Rostelecom Cup Pairs Preview

Both Kavaguti and Smirnov and Savchenko and Szolkowy have qualified for the Grand Prix Final and are competing in their third event of the season and their second head to head competition.  Kavaguti/Smirnov have two gold medals and their Claire de Lune program was magical at their first event but lost some of its sparkle in the second event.  Kavaguti is also suffering from a shoulder injury and competed with muscle tape covering her back and arms at their last event.  Savchenko and Szolkowy opened their season with a gold medal finish at Skate America with a come behind victory after she fell on the triple axel attempt in the short program.  They have yet to land the jump but are getting credit for full rotation.  They dropped to 3rd at NHK Trophy after they aborted a lift at the end of their free skate.

Berton and Hotarek caught the attention of many at Europeans last season and finished 4th at NHK Trophy earlier this season.  If they can win gold or silver they'll qualify for the Final.  With both top teams already qualified, they may be taking this opportunity to try out some new elements which could lead to errors and give Berton and Hotarek the opening they need to qualify.

Three teams are making their debut on the Grand Prix circuit for the season.  Jones and Gaskell of Canada and Cain and Reagan of the United States are both coming up from the junior ranks.  The real spoiler will be Gerboldt and Enbert of Russia who have an incredibly elegant and classically Russian style on the ice and finished in the top 4 at Europeans last season but missed a chance at Worlds due to the depth of the Russian pairs discipline.

Volosozhar/Trankov, Kavaguti/Smirnov, Savchenko/Szolkowy, Zhang/Zhang and Takahashi/Tran have already qualified for the Final.  If Berton/Hotarek finish 3rd or lower than Duhamel/Radford will claim the last spot in the Final.

My podium predictions:
Gold: Savchenko/Szolkowy
Silver: Kavaguti/Smirnov
Bronze: Gerboldt/Enbert

Bios of the competitors:
Jones/Gaskell, CAN: They finished 6th at Junior Worlds.  They placed 6th at JGP Austria and 4th at JGP Germany last season to qualify for the JGP Final where they finished 6th.  Their personal best is 133.41.  She is 15 and he is 21.

Savchenko/Szolkowy, GER: They are the reigning World Champions and European Champions.  They won gold at Skate America and bronze at NHK Trophy to qualify for the Grand Prix Final.  They qualified for the Grand Prix Final last season and won gold.  They are the 2010 Olympic bronze medalists; the 2009 and 2008 World Champions; 2010 World silver medalists; 2007 World bronze medalists; 2009, 2008 and 2007 European Champions; and the 2010 and 2006 European silver medalists.  Their personal best is 217.85.  She is 27 and he is 32.

Berton/Hotarek, ITA: They finished 10th at Worlds and 5th at Europeans.  They placed 4th at NHK Trophy.  Their personal best is 164.83.  She is 21 and he is 27.

Gerboldt/Enbert, RUS:  They placed 4th at Europeans.  They placed 4th at Cup of Russia last season.  Their personal best is 169.95.  She is 22 and he is 22.

Kavaguti/Smirnov, RUS: They finished 4th at Worlds and are the reigning European silver medalists.  They won gold at Cup of China and NHK Trophy to qualify for the Grand Prix Final.  They are the 2009 and 2010 World bronze medalists, 2010 European Champions, 2009 European silver medalists and 2008 European bronze medalists.  Their personal best is 213.15.  She is 29 and he is 27.

Stolbova/Klimov, RUS: They are the reigning World Junior Silver Medalists.  They placed 7th at Trophee Eric Bompard.  They qualified for the Junior Grand Prix Final last season and won silver.  They are the 2010 World Junior bronze medalists.  Their personal best is 159.79.  She is 19 and he is 21.

Cain/Reagan, USA: They finished 4th at Junior Worlds.  They won silver at JGP Czech Republic and placed 6th at JGP Great Britain last season to qualify for the JGPF where they finished 5th.  Their personal best is 135.40.  She is 16 and he is 22.

Junior World Championships: Pairs Free Skate

UPDATE: My computer is really having troubles with the SBS stream and I'm not getting anything but a white screen anymore.  I'll post videos as soon as they've available
The first warm up group is on the ice.  This stream likes to buffer every few minutes, so I apologize if a few elements are missing.

