Crystal Skate

Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje are very close to accomplishing their lifelong dream of winning a Grand Prix Final. Starting the final on second, Madison Chock & Evan Bates can do little to prevent the Canadians' win, but they will try. Meanwhile, the Shibutanis are back up there with the top couples and will hope to remain in that position. Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron  are not just dancing to Mozart's Adagio from Concerto No. 23 , they've created a love story to go with it. It is complex by being both uplifting and heartbreaking. Their score: 100.91 . Overall: 162.39 . Is this podium a preview of the World Championships? Photograph: David Ramos/ Getty Images Europe It doesn't get closer to a ballroom atmosphere than Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani 's waltz. And perhaps that's a bit of a problem; the music doesn't really allow them to express any real emotions (unless you're counting the smiles glued to their faces like a Halloween...

Russia has never had a stronger line-up in the ladies' event than they have here. The first four places are all occupied by their skaters and it's not looking as though that will change. Enjoy it while you can because we're unlikely to see them all on the same ice again this season. But first, let's check with the United States. I will never get tired of Ashley Wagner 's Moulin Rouge . The story is an iconic tale about the ugly costs of beauty and luxury, and there is nobody who could tell it better than the eloquent American. She is virtually perfect on a technical level as well. Her score: 129.26 . Overall: 189.50 . Anna Pogorilaya 's Firebird  is entirely different than the American's routine, and it lacks the conviction we've seen before from the Russian. Her biggest technical error is the fall on the triple Salchow, but she also messes up her camel spin. She gets 118.95  points. Overall: 180.29 . The winners of the night Photograph: David R...

Last time we saw the pairs, Canada's Duhamel & Radford proved that they shouldn't be underestimated, not even when they're going up against Russian excellence. Sui & Han also proved that sometimes having a clean programme is all you need to get to the top. Will they manage to keep those standings after the free? Cheng Peng/Hao Zhang 's Alegretto  isn't really as cheerful as the name suggests; on the contrary, it is filled with angst, which they could express more. They're so much better than yesterday though with only two mistakes: in the side-by-side double Axels and in the side-by-side spins. Their score: 129.33 . Overall: 191.79 . The pairs' podium Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images Europe I wish Wenjing Sui/Cong Han 's choreography was more specific so that we could get a glimpse of the story behind Tchaikovski's Francesca da Rimini . The way they present the routine instead is by emphasizing the different nuances of the music ...

Last night left us with the bitter taste of disappointment as we watched Javier Fernandez crash under the pressure of competing on home ice for the first time. But it also gave us hope that the Olympic champion, Yuzuru Hanyu, has put behind him the collision that cost him not only one, but two Grand Prix wins. The results aren't cemented though; anything can happen in figure skating and there's never a better time for anything to happen than right now. Takahito Mura  starts the competition as the underdog, but you wouldn't know it from his performance. The only mistake is singling out the triple Loop. His interpretation of Phantom of the Opera  is quite dull though; he needs to express the desperation of his character a bit more. His score: 157.02 . Overall: 235.37 . The medalists Photograph: David Ramos/ Getty Images Europe Javier Fernandez  is visibly more relaxed than yesterday. Still, he's not quite able to convey the carefree feeling of The Barber of Sevi...

Finally, we have arrived to the short programme Barcelona has been waiting for most impatiently: the men's. All of Spain will place their bets on Javier Fernandez, who has never before skated on homeland against such powerful rivals. Will that help or deter his performance? We wish him, and all the other skaters, the best of luck. Yuzuru Hanyu  seems to have recovered from the accident that made him skate first here, at a competition where he would normally skate last. His music is a frantic piano ballad by Chopin, but he manages to express every single change in the music. He loses his axis on the triple Lutz though, which prevents him from aligning the Toeloop right, which is why he falls. His score: 94.08 . Sergei Voronov  has nerves of steel, which is why he seems unaffected by Hanyu's amazing performance. Still, you can tell he's being extra careful with every move because he's slower than usually, too slow to match the rapid pace of  Danse Macabre . He gets 84...

