I know I promised a novel after the first short story was published, but I wasn't serious, not really... still here's another one, this time published in SFera Online.
Dancing on the Wire
Maybe I should take this more seriously.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Movie Review: Powder Blue & Crossing Over
*** MIGTH CONTAIN SPOILERS! ***
Powder Blue
Featuring: Jessica Biel, Eddie Redmayne, Forest Whitaker, Ray Liotta, Lisa Kudrow, Patrick Swayze, Kris Kristofferson, Alejandro Romero
Genre: drama
Plot: A couple of days around Christmas in the lives of a few people whose life is on the brink.
Acting: Nothing to complain there though Jessica Biel makes for a really bad stripper.
Drama: Let’s see… one is dying, one’s kid is dying, and another one is begging to be killed, yep plenty of drama.
Action: a few bar brawls, nothing major.
Funny: Nope, it’s not supposed to be.
Visuals: Nothing outstanding, but it is nicely shot and pretty good editing as a whole.
Soundtrack: That was interesting because it had plenty of vocals and not just instrumental parts like most movie have. Wouldn’t mind getting a copy of that.
Official website: http://www.powderbluemovie.com
Comments: Since the beginning we get the feeling that this can’t end well, not with drug use, terminal cancer, coma, and suicidal characters. It’s pretty depressing. I wish people stopped making movies following the Crush recipe. This movie is far from it and I can’t say I liked even that one much. It’s about lost souls, and I found it a bit ironic and frustrating that the good man and the innocent child get the short end of the stick while the stripper and the priest get absolution. It doesn’t exactly seem fair. And the blue snow that's falling over LA is more then cheesy. I guess the producers/director/script writer thought they saved the movie once they gave it sort of a happy ending, but unless you really like Ray Liotta, like I do (I had to chuckle at the mention of his eyes), or want to see Jessica Biel wearing close to nothing, very few people will find it worth their time.
Rating: 6/10
Crossing Over
Featuring: Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Jim Sturgess, Cliff Curtis, Summer Bishil, Alice Braga
Genre: drama
Plot: The immigration issues in the US.
Acting: Good enough for what the movie needs to portray.
Drama: Murder, blackmail, terrorism suspect, etc.
Action: Factory raids in search of illegal immigrants.
Funny: The young man trying to get a working visa by pretending to be a Jew, and especially the interview scene.
Visuals: Nicely shot and good editing, loved the colors of the city lights during the opening scene, but Harrisson Ford should stop wearing short sleeves while in front of the camera if he wants to preserve his image.
Soundtrack: -
Official website: http://www.weinsteinco.com/#/film/crossingover/
Comments: This is another movie that follows the trend started by Crush, only that this one deals with a more painful reality: immigrants’ situation. The intertwined stories are touching in their own way. We get a peek into the system and get an idea of how it works, how it can be cheated and how it can screw you. Harrisson Ford is supposed to play the lead but enough attention is paid to the other storylines. I have to say there are a few unnecessary sex scenes and they’re not even artistically done. Aside from that the movie achieves what it was meant to do, with a bittersweet ending that makes you think about what’s fair in the world and what isn’t. I have to make a comment on how aging doesn’t do any favors to Ashley Judd and Ray Liotta, and that’s a shame because they are both quite good looking or they were at some point. It’s funny how Liotta is such a softy when he plays a good guy and still can make a character so more interesting when he plays a bad guy.
Rating: 7/10
Powder Blue
Featuring: Jessica Biel, Eddie Redmayne, Forest Whitaker, Ray Liotta, Lisa Kudrow, Patrick Swayze, Kris Kristofferson, Alejandro Romero
Genre: drama
Plot: A couple of days around Christmas in the lives of a few people whose life is on the brink.
Acting: Nothing to complain there though Jessica Biel makes for a really bad stripper.
Drama: Let’s see… one is dying, one’s kid is dying, and another one is begging to be killed, yep plenty of drama.
Action: a few bar brawls, nothing major.
Funny: Nope, it’s not supposed to be.