Group 1
Martini/Kiefer, AUT: 32.54 TES + 28.21 PCS = 60.75 Total: 96.53

• They are 18 and 20 and in 16th place after the Short Program
• They are one of several teams skating to Addams Family for their free skate this season
• Through the legs entrance to their first lift with a two arm hold--seems like they're rotating very slow and not covering much ice
• Nice side by side doubles toes
• They are way off on their unison on the side by side spins and are spinning very slow
• In the transition elements she needs to really stretch through her lifted leg
• Press lift--She could use a little more arch in her lift position and really get her legs behind her, a change of position as he spread eagles and they have no speed
• Throw double toe--not a lot of speed or ice coverage but she lands it
• They have nice stretched out positions in their back spirals with a catchfoot position
• Way off on their double toe + double toe + double toe combo--she landed before he took off
• Decent pairs spin and their speed is better here than in their other spins
• Finished just a tad behind the music
• Overall their elements were decent, they just need more speed, power, and technical difficulty

Lavrentieva/Rudik, UKR: 34.16 TES + 30.92 PCS = 65.08 Total: 102.29 and into 1st place

• They are in 14th place after the short program
• I'm getting music but no picture at the moment
• Good unison on their side by side double toes 
• She has a nice position in their lift and has good stretch through her legs--but it seems really short
• Nice throw double
• Good positions and flexibility through the pairs spin but not a lot of speed
• Hard to really get a feel for that program as there was so much buffering but she doesn't look happy as they take their bow
• Throw double salchow in the playback was ok with a low landing and not a lot of throw height or distance
• She is flat on the ice at the end of the death spiral

Klatka/Chruscinski, POL: 36.60 TES + 30.50 PCS -1.00 = 66.10 Total: 103.13 and into 1st place

• They are 13 and 19 and currently in 15th place
• They are also skating to Addams Family
• Nice height on their double twist, she has a over the head arm position, and a clean catch
• Their unison is off on the entrance to their sbs jumps but the stream cut out during the jump
• I'd like to see her work on her arm positions in the pairs spin--she cuts off her lines and it distorts the look of her position
• Nice flexibility from both of their through their pair spiral
• A really nice landing for her on their throw double 
• Spread eagle entrance to over head lift--Her free leg seems to be dangling up there and not really held in a specific position
• Good unison on the sbs spins--In the upright catch spin she really hikes her hip up to get her leg up and it's slightly throwing her off balance
• She could use more stretch through this lift in a split position
• She has a really high free leg in her death spiral and her head looks like it's resting on the ice

Khnychenkova/Magyar, HUN: 37.46 TES + 32.18 PCS -1.00  =68.64 Total: 106.99 and into 1st place

• They are 16 and 20 and are in 13th place after the short program
• Good height on the throw double twist with a good catch
• Low landing on the throw triple toe but she hangs on to it
• They have good unison on their side by side spins but seem tired and the spins are slow
• Good throw triple salchow
• She could use more arch in her death spiral but a nice exit
• They are doing a Spanish themed program but it seems they're just going through the motions and not really attacking or performing their choreography
• Nice stretch through their spiral sequence
• Through the legs entrance to the lift--she needs to arch her back more and really get her legs behind her for a nicer air position
• Good unison on their side by side triple toes
• A really tough fall out of a lift--She goes for the catch foot and comes straight down to the ice

Group 2
Morand/Leemann, SUI: 38.03 TES + 34.53 PCS = 72.56 Total: 113.30 and into 1st place

• Having some technical difficulties...should be back up by Gillespie and Dematte if not sooner

Gillespie/Dematte, ITA: 39.67 TES + 36.84 PCS = 76.51 Total: 116.44 and into 1st place
Andrews/LeDuc, USA: 38.72 TES + 39.23 PCS -1.00 = 76.95 Total: 117.11 and into 1st place
Kadelecova/Bidar, CZE: 36.39 TES + 37.95 PCS = 74.34 Total: 117.24 and into 1st place

Group 3
Vasilieva/Shevchuk, RUS: 30.78 TES + 41.37 PCS -3.00 = 69.15 Total: 114.98
Jones/Gaskell, CAN: 42.08 TES + 42.56 PCS = 84.64 Total: 129.28 and into 1st place
Astakhova/Bochkov, RUS: 33.13 TES + 39.95 PCS -1.00 = 72.08 Total: 118.75
Cain/Reagan, USA: 47.66 TES + 44.00 PCS = 91.66 total: 135.40 and into 1st place

