ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final:
Day One
The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final opened Friday
in Torino, Italy with the Original Dance, the Ladies, Pairs
and Men’s Short Programs. The top six skaters/couples
from the six events of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating
series have qualified for the Final from December 14 to 16.
There are 24 skaters/couples from 11 ISU members competing
in Torino.
Ice Dancing, Original Dance
The competition started with the Original Dance. The Original
Dance this year is the Folk/Country Dance. Tanith Belbin/Benjamin
Agosto (USA) took the lead, just edging out Isabelle Delobel/
Olivier Schoenfelder of France by less than one point. Russia’s
Oksana Domnina/Maxim Shabalin came in third.
Belbin/Agosto put out an entertaining American country dance
to “Cotton Eyed Joe”, “Country Waltz”
and “Appallachean Hoedown” that was highlighted
by a curve lift, a rotational lift with changes of position
for her and a dance combination spin. Their footwork was smooth
and they effectively used a hat during their performance.
The reigning World bronze medalists were awarded a level four
for all elements and earned 63.64 points (33.50 element score/30.14
program component score), setting a new seasons best for themselves.
“This evening we didn’t yet give our maximum,
and so we’re even more happy to be in first tonight”,
Belbin commented. “We had mixed feeling about our OD.
We felt the energy wasn’t high enough, so we switched
out the first piece, lengthened the Cotton Eyed Joe part a
bit which we felt connected better with the audience and gives
the audience more energy”, she explained, referring
to changing part of their music.
Delobel/Schoenfelder delivered a playful Gavotte –
French Country Dance named “Replique”. The European
Champions produced a well synchronized side by side step sequence
(level four), a difficult spin and a rotational lift. Their
circular step sequence was graded a level three, and they
collected 63.29 points (32.80/30.49), which was a new personal
best for them.
Skating to a powerful “Cossack Dance”, Domina/Shabalin
completed a dance spin, a straight line lift with changes
of positions, a one-armed rotational lift and an intricate
circular step sequence. However, Domnina was off balance on
a step in the midline step sequence, but recovered instantly.
The European silver medalists scored 62.31 points (32.20/30.11).
Men, Short Program
In what was an exciting Men’s competition, Daisuke Takahashi
of Japan took a narrow lead over Switzerland’s Stéphane
Lambiel and Evan Lysacek (USA).
Takahashi delivered a strong performance of his Hip Hop version
of “Swan Lake”, nailing a flawless triple flip-triple
toe, a triple Axel, a triple Lutz, getting lots of positive
Grade of Execution marks from the judging panel. The World
silver medalist also produced strong spins and steps, earning
a level four for two spins and a level three for the remaining
elements. The Japanese picked up 84.20 points (44.50 element
score/39.70 program component score), improving his previous
seasons best by almost four points. “Today all jumps
were no problem for me, but I was using too much energy before
my circular step sequence and also the spin maybe didn’t
have enough revolutions. There is still something to work
on. The crowd liked my hip hop steps and they gave me energy”,
Takahashi told the press.
Lambiel gave the best performance of the season and hit a
triple Axel, a quad-triple toeloop combination and three level-four
spins in his emotional routine to a Tango named “Carne
Cruda”. However, his triple Lutz was shaky and he almost
stumbled. The two-time World Champion was awarded 83.80 points
(44.90/38.90), improving his previous personal best of 80.60
set exactly two years ago at the Grand Prix Final.
Lysacek went for the quad as well, but two-footed it and
did a three turn before adding a triple toe. The two-time
World bronze medalist recovered to complete a solid triple
Axel, a triple Lutz and fast, well centered spins. The American
got 79.70 points (42.90/36.80).
Ladies, Short Program
Yu-Na Kim of Korea grabbed the lead in the Ladies Short Program
with Caroline Zhang (USA) and Italian Carolina Kostner following
in second and third.
Performing to “Die Fledermaus”, Kim had to overcome
a shaky start when she put her hands down on her opening triple
flip combination jump and just added a single toe to it. But
the 17-year-old rallied back to pull off a beautiful triple
Lutz, a double Axel out of an Ina Bauer move and excellent
spins that were all three graded a level four. The World bronze
medalist earned 64.62 (34.90 element score/29.72 program component
score), which was a new seasons best for her. “I think
this was the worst performance of the season, but I got my
best score of the season. Now I just want to forget about
this short program and I want to do my triple flip-triple
toe tomorrow”, Kim said. “I wasn’t nervous,
but I missed the timing for the take off (of the triple flip)
a little bit. I still should have done at least a double toe”,
she added.
Zhang gave a strong performance to “Spanish Gypsy”
that featured a triple flip-triple toe combination, a double
Axel and three level four spins including her trademark layback
“pearl” spin. However, the judges deducted for
the take off from the wrong edge of her triple Lutz. The World
Junior Champion scored 61.82 points (36.50/25.32), setting
a new personal best for herself.
Kostner was greeted with huge applause from the homecrowd
and hit a big triple flip-triple toeloop combination right
out of the gate of her program to “Riders on the Storm”
by The Doors. The European Champion went on to complete a
triple Lutz, and received a level four for her spiral sequence
and the flying sit spin as well as a level three for her straight
line steps, but she singled the Axel. The Italian was awarded
59.86 points (32.26/27.60).
Pairs, Short Program
Germany’s Aliona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy took the lead
in the Pairs Short Program ahead of the two Chinese teams
Dan Zhang/Hao Zhang and Qing Pang/Jian Tong.
Savchenko/Szolkowy opened their innovative “Bollywood”
program to “Asoka” with a high throw triple flip,
but she two-footed it. Unfazed, the Germans went on to produce
a triple twist that was graded a level three and an excellent
side by side triple toeloop. Their scored highly also for
their remaining elements, achieving a level four for the pair
combination spin, the Axel Lasso lift as well as for the backward
inside death spiral. Their side by side combination spin and
their straight line step sequence were graded a level three
by the Technical Panel. The European Champions earned 72.14
points (40.46/31.68), which was not only a personal best for
them but also the highest short program score achieved so
far. The Germans just beat Zhang/Zhang’s previous best
score of 71.60 points, set at the Trophee Bompard in November.
“It was one of the best short programs in competition
this season”, Szolkowy commented. “We didn’t
except this (highest score). We made a mistake, which means
that there are still some more points out there.”
Zhang/Zhang landed a big triple twist, a throw triple loop
and a side by side triple Salchow in their routine to a “Piano
Fantasy”. The Olympic silver medalists were awarded
a level four for their spins and the lift, but their death
spiral was only a level one. Zhang/Zhang scored 71.40 points
(41.16/30.24).
Skating to the lyrical “O Doux Printemps d’Autrefois”,
Pang/Tong executed a triple toe, a high triple twist, a throw
triple loop and an Axel Lasso lift with changes of position.
The Chinese got a level three for their death spiral and their
spins to collect a new seasons best of 66.68 points (37.60/29.08).
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