Visuals: Nothing outstanding, but it is nicely shot and pretty good editing as a whole.
Soundtrack: That was interesting because it had plenty of vocals and not just instrumental parts like most movie have. Wouldn’t mind getting a copy of that.
Official website: http://www.powderbluemovie.com
Comments: Since the beginning we get the feeling that this can’t end well, not with drug use, terminal cancer, coma, and suicidal characters. It’s pretty depressing. I wish people stopped making movies following the Crush recipe. This movie is far from it and I can’t say I liked even that one much. It’s about lost souls, and I found it a bit ironic and frustrating that the good man and the innocent child get the short end of the stick while the stripper and the priest get absolution. It doesn’t exactly seem fair. And the blue snow that's falling over LA is more then cheesy. I guess the producers/director/script writer thought they saved the movie once they gave it sort of a happy ending, but unless you really like Ray Liotta, like I do (I had to chuckle at the mention of his eyes), or want to see Jessica Biel wearing close to nothing, very few people will find it worth their time.
Rating: 6/10
Crossing Over
Featuring: Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Jim Sturgess, Cliff Curtis, Summer Bishil, Alice Braga
Genre: drama
Plot: The immigration issues in the US.
Acting: Good enough for what the movie needs to portray.
Drama: Murder, blackmail, terrorism suspect, etc.
Action: Factory raids in search of illegal immigrants.
Funny: The young man trying to get a working visa by pretending to be a Jew, and especially the interview scene.
Visuals: Nicely shot and good editing, loved the colors of the city lights during the opening scene, but Harrisson Ford should stop wearing short sleeves while in front of the camera if he wants to preserve his image.
Soundtrack: -
Official website: http://www.weinsteinco.com/#/film/crossingover/
Comments: This is another movie that follows the trend started by Crush, only that this one deals with a more painful reality: immigrants’ situation. The intertwined stories are touching in their own way. We get a peek into the system and get an idea of how it works, how it can be cheated and how it can screw you. Harrisson Ford is supposed to play the lead but enough attention is paid to the other storylines. I have to say there are a few unnecessary sex scenes and they’re not even artistically done. Aside from that the movie achieves what it was meant to do, with a bittersweet ending that makes you think about what’s fair in the world and what isn’t. I have to make a comment on how aging doesn’t do any favors to Ashley Judd and Ray Liotta, and that’s a shame because they are both quite good looking or they were at some point. It’s funny how Liotta is such a softy when he plays a good guy and still can make a character so more interesting when he plays a bad guy.
Rating: 7/10
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Librex International Book Fair
Over the past few years it became sort of a tradition to go to the book fair in the spring and return home with a bag full of books. The tradition also says that Dad pays for them. This year he kinda cheated, meaning that he went ahead to prospect the market and got his art books before we could all go. The Librex fair opened on 6th of May in Iasi and it was supposed to close on Sunday, on 11. We waited for the weekend to go there and see the offers. Saturday afternoon seemed like a good time to do it, the weather was great and there was still Sunday ahead to do the reading and enjoy our purchases.
As we walked down the street leading to Sala Polivalenta we couldn’t help notice that among the people coming up the hill towards the Palace of Culture were very few those who carried bags with what looked like books inside. What we feared became true once we got inside. Although there was a decent amount of visitors and discounts on every other stand, the number of actual buyers was considerably small. It was enough to look at the vendors’ bored faces to figure out the sells didn’t do well.
We started to the right, glad that we didn’t have to battle the crowd for a change. With a little patience, we could stop by each stand and check out the titles without being squeezed upon or breathed down our back. A voice was coming out through the speakers, too loud to the point of being annoying, a book launch or something, but that didn’t interest us, we were there for the books.
And books there were. Last year I missed the fair because of a cold, but before that the fair seemed to be smaller when it was hosted inside the Palace. Now there were over 100 publishing houses and a dozen of importers attending, or least that’s what the papers said. The numbers seem a little blown up to me but the place was nicely filled.
