2011 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: Trophee Eric Bompard Pairs Free Skate LIVE BLOG

1) Vanessa James & Morgan Cipres (FRA)
     Music: Nostalgia

• This is a very soft program compared to their very athletic short program
• Perfect unison on SBS jumps
• Very slow split double twist
• Nevermind what I said about being a "soft program"
• Good clean throw, not a lot of distance
• All that clean skating and he goes down on a simple crossover, they are practically laughing as they continue
• I like this music a lot, even if it is repetitive
• Very strong outing from them, it won't be medal-worthy, but they show promise
• Finish after the music

FS Score: 45.75 (TES) + 43.70 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 88.45
Total Score: 44.86 (SP) + (FS) = 133.31

2) Ksenia Stolbova & Fedor Klimov (RUS)
     Music: Polovetsian Dances

• They are so similar in size that the split twists are hard for them
• Her skirt is a little long for me, it gets in the way, and I hate those black tights
• She stumbles on jump #2 of the 3-jump combination
• They have a long way to go in terms of polish and elegance, though I feel they'll always be more of an athletic team
• Those lift positions really need some work, her foot is nowhere near pointed
• Wild on the throw, she puts a hand and a foot down
• Points for creativity on the death spiral entrance, but it's not pretty
• Hard fall and a big skid on the landing of the 2nd throw
• That was a very poor outing from them, I expected much more

FS Score: 43.08 (TES) + 46.17 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 88.25
Total Score: 48.81 (SP) + 88.25 (FS) = 137.06

3) Huibo Dong & Yiming Wu (CHN)
     Music: Mulan

• It's so cute that they're doing Mulan!
• Crash landing on the split triple twist
• Good jumping pass
• He nearly hits the boards
• Fall from him on the 2nd jumping pass
• They look very tentative in the lift
• Nearly a dead stop at the end of the death spiral
• Everything looks very slow and laboured
• Very slow spins
• This element layout follows that of the usual Chinese programs
• Fairly clean program, but no spark at all to be found

FS Score: 53.85 (TES) + 45.63 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 98.48
Total Score: 49.27 (SP) + 98.48 (FS) = 147.75

4) Jessica Dube & Sebastien Wolfe (CAN)
     Music: Heroes by Phillip Glass

• Good overall speed
• I love the cut of her dress but his shirt is so 1997
• Clean jumping until he put his hands down on the last one
• Off unison in the spins
• Tentative approach the the 1st throw, lacked speed and ice coverage
• I miss Bryce, but these two have potential together if they stick it out
• Better timing on the 2nd throw
• Didn't get the lift up, he couldn't get his arm straight, not sure if that completely devalues the lift or not
• Finished a little ahead of the music after the pair spin
• An okay outing, just fine for a brand new pair

FS Score: 48.06 (TES) + 49.38 (PCS) = 97.44
Total Score: 53.24 (SP) + 97.44 (FS) = 150.68

5) Amanda Evora & Mark Ladwig (USA)
     Music: Daphnis et Chloe, Reverie

• I love the opening section, so fluid and gorgeous
• Great split twist
• Good jumps! Just a wild free leg swing from Amanda
• I love that little choreographed lift
• Good throw Amanda!
• Great speed and flow across the ice
• They are so beautiful I'm literally crying
• Ouch hard splat from Amanda on that double axel
• I say this every gosh darn competition, but they are so beautiful, but who that can only take you so far when you can land the 3 jumps you have to do in a program
• Their reverse entry lifts are so gorgeous, he is sooo strong
• I love the spiral sequence

FS Score: 54.04 (TES) + 58.85 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 111.89
Total Score: 57.69 (SP) + 111.89 (FS) = 169.58

6) Vera Bazarova & Yuri Larionov (RUS)
     Music: Doctor Zhivago

• Clean opening jumping pass
• Big split triple twist, because she weighs 7 pounds
• How she lands throws on those teeny tiny legs is beyond mee!
• All the jumps were clean, that's a big accomplishment for them!
• He actually gets pretty good leg height on that spiral
• Very slow rotation on the lift
• Very nice arch in the back from Vera
• When they land all their elements they pull big numbers, so this is a nice bounce back from Skate America where they only placed 5th
• Their lifts lack variety, but she doesn't hit a bad position