We kick off the second day of the Grand Prix Final with the ice dancers' first event - the short dance. The game hasn't changed much since last year, given that Canada and the United States are still the two main rivals, but the players are definitely new. Let's see if Chock/Bates and Weaver/Poje manage to continue with the legacy of Davis/White and Virtue/Moir. When you're skating with your sibling, you can't really present love stories, which is why Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani 's paso doble looks a bit colder than others. However, being limited means they have to work harder to find other ways to approach the music, which shows versatility. It also helps that they know the technicalities of the dance in and out. Their score: 63.90 . Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje are leading comfortably Photograph: Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images Asia Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron 's dance is much sexier, but also filled with errors: he stumbles during a t...

It's the ladies' turn to show us their short routines, and they are bound to give everything they've got tonight because the competition has perhaps never before been fiercer. We've only got one group here made up of the best ladies of the moment. The logic as to why they're not divided into two groups like the pair and dance skaters eludes me, but who am I to question ISU decisions? The first skater, Rika Hongo , wasn't supposed to come to Barcelona, but Gracie Gold's injury and consequential withdrawal propelled her upward. Despite that, there is no doubt she has the necessary skills to be at a Grand Prix Final. Her jumps are good if perhaps just a little flawed. Her score: 61.10 . Ashley Wagner  came here with nothing to lose, but perhaps that's not the perfect circumstance for her; perhaps that's why she steps out of the triple Flip, a mistake that shows more lack of concentration than anything else. She gets 60.24  points. Elizaveta Tuta...

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 accur...

After almost two full months of beautiful skating and shocking outcomes, the 2014 Grand Prix Series is finally drawing to a close. The host of the final is Spain's most visited city, a world-renowned centre of Hispanic art, music and sports: Barcelona (cue the triumphant trumpets). The city's cultural wealth is not the main reason it was picked to organise the Final though. The real reason was to celebrate Spain's newly formed relationship with figure skating, which has only recently acquired popularity on the Iberian Peninsula. Responsible for this popularity is Javier Fernandez, whose chances of getting on the podium are extremely high. Of course, ideally he would win the competition, but that's easier said than done when he has to beat an unbelievably determined Yuzuru Hanyu and a very ambitious Maxim Kovtun. Nothing is impossible though. Javier Fernandez, Spain's leading man in figure skating Photograph: Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images Europe Speaking of impo...

The results of the men's short programme were quite surprising. Not only did half the world gasp in surprise at Yuzuru Hanyu's score, but they were also amazed by Daisuke Murakami's astonishing debuting performance. Still, all hope is not lost for any of the skaters trying to get to the final as Murakami cannot qualify. Who will most certainly qualify though is Takahito Mura. Let's see who joins him. It's hard to watch Joshua Farris 's free skate. He entirely loses his focus after the fall on the quad Toeloop, so the only good jump is the triple Axel from the very beginning. This is one of those moments when the feel of the music ( Schindler's List ) matches the skater's own state of mind for all the wrong reasons. His score: 111.53 . Overall: 169.88 . Ross Miner from the USA Photograph: Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images Asia Ross Miner  fares better despite not being able to jump a quad either. His song is Romanza  by Andrea Boccelli, which gives him ...

Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford's supremacy in the pairs' event seems tough to interrupt, but Yuko Kavaguti/Alexander Smirnov are not famed for being the most lyrical pair for no reason. Let's see if they manage to get ahead and if Xiao Yu/Yang Jin are ready for their first Grand Prix Final ever. Dee Dee Leng/Simon Shnapir  never take their eyes off each other, which not only proves they have great chemistry, but also makes the presentation of Miss Saigon  more believable. They mess up every jump except the thrown triple Salchow. Their score: 92.33 . Overall: 138.24 . Mari Vartmann/Aaron van Cleave 's Concierto de Aranjuez  is lovely presented, but I'd love to see them push themselves a bit more and do some dance steps; this is Spanish music, after all. They have a couple of mistakes, mostly dodgy landings and lack of synchronicity. They get 96.67  points. Overall: 145.36 . See you in Barcelona! Photograph: Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images Asia Vera Bazarova/Andrei...

