The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final opened Friday in St. Petersburg (RUS) with the Original Dance, the Men’s, Ladies and Pairs Short Programs. The top six ranked skaters/couples of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series compete in the Final.
Ice Dancing, Original Dance
The competition kicked off with the Original Dance. Contrary to the events of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series, there is no Compulsory Dance to be skated at the Final. The prescribed rhythm for the Original Dance this season is the Tango. Reigning World silver medalists Marie-France Dubreuil/Patrice Lauzon (CAN) edged World Champions Albena Denkova/Maxim Staviski of Bulgaria by 0.32 points to take the lead. Russia’s Oksana Domnina/ Maxim Shabalin came in third, less than one point behind the leaders.
Dubreuil/Lauzon put out an elegant performance to “Paya D’Ora” that featured a curve lift as well as a rotational lift with her changing the position and a diagonal step sequence that was graded a level three by the Technical Panel. The couple was awarded 60.44 points (29.90 element score/30.54 program component score). “This is a new program for us. We have had this program for three weeks. We had some problems with the unison, but that’s top secret!” Lauzon joked. “Overall we skated really well. We’re really fond of this program.”
Denkova/Staviski’s characteristic interpretation of Astor Piazzolla’s famous “Libertango” included an difficult side by side footwork that was graded a level four, a one-armed rotational lift and level-four diagonal step sequence, but Denkova slightly tripped. Also, their combination spin received only a level one. The Bulgarians earned 60.12 points (28.70/31.42). “We had a mistake in the diagonal footwork. We were a little far apart from each other, more so than usual. But it’s not a big deal. Mistakes can happen, and the main thing is that we felt comfortable on the ice and good in the dance. We just have to skate clean tomorrow in the free dance”, Denkova commented.
Domnina/Shabalin completed an intricate side by side step sequence (level four), a straight line lift in a low position and level-four spin in their passionate Tango routine. The young Russian couple scored 59.97 points (30.40/29.57), surpassing their previous personal best of 58.86 points. “We are happy with our performance. I was nervous before our performance because of the fall (at the Cup of Russia). Although it wasn’t my mistake, I was very worried”, Domnina revealed. “We changed a lot of things in our footwork”, Shabalin added.
Isabelle Delobel/Olivier Schoenfelder (FRA) came in fourth with a strong performance as well at 57.28 points. Jana Khokhlova/Sergei Novitski (RUS) scored 53.31 points for their powerful performance to place fifth. Melissa Gregory/Denis Petukhov are currently ranked sixth (52.84 points).
Men, Short Program
Brian Joubert of France captured the lead in the Men’s Short Program ahead of Daisuke Takahashi of Japan and teammate Alban Preaubert.
Joubert opened his entertaining routine to “Die Another Day” from the James Bond soundtrack with a quadruple toeloop-double toeloop combination, but he put down his hand on the quad. However, he did not let this mistake affect the rest of the performance and hit a triple Axel, a triple flip and showed good spins that were graded a level four, and he also got a level three for his footwork. The current World silver medalist received 80.75 points (42.50 element score/38.25 program component score), slightly bettering his previous personal best. “I made a mistake, I put down my hand on the quad toe. The mistake was actually that I was too slow going into it. I wasn’t confident enough, and so I put my hand down”, Joubert explained. “Tomorrow I want to do two quads, maybe three if I feel good. Overall I was relaxed when I went into the triple Axel and the spins, the footwork were good.”
Takahashi delivered an energetic performance to the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by Peter Tchaikovski, reeling off a triple flip-triple toe, a triple Axel as well as fast spins, earning a level four for the change foot sit spin and a level three for the flying sit spin, the combination spin and a level three for both step sequences. Only the landing of his triple Lutz was wobbly. The Japanese Champion picked up 79.99 points (41.94/38.05). “I had a problem in my footwork. I got tired towards the end of the program. Tomorrow I try to show all that I learned in practice”, the reigning Grand Prix Final bronze medallist told the press.
Preaubert put out a funny program to “Flight of the Bumble Bee”, chasing an imaginary insect. The Frenchman completed a triple Axel, a triple flip-triple toe combination, a triple flip and three level-four spins to score 71.63 points (38.38/33.25). There was only a slight problem with his music, when the CD jumped and the music shattered in the middle of the performance. “At first I didn’t know what to do, if I should slow down in my footwork or not. There were no such problems in practice. This morning the music was very good, so I don’t know what happened”, the 21-year-old said.
Nobunari Oda (JPN) finished fourth after falling on his triple Axel and popping the flip into a single (69.15 points). Johnny Weir (USA) is currently standing in fifth place at 67.60 points. He doubled the flip and fell while stroking. Evan Lysacek (USA) withdrew after the warm up due to injury. He had injured his right hip in a hard fall in practice in the morning.
Ladies, Short Program
Mao Asada (JPN) won the Ladies Short Program with Miki Ando (JPN) and Yu-Na Kim (KOR) finishing second and third.
