North Americans leapfrog over Russians to take top two spots

1.Total Score 111.15; 1.Original 68.41 (32.90+35.51); 2.Compulsory; Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Canada, gave an immaculate showing of a Flamenco that was just stunning. They received Level 4 for their Sequential Twizzles, which received four +3 Grades of Execution. They also got Level 4 and for their curve lift which was rewarded with another four +3s, not all from the same judge. Their beginning move, the circular steps, were Level 3 and received three +3s. And their final move, the Midline non-touching steps, received a mere two Level 3s. Out of the 36 Grade of Execution marks, given by the nine judges for these four required elements, 13 were the maximum +3. The other marks by eight of the judges were +2. However, the remaining judge gave a +2 for the non-touching steps but only +1 for the other three elements. They were marginally (0.30) ahead of Davis and White on the technical mark but well ahead on the components. The most spectacular move was when Moir flipped Virtue up into an upside down position. The crowd started roaring before they had finished. He said, "It’s so much fun just to go out there and nail it like we have have been doing in practice. When you’re in this rink, there’s an Olympic moment we’ll never forget. I don’t think a piece of metal can make it any better!"

2.TS 108.55; 2.OD 67.09 (32.60+34.48); 3.CD Meryl Davis and Charlie White, the US champions, were the only couple to gain three Level 4s. Their opening element, the non-touching midline steps, was their only Level 3. They received one +3 for that move. That judge also gave a +3 for their curve lift. Four other judges gave +3 for their twizzles were absolutely dazzling, definitely the fastest I have ever seen for a Level 4.

The idea of doing an East Indian number came about purely by chance. Their co-coach, Marina Zueva, saw a very beautiful Indian scarf while she was in Madrid, and the possibility of transferring that effect onto the ice germinated in her mind. They put in an enormous amount of work transferring the idea into reality and consulted with a host of people. The approval from the local East Indian population in Detroit was universal. The community sent their routine on You-Tube to relatives back home, and it became a huge hit in India. Davis said, "We consulted many people and tried to be as true to the spirit of the dance, but actually it’s mostly the women who dance, not as couples, and we have to incorporate the elements which so we can’t say it’s completely authentic that way. It is true we did put an enormous effort into the creation of the choreography. It was a tough routine to do. We worked hard with specialists." White said, "It was an emotionally charged program. It was one of those performances where you come out feeling greater than going in."

3.TS 106.60; 3.OD 62.84 (29.80+33.04); 1.CD Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin, Russia, lost ground. The Russians still are puzzled over the very strong negative reaction to their presentation. They don’t realize what they did wrong or how Davis and White got such a positive reaction from the Indian community while they were the brunt of intense criticism.

Dance plays an important part in the Australian Aborigine Culture and religion. The women do not dance and they never wear red. The women are not even allowed to play the didgeridoo, their unique instrument which was a part of their music. Even Domnina and Shabalin’s rubbing noses at the end of their routine showed that they were not aware that this was a custom of the Maoris who live in New Zealand and whose culture is completely different to that of the Aborigines. The Aborigines were very poorly treated when the onslaught of Europeans took over Australia, and because of this are possibly more sensitive than some other cultures.

Everyone was waiting to see what changes the Russians had made. It turns out that the changes were not as much as expected. The music has been "adjusted" and the markings on the costumes reduced. Instead of brown bodysuits, they wore much lighter ones making them appear almost nude. The red loin cloths remained with less leaf coverage, and fewer pictures formed with white stripes. Their coach, Natalia Linichuk, has photos of the Australian indigenous people wearing similar outfits. She said, "We didn’t make this up."

The routine certainly is novel. The "singing" contains lots of grunting. Shabalin said, "The statement that we were disrespectful is wrong. Our purpose was exactly the opposite. We want to honor the culture, to show a dance as it was a thousand years ago. We did a big research and after the reactions we did an even deeper research. After the criticism, a lot of Australians wrote to our website to say that they liked the dance. We think it is very interesting. Two years ago, we also had to do folk dance in the Original. Seventy percent of the couples did Russian and Ukrainian dances. They were too similar. Nobody had a dance like this."

