Crystal Skate

Ice dance at the Grand Prix Series has always been less dramatic than the other disciplines. It's quite rare to see obvious rivals in the same event, and the NHK wasn't any different. That doesn't mean there are no comparisons though. The biggest question on everyone's minds was how Virtue/Moir would perform compared to Papadakis/Cizeron, who set a new world record last week in Beijing. Here are my thoughts not just on the Canadians' routine, but some of the best programmes of the day. Penny Coomes/Nicholas Buckland  marked their return on ice in Osaka. Their routine was enjoyable, although it didn't necessarily stand out to me in terms of musical choice or style. Really difficult change of position for her in the curved lift. They finished the short on 5th place with 65.64  points. Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov 's twizzles were faster than those of the British although Victoria's first position was a bit wobbly. I particularly liked how the R...

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...

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...

Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte are very, very close to a second European title, but their victory is very far from assured with Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron breathing down their backs. And what about Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev - will they keep their third place, rise higher or be overrun by another couple? Isabella Tobias/Ilia Tkachenko  are now competing for Israel. They skate to Polovetsian Dances . Love the costumes, but based on what I've seen from other skaters before, I think they might be a bit too ballroom for the theme. Correct me if I'm wrong. Technically, he loses the first position of the twizzles, but the straight-line lift with her upside down and him on one leg is astonishing. Their score: 87.21 . Overall: 151.67 . Italy's Guignard/Fabbri have the most emotional performance Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri  will sure leave a mark in Bratislava. I love the way they express all the pain of Schindler's List  throughout the rou...

European ice dance has never been this good. There are three couples who called themselves European champions in the last three seasons competing here. This is a battle between the sophistication of the French, the charisma of the Italians and the technical prowess of the Russians. Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov  are the first Russians to impress. I really love their Swan Lake  waltz. It's good to hear the happier parts of the ballet too, not just the tragedy. The diagonal step sequence is probably my favourite part of the programme. Twizzles are slightly out of sync. Their score: 68.33 . Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin  take us to another era, one that's glitzier and a lot more fun, but less intense. The Ravensburg waltz is sharper and the twizzles are, as always, phenomenal. Still, I enjoyed their countrymen's waltz more. Maybe it's because this one seems to lack a background story. They get 66.65  points. Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri  might not b...

It's day one of the 2015 Rostelecom Cup, and as all the attention is directed at the skaters, Russian fans must be at a loss. Who to cheer for - Sinitsina/Katsalapov or Ilinikh/Zighansin? Past history aside, they're the best the host has got competing in Moscow, and the decision must be hard. Not that picking a favourite couple for the gold medal is any easier. Weaver/Poje and Cappellini/Lanotte have both been outstanding this season. The ruling will likely be in the details. We start with Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov , who are very literally at home in Moscow. Their routine is a classic Russian waltz with music by Tchaikovski and balletic costumes. Although elegant, it's not as sharp as at Skate America. The twizzles, in particular, are messy. Their score: 63.63 . Rebeka Kim/Kirill Minov  choose a Parisian theme for the short. Not good, not bad, they have a few cute moments in the choreography. Nice twizzles and rotational lift. They get 51.83  points. Elena ...

Russia has always brought great, sometimes outstanding, figure skating on the ice. It's no wonder then that every time the sport returns to Moscow, it feels as if it's returning to its roots. Lately, Russian figure skating has been all about young people doing extraordinary things. We're going to get a chance to see some of them this weekend. Let's start with the ladies. The biggest event of the competition is the comeback of Adelina Sotnikova. She's got a lot to prove in the eyes of many, as this is her first competition after the Olympic controversy. Personally, I just can't wait to see her back on the ice and I hope she can face the pressure with the same strength of character she's always had. She'll be competing against Elena Radionova, the happy, chirpy teenager who's also famous for knowing how to keep her cool in tough situations. The Olympic champion's second rival is Evgenia Medvedeva, who won Skate America, thus raising the number of...

The free dance of the Cup of the China 2015 starts with a withdrawal: Kaitlin Hawayek/Jean-Luc Baker from the United States have had to call it quits. In their absence, there is an opportunity for Testa/Csolley to make a lasting impression, although given that the Americans were never threatening the podium, the Slovaks can't possibly get a medal. Shiyue Wang/Xinyu Liu  are first to skate. This is the second time I see their Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon  routine, and I still really like it. You can tell they're more comfortable doing something culturally relevant than the Ravensburg waltz. The twizzles are out of sync though. Their score: 76.09 . Overall: 126.73 . Federica Testa/Lucas Csolley 's Malena  seems really long, but not in a bad way. The medley of songs make the routine complex and tell the full story from the merry beginning to the tragic end. They get 82.27  points. Overall: 136.17 . Elena Ilinkyh/Ruslan Zhiganshin 's costumes are great. You can i...

