Warm-up Group 1.
Huc/Rolland (FRA) - 2tw; sbs 2axel she fell; throw3 sal; sbs camel-catchfoot-changesit, perfectly timed; lift; straight steps; death spiral; pair spin. High 3s, low 4s.
Zagorska/Siudek (POL) - 2tw, very high and light, caught her way before she landed; sbs 3toe; sbs spin perfect; throw 3salchow huge and clean; straight steps down centre of ice (I really like the way they go in opposite directions after the steps); pair spin; beautiful lift with one handed entry and changes of position; death spiral. Wonderful, beautiful, probably the best I've ever seen from them. 5.4 to 5.7, 5.5 to 5.7.
Bestandigova/Bestandig (SVK) - sbs 3toe, she two footed and spun out; 2tw; lift (star?) ; death spiral with straight body; sbs spins nicely timed except for exit; circular steps I think, it was hard to tell where the step sequence was; 2throw; pair spin. Her hair is actually yellow, with red bits on the ends. Hmm. I really like this pair, it's a pity they seem to be struggling this year. 3.6 to 4.0, 4.0 to 4.7.
Group 2.
Shklover/Mintals (EST) - 2tw; sbs3toe, she was underrotated and had to put a foot down; throw3salchow; sbs spins not together but not awful; that incredible lift with her perfectly straight; death spiral; fast pair spin. I love these two, the programme is fun (and I love the Gremlins music), but I would love to see them when they try something more "grown up". 3.6 to 4.3, 4.0 to 4.7. Everyone had them in second except the French judge, who put them fourth behind - the French.
Pang/Tong (CHN) - incredibly massive throw 3salchow; sbs 3toe she landed forwards on two feet; pair spin; extremely high 2tw; very low death spiral but without much arch; circular "dance" steps; lift; really messy sbs spins very far apart. I don't like the music, but I love the idea behind the programme, with a tango on ice. Why does she wear white tights? 4.4 to 5.0, 4.6 to 5.0. Crowd whistled the marks, I've no idea why.
Berankova/Dlabola (CZE) - sbs 3toe she put a hand down, fell on throw 3salchow, lovely lift with a huge split, missed the rest having problems with my computer. Still, I saw enough to know it wasn't good, a pity, as they look so stylish when the tricks are working. 4.3 to 4.7, 4.8 to 5.2. They are second. Hmm.
Group 3.
Abitbol/Bernadis (FRA) - sbs 3toe perfect; huge, light 2tw; throw 3loop, wonky landing but clean; star lift; the slightest of timing problems on the sbs spins; lovely straight line steps; very low death spiral; good pair spin. The crowd were screaming all the way through, and there weren't even any schoolkids shipped in this evening! I didn't think they were as good as the Poles, but I wouln't be too surprised if they placed ahead of them, skating later and with great support. 5.5 to 5.7, 5.5 to 5.9, 5.9 being from the Polish judge! The Canadian judge had them second. I don't think it's right, but I think it's more down to the draw than anything.
Schwarz/Mueller (GER) - 2tw she had her arms in the air when he caught her; sbs 3toe; throw 3salchow, lovely landing but I think she gave a little push with the free leg on takeoff; star lift; death spiral; pair spin; sbs spins fast and synchronised, of course, but seemed even faster than usual to me, almost unbelievably so. 5.4 to 5.6, 5.5 to 5.7, placing from first (Canadian judge) to third (from several judges) and placed second. Very hard on Zagorska and Siudek.
Sargeant/Wirtz (CAN) - sbs 3toe, she couldn't quite hold it and stepped out; 2tw small and laboured (not unusual for them of course); more fast, well-timed sbs spins; star lift also quite slow and laboured, messy on dismount; throw 3salchow just barely kept her free leg off the ice; pair spin; he splatted hard in the footwork (straight) caught his toe-pick and he was straight down. He nearly did a backwards roll!; lovely death spiral. 4.5 to 5.0, 5.1 to 5.4. Fourth and fifth places, slotted in fourth.
Danko/Emeljenenko (BLR) - sbs 3salchow she was underrotated, two footed, he spun out, foot down; small 2tw; very light and easy throw 3salchow, though again quite small; star lift; sbs spins well-timed; straight steps; death spiral low but rather ugly; pair spin. This pair is not at all well-matched. They are not bad skaters, but she can't be more than an inch or two shorter than him, and when they're skating she actually looks taller than him. She is very tall for pairs, but I don't think that would matter if she had a taller partner. 3.8 to 4.3, 3.9 to 4.5. The crowd were booing. They were booing practically all the marks, I can't work it out.
Group 4.
