Pairs

Starting Order - Short Program

Short Program

Notes:

When Sale & Pelletier first came upon the scene they looked to be a team with real potential, but nagging back problems slowed them down last season.   Thanks to a a program of regular physical therapy for Pelletier's back they appear to back on track.  They were the surprise winners in the short program.  Except for the most minor of stumbles while turning the required lift they were rock solid with a strong presentation to match.  They landed side-by-side triple toe loops and throw triple loop.  Their twist lift was of championship quality and the unison of the side-by-side spin was excellent.  For the forward inside death spiral they used a unique travelling entry.  In short it was all first rate.

Schwarz & Mueller did a bang-up job also landing triple toe loops and throw triple salchow.  Theirs was a jazz saxophone number in costumes all in black.   There twist was adequate but not of the same quality as the leaders and their presentation while strong was also a touch below Sale & Pelletoer's.

Abitbol & Bernadis gave a fast, but raw performance with a lot of rough edges. Their twist lift was one of the best of the night and the also landed side-by-side triple toe loops.  They made no major errors, but the lack of polish and   limitations on the control of their power made the difference for them in the short program.

The obvious favorites coming into the competition, Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze, had their share of problems.  Berezhnaya fell on triple toe loop and stepped out of throw triple Salchow.  The entry to the forward inside death spiral was unattractive and overall the program was on the slow side.  In a moment both touching and sad, as they sat in kiss and cry Sikharulidze had his arm around her, stroking her and comforting her in her obvious disappointment in what had transpired.

None of the American teams impressed in the short program, with the three U.S. teams placing 5th through 7th.  Ina & Zimmerman placed the best of the three mostly by virtue of having the best throw of the three and the strongest presentation.   On the twist lift Ina appeared to hit Zimmerman's chest and the lift had trouble going up and came down on his shoulder.  There throw triple Salchow was spectacular, however.  Hartsell & Hartsell had a strong twist lift and a nice forward inside death spiral, but Danielle fell on triple toe loop.  Their music was a mournful howling number with a strong drum beat - and most bizarre.  Scott & Dulebohn were clearly the weaker of the U.S. teams.  Scott fell on triple toe loop and the forward inside death spiral was executed in the unattractive butt-out position.  The twist lift was adequate but mediocre, and the presentation was boring and uninteresting.

Starting Order - Free Skating

Final Results

Notes:

After a commanding performance in the short program that transformed them from just another pair team to a major presence, Sale & Pelletier were under intense pressure in the log program, and they responded magnificently.  They presented a program that was both technically and artistically strong.  They landed triple toe loops,  triple twist, and throw triple Salchow and loop.  In several moves they had unusual entries or position.  The only problem in the program was Sale singling a double Axel.   They captured the feeling of the music and skated with a range of distinctly different emotions.  A skill few teams teams possess.  They received a huge standing ovation at the end of the routine; one of the most enthusiastic of the competition.

Abitbol & Bernadis move up to second place skating in an avante-guard program called Devil and Angel.  He was dressed in a black costume with red and gold decorations while she was in all white.  It was a strong performance with triple toe loops, throw double Axel, and throw triple loop.  In triple twist Abitbol struck her partner's chest during the catch.  The program included two different moves.   One of these was a lateral star into a one arm position and then a twist out exiting over Bernadis' back.  The other was a death spiral like move with Abitbol in cantilever position.

Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze moved up to third despite Sikharulidze making several errors.  In the short program it was Berezhnaya who had problems, in the long her partner.  On triple toe loop he reached for the ice but did not touch.  The triple twist did not have a good catch.  On double Axel - double toe loop he singled the first jump and two-footed the second.  Finally, on a combination spin he missed the opening flying camel, nearly falling.  On throw triple loop Berezhnaya two-footed the landing and then put down a hand to keep from falling.  Their best move of the program was a great throw triple Salchow.  The program included some nice lifts and some interesting moves and position, but with all the errors the marks they received for technical merit were difficult to understand, being almost as high as teams with far fewer errors.

The German team of Schwarz & Mueller dropped from second in the short to fourth in the long.  Their routine was kind of pretty though a bit boring in the middle section.  They completed triple twist, triple toe loops, and throw triple Salchow.   In throw triple toe loop Schwarz fell.  The program was generally well done and they had some of the best unison on their spins, but their solo jumps were a bit weak.   All things considered, many observers though they had beaten the Russian team, but the judges did not see it that way.

All three American teams were outclassed in the free skate.  Ina & Zimmerman presented an interesting program with some nice presentation qualities but the basics are still troublesome.  Their throws are better than 6 months ago but the lifts are still weak and their unison is sub-standard.  On triple toe loop Z4 put his hand down, and on double Axel - double toe loop he fell on the first jump and omitted the second.   On the triple twist lift, Ina hit his chest.  They landed throw triple Salchow and loop, which were well done.

Scott & Dulebohn presented a program with some nice touches and decent presentation but was weak on difficulty.  There were no major errors in the program, only a poor quality triple twist and a reach but no touch on throw triple Salchow.  For the team it was a good effort but the overall content of the program is just not at a level competitive with the top international teams.

Hartesll & Hartsell dropped to last place in a sloppy, lethargic program.   Danielle singled a double Axel and put two hands down on throw triple loop.   One of their step sequences was totally out of synch and on their closing move they both fell on a back outside death spiral.

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