2014 European Championships - The Jumpers, Part 2
Sergei Voronov and Tomas Verner have returned in the spotlight when no one expected them to, but will they manage to keep up with Javier Fernandez, the skater who has already proved there is nothing he cannot do?
Chafik Besseghier's Passion of Christ is all over the place. In the first half of the programme, he misses every single jump, then recovers slightly in the last half. The story of his routine is not as obvious as it seems - there's no mention of Christ in the choreography and his Egyptian costume doesn't make much sense, at least at first glance. He earns 127.22 points. Overall: 198.07.
La vie en rose looks awfully blue for Florent Amodio. The only jump he managed to land perfectly was a Triple Salchow. Artistically, it is almost painful to see him trying to keep up a happy, carefree face. His score: 111.53. Overall: 190.13.
Jorik Hendrickx's Rhapsody comes in a warmer shade of blue than the Frenchman's, but it doesn't shine. His mistakes include a fallen Triple Axel and hands on the ice on both the Triple Axel and one of the Triple Lutzes. He earns 132.71 points. Overall: 205.92
Simple, but efficient, as Germans often are, Peter Liebers manages to end his long programme almost without mistake. He puts a hand down on the first Triple Axel, but executes a beautiful Quad Toeloop. His interpretation could use a bit more arm movement and less stiffness. The music is Who Wants to Live Forever. His score: 148.34. Overall: 225.76
It was high time Konstantin Menshov stepped into the spotlight. The 30-year-old's skate is flawless today on a technical level. Artistically, there are some great bits because he has very good body language, but they don't interact with the elements. If he could just merge both sides, his programmes would look a lot more complex. He earns 165.12 points. Overall: 237.24.
It's too late in Brian Joubert's career to change. He's the same charming skater who makes the girls scream and we still love him, but his insecurities and dizzying changes of coaches and routines still get the best of him. He seems happy with this performance, despite the double-footed Quad Toeloop. The new music is Joaquin Rodriguez's Concierto de Aranjuez. These are his last European Championships and it's quite clear by the roar of the crowd that he will be missed. His score: 148.66. Overall: 221.95.
Sergei Voronov must know that the best way of making a good first impression is wearing the right costume. His costume is not just right, but probably the most beautiful costume a male skater has ever worn. With two Quads to back him up, he 'tangos' like he has nothing to lose and the more he feels the music, the more his showmanship skills start to take over. He earns 167.04 points. Overall: 152.55.
Famous characters seem to be Javier Fernandez's signature roles. Last year, he won playing Charlie Chaplin, this year he'll surely win playing Peter Gunn. He keeps his reputation intact by jumping three quads, even though only one is landed perfectly. It's worth mentioning that his spins have got a lot better. His score: 175.55. Overall: 267.11.
Tomas Verner's comeback is short-lived. He starts well and lands a Quad Toeloop, but is back to jumping singles in no time. He also loses balance during the last spin and looks way too tired by the end of the programme. Artistically, this could have been amazing because tango selections fit him like a glove, but the technical errors weigh him down. He earns 140.15 points. Overall: 223.66.
Just when you thought Alexander Majorov was heading towards a breakthrough in preparation for next year's Europeans, which will be held in Sweden, he falls on the Quad Toeloop, first Triple Lutz and singles the second Triple Lutz. The music is the soundtrack of Nero, but there's barely any trace of the madness and grandeur of the Roman Emperor in the routine. His costume is slightly out of place as well in that it's simply made in the wrong fabric. His score: 122.85. Overall: 202.47.
Maxim Kovtun looks small when compared to his more experienced fellow countrymen. The first few jumps are singles and doubles, and out of the three quads planned, he only jumps one. This says a lot about how well he can handle pressure. Fortunately, he's got plenty of time to work on that. He earns 149.22 points. Overall: 232.37.
As sharp as any Sherlock Holmes, but less accurate, Michal Brezina misses the second Quad and the Bronze medal with it. He's got fantastic arm movements, mimicking the famous detective's puzzle-solving. His score: 154.16. Overall: 236.98.
There have definitely been two comebacks on the podium, but not exactly the ones we were expecting. Congratulations to Sergei Voronov on his silver medal and to Konstantin Menshov on his bronze and first European medal. As for Javier Fernandez, we Europeans feel very proud of having him as our champion for the second time in a row.