FS Score:65.34  (TES) +  (PCS) = 125.85
Total Score: 59.06 (SP) + (FS) = 184.91

7) Meagan Duhamel & Eric Radford (CAN)
     Music: Viva la Vida, Yellow

• This is a beautiful program, something about it is so heart warming
• He is so much nicer to look at now that he cut his hair
• I love her arch before the split twist
• Unison issues on the SBS jumps, and they both land hands down on the 3rd jump
• Good clean double axels to recover
• I prefer a more traditional death spiral though I know variations improve the level
• Very good unison on the spins, quite remarkable for a team that is only a year old
• Feed stopped for a minute, not sure what I missed
• Nice 2nd throw
• Good lifts today, I believe those were a struggle at Skate Canada
• Good flexibility from her on the pair spin, but it was rally off center
• Abrupt ending, we know I hate those
• Apparently they fell on the 1st throw 

FS Score: 61.35 (TES) + 57.21 (PCS) - 3.00 (DED) = 115.56
Total Score: 61.06 (SP) + 115.56 (FS) = 176.62

8) Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov (RUS)
     Music: Black Swan

• They are in a league of their own here
• Was that a split single twist?
• I'm so happy she scrapped the tutu
• Nice jumping pass
• Very soft knees from both of them
• Perfect unison on the 2nd jumping pass
• Hardly any loss of speed in the grip change on the death spiral
• He exits the spin one revolution before she does
• This is so athletic and so graceful at the same time
• Huge throw, what else can you say about how good that element was
• Wonderful lift position on her part, very fast rotation
• They get bonus for all these lifts in the second half
• I love where this 2nd throw is placed in the music, two-footed
• A little slow on that carry lift
• A few minor errors, but they will be your winners!

FS Score: 64.20 (TES) + 66.24 (PCS) = 130.44
Total Score: 63.69 (SP) + 130.44 (FS) = 194.13

Pl.	Name	Nation	Points	SP	FS
1	Tatiana VOLOSOZHAR / Maxim TRANKOV	RUS	194.13	1	1
2	Vera BAZAROVA / Yuri LARIONOV	RUS	184.91	3	2
3	Meagan DUHAMEL / Eric RADFORD	CAN	176.62	2	3
4	Amanda EVORA / Mark LADWIG	USA	169.58	4	4
5	Jessica DUBE / Sebastien WOLFE	CAN	150.68	5	6
6	Huibo DONG / Yiming WU	CHN	147.75	6	5
7	Ksenia STOLBOVA / Fedor KLIMOV	RUS	137.06	7	8
8	Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES	FRA	133.31	8	7

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CH	IN	Ded. -	StN.
1	Tatiana VOLOSOZHAR / Maxim TRANKOV	RUS	130.44	64.20		66.24	8.39	8.04	8.25	8.36	8.36	0.00	#8
2	Vera BAZAROVA / Yuri LARIONOV	RUS	125.85	65.34		60.51	7.64	7.43	7.64	7.61	7.50	0.00	#6
3	Meagan DUHAMEL / Eric RADFORD	CAN	115.56	61.35		57.21	7.32	6.96	7.11	7.25	7.11	3.00	#7
4	Amanda EVORA / Mark LADWIG	USA	111.89	54.04		58.85	7.46	7.21	7.43	7.39	7.29	1.00	#5
5	Huibo DONG / Yiming WU	CHN	98.48	53.85		45.63	6.14	5.39	5.64	5.82	5.54	1.00	#3
6	Jessica DUBE / Sebastien WOLFE	CAN	97.44	48.06		49.38	6.43	6.04	6.07	6.29	6.04	0.00	#4
7	Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES	FRA	88.45	45.75		43.70	5.71	5.21	5.43	5.57	5.39	1.00	#1
8	Ksenia STOLBOVA / Fedor KLIMOV	RUS	88.25	43.08		46.17	6.14	5.61	5.68	5.79	5.64	1.00	#2

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

1) Jessica Dube & Sebastien Wolfe (CAN)
     Music: Three Hours Past Midnight

• They had a nice debut at Skate Canada, let's hope that wasn't a fluke
• I'm cheering especially hard for them because they're on my fantasy team
• I love the exposed zipper on the back of her dress and I hate his belt
• They seem to connect very well as a pair, but she is clearly the star
• Nice split twist, but only a double
• Perfect unison on the SBS triple salchows
• This loungey music seems to suit them well
• Nice position from her in the star lift
• Good height on the throw, tilted in the air, but she straightens it out on the landing
• This is shaping up to be a really solid short program from them
• I like the level changes and position variations on the pair spin
• I'd like to see more speed overall from both and more performance and expression from Sebastien
• Great program from them, they'll be happy with that overall

