RESTENCOURT
SP
3A2T, triple toe was planned, very good landing on the axel though
2T, quad was planned
2A
FP
4T, very nice one
3A, step out
3F
3A3T
2L
3R
3S
Beautiful jumps, except his triple axel’s entry. His left leg is too high before the turn out and it looks unesthetic. But the jump itself is beautiful, very high, very tight, very fast rotation.
Mask of Zorro (one more!)
Some improvemement on the choreography comparing to last year, but you can really tell he’ll NEVER be an artist, his arms are troubling him so much, it’s incredible the way he can’t use them, or when he uses them, it just looks bad. Many say he should change coach because Brunet wants to make him a new Candeloro (e.g. he has a straight line step sequence in which he fights exactly as Candel did in his d’Artagan program) and it’s obvious he’s not that kind of skater. He is already a better athlet than Philippe but he’ll never have his style. He needs to find a choreographer who will turn his defects into nice moves. Really, when he has a nice move with one arm, the other one is just stiff and spoils all the effect.
Technically, he’s great.

YAGUDIN
SP
4T, kind of just, not a beautiful landing and rotation was a little cheated
3A3T, as usual, nice, he is for me the only man flying in his axel
2A
Krisztina Czako’s Nutrocker (rock version of Tchaikovski’s Nutcracker). Costume is awful, seems like he’s still with Mishin. Was a little slow and wasn’t taking advantage of the music all the time. It’s disappointing artistically. Krisztina’s choreography was much better on that same music. Yags was not fast enough and wasn’t using the music.
FP
3A3T
4T, this time, it was very beautiful
3A
3F, unbalanced in the air but clean landing
3R
2L
3S
Nice costume this time, one of my favourite ever. Well, it’s the first time I saw the program so I need to see it more times to find its qualities, but it did nothing for me, pleasant but nothing fantastic (as usual, cos for me, Yags has NEVER been an artist on the ice and has always been overmarked on the artistic mark. Well, this time the judges didn’t rise much, two gave the same mark than technically -5,8- and the other ones added one tenth, which isn’t great).
Now, about Yagudin himself, it’s obvious he’s trying to “make peace” with everybody. He’s smiling around, waving around, saying hello to all the skaters and coaches (judges?). I find this sudden change a little fake. During the exhibition, he was interviewed and was really running a “seduction plan” on the public, saying he loves being here, Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world (that’s true) but then he said “you are great, you know skating so much, I love you and I want to come back here every year”. Stating that Paris’s public knows skating is really a huge lie. It’s the worst public on earth, really, all the skaters will tell you. They will only clap for the French skaters (and always boo at their marks whatever they get), not a single piece of applause for the other skaters (unless they are very famous) and they really know nothing about skating (jumps, double or triple, spins, speed, etc...). For the real fans, it’s a pain attending this competition. People yell at them cos they have other flags that French ones, cos they make to much noise (for the non-French skaters, of course!), the truth is how do we dare cheering up for other ones than French skaters? This public is a disaster, believe me, it’s my fifth Lalique plus two Mikos and one Europeans, and it’s always the same, just snobbish people going watch skating cos it looks good to go watch skating! Well, on to the next skater...

DINEV
SP
3A3T, step out
3F
2A, step out
For him, not a great program technically but as there was not much contention at this competition, it was enough to look forward to a podium.
Nice choreography on an Arabian program. He really changed his style.
FP
3A3T, very nice, as usual
3T, quad was planned but it would never work in the practise. His last practise consisted in 10 minutes practising all the jumps then 30 minutes trying to get a quad but he couldn’t make more than three turns.
3L, at last, I saw him land a 3L, his free leg was too high in the air and the landing was a bit wobby but ok
3A
3R
3F
1S, so he decided to try it again but he only managed a 2S Very loud and modern music which I think fits his style much better than the last two year’s neverending slow piece of his FP. Well, it’s good for him to be on the podium.

