Graceful for Gold, Part 1

The Ladies' competition is packed with potential champions, and with Yuna Kim missing, it is now time for Japan and Russia to have a skate off against each other. Thrilling, right?

• It is not an inspiring day for Gabrielle Daleman. From the costume to the failed combination and the over-rotated Flip, the Canadian seems to be struggling with her Avatar routine. She gets 48.82 points.

• Lanelle Gilleron-Corry (another new face) brings a bit more on the ice. With a lovely combination of two Triple Toeloops and a good Double Axel, the Frenchwoman gets a score of 49.41 points. P.S.: who else almost didn't recognize Brian Joubert with red hair?

• An original spin and perfect jumps will get Kexin Zhang the lead for now, but that choreography could have been delivered with a bit more heart. She gets 54.97 points. P.S.: Don't you want team China's Panda Bear caps?

• Kaetlyn Osmond recovers after the fall on the Triple Toeloop and what a recovery that is! Charming and cheerful, she simply rocks the ice, and makes Patrick Chan call her a 'sexy lady', which is quite a bonus. Her score: 55.18.

• "I'm a fighter," says Gracie Gold at the end of her program. Despite making the same mistake as Miss Osmond, the American has a slight advantage in matters of speed. Other than that, these two routines are really hard to separate. She gets 60.98 points.

• Now that's what I call paying attention to your music. Mae Berenice Meite is "Feeling Good" today and aces every single element. Her score: 58.51.

• Like a lot of other great skaters, Zijun Li seems tired. She completely missed the combination, speed was not at its best and thus presentation suffered as well. She gets 53.16 points. P.S.: Team China should take some lessons of cheering for themselves.

• Whoever it is we saw today, it was not Elizaveta Tuktamysheva. It was more like a twin sister who couldn't land jumps, and let that affect her presentation skills. So far, in the skate off, team Japan is winning and they haven't even skated yet. Elizaveta's score: 49.94.

• Your no. 1 rival failing can be a double-faced friend if you don't control your emotions. Fortunately for Adelina Sotnikova, she has decided a long time ago to prove to whomever, whenever and wherever that she is Russia's best skater. What more can I say? Another brilliant performance by Miss Sotnikova. She gets 67.13 points. P.S.: Just when you thought you'd seen all the crazy hats, Maxim Trankov brings a what-in-the-name-of-God-is-that kind of a hat to the party.

• Inexplicable things like Ashley Wagner falling on the Double Axel happen only in dramas, so at least the music was right. Her score: 59.77. P.S.: Forget Maxim Trankov, Jeremy Abbott's been replaced by a panda!

• Mao Asada doesn't let the failed Triple Axel mess up with her rhythm, but we're left hoping she had nailed it, especially since she's the only one who can do it. She gets 59.39 points. P.S.: Check out Daisuke Takashi's crazy (but sexy) moves.

• Perhaps Akiko Suzuki and Adelina Sotnikova have more in common than their initials - they both seem to shine when their rivals are down. Not that I'm complaining - Miss Suzuki's energy today was intoxicating. Her score: 66.56. P.S.: Really loving team Japan's crazy moves, too bad Daisuke had to slaughter them all :o.

So far, Japan and Russia are on the same page. True, Adelina is leading, but Akiko's performance was a statement on its own. I told you it would be thrilling!

For full results go to: http://www.isuresults.com/results/wtt2013/
To watch the competition, go to: http://livemanager.eurovision.edgesuite.net/isu/site/index.html