Crystal Skate

The Challenge Cups, the Grand Prix events, the Nationals and even the continental championships have all been a built-up to the most important figure skating event of the year. The World Championships are back in Europe this year, in one of the few capitals of the world that;s often associated with the word cold, Helsinki. So, who am I keeping an eye on this week? MEN Javier Fernandez - the Spaniard's already got two World titles in his bag, and a third one seems pretty likely if we're to judge the array of golds he's already won this season. There was a tiny stumble at the Grand Pix Final, but if he keeps at least one feet firmly on the ice, he's a good bet. Yuzuru Hanyu - opposite Javier, his training buddy is hungry for another World gold after losing the last two. Yuzuru hasn't had the smoothest of seasons, with only a silver at the Four Continents and Skate Canada, but his average is miles better than other skaters' best, so keep him in the rooste...

Figure skating is often about momentum. When the favourites make errors, it's up to their rivals to grab the chance to skate away with a gold medal. In Marseille, Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov are given the rather rare opportunity to defeat world champions Meagan Duhanel and Eric Radford. Will they rise to the occasion or will victors' experience win the title? Before all that, Julianne Seguin/Charlie Bilodeau  start the competition with a much better performance than yesterday's even if he falls on the side-by-side triple Toeloops. Elements like the side-by-side spins and the throw jumps are beautifully set to the rise and fall of the soundtrack of Cinema Paradiso . Their score: 125.99 . Overall: 186.85 . Natalia Zabijako/Alexander Enbert  make great use of the epic intro of Cry Me a River  to set their triple twist against a dramatic musical background. Unfortunately, their presentation doesn't convince me - not sure smiling all the way through the routine...

Do you remember that awkward season when Ilinykh/Zhiganshin and Sinitsina/Katsalapov had just switched partners? Well, we're experiencing that in the pairs' event this season. The swap between Peng/Zhang and Yu/Jin seemed to have been a good decision at the Cup of China, at least for the Yu/Zhang pair, but how will their fare against rivals from Canada and Russia? Let's start with their former partners, Cheng Peng/Yang Jin , who are not doing badly at all. I really like their short routine - it's funny, the costumes are great, the choreography is interesting, the technical is pretty good as well... The only problem is that they don't really look at each other unless they must. I imagine it's not easy being told one day you've a new partner, so it's natural that chemistry will take some time to develop. Their score: 70.84 . The unlikely winners of the short programme, Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov look like t...

The pairs' short programme left us all a bit dazed. The Olympic champions, Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov finished on third place despite a great (albeit not flawless) routine. Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford exceeded expectations and finished ahead of them, but the biggest surprise were Wenjing Sui and Cong Han, who did a terrific Spanish Romance , which got them the first place. Will they be able to hold onto it? Alexa Scimeca/Chris Knierim  skate to one of the most beautiful soundtracks ever, that of Elizabeth: The Golden Age . It's glorious music, but a flawed performance. She falls both on the thrown triple Salchow and the side-by-side triple Toeloop, as well as steps out of the triple Flip. The side-by-side spins are not entirely in unison either. Their score: 118.69 . Overall: 190.06 . Ksenia Stolbova/Fedor Klimov  are not a lot better off than the Americans, but the quality is clearly higher. She singles out of the third triple Toeloop and falls on the side...

The Olympic champions are back! How many times have we hoped to hear these words? Well, they're true tonight, and although they've been back all season long, tonight's the night when we get to see if Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov are reclaiming their supremacy in the pairs skating. They're up against the technical Duhamel & Radford, their own team mates Stolbova/Klimov and the delightful Sui/Han. We shouldn't forget, of course, about Aliona Savchenko/Bruno Massot . They have a whimsical piece of music ( Creature de Siam  from Kurios ) and less whimsical costumes, but a good performance overall. That triple twist is huge! Their score: 74.22 . Miriam Ziegler/Severin Kiefer  skate to the quirky It's Oh So Quiet  by Bjork. They don't get as crazy as the music requires and they're slightly out of sync with it too at times. I like the different feature on the low position of the pair spin though. Technically, she doubles out of the triple Salc...

