2009 Worlds - Day 1

What a day...for many of you...it's the wee hours of the morning...it is for me too! I know I had promised a new Weekly Op-Ed but that will wait until perhaps tomorrow...I'm simply exhausted. From Illinois to Colorado to Nevada to California will take it's toll on you! Add in a time change and that equals "must get sleep!"

I can't tell you much about the Compulsory Dance except the results. My plane landed an hour later than planned and I found myself in L.A. Rush Hour Traffic at 5 p.m. so I didn't get to the CD. I am shocked to see Russian's Domnina and Shabalin in the lead...I didn't think they had it in them. Belbin and Agosto seem back on track in second place and Canadians Virtue and Moir are holding off the other American Team of Davis and White...however, that is a similar gap that these teams had at the Four Continents Cup and Davis and White managed to catch them in the Free Dance. Shockingly, the team I had pegged to win this, Russians Khoklova and Novitski sit 5th with the French Team of Pechalat and Bourzat rounding out the top 6...interesting to say the least.

I did make it to the Staples Center in time for the entire Pairs short program. What a short program it was. The top 8 teams all had great performances. No shock, Germans Savchenko and Szolkowy lead after an energized short set to the music from the 'Lost in Space' soundtrack. I've hated this program all season but there was something 'better' about it here. The posted a big score to win the night. Just a little behind are Russians Kavaguti (apparently she's changed the name...not sure why? However, the announcer in the arena is still calling her Kawaguchi????) and Smirnov had a breathtaking skate and sit second. The Chinese duo Zhang and Zhang were very solid and are a very close third, Russians Mukhortova and Trankov are a very close fourth, Pang and Tong are a very close 5th, and Ukranians Volosozhar and Morozov are a very close sixth. The top six teams all had nearly clean skates ...I can't remember seeing such a solid group of pairs. I was just in constant shock as each team hit their programs! The Candians sit seventh and eigth...Dube and Davison lead Duhamel and Buntin. I think Duhamel and Buntin should be higher...but that's just me I guess. Like the top teams they were entirely clean. And the Americans are in ninth and tenth with McLaughlin and Brubaker leading Denney and Barrett. Denney and Barrett had a pretty good skate while Keauna and McLaughlin had some problems...tough to medal from that far back.

Day two starts in 6 hours so I'll sign off. If anyone is planning on attending the competion...wear layers...it's freezing in there!

Goodnight!