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. “Currently we are in second place and tomorrow we’ll do a good Free Dance. The suspense is going to be high”, Delobel said. “For us, it’s the third time here in Turin (after 2005 European Championships and 2006 Olympic Games). The audience is fantastic and skating on this ice is a good feeling”, her partner added.
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). “I had a little wobble, but it shouldn’t affect the level of the element, only the grade of execution given by the judges as I didn’t put my second foot down. Maybe the technical specialists decided that our steps were principally a level three, but this is hard for me to tell”, Domnina explained. She was pleased to come back to Torino, where the couple competed in the 2006 Olympic Winter Games: “It feels like we’ve been here yesterday for the Olympic Games. When I came into the rink, I saw everything before my eyes like it was. We have very vivid and positive memories of this event.”
Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir (CAN) are within striking distance of the podium in fourth place at 61.14 points. They produced a smooth Russian dance to “Dark Eyes” and received a level four for all of their elements. Jana Khokhlova/Sergei Novitski (RUS) opted for “Two Guitars” and also skated well to come in fifth with a new personal best score of 58.30 points. Nathalie Pechalat/Fabian Bourzat (FRA) showed a characteristic Spanish Flamenco and are currently ranked 6th (57.73 points).
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 and he slipped in his circular footwork. 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. “I did my best and I´m satisfied, but tomorrow I will do better. I made some mistakes in my circular steps, in any case I have good feelings for my free program. I´m proud to skate here, for my third time, on the Olympic rink”, the Swiss commented.
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). “I was set to go for higher difficulty, so I’m proud of that. Maybe it wasn’t perfect right now, but I’m happy that I got through and I got some really good elements. Obviously I had a mistake, but I fought. It was not quite my personal best, but as far as training it’s a good comparison. Obviously the quad is the most difficult element and it’s coming first, so being able to have a bobble or whatever to fall and to be able to do the rest is what I’m training”, the reigning Four Continents Champion said.
Johnny Weir (USA) came in 4th at 74.80 points. He produced a triple Lutz-triple toe combination, a triple flip and three level-four spins, but he fell on his triple Axel. Kevin van der Perren (BEL) landed a quad-triple toe combination, a triple Axel and a triple Lutz to finish 5th (72.83 points). Patrick Chan pulled off the triple Axel, but stumbled on his triple flip-triple toe combination. He placed 6th (68.86 points).
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. “To be in Final here in Turin is a big surprise for me. Is the first time for me to compete at the (senior) Grand Prix. I´m very satisfied with my short program and tomorrow I will do my best”, the 14-year-old commented.
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). “The problem of the double Axel was a lack of concentration but it´s not such a big mistake. I have very positive emotions connected with Turin (European Championships and Olympic Games). This evening I felt very well, my concentration has been good. The level of the competition is very high and the audience can enjoy it. I’d like to be in the audience myself to watch the competition. For tomorrow, the most important thing is to be calm and to focus on the jumps. I don’t want to achieve miracles. I am well prepared”, Kostner told the press.
Yukari Nakano’s (JPN) routine included a triple flip-double toe, a triple Lutz a double Axel as well a level-four combination spin. The Japanese is currently standing in 4th place at 59.78 points. Kimmie Meissner (USA) went for a triple Lutz-triple toeloop combination, but the second jump was underrotated and downgraded. She came in 5th (59.08 points). Mao Asada (JPN) almost fell on her triple loop in combination with a triple flip and seemed so shocked by the mistake that she omitted her next jump, the triple Lutz. She completed the remaining elements well and is ranked 6th at 59.04 points.
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). “It was not a bad performance for us. Our death spiral was only a level one, though, but the rest was quite good”, Hao Zhang said. “We’ve been here three times, and we are very excited to compete here again”, he answered when asked about coming back to Torino.
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). “It was a so-so performance. We did again a small change to our program, we changed the circular step sequence. We also changed the order of our elements. The order of the elements is very important, as they have to go with the music”, Tong told the press. “I remember that we narrowly missed a medal (at the Olympic Winter Games), of course, but in general we have positive memories, we like this place”, he continued.
Jessica Dubé/Bryce Davison came in 4th. The hit the side by side triple Salchow, a throw triple loop and a double twist, but they aborted the lift and got zero points for it (57.06 points). Keauna McLaughlin/Rockne Brubaker (USA) were 5th after she popped the side by side Salchow and two-footed the throw triple loop (55.24 points). Yuko Kawaguchi/Alexander Smirnov (RUS) are sitting in 6th. They, too had a problem with their lift. He did one extra turn, and as a result the lift was called an illegal element, received zero points and the couple got also a deduction of two points. Only three rotations are allowed in the lift (51.74 points).
For full results, please click on Results . The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final continues Saturday with the Free Dance, the Ladies, Pairs and Men’s Free Skating.