MEIER
SP
3A, fall
2L
2A
As usual, very good steps but the jumps...
FP
1A
3L
2F2T
3A, fall
3R, step out
1F
1S Same FP as last year, which is a great program artistically and regarding the steps. Sad he couldn’t nail the jumps.

DAMBIER
SP
3A, leaning forward, step out, 2T
4S, fall
2A
FP
3A
4S, fall
2R
3S
3A, fall
3L, very low, hand down
3F
3T
Frederic is a very good skater who unfortunately always finished last at every competition despite not being at all the worst skater. He must be very nervous because he has a consistent 4S in practise (two years ago, I saw him land with ease 4S3T), all the jumps, perhaps the 3A is a bit of a trouble for him. Well, this time, he did better and is not last, but he can do even better.
He’s elegant and very fast.

CEJVAN
SP 3L2T
3F
2A
bad sit spin
FP
3L
3T
2R
3F
bad sit spin
3L, good, some three turns and 3T
2A
3S, two-footed and overrotated landing.
Same FP as last year (a mix of Stojko and Eldredge). Well, placed much better than usual because the men’s field was weak, but I didn’t see big improvement in his skating. He’s far from getting the 3A, spinning is poor, weak skater.

WEISS
SP
4T, big splat
3A3T
2A
I think the judges were generous with him because they marked him out of 5.7 or 5.8 (more than Yags) although his 4T was never there in practise. Tobel should have been ahead of him.
FP
I’m afraid it was like at S.A a disaster
4T, huge splat
3A, two-footed and step out
3F2T, it should have been triple toe
3A, fall
1R
3S
3L
What is happening with him??? Even in practise, he’s not as strong as before. I think he has lots of questions to ask himself. The 4T is never there, 3A is still very skiddy on the take off.
Even the choreography was disappointing. He chose the overheard excerpts of Carmen, it was really lacking originality. His costume made him look short and tight up. Sad for this great skater.

KADEN
SP
3A, fall
3L, two-footed, step out
2A
As last year, Cirque du soleil’s tango. Elegant skater, quite fast.
FP
3L, step out
3A, fall
2F
fall on the S take off
1R
3R
3S, step out
3L, fall
3T
2A
Von Suppé’s light cavalery, as last year. He’s been injured for six months so this can explain his bad skating.

SHIGEMATSU
SP
3A, fall
3F, step out
3L3T, no flow
FP
3A, fall
3L1T
1F
2F
3R, step out
3L2T
3S, very low in the air
Well, a big difference from last year, when he placed fourth.

TOBEL
SP
3A3T
3L
2A
Same as last year, the ET program (itself made out of the last year (beginning of the season)’s FP). Deserved more artistically. Everything was clean.
FP
1A
3L
2A
3S, low
1R
3F3T
3L3T
Well, he can be angry at himself, I think he missed a big occasion here to be on the podium and therefore get the marks he deserves, from now on. But he cracked up. Very sad. The new FP is good, though we don’t laugh as for the Pink Panther. But it’s the same style.

DENOMEE
SP
3A, step out, 2T
3L
2A
Very sad he fell out of his 3A, which is so high as all of them. Very pleasant skater, I think a bright future ahead.
FP
3A2T
3F
3L2T
3A, fall
3R, fall
2L
3S, hand down and step out
The second half of the program was quite bad. He skated much better in Oberstdorf.
Sad cos he was really selling the performance at the beginning and getting the public and the judges into it. But then with all the mistakes, he kind of spoiled this good impression. He’ll be good, though, he’s very strong and has his style.

Important note: FL=flutz
Incredible and very sad information:
Dmitry Palamarchuk told me Lavrenchuk wasn’t attending this competition because she’s in the hospital. She became anorexic and lost 20 kg!!! Can you imagine that, folks? Yulia with 20 kg less!!! Her stupid coach that we all hate (incl. her pupils) is for lots in this tragedy. She was always telling her she was a fat cow. Shame on her, really. I would feel so bad if I had brought my pupil to the hospital because of my unthoughtful (and untrue) comments.

