The competition at Samsung Anycall Cup of China in Beijing concluded Saturday with the Ladies¡¯ Free Skating, Free Dance and the Men¡¯s Free Skating. Samsung Anycall Cup of China was the third of six events in the series.
Ladies, Free Skating
The Ladies opened today¡¯s competition with their Free Skating. In what was an interesting event at a high level, two-time World Champion Irina Slutskaya of Russia defended her Cup of China title, World Junior Champion Mao Asada (JPN) captured the silver medal and 2004 World Champion Shizuka Arakawa earned the bronze.
Performing to a selection of Flamencos, Slutskaya hit a high triple Lutz, triple Salchow-double toeloop-double loop combination, a triple flip, triple flip-double toe combination, a triple toe-double toe, and just her triple loop was off balance. The Muscovite produced difficult spins in her vivacious routine, receiving a level four for her flying camel, layback and combination spin and a level three for her change foot combination spin. The six-time European Champion scored 125.90 points (62.30 element score/63.60 program component score), racking up a total of 196.12. ¡°I¡¯m happy to have started so well into the season, but I still have a lot work to do in the next weeks¡±, the 26-year-old commented. ¡°It (the music) was my coach¡¯s (Zhanna Gromova) idea. I love both my programs this season, and I really like all parts of the free program music. I know the composers of the last two parts. My choreographer (Sergei Petukhov) worked with me like a real Flamenco dancer, I really feel the music.¡±
Asada underrotated and stumbled out of her attempted triple Axel at the beginning of her playful ¡°Carmen¡± program. The 15-year-old went on to reel off a triple flip-double loop, triple Lutz-double loop, double Axel, triple loop-double loop-double loop, triple flip and triple Lutz as well as good spins including an excellent layback to pick up 113.68 points (59.76/53.92). She was ranked third in the Free Skating and remained second overall with a total score of 176.60 points. ¡°Unfortunately I didn¡¯t do the triple Axel today, but my other jumps were quite good. At the end I lost speed, and I hope to do better next time¡±, the Japanese said. Asked about medalling in her first senior Grand Prix event, the teenager just smiled: ¡°I¡¯m so happy!¡±
Arakawa delivered a strong performance to Frederic Chopin¡¯s ¡°Fantasy¡± that featured a triple Lutz-double toeloop combination, a triple flip, double Axel, another triple Lutz and triple Salchow as well as good spins and spirals. She just doubled the loop, and the second jump in her triple Salchow-triple toeloop combination was underrotated and counted only as a double. The 23-year-old from Tokyo earned 116.04 points (55.80/60.24) and was ranked second in the Free Skating, but placed third overall with 173.60 points. ¡°I was nervous, and I made a mistake, doubling a jump. But it was better than yesterday¡±, the Japanese told the post event press conference.
Elena Liashenko (UKR) finished fourth with a solid program to ¡°Westside Story¡± that included four clean triple jumps (160.70 points). China¡¯s Yan Liu came in fifth, landing seven triples (145.92 points).
Slutskaya got 12 points and will compete again at the Cup of Russia end of November. Asada earned 9 points and goes on to the Trophee Bompard in France. Arakawa now has 7 points and will meet Asada again in France.
Ice Dancing, Free Dance
Tatiana Navka/Roman Kostomarov of Russia danced to victory with Galit Chait/Sergei Sakhnovski (ISR) claiming the silver and Megan Wing/Aaron Lowe (CAN) taking the bronze medal.
Skating to ¡°Carmen¡± by Georges Bizet, Navka/Kostomarov put out a dramatic and characteristic interpretation of this famous piece of music. The two-time World Champions completed two level-four twizzle series, a straight line lift with him in a crouching position, a curve lift with a difficult entry, as well intricate circle and serpentine step sequences. Navka/Kostomarov were awarded 101.74 points (50.50/51.24) which added up to a total of 197.07 points. ¡°Compared to our first competition last season we had great success here¡±, Navka said, referring to the fact that they had finished second in their first Grand Prix event last season.¡±It was the first competition, the first time to show our new programs. We have another four months before the Olympics. There¡¯s still time to become stronger. Today we skated as well as we could have.¡± Asked about choosing the popular ¡°Carmen¡± music, Kostomarov explained: ¡°This music is eternal, and if others have used it, it wasn¡¯t used by us, therefore for us it¡¯s a new experience. Why shouldn¡¯t we try this music? It¡¯s strong and evokes passion.¡± His partner added: ¡°(Our coach) Sascha (Zhulin) wanted to skate to this music with Maya Usova (his partner), but it never happened. He told me a long time ago that it¡¯s his dream that we would skate to it at the Olympic Games.¡±
Chait/Sakhnovski had also chosen a well known piece of music ¨C Maurice Ravel¡¯s ¡°Bolero¡±. Their dynamic performance contained a straight line-rotational lift with him skating on one leg, an interesting curve lift with her in an upside-down position, fast paced footwork and twizzles. The couple earned 96.09 points (49.40/46.69) to collect a total score of 186.13 points. ¡°Torvill and Dean are legends¡± Chait said, referring to the fact that Jayne Torvill/Christopher Dean (GRB) made the Bolero famous with their gold winning Olympic program in 1984. ¡°Sergei and I just love this music, and we wanted to use it for many, many years. When we brought it to (coach) Sascha (Zhulin), we thought he would turn around and say no, but he said, let¡¯s try it. We watched Torvill and Dean, and we didn¡¯t try to make the same moves, but we tried to get the idea, the way all their moves flowed one into another. All the moves were continuos. We tried to do the same thing but with different moves.¡±
Wing/Lowe skated to a Mazurka and Waltz from the ballett Coppelia with her playing a puppet. The Candians completed a curve lift with changes of position for her, a curve-rotational lift and a good dance combination spin, but their twizzles were a bit off and they lost speed in their footwok. The 2004 Four Continents bronze medalists received 81.17 points (41.90/39.27) and were ranked fourth in the Free Dance. They held on to the bronze medal with 163.36 points overall. ¡°To be able on the podium at this event is definitely an honour¡±, Lowe told the press. ¡°We¡¯re just so pleased to have won a Grand Prix medal for two years in a row. It wasn¡¯t our best skate tonight, but to be on the podium at the beginning of the season is definitely a good feeling.¡±
Kristin Fraser/Igor Lukanin (AZE) finished third in the Free Dance and fourth overall with their expressive ¡°Blues for Klook¡± routine (161.58 points). Reigning World Junior Champions Morgan Matthews/Maxim Zavozin were fifth 157.72 points. They had skated to ¡°Tango de Roxane¡± from the ¡°Moulin Rouge¡± soundtrack.