This is not quite true. An Australian couple, Danielle O’Brien and Gregory Merriman, who have been 10^th in the past three Four Continents championships, did an aboriginal number but did not receive high marks. They did not qualify for the Olympics. This couple was not criticized because they had consulted with the Aboriginal Group, who slammed the Russians. Shabalin continued, "We thought it would be interesting. It is not possible to do a 100% authentic folk dance on the ice. We have to do four elements in two and a half minutes. We were happier with our performance than in the European championships. We did all our elements clean. We didn’t expect this world-wide reaction.

There were articles in the articles in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal." Domnina said, "Actually, we were happy about it. It showed we touched something. No other couple got so much press. The audience is warm to everybody, but especially the North American couples. Of course, we are ready for this pressure." Technically, they gained two Level 4s, for their twizzles and the straight line lift. Both step sequences, non-touching and straight line received 3. He also noted, "The ice rink is a little bright, but we got used to it." They received two Level 4s and two Level 3s.

4.TS 103.33; 4.OD 62.50 (30.10+32.40); 4.CD Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, presented a Moldavian folk routine to gain a slight technical advantage of 0.30 over Domnina and Shabalin. Their components score was only 0.64 lower than their training mates in Aston, PA, so the bronze was still a possibility. They received one +3 for their initial move, the straight line lift. They had two Level 4s and two Level 3s. Tanith is sharing with Johnny Weir. "He is one of the best roommates I’ve had. He keeps to himself. He’s always quiet. And with all the candles, the rooms spell great! He’s always fun. We have a good laugh. I pat his fur and send him out the door." Agosto added, about his heavy-looking white coach for the Original, "I’ve been skating for a lot of years and have had some pretty crazy costumes. I wore an Elvis jumpsuit for one routine. I was pretty excited to see a list of people signing up for tickets to see us compete. The snowboarders, even Shaun White, had tickets to watch ice dance!"

5.TS 100.06; 5.OD 60.18 (28.60+31.58); 5.CD Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali, Italy, who have been training in the same facility as Domnina & Shabalin and Belbin & Agosto in Aston, PA, were delighted to go into this section with a tighter gap between them and Domnina and Shabalin than in the recent European championship. They had to be content with silver medal for the second year running in Euros, even though they outscored the Russians in both the Original and Free. "That produced a nice feeling for us in Estonia. It made us want to train even harder." They skated right before these Russians so a clear comparison of their Originals could be made. They were dressed in black with a little white. They gained two Level 4s, a 3 and their twizzles were rated only Level 2.

6.TS 96.67; 7.OD 58.68 (27.40+32.28-1.0 timing deduction); 6.CD Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder of France had been disappointed by their marks in the compulsory. He had grey trousers, grey waist coat and grey shirt plus cap. At the beginning he puts on his cap and kneels. She mines smoking a cigarette. Her black dress, which comes to below the knee, had lots of pink underneath, and, of course, her fancy panties comprised layers of pink. She wore black stockings. Possibly there would have been more a feeling of the gaiety of this dance if they had chosen brighter colors. Naturally, their choreography involved much playing with the skirt. They started with the non-touching steps to some other music and went into the Can Can only after that move had been accomplished. In one spot he does a Russian split and, at the end, cartwheels over her back at end. The Free Dance will be their swansong. She explained, "We’ve had a great career on the competition stage and we’re proud of what we accomplished. We’ve skated together since we were 12. But I’m a little bit sad." He said, "We won’t change anything for tomorrow. We’ll put our heart into it. We’re hoping it will all work out, but we’re not cracking our heads over it." They earned only one Level 4, for their rotational lift. The other three required elements received only 2. They were the lowest placed competitor to receive a +3 Grade of Execution, which was for their diagonal steps. However, another judge gave them 0, which means they thought it wasn’t worth anything added on to the base value, for their twizzles.

