Cup of China 2015 - The Italians Are Back (Free Dance)

The free dance of the Cup of the China 2015 starts with a withdrawal: Kaitlin Hawayek/Jean-Luc Baker from the United States have had to call it quits. In their absence, there is an opportunity for Testa/Csolley to make a lasting impression, although given that the Americans were never threatening the podium, the Slovaks can't possibly get a medal.

Shiyue Wang/Xinyu Liu are first to skate. This is the second time I see their Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon routine, and I still really like it. You can tell they're more comfortable doing something culturally relevant than the Ravensburg waltz. The twizzles are out of sync though. Their score: 76.09. Overall: 126.73.

Federica Testa/Lucas Csolley's Malena seems really long, but not in a bad way. The medley of songs make the routine complex and tell the full story from the merry beginning to the tragic end. They get 82.27 points. Overall: 136.17.

Elena Ilinkyh/Ruslan Zhiganshin's costumes are great. You can instantly recognise Frida. I will say though that his could be better than just a black top and a pair of pants (even with the painting on the back). The combined lift takes too long because he struggles with the position. With practice, they should be alright next time. Their score: 95.46. Overall: 159.00.

It's a love story that Madison Chock/Evan Bates tell here in the Capital Gymnasium. Concerto No. 2 Adagio by Rachmaninoff has an air of '50s sophistication to it that really suits them. Much better on the twizzles than yesterday. They get 103.80 points. Overall: 169.16.

Did you know Anna Cappellini/Luca Lanotte collided yesterday during the warm-up? Not that it showed in the short dance, and it definitely doesn't show today. I absolutely love their daring, super-high straight-line lift. Their score: 106.91. Overall: 173.30.

It's official - the Italians are back! And if they're not, they're coming. Congratulations to Anna and Luca for their long-awaited gold medal, congratulations to Madison and Evan for their silver, and congratulations to Elena and Ruslan for getting the bronze.

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