Japanese Mao Asada performs her ladies short program at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skatin Final in St.Petersburg, 15 December 2006. (Photo YURI KADOBNOV/AFP/Getty Images)
Performing to “Nocturne” by Frederic Chopin, Asada landed a solid triple flip-triple loop combination, a high double Axel and produced strong spins, steps and spirals, getting a level three and four for all of them. Only the triple Lutz at the beginning was somewhat shaky. The defending Grand Prix Final Champion earned 69.34 points (39.50/29.84), just a little less than her current personal best of 69.50 points. “The first thing my coach (Rafael Arutunian) said after I came off the ice was that I skated brilliantly. I was nervous this morning in practice but not when I came to the competition. My goal here is to skate better than I did at NHK Trophy”, the 16-year-old commented. “Concerning the competition within the (Japanese) team I can only say that if you are confident, you are the best”, she added.
Ando is not far behind at 67.52 points. She, too, sparkled in her routine to Felix Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra that included a triple Lutz-triple loop combination, a triple flip, double Axel and two level-four spins as well as energetic footwork, but she had a little stumble in her steps (level three). The 18-year-old collected 67.52 points (38.44/29.08), improving on her previous personal best of 66.74 points. “I was very nervous and I wanted to do everything were cleanly, but I stumbled (in the footwork) once. I had to skate last, and it made me nervous. My right foot has been hurting a little bit since the practice this morning”, the 2004 World Junior Champion told the press.
Kim completed the strong showing of the Asian Ladies with her third place finish. Skating to “Tango de Roxane” from “Moulin Rouge”, the reigning World Junior Champion, who debutes on the senior Grand Prix this season, completed an effortless triple flip-toeloop combination, a double Axel and a beautiful spiral sequence, but she slightly touched down on the triple Lutz and her final combination spin was a little shaky. Kim scored 65.06 points (36.66/28.40). “I worried a lot and I also had some back pain. I had a little mistake at the beginning of the performance, but it didn’t affect the result. But mainly I am satisfied with my skating”, the 16-year-old said.
Sarah Meier (SUI) finished fourth at 59.46 points with a clean performance that contained a triple Lutz-double toeloop combination, at triple flip and two level-four spins. Fumie Suguri (JPN) is currently ranked fifth after singling her planned double Axel (55.14 points). Julia Sebestyen (HUN) doubled her flip and singled the Axel to come in sixth at 49.40 points.
Pairs, Short Program
China’s Xue Shen/Hongbo Zhao and Dan Zhang/Hao Zhang went one-two in the Pairs Short Program while Rena Inoue/John Baldwin (USA) came in third.
Shen/Zhao, who skated last, opened their routine to “Romanza” with an excellent side by side triple toeloop followed by a big throw triple loop and a spiral sequence. The two-time Olympic bronze medalists also produced a difficult death spiral, a high triple twist and got a level four for their one-armed lift and for the pair combination spin. The Chinese earned 68.66 points (37.18 element score/ 31.48 program component score).”This was a good performance, and we’re happy with it. The only problem was that the bus ride from the hotel took so long (one hour and 20 minutes due to traffic jams)”, Zhao told the post-event news conference.
Zhang/Zhang’s dynamic program to “Spanish Caravan” and “Hello Dolly” featured a huge triple twist, a throw triple loop a side by side triple Salchow as well as a difficult lift. The only glitch came in their death spiral that appeared wobbly. The Olympic and World silver medalists received 64.18 points (34.66/29.52). “Our spiral was messy today. It was still a better performance than at the NHK Trophy in Japan, where I fell (on the triple Salchow). The mistake here was smaller”, Hao Zhang explained.
Inoue/Baldwin had also chosen a Spanish theme. Performing to “The Soul of Spain”, the reigning Four Continents Champions executed a side by side double Axel and a double twist, but she fell on the throw triple Axel. Their lift, death spiral and pair combination spin all were graded a level four by the Technical Panel, and the Americans scored 59.18 points (33.70/26.48). “It was one of these fluke things. It was a great Axel, but it just flipped”, Baldwin commented on the mistake. “This is our fourth Grand Prix this year. I think it makes us perform stronger. I know the throw triple Axel hasn’t been that consistent, but it is a throw triple Axel. We’ve done it several times in competition.”
Aliona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy (GER) are within striking distance of the podium at 58.82 points. She doubled and overroated the toeloop, and their triple twist wasn’t clean either, but they hit a throw triple flip. Maria Petrova/Alexei Tikhonov (RUS) placed fifth after he doubled the toeloop (56.52 points). Valerie Marcoux/Craig Buntin (CAN) are currently standing in sixth place. They had a shaky performance and she went down on the throw triple loop (52.98 points).
The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final continues Saturday with the Free Dance, the Ladies, Men’s and Pairs Free Skating.
Results
