Crystal Skate

The pairs' final does not predict a lot of changes for the competition, as Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot are set for the win, but Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov are only a point behind, so anything could happen. It's a rough start of the competition as Miriam Ziegler/Severin Kiefer  make mistake after mistake. They both fall on the side-by-side triple Lutz, then he over-rotates the triple Toeloop and steps out of the double Toeloop, she falls again on the throw triple Flip, they only manage a single twist, and the side-by-side spins are out of sync. Their score: 92.95 . Overall: 145.01 . Vanessa James/Morgan Cipres  make their home crowd proud. She lands the throw quad Salchow, but double-foots it; same mistake with the throw triple Flip, and the side-by-side spins are not in sync at the very end. Their first lift is innovative and their death spiral is incredibly low. Their music is a cover of Sound of Silence . They get 132.53  points. Overall: 198.58 . ...

The ladies' short programme is going to keep us at the edge of our seats from the very start as the best skaters in Paris are all competing in the first group. Is this the ISU's new way to attract more viewers from the very start of the competition? Let me know what you think, but first, let's see what the girls bring on the ice tonight. This season is not going well for Gracie Gold . She double-foots the triple Toeloop, doubles out of the triple Flip and singles the Axel. This is nothing short of a disaster for a skater who came close to wining the Worlds last season. Her score: 54.87 . Mao Asada getting ready to be 'witchy' Photo: Tasos Katopodis Getty Images North America Evgenia Medvedeva  offers a staggering contrast to the American. Her ability to tell a story gives me goosebumps, from her expressions to the way the programme, set to River Flows in You , is put together. Her stamina is also incredible, doing all the jumps after the step sequence. She...