Cup of China sets off as the first important competition of the season for not just two big names, but four: Anna Cappellini/Luca Lanotte of Italy and Elena Ilinykh/Ruslan Zhianshin of Russia. I'm very curious about their new routines, and I can't wait to see how they perform against the USA's best. Yue Zhao/Xun Zheng 's routine looks taken straight out of a fairytale. I love his green velvet costume, but not so much her dress (it doesn't look as sophisticated). Good twizzles and lift, even though the latter isn't very difficult. Their score: 51.02 . Shiyue Wang/Xinyu Liu 's short dance takes a whole different direction. Their costumes look more fit for a Latino song, and although the song is one of the best ever written ( Piano Man  by Billy Joel), they do not interpret its sadness at all. They get 50.64  points. Federica Testa/Lucas Csolley 's presentation is miles away from that of the Chinese. The Slovaks are graceful and elegant, a gentleman a...

Has anyone else noticed that some Grand Prix events are changing their name? You probably have, and you're probably already aware that it's because the sponsors are changing. So Hilton HHonors Skate America became Progressive Skate America, and the Lexus Cup of China has switched to the Audi Cup of China. The name change doesn't really have much importance unless you want to discuss finance and politics, which I really don't, but I thought I'd at least acknowledge it. Another change we'll witness this season in Beijing, where the competition is held, has to do with German pair skating. No, it doesn't concern Aliona Savchenko/Bruno Massot (both officially German skaters now), but another, less troubled pair: Mari Vartmann/Rubert Blommaert. The two got together at the beginning of the season, after splitting up with their former partners Aaron van Cleave and Annabelle Proelss. The rest of the pair rooster doesn't bring any surprises on the ice. Wenji...

The ice dancers' short programme left us reminiscing the results Chock and Bates received at the Four Continents Championships, when they finished ahead of Weaver and Poje, despite the fact that the Canadians had begun the competition as favourites. Will history repeat itself and help them snatch their first place back from the Americans? The Shibutanis' fifth place doesn't take anything away from their talent Source: Xiaolu Ghu/Getty Images Asia Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani 's elegant waltz is set to Roses from the South  and The Blue Danube . Their twizzles are diverse and different than others', but the programme as a whole is too similar to a short dance for me. Their score: 102.71 . Overall: 172.03 . Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje try to do their best on Max Richter's arrangement of The Four Seasons , but it does come off as rather uptight. There are no mistakes though, just pure lyrical magic for three and a half minutes. They get 106.74  points. Over...

Yesterday in the short dance, Gabriella Papadakis & Guillaume Cizeron finished on first place, clearly on their way to winning their first ever European gold medal. The couple who currently holds the title, Anna Cappellini & Luca Lanotte, finished on third, visibly troubled by the results. However, the difference between the French and the Italians is less than two points, so anything can happen. On that note, we should also keep in mind that Elena Ilinykh & Ruslan Zhiganshin, currently on second place, are looking for their first European victory too. We'll have to start with bad news, I'm afraid. Great Britain's Penny Coomes & Nicholas Buckland were forced to withdraw because Nicholas has fallen ill. We wish him a quick recovery. Lifts is something Guignard & Fabbri excel at Photograph: Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images Europe I have previously said that the words in Sara Hurtado/Adria Diaz 's free dance are distracting. Well, I must have go...

The second event of the competition has arrived, and the pressure is not getting easier to bear as the outcome is hard to predict. Anna Cappellini & Luca Lanotte return on ice after withdrawing from the grand-prix series due to poor results. I am looking forward to seeing what changes they've made to their routine, and how will they fare against Gabriella Papadakis & Guillaume Cizeron, on whom many have already bet for taking the European title from the Italians. I wish them all good luck! Testa/Csolley's daring lift Photograph: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images Europe Sara Hurtado/Adria Diaz  are determined to make their homeland proud in a season that pays tribute to its traditional music. I love the clapping incorporated into the choreography and the way she plays with her dress. Unfortunately, the twizzles are not in unison. Their score: 62.59 . Ksenia Monko/Kirill Khaliavin 's sombre costumes are less appealing than those of the Spaniards, while their rou...