7.TS 96.12; 6.OD 59.99 (29.90+30.09); 9.CD Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat of France had the fifth highest technical score for their Thank God I’m A Country Boy Original. They earned two Level 3s and two Level 4s. "He said, "We had a very good performance today and scored a Personal Best."

8.TS 93.78; 8.OD 56.76 (27.30+29.46); 8.CD The Scottish siblings, Sinead and John Kerr, both in checkered tops and jeans – hers very abbreviate hot pants, exposing the tattoo on her lower back. He wore a straw hat. They begin with her driving a truck stopping to pick up him, a hitchhiker and end with them in an entwined low position with him breaking like mad! They skate to Johnny Cash’s I’ve been Everywhere Man, a piece the entire audience recognised. The crowd immediately started clapping along. They received a Level 4 for their lift. The other three required elements were 3. He said, "I had a little error on a twizzle. I think they should get rid of twizzles from competition. Last time we had folk, we did a Scottish dance but we had taken that to its highest level and we wanted to move on. At Worlds, we saw Tessa and Scott do a country and western dance and did it really well, so we knew it could be a crowd pleaser. That influenced our choice." She said, "We both lean towards the artistic rather than the technical side. We like dances that show our versatility."

9.TS 92.75; 9. OD 55.57 (26.10+29.47); 7.CD Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski seemed pleased the pressure was off them and on their Russian teammates. They had an introduction to get into their opening pose by her doing an outside spread. The opening pose, of her in a complete split, put the audience in the right mood and they received great applause. Their outfits were very elaborate and colorful with lots of deep green and blue. Her red hair was plated into a pony-tail. The music was a traditional Russian base singer. She said, "Compared to the European Championships, I wasn’t nervous at all. We picked up courage, but, unfortunately, how we felt was not reflected in the marks. We still hope for the best." He said, "I tried to focus in my head, especially after what happened at Europeans - he had a wobble on the twizzles. I think they were clean this time. I was nervous, but then the mood picked up for me." They received only one Level 4 which was for their straight line lift. Their twizzles received 3 but the two other required elements were awarded only 2. She said, "This is our third time in Canada. Vancouver is very beautiful and we would like to walk around after our event and see some more of it."

10.TS 89.62; 10.OD 55.24 (27.30+27.94); 10.CD Alexandra and Roman Zaretski, Israel, skated to the traditional song of joy Hava Nagila, in very traditional, very authentic outfits. He said, "There is so much enjoyment when you have so many people clapping for you. The Olympics are a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There is such a good atmosphere here. But the preparation is just the same as any other competition. I wanted to do ice dance but there was no other partner around so my sister got drafted. In matters of trust and not doing something stupid, we are as one. But, of course, as brother and sister, it is hard to show romance. The other skaters understand. There are four brother-and-sister teams." They received two Level 4s, a 3 for their curve lift and 2 for the non-touching steps.

11.TS 85.36; OD 53.99 (28.60+25.39); 14.CD Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates, skating to a Dixie Chicks Medley, with Bates in a full sheriff’s outfit, complete with hat, ready to jump on his horse. She was in a blood red dress, not the super-tight short "hot pants" she had worn earlier this season. The audience loved the "down home" projection. Bates said, "It’s been way more than we could have anticipated, in a good way. We chose this music because we wanted to evoke national pride." They earned two Level 4s and two 3s. In the audience watching them were the first alternates, Kim Navarro and Brent Bommentre, who had hoped to be skating in place of Samuelson and Bates but were pipped for the third place at US nationals. Beforehand, Navarro admitted, "It's going to be a test of my values, sitting in the stands - always a bridesmaid." Bommentre said, "We are career alternates. The judges didn't reward what we had to offer."

