Okay, here's my review
of the short programs, LOL....
They do it right in Canada - save the best for last....
Alexei watched the ladies programs - he was sitting not too far from us, wearing
gray and black. His favorites seemed to be Josee and Michelle.
Yes, I did manage to tear my eyes away and watch the ladies, LOL...(but maybe I
missed an element or two....
)
Surya Bonaly - wore a sparkly green print costume and skated to world music.
Nice triple lutz/double toe, stepped out of her double axel. I think she also
stepped out of her triple toe. Tech marks ranged from 4.8 to 5.1, presentation
marks ranged from 5.2 to 5.5.
Michelle Kwan was next - she skated a lovely program to "East of
Eden," wearing a pale beige or apricot and white costume. Very soft and
ethereal program. Double axel was very nice, as was the triple lutz/double toe.
She doubled the flip. Lovely falling leaf. Nice Y-spin, and her wonderful
signature spiral. Tech marks ranged from 5.4 to 5.7, presentation 5.8 across the
board.
Lu Chen - wore black velvet pants with a black sparkly top and skated to
"Take Five." Fell on her loop jump, managed a triple toe which looked
two footed, popped her axel. I thought she skated slowly. Tech marks ranged from
3.5 (ouch!) to 4.5, presentation from 5.1 to 5.6.
Jennifer Robinson - this was a nice program to a sad ballad which may have been
titled "The Summer Knows." She wore an apricot chiffon costume. She
stepped out of her triple lutz, but tacked on the double toe after it. Looked
like she two footed her triple flip. She did have a nice combo spin and
completed her double axel. She has a soft, light style which I like a lot. Tech
marks ranged from 4.6 to 5.2, presentation from 5.4 to 5.6.
Josee Chouinard - wore black velvet, low cut in front, split in front, and
skated to jazzy/blues music. Nice deathdrop. Fell out of her triple lutz but
managed to tack on the double toe. Nice double axel, nice spin combo, very nice
spread eagles. I liked the different positions in her layback spin. I think she
also did a triple toe. Tech marks ranged from 5.0 to 5.4, presentation ranged from
5.5 to 5.9.
Sarah Hughes - skated to classical music and wore a sparkly lavendar costume
which turned to pink at the bottom edges. Nice double axel, triple flutz/double
toe. She slipped a little on her combo spin, stepped out of her triple flip.
Beautiful layback, nice spirals, and a nice Y-spin combo, along with a
Charlotte. Marks ranged from 4.8 (from the Finnish judge, who was booed later
when they announced the judges the next night for the interpretive skates -
Canadian audiences remember the judges they are not happy with, LOL!) to 5.5,
presentation from 5.5 to 5.8.
Sale & Pelletier started things off - they should just have ended the comp
right there, LOL.....wearing bugundy costumes and skating to bluesy music,
everything was lovely. These two really do seem to skate as if they have the
same vision. Throw triple loop was nice, SBS triples were good, death spiral
very nice. Lifts were lovely. Tech marks ranged from 5.7 to 5.8, presentation
5.9
across the board.
Sato & Dungjen were next - who would want to follow S & P at their best?
Yikes! They skated to sad classical piano music, wearing white and beige sparkly
dress for Yuka, black for Jason. He either fell or fell out of SBS triple toes -
can't read my notes. Tech marks ranged from 5.1 to 5.3, presentation from 5.4 to
5.6.
Wirtz & Wirtz were next, skating to Rodrigo music. Kristy fell out of SBS
triples. I think the throw triple sal was good. Tech marks ranged from 5.0 to
5.4,
presentation from 5.3 to 5.7.
Ina & Zimmerman skated to their "Truman Show" program from last
year, but with gray and black sparkly costumes. SBS triples were good! I think
the throw jump was good, too - I believe it was a triple sal. Tech marks ranged
from 5.5 to 5.7, presentation ranged from 5.6 to 5.8.
Brian Orser - wore maroon pants and a cream shirt, and skated to Rodrigo music.
He fell on his triple axel attempt, but the triple toe was good, as well as the
double axel. Nice sit spin/catch foot/camel spin combo. He is a very crisp and
fluid skater. Tech marks ranged from 4.9 to 5.0, presentation ranged from 5.5 to
5.6.
Alexei Yagudin - skating to Chopin, of course, in his beautiful red and black
costume. He fell out of his quad toe but still managed to tack on a double toe.
Deathdrop was nice, as was the triple axel and triple lutz. Footwork was
wonderful, and he finished with a sit spin/camel spin/Mazurka/back sit spin
combo. I've seen this program skated with a little more speed, but it was fine.
I think he's still recovering from being sick at Lalique. Tech marks ranged from
5.3 to 5.5, presentation from 5.7 to 5.8.
Steven Cousins - skated to Pink Floyd music from "Dark Side of the
Moon." Triple axel/double toe was good, along with a double axel and a
triple toe. Had a little problem with his flying sit spin, which got out of
center. Tech marks ranged from 5.4 to 5.5, presentation ranged from 5.3 to 5.5.
Kurt Browning - wearing a white shirt with a black tie and black pants, and
skated to snappy, jazzy music. He fell on his triple axel attempt. Good flying
sit spin, double axel was good, as was the triple toe. He slipped slightly
during his footwork. Well choreographed program, even with the mistakes - very
funny, and I much preferred it to his interpretive free skate later. Marks
ranged from 5.2 to 5.3, presentation 5.8 to 5.9.
Todd Eldredge - skating to "Exotica" and wearing sparkly charcoal
gray. He had to wait way too long after Kurt skated (because of all the debris
on the ice and Kurt staying out on the ice to sign autographs and collect
flowers) - Todd looked pretty mad while he was warming up (and I don't blame
him) and in the Kiss and Cry later. He fell on his quad toe attempt, the triple
axel was good, as was the triple lutz. He also had a nice deathdrop and his
usual great spin combos. Tech marks were 5.3 to 5.4, presentation 5.6 to 5.7.
Emanuel Sandhu - wearing a light blue shirt, purple pants with suspenders, and
skated to jazzy drum music. Started with a beautiful quad toe, but then popped
his axel. Footwork was superb, but he bobbled his double axel. Great sort of
tuck sit spin, like he bends over forward and folds himself in half and spins,
LOL.... Tech marks ranged from 4.6 to 5.1, presentation ranged from 5.4 to 5.7.