Navka/Kostomarov collected 12 points and go on to the Cup of Russia, where they will meet Chait/Sakhnovski again (9 points). Wing/Lowe received 7 points and 12 overall from their two Grand Prix events.
Men, Free Skating
The final event of the day was the Men¡¯s Free Skating. Emanuel Sandhu of Canada, who stood in fourth place following the Short Program, had drawn to skate first in the warm up group. He hit a quadruple-double toeloop right at the beginning of his program, but he two-footed the quad. A triple Axel followed, but then he popped the Lutz into a single only to repeat it as a triple seconds later. The Canadian produced six more triples including a triple Axel-triple toeloop combination and a triple loop-triple toeloop and two level-four spins (a change foot upright and change foot combination spin) in his innovative program to music by Gordon Cobb. Sandhu got 147.56 points (73.96/73.60). Next up was his teammate Ben Ferreira, in sixth after the first portion of the event. Ferreira delivered a solid program to ¡°The Untouchables¡±, landing five good triple jumps and collecting 185.33 points overall. Then Chengjiang Li of China took the ice. He was sitting in second after the Short Program, but he struggled with his jumps to plummet to 8th overall (173.69 points total score). A few minutes later, it was Andrei Griazev¡¯s turn. The winner of the Short Program started with a triple Lutz-triple toeloop combination into his ¡°Notre Dame de Paris¡± routine, but then he doubled an Axel and a Flip. The 20-year-old rallied back to nail a triple Axel-triple toeloop combination and three more triples. He also showed difficult footwork and a level-three change foot combination spin to score 129.60 points (59.60/70.00). Last to skate was reigning World Champion Stephane Lambiel, third after the Short Program. The Swiss opened his program to ¡°The Four Seasons¡± by Antonio Vivaldi with a double Axel. He stepped out of his quadruple toeloop, but added a triple toeloop. A triple loop, another double Axel and then a solid second quadruple toeloop followed. Lambiel¡¯s only major mistake came when he fell on a triple Lutz. His difficult footwork was awarded a level three by the Technical Panel, and his spins were fast and well centered. The 20-year-old earned 133.40 points (61.40/73.00).
So, Sandhu jumped from fourth to first to win his second consecutive Grand Prix gold medal with a total score of 212.66 points. Lambiel moved up one spot to claim the silver medal with 203.60 points, while Griazev slipped to third with a total of 200.60. Both Lambiel and Griazev took their first (senior) Grand Prix medals in Beijing. Ferreira finished fourth.
¡°I¡¯m very pleased with the way this entire week has gone for me, even though it¡¯s been quite short with all the travel I had getting to this competition from my previous competition¡±, Sandhu said, referring to the missed connections and delays he and Griazev encountered on their way from Canada to China. ¡°Tonight, actually throughout the whole day, I felt very relaxed, very prepared, and I took all the steps that I needed to take to ensure that I felt as comfortable, as confident and as ready as I could be for this competition.¡±
¡°I was a little nervous before my program, because I was waiting 40 minutes in the dressing room. It¡¯s always a problem for me to wait 40 minutes. I¡¯m not very patient. I don¡¯t know what to do, I try to keep warming up and doing exercises. When I came on the ice, I just wanted to do my best. I tried to push myself. I knew Emanuel did a very good program, so I thought I have to do a very, very nice program to beat him. Of course, I would have needed more than what I did tonight. But I¡¯m going to work for it ¡±, Lambiel explained, adding that he did the second quadruple only because he knew that Sandhu had skated well.
¡°It wasn¡¯t so easy to skate the free program, but I¡¯m very happy to have won a medal on the senior Grand Prix for the first time¡±, Griazev commented.
Sandhu now tops the Grand Prix standings with the maximum of 24 points and is the first man to qualify for the Final. Lambiel pocketed 9 points and competes again at the Cup of Russia. Griazev has 7 points from his two events (he had 0 points at Skate Canada as he finished only 9th there).
Samsung Anycall Cup of China concludes tomorrow (Sunday) with the Exhibition Gala. The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating continues in two weeks with the Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris, France.
Results
From ISU Web
