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...

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...