Rostelecom Cup 2014 - Men's Free Skate
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.
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 song to interpret because of what it's about, but Jeremy Ten does alright with it. On a technical level, he falls on the quad Toeloop, steps out of the triple Loop and double-foots the double Flip. His score: 124.59. Overall: 198.50.
Artur Gachinski is more than qualified to take the lead from Carriere, but with a performance like this, he won't hold onto it for long. It's ironic really because when he goes out he looks so determined like he's ready to take the whole world on. And then he starts skating and you realise that his confidence is just a mask. He gets 127.13 points. Overall: 201.26.
I've not noticed before the braid in Jason Brown's hair. It shows commitment to the theme and attention to details. He aces almost all the jumps here (only error is a double-footed landing). His presentation skill make one pray that he starts jumping quads soon because without them he can't compete with the big guns. His score: 159.24. Overall: 235.56.
The Gladiator suits Max Aaron better than his short programme, but his costume is a lame version of a fake armour. I suggest he looks at Brian Joubert to see what a gladiator costume should look like. He doubles out both quads and steps out of the triple Loops. He gets 135.51 points. Overall: 212.60.
Misha Ge's Umbrellas of Cherbourg is fabulous. He is technically flawless, and artistically, there is no way he can ever under-perform. His score: 158.36. Overall: 238.05.
Finally! Michal Brezina is artistically impeccable on Mozart's Marriage of Figaro. He bows to the judges, he sends kisses to the audience, and in the end everyone loves him. Technically too, he is far better than earlier this season. He falls on the second quad, but he does land it. He gets 160.34 points. Overall: 241.23.
Takahiko Kozuka cracks under pressure, I'm afraid. He loses his concentration after the first failures and when he gets it back, it's too late. All in all, his routine is not as impressive as the Czech's today. He gets 135.42 points. Overall: 216.80.
Sergei Voronov almost loses his strong-as-iron concentration, but the crowd gets him back in the game. His jumps are virtually clean and artistically, he knows how to work an audience. His score: 161.67. Overall: 252.00.
Javier Fernandez is back (not that he ever went anywhere)! Sure, his jumps are not the smoothest, but he lands two quads and his interpretation is spot on. It's better than what he did at Skate Canada. He gets 171.09 points. Overall: 265.01.
An epic battle it was. Javier Fernandez redeems himself for the mishap at Skate Canada, with his first Grand Prix gold medal of the season. Sergei Voronov finishes second and, after a brilliant performance, Michal Brezina snatches the bronze medal. Congratulations to all three of them!
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.
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| Artur Gachinski is still in a dry-spell Photograph: Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images Europe |
Hallelujah is a difficult song to interpret because of what it's about, but Jeremy Ten does alright with it. On a technical level, he falls on the quad Toeloop, steps out of the triple Loop and double-foots the double Flip. His score: 124.59. Overall: 198.50.
Artur Gachinski is more than qualified to take the lead from Carriere, but with a performance like this, he won't hold onto it for long. It's ironic really because when he goes out he looks so determined like he's ready to take the whole world on. And then he starts skating and you realise that his confidence is just a mask. He gets 127.13 points. Overall: 201.26.
I've not noticed before the braid in Jason Brown's hair. It shows commitment to the theme and attention to details. He aces almost all the jumps here (only error is a double-footed landing). His presentation skill make one pray that he starts jumping quads soon because without them he can't compete with the big guns. His score: 159.24. Overall: 235.56.
The Gladiator suits Max Aaron better than his short programme, but his costume is a lame version of a fake armour. I suggest he looks at Brian Joubert to see what a gladiator costume should look like. He doubles out both quads and steps out of the triple Loops. He gets 135.51 points. Overall: 212.60.
Misha Ge's Umbrellas of Cherbourg is fabulous. He is technically flawless, and artistically, there is no way he can ever under-perform. His score: 158.36. Overall: 238.05.
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| Javier Fernandez's Black Betty Photograph; Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images Europe |
Finally! Michal Brezina is artistically impeccable on Mozart's Marriage of Figaro. He bows to the judges, he sends kisses to the audience, and in the end everyone loves him. Technically too, he is far better than earlier this season. He falls on the second quad, but he does land it. He gets 160.34 points. Overall: 241.23.
Takahiko Kozuka cracks under pressure, I'm afraid. He loses his concentration after the first failures and when he gets it back, it's too late. All in all, his routine is not as impressive as the Czech's today. He gets 135.42 points. Overall: 216.80.
Sergei Voronov almost loses his strong-as-iron concentration, but the crowd gets him back in the game. His jumps are virtually clean and artistically, he knows how to work an audience. His score: 161.67. Overall: 252.00.
Javier Fernandez is back (not that he ever went anywhere)! Sure, his jumps are not the smoothest, but he lands two quads and his interpretation is spot on. It's better than what he did at Skate Canada. He gets 171.09 points. Overall: 265.01.
An epic battle it was. Javier Fernandez redeems himself for the mishap at Skate Canada, with his first Grand Prix gold medal of the season. Sergei Voronov finishes second and, after a brilliant performance, Michal Brezina snatches the bronze medal. Congratulations to all three of them!
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