Cup of Russia, Day 1
23 Nov 2007 22:10
The Cup of Russia kicked off Friday with the Compulsory Dance, the Ladies, Pairs and Men’s Short Program. The Cup of Russia is the fifth of six events in the 2007/2008 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. The skaters compete for a global prize money of US $ 180, 000 per individual event of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating and receive points according to their placements. The top six skaters/couples then qualify for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Torino, Italy (December 13-16).
Ice Dancing, Compulsory Dance
The Compulsory Dance at the Cup of Russia was the Yankee Polka. Although the Polka is a bouncy dance, the basic principle of stroking and effortless flow must be adhered to. The partners must remain close together to minimize the whipping action generated by the short precise steps and rapid turning movements. The Yankee Polka was invented by James Sladky, Judy Schwomeyer and Ron Ludington. It was first performed in 1969.
Oksana Domnina/Maxim Shabalin  of Russia captured the lead ahead of France’s Nathalie Pechalat/Fabian Bourzat  and their young compatriots Ekaterina Bobrova/Dmitri Solviev.
Domnina/Shabalin came in first with a crisp performance of the Yankee Polka, showing off deep edges and maintaining high speed throughout the dance. The European silver medalists interpreted the upbeat character of the Polka very well and scored a new personal best of 40.05 points (20.78 element score/19.27 program component score). “The Polka is a fun dance, but we skated as the tenth couple, without a ice resurfacing and it felt like on railway tracks. There are tracings from the other couples, and this is dangerous. When we went out, I felt like I get caught everywhere. I think it would be better if there still was a draw for (the skating order of) the compulsory dance”, Domnina commented. “Our favorite compulsory dance this season is actually the Austrian Waltz, which we didn’t skate yet in competition”, Shabalin told the press. “We feel the support of the crowd. When they shout “Maxim” and “Oksana” and we don’t react, it doesn’t mean that we don’t like that, but we’re just focusing on our performance”, he answered when asked about the active crowd in the “Na Khodynke” ice palace.
Pechalat/Bourzat danced an excellent Yankee Polka as well, remaining close together and in perfect unison. The Skate America silver medalist earned 34.87 points (18.24/16.63) and slightly improved their previous personal best, set at Skate America. “We did a very clean compulsory dance, with strong rhythm and good expression. We did it even better this morning in practice, but this is competition and we are happy with what we did. We got a new personal best, but I think we still can improve our personal best in the next competition if we continue to skate well. We are actually like the Waltz far better, because it suits our style better, but generally we don’t have favorite compulsory dances”, Bourzat said.
Bobrova/Soloviev put out a precise performance of the Polka, skating much better than at Skate Canada three weeks ago. The reigning World Junior Champions picked up 30.22 points (15.60/14.62), which is a new seasonal best for them. “To skate at home with all the support from our friends, is really nice. We were not nervous, a little nervousness is always there, but it was minimal”, Soloviev explained. “We skated the Polka a lot (since Skate Canada). It was much better, without any stumbles. We already felt more at home at this senior level and we learned how to approach the competition. It’s very different (from junior events) when you go out on the same warm up with couples like Domnina/Shabalin and Pechalat/Bourzat, you feel the responsibility, especially when you skate at home in your country”, he continued.
Anastasia Grebenkina/Vazgen Azrojan (ARM) are less than one point behind at 30.04 points. The Armenians also earned a new seasonal best for the compulsory dance. Anna Zadarozhniuk/Sergei Verbillo (UKR) are currently standing in fifth place (29.28 points) and got a new seasonal best as well.
Ladies, Short Program
Korea’s Yu-Na Kim won the Ladies Short Program ahead of Yukari Nakano of Japan and Kiira Korpi (FIN).
Performing to “Die Fledermaus” by Johann Strauss, Kim landed a solid triple flip-triple toeloop combination, but struggled on the landing of her triple Lutz. She produced a high level spins, but then singled her Axel . Kim collected 63.50 points (34.90 element score/28.60 component score). “I made a few mistakes. The first error (on the Lutz) was a small mistakes, then I was nervous for the and I missed my timing for take-off (for the Axel)”, Kim explained. “But overall it was not a bad performance and I’m very pleased with the result”. Asked about her choice of music, she answered: “Last year I did a Tango in the short program, and this year I wanted to do something completely different.”
Nakano opened her routine to “Fantaisie Impromptu” with a triple Flip-double toeloop combination followed by a triple Lutz. She also executed a double Axel and fast, well centered spins , earning a level three for all three of them. The Skate Canada silver medalist scored a new season best of 60.50 points (34.10/26.40). “I was very nervous and the only thing I kept thinking was – don’t skate like at Skate Canada (where she fell on the triple Lutz), and I managed it”, the 22-year-old offered.
Korpi’s Tango program to “Triunfal” by Astor Piazzolla featured a triple Lutz-double toeloop combination, a triple loop, double Axel and a level-four combination spin. The European bronze medalist was awarded 58.22 points (33.30/24.92). “One week before (Skate America) I had the flu and felt really bad. The doctor told me that I wouldn’t survive the long flight. So I had to take the difficult decision to withdraw”, Korpi said, referring to missing her first Grand Prix assignment this year. “I needed one week to recover from my illness.”
