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