, sixth overall.
Group 5
Ivan Dinev (BUL) - That heart costume...Afro-Celt Sound System. 3toe; 3axel; death drop; 2flip2toe; combo spin, lots of travel; circular steps; straight steps; changefoot sit. 4.4 to 5.3, 4.9 to 5.4, third to tenth, into eighth.
Alexei Yagudin (RUS) - Revolution Etude. Fall on 4toe, completely off in the air; huge 3axel; butterfly into back sit; circular steps; 3lutz; changefoot sit; serpentine steps; combo spin. 5.3 to 5.5, 5.8s except for one 5.7 and one 5.9. First, of course.
Alexander Abt (RUS) - 3axel3toe, some trouble controlling the landing on the toe; 4toe two-footed; flying camel; nice circular steps, lots of interesting body positions; combo spin; 2axel; changefoot camel; straight steps, with lots of hops and jumps, used really well with the music. Huge cheer from the crowd, and he looks delighted. 5.2 to 5.5, the crowd aren't happy, 5.5 to 5.8, second from all but one judge.
Yevgeny Plushenko (RUS) - Bolero. 4toe3toe; 3axel; flying camel into donut; hip wiggling that had the crowd screaming; circular stpes, lots of noise from the crowd; 3lutz, not a great landing, a bit forward; combo spin; straight steps; changefoot sit. Massive roar from the crowd. He was just so strong, so confident, skated incredibly - but the programme itself has no meaningful choreography, and is much too frantic. 5.9s except for one 5.8, 5.9s and two 5.8s, the crowd didn't think they were high enough! Clearly into first.
Gheorghe Chiper (ROM) - American Beauty soundtrack. 3axel step/turn out 2toe; steps into 3lutz; flying camel; circular steps; 2axel stepped out immediately; changefoot sit; straight steps; combo spin. An unusual choice of music, and I really liked the programme. But he looked very nervous, which of course is completely understandable. I don't think he did too badly, considering. 4.1 to 4.7, 4.6 to 5.0, seventh to eighteenth, fourteenth on the short, twelfth overall.
Stanick Jeannette (FRA) - 3axel2toe, had trouble on the axel landing and fell out of the toe; 3lutz, just; butterfly into back sit; serpentine steps; 2axel; changefoot sit, with the back part first; circular steps; combo spin. Cool programme, and I really like the music, or maybe the lack of music...4.9 to 5.5, 5.5 to 5.7, second to fifth, fifth in the short, fourth overall.