Grand Prix Final 2014 - Pairs' Short Programme
Tonight is a big night for Barcelona, as it hosts its first ever Grand Prix Final of figure skating. Let's hope it will help inspire some of the younger spectators to take up this beautiful sport. Surely that's something Spain wishes to achieve this weekend in the hope that they can continue on the successful path set by Javier Fernandez.
The first event of the Final is the short programme of the pairs. The favourites here are Stolbova & Klimov, but every single one of the six couples have plenty to offer, and they will give their best to get as close to that most-desired gold medal as they can. Good luck to them all.
It's not easy being first, especially at an event of such magnitude, but Xiaoyu Yu/Yang Jin keep their nerves under control. The only mistake is in the side-by-side spins, which are not in sync. Presentation-wise, they look dressed for an opera or a ballroom rather than for a tribal piece, so maybe they should consider making their costumes more accurate. Their score: 62.71.
The crowd loves Wenjing Sui/Cong Han's Stray Cat Strut from the start. The way they dance to the song it's not something a lot of pair skaters do because they're too focused on the elements, so it deserves a shout-out. She puts her hand down on the side-by-side Triple Toeloop. They get 66.66 points.
What makes Cheng Peng/Hao Zhang such a good match is the way they silently communicate after each element to check everything is alright. Their routine, set to Arabian Dance by Tchaikovski, is more refined than anything we've seen so far tonight. Unfortunately, that won't help them this time because they're the first to have a major error: her fall on the side-by-side triple Toeloops. Their score: 62.46.
Yuko Kavaguti/Alexander Smirnov are known to falter under pressure, and they do so here. She falls on both jumps, which is a crying shame because they've just got back from the rut they've been into for the past few seasons. Their death spiral is impressive and somewhat scary as her face gets perhaps two inches away from the ice. They get 55.97 points.
The Canadian fans are so organised, they have their own conductor leading the cheers for Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford. The effort is worthwhile because Meagan and Eric skate without a single mistake on Un peu plus haut by Ginette Reno. Their score: 74.50.
If there's one thing Ksenia Stolbova/Fedor Klimov have borrowed from their Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon characters is the ability to focus in stressful situations. Add that to how difficult it is to skate to nothing but drums, and you can see why these two haven't lost a single competition this season. They get 72.33 points.
All the thought put into the Canadian supporters' cheering has definitely been rewarded by Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, who unexpectedly take the lead. Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov have to settle for the second position, while Wenjing Sui and Cong Han must be ecstatic to land a third place. Don't miss the final.
The first event of the Final is the short programme of the pairs. The favourites here are Stolbova & Klimov, but every single one of the six couples have plenty to offer, and they will give their best to get as close to that most-desired gold medal as they can. Good luck to them all.
It's not easy being first, especially at an event of such magnitude, but Xiaoyu Yu/Yang Jin keep their nerves under control. The only mistake is in the side-by-side spins, which are not in sync. Presentation-wise, they look dressed for an opera or a ballroom rather than for a tribal piece, so maybe they should consider making their costumes more accurate. Their score: 62.71.
The crowd loves Wenjing Sui/Cong Han's Stray Cat Strut from the start. The way they dance to the song it's not something a lot of pair skaters do because they're too focused on the elements, so it deserves a shout-out. She puts her hand down on the side-by-side Triple Toeloop. They get 66.66 points.
What makes Cheng Peng/Hao Zhang such a good match is the way they silently communicate after each element to check everything is alright. Their routine, set to Arabian Dance by Tchaikovski, is more refined than anything we've seen so far tonight. Unfortunately, that won't help them this time because they're the first to have a major error: her fall on the side-by-side triple Toeloops. Their score: 62.46.
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| Meagan Duhamel and Eric Redford's deathspiral Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images Europe |
The Canadian fans are so organised, they have their own conductor leading the cheers for Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford. The effort is worthwhile because Meagan and Eric skate without a single mistake on Un peu plus haut by Ginette Reno. Their score: 74.50.
If there's one thing Ksenia Stolbova/Fedor Klimov have borrowed from their Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon characters is the ability to focus in stressful situations. Add that to how difficult it is to skate to nothing but drums, and you can see why these two haven't lost a single competition this season. They get 72.33 points.
All the thought put into the Canadian supporters' cheering has definitely been rewarded by Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, who unexpectedly take the lead. Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov have to settle for the second position, while Wenjing Sui and Cong Han must be ecstatic to land a third place. Don't miss the final.
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