Crystal Skate

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...

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. ...

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...