Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Pairs Short Program
Savchenko & Szolkowy,Takahashi & Tran, and Pang & Tong take lead
in Pairs Short Program. U.S. Pairs hold seventh and tenth
place. German team lands throw triple Axel with two-footed
landing.
Savchenko & Szolkowy were second to Pang & Tong in components, but
bested them in elements despite the two-footed throw and also
Szolkowy stepping out of a triple toe loop, Pang & Tong let
the lead slip away from them not so much due to the throw triple
Axel, which earned 6.64 points, but from Tong under-rotating his
triple toe loop and stepping out of that jump.
Takahashi & Tran were a surprise third place finish in the short,
but they have plenty of company within a few points of their
score. Also a surprise was all three Russian teams falling
leaving them in fourth, eighth and eleventh places.
Dance Short Dance
Virtue & Moir, Davis & White, and Pechalat & Bourzat take the lead
in the Dance Short Dance.
Davis & White did not get the level fours they were working for in
the two Rhumba sequences, nor in the circular step sequence.
But then neither did Virtue & Moir. Levels and base values
where the same for both teams, with Virtue & Moir leading Davis &
White in both element scores and component scores. Only 1.33
points separate them, but these teams have scored so closely in
previous events that a 1.33 point lead in the Short Dance may be
more than enough to win.
The French couple had a strong skate, with Pechelat skating with a
broken nose. `The omens look good for this couple, without a
name team nipping at their heels and the Shibutani's buried in
seventh place. And then there is the ISU tradition of giving
the host country at least one medal if they have competitor in
some event where they are at least a remote contender.
The Shibutani's got killed in element scores, marked well bellow
the leaders. The third U.S. couple, Hubbell & Donohue lie in
eighth, earning respectable element scores, but marked well below
the leaders in components.
Estimated attendance for the Pairs Short Program: 2000 at the
start building to 3000.
Estimated attendance for the Dance Short Dance: 2000 at the start
building to 3200.
No Respect -
Choctaw of death frustrates top dance couples.
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Ladies Qualifying Round
Men's Qualifying Round
Estimated attendance for Ladies qualifying: 1100. Half or
more of these were grade school classes spending an afternoon at
the competition. This dropped to 400 when they left the
event later in the afternoon.
Estimated attendance for the Men's qualifying: 600.
Monday, 26 March 2012
Pairs Qualifying Round
Dance Qualifying Round
Estimated attendance for Pairs qualifying: 4200. Half or
more of these (up to perhaps 2400) were grade school classes
spending an afternoon at the competition.
Estimated attendance for the Dance qualifying: 2000. This
dropped off to 1800 after the first two groups (first ice cut, and
then dropped off again to 800 after the fourth group (second ice
cut).
