04 Nov 2005 16:10

Samsung Anycall Cup of China in Beijing continued on Friday with the Original Dance, the Ladies¡¯ Short Program and Pairs Free Skating. Samsung Anycall Cup of China is the third of six events in the series.

Ice Dancing, Original Dance
The Latin Combination is the Original Dance of the 2005/2006 season. The couples can pick two or three different rhythms from the following: Cha Cha, Rhumba, Samba, and/or only one of Mambo, Merengue, Salsa.

Reigning World Champions Tatiana Navka/Roman Kostomarov of Russia strengthened their overnight lead. Galit Chait/Sergei Sakhnovski (ISR) remained in second while Canadians Megan Wing/Aaron Lowe pulled up from fourth to third. Navka/Kostomarov put out a lively routine to Cha Cha, Rhumba and Samba, producing a difficult and fast paced side by side midline footwork. The Rhumba was highlighted by a curve lift and the diagonal step sequence, but their combination spin was slow and graded a level one only. They finished with a rotational lift. The two-time World Champions earned 58.50 points (26.70 element score/31.80 program component score) and now have a total score of 95.33 points.

¡°We skated well, without any mistakes. As for the levels... we just didn¡¯t do it, it was only for the first time. Of course, we¡¯re not satisfied with the levels. But we like our dance a lot. There is just not enough time to show the emotion, the passion of the Rhumba. The program is like that, unfortunately. We have to do the spin and rush to the next element¡±, Navka explained.

Chait/Sakhnovski¡¯s energetic OD to Cha Cha, Rhumba, Samba included an intricate side by side step sequence, a straight line lift with him in a shoot-the-duck position and a rotational lift. The 2002 World bronze medalist were awarded 55.81 points (26.50/29.31) which added up to an ovrall score of 90.04 so far. ¡°It was difficult for me to skate, probably because of the jet lag. We still have to work a lot, and we will work a lot. Maybe we¡¯ll change the spin¡±, Sakhnovski commented. ¡°I prefer the Tango and things like that, but Latin is also good.¡±
Wing/Lowe danced to Mambo, Rhumba and Samba, completing a difficult dance combination spin (graded a level four), a curve lift with him in a spread eagle position and a rotational lift with changes of position for her. The Candians received 50.61 points (26.40/24.21) and now accumulated a total score of 82.19 points. ¡°We skated it really well, so we¡¯re really happy with it. I think we skated it better than at Skate America. (The diagonal footwork) is still a level three, so we still need to work on it to get it up¡±, Wing said. ¡°We made some changes after Skate America. To be able to execute them after one week of making the changes was good¡±, her partner added. ¡°I didn¡¯t see the marks, but maybe the grades of execution were better because of the changes we made. So that will help the scores as well. Overall it was just a freer performance.¡±

Federica Faiella/Massimo Scali of Italy slipped from third to fourth place. Their Cha Cha, Rhumba and Samba was characteristic, but they seemed tentative in some places. The couple is not far away from the podium with 81.35 points. Reigning World Junior Champions Morgan Matthews/Maxim Zavozin (USA) moved up from fifth to sixth with 77.40 points total.

Men, Short Program
The Men were the last to start their competition. 2004 World Junior Champion Andrei Griazev of Russia pulled off an upset, beating Chengjiang Li (China) and reigning World Champion Stephane Lambiel (SUI) in the Short Program.
Griazev, who had finished a distant ninth last week at Mastercard Skate Canada in St. John¡¯s, showed much improvement and delivered a solid performance to ¡°Carmen¡±, nailing a triple Lutz-triple toeloop combination, a high triple Axel, a triple flip and solid spins. The 20-year-old scored 71.00 points (37.00 element score/34.00 program component score), which marked a new personal best. ¡°Canada was my first event after all. I don¡¯t know, to be honest, I don¡¯t feel a difference, it just didn¡¯t work there and it did now. I was relaxed in Canada, everything was fine, maybe it was the time change, or I just had bad luck that day¡±, Griazev said when asked what the difference was between the two competitions. ¡°I¡¯m really surprised (with today¡¯s result). After I was only ninth in Canada, I just tried to give my best here.¡±
To the delight of the home crowd, Li landed a quadruple toeloop-double toeloop combination, a beautiful triple Axel, a triple loop and showed a strong change foot combination spin (level four) and combination spin (level three) to earn 70.25 points (36.90/33.35). The current Four Continents silver medalist had chosen the romantic ¡°Liebestraum¡± by Franz Liszt. ¡°I used strong, dynamic music in the past, and I wanted to change my style in the Olympic season¡±, the explained. ¡°I¡¯m really happy to compete here in China. It¡¯s a new program and I skated it well for the first time.¡±