The order of the top three couples after the ice dancers' short programme was definitely unexpected. Thus the World champions, Cappellini and Lanotte, fell to second place after a set of bad twizzles. The lead was taken by the Shibutani siblings and on third came France's newest couple, Papadakis and Cizeron, after defeating Ilinykh and Zhiganshin at their first event together. Yue Zhao/Xun Zheng  kick off the competition with a selection of tangos. I find it enjoyable, although I think they could've attacked the Assassins' Tango more. Their elements are not that difficult, but their last circular spin is very pretty. Their score: 61.56 . Overall: 103.44 . Yiyi Zhang/Nan Wu 's Prince of Egypt  benefits from a good choreography, but it isn't interpreted with as much emotion as the tangos were. He does an extra rotation right at the end of the twizzles. They get 63.76  points. Overall: 103.44 . Shiyue Wang/Xinyu Liu  are far better than their countrymen. Ska...

Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev have had to withdraw due to an injury sustained by him. It's now up to Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat to prove that 'the experts' can hold their ground against younger skaters, such as Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte. Will they succeed? Find out: Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani  skate on music by Michael Buble and ace the twizzlers and the finnstep sequence. Their interpretation might not be spectacular, but they put on a great performance. Maia's blue dress is really beautiful! Their score: 63.55 . Watching Elena Ilinykh/Nikita Katsalapov  skate amid serious rumours of a break-up is awkward. You can spot some tension in there and a few fake smiles, but what really stands out is that they're simply no longer in sync. Nikita messes up the twizzles, making Elena bump into him, which is really a shame because their twizzles are the fastest we've seen this season. Whether we can blame that on the break-up or just plain ...

Tonight a couple will make history by winning their first European Championships. Whether it will be Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte or Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov, is left to be seen. And will Penny Coomes and Nicholas Buckland manage to take home the Bronze medal after years in which Great Britain was barely present in ice dance competitions? Isabella Tobias/Deividas Stagniunas re-enact Skyfall for us. They have beautiful lifts, but not-so-synchronized twizzles. Story-wise, except for one moment in which she plays the seductive part of a veritable Bond Girl, there isn't much there. He should mimick James Bond a bit more. They earn 85.55 . Overall: 142.31 . Julia Zlobina/Alexei Sitnikov tell a story of sacrifice and passion for dance, accompanied by the soundtrack of Pina . Except for a tiny non-synchronization moment in the twizzles, the two do a pretty good job. This time they chose great costumes which emphasize their roles as dancers. Their score: 87.96 . Over...

Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat's withdrawal has once more opened a whole new world of possibilities for ice dancers. The French couple decided to focus on the Olympic Games rather than risk an injury in Budapest, as did Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev. This makes the perfect opportunity for Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov to change last year's silver medals with the gold ones they almost got. But what will Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte have to say about it? Isabella Tobias/Deividas Stagniunas ' Marylin Monroe theme suffers from a flawed step sequence and lack of speed in the first part of the dance. They earn 56.76 points. Penny Coomes/Nicholas Buckland chose a modern Fred Astaire and Jurassic 5 for their short programme. The twizzles are strong and the interpretation is good enough, but as pretty as Penny's dress is, she needs to go all the way and learn that longer means more spectacular. Their score: 61.76 . Chicago might be enjoyable to w...

PAIRS Anastasia Martiusheva/Alexei Rogonov  have a beautiful choreography, but they need to work on their presentation, especially Anastasia. The side-by-side Double Axels were just Singles, the thrown Triple Flip failed and the thrown Triple Loop was double-footed. Their score: 96.40 . Overall: 145.37 Narumi Takahashi/Ryuichi Kihara  took out all the drama, patriotism and love out of Les Miserables . Technically, she singled the Double Toeloop and double-footed both thrown jumps. They obtained 86.59  points. Overall: 138.13 Paige Lawrence/Rudi Swiegers 's routine was beautifully structured, but would have been enhanced by more epic costumes. She fell on the Triple Toeloop, singled the Double Toeloop and fell again on the thrown Triple Lutz. The side-by-side spins were in sync, but too far way from each other. Their score: 100.77 . Overall: 153.55 Marissa Castelli/Simon Shnapir  aim to defy belief in their careers. Although he doubled the Triple Toeloop and s...

The Joe Luis Arena might not have been blessed with the roar coming from a full ice-rink, but that didn't stop skaters from starting the Grand Prix 'marathon' at full speed. Here are the highlights of the first grand prix competition. MEN Tatsuki Machida   was the surprise of the event. Skating on the soundtrack of East of Eden , a 1955 film starring James Dean, he plummeted to the top after a flawless programme in the short, defeating his two more experienced countrymen, both of whom were favourites for the podium. The long programme featured Igor Stravinski's Firebird  and a tacky costume, but was otherwise delivered beautifully. His score: 91.18 (Short Programme), 174.20  (Long Programme), 265.38  (Overall). Jason Brown 's astonishment when he saw his SP score proves just how much talent this 19-year old has. He skated on Prince's The Question of U  and managed to finish the short on second place despite lacking a quadruple jump. Unfortunately, his...