European Championships 2015 - The Ladies, Chapter 1
The second day of the 2015 European Figure Skating Championships is upon us. First off are the ladies with their short programme. Needless to say that the battle for the gold will be between Elizaveta Tuktamysheva and Elena Radionova. It's going to be interesting to see what these two ambitious, incredibly talented skaters can do in Stockholm.
Haven't you missed Kiira Korpi? This gracious lady used to be one of the best European skaters before she got injured and had to skip an entire season. You can tell figure skating fans missed her too because they cheer as loudly as they can as soon as she steps on the ice. She puts a hand down on the double Axel, but otherwise this is a very good comeback. Her score: 60.60.
Natalia Popova always presents her music with a smile, no matter what the story is. That doesn't help with her presentation because she doesn't express the emotion of Concierto de Aranjuez, which is a rather sad piece of music. On a technical level, she over-rotates the double Axel. She gets 49.21 points.
Although she's been around senior ice for quite a while, this is the first time Anna Pogorilaya is participating at the Europeans due to the age limit (she's only turned 16 this year). Her debut is fantastic, technically flawless and incredibly lyrical. Her score: 66.10.
Pogorilaya's routine is a tough act to follow, but Elizaveta Tuktamysheva is no longer intimidated by her rivals' performances. She doesn't go for the triple Axel, which she can land in practice, but then she doesn't need to as every jump she attempts is a success. Bolero by Maurice Ravel fits her strong personality very well. She gets 69.02 points.
Joshi Helgesson is only here because her country is hosting the Europeans, but you shouldn't let that fool you. She's a star in Sweden and well known on the international ice. She chose a cover of Paul McCartney's Blackbird which catches your attention from the start and fits her trademark style: catchy, modern, but sophisticated. She makes no mistakes whatsoever. Her score: 59.55.
Mae Berenice Meite is the first skater I remember to have skated on gospel music. The songs are Hosanna, The Groove You Liked and Freedom. Now these three songs are so different that I'm having a hard time picking on the theme she went with. It almost feels like she's doing three different routines at once. My favourite part is the last one, the alert bit, because I think that style suits her best. She puts a hand down on the triple Lutz. She gets 55.84 points.
You can tell how much Elena Radionova loves Pepe Romero's De mi vera te fuiste by the way she mouths the words and simply lets the music drive her. She is nothing short of phenomenal today. The transition into her double Axel might just be the most difficult transition we've ever seen. The crowd is ecstatic. Her score: 70.46.
How very appropriate for Viktoria Helgesson, Sweden's national champion, to end the short programme. She is one of the most elegant ladies out there, and this is the first time she skated This Woman's Work perfectly this season. The only thing that disappoints me when it comes to her is the way she sometimes pulls back from the big jumps, like she does today when she jumps a double Toeloop instead of a triple. She gets 60.37 points.
Elena Radionova barely takes the lead from Elizaveta Tuktamysheva today, while Anna Pogorilaya is hot on their tracks. Kiira Korpi takes the fourth place and Viktoria Helgesson, the fifth. Stay tuned for the final.
 |
| Anna Pogorilaya's Adagio is in a class of its own Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images Europe |
Natalia Popova always presents her music with a smile, no matter what the story is. That doesn't help with her presentation because she doesn't express the emotion of Concierto de Aranjuez, which is a rather sad piece of music. On a technical level, she over-rotates the double Axel. She gets 49.21 points.
Although she's been around senior ice for quite a while, this is the first time Anna Pogorilaya is participating at the Europeans due to the age limit (she's only turned 16 this year). Her debut is fantastic, technically flawless and incredibly lyrical. Her score: 66.10.
Pogorilaya's routine is a tough act to follow, but Elizaveta Tuktamysheva is no longer intimidated by her rivals' performances. She doesn't go for the triple Axel, which she can land in practice, but then she doesn't need to as every jump she attempts is a success. Bolero by Maurice Ravel fits her strong personality very well. She gets 69.02 points.
Joshi Helgesson is only here because her country is hosting the Europeans, but you shouldn't let that fool you. She's a star in Sweden and well known on the international ice. She chose a cover of Paul McCartney's Blackbird which catches your attention from the start and fits her trademark style: catchy, modern, but sophisticated. She makes no mistakes whatsoever. Her score: 59.55.
 |
| Young, but feisty, Elena Radionova finishes on first place Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images Europe |
You can tell how much Elena Radionova loves Pepe Romero's De mi vera te fuiste by the way she mouths the words and simply lets the music drive her. She is nothing short of phenomenal today. The transition into her double Axel might just be the most difficult transition we've ever seen. The crowd is ecstatic. Her score: 70.46.
How very appropriate for Viktoria Helgesson, Sweden's national champion, to end the short programme. She is one of the most elegant ladies out there, and this is the first time she skated This Woman's Work perfectly this season. The only thing that disappoints me when it comes to her is the way she sometimes pulls back from the big jumps, like she does today when she jumps a double Toeloop instead of a triple. She gets 60.37 points.
Elena Radionova barely takes the lead from Elizaveta Tuktamysheva today, while Anna Pogorilaya is hot on their tracks. Kiira Korpi takes the fourth place and Viktoria Helgesson, the fifth. Stay tuned for the final.
o wow, Lena broke the 70 points O_____O
ReplyDelete