Fumie Suguri (JPN) came in fourth at 56.18 points. She gave a solid performance that included a triple Lutz-double toeloop combination, but she two-footed her triple flip. Joannie Rochette (CAN) fell on her triple flip to finish fifth (50.56 points). Katarina Gerboldt (RUS) was sixth at 48.02 points. She landed a double Axel, triple flip-double toeloop and a triple loop, but lost some points on sloppy spins.
Pairs, Short Program
China’s Dan Zhang/Hao Zhang took the lead in the Pairs Short Program. Aliona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy of Germany and Maria Mukhortova/Maxim Trankov (RUS) followed in second and third.
Skating to a “Piano Fantasy”, Zhang/Zhang hit a huge triple twist, a throw triple loop, a side by side triple Salchow and also got a level four for their one-armed Axel Lasso lift. The 2006 Olympic silver medalists received 69.96 points (40.92 element score/29.04 program component score). “We performed quite well, although our spins and spirals were better in France last week (at the Trophee Bompard). However, we had to overcome some problems, I am suffering from tooth ache and I don’t feel so well ”, Hao Zhang explained.
Savchenko/Szolkowy opened their original routine to the Indian Bollywood soundtrack “Asoka” with a solid throw triple flip and a high（最多只是"big"而已）triple twist, but then Savchenko fell on the side by side triple toeloop . The Germans recovered to produce a level-four pair combination spin and Axel Lasso, but he struggled in the side by side spin. The European Champions scored 66.78 points (37.90/29.88). “This was the worst short program”, Savchenko said（哟~~好一个拽女啊） , still sounding upset. “But we can’t change it now, we just have to do better tomorrow.”
Mukhortova/Trankov’s romantic program set to “Otonal” included a triple twist, a side by side triple toeloop, a difficult Axel Lasso lift and a level-four pair combination spin, but they lost unison in the side by side combination spin and Mukhortova did a three-turn out of the landing of the throw triple Salchow. The Russian Champions earned 63.10 points (35.70/27.40), improving their previous personal best of 61.76 points, set last week at Trophee Bompard. “We could have skated a lot better, we made some errors”, Trankov commented. “I am not a hundred percent yet recovered (from his stiff neck) and it’s affecting my concentration, but it’s not too bad and it didn’t really bother me tonight.”（说的太多了~~~）[em65]
Yuko Kawaguchi/Alexander Smirnov (RUS) are less than one point away from the podium at 62.95. The produced a triple twist and a throw triple loop, but his landing on the side by side triple toe was shaky. Ksenia Krasilnikova/Konstantin Bezmaternykh (RUS) are standing in fifth place. The 2007 World Junior bronze medalists landed a double Axel, a throw triple flip and a triple twist (53.96 points).
Men, Short Program
Stéphane Lambiel of Switzerland skated to the lead in the Men’s Short Program, edging out Johnny Weir (USA) by 0.34 points. Russia’s Andrei Griazev placed third.
Top-ranked Lambiel skated last and put out a much better performance of his “Carne Cruda” Tango program than at the Cup of China two weeks ago. The 22-year-old Swiss landed a double Axel, a quadruple-double toeloop combination, a triple Lutz and showed strong spins. His combination and flying sit spin both were graded a level four, his change foot sit spin was graded a level three. Lambiel posted a score of 80.49 (41.84 element score/38.65 program component score)   . “I was very confident today. I just wanted to do a clean program, that’s why I didn’t try the triple Axel”, the two-time World Champion told the press. “I am very proud of my performance. I didn’t feel so confident in the six minutes (warm up), but after waiting in the dressing room I was just ready to step on to the ice and to fight. Maybe, when Peter (Grütter, his coach) told me that I just should do a clean program and not take any risks, that gave me the confidence to skate today.”
Weir’s elegant routine to the popular main theme of the Russian rock opera “Yunona and Avos” featured a triple Lutz-triple toe, a beautiful triple Axel and a triple flip. The American also scored well on his three spins, which all were graded a level four. Weir got 80.15 points (43.30/36.85) , slightly improving his previous personal best of 80.00 points. “I skated better at the Cup of China, but I am very happy with my performance today, and to perform well in Moscow with the Russian music was exciting for me today, but the step sequences and spins were a little bit weak”, the 23-year-old admitted.
Griazev, who missed two competitions earlier this season due to injury celebrated a comeback with a clean program to “Didle Mourani” by Space. The Russian Champion completed a triple Lutz-triple toeloop, a high triple Axel, a triple flip and earned a level four for his combination spin and a level three for the two other spins to score 70.95 points (39.20/31.75), just short of his personal best of 71.00 points. “I was supposed to skate in two other competitions before, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to compete there because of my injury. I had an ankle injury. Now I’m feeling much better and I don’t think I’ll have any problems in the future”, Griazev commented.
Yannick Ponsero (FRA) is currently standing in fourth place at 67.93 points. He nailed a triple Axel and a quad-double toeloop combination, but he fell during his step sequence. Andrei Lutai (RUS) finished fifth. He produced a triple Axel, a quad-double toeloop combination and triple loop (65.55 points). Jeffrey Buttle (CAN) came in sixth with a disappointing performance  [em66]   . He stumbled on the back end of his triple flip-triple toe combination, also fell out of the triple Axel and then doubled the Lutz (65.16 points). |
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显身卡
不知道今晚会不会是摔交大会?第一个选手摔了