Crystal Skate

The pairs short programme saw another unexpected result as the ones we all thought were going to win this without difficulties suddenly ended on second place. Here is what happened with the top five pairs yesterday. First of all, Julianne Seguin/Charlie Bilodeau , the winners of Skate America, ended on fifth place to everyone's dismay. They both fell on the side-by-side triple Salchow and she had a hand down on the throw triple Flip. Perhaps the pressure was too great going against the Germans. Their routine was set to Skokiaan  by Louis Armstrong. Their score: 61.72 . Aliona and Bruno's lift Kristina Astakhova/Alexei Rogonov  were another pair to under-perform in Moscow. They both double-footed the side-by-side triple Salchow and the side-by-side spins were not entirely in sync. The choreography for Io Ti Penso Amore  was so clever though - the lift was set to the highest notes and the death spiral to the soft part of the song. They got 65.61  points. Vale...

Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy have withdrawn from competition due to a cold, after finishing the short on second place. With their biggest rivals out of the way, it is almost certain Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov will claim the European gold once more. The biggest question now is who will finish second? Vera Bazarova and Yuri Larionov seem the obvious answer, but Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov are anything but quitters. Vanessa James/Morgan Cipres bring back Requiem for a Dream , the song that used to be skaters' darling. They pair it with Angels and Demons , but except for the costumes, there isn't much that mimics the epic battle. Choosing the fastest music part to do the slowest elements doesn't help either. The only technical mistake was her fall on the second Triple Toeloop. They earn 122.45 points. Overall: 185.48 . Married life suits Maylin Wende/Daniel Wende , who are more in sync than ever before. Their music is the soundtrack of Your Highness...

PAIRS With another failed lift and a couple of dodgy jumps, Margaret Purdy & Michael Marinaro 's Casablanca routine failed to impress. Their score: 91.89 . Overall: 131.39 Paige Lawrence & Rudi Swiegers had a couple of mistakes (she fell on the Triple Toeloop; they both singled the Double Axel combination), but nothing too disastrous. In terms of presentation, they could have sold that epic music a bit better. They got 106.88  points. Overall: 159.82 Mari Vartmann & Aaron Van Cleave 's jumps were a nightmare today (both the side-by-side and the thrown), which is probably why the interpretation was next to nonexistent. The side-by-side spins were also out of sync and quite slow. Their score: 94.51 . Overall: 149.59 Wenjing Sui & Han Cong premiered a Quad Twist today. Although Kalinka  seems an unusual choice for a Chinese couple, they presented it very well. The costumes were adorable. The only mistake was her fall at the end of the Axel. They got 124.75...

LADIES Veronik Mallet might be a new-face, but she's already got the grace of an experienced skater. Gorgeous costume and a good skate. It was such a shame that she fell on the Triple Flip. Her score: 50.71 . An original spin position gave Courtney Hick 's Soul Surfer  programme a bust after she doubled both the Toeloop and the Lutz. She received 50.70 points. Canada's star, Kaetlyn Osmond , might have had the groove, but she lost focus on the Double Axel. Kudos for the white gloves! Her score: 60.32 . Natalia Popova  finished a flawless programme, showcasing that Ukrainian skating talent we've been missing for a while now. She earned 52.36 points. What a performance for Amelie Lacoste ! She started with an amazing combination of Triple and Double Loop, and kept getting better and better. The Double Axel in particular was perfect. Enjoyable presentation as well. Her score: 59.13 . Christina Gao 's programme sure touched some hearts tonight. It was cla...

Stefania Berton/Ondrej Hotarek finally found their true calling after years of unsatisfactory results as single skaters. In the process, they've also put Italy on the pairs skating map for the first time in history.The European Bronze Medalists have just got to be on the Best List this season. Both music choices suited them very well ( Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones for SP and Poeta en el viento  by Vincente Amigo for LP), which proves that they can interpret any role. They still have a lot to learn about executing their elements flawlessly and being synchronized in the side-by-side spins, but the Italians (or so to speak, given that Ondrej is Czech) are on their way to success. True, they may find an obstacle if Vera Bazarova/Yuri Larionov ever get back to the program quality that made them famous, but that only means figure skating will get even more interesting to watch. An honorary mention to their friendship with Michal Brezina, who has been helping them wi...