We did a full tour not missing one stand, big or small, important or not, interesting or not. From those that did interest me, I would have to say that Nemira was disappointing, from an aesthetical point of view but regarding the content as well. I was familiar with most of the titles, and those that might interest me I had to restrain myself and remember that I still had six coupons waiting to be used so I better spend my money somewhere else. The two boxes with books with a ridiculous high discount were rather tacky. No need to say people didn’t even look at them.
RAO looked good, it was probably one of the largest rented spaces, with classy bookshelves and small tables in the middle, on one of them the Twilight series being displayed and we gagged as we passed by it. Surprisingly, the place was almost empty, rarely one or two people entered to look at the books.
Vis-à-vis from it, Corint Junior looked nice and inviting full of colors as it was.
About an hour or so later we found ourselves approaching the exit and realized that we hadn’t bought a single book. Shock, horror, bitter laughter. Sadness. No, that would not do. We went back in because after all we did have to support the book industry. Long story cut short, I ended up getting The Time Traveler’s Wife and a couple of Neil Gaiman novels while little brother picked some fantasy books with a sexy chick on the cover, cause of course he didn’t bother to read the abstract on the back.
So now it’s not only the book industry, and world in general, that is going through a crisis. I have one week to finish a website and five books are winking at me from the corner of the desk. Feel free to guess what I am going to do tomorrow.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Movie Review: State of Play & Nothing But The Truth
*** MIGTH CONTAIN SPOILERS! ***
State of Play
Featuring: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels
Genre: thriller, drama
Plot: The death of a politician’s mistress investigated by a tenacious journalist leads to the unveiling of an entire plot.
Acting: Good as far as the lead players are concerned.
Drama: Politics, mistress, love triangle not involving the said mistress, office competition, security, rogue soldiers.
Action: there are a few action scenes full of tension.
Funny: come to think of it Crowe has the most part of the funny lines and he delivers them nicely.
Visuals: Let’s see, Rachel McAdams looks quite good and so does Robin Wright Penn even as thin as she is, and of course Helen Mirren looks great for her age. Ben Affleck is still at a age when top shape is not in danger to be lost and since he basically always looks the same it’s only a matter of taste whether you like him or not. Russell Crowe though, now he could use some CGI to remove the extra pounds and long, and for once not greasy, hair. I don’t care if he and the director thought this is the image that would best portray his character, if I have to stare for two full hours at Crowe then I’d rather stare at a Crowe in his prime thank you very much.
Soundtrack: a little odd in places but alright I guess.
Official website: http://www.stateofplaymovie.net/
Comments: This movie looks like it was inspired from the 90s political thriller novels. Plot is well done with many twists and turns, but the pacing is off, too rushed to get to the next scene and the next scoop, which is in the detriment of the characters. There’s a lot of dialogue easy to follow and necessary to the plot, still this movie ain’t A Few Good Men, not by far.
We’re treated with good acting all around, even Ben Affleck delivers a decent, believable, and not flat performance, which is a rare thing in his case. Of course, you can see it from miles that this is Crowe’s gig, he even does a bit of singing in the beginning of the movie. He’s good as usual, not a surprise there, and if not better than in American Gangster or Body of Lies he’s definitely more enjoyable. Rachel McAdams draws the short end of the stick here, while she holds her own with what she’s given her character being down-played being a pale shadow of the hungry, witty, wannabe reporter, and looking more like a scared little mouse. Being only in a few scenes, Helen Mirren makes more of an impression than she does. No need to say Mirren deserved to have more screen time.
With the focus on the plot, that leaves little room for character development or even portraying them fully. The relationships are strained and more like sketched than fleshed out. We don’t really get a feel of them, just the idea of a stereotype.
There are also a couple of things that don’t quite work realistically speaking. The politician and the journalist are supposed to have been roommates in college when it’s obvious the physical age difference would have made it very unlikely for them to go to college in the same time, especially with Crowe looking older than his real age. Furthermore, everyone seems to be aware of the journalist’s crush on the politician’s wife and their affair, but the three of them have strange, unfit reactions regarding the matter and around each other.