SP Score: 28.23 (TES) + 25.01 (PCS) = 53.24

2) Vanessa James & Morgan Cipress (FRA)
     Music: Roxane

• Hello Moulin Rouge
• Double split twist, bent legs from her
• They are really flying around quickly, but they're cutting everything off
• Unison slightly off on the SBS triple toes, a lot of snow flying
• Very rough position changes in the lift, awkward exit
• I feel like they are really rushing everything
• Hand down on the throw, that was only a double
• They have potential, quite an athletic team, but they need to calm down and skate into the music, not over it

SP Score: 21.98 (TES) + 22.88 (PCS) = 44.86

3) Huibo Dong & Yiming Wu (CHN)
     Music: The Feeling Begins

• Is it me or did they just start before the music?
• Very clean SBS triple toes
• I believe this is another Bin Yao team
• Quick split triple twist, but she lands practically on his shoulder
• Very ugly triple throw but she gets away with only a hand down, a lot of snow flying
• That lift hit some very ugly positions and lost almost all of it's speed toward the end
• They are not a bad team, but this team will never live up to the great Chines pairs
• Her whole body is practically on the ice at the end of the death spiral
• I like that intertwined leg position on the pair spin

SP Score: 27.44 (TES) + 21.83 (PCS) = 49.27

4) Meagan Duhamel & Eric Radford (CAN)
     Music: Concierto de Aranjuez

• These two are the stars of this group for sure, and medal favorites
• Amazing speed
• Wonderful split triple twist, I love that arched position she has going into it
• Solid SBS 3toes, a little unison issue on the take off
• She holds the position in the death spiral throughout
• She is so strong, all muscle, the perfect look for a pairs skater
• She shows outstanding flexibility in the pair spin, dare I say it she reminds me a bit of Aliona Savchenko
• They started out so fast, losing a bit of speed in this step sequence
• Very nice stretch in the lift, I'd like to see her point her foot harder
• Hardly any speed going into that throw, very high wrap on her free leg, but she fights to land it

SP Score: 34.06 (TES) + 27.00 (PCS) = 61.06

5) Ksenia Stolbova & Fedor Klimov (RUS)
     Music: Bolero

• Lots of Bolero this season thus far
• So much speed right off the top
• Only a split double twist
• Huge throw, she rides that edge forever!
• Perfect unison on the SBS 3Toes, as per the Russian way
• If only they would give Bazarova/Larinov some of their technical skills and get back some elegance in return
• Oh goodness, a fall on the death spiral! Did she lose her edge, or did he lose her hand?
• This choreography still looks quite Junior-ish to me
• Ended before the music; the rest of that program after the fall on the death spiral was a mess

SP Score: 25.38 (TES) + 25.43 (PCS) -2.00 (DED) = 48.81

6) Amanda Evora & Mark Ladwig (USA)
     Music: The Man I Love

• This is a gorgeous piece that suits them so well, I could see it as a free skate too
• Really nice air position on the split triple twist, she almost stops on the landing
• Fall on the SBS triple from Amanda, the one thing that is keeping them off of podiums
• That was a gorgeous, textbook throw
• I keep saying it, they're fantastic and they have the maturity that only comes with years and years together, but if they can't hit the jumps, they won't get the recognition they deserve
• The connection between them is so real
• That lift, nobody does it better
• Fantastic position in the death spiral, she doesn't let her body position go like some other ladies do

SP Score: 29.83 (TES) + 28.86 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 57.69

7) Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov (RUS)
     Music: Bring Me Back To Life

• You've gotta love that elaborate, chest-popping, entrance to their starting positions, at least it's in character!
• I just can't get over these two, they look like they were created to skate together
• Oh lord, she stumbles and falls exiting the split twist, he manages to pick her up right before he nearly skates over her
• Great SBS triples
• She BARELY hangs onto that throw landing, so much strength there
• I love the this step sequence
• I wouldn't mind this piece of music if it was a different arrangement that sounded less like Muzak
• Messy program, but they're fighters!