12.TS 84.58; 12.OD 51.45 (26.50+24.95) 12.CD Anna Cappellini and Luca LaNotte, Italy, performed to the well known song, Return to Surriento and a Rossini Tarantella. He was in white, she in white and red. They gained 4 for their lift and twizzles, 3 for the circular steps and 2 for the non-touching mid-line steps. They drew to skate second of the 23 couples. She said, "It’s always hard to skate so early because the judges have to be quiet with their marks, so it’s harder to get a personal best. But hopefully they will remember our performance and will rank us well. We were happy to put out a strong performance. We placed ourselves around 10^th so being 12^th is no great disappointment. We are happy we put out a strong performance.

13.TS 83.89; 16.OD 50.02 (24.30+25.72); 11.CD Anna Zadorozhniuk and Sergei Verbillo, Ukraine, lost ground performing that looked genuine in design with her in red boot covers and him in maroon trousers tucked into black boot covers but which had an added glitzy, Hollywood touch. They gained two Level 4s and two Level 2s. He said, "There were some mistakes and the judges noticed them. We have been here awhile so we are getting a bit homesick."

14.TS 83.12; 13.OD 51.22 (25.70+25.52); 13.CD Nora Hoffmann and Maxim Zavozin, Hungary, skated to famous Czardas music. The costumes were genuine but having his shirt outside his trousers made his mid-section look very large when they spun. She was in white with red, including a red cloth tiara. They earned two 4s. The diagonal steps were Level 3 and the non-touching steps 2. She said, "The bright lighting (of the arena demanded by television) can be a bit of a problem but you get used to that in the five-minute warm-up. It’s so much pressure. If we miss an element, it costs us a lot. We were excited for the crowd. We went for the twizzles and we were pretty stable." He said, "These Olympics are definitely the most exciting thing I’ve experienced so far in this sport but it nearly didn’t happen. I only got my Hungarian citizenship a week before the European championships. Now, I have a Russian, American and Hungarian passport. I am a world citizen."

15.TS 80.47; 15.OD 50.61 (25.60+25.01) 17.CD Ekaterina Bobrova, 19, and Dmitri Soloviev, 20, Russia, who finished ninth in their debut at the recent European championships, presented a very entertaining number, dressed identically in naval outfits from the lower ranks, white and navy with caps. Skating to Yablochko which is a well known Russian sailor dance, they earned two 4s. The circular steps were level 3 and the twizzles got 2. She said, "It was not without mistakes but I’m happy. We kept the spectators focused on us all the way through the routine." He said, "We didn’t do our step sequence perfect. We were tense but more relieved going into the Original compared to the Compulsory. We didn’t want to return to Kalinka because the judges would think that was all we could do. We want to move forward and develop things."

16.TS 80.30; 14.OD 50.81 (27.70+23.11); 18.CD Cathy and Chris Reed, Japan, whose mother is Japanese and father American, skated to the music Sakura for their midline non-touching steps. That led into a piece with Kodo drums. Both wore kimonos and both had fans. They earned Level 4 for their curve lift and the sequential twizzles. The non-touching steps and the circular steps were awarded Level 3. She said, "It was a challenge to skate in this traditional kimono. It’s actually quite popular in ice dance to have brother-and-sister teams. Usually their heights and appearances make a good match. And we know each other so well. We know what ticks each other off." He said, "I’ve never skated with anyone else. I trust my sister more."

18.TS 76.73; 18.OD 46.42 (25.00+21.42); 16.CD Christine and William Beier, Germany, did a Hawaiian number. She wore her long black hair loose and had a red and yellow "grass" skirt. He had a garland of flowers on his head and frills round his knees. He did a cartwheel at the end which drew great applause. They gained two 4s, a 3 for the mid-line steps element and 2 for the circular steps. She said, "We have been skating since we were 16 and 17. The best thing is we are a family. Everything is organized so it’s not complicated. Sometimes, being brother and sister, we fight in different ways than the other couples. This was our best performance to date. We liked the way we skated and also how the public responded." They do a reverse lift in which she carries him. She explained, "It’s not so difficult. We have been doing this for a number of years. I just put all of his weight on my legs. That way it is not so complicated for me."