As we prepare for the 2016 World Championships, there seems to be only one question on everyone's minds. It's not about how Boston's first ever Worlds will measure up to the rest, it's not even about the drug scandal which took one of the best ice-dance couples out of the competition. The one and only question seems to be: how do you beat the three world champions going head to head in Boston? The logo of the 2016 World Figure Skating Championships I don't even have to say their names for you to know exactly who I'm talking about. Their rivalry is so famous in the figure skating world, they might as well start calling themselves The Three Rivals of the Ice, or some other cheesy name you're bound to find plastered on some ice show poster. No matter which country you're in, Hanyu, Fernandez and Chan are starring in all the headlines related to this year's World Championships, just as they did last year (even if Chan wasn't even competing) a...

The NHK Trophy 2015, held this year in Nagano, was supposed to bring the most anticipated pair duel on the ice: Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford versus Tatiana Volosozhar/Maxim Trankov. However, due to an injury suffered by Tatiana, the Russian skaters had to withdraw. This leaves the Canadians' way to the gold medal absolutely unobstructed, but raises a question as to who will climb on the other two steps of the podium. Amani Fancy/Christopher Boyadji  skate to La Vie en Rose , but the presentation is missing a spark. The dark costumes don't help with the mood either. Technically, she puts a hand down on both jumps. Their score: 42.52 . Vera Bazarova/Andrei Deputat  seem stronger than I've ever seen them, to be honest. The music is Nocturne No. 2  by Chopin. Love the transition out of the thrown triple Loop and into the death spiral. They get 64.06  points. Jessica Calalang/Zack Sidhu 's choreography is very clever. It's a Man's, Man's World  is a song ful...

There are some things you can rely on in figure skating: that Canada will make a trailer for its competitions, that Canadian fans are extraordinary and, lately, that Canadian pair skaters are going to smash their rivals wherever they go. Welcome to Skate Canada International 2015, the pairs' short programme. We start the competition with the first outing of a brand new partnership: Melissa Castelli/Mervin Tran . The two skate to Summertime  by B. Walsh. Their side-by-side triple Salchows are slightly out of synch, but otherwise, this is a decent programme. Their score: 61.85 . Vanessa Grenier/Maxime Deschamps  skate to Por Una Cabeza . Despite the fact that this is one of the most famous tangos of all time, they fail to express its sweet melancholy or even the passion of the dance. Plenty of errors too: he barely catches her out of the triple twist, she puts a hand down on the thrown triple Salchow and also singles the side-by-side triple Toeloop. They get 45.45  poin...

The pairs' final is undoubtedly the one China has been waiting for the most. Pairs is, after all, the discipline in which they thrive. If that's not enough of a reason, today is the last competitive day of Qing Pang and Jian Tong. The whole of Shanghai is going to be willing them to retire with a third World title, but it is more likely that they will finish their careers with a second World silver medal. The gold medal looks to be heading to Canada, in which case we will witness Duhamel & Radford's first World victory. Harry Potter on ice, but not really Source: Xialo Ghu/Getty Images Asia Amani Fancy/Christopher Boyadji  bring an all-British story on ice: Harry Potter. It is a story I never thought I'd see in figure skating despite the gorgeous soundtrack, because it's too complex to condense in three and a half minutes. There's barely any elements of it in the choreography, which proves my point. They make a mess of it on a technical level as well:...

The pairs competition looks to be more predictable than the ice dancers'. Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford are untouchable technically, so unless something goes awfully wrong, they have this in the back pocket. Maria Paliakova/Nikita Bochkov 's Corpse Bride  looks good on paper; this is a Tim Burton story, after all, and it should look fabulous on ice. In actuality, it falls short of my expectations. They have no mistakes technically, but the presentation is just not accurate enough. The costumes are good, but the story is filled with gaps; for one, where is the sadness of the woman who falls in love with a man she can never be with because she is dead and he is alive? Their score: 46.17. Vanessa James/Morgan Cipres  manage to transmit the angst of Tango de Roxanne  through variations on elements such as the broken leg side-by-side spin. Their phasing is clever too with the death spiral performed on the frantic last bit of the song. She doubles the side-by-side triple ...