Some clumsiness in the plot could be mentioned, Crowe’s reckless driving through the rain while making several phone calls in the absence of a hands-free device, the young journalist/blogger who never finds a pen and also doesn’t seem to have a mini-laptop, blackberry or cell phone to take notes or short messages, the new owners of the paper who are putting pressure on the redaction and so on.
Other than that it was an entertaining movie and not a waste of time as a whole.
Rating: 8/10
Nothing But The Truth
Featuring: Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Angela Bassett, Alan Alda, Vera Farmiga, David Schwimmer, Noah Wyle
Genre: drama
Plot: There is a fine line between what is right and what is right for a certain person.
Acting: Alright, although awkward in places.
Drama: Woman goes to jail, loses her family and has to live with a death on her conscience.
Action: Chick fight in jail
Funny: Not at all.
Visuals: Nicely shot, bland and depressing at times.
Soundtrack: depressing
Official website: http://www.nothingbutthetruthfilm.com/
Comments: After the alert State of Play this feels like dragging. It has an oddly put together cast of characters. We have the reporter who would protect the identity of her sources and go with it to her grave even it that destroys her family and she loses her child. And we get to see all that. While starting as a so-so youngster, Kate Beckinsale has turned out into a beautiful woman; unfortunately, just like Nicole Kidman, she cannot connect with the audience. One tries acting it and the other ones tries faking it but they both fails. That’s why the general public can’t really sympathize with her character. Sure, we understand her dilemma and feel bad for her, but we don’t “feel” her. Compared to her, Vera Farmiga’s character feels much more alive.
David Schwimmer as the reporter’s husband seemed an unexpected choice and totally down played in the second half of the movie, but he managed to play his part and look less silly and annoying than he did in Friends. It took me a moment to recognize him actually. Matt Dillon as the prosecutor attorney was an odd display and potentially wasted cast. He claimed he didn’t want to play the character as a bad guy, he wanted to play it as a good guy. Well, either way he failed. The attorney is not good or bad, he’s just someone who only cares about his work and has no human empathy for others. He’s like a terminator who once he’s got a mission just wouldn’t stop. There is no charisma whatsoever, and we all know Matt Dillon can do charisma damn well.
To this group Alan Alda is added as the lawyer defending the reporter. Another odd character, with a reputation based on fame and obsession for fine clothes and expensive items, who in the end turns out to be more human than we would expect. Angela Basset gives a hell of a lot of class to the scenes she’s in, as little time as that is. Not sure what Noah Wyle was doing in there, with his odd reactions, and I can not notice how badly he aged.
Of course, the moral question remains. Should have the reported divulged her source? Given the nature of her source we incline to believe that she should have. Just think about the money wasted with the investigation and all she’s been put through. There would have been no serious repercussions for the source, the CIA agent maybe wouldn’t have resigned losing her protection and therefore would have been still alive. Some people’s reputations would have been questioned, but that was a small price to pay. The way it is the ending is disappointing, and I’m not referring to the twist at the end. It sends the wrong message to the audience, saying basically ‘do not mess with the government because you will lose’. And that is just not right.
Rating: 7/10
State of Play
Featuring: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels
Genre: thriller, drama
Plot: The death of a politician’s mistress investigated by a tenacious journalist leads to the unveiling of an entire plot.
Acting: Good as far as the lead players are concerned.
Drama: Politics, mistress, love triangle not involving the said mistress, office competition, security, rogue soldiers.
Action: there are a few action scenes full of tension.
Funny: come to think of it Crowe has the most part of the funny lines and he delivers them nicely.
Visuals: Let’s see, Rachel McAdams looks quite good and so does Robin Wright Penn even as thin as she is, and of course Helen Mirren looks great for her age. Ben Affleck is still at a age when top shape is not in danger to be lost and since he basically always looks the same it’s only a matter of taste whether you like him or not. Russell Crowe though, now he could use some CGI to remove the extra pounds and long, and for once not greasy, hair. I don’t care if he and the director thought this is the image that would best portray his character, if I have to stare for two full hours at Crowe then I’d rather stare at a Crowe in his prime thank you very much.