Last time we saw Yuzuru Hanyu, he got our attention for all the wrong reasons. Let's hope this time skating in his home country helps him get over the nasty incident in China, because if it doesn't, his own countryman, Takahito Mura, will hurry to snatch the lead from him. Jeremy Ten 's start of the competition is not pristine. He struggles with the triple Axel and falls on the triple Flip. His score: 65.81 . South Korea's Jim Seo Kim Photograph: Kevin Lee/Getty Images Asia From the hairdo to the name, Daisuke Murakami  is a look-alike of his more famous countryman, Daisuke Takahashi. His style though is not as well defined as Takahashi's, but he is perfect technically, and his future looks good. He gets 79.68  points. Whenever Ivan Righini  skates, we have a show on our hands. His Michael Jackson routine always gets the crowd going and rightly so. On a technical level though, he has a hand down on the triple Axel and one of the spins. His score: 70.27 ....

The ladies' event in Osaka might feel like a second-hand competition given that none of the superstars are skating here, but it shouldn't be undermined. This is going to be influential for the future of Japanese figure skating as it will help decide their next leading lady. Anne Line Gjersem 's rendition of Celine Dion's Fly  is simply beautiful. The choreography lacks detailed content, but she lands all the jumps cleanly. Her score: 49.09 . Norway's Anne Line Gjersem Photograph: Kevin Lee/Getty Images Asia Anna Ovcharova , who is Russian-born, made a clever choice when she opted to skate for Switzerland, a country which needs individual skaters as of late. She falls on the double Toeloop. She gets 45.83  points. Riona Kato , Japan's host pick, is one of those skaters who interprets with her body, but shows no emotion on her face. She also falls on the triple Flip. Her score: 50.87 . It's a shame, but I've learnt to expect bad programmes tech...

The NHK Trophy is the last event of the 2014 Grand Prix Series before the final. As such, it is also one of the most important. There are still 10 empty places for the final in Barcelona which will be filled by Sunday morning. So for a lot of the top skaters competing in Osaka, the goal isn't necessarily the gold medal, but any medal that might give them enough points to travel to Spain in two weeks' time. So let's see what everyone's odds are. The men have three places left for the final; just enough for the best three contenders here. Everyone's favourite, Yuzuru Hanyu, can't be stopped even by fate, as proved by his determination to skate with a bandaged head at Cup of China, so I'm willing to bet his Grand Prix story doesn't end in Japan. Sergei Voronov is another strong skater who doesn't give up easily. Thirdly, Takahito Mura defeated the European champion last time we saw him, and is very likely to meet him again in the Spaniard's home c...

Less than a point; that is the difference between two of Russia's most successful skaters: Elena Radionova and Julia Liptniskaia. With so little standing between them, they will both have to keep their wits about them if they want to win. More so as every mistake they make will be a boost forward for the magnificent Ashley Wagner. Laurine Lecavelier , the host's pick, is first to go. Her music is beautiful, but the interpretation lacks conviction. Technically, her biggest mistake is the fall on the double Toeloop, but there are lots of smaller mistakes too. Her score: 95.51 . Overall: 139.54 . Funny Girl  is a big theme for someone as new on the scene as Veronik Mallet  to perform flawlessly. I commend her, however, on her effort on choosing the costume and those tap dance moves from the step sequence. She gets 94.57  points. Overall: 139.64 . Giselle aka Haruka Imai Photograph: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images Europe Eliska Brezinova  is feeling better on Frenc...