Chafik Besseghier's Passion of Christ is all over the place. In the first half of the programme, he misses every single jump, then recovers slightly in the last half. The story of his routine is not as obvious as it seems - there's no mention of Christ in the choreography and his Egyptian costume doesn't make much sense, at least at first glance. He earns 127.22 points. Overall: 198.07.
La vie en rose looks awfully blue for Florent Amodio. The only jump he managed to land perfectly was a Triple Salchow. Artistically, it is almost painful to see him trying to keep up a happy, carefree face. His score: 111.53. Overall: 190.13.
Jorik Hendrickx's Rhapsody comes in a warmer shade of blue than the Frenchman's, but it doesn't shine. His mistakes include a fallen Triple Axel and hands on the ice on both the Triple Axel and one of the Triple Lutzes. He earns 132.71 points. Overall: 205.92
Simple, but efficient, as Germans often are, Peter Liebers manages to end his long programme almost without mistake. He puts a hand down on the first Triple Axel, but executes a beautiful Quad Toeloop. His interpretation could use a bit more arm movement and less stiffness. The music is Who Wants to Live Forever. His score: 148.34. Overall: 225.76
It was high time Konstantin Menshov stepped into the spotlight. The 30-year-old's skate is flawless today on a technical level. Artistically, there are some great bits because he has very good body language, but they don't interact with the elements. If he could just merge both sides, his programmes would look a lot more complex. He earns 165.12 points. Overall: 237.24.
It's too late in Brian Joubert's career to change. He's the same charming skater who makes the girls scream and we still love him, but his insecurities and dizzying changes of coaches and routines still get the best of him. He seems happy with this performance, despite the double-footed Quad Toeloop. The new music is Joaquin Rodriguez's Concierto de Aranjuez. These are his last European Championships and it's quite clear by the roar of the crowd that he will be missed. His score: 148.66. Overall: 221.95.
Sergei Voronov must know that the best way of making a good first impression is wearing the right costume. His costume is not just right, but probably the most beautiful costume a male skater has ever worn. With two Quads to back him up, he 'tangos' like he has nothing to lose and the more he feels the music, the more his showmanship skills start to take over. He earns 167.04 points. Overall: 152.55.
Famous characters seem to be Javier Fernandez's signature roles. Last year, he won playing Charlie Chaplin, this year he'll surely win playing Peter Gunn. He keeps his reputation intact by jumping three quads, even though only one is landed perfectly. It's worth mentioning that his spins have got a lot better. His score: 175.55. Overall: 267.11.
Tomas Verner's comeback is short-lived. He starts well and lands a Quad Toeloop, but is back to jumping singles in no time. He also loses balance during the last spin and looks way too tired by the end of the programme. Artistically, this could have been amazing because tango selections fit him like a glove, but the technical errors weigh him down. He earns 140.15 points. Overall: 223.66.
Just when you thought Alexander Majorov was heading towards a breakthrough in preparation for next year's Europeans, which will be held in Sweden, he falls on the Quad Toeloop, first Triple Lutz and singles the second Triple Lutz. The music is the soundtrack of Nero, but there's barely any trace of the madness and grandeur of the Roman Emperor in the routine. His costume is slightly out of place as well in that it's simply made in the wrong fabric. His score: 122.85. Overall: 202.47.
Maxim Kovtun looks small when compared to his more experienced fellow countrymen. The first few jumps are singles and doubles, and out of the three quads planned, he only jumps one. This says a lot about how well he can handle pressure. Fortunately, he's got plenty of time to work on that. He earns 149.22 points. Overall: 232.37.As sharp as any Sherlock Holmes, but less accurate, Michal Brezina misses the second Quad and the Bronze medal with it. He's got fantastic arm movements, mimicking the famous detective's puzzle-solving. His score: 154.16. Overall: 236.98.
There have definitely been two comebacks on the podium, but not exactly the ones we were expecting. Congratulations to Sergei Voronov on his silver medal and to Konstantin Menshov on his bronze and first European medal. As for Javier Fernandez, we Europeans feel very proud of having him as our champion for the second time in a row.
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