VOROBIEVA
SP
3F, lacked rotation, 2T
3R, lacked 1/2 turns
2A, two-footed
FP
2 1/2 L (landed forward at 2 and half turns, on the left foot)
2F
2R
1A
2A, underrotated
3R, lacked 1/2 turns, no flow
1/2 F
1 1/2 T
2T, fall
What can I say, a big disaster... Although she’s thinner now, the jumps didn’t come back, she really should have quit years before, I don’t understand her.
Plus, same FP. Nothing artistically.

HUGHES
SP
2A
3FL2T
3F
Good spirals, good layback spin. As for the jumps... I’m not buying it, so did the judges, cos she got around 5,2 technically. Did they see the flutz AT LAST???
FP
2A
3T
3FL, fall
3F
3R
3FL, underrotated, 2T
3S
Marks from 5,2 to 5,5
and from 5,5 to 5,8.
Her only good jump is the 2A, she has a good technique on it cos she pulls the free leg a great deal, I think she should have a 3A soon (she never tried it in practise, though) even though she has no power. In practise, her 3R3R combo was just, no rotation on the second one and she didn’t try it much. The jumps are so tiny, many lack rotation, she should be stronger. Very good layback spin and spirals.

LAUTOWA
SP
3L, just, 1 1/2 T, fall
3T
2A
She withdrew from the FP because of illness. I asked her what she had, she said she was having fever for about 2 weeks, 38°C. She wanted to see a doctor back in Moscow because it’s not healing up at all. Sad for her cos she said she was in form before, no more problems with her back that had been troubling her for two years.

VON DER THUSEN
SP
3T, fall
2 1/2 lutz, as always, landing on the left foot and fall
2A
FP
2A
3T, fall
1/2 L
slow sit spin
2S
2R
3T
ok combo spin\par 2F2T, step out
2A, fall
disastrous flying sit spin
I really don’t understand how she could finish third at German Nationals. In Gelsen, she skated that bad, too. In practise, she has nothing. I don’t want to be mean, but it makes me sick to see such skaters get GP events while much better ones get nothing.
And it makes no good to her to fall and stumble in front of thousands of people.

POTH
SP
3T3T
3F, step out, the jump was high and looked good in the air, though
2A (head looking at the ceiling of course, very unaesthetic)
At the beginning, I thought it was the same SP as last year. Then I remembered she skated to Black velvet. Well, this year, she changed the music (and took a similar one) but just does the same thing on the ice. Really she’s recycling last year’s
FP
3T2T
1FL
2R
3F, fall
3F, fall
3S, short on the landing
2A
Marks from 4,5 to 4,7
and from 4,8 to 5,1, which is very generous considering that her gesture is completely off the field of her music. She’s skating on Spanish music and she has Egyptian moves??? Explain that to me. The choreography doesn’t suit the music, but anyways, there is no choreography, just some moves. This FP is very disappointing. She’s not making any improvement on the artistic field as many would expect from a good looking girl.

ROBINSON
SP
2A
3L, fall
3R, two-footed
Gorgeous layback spin. Not as slow as usual, though the music is.
FP
3S
3L, fall
3F, unbalanced backwards but she hold the landing and there was flow
3L
3R
3T
2S
2A, fall
Marks from 4,5 to 5,2 which were very low, I find, considering that she placed all the triples. She was very slow, indeed. She should really chose faster music to have her speed up. Gorgeous layback spin, really one of the best one I’ve ever seen.
Second mark from 4,8 to 5,3.

HUBERT
SP
3T3T, excellent
3F, fall
2A
Tosca, as all Gaillaguet’s pupils. It didn’t fit her skating, it’s not the kind of music she needs, she is not an elegant skater, she’s modern, fast. She was trying to be graceful but it didn’t work. The French judge who was off the track all the time gave her 5,8 artistically which was ludicrous and so biased (and so he was for all the French he had to mark, and there were lots cos he marked all categories but dance, I think).
She pulled off the FP due to injury. She was still injured actually at the beginning of the competition, but the day of the free, her foot looked as if it were going to explode. She came to the warm up and even landed easily a 3T3T but on a latter jump, she stumbled and was obviously in pain. She left.