SP Score: 33.01 (TES) + 31.68 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 63.69

8) Vera Bazarova &  Yuri Larionov (RUS)
     Music: Tosca

• These two have run hot and cold since last season's Grand Prix Final
• Wow, good SBS jumps from them! Just a slight timing difference between them bu tlanded!
• Very clean catch in midair on the split twist
• They lack speed, but the body lines are where they get points
• Fall on the throw, just a really bad air position
• I think her body touched the ice when they changed the hold in the death spiral
• Beautiful lift positions individually, but some not so pretty transitions between them
• They seem rushed today
• I wish she'd be more expressive with her face, she almost looks lost
• They're lacking spark, they need a good kick in the but 

SP Score: 30.88 (TES) +29.18 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 59.06

1	Tatiana VOLOSOZHAR / Maxim TRANKOV	RUS	63.69	1
2	Meagan DUHAMEL / Eric RADFORD	CAN	61.06	2
3	Vera BAZAROVA / Yuri LARIONOV	RUS	59.06	3
4	Amanda EVORA / Mark LADWIG	USA	57.69	4
5	Jessica DUBE / Sebastien WOLFE	CAN	53.24	5
6	Huibo DONG / Yiming WU	CHN	49.27	6
7	Ksenia STOLBOVA / Fedor KLIMOV	RUS	48.81	7
8	Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES	FRA	44.86	8

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CH	IN	Ded. -	StN.
1	Tatiana VOLOSOZHAR / Maxim TRANKOV	RUS	63.69	33.01		31.68	8.14	7.64	7.82	8.00	8.00	1.00	#7
2	Meagan DUHAMEL / Eric RADFORD	CAN	61.06	34.06		27.00	6.93	6.50	6.71	6.86	6.75	0.00	#4
3	Vera BAZAROVA / Yuri LARIONOV	RUS	59.06	30.88		29.18	7.46	7.11	7.29	7.36	7.25	1.00	#8
4	Amanda EVORA / Mark LADWIG	USA	57.69	29.83		28.86	7.25	6.93	7.32	7.25	7.32	1.00	#6
5	Jessica DUBE / Sebastien WOLFE	CAN	53.24	28.23		25.01	6.46	5.82	6.32	6.32	6.32	0.00	#1
6	Huibo DONG / Yiming WU	CHN	49.27	27.44		21.83	5.75	5.18	5.46	5.57	5.32	0.00	#3
7	Ksenia STOLBOVA / Fedor KLIMOV	RUS	48.81	25.38		25.43	6.54	6.21	6.25	6.43	6.36	2.00	#5
8	Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES	FRA	44.86	21.98		22.88	5.86	5.50	5.64	5.89	5.71	0.00	#2

2011 Trophee Eric Bompard: Pairs Preview

This event is crucial for 2 teams that have a clear shot at making the Grand Prix Final and for one that has an outside chance of qualifying as an alternate. The pairs skate their short on Friday November 18th at 10:45 a.m. EST and their free on Saturday November 19th at 9:30 a.m. EST.

Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov (RUS)  were nothing if not fantastic at Skate Canada where they won by 20 points. The amount of chemistry they've built in such a short period of time is truly remarkable and they're certainly the favorite here. I'm giving Vera Bazarova & Yuri Larionov (RUS) another shot to skate to their potential before I write them off for the season. They're oh so soft and elegant, the perfect contrast to Volosozhar & Trankov, if they can hit their pair elements. Lately though, if on of them lands the jumps, the other falls, so they'll both need to hit here or they'll find themselves off the podium as they did earlier at Skate America. Meagan Duhamel & Eric Radford (CAN) are a rising favorite for me. They do difficult technical elements and they're developing chemistry as a pair, but like every other North America pair, I hate to get invested because who knows how long they'll stay together. One North American pair that has stayed together is Amanda Evora & Mark Ladwig (USA). They have two gorgeous programs this season, but they keep missing podiums by a hair because of falls on jumps and throws. I don't know how many times I have to say it, but if they could just hit, they'd be on every Grand Prix podium and probably top 5 or 6 at Worlds. Also, don't count out youngsters Ksenia Stolbova & Fedor Klimov (RUS) who debuted with an impressive 5th at 2010 Skate America and look to improve upon that with a year of senior experience under their belts. Jessica Dube & Sebastien Wolfe (CAN) are in their first season together and though they likely won't factor into the medals, they'll look to keep improving throughout the season.

