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European Figure Skating Championships
Malmö, Sweden
January 21
Ice Dancing, Compulsory Dance
Irina Lobacheva/Ilia Averbukh (RUS), 2002 World Champions
Averbukh: “It was tough to skate first. It never had happened to us before that we skated first in European or World Championships. Some of our marks were a bit low, because we skated early. I think we would have had some higher marks if we had skated later. But the competition just started. (On skating one Compulsory Dance) We like that. Before, we had two Compulsories, but the result never changed. (On entering the competition as favorites) We hope for the first place here, but there are many other strong couples. But this is what competition is about.”
Sylwia Nowak/Sebastian Kolasinski (POL), 2003 National Champions
Nowak: We had some difficulties with the ice today. We felt it was too hard. I prefer to have two Compulsory Dances in the competition as you still have a chance to improve on the second one.”
Kolasinski: “We’re pleased with today’s performance. We like the Tango Romantica as it has lots of difficult steps and edges which show the high quality of the skaters.”
Kati Winkler/Rene Lohse (GER), 2003 National Champions
Winkler: “We enjoy skating again after all our injuries. The most important thing for us is to confirm what we can do in practice and to skate our very best. The marks show how close it is between the couples. The range of marks was very wide. It is our goal to make the top five here. We’re looking forward to skate the Original Dance.”
Roxane Petetin/Mathieu Jost (FRA), 2003 National silver medalists
Petetin: “I like the Tango because it’s a strong dance. You need a lot of expression in your face and I like that very much. I think the Tango is a gooddance for us. We like the dances with a lot of expression.”
Jost: “I feel really good. It was a good feeling today, the ice was good and also the audience. Today we skated the Tango Romantica and that it’s not one of my favorites.”
Tatiana Navka/Roman Kostomarov (RUS), 2003 National Champions
Navka: “We’re very pleased with how it went for us. We like the Tango a lot, it suits us and our style.”
Kostomarov: “I think it’s good to have only one Compulsory. The competition used to be very long, five to six hours. It is still important to prepare three or four Compulsories, but it’s enough to draw one of them for the event.”
Isabelle Delobel/Olivier Schoenfelder (FRA), 2003 National Champions
Delobel:” We are happy with our skating, we did our best. The ice was quite good. It’s easier to do just one Compulsory Dance, the competition was far too long with two Compulsories. We like to skate the Tango as it combines a lot of difficult steps and edges and gives us the possibility for expression.”
Galit Chait/Sergei Sakhnovski (ISR), 2002 World bronze medalists
Chait: “We tried to skate our best and nothing else. We aren’t satisfied with our current rank, but we have two more days for competition. We have to fight more. The judges put us were they wanted us so no we just have to look forward.”
Sakhnovski: “We want to fight and try to skate as best as we can. I think we need two Compulsory Dances but it’s easier with only one dance for us. Now we only have to wait and see what the judges think.”
Albena Denkova/Maxim Staviski (BUL), 2002 Bofrost Cup Champions
Denkova: We are very pleased with our skating. We were afraid as the ice is very hard, and we had to skate after ten couples. So we tried to skate a different pattern and to make bigger curves. We’re very happy with the marks. We like difficult Compulsory Dances, therefore the Tango is one of our favorites. We enjoy Compulsories, so it doesn’t matter to us if we have to skate one or two. Our coach is paying special attention to Compulsory Dances.
Elena Grushina/Ruslan Goncharov (UKR), winners of 3 Grand Prix events
Grushina: “The important thing is to show always your best. The competition has just begun. We’re looking forward to the Original Dance now.”
Goncharov: “I think we did well. The battle isn’t over yet, we’ll fight again in the Original and Free Dances.”
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