1) Stacey Kemp & David King (Great Britain) **
Music: Sweeney Todd
- That was a serious crash on the split triple twist and she almost fell
- He stumbles out of the opening side-by-side
- She saves the landing on the throw triple toe loop
- I love this music and I just hope they can interpret it well
- She doesn't wear her engagement ring in the performance because she has caught him with it before
- Amazing somersault entrance into the star lift but it almost comes to a standstill at the end
- She lands hard on the throw triple loop
- This seems to really lack speed and I just wonder if this was the correct musical selection for them
- The side-by-side combination jumps-he seemed to completely miss the second jump
- Peter thinks there are major technical issues and they need to go back to the basics and make some fixes before they try the more difficult elements, all in terms of safety concerns
- Using Sweeney Todd, a show about slitting throats with a razor is very scary in a sport that involves blades, especially when accidents have previously occurred with one skater cutting their partner with their blade....just my two cents
- FS Score: 40.83 (technical) + 34.09 (presentation) - 1.00 (deduction) = 73.92
- 42.00 (SP) + 73.92 (FS) = 115.92
2) Marissa Castelli & Simon Shnapir (USA)
Music: Avatar
- Like many other US pair teams, they have the potential for greatness if they can stay consistent
- I actually really enjoyed that split triple twist
- That overhead lift covers the ice with so much speed
- He stumbles out of the triple salchow with a hand down
- He stepped out on the side by side triple toe
- Don't quote me but she seems to be the stronger singles skater
- Hands down and two-footed on the throw triple axel
- Spins seem to be out of unison
- Kneeling, he is her height
- Their overhead lifts are great and the dismounts are pretty clean
- The height on those throws is amazing and the second lift is so clean
- Their lifts are just astounding, and that front leg hold position is incredible
- They never lost their speed and did not even look tired at the end
- Their goal is to have the "unique factor" and they are truly achieving that
- FS Score: 57.23 (technical) + 48.86 (presentation) = 106.09
- 47.24 (SP) + 106.09 (FS) = 153.33
3) Felicia Zhang & Taylor Toth (USA) **
Music: Miss Saigon Rhapsody
- They seem to be the perfect pair to create the characters from Miss Saigon
- That was a scary crash on that split triple twist
- Taylor puts a hand down on the side by side triple toe
- The rotations are slow on the overhead lift, he sets her down nicely
- Those spins were way too closely, and she drops out of it to avoid his blade getting too close to her face
- That just took me back to Dube/Davison where his blade cuts her face
- She lands a nice throw
- A hand down on the next throw
- Peter Carruthers seems genuinely concerned about these pairs as they attempt these difficult elements
- The junior/senior transition is so difficult for these pairs because the new system encourages them to attempt difficult elements when they are not really ready
- They are really struggling here, but t hey show potential if they can really train harder
- FS Score: 40.43 (technical) + 39.14 (presentation) -1.00 (deduction)= 78.57
- 48.13 (SP) + 78.57 (FS) = 126.70
4) Ksenia Stolbova & Fedor Klimov (Russia)
Music: La Strada
- This team has already qualified for the junior Grand Prix Final
- Nice clean split triple twist
- These are good singles skaters which they display in a triple-double-double combination in perfect unison
- Their side by side spins were also very good
- Nice low death spiral
- Their choreography plays perfectly into the character of the piece
- This team seems strong enough to possibly be the future of Russian Pairs skating, but only time will tell
- Normally pairs routines seem very formulaic but I really enjoy the choreography of this program
- FS Score: 57.44 (technical) + 49.32 (presentation) - 1.00 (deduction) = 105.76
- 53.73 (SP) + 105.76 (FS) = 159.49
5) Wenjing Sui & Cong Han (China)
Music: City Lights by Charlie Chaplin
- Here we go with the young dynamos from China, they will attempt a quad throw so we'll see how it goes, I'm hoping for her safety
- Her personality is wonderful, and both of them are really just amazing
- Two sets of clean double axels
- Throw quad salchow landed, seemed two footed and maybe a hand down
- This is a huge moment for them; its been landed before but not often
- She took a very hard fall on that throw in practice and spectators thought she was severely injured, but she got right back up and went back to practice
- Her flexibility is amazing
- She is 15 so she may start to grow soon and I hope that doesn't affect their technique very much
- The height on that throw is just amazing
- Pretty good unison on the spins
- She missed her toe pick takeoff for the final lift, but he just dead lifted her, showing great strength on his part
- She is just precious, I want to put her in my pocket and take her home with me; she is about the size of the little Chinese gymnasts
- That coach has huge hair
- FS Score: 61.74 (technical) + 60.80 (presentation) = 112.54
- 57.53 (SP) + 112.54 (FS) = 170.07
6) Caydee Denney & Jeremy Barrett (USA)
Music: Rhapsody in Blue
- They look so much more mature this year
- This is a David Wilson choreographed routine
- Split triple twist is clean
- Clean side by side jump, they both really held on
- Throw triple lutz got good height and was on an amazing high point in the music
- Jeremy singled his side by side double axel, but they repeat with two solid side by side double axels
- This is a very mature program out of them and I'm seeing a good connection between them
- Spins have pretty good unison
- She lands on her stomach on the second throw, got very close to the boards
- This is a lovely death spiral position
- That fall may take them off the podium after the stellar program from Sui & Han
- This choreography is fabulous and really utilizes the music well
- He gets a great low position on the pair spin
- That was a tough fall on the second throw, but that was a great skate otherwise
- Their on ice chemistry is definitely improving and I think John Zimmerman and Sylvia Fontana have been very good for them
- FS Score: 55.17 (technical) + 53.76 (presentation) -1.00 (deduction) = 107.93
- 58.59 (SP) + (FS) = 166.42
7) Kirsten Moore-Towers & Dylan Moscowitch (Canada) **
Music: Les Miserables
- They put up a very memorable performance at Skate Canada and this program is fabulous
- He doubles his triple toe
- So far, so good
- Their lifts are very solid
- He stumbles out of the second side by side jump
- She does that extended free leg position in the death spiral which I really don't like at all
- She was very titled in the air on that throw triple salchow so I'm not sure how she saved the landing
- This final lift where he starts on the ice is wonderful
- This is a well choreographed program and although I don't think it was as good as at Skate Canada, I think it was still great
- FS Score: 55.58 (technical) + 55.26 (presentation) = 113.84
- 61.64 (SP) + (FS) = 175.48
8) Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy (Germany) **
Music: The Pink Panther
- Hello costumes, could we get any louder?
- This is a great playful opening
- The opening throw triple flip was outstanding
- The first set of triples was solid, but he stumbled in the second
- These spins are very fast, but as the positions change, she cannot keep up with his speed
- I love the colors, but I would prefer to see her in a dress
- The landing on that split triple twist was a bit clunky
- No major mistakes yet, but they simply lack the polish that they once had
- They definitely use her flexibility to the fullest extent with in spins and lifts
- They end with a throw triple salchow that they barely eek out
- They say they are known as the "never smiling pair" and they aim to fix that this season with this comedic routine
- FS Score: 66.12 (technical) + 67.59 (presentation) = 133.71
- 63.99 (SP) + 133.71 (FS) = 197.70
1) Savchenko/Szolkowy (Germany) 197.70
2) Moore-Towers/Moscowitch (Canada) 175.48
3) Sui/Han (China) 170.07
4) Denney/Barrett (USA) 166.42
5) Stolbova/Klimov (Russia) 159.49
6) Castelli/Shnapir (USA) 153.33
7) Zhang/Toth (USA) 126.70
8) Kemp/King (Great Britain) 115.92
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