My Podium Predictions:
1) Volosozhar & Trankov (RUS)
2) Bazarova & Larionov (RUS)
3) Duhamel & Radford (CAN)


Competitive History:


Vera Bazarova & Yuri Larionov (RUS)-5th at 2011 Skate America, 2nd 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy, 5th 2011 Worlds, 3rd 2011 Europeans, 5th 2010 Grand Prix Final, 2nd 2010 Trophee Eric Bompard, 2nd 2010 NHK Trophy, 1st 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy; PB: 188.24 at 2011 Europeans


Huibo Dong & Yiming Wu (CHN)-14th 2011 Worlds, 10th 2011 Four Continents, 2nd 2011 Winter Universiade, 7th 2010 Cup of China, 7th 2010 Skate Canada; PB: 146.49 at 2009 Cup of China 

Jessica Dube & Sebastian Wolfe (CAN)-6th at 2011 Skate Canada, 6th 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy, PB: 158.44 at 2011 Skate Canada 

Meagan Duhamel & Eric Radford (CAN)-3rd at 2011 Skate Canada, 7th 2011 Worlds, 2nd 2011 Four Continents, 5th 2010 Skate Canada, 3rd 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy; PB: 181.79 at 2011 Four Continents 

Amanda Evora & Mark Ladwig (USA)-4th at 2011 Cup of China, 11th 2011 Worlds, 6th 2011 Four Continents, 3rd 2010 Rostelecom Cup, 5th 2010 Cup of China; PB: 171.92 at 2010 Winter Olympics


Vanessa James & Morgan Cipres (FRA)-


Ksenia Stolbova & Fedor Klimov (RUS)-2nd 2011 World Juniors, 2nd 2011 JGP Final,

5th 2010 Skate America, 1st 2010 JGP England, 1st 2010 JGP Austria; PB: 159.79 at

2010 JGP Austria

Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov (RUS)-1st at 2011 Skate Canada, 1st 2011 O Nepela, 1st

2011 Nebelhorn Trophy, 2nd 2011 Worlds, 1st 2011 Mont Blanc Trophy; PB: 210.73 at 2011 Worlds

2011 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: Skate Canada Pairs Short Program

3:45 Todd Sand, famed US pairs skater here is the technical specialist; he also coaches Marley & Brubaker
3:48 I love Lubov, she's such a tiny little fireball Diva!

1) Jessica Dube & Sebastien Wolfe (CAN)
     Music: Three Hours Pat Midnight

• I love the simple black costume  with the glitter and details
• Is he wearing a yellow bracelet? That's distracting
• Blues piano is certainly a new style for Jessica who was so graceful and elegant with Bryce
• Only a split double twist, top teams will do triples
• Different timing take off for SBS triple toes
• Those jumps will definitely receive a negative GOE
• Very tilted in the air, but lands the throw nonetheless
• This program isn't really doing much for me
• They look nice on the ice together, but they need more time together to get in synch on their jump and spin timing
• Same coaches as Cynthia Phaneuf

SP Score: 28.97 (TES) +24.26 (PCS) = 53.23

2) Xiaoyu Yu & Yang Jin (CHN)
     Music: The Nutcracker

• Waltz of the Flowers, that takes me back......
• This costumes are a little loud for me, but that was an exquisite split triple twist
• She two-foots the SBS jumps and unison is off
• Difficult entrance into the throw, she seems to hang and the air, a little tentative on the landing
• She takes a fall on the footwork sequence, that's unfortunate after their strong start
• That fall will hurt the level of the footwork
• My feed is skipping on me so I lost the lift

SP Score: 28.73 (TES) + 21.55 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 49.28

3) Meagan Duhamel & Eric Radford (CAN)
     Music: Concierto de Aranjuez

• This feed is skipping....I'm missing a few elements but I'll call what I can
• I can't decide if I like the costumes or not, but they do look professional
• Okay split twist
• This program seems a little choppy to me, but that may be the feed
• And I missed the rest

SP Score: 35.37 (TES) + 37.00 (PCS) = 62.37

4) Lubov Iliushechkina & Nodari Maisuradze (RUS)
     Music: Figaro from The Barber of Seville

• I loved this short last season, huge split triple twist
• Good fast entry into the death spiral
• I also like their spin entry
• I just love everything about them, I don't know what it is but I do
• If my feed would stop slipping I'd give more specific notes
• Spectacular entrance and lift!!