Group 4
Stolbova/Klimov, RUS: 53.48 TES + 51.91 PCS = 105.39 total: 159.60 and into 1st place
Takahashi/Tran, JPN: 45.11 TES + 52.56 PCS -1.00 = 96.67 Total: 154.52
Purich/Schultz, CAN: 39.59 TES + 43.05 PCS = 82.64 Total: 129.97
Sui/Han, CHN: 56.13 TES + 52.72 PCS -1.00 = 107.85 Total: 167.01 and into 1st place

Gold: Sui/Han
Silver: Stolbova/Klimov
Bronze: Takahashi/Tran

Canadian Nationals: Pairs Short Program

1. Kirsten Moore-Towers / Dylan Moscovitch: 36.92 TES + 27.81 PCS = 64.73
1. They executed a Level 1 Triple Twist, Triple Toes, Level 4 Group 5 Lift, Throw Triple Loop, Level 1 Death Spiral, Level 3 Step Sequence and Level 4 Spins with all positive GOEs.
2. Paige Lawrence / Rudi Swiegers: 32.96 TES + 26.42 PCS = 59.38
1. They executed a Level 1 Triple Twist, Triple Toes, Level 4 Spins, Level 4 Group 5 Lift, Level 1 Death Spiral, Level 2 Step Sequence and Throw Triple Lutz with only one negative GOE.
3. Mylène Brodeur / John Mattatall: 32.33 TES + 26.45 PCS = 58.78
1. They executed a Level 2 Triple Twist, Triple Toes, Throw Triple Loop, Level 4 Spins, Level 1 Death Spiral, Level 1 Step Sequence and Level 4 Group 5 Lift with only two negative GOEs.
4. Meagan Duhamel / Eric Radford: 32.58 TES + 25.13 PCS = 57.71
1. They executed a Level 2 Triple Twist, Double Toes, Level 4 Group 5 Lift, Throw Triple Lutz, Level 3 Step Sequence, Level 4 Spins and Level 4 Death Spiral with only one negative GOE.
5. Kaleigh Hole / Adam Johnson: 27.36 TES + 21.35 PCS = 48.71
1. They executed a Level 1 Triple Twist, Triple Salchows, Level 3 Group 5 Lift, Throw Triple Salchow, Level 4 Spins, Level 1 Step Sequence and Level 3 Death Spiral with only two negative GOEs.
6. Brittany Jones / Kurtis Gaskell 28.87 TES + 20.49 PCS -1.00 = 48.36
1. They executed a Level 2 Triple Twist, Double Axels (fall), Level 4 Group 5 Lift, Throw Triple Loop, Level 3 Spins, Level 2 Step Sequence and Level 1 Death Spiral with only two negative GOEs.
7. Noemie Arseneault / Simon-Pierre Côté: 26.70 TES + 19.74 PCS = 46.44
1. They executed a Level 2 Double Twist, Triple Toes, Throw Triple Loop, Level 3 Group 5 Lift, Level 1 Death Spiral, Level 3 Spins and Level 1 Step Sequence with four positive GOEs.
8. Jade-Savannah Godin / Andrew Evans: 24.07 TES + 18.74 PCS -1.00 = 41.81
1. They executed double axels, Level 2 Double Twist, Level 3 Step Sequence, Level 4 Spins, Level 3 Group 5 Lift, Throw Triple Salchow (fall), and Level 1 Death Spiral with 3 positive GOEs.
9. Alexie Gélinas / David Struthers: 22.20 TES + 17.18PCS = 39.38
1. They executed Triple Toes, Level 1 Double Twist, Level 2 Group 5 Lift, Throw Double Loop, Level 1 Death Spiral, Level 4 Spins, and Level 1 Step Sequence with one positive GOE.
10. Margaret Purdy / Michael Marinaro: 18.61 TES + 19.67 PCS -1.00 = 37.28
1. They executed Level 2 Double Twist, Triple Salchows (fall), Throw Triple Salchow, Level 1 Death Spiral, Level 3 Spins, and Level 2 Step Sequence with only two negative GOEs.  They received no credit for their lift.