Crystal Skate

PAIRS With another failed lift and a couple of dodgy jumps, Margaret Purdy & Michael Marinaro 's Casablanca routine failed to impress. Their score: 91.89 . Overall: 131.39 Paige Lawrence & Rudi Swiegers had a couple of mistakes (she fell on the Triple Toeloop; they both singled the Double Axel combination), but nothing too disastrous. In terms of presentation, they could have sold that epic music a bit better. They got 106.88  points. Overall: 159.82 Mari Vartmann & Aaron Van Cleave 's jumps were a nightmare today (both the side-by-side and the thrown), which is probably why the interpretation was next to nonexistent. The side-by-side spins were also out of sync and quite slow. Their score: 94.51 . Overall: 149.59 Wenjing Sui & Han Cong premiered a Quad Twist today. Although Kalinka  seems an unusual choice for a Chinese couple, they presented it very well. The costumes were adorable. The only mistake was her fall at the end of the Axel. They got 124.75

LADIES Veronik Mallet might be a new-face, but she's already got the grace of an experienced skater. Gorgeous costume and a good skate. It was such a shame that she fell on the Triple Flip. Her score: 50.71 . An original spin position gave Courtney Hick 's Soul Surfer  programme a bust after she doubled both the Toeloop and the Lutz. She received 50.70 points. Canada's star, Kaetlyn Osmond , might have had the groove, but she lost focus on the Double Axel. Kudos for the white gloves! Her score: 60.32 . Natalia Popova  finished a flawless programme, showcasing that Ukrainian skating talent we've been missing for a while now. She earned 52.36 points. What a performance for Amelie Lacoste ! She started with an amazing combination of Triple and Double Loop, and kept getting better and better. The Double Axel in particular was perfect. Enjoyable presentation as well. Her score: 59.13 . Christina Gao 's programme sure touched some hearts tonight. It was cla

The Joe Luis Arena might not have been blessed with the roar coming from a full ice-rink, but that didn't stop skaters from starting the Grand Prix 'marathon' at full speed. Here are the highlights of the first grand prix competition. MEN Tatsuki Machida   was the surprise of the event. Skating on the soundtrack of East of Eden , a 1955 film starring James Dean, he plummeted to the top after a flawless programme in the short, defeating his two more experienced countrymen, both of whom were favourites for the podium. The long programme featured Igor Stravinski's Firebird  and a tacky costume, but was otherwise delivered beautifully. His score: 91.18 (Short Programme), 174.20  (Long Programme), 265.38  (Overall). Jason Brown 's astonishment when he saw his SP score proves just how much talent this 19-year old has. He skated on Prince's The Question of U  and managed to finish the short on second place despite lacking a quadruple jump. Unfortunately, his fail

When Tatiana Volosozhar joined Maxim Trankov, Aljona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy decided they were no longer going to train together with her. That decision previewed just how good Volosozhar and Trankov were going to be and shows that Savchenko always knew the day would come when both couples would become favourites for the Olympic gold. Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov  - by defeating the Germans both in the World and European Championships last year, they take the lead, at least for now. They've been showing us amazing concepts ever since their debut in 2010/2011, and this year won't be different. Their short programme music is called Waltz Masquerade  by Aram Khachaturian ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCoLUMURunQ ). Having already seen it in action at Nebelhorn Trophy, I can say it is absolutely fabulous. Doesn't Trankov look dashing in that uniform? The long programme is even more intricate: Jesus Christ Superstar  by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Aliona Savchenko