SP Score: 32.34 (TES) + 25.80 (PCS) = 58.14

5) Paige Lawrence & Rudi Swiegers (CAN)
     Music: Beetlejuice

• I love this music, the costumes are cool too
• Love Paige's hands on that opening pair spin
• Really good speed
• Low catch on the split triple twist
• Interesting choreography
• Slight unison issue on SBS triple toes
• I'd like to see smoother position changes on the lift and more rotational speed
• Huge height on the throw, Paige can't hold it and falls
• Another fall in the footwork, just Paige though
• Really losing speed now
• A little strange to end the whole way at the end of the rink

SP Score: 26.80 (TES) + 25.31 (PCS) - 2.00 (DED) = 50.11

6) Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov (RUS)
     Music: Bring Me Back To Life by Evanescence

• Interesting entrance to center ice, perhaps they think they're hip hop dancers with those chest pops
• This arrangement is very heavy on the synthesizer
• That split triple twist was monstrous
• Odd costume choices, hello studded pleather
• Nailed the SBS 3toes
• Huge Throw, maybe a two-foot
• Really good lift position from her, she really arches her back
• This is a very Morozov program, lots of superfluous hand  movements
• Really nice spin
• They look great together and have great technical elements, but this program was not for me
• Huge crowd pleaser!

SP Score: 39.39 (TES) + 31.03 (PCS) = 70.42

7) Narumi Takahashi & Mervin Tran (JPN)
     Music: Imagine

• This is a gorgeous program if they can hit the elements
• Their choreography is beautiful, it looks more ice dance than pairs
• Narumi puts her hand down and spins out, but beautiful SBS toes overall
• HUGE split triple twist, he even has time to put his arms down
• Two-foot and turn out on the throw but she kept it upright
• Mervin is a fantastic partner, Narumi needs to keep working on her singles elements
• That lift is just fantastic overall
• I love this program overall, fantastic musical selection
• That is easily the best death spiral entrance I've ever seen
• Not their best, but no fall deductions

SP Score: 33.01 (TES) + 27.59 (PCS) = 60.60

8) Wenjing Sui & Cong Han (CHN)
     Music: Country Dance by Josh Turner

• I wish they would have done a new, more mature short program
• Unison off in the SBS jumps
• Good split triple twist
• This piece is so fast, but they really keep up well
• Great throw, you just can't say enough about this team's technical elements
• And they get so into the performance as well
• The position changes on the lift need to be a lot smoother and with faster rotation on his part

SP Score: 32.48 (TES) + 26.75 (PCS) = 59.23

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CH	IN	Ded. -	StN.
1	Tatiana VOLOSOZHAR / Maxim TRANKOV	RUS	70.42	39.39		31.03	7.93	7.43	7.86	7.79	7.79	0.00	#6
2	Meagan DUHAMEL / Eric RADFORD	CAN	62.37	35.37		27.00	6.75	6.57	6.79	6.93	6.71	0.00	#3
3	Narumi TAKAHASHI / Mervin TRAN	JPN	60.60	33.01		27.59	6.89	6.86	6.68	7.14	6.93	0.00	#7
4	Wenjing SUI / Cong HAN	CHN	59.23	32.48		26.75	6.71	6.36	6.82	6.79	6.75	0.00	#8
5	Lubov ILIUSHECHKINA / Nodari MAISURADZE	RUS	58.14	32.34		25.80	6.64	6.50	6.18	6.57	6.36	0.00	#4
6	Jessica DUBE / Sebastien WOLFE	CAN	53.23	28.97		24.26	6.14	5.79	6.07	6.29	6.04	0.00	#1
7	Paige LAWRENCE / Rudi SWIEGERS	CAN	50.11	26.80		25.31	6.46	6.14	6.11	6.50	6.43	2.00	#5
8	Xiaoyu YU / Yang JIN	CHN	49.28	28.73		21.55	5.86	5.29	5.18	5.50	5.11	1.00	#2

2011 Skate Canada: Pairs Preview

This pairs event is sure to be a heated battle between Russia & China, with a little Canada & Japan sprinkled in. The two top teams were born in different decades, so that gives you an idea of how diverse this field is. They take the ice at 3:45pm EST on Friday October 28th for their short program and 4:15pm on Saturday October 29th for the free.

