The 2015 ISU European Figure Skating Championships continued today with the Ice Dance Short Dance.
Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) take Short Dance
Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron of France took the lead in the Short Dance followed by Russia’s Elena Ilinykh/Ruslan Zhiganshin and Italians Anna Cappellini/Luca Lanotte.
Papadakis/Cizeron’s dance to “Escobilla” and “Farruca” by Christina Hoyos included a level-four straight line lift, twizzles and Paso Doble sequence as well as level three footwork. The Grand Prix Final bronze medalists posted a new personal best with 71.06 points. “We are really happy with our performance and of course with this result. Our goal was to finish in the top three. Many people expected us to be first, which put indeed a bit of pressure on us, but the situation now makes us really confident for the free dance”, Papadakis said.
Performing to “Carmen”, Ilinykh/Zhiganshin picked up a level four for the twizzles, the two Paso Doble patterns and the straight line lift and a level three for the side by side footwork. The Russian Champions earned 69.94 points, a new personal best score. “We have worked so hard on the technique, we were pushed so hard by our coaches, it even came to tears. We didn’t want to let down our coaches. It is very difficult to get a level four (for the Paso Doble), there was always lacking something. It paid off that we worked so hard on it”, Ilinykh told the press.
Cappellini/Lanotte danced to Capriccio Espagnol and earned a level four for the Paso Doble sequences, the twizzles and their rotational lift to set a new seasons best of 69.63 points. “It's a very meaningful performance for us because we haven't been competing (internationally) since the first Grand Prix which wasn't a great experience. Our biggest satisfaction today, before the score, was that we felt like we skated how we can. What we wish for tomorrow is to skate as we are able to”, Cappellini noted.
Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin (RUS) finished fourth with 64.95 points. Federica Testa/Lukas Csolley (SVK) placed firth (62.91 points) and Sara Hurtado/Adria Diaz (ESP) round up the top six with 62.59 points.
Olivia Smart/Joseph Buckland (GBR) withdrew before the Short Dance as he has been taken ill.
The ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2015 continue Thursday with the Ladies Short Program and the Free Dance.