Crystal Skate

The Shibutani siblings are on a roll after the extraordinary season they had in 2015/2016. They're leading the ice dance competition here at Skate America, with co-nationals Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue hot on their heels. On second, Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev, whom I'm happy to see back in competition. It's bound to be tough tonight with this three going head to head, so let's get on with it. Yura Min & Alex Gamelin  start us off. Having seen Cinema Paradiso  recently, I can tell you the love story is not as dramatic as the music might imply, but they present the angst well enough. The twizzles are slightly wobbly, but altogether not bad. The stationary lift is my favourite element from this. Their score: 85.25 . Overall: 141.50 . Kana Muramoto & Chris Reed  skate to music by Vincente Amigo. I really like the flamenco details they added to the spin, and the lifts are all innovative. Again, his twizzles are a bit shaky. They get 91.18  p...

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 ...

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...

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...

Madison Chock and Evan Bates have secured themselves a first place, it seems, but Elena Ilinykh and Ruslan Zhiganshin might just get a bust of energy from the crowd and move a step. The European bronze medalists, Penny Coomes and Nicholas Bucland, are on third. There are too many Phantom of the Opera  programmes for Rebeka Kim/Kirill Minov 's version to leave a mark. The lifts are not very difficult and the spins are really slow. Their score: 72.13 . Overall: 118.27 . The same argument can be brought about Kaitlin Hawayek/Jean-Luc Baker 's Romeo and Juliet . The difference is that the Americans don't go for the obvious songs, which makes the theme seem fresh. The speed and lifts are better too. They get 83.47  points. Overall: 136.33 . Chock/Bates are reaching higher than ever this season Photograph: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America In comparison, Alexandra Alridge/Daniel Eaton 's Gone with the Wind  has rarely been portrayed by skaters. However, th...

I've talked about this for way too long, but it's finally time to find out who's better: Ilinykh/Katsalapov or Sinitsina/Katsalapov. Oh no, wait, that's not right, it's Ilinykh/Zhiganshin now. It's probably going to take some time for these two couples not to be mixed up. Meanwhile, Chock/Bates have a shot at beating both of them. Let's see how it goes down. We dive head first into the action. Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov  are first to go. You can definitely see Marina Zueva's touch on their paso doble. It's complex and passionate, with lots of twists and turns, but they have trouble with the twizzles. They're in perfect unison in the step sequence though. Their score: 57.96 . Well, it's settled. At least for now, Elena Ilinykh/Ruslan Zhiganshin  have the upper hand. It's an explosive rendition of Carmen , depicting the tragic love story perfectly. Because of the theme the costumes could have been more flamboyant, but they...

This year's Rostelecom Cup, hosted by Moscow, lacks significantly in Russian power. Olympic champions Adelina Sotnikova and Tatiana Volosozhar/Maxim Trankov are just some of the Russian skaters who are off ice due to injury. That doesn't mean though that the event will lack in excitement, as we've got European champions, World medalists and aspiring winners competing here. Let's begin with the men's event, where the obvious winner is Javier Fernandez. However, last time we saw him the odds weren't quite working for him. But there are no mindbogglingly talented Japanese skaters here, just very ambitious Europeans. Sergei Voronov will fight for a chance at the gold, but he'll more likely end up battling Michal Brezina for a lesser spot on the podium. And what about Jason Brown? Will his successful streak continue even when faced with quadruple pros? Elena and Ruslan have passed the test; how will their rivals do? Photograph: Kevin Lee/Getty Images Asia ...

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...

This season's Cup of China, taking place in the slick Oriental Sports Centre of Shanghai, will introduce us not only to new routines from top-of-the-pile skaters, but also to some intriguing new pairings (ahem, the Ilinykh-Katsalapov Affair). Elena and Nikita's last free skate together Photograph: Chris McGrath/Getty Images Asia So let's begin with ice dance. Last season, there was a crazy rumour circling around the World Championships that Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov were calling it quits. They didn't deny or admit it at first, but they did give themselves away pretty easily (unless rolling your eyes at your partner's mistake is a friendly gesture). When they finally confirmed their partnership was over, it was clear that this was no sudden decision. They had both already procured for themselves brand new partners: Ruslan Zighanshin for Elena and his partner, Victoria Sinitsina for Nikita. Now, I don't know what strings were pulled backstage to mi...

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 ...

Figure skating is becoming more jaw-dropping with every edition of the Olympic Games. This time, the biggest surprise comes from the winners of the Bronze Medal, which have so far been skaters nobody expected on the podium. Will the Dance final follow this new trend or is this the one discipline where experience matters more? Tanja Kolbe/Stefano Caruso must have fallen in love with New York. Yesterday they paid it a tribute and today they skate on the soundtrack of Enchanted , the story of a fairytale princess who literally falls into our world and well, you know what happens afterwards. Taking a Disney theme is not something many skaters do despite the gorgeous music that comes with these movies, so we're glad to see these two haven't shied away from it. There are however some bits with just bird chirping which don't sound that pretty. As mistakes go, she stumbles during a transition. Their score: 76.13 . Overall: 130.56 . Alexandra Paul/Mitchell Islam skate on t...

Canadian friends versus American friends, French quirkiness versus Russian classics! This edition of the Olympics has four incredibly talented couples fighting for the podium and who will win which medal is anyone's guess. Cathy Reed/Chris Reed almost paint a picture of sparkling champagne and high society parties with their programme. Very good twizzles and great costumes! Their score: 52.29 . Pernelle Carron/Lloyd Jones take us to Broadway with a "delightful, delicious and delovely" routine. Unfortunately, as it's happened all season long, their twizzles are not entirely in synch. They get 58.25 points. Victoria Sinitsina/Ruslan Zhiganshin are bound on having fun today and pull off an amazing lift, in addition to an innovative twizzle position. They have however moments when they are not in synch. Their score: 58.01 . Tanja Kolbe/Stefano Caruso take a trip to New York in a pair of costumes that couldn't fit the theme more. The Finnstep however is ...

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...

MEN Alexander Majorov never fails to find original stories for his programmes. Skating on Archangel  by T.J. Bergersen, he double-footed the Quad Toeloop, singled both Triple Lutzes and fell on the Triple Flip. His score: 120.90 . Overall: 180.62 Nan Song 's mission in France can be ticked as a success, although he could have used a bit more emotion in the interpretation. He also had a hand down on the Quad Toeloop and double-footed the Triple Loop. He obtained 133.37  points. Overall: 204.73 Michal Brezina  is once more battling his inconsistency demons. Although he did a tremendous job impersonating the infamous Sherlock Holmes , his jumps were rusty at best. He over-rotated the first Quad Salchow and completely failed the second, fell on the Triple Toeloop, singled the Triple Flip and Triple Salchow, and doubled the Triple Toeloop. His score: 134.31 . Overall: 206.22 Florent Amodio 's life might have lost a shade of pink after this performance. Although he stil...

You've probably noticed how figure skating is changing every year; the rules get a little less strict (who else is excited about lyrics in single and pairs competition starting 2014/2015?), programmes get a little riskier and skaters are trying new elements each year (remember Aliona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy's thrown triple Axel?). Ice dance in particular is an area where you can bring as many innovations as you'd like, but some skaters take that opportunity and dress it up in something ridiculous they then call originality. Others know that innovation is like pepper: you use a teaspoon and it adds flavour, you use a fistful and it sets you on fire. Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje are no strangers to using new regulations in their programmes; whether they're using a prop (i.e.: Kaitlyn's scarf for the 2007/2008 original dance) or using iconic words to set the scene (Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman's voices at the start of their Moulin Rouge routine back in 2010/2...