19.TS 74.25; 20.OD 45.03 (22.70+22.33) 19.CD Xintong Huang and Xun Zheng, China, performed a Greek dance. She said, "We were able to show our best in the competition today. We completed all our elements as well as possible." He said, "It was a very relaxed and enjoyable program. We were in top form and managed to bring out all the elements we trained for. The score is a little lower than we expected. Maybe we were given a lower technical score than we expected. We really like this music. It sets a lovely tone and puts the audience in a good mood, which puts us in a good mood. We thought that Chinese music may not be well understood by the judges." They got only Level 1 for their non-touching midline steps, but their rotational lift was Level 4, the twizzles Level 3 and the circular steps 2.

20.TS 72.01; 19.OD 46.33 (24.60+21.73); CD 21; Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland, from Nottingham, Torvill and Dean’s hometown, were the luckiest skaters because the draw resulted in them skating 13^th, which was immediately before the last two groups of the top ten couples. That meant the audience was really warmed up and they received the Britons’ lively Irish dance extremely enthusiastically, particularly the rotational lift in which Coomes’ was upside down while her head was by his ankle. However, the judges were less easy to please and the crowd thoroughly booed the marks for being so low in the event’s only instance of booing. Their lift and twizzles earned Level 4. The other two elements got 2. Coomes said, "I think the audience took to us because we picked a well known from Riverdance. It’s quite universal, so it’s something they could clap to. We’re thrilled to be here. We’re skating with the world’s best skaters. That’s never happened to us before. It’s our first senior season. It’s the first time most of these judges have seen us. It’s fantastic to get this exposure now." They have a considerable height difference. He said, "There are advantages, in that we can play around with lifts, and disadvantages to that.

21.TS 68.87; 21.OD 42.22 (22.50+19.72); 20.CD Allison Reed and Otar Japaridze are making history. This is the first time in figure skating that sisters have competed in the same Games for different countries. Reed, at 15, is the youngest competitor. She said, "I’m so thankful for the Georgian President for pushing my citizenship through so fast. I haven’t spent any time in Georgia but I plan to do so this summer. I am learning much about the country. We teamed up in May 2009. This is only our fourth competition together." They skated first and the near capacity crowd (although not all had got seated at that point) gave their Georgian folk dance, a huge welcoming reception. She was in white and he was in black and white, in a wedding scenario. They are trained by Evgeny Platov. Their straight line lift earned a 4, their mid-line steps 3 and the diagonal steps and twizzles got 2.

22.TS 63.73; 22.OD 40.54 (22.10+18.44); 22.CD; Kamila Hajkova and David Vincour, Czech Republic. She said, "We really like this chance to show people our traditional folk music and culture." He said, "I made a little mistake after the twizzle, a little slip. We are looking forward to tomorrow to showing our Edith Piaf free. It really suits our style." They received two Level 4s and two Level 2s.

23.TS 56.94; 23.OD 35.21 (19.90+16.31) Irina Shtork, 16, and Taavi Rand, 15, Estonia, did an Estonian Polka and Waltz. When Caitlin Mallory could not get her Estonian citizenship to compete here with Kristian Rand, the country decided to substitute Rand’s younger brother and his partner. This is great experience for them, but they really are junior skaters. She fell. She said, "I don’t know what happened – it was something to do with the edge." He said, "We’re young and not experienced. That’s why we have this competition, to get experience. Twizzles are a hard thing to do even though they look easy. Maybe she fell because she’s always thinking about the twizzles. When you skate, you shouldn’t think. You should just dance." Their straight line lift gained Level 4 but the other levels were 2.

Virtue & Moir -- First overall	Davis & White -- Second Overall	Domnina & Shabalin -- Third overall
Belbin & Agosto -- Fourth overall	Samuelson & Bates