The fact that Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov (RUS) are making their Senior Grand Prix debut here is a technicality because they come in as World silver medalists. They look like they were born to skate together and proved that in Moscow last May. They are in a class of their own and shouldn't have any real competition until they face Savchenko & Szolkowy in the Final. Wenjing Sui & Cong Han (CHN) are fresh off two wins on the Junior Grand Prix circuit and are a solid bet for a medal here. They are completing solid Quad twists and throws which gives them a technical leg up, and are also improving their performance level. Lubov Iliushechkina & Nodari Maisuradze (RUS) started strong in 2010, making the Grand Prix Final, but fell off at their own Nationals and failed to make Worlds. They had a disastrous free skate at O Nepela earlier this month and finished 3rd when they were favored for Silver, so a medal here would restore their confidence for the rest of the season. Meagan Duhamel & Eric Radford (CAN) are beginning their 2nd season together, but already have a Silver at Four Continents and a 7th place finish at Worlds under their belt. It would be a great season starter for them to do well on home ice. Narumi Takahashi & Mervin Tran (JPN) were all over the map last season, but they owned the Junior circuit and many see them as threats for major Senior medals. For me, they're not quite there yet and still have a very Junior-ish quality, but that being said I'm also very open to seeing how they've progressed and where their new programs will take them. Don't forget reigning Skate Canada and Four Continents bronze medalists Paige Lawrence & Rudi Swiegers (CAN) who are aiming to improve their scores this season by upping their program components. Xiaoyu Yu & Yang Jin (CHN) were stars this year on the Junior Grand Prix, winning two Silvers behind Sui & Han and qualifying to the Final. Moving from Junior to Senior is a big step up and I'm excited to see how they transition.

My Podium Predictions:

1) Volosozhar & Trankov (RUS)

2) Wenjing Sui & Cong Han (CHN)

3) Iliushechkina & Nodari Maisuradze (RUS)

Competitive History:

Jessica Dube & Sebastian Wolfe (CAN)-6th 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy, PB: 192.78 (Dube/Davison) at 2008 Worlds

Meagan Duhamel & Eric Radford (CAN)-7th 2011 Worlds, 2nd 2011 Four Continents, 5th 2010 Skate Canada, 3rd 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy; PB: 181.79 at 2011 Four Continents 

Lubov Iliushechkina & Nodari Maisuradze (RUS)-3rd 2011 O Nepela, 1st 2011 Winter Universiade, 4th 2010 Grand Prix Final, 4th 2010 Cup of China, 1st 2010 Skate Canada; PB: 177.44 at 2010 Grand Prix Final

Paige Lawrence & Rudi Swiegers (CAN)-5th 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy, 3rd 2011 Four Continents, 5th 2010 Rostelecom Cup, 3rd 2010 Skate Canada; PB: 171.73 at 2011 Four  Continents

Wenjing Sui & Cong  Han (CHN)-1st 2011 JGP Latvia, 1st 2011 World Juniors, 3rd 2010 Grand Prix Final, 3rd 2010 Skate America, 2nd 2010 Cup of China, 1st 2010 JGP Germany, 2nd 2010 JGP Austria; PB: 179.04 at 2010 Grand Prix Final

Narumi Takahashi & Mervin Tran (JPN)-9th 2011 Worlds, 7th 2011 Four Continents, 1st 2010 JGP Final, 2nd 2010 Cup of Russia, 3rd 2010 NHK Trophy, 2nd 2010 JGP Germany, 2nd 2010 JGP England; PB: 165.47 at 2010 Rostelecom Cup 

Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov (RUS)-1st 2011 O Nepela, 1st 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy, 2nd 2011 Worlds, 1st 2011 Mont Blanc Trophy; PB: 210.73 at 2011 Worlds

Xiaoyu Yu & Yang Jin (CHN)-3rd 2010 JGP Final, 1st 2010 JGP Czech Republic, 3rd 2010 JGP Austria; 140.58 at 2010 JGP Final