2011 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: Trophee Eric Bompard Short Dance LIVE BLOG

1) Madison Chock & Evan Bates (USA)
   Music: Chick Chick Boom, Doom Diggy Diggy

• This opening section has smoothed out a lot since they debuted at Finlandia
• Good twizzle set, I'm impressed their timing is so on in their debut season
• Madison's facial expressions are the best
• They are nice and close in the holds
• Their speed has improved drastically
• Their connection to one another is so much stronger than it was earlier in the season
• That straight line lift is fantastic, great position changes
• This music is very well edited, no strange cuts between pieces
• Very specific hand gestures in the step sequence
• Very nice dance from them!

SD Score: 26.15 (TES) + 15.86 (PCS) = 52.01

2) Sara Hurtado & Andria Diaz (ESP)
   Music: Mas Que Nada, Magdalenha

• My eyes, these costumes!
• She does not have large hips, but that costume is doing her no favors in that area
• The headpiece is too much
• The costumes distract from the actual skating
• That straight line counter balance lift was very cool
• I'm having trouble focusing on anything but the costumes
• She goes down to her knees right before the end, he pulls her up
• That was a decent program, but unfortunately I hardly watched the skating

SD Score: 23.28 (TES) + 23.43 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 45.71

3) Kristina Gorshkova & Vitali Butikov (RUS)
   Music: Rhumba, ChaCha

• Did she borrow this costume from Alena Leonova?
• I love that twizzle variation
• They have nice speed
• Very flamboyant gestures to match the costumes and the music
• Again, these over the top costumes pull my focus and keep me from paying my full attention to the skating

SD Score: 24.72 (TES) + 24.05 (PCS) = 48.77

4) Xintong Huang, Xun Zheng (CHN)
   Music: Mambo, Rhumba, Samba

• This costume is bad too, but I'm almost slightly used to it because I saw it in China
• She was slightly behind on the twizzles
• Nice positions in the lift
• Good speed throughout
• I love a good hydroblade move
• The choreography in the step sequence fits the music quite well
• Love the ending, but is that necessary?

SD Score: 26.43 (TES) + 24.28 (PCS) = 50.71

5) Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov (RUS)
   Music: HipHip ChinChin, Mas Que Nada, Mujer Latina

• I wonder how Virtue & Moir feel about hearing this music when they're not out there skating to it
• They look so nice together 
• She has her stank face on
• I love this opening section
• Their twizzles look better than usual today
• I feel like I want them to be so much better than they actually are
• The pace of this music is almost too fast for them to keep up with it without looking wildly out of control
• Nice rotational lift, but sloppy exit

SD Score: 27.78 (TES) +30.39 (PCS) = 58.17

6) Anna Cappellini & Luca Lanotte (ITA)
   Music: Volveras, El Chupacapra

• Not as fast as other teams, but very clean synchronized twizzles
• Very smooth through the rhumba, very clean edge work, oops there's some snow!
• She pulls her face as well as anybody
• I love that even though she is such a diva, he still stands out too

SD Score: 33.78 (TES) + 30.84 (PCS) = 64.62

7) Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir (CAN)
   Music: HipHip Chin Chin, Temptation, Mujer Latina

• This is the real HipHip Chin Chin
• Is this opening section different?
• So much speed going into the 1st rhumba sequence
• Just a hair off from one another on the twizzles
• I wish they'd bring a little more heat
• Scott is totally the star of this team
• Amazing curve lift
• I'd like to see more face from Tessa
• outstanding footwork section
• For some reason I feel like she's not giving 100% today, not sure why I feel that way

SD Score: 34.64 (TES) + 36.54 (PCS) = 71.18

8) Nathalie Pechalat & Fabian Bourzat (FRA)
   Music: Mas Que Nada, Batacuda, Real in Rio

• Huge applause from the home crowd
• I like this short dance a lot because it's different from a lot of the others
• They look a little wobbly on this rhumba sequence
• Fabian's kick over her head was a little rough looking
• Nice shimmy at the end of the twizzles
• I totally forgot about his back walkover
• They are pleased, and to do it at home!

SD Score: 33.43 (TES) + 33.09 (PCS) = 66.52

Pl.	Name	Nation	Points	SD	FD
1	Tessa VIRTUE / Scott MOIR	CAN	71.18	1
2	Nathalie PECHALAT / Fabian BOURZAT	FRA	66.52	2
3	Anna CAPPELLINI / Luca LANOTTE	ITA	64.62	3
4	Elena ILINYKH / Nikita KATSALAPOV	RUS	58.17	4
5	Madison CHOCK / Evan BATES	USA	52.01	5
6	Xintong HUANG / Xun ZHENG	CHN	50.71	6
7	Kristina GORSHKOVA / Vitali BUTIKOV	RUS	48.77	7
8	Sara HURTADO / Adria DIAZ	ESP	45.71	8

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CC	IT	Ded. -	StN.
1	Tessa VIRTUE / Scott MOIR	CAN	71.18	34.64		36.54	9.00	8.93	9.18	9.21	9.29	0.00	#7
2	Nathalie PECHALAT / Fabian BOURZAT	FRA	66.52	33.43		33.09	8.36	7.89	8.39	8.36	8.32	0.00	#8
3	Anna CAPPELLINI / Luca LANOTTE	ITA	64.62	33.78		30.84	7.54	7.36	7.86	7.79	7.93	0.00	#6
4	Elena ILINYKH / Nikita KATSALAPOV	RUS	58.17	27.78		30.39	7.64	7.32	7.64	7.75	7.61	0.00	#5
5	Madison CHOCK / Evan BATES	USA	52.01	26.15		25.86	6.57	6.11	6.54	6.50	6.54	0.00	#1
6	Xintong HUANG / Xun ZHENG	CHN	50.71	26.43		24.28	6.25	5.79	6.04	6.39	5.89	0.00	#4
7	Kristina GORSHKOVA / Vitali BUTIKOV	RUS	48.77	24.72		24.05	6.14	5.82	6.07	6.11	5.93	0.00	#3
8	Sara HURTADO / Adria DIAZ	ESP	45.71	23.28		23.43	5.82	5.64	5.89	5.96	5.93	1.00	#2