Crystal Skate

The ice dance competition has seen some unexpected and quite unpleasant drama after the short programme. So if you're wondering why Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte are suddenly second when you saw them finish first, here's what's happened: the judges spotted an extra element in their routine (the transition out of the straight-line lift was classified as a rotational lift), causing them to lose one point and drop to second place. I'm sure a lot of us are not happy about how this whole affair was handled, but what's done it's done. Better to focus on the present. The first couple I'll have a look at are Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin . Their combination spin is exquisite - very cool, original poses and a breathtaking transition into it. Their entrances into their lifts are also very sudden, but the dance-hold sections are not as smooth. Their score: 98.76 . Overall: 166.93 . Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri  remind us how dangerous this sport can be even i...

The men's final promises to be a repeat performance of last season's Europeans if we're to judge it merely by the top three men after the short programme - the same top three men as in Bratislava. Will Javier Fernandez, Maxim Kovtun and Alexei Bychenko all manage to keep their medals from last season? I'll start with Moris Kvitelashvili , who has three quads in his routine, but steps out of the Toeloop one. He also steps out of the Loop, and struggles to match his transitions to the pace of the music. That being said, he's got an amazing jumping technique. His score: 161.35 . Overall: 238.20 . I always look forward to Chafik Besseghier 's routines because he's able to express a wide range of genres. It's epic music today and no mistakes, although he has to save a couple of jumps. Some of his spins are not that great - a bit of travelling, a bit of bent knee. He gets 151.40  points. Overall: 227.59 . The host's Michal Brezina doesn't manag...

The men were the last to present their short programmes in Ostrava. Much like in the ladies' event, the surprises were not at the top, but just a couple of places below. Javier Fernandez  proved once more than he can get himself out of every kind of awkward landing, after he saved an incredibly low quad Toeloop, and still jumped a perfect triple after. The Spanish seem to have an extensive repertoire of hand movements in their traditional dances, and Javier must have made use of all of them in the transitions of Malaguena . His score: 104.25 . Javier Fernandez's transitions were the best of the day I knew it was odd that Maxim Kovtun  wasn't Russia's front-runner, and he proved me right today. He finally ended a programme without a flaw this season. His low spins are not some of the best out there, but he had an awesome variation on the flying camel spin. The comedy of Hazmat Modine's Bahamut  came out in the gestures. He earned 94.53  points. Alexei Byche...

These European Championships have turned out to be more surprising than anyone expected. With so many twists and turns in pairs and ice dance, the ladies' final feels like a breather. Then again, who knows what this evening could bring? You never do with figure skating. I'll start with Emmi Peltonen , Finland's national champion. She skates to Papa Can You Hear Me , and makes great use of her arms and body to express emotion in the transitions. Only mistake is stepping out of the triple Loop. Her score: 107.05 . Overall: 160.57 . Russia's Maria Sotskova Helery Halvin  can't seem to be able to connect with Celine Dion's I Surrender , which results in a rather stiff interpretation. Perhaps the mistakes are to blame - first Lutz is double-footed, she falls on the second, then falls again on the triple Toeloop. Her spins are quite simple although they have some nice touches. She gets 94.96  points. Overall: 146.68 . Kerstin Frank  doesn't manage t...

There is a saying about some eggs and a basket that basically means no one can have everything at the same time. It seemed to apply to France today after the one French team we were all sure of, suddenly dropped to third place. So what happened? First of all, let's take a look at the leaders. Anna Cappellini/Luca Lanotte  are one of the closest couples on ice, and they used that and their chemistry to tie the story together in their transitions. I felt like I was watching this routine for the first time, maybe because of the new lift - liked the old one better. Still, phenomenal skate from them, which got them 76.65  points. Ekaterina Bobrova/Dmitri Soloviev  finished on second with a much sexier routine than that of the Italians. I really like how they seem to have studied jazz dance to add authenticity to their arm movements not just in the step sequence, but throughout the routine. Their score: 76.18 . Alright, so what happened that made Gabriella Papadakis/Guill...

The ending of the pairs' short programme was one of the biggest surprises we've received this season from figure skating. Evgenia Tarasova & Vladimir Morozov ended first, but I was somewhat expecting that. The real surprise were Vanessa James & Morgan Cipres, the French pair who are currently in second position. Theirs will be the greatest challenge of the night - hold their place against not one, but two couples who have already been on the European podium several times. Rebecca Ghilardi/Filippo Ambrosini  are first to skate. Their music, Homecoming  by Thomas Bergersen, is breathtaking, and their lifts are original. There are two weird bits at the back of her costume that make me think it has come undone, but that's just an illusion. This is a great start of the night despite the double-footed throw triple Loop. Their score: 97.77 . Overall: 148.48 . Arina Cherniavskaia/Evgeni Krasnopolski  skate to a selection of Oriental music. Her hand touching the ice du...

The pairs' competition hasn't looked so even in a while. Aliona Savchenko/Bruno Massot have a lot of potential, but have yet to establish themselves as a top pair, Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov look like they might be the next big thing, and Ksenia Stolbova/Fedor Klimov are in theory contenders for the gold, but haven't skated on international ice yet this season. So really, it's anyone's game at the moment. Let's start by taking a look at Lola Esbrat/Andrei Novoselov . They skate to Memoirs of a Geisha , with a programme whose transitions are pepperred with pretty choreographic lifts. He puts a hand down on the side-by-side triple Salchow and she double-foots the throw jump. Their score: 52.51 . Arina Cherniavskaia/Evgeni Krasnopolski   skate to a selection of Chopin melodies. He doesn't quite catch her right during the triple twist, and she falls on the side-by-side triple Salchow. They get 47.92  points. A bit of drama happening during the routi...

The ladies' competition has become one of the most exciting to watch in the past few seasons, but figure skating fans had an extra reason to watch it today. Carolina Kostner, one of the greatest European figure skaters, has returned to the competitive rink. She's done it in a time when nothing's sure anymore in the sport except that the one spot on the podium she probably still wants the most, the highest, is quite simply out of reach. The reason it is out of reach, and not just for Carolina, is Evgenia Medvedeva. Russia's national champion is possibly the greatest storyteller we've ever seen in the ladies competition. And, as she usually does, she skated perfectly in Ostrava, earning a score of 78.92 points. France's Laurine Lecavelier turned out to be the dark horse of the day Anna Pogorilaya finished right behind her teammate. Despite not making any mistakes, she looked slightly uncomfortable, which resulted in a disappointing presentation for me. ...

About a week ago, while I was enjoying a perfectly lovely evening next to a good book and a cup of chai tea, I started to hear this little voice inside my head that nudged me to check the dates of the European Championships. I had at some point got it into my head that they were going to be held in February, so I wasn't really stressing about it. Well, imagine my surprise when I saw how very wrong I was. So I got my pen, my notebook and my laptop, and now here I am. Kudos, little voice of reason. I have to admit I am unusually excited about these championships, because I realised, as I was going through the list of skaters, that there would be a lot of faces I didn't know. Maybe the next big star of European figure skating is still to come out this week? Before we find out though, I've compiled a list of the top five figure skaters of each discipline I'm going to keep an eye on. MEN Maxim Kovtun Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images North America Javier Fernand...