European Championships Wrap-up

The European Championships have concluded in Tallinn and there was plenty of interesting plot twists and turns to keep skating fans entertained.

The Pairs Free saw the defending Champions sub-planted. Savchenko and Szolkowy had botched side-by-side salchows as well as a missed throw triple flip. They did settle into their performance but the damage was done and they would have to settle for silver. Mukhortova and Trankov continue their solid season winning the bronze in Tallinn. The Gold, however, went to their teammates Kavaguti and Smirnov who had a tremendous performance to take the win. What is it about Tamara Moskvina teams...The closer they get to the Olympics the better they get! Also, Kavaguti and Smirnov were knocking on the door of Shen and Zhao's record total from the Grand Prix Final, just 1.10 points back. Volosozhar and Morozov were fourth and Bazarova and Larionov fifth.

The men's event saw the first showdown between Plushenko, Joubert, and Lambiel since the 2006 Winter Olympics. Joubert was the first of the three to skate in the free skate and had several mistakes and clearly lacked the same attack and intensity he had earlier in the season. You're forced to wonder if his foot injury played a factor in his conditioning for this event. Joubert, ultimately, would relinquish his title and take the bronze. Plushenko was the second of the big three to skate. He had a solid performance...hitting his quad toe-triple toe combo. He missed a triple flip late in the program but it hardly mattered. He ended his program to a rousing ovation and 10 years removed from his first European Title he took his 6th. The judges, did however, bring him back to earth. After another seemingly 'high' short program score score, he was marked far more conservatively and seemingly in-line in the free. Oddly, the post competition buzz was not about Plushenko, but rather Stephane Lambiel who debuted his new La Traviata free skate here and added his name to the list of serious Olympic contenders. Lambiel was not without jump mistakes but his program is charming and he delivered it with great ease. Still no triple axel, but he did accomplish two quads and several other triples. He also beat Plushenko in program components on his way to the silver medal. Michal Brezina was fourth and Samuel Contesti was fifth.

The Ice Dance competition got overshadowed by complaints that Domnina and Shabalin's Aboriginal Original Dance is offensive (add your opinion in my quick poll). It's become such a big story it was the lead headline at Yahoo! Yesterday! The 2008 European Champions lost that OD as well as the Free Dance but managed to hang on to win another European Title. But the question heading forward for them is what to do with this Original Dance...if they use this at the Olympics it could be a PR disaster for Team Russia but there is scarce time to scrap it for another one. The bit of positive news coming out of the dance event was Faiella and Scali who won both the OD and the Free Dance to take the silver medal with some gorgeous performances. They definitely had the crowd behind them. We may have figured out why Khoklova and Novitski skipped the Grand Prix Final, they showed up here in Tallinn with a new Free Dance set to The Firebird (popular piece this season). While far from perfect, they were good enough to hang on the bronze. Pechalat and Bourzat (who I had pegged to win) were fourth after a sloppy ending to their Free Dance and Kerr and Kerr where fifth.

The ladies event continued to show that European women's skating is in a slump. It was a verifiable splatfest! Carolina Kostner won the event with a less than stellar performace. She sat down on her triple loop but managed to hang on to some other jumps. Even despite the flaws she was clearly the best in the field. In a post event interview she said "she lost track" halfway through her program. Nonetheless, a win here gives her the Olympic Berth for Italy. Italian National Champ Marchei who was looking to nab the berth was just 8th. The silver went to Laura Lepisto who, after a gorgeous triple toe-triple toe combo, proceeded to double or mess up the majority of her remaining jumps. Her solid component scores helped the defending champion along to the silver. Elene Gedevanishvili slipped in for the bronze medal after a conservative but pleasing free skate (actually second in the free). She and coach Robin Wagner seemed pleased with the effort and score in the Kiss and Cry. Kiira Korpi was fourth and Sarah Meier moved all the way up to fifth.

All results can be seen here. Take a look at a couple of my favorite performances from the event below.

I haven't forgot Europe

Just an FYI...

I'm keeping a close eye on Europeans. When the competition concludes there will be a rather extensive report. U.S. Nationals has been quite the distraction this week.