Patricia Marx once said about Shanghai that you don't have to spend much time in it before you start to think about the meaning of authenticity. China's most populated city is a hub of innovation, which is why it makes sense that when time came for China to host its first ever world figure skating championships, Shanghai was picked as the host city. Over the next few days, the city will see a fair share of originality and innovation, as the world's best figure skaters will step on the ice of the Shanghai Oriental Sports Centre. Most of them are incredibly young and are looking to win their first world title, so the audience will get the chance to see history being made. Out of all the favourites for the gold medal, Yuzuru Hanyu is the only one who has won the World Championships before. He comes here after a nightmarish season filled with health problems and a nasty collision that occurred in the very venue the Worlds are held in. Let's hope that doesn't affect ...

The pairs' competition is bringing back on ice two accomplished skaters who decided to keep going after last season despite early reports claiming they wouldn't. Yes, I'm talking about two of China's greatest: Qing Pang & Tong Jian. But how will they fare against their younger country men and, especially, against the record-breaking Meagan Duhamel & Eric Radford? THE SHORT PROGRAMME Pang/Tong's tango routine Photograph: Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images Asia Qing Pang/Jian Tong  decided to return to competition because the Worlds will be organised by their homeland this season. For the short, they prepared a selection of tangos which stands out by being romantic rather than passionate. They are dressed impeccably, as always, her in a fiery red dress and him in a dashing vest and tie ensemble. Technically though, he puts a hands down on the triple Toeloop and they can't keep their side-by-side spins in unison. Their score: 66.87 . Meagan Duhamel/E...

A royal cast of figure skaters is heading this week to Seoul, South Korea. For the first time ever, I'll take a look at the action and blog about all the events of the competition. Choosing South Korea as the host country of the Four Continents Championships (FCC) was most appropriate, given that Yuna Kim lives here. Now, I doubt that I have to explain to you who Yuna Kim is, but just in case some of you have just discovered your passion for this sport: she is widely regarded as the best figure skater of the decade. I believe that's a title she ought to share with skaters such as Mao Asada or Carolina Kostner, but the fact remains that through her achievements and mind-blowing talent, she has convinced South Korea to get as involved in this sport as possible. They have more skaters competing on the international scene than ever before and they are hosting spotlight events like the FCC because of her. Seoul, South Korea, home of Yuna Kim Photograph: www.hotelroomsearch.net...

Last time we saw the pairs, Canada's Duhamel & Radford proved that they shouldn't be underestimated, not even when they're going up against Russian excellence. Sui & Han also proved that sometimes having a clean programme is all you need to get to the top. Will they manage to keep those standings after the free? Cheng Peng/Hao Zhang 's Alegretto  isn't really as cheerful as the name suggests; on the contrary, it is filled with angst, which they could express more. They're so much better than yesterday though with only two mistakes: in the side-by-side double Axels and in the side-by-side spins. Their score: 129.33 . Overall: 191.79 . The pairs' podium Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images Europe I wish Wenjing Sui/Cong Han 's choreography was more specific so that we could get a glimpse of the story behind Tchaikovski's Francesca da Rimini . The way they present the routine instead is by emphasizing the different nuances of the music ...

Tonight is a big night for Barcelona, as it hosts its first ever Grand Prix Final of figure skating. Let's hope it will help inspire some of the younger spectators to take up this beautiful sport. Surely that's something Spain wishes to achieve this weekend in the hope that they can continue on the successful path set by Javier Fernandez. The first event of the Final is the short programme of the pairs. The favourites here are Stolbova & Klimov, but every single one of the six couples have plenty to offer, and they will give their best to get as close to that most-desired gold medal as they can. Good luck to them all. It's not easy being first, especially at an event of such magnitude, but Xiaoyu Yu/Yang Jin  keep their nerves under control. The only mistake is in the side-by-side spins, which are not in sync. Presentation-wise, they look dressed for an opera or a ballroom rather than for a tribal piece, so maybe they should consider making their costumes more accur...

Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford's supremacy in the pairs' event seems tough to interrupt, but Yuko Kavaguti/Alexander Smirnov are not famed for being the most lyrical pair for no reason. Let's see if they manage to get ahead and if Xiao Yu/Yang Jin are ready for their first Grand Prix Final ever. Dee Dee Leng/Simon Shnapir  never take their eyes off each other, which not only proves they have great chemistry, but also makes the presentation of Miss Saigon  more believable. They mess up every jump except the thrown triple Salchow. Their score: 92.33 . Overall: 138.24 . Mari Vartmann/Aaron van Cleave 's Concierto de Aranjuez  is lovely presented, but I'd love to see them push themselves a bit more and do some dance steps; this is Spanish music, after all. They have a couple of mistakes, mostly dodgy landings and lack of synchronicity. They get 96.67  points. Overall: 145.36 . See you in Barcelona! Photograph: Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images Asia Vera Bazarova/Andrei...

We start off the final with a clear image of who the winners will be (Duhamel and Radford, obviously) which would normally make for a dull competition. However, because China and Russia's new pairs are debuting their rivalry for the runner-up position, there's still hope of some thrills. Plus, this is figure skating and twists of fate can happen anytime. Mari Vartmann/Aaron Van Cleave  have chosen Joaquin Rodriguez's famous Concierto de Aranjuez  for the long routine. It is, I'm afraid, filled with mistakes such as lack of synchronicity and a hand down on the first thrown jump, a triple Flip. Their score: 97.46 . Overall: 145.89 . The Great Gatsby  is an ambitious story for beginners like Brittany Jones/Joshua Reagan  to tell. They don't capture any of the angst, or love for that matter, but by God they are  amazing technically. Although their side-by-side spins are pretty bad, the jumps are clean and the lifts are so difficult they almost make me nervo...

Surely if there's one event here that the Canadians have in their back pockets, it's the pairs'. But that doesn't mean Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford are the only ones worthy of the spotlight. Here's some thoughts on all of the performances. Kirsten Moore-Towers/Michael Marinaro 's new partnership is paying off. They have no mistake on a technical level. Artistically, I'm hard to please when it comes to Cell Block Tango , so my opinion is that she could be a bit sassier and the choreography could do with a bit more elements of the murder stories. Their score: 53.79 . A seriously twisted lift by Evgenia Tarasova Photograph: Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press It is still pretty obvious that Brittany Jones/Joshua Reagan  haven't been a pair for long, but there is definitely some chemistry here to improve on. However, they couldn't be more out of sync both on the side-by-side triple Toeloops and on the side-by-side spins. The music is the soundtrac...

Skate Canada, held in the Orchard City, aka Kelowna, British Columbia, is going to be a treat this year because none of the former gold medalists are competing. Even more, except for Julia Lipnitskaia, all of them have either withdrawn or broken up. That means that winning is anyone's game. Vanessa James/Morgan Cipres, France's top pair Photograph: Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images Asia This might not be good news for the hosts, who are used to keep the men's gold in Canada thanks to Patrick Chan. With him "taking a break" and Kevin Reynolds having had to withdraw due to skates problems, it is likely that they won't even have a skater on the podium. But the Canadians are such fans of figure skating that I'm sure they won't let their disappointment shine through. Instead, you can bet they'll cheer their hats off for every and any of these four favourite contenders: Javier Fernandez, Takahiko Kozuka, Michal Brezina and Konstantin Menshov. Canada do...

This is Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy's last chance to win a World gold medal and more than probably, Germany's last presence in the spotlight for a while. Will they succeed or is it time for a new pair of World champions? Vanessa James/Morgan Cipres  give us a scare with a terrifying fall right at the end, a mistake you can see he's more than sorry for. The rest of the programme is very good despite a very small error in the Triple Twist. Their music is a mash-up of the soundtracks of Angels and Demons  and Requiem for a Dream . Their score: 119.89 . Overall: 183.90 . The jumps, the lifts, the spins, the interpretation... Kirsten Moore-Towers/Dylan Moscovitch  are in perfect sync. They even do a risky lift with only one leg on the ice. The only mistake is her hand on the ice while landing the thrown Triple Salchow. Great speed as well while looking like veritable movie stars on Nino Rota's music medley. They get 136.21  points. Overall: 205.52 . Cheng Pe...