Soundtrack: a little odd in places but alright I guess.
Official website: http://www.stateofplaymovie.net/
Comments: This movie looks like it was inspired from the 90s political thriller novels. Plot is well done with many twists and turns, but the pacing is off, too rushed to get to the next scene and the next scoop, which is in the detriment of the characters. There’s a lot of dialogue easy to follow and necessary to the plot, still this movie ain’t A Few Good Men, not by far.
We’re treated with good acting all around, even Ben Affleck delivers a decent, believable, and not flat performance, which is a rare thing in his case. Of course, you can see it from miles that this is Crowe’s gig, he even does a bit of singing in the beginning of the movie. He’s good as usual, not a surprise there, and if not better than in American Gangster or Body of Lies he’s definitely more enjoyable. Rachel McAdams draws the short end of the stick here, while she holds her own with what she’s given her character being down-played being a pale shadow of the hungry, witty, wannabe reporter, and looking more like a scared little mouse. Being only in a few scenes, Helen Mirren makes more of an impression than she does. No need to say Mirren deserved to have more screen time.
With the focus on the plot, that leaves little room for character development or even portraying them fully. The relationships are strained and more like sketched than fleshed out. We don’t really get a feel of them, just the idea of a stereotype.
There are also a couple of things that don’t quite work realistically speaking. The politician and the journalist are supposed to have been roommates in college when it’s obvious the physical age difference would have made it very unlikely for them to go to college in the same time, especially with Crowe looking older than his real age. Furthermore, everyone seems to be aware of the journalist’s crush on the politician’s wife and their affair, but the three of them have strange, unfit reactions regarding the matter and around each other.
Some clumsiness in the plot could be mentioned, Crowe’s reckless driving through the rain while making several phone calls in the absence of a hands-free device, the young journalist/blogger who never finds a pen and also doesn’t seem to have a mini-laptop, blackberry or cell phone to take notes or short messages, the new owners of the paper who are putting pressure on the redaction and so on.
Other than that it was an entertaining movie and not a waste of time as a whole.
Rating: 8/10
Nothing But The Truth
Featuring: Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Angela Bassett, Alan Alda, Vera Farmiga, David Schwimmer, Noah Wyle
Genre: drama
Plot: There is a fine line between what is right and what is right for a certain person.
Acting: Alright, although awkward in places.
Drama: Woman goes to jail, loses her family and has to live with a death on her conscience.
Action: Chick fight in jail
Funny: Not at all.
Visuals: Nicely shot, bland and depressing at times.
Soundtrack: depressing
Official website: http://www.nothingbutthetruthfilm.com/
Comments: After the alert State of Play this feels like dragging. It has an oddly put together cast of characters. We have the reporter who would protect the identity of her sources and go with it to her grave even it that destroys her family and she loses her child. And we get to see all that. While starting as a so-so youngster, Kate Beckinsale has turned out into a beautiful woman; unfortunately, just like Nicole Kidman, she cannot connect with the audience. One tries acting it and the other ones tries faking it but they both fails. That’s why the general public can’t really sympathize with her character. Sure, we understand her dilemma and feel bad for her, but we don’t “feel” her. Compared to her, Vera Farmiga’s character feels much more alive.
David Schwimmer as the reporter’s husband seemed an unexpected choice and totally down played in the second half of the movie, but he managed to play his part and look less silly and annoying than he did in Friends. It took me a moment to recognize him actually. Matt Dillon as the prosecutor attorney was an odd display and potentially wasted cast. He claimed he didn’t want to play the character as a bad guy, he wanted to play it as a good guy. Well, either way he failed. The attorney is not good or bad, he’s just someone who only cares about his work and has no human empathy for others. He’s like a terminator who once he’s got a mission just wouldn’t stop. There is no charisma whatsoever, and we all know Matt Dillon can do charisma damn well.