If you're interested in the results as they currently stand, check them out here.

Some Predictions...

I absolutely refuse to predict U.S. Nationals. I was explaining to Jumping Clapping Man, I just get all weird about it and it's just too hard for me.

But I'm not above predicting Europeans or Canadians so here goes!

European Championships

Ladies:

Laura Lepisto (GOLD)
Julia Sebestyen (SILER)
Alena Leonova (BRONZE)

Really, your guess is as good as mine...

Pairs:

Savchenko and Szolkowy (GOLD)
Kavaguti and Smirnov (SILVER)
Mukhortova and Trankov (BRONZE)

Dance:

Pechalat and Bourzat (GOLD)
Domnina and Shabalin (SILVER)
Khoklova and Novitski (BRONZE)

I get the idea that the Kerr's and Faiella and Scali are going to get the short end of the stick.

Men:

Evgeny Plushenko (GOLD)
Brian Joubert (SILVER)
Michal Brezina (BRONZE)

Risky choice for bronze!

Canadian Nationals

Ladies:

Joannie Rochette (GOLD)
Diane Szmiett (SILVER)
Amelie Lacoste (BRONZE)

I may be crazy...

Pairs:

Dube and Davison (GOLD)
Duhamel and Buntin (SILVER)
Hay and Langlois (BRONZE)

Dance:

Virtue and Moir (GOLD)
Crone and Poirier (SILVER)
Weaver and Poje (BRONZE)

I think 2nd and 3rd will be tight.

Men:

Patrick Chan (GOLD)
Shawn Sawyer (SILVER)
Joey Russell (Bronze)

European Championships Preview (Ladies)

I get the feeling that this event is wide open. No European women has really stepped up to the plate this season and really delivered. It's been a hodge-podge of ho-hum performances for the majority of these ladies. Therefore, I think there are lots of ladies we should keep an eye on. I have no idea how this will pan out.

Kiira Korpi, Laura Lepisto, and Susanna Pöykiö - The Finnish team is the strongest boasting the reigning Champion Laura Lepisto. Also, all three of these ladies have medaled at this event at one time or another. I guess if I had to predict a winner for this event I'd go with Laura but even her performances this season have just been so-so. Laura's so-so performances, however, have been better than Korpi or Pöykiö's sub-par performances. Despite the pervasive mediocrity, a Finnish sweep is possible.

Elene Gedevanishvili - The little Georgian spitfire has been known from time to time to dazzle crowds. Recently she's downgraded the technical content in her programs. She'll need to add the difficulty back in to be a top contender.

Jenna McCorkell - The British National Champ has never finished higher than 8th at this event but as wide open as it is she has as good chance as anyone to be competitive. She'll have to get her head around landing triple jumps consistently though.

Julia Sebestyen - One of three previous champions competing here, I might consider her the biggest threat to Lepisto. Her biggest issue this season has been rotating jumps. She's a gifted jumper and when she's on technically she's impressive. Trouble is, often she doubles her jumps. If she can rotate her jumps she has a great shot at reclaiming her title.

Carolina Kostner and Valentina Marchei - The Italian subplot is one of the more interesting stories. Ever since Kostner's L.A. meltdown, her stock has been sinking. Poor performances on the Grand Prix didn't help her case. Then she lost Italian Nationals to Valentina Marchei with only one available Italian berth at the Olympics (due to Kostner's disastrous free). I don't believe (someone please let me know if they have) the Italian Federation has picked which of these ladies will compete in Vancouver. Cat fight on ice for an Olympic run?

Alena Leonova and Ksenya Makarova - Luckily for Alena Leonova she's not in the same scrappy situation as Kostner. While Alena also lost Russian Nationals to Ksenya Makarova, Alena has the good fortune of having qualified two berths to Vancouver for Russia after a solid free skate in L.A. Still, she needs to get the ball back moving her direction after some rough skates as of late if she wants to be a contender. Earlier in the season she looked solid, she needs to get back to that form.