Obertas/Palamarchuk (UKR) - sbs 3toe she kind of hopped out; 2tw; throw 3salchow; sbs spins, fast and together until the last second or two; star lift; death spiral; pair spin. I think she's fabulous, I love her style on the ice, she's an absolute star. She also has great crispness in her moves, which really suited the Latin music they used. I don't know what to make of him - he just fades into the background so much, and I think to really make it to the top a pair need to look more equal. 4.9 to 5.1, 5.1 to 5.4. Fourth.
Shen/Zhao (CHN) - lovely position in the death spiral; perfect sbs 3toe; 2tw seems to me to be more delayed than ever!; huge, lovely throw 3salchow; sbs spins again fast and well-timed, they've clearly been working hard to improve them; lift; lovely pair spin. He still "chucks" her, but it's easy to forgive them that. 5.8 to 5.9, 5.7 to 5.8.
Totmianina/Marinin (RUS) - big 2tw; sbs3toe difficult landings but clean; star lift, I like the added touch of a little knee bend in the middle; throw 3loop; awful sbs spins, really badly off; death spiral; slow straight line steps; pair spin. 5.1 to 5.4, 5.2 to 5.5.
Kautz/Jeschke (GER) - sbs 3toe; 2tw; throw 3toe; star lift; death spiral; pair spin, interesting positions; sbs spins good. 4.4 to 5.0, 4.6 to 5.1. More whistles.
Group 5.
Zaharjeva/Salmonovs (LAT) - 2tw bad postition in the air, bent knees and legs apart; sbs2axel, she singled it; throw triple salchow, two-footed and turned out; sbs spin, mostly together; no-handed starlift; straight line steps; death spiral; pair spin. 3.4 to 4.1, 3.9 to 4.2. More boos and whistles.
Khalturina/Artyuchov (KAZ) - 2tw; sbs 3salchow, perfectly synchronised; star lift; very fast and well-syncronised sbs spins, especially impressive speed in the camels; death spiral, lovely position; circular step sequence, he fell and tripped her up, one big heap of a mess, skated round for ages to get up their speed again and into; throw triple salchow two footed; pair spin. They were smiling about it at the end! But they were doing so well up to that point, I was really impressed. Music was by Sviridov, the last part of Yagudin's free from 97-98, it was interesting to hear more of it. Judges took a long time to make their decision. 4.0 to 5.0, 4.8 to 5.4.
Scott/Dulebohn (USA) - sbs 3toe perfect; death spiral; 2tw; good sbs spin; star lift change to "swallow" type lift; throw 3salchow; pair spin; circular footwork. "But it was nothing special" says Chris, followed by comments about how close all the performances were this evening. "I think they'll be in fifth" "I think sixth" "You just want to be difficult, don't you?" "No, I want to be right!" LOL! 4.7 to 5.4, 4.7 to 5.4. Sixth. They are extremely unusual, a CW pair. I've certainly never seen one before, neither have the commentators.
Rodionova/Krukov (AZE) - sbs 3toe; 2tw; throw 3salchow; sbs spins lovely once again; lift; death spiral; straight steps; pair spin. 4.4 to 4.9, 4.6 to 5.2. Whistles again.
Group 6.
Ina/Zimmerman (USA) - sbs 3toe; 2tw; gorgeous throw 3salchow; very low death spiral; sbs spins not together, could be crucial for them; star lift, lovely position; pair spin including very good "Natalia" spin. Chris said death spiral was the best of the evening, but the footwork was a series of poses. 5.4 to 5.6, 5.4 to 5.8.
Petrova/Tikhonov (RUS) - sbs3toes perfect again; 2tw high and light; throw 3salchow; star lift; sbs spins perfect, though some have been faster this evening; death spiral; pair spin. "Another quandary for the judges" "They deserve it, eh?!" 5.6 to 5.9, 5.6 to 5.9. Boos and whistles - this time I can guess why, they placed second pushing the French into third.
Sale/Pelletier (CAN) - throw triple loop; sbs 3toe; floating 2tw, he caught her with her arms in the air; pair spin, another one with a "Natalia" position; sbs spins she totally messed up the entry; lovely lift with several changes of position; "flip around" entry into death spiral. Wonderful programme, beautiful choreography, I like it a lot better than Love Story. 5.5 to 5.8, 5.7 to 5.9. The American judge even had them first! No boos, so I'll do it instead. BOOO! This is so hard on the Poles.
Filonenko/Chestnikh (GEO) - sbs 3toe, she landed forward on two feet; 2tw; throw 3loop; star lift; straight steps; sbs spins, the sit parts were great but the camel in between was way off; death spiral; pair spin. 3.9 to 4.3, 4.2 to 4.5.