Lambiel opened his characteristic interpretation of ¡°Once Upon a Time in Mexico¡± with a double Axel instead of the planned triple, but then he pulled off a quadruple-triple toeloop combination, a triple Lutz and fast spins. The 20-year-old was awarded 70.20 points (33.70/36.50). ¡°I did a good program. I had some problems in practice yesterday, but I felt better today, and I hope to give my best tomorrow (in the Free Skating)¡±, Lambiel told the post event news conference. ¡°I don¡¯t feel pressure because I¡¯m World Champion. I feel pressure, because it¡¯s the beginning of the season, and you have to test your programs, to show your choreography, steps and spins.¡±

Sandhu, who had won Mastercard Skate Canada last week, popped his planned quadruple toeloop into a double but added a triple toe for his combination. The Canadian was also off balance on his triple Axel and two-footed the triple Lutz to finish fourth with 65.10 points. Ryan Jahnke (USA) is currently standing in fifth. He fell on his triple Axel, but reeled off a triple Lutz-triple toeloop combination (64.80 points).

Pairs, Free Skating

The first medals were awarded in the pairs event. Maria Petrova/Alexei Tikhonov of Russia claimed the title while China¡¯s Qing Pang/Jian Tong earned the silver medal. The bronze went to Dorota Zagorska/ Mariusz Siudek (POL).
Performing to a selection of Fellini soundtracks, the overnight leaders Petrova/Tikhonov produced a solid double Axel-triple toeloop combination, a side by side triple Salchow, a high double twist, throw triple loop and difficult lifts, receiving a level four for all three of them. However, the team seemed to tire towards the end, and Petrova two-footed the throw triple Salchow, and the exit of their last lift was wobbly as well. The World silver medalists got 122.62 points (62.46 element score/60.16 program component score), which was a new personal best for them. Overall they collected 185.38 points. ¡°We did a very good free program. We had one mistake on the throw triple Salchow, the rest was ok. It was hard to skate after the long trip from Canada to China¡±, Tikhonov said, referring to the fact that the couple was delayed and arrived one day later in Beijing than planned. ¡°We still have homework to do, to improve our elements and transitions. We have to skate our program more often as it is new. We¡¯re very happy to have won the gold medal here, it helps us.¡±
Pang/Tong had drawn to skate last. They opened their ¡°Phantom of the Opera¡± program with a double Axel-triple toeloop sequence, but he doubled the side by side Salchow, and she underrotated and stepped out of it. The 2005 Four Continents silver medalists rallied back to hit a triple twist, a throw triple Salchow and good lifst as well as a level-four forward inside death spiral, but Pang touched down with her hand on the throw triple loop, and they stumbled on the exit of their last lift, obviously tired at this point. The 2004 World bronze medalists picked up 117.82 points (59.58/58.24) which added up to a total score of 176.46 points. ¡°I¡¯m satisfied with the first half of the program, but then we made some mistakes, the Salchow, two lifts and the steps weren¡¯t good. China had only one pair in this Grand Prix in Beijing, and all the hopes were on us. We felt pressure and were nervous and tired¡±, Tong commented.
Zagorska/Siudek¡¯s routine to ¡°The Mission¡± featured their trademark spectacular lifts, a throw triple Salchow and a level-three pair combination spin, but he struggled with the solo jumps, stepping out of the first jump of their triple-double toeloop sequence and singling the Axel. The husband-and-wife team scored 106.42 points (53.30/53.12) and captured the bronze with a total of 162.48 points.

¡°It wasn¡¯t our best long program, but we still have many competitions until the most important one, the Olympic Games. We¡¯re very happy with the bronze medal here¡±, Siudek said.

2005 World Junior silver medalists Jessica Dube/Bryce Davison finished fourth with a solid performance that included a double twist, double Axel-double toeloop sequence and a throw triple Salchow and loop, but both touched down with their hand on the side by side triple Salchow. 2004 World Junior Champions Natalia Shestakova/Pavel Lebedev came in fifth with a decent program, landing a two triple throws and a side by side triple Salchow.

Petrova/Tikhonov got 12 points and now head the Grand Prix standings with 21 points. Pang/Tong have 9 points and skate again at the Trophee Bompard in France in two weeks. Zagorska/Siudek have 7 points. Their second event is the Cup of Russia in St. Petersburg later this month.