MASHA
SP
3L2T, clean, at last in a SP this season!
3R
2A
Elegant on a very sweetened music (Bilitis) but it really suits her.
FP 3L
3F, fall, again!!! She never landed it this season so far.
3T1/2R2S, 3S was planned
3R
3S, good!
3T
2A
Marks from 5,2 to 5,6. which were fair (around 5,4) considering she had no flip but the program was clean. 5,6 to 5,8 artistically but I still have to get used to this new FP. It’s too slow, that’s for sure.
She didn’t have a majority of 1st place, she only got three I think, but she still ended up first of the FP. I think it’s fair, Volchkova deserved the win technically but not artistically.

SUGURI
SP
3FL2T
3F, fall
2A
Was held up cos she was very slow.
FP
3FL, step out
2T, two-footed
2 1/2 F, left foot
3S
1FL
2A 1/2 R then steps into 2 1/2 T, left foot.
A bad competition for her. She was fast in the FP but artistically, nothing too great. She’s more expressive than the average Asian girl, but still there is work to do.

VOLCHKOVA
SP
3L2T
3lip
2A
All jumps huge, of course. She didn’t try the 3T in combo after the 3L cos she’s feeling pain in the right leg, she told me, because of too much practising!
Layback spin is poor. FP
3L2T
3flip
2 1/2 R
3S, good cos it’s her worst jump.
3T, so high
2A
3L, yes!
1R
Marks from 5,3 to 5,6, a bit too low with two huge 3L. It had been ages I hadn’t seen a FP with two 3L (Michelle and the other American ladies flutz). All the jumps were there except the loop (a good one for her, normally) but she tried it again at the end which was courageous. All jumps were huge. She still jumps so high.
She really improved artistically, though there is still work. But she uses her arms a lot and quite well.

WIKSTEN
SP
3L2T
2A
2S
Blues around the clock as last year, but it seems that nobody knows this girl so it’s good she kept both her programs cos they are neat and people have to see them.
Great combo, very high lutz, as usual.
FP
3L2T
3F, fall
3S 1/2R 2S, should have been 3S
2T
3L, fall
1A
poor combo spin
3T
2R, she doesn’t have the loop in her repertoire yet.
Basic instinct, nice presentation but too slow. It suits her. She is a good skater, I’m happy she’s got her lutz consistent now. It’s high and clean. Gaillaguet’s pupil.
Marks 4,7 and one 4,6
Marks from 4,8 to 5,0

Mc CONN
SP
3FL, completely off balance (was lucky to hold it), two-footed and step out, 2T
3R, fall
2A
Fever. She’s too nervous, you can really feel it on her 3R that is a great jump for her, but right from the take off you know she’s going to fall.
FP
Disastrous!
3S2T (actually it’s a 1 toe axel)
1 1/2 FL, step out. Though she improved her flutz in a way cos it’s more balanced than last year, there is still work to have it right, she’s still often all over the place on it. If she had a good outside edge, it would flow, it would be right in the air.
3R, fall
2F, ugly cos planned 3F
2R, same thing, ugly cos 3 was planned
2A
3T2T (1 toe axel)
Flamenco excerpts plus Rodrigo. I like this program. I’m lucky to have seen it clean in Gelsen. What a difference, but she’s not consistent at all.
Marks from 4,3 to 4,5 and from 4,7 to 5,0.

SCOTT/D
SP
3T//, hers was just because of a backwarks unbalance but ok
2Tw
t3S
Good timing in the spins
FP
3T//, she fell out
3Tw
t2A
Spins, good syn.
t3S
2A//
2F// then 2T// very good syn.
BI spiral
5,1-5,4
5,2-5,5
Very good for them, very clean, very pleasant. They really got better since Oberstdorf.
They still need to get more power, cos their throwns are too litlle. They go along well, the syn. is very good.