To this group Alan Alda is added as the lawyer defending the reporter. Another odd character, with a reputation based on fame and obsession for fine clothes and expensive items, who in the end turns out to be more human than we would expect. Angela Basset gives a hell of a lot of class to the scenes she’s in, as little time as that is. Not sure what Noah Wyle was doing in there, with his odd reactions, and I can not notice how badly he aged.
Of course, the moral question remains. Should have the reported divulged her source? Given the nature of her source we incline to believe that she should have. Just think about the money wasted with the investigation and all she’s been put through. There would have been no serious repercussions for the source, the CIA agent maybe wouldn’t have resigned losing her protection and therefore would have been still alive. Some people’s reputations would have been questioned, but that was a small price to pay. The way it is the ending is disappointing, and I’m not referring to the twist at the end. It sends the wrong message to the audience, saying basically ‘do not mess with the government because you will lose’. And that is just not right.
Rating: 7/10
Monday, April 6, 2009
X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Terminator Salvation On-line Games
I don't usually spend my time playing games, but I thought it would be interesting to mention these ones. As means of promoting the movies X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Terminator Salvation, each company has developed an online game to attract more fans.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Time Warrior
As a player you are supposed to be Wolverine and fight along Sabertooth and a group of soldiers. The goal is to follow the red arrow, kill the generals of the enemy army and retrieve all the hidden intel packs on the way. There are three levels dedicated to the American Civil War, World War I and Vietnam War. At the end of each level, if all the intel packs have been retrieved, exclusive movie footage is revealed.
The game is pretty simple, it looks better on LCD than regular monitor, a bit repetitive, and since Logan can regenerate with a little attention and patience it's not hard to make it to the end.
Terminator Salvation Game
This one is a little different since you don't play against the computer but against another online player. You can choose to fight either for the resistance or Skynet, in either case receiving five characters you can play individually. The goal is to either kill the five enemies or distroy the resistance's helicopter/Skynet's satellite transmitter.
The graphics are ok but I didn't like the controls and found it hard to adjust to them. If you are a beginner my advice to you is to choose an oponent with a small number of played games because against an experienced player you don't stand a chance.
Good luck playing and enjoy! :)
Side note: I'll comment on the X-Men Origins: Wolverine leaked workprint after the movie is released in the theatres. ;)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Time Warrior
As a player you are supposed to be Wolverine and fight along Sabertooth and a group of soldiers. The goal is to follow the red arrow, kill the generals of the enemy army and retrieve all the hidden intel packs on the way. There are three levels dedicated to the American Civil War, World War I and Vietnam War. At the end of each level, if all the intel packs have been retrieved, exclusive movie footage is revealed.
The game is pretty simple, it looks better on LCD than regular monitor, a bit repetitive, and since Logan can regenerate with a little attention and patience it's not hard to make it to the end.
Terminator Salvation Game
This one is a little different since you don't play against the computer but against another online player. You can choose to fight either for the resistance or Skynet, in either case receiving five characters you can play individually. The goal is to either kill the five enemies or distroy the resistance's helicopter/Skynet's satellite transmitter.
The graphics are ok but I didn't like the controls and found it hard to adjust to them. If you are a beginner my advice to you is to choose an oponent with a small number of played games because against an experienced player you don't stand a chance.