Sarah Meier - The Swiss Champ has been struggling with injuries off and on for some time keeping her from training consistently and being a podium threat. For her, I think, she's just wanting to get through two programs without major fault and get her feet under her before Vancouver (officially I think she must still hit a score threshold to qualify for the Olympics but it shouldn't be an issue). But again, in this open field, if she can manage two solid skates she may find herself in the medal equation.

Tuğba Karademir - While probably not a medal threat or contender, I just love to root for Tuğba. Also, an update. If you weren't following the story, Tuğba Karademir's parents were having trouble getting tickets to see her skate in Vancouver. However, a corporate benefactor stepped in and fixed the situation. Good news there!

European Championships Preview (Pairs)

My series of event previews continues with the Pairs event for the European Championships in Tallinn. This is one of the less dense fields in Tallinn. It's clear who the top teams will likely be, we'll just have to see how they finish. There are five teams to watch:

Tatiana Volosozhar and Stanislav Morozov - The Ukranian duo has been stuck in perpetual mediocrity for some time now. They are consistent enough to usually place amongst the top contenders but never good enough, it seems, to break through to the top. They just don't seem to have the same spark as their training mates Savchenko and Szolkowy. If they have any aspirations of making it to the podium at either this event or the Olympics they are going to need some more 'get-up in their gusto.' Without it, they're doomed to finish 4th-5th-6th ish. They did alright on the Grand Prix, placing 3rd at Samsung Anycall Cup of China and backing into a silver medal (after some terrible free skates) at Cancer.Net Skate America. Better days ahead?

Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov - This team has been skating very consistent this season. While they did not win Russian Nationals, they've looked good on the Grand Prix. This team is known for, in the past, really not liking one another. But ugly stares, cold shoulders, and quick exits from the Kiss and Cry have been replaced with warm hugs, kisses, and high fives. Whatever they are doing to improve the relationship, it's working. In three Grand Prix outings (Eric Bompard Trophee, HomeSense Skate Canada, Grand Prix Final) they've had near clean free skates. They managed to win in Paris, a silver at Skate Canada, and beat their main Russian competition at the Grand Prix Final. Russian Pairs have a legacy to hold up as far as the Olympics are concerned and this team looks like they're willing to do their part.

Vera Bazarova and Yuri Larionov - This young Russian team has pushed through to take that pivotal third Olympic berth. While they don't have a lot of experience they've shown an ability to be pretty consistent under pressure. The 2007 Junior World Silver Medalists have only ever competed in two Senior Grand Prix events. In their first senior event, they won the bronze medal (2007 Skate America) and was 4th at this seasons' Rostelecom Cup. Again, Russian teams, no matter how experienced, have a way of being 'on' in Olympic seasons. This team has the added advantage of not having to live up to the expectations the other Russian teams have and can 'go for broke.' This event is their debut at a major Senior ISU Championship and it comes literally just days before the Olympics...heavy stuff.

Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov - The third part of the Russian powerhouse, this team is teetering on greatness. As with all Tamara Moskvina teams, this team exudes an originality and lightness that none of the other teams posses. Their route to greatness has been hindered, however, with little ill timed mistakes and minor glitches. Such issues kept them off the podium at the Grand Prix Final. We all know Tamara Moskvina teams have a way of just 'getting it done' at the Olympics but time is waning. I know they have the ability to be the best, but they have yet to prove they can deliver it when it really counts. Coming to Europeans as the Russian Champs should be a confidence booster as should silver medals from both their Grand Prix Events in Russia and Japan.

Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy - Quite the up and down year for this team who attempt to defend their European crown. A dismal beginning to their season after a poor free skate in Paris sent them back to the drawing board on their free skate. They showed up at HomeSense Skate Canada a brand new team with a brand new free skate (Out of Africa) that sent chills through my spine. They not only re-established themselves as the team to beat, but set a new record score in the process nabbing some perfect 10s (although several were handed out at the event) for their components. The roller coaster continued when problems hit again at the Grand Prix Final and they had to settle for a bronze and watch their new record score fall to Shen and Zhao (the Chinese bettered it by nearly 8 points). European's offer Savchenko and Szolkowy the opportunity to reapply some pressure on the Chinese team of Shen and Zhao who are now seen as the favorites heading into Vancouver. Aliona and Robin need to make the judges believe they have as much a chance as the others or they'll lose the expectations race. When done perfectly, I believe Savchenko and Szolkowy have the superior program (by just a smidgen) and it will take perfection, I think, to win the Olympics this time.