Tonight's dance final will surely be a preview of the epic battles we'll witness in years to come, as all the top couples competing here have what it takes to become tomorrow's superstars. Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron might even achieve that status tonight if they manage to win the French Grand Prix. As for Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier versus Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue, their countries' rivalry has been taking figure skating to a new level for years now, and there's no reason for them not to continue the tradition. Rebeka Kim/Kirill Minov  are still too fresh on the senior stage to pull off that vital chemistry that have made other Phantom of the Opera  routines mind-blowing. They also have a mishap here as she falls out of the blue during a transition. Their score: 70.29 . Overall: 115.95 . I'm still waiting for Alexandra Paul/Mitchell Islam 's breakthrough moment. I used to think it might be brought about by more daring routines,...

It's time for the new Chinese pairs to make a name for themselves, or at least that's what the short programme results seem to imply. Wenjing Sui and Cong Han are very close to winning their second silver medal of the season, while Xuehan Wang and Lei Wang would also like another bronze-worthy performance after Cup of China. The gold is undoubtedly going to stay in the hands of Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov. Failed death spirals are a rare sight in figure skating, but unluckily for Miriam Ziegler/Severin Kiefer , they add one to their luggage of technical mistakes today. The fault lies with her as she loses her edge. Their score: 88.91 . Overall: 139.92 . Kirsten Moore-Towers/Michael Marinaro 's costumes are fabulous, depicting disintegrating chessboards. Only one mistake here, his hand down on the side-by-side triple Salchows. They get 108.06  points. Overall: 159.13 . Nicole della Monica/Matteo Guarise  have the same presentation problem as in the short. She is j...

After defeating the world champions merely two weeks ago, France's new ice dance couple, Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, are certain to win their first French Grand Prix gold in Bordeaux. The second and third places will most likely go to Canada and the US. Paso doble doesn't get more authentic than Sara Hurtado/Adria Diaz 's version. They know exactly what it is about, being from Spain and all, so it makes me wonder if his strange pants are how a toreador's pants should really look like. Their score: 57.64 . Alexandra Paul/Mitchell Islam  are amazingly fast, which makes their routine masterful and difficult. My only problem with them is that they do the same circular lift in every short programme. They get 55.17  points. Last time we saw Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri , they were close to disastrous. Their paso doble is much improved here, especially on the mirrored twizzles. Their score:  56.57 . Gilles & Poirier's gorgeous costumes Photog...

Tatsuki Machida is fresh off his Skate America victory, but Denis Ten and Maxim Kovtun have a lot to prove, so anything can happen in the men's event. Here we go: Adam Rippon  is much better today than he was at Skate Canada. Tuxedo Junction  suits him perfectly, offering him the chance to go wild without losing charm. Just one question: where is the tuxedo? His score: 76.98 . Denis Ten's Butterfly Photograph: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images Europe Chafik Besseghier  is using last season's short routine and it is still as brilliant as ever. The graffiti-ed costume is still a masterpiece and the breakdown dance moves are still impressive. He's flawless on a technical level as well. He gets 78.22  points. Konstantin Menshov 's Rotten Romance  has an air of desperation and angst about it that the Russian sells very well. His stamina must be incredible because there's not a single moment of rest in the choreography, but he doesn't look exhausted. His score...

Lipnitskaia and Radionova are as different as night and day, so this, their first direct confrontation of the season, is definitely exciting. Maria Artemieva  looks more experienced today than she did at Rostelecom. She can't do anything wrong here. Great start of the competition. Her score: 58.38 . From the yellow costume to the title of the music ( Butterflies Are Free ), everything announces an exceptional presentation by Anna Ovcharova . She doesn't fall far from our expectations, but her elements are not as sharp as they could be. She gets 50.15  points. Mae Berenice Meite 's short routine is just the right amount of delicate to balance the challenging bits. Delicate because of the gospel music, challenging because of the rhythm set by the drums. Her score: 57.61 . Latin music can be very difficult to express if you're a single skater because the elements don't give you enough space to explore the rhythm. However, Samantha Cesario  maintains the rapid p...