ABITBOL/B
SP
3T//
2Tw
t3R
Little desynchronization in the spins
Same SP as last year. I don’t like it. They weren’t fast.
FP
3T//
2A// and 2T//, little desyn.
3Tw
t2A
t3R, she fell out
FI spiral
5,5-5,8
5,7-5,9
I think they were held up a little. Awful costumes, artistically I found you couldn’t really figure out the theme, it was ok. I’ve never found them v. elegant. But it’s true they’ve been often undermarked.

INA/Z
SP
3T//
t3S
2Tw
Spins syn.
Original music and choreography. A little too slow for me. Some said they should have been first.
FP
3T//, she fell
3tw
t3S, just
2A//, he fell
2T2T//, he singled the second one
t3R
Same FP as last year. A nice attitude and a nice variation on the death spiral but she was a little tentative on this and it looked like a mistake. Need more consistency.

RYBKOWSKY/R
SP
3T//, desyn. and she fell
2Tw
t3S, just
Spins desyn.
FP
2Tw
3S//, huge desyn.
2R//
t3S
BI spiral
3T//, she touched down
FI spiral
Throwns are not big, she’s very emotive. Problems on syn. Carmen
4,7
4,7-4,8

KHALTURINA/A
SP
2Tw
3S//, he fell out, she fell
t3S, two-footed
FP
3TW
3S//, she put her hand down
2A//, desyn.
2T//
t3S
2A//, he fell
t3R
BI spiral
Wonderful lift
4,8-5,2
4,6-5,?
They need more time together but I find them very good already, but she was v. good with Krukov, too!

TOTMIANINA/M
SP
2Tw
3T//
t3R
Spins syn.
Superb lift but a bit unbalanced
Original steps
FP
3S//
3Tw
t3R
3T2T//
FI spiral
t3S
Great program, but once again they were undermarked. I think they deserved, at least technically, the best mark. Two side by side triples, it’ great!
They didn’t go for the 3L here cos she had problems with it. He said they can do all the triples!!! Nice presentation on Rachmaninov’s variations (nothing to do with Artur Dmitrev, as the other report says). I’m so happy at last they got the result they deserve.

SAURETTE/F
SP
3T//, she fell out.
2Tw
t3S
FP
3TW
2T//
t2A, huge two-footed
2A//
Spins syn.
t3S
4,9-5,1
5,1-5,3
Could have done much better

OBERTAS/P
SP
3T//, she fell out
2Tw, cheated, as usual (on the take off)
t3S, too low, just
I asked him why their t3S became so low (in practise it’s the same) and the thing is that she grew up and went from 32 to 39 kg, so he has problems lifting her. He should work out cos 39 kg is little, she’s still the lighter partner in the field.
FP
3T//, she fell out, no good syn.
t2A
2A//, she two-footed, he fell out
3Tw, cheated
BI spiral
t3S, very low
2R//, 2T//
4,9-5,4
4,6-5,3
They really haven’t improved this year. He has to work out to lift her better. They have to add new tricks in their program, they haven’t created anything.
Music is so juniorish (Strauss excerpts, the most famous waltzes!). Timing is bad.
They were promising two years ago, now, they are in trouble.
SARGEANT/W
SP
3T//, she doubled
2Tw
t3S
FP
3TW
3T//, she doubled out
t3S
2T//
t2A
BI spiral
Good program, nice music. I think they deserved more.

ZAGORSKA/S
SP
3T//, she fell
2tw
t3S
His sit spin is a disaster
They were held up a little
FP
t2A, huge, as usual
3T//
2A//, he singled
2T//
FI spiral
t3S
BO spiral
5,4-5,7
5,4-5,6
Good program and it’s fair they didn’t beat the Russians.