European Championships Preview (Men)

The oldest skating event on the books, the European Championships will be happening concurrently with U.S. Nationals. Like the men's field in Spokane, the men's field in Tallinn is equally impressive. An Olympic Champ, two Olympic medalists, three World Champions, three European Champions, two Junior World Champs, and too many national champions to mention will all battle to become Europe's best. As I see it, ten men (seriously...ten!) have a shot at taking this title (or at least medaling). Who are the ten I'm watching?

Kevin van der Perren - Poor KVDP has had a really rough go this season. At HomeSense Skate Canada he looked absolutely disgusted with figure skating. Hopefully a bit of break from competitive skating and the Olympics just around the corner can put him back on track. European's offer Kevin a chance to reintroduce himself as a serious contender prior to the Olympics. Kevin finished 5th at Rostelecom Cup and a devastating 11th at HomeSense Skate Canada.

Michal Brezina and Tomas Verner - Both of these Czech skaters have had quite different seasons thus far. Tomas, who was the 2008 Champ of this event, has struggled here and there this season. He made the Grand Prix Final (after Joubert withdrew with injury) only to finish last. Brezina, on the other hand, has made steady improvements and nearly made the Grand Prix Final himself. He went on to defeat Verner for the Czech National Title. Verner needs to turn his season around and Brezina needs to continue his upswing.

Brian Joubert, Yannick Ponsero, and Alban Preaubert - Team France is easily the strongest in the field. Europeans offers Joubert the chance to do two things: test his skating after coming off of mid season foot surgery and also test himself for the first time since Torino against both Lambiel and Plushenko. Joubert is without question one of the leading men heading towards Vancouver, a status he'll hope to keep coming out of this event. For Ponsero and Preaubert, this is likely the end of their season as neither is slated to compete in Vancouver or Torino (one may go to Torino but it's too early know). Both were bested by young upstart Florent Amodio at French Nationals and failed to gain an Olympic berth (Amodio isn't competing in Tallinn). Both, however, are solid competitors and may surprise here.

Samuel Contesti - Last season's surprise European silver medalist is hoping to continue his emergence into the top ranks of men's figure skating. He kept it together at last World's in L.A. to place in the top five and while not perfect has skated fairly consistently on the Grand Prix. He'll need to bump it up a notch to compete with the heavy hitters here in Tallinn. His programs are unique crowd pleasers but he'll need to hit all his jumps and improve his levels to make a run at the title.

Evgeny Plushenko and Sergei Voronov - Plushenko is no stranger to this event. Ten years removed from his first European Title (2000) he's going after win number six. He made his comeback at Rostelecom Cup earlier this season with great ease but has since struggled with some knee problems. Even still, he enters this event as the Russian National Champ and skating fairly well. One thing many people will be looking at is the score Plushenko receives for his programs. At Russian Nationals his (and teammate Voronov) scores were very (very!) inflated...it'll be interesting to see what his actual international scores look like and if that knee continues to hold up. Voronov is still looking to crack into the top echelon of European men, he's been knocking at the door for several seasons now.

Stéphane Lambiel - It's a complete mystery to me that he has never won the European Title. Like Plushenko, he has made a rather impressive comeback this season, albeit he was only gone for one season to Plushenko's three. Lambiel, as a result of Jamal Othman's dismal performance in L.A. hasn't been afforded the chance to really pit himself against any of the world's best skaters this season. This competition will be the first time to see how Lambiel fits into this complex mix of skaters. Lambiel has a knack at being seemingly unprepared but looking rather prepared when you least expect it. He's also a very organic skater that likes new challenges and competes well given those challenges. He's planning a new free skate, we may (or may not) see it in Tallinn (We will! La Traviata). I look at Lambiel as the wildcard here.

Interesting, the top three big names are all entering this event nursing some sort of injury. Joubert has his foot, Plushenko his knee, and Lambiel his hip. This may throw a wrench into things...then again it may not affect things at all.