There wasn't a lot of groundbreaking action in the pairs' events at this Grand Prix, and the spell is unlikely to be broken in Bordeaux. Stolbova & Klimov have virtually no rivals, while the second and third places will certainly be occupied by someone who's never been on the Eric Bompard podium. But who exactly? Kirsten Moore-Towers/Michael Marinaro  start the competition with a visibly shakier Cell Block Tango than at Skate Canada. She falls on the thrown triple Loop, and he struggles with the exit of the second lift. Their score: 51.07 . Xuehan Wang/Lei Wang 's theme couldn't be vaguer. Their song title simply says: Romance. Overall, they are however better than the Americans because they have no technical errors. They get 63.25  points. Stolbova & Klimov's death spiral Photograph: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images Europe Miriam Ziegler/Severin Kiefer 's C'est pas l'amour  and Zydeko  couldn't be more appropriate for a French crowd...

The poster for the 2014 Trophee Eric Bompard looks like the cover of a best-selling novel. It's by far the most stylish poster of the Grand Prix series, and why shouldn't it be? France has always been the place where beauty and elegance thrive. Thus it's the perfect venue for a figure skating competition to be held in. The poster also boasts with 'the best skaters in the world', which might be a bit far fetched as the only World champions supposed to compete in Bordeaux, Cappellini and Lanotte, withdrew a week ago. But this is ice skating and 'best in the world' doesn't just mean World title holders. The Poster Photograph: International Skating Union The category that gets the closest to the advertised 'créme de la créme' is the ladies'. Julia Lipnitskaia and Elena Radionova are both competing here - yey, I'm getting my wish of seeing them face each other! Consequently, Ashley Wagner might be scowling at her lucky stars because it...

Madison Chock and Evan Bates have secured themselves a first place, it seems, but Elena Ilinykh and Ruslan Zhiganshin might just get a bust of energy from the crowd and move a step. The European bronze medalists, Penny Coomes and Nicholas Bucland, are on third. There are too many Phantom of the Opera  programmes for Rebeka Kim/Kirill Minov 's version to leave a mark. The lifts are not very difficult and the spins are really slow. Their score: 72.13 . Overall: 118.27 . The same argument can be brought about Kaitlin Hawayek/Jean-Luc Baker 's Romeo and Juliet . The difference is that the Americans don't go for the obvious songs, which makes the theme seem fresh. The speed and lifts are better too. They get 83.47  points. Overall: 136.33 . Chock/Bates are reaching higher than ever this season Photograph: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America In comparison, Alexandra Alridge/Daniel Eaton 's Gone with the Wind  has rarely been portrayed by skaters. However, th...

If Javier Fernandez and Sergei Voronov can keep up the pace they set themselves at yesterday, this final is going to be a battle of epic proportions. On third and fourth, Kozuka and Brezina are also fresh off their best performances this season and it would be a welcome change to see them continue in the same way. Ivan Righini  has excellent taste in music. After a Michael Jackson routine, today he skates to the music of another icon, Frank Sinatra. The ladies in the audience are more than enchanted, but the judges won't be pleased with his elements. His score: 125.33 . Overall: 195.07 . Artur Gachinski is still in a dry-spell Photograph: Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images Europe Stephen Carriere  is so expressive you get the impression he's not looking at the audience or the judges or the rink, but that he's living inside the story he's telling. Unluckily, there are so many errors from him today. He gets 129.04  points. Overall: 201.24 . Hallelujah  is a difficult...

There's a lot to be proud of in the pairs' event if you're Russian, or if your favourites are any of the top three pairs, for that matter. Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov are unlikely to move from their first place, as are E. Tarasova and V. Morozov from their second. Thirdly, K. Astakhova and A. Rogonov might just take a medal at their first senior competition. Maybe it's because they're a new pair, but Dee Dee Leng/Simon Shnapir 's routine is not ambitious at all - they attempt only a thrown double Loop. They also fall on the side-by-side triple Salchows, lose unison in the side-by-side spins and she puts the hand down on the thrown triple Salchow. The theme choice, Miss Saigon , was clever though because they couldn't look their parts better. Their score: 83.26 . Overall: 128.68 . It's not looking good for Narumi Takahashi/Ryuichi Kihara . Something has definitely happened in the past two seasons to her because she just can't land the side-by...