Good luck playing and enjoy! :)
Side note: I'll comment on the X-Men Origins: Wolverine leaked workprint after the movie is released in the theatres. ;)
Sunday, April 5, 2009
2009 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships - 2
European Artistic Gymnastics Championships
29.03-5.04.2009
Official Website
Results
29.03-5.04.2009
Official Website
Results
Women's
Individual all-aroundPosition  | Gymnast |  |  |  |  | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  Ksenia Semenova (RUS) | 14.225 | 14.925 | 14.800 | 14.225 | 58.175 |
 | Ksenia Afanasyeva (RUS) | 14.525 | 14.925 | 13.575 | 14.575 | 57.600 |
 |  Ariella Kaeslin (SUI) | 15.300 | 13.975 | 14.300 | 13.700 | 57.275 |
| 4 |  Ana Maria Izurieta (ESP) | 14.850 | 13.175 | 14.300 | 14.000 | 56.325 |
| 5 |  Anamaria Tamirjan (ROU) | 14.650 | 13.975 | 14.600 | 12.700 | 55.925 |
| 6 |  Aagje Van Walleghem (BEL) | 14.200 | 14.125 | 13.675 | 13.900 | 55.900 |
| 7 |  Marine Petit (FRA) | 14.150 | 13.650 | 13.800 | 14.000 | 55.600 |
| 8 |  Anja Brinker (GER) | 13.650 | 15.000 | 13.250 | 13.525 | 55.425 |
| 9 |  Vanessa Ferrari (ITA) | 12.700 | 13.875 | 14.075 | 14.525 | 55.175 |
| 10 |  Marta Pihan-Kulesza (POL) | 13.600 | 14.200 | 13.650 | 13.700 | 55.150 |
| 11 |  Rebecca Downie (GBR) | 14.325 | 15.000 | 11.700 | 14.050 | 55.075 |
| 12 |  Yana Demyanchuk (UKR) | 13.625 | 13.700 | 14.500 | 13.175 | 55.000 |
| 13 | Yasmin Zimmermann (SUI) | 14.100 | 12.925 | 13.500 | 14.000 | 54.525 |
| 14 | Diana Chelaru (ROU) | 14.675 | 13.525 | 11.900 | 14.400 | 54.500 |
| 15 |  Mayra Kroonen (NED) | 13.975 | 13.500 | 13.325 | 13.675 | 54.475 |
| 16 | Kim Bui (GER) | 14.150 | 14.400 | 11.575 | 14.250 | 54.375 |
| 17 | Hannah Whelan (GBR) | 13.550 | 13.925 | 13.750 | 13.100 | 54.325 |
| 18 | Valentyna Holenkova (UKR) | 13.600 | 14.400 | 13.325 | 12.825 | 54.150 |
| 19 | Youna Dufournet (FRA) | 13.700 | 13.700 | 13.875 | 11.750 | 53.025 |
| 20 |  Valeria Maksuta (ISR) | 14.025 | 11.800 | 13.725 | 13.275 | 52.825 |
| 21 | Wyomi Masela (NED) | 14.050 | 12.525 | 12.450 | 13.650 | 52.675 |
| 22 | Naomi Ruiz Walker (ESP) | 14.250 | 10.650 | 13.050 | 13.650 | 51.600 |
| 23 |  Laura Gombas (HUN) | 13.400 | 10.050 | 11.175 | 13.075 | 47.700 |
| 24 | Emily Armi (ITA) | 13.625 | 2.000 | 12.925 | 13.825 | 42.375 |
Vault
| Position | Gymnast | Vault 1 | Vault 2 | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D Score | E Score | Penality | Score 1 | D Score | E Score | Penality | Score 2 | |||
| | Ariella Kaeslin (SUI) | 6.3 | 8.825 | 15.125 | 5.3 | 8.925 | 0.1 | 14.125 | 14.625 | |
| | Yulia Berger (RUS) | 5.5 | 8.925 | 14.425 | 5.7 | 8.525 | 14.225 | 14.335 | ||
| | Anna Kalashnyk (UKR) | 5.8 | 8.875 | 14.675 | 5.0 | 8.875 | 13.875 | 14.275 | ||
| 4 | Aagje Van Walleghem (BEL) | 5.3 | 9.200 | 0.1 | 14.400 | 5.2 | 8.800 | 14.000 | 14.200 | |
| 5 | Kim Bui (GER) | 5.4 | 8.700 | 14.100 | 5.3 | 8.900 | 14.200 | 14.150 | ||
| 6 | Rebecca Downie (GBR) | 5.8 | 8.625 | 14.425 | 4.8 | 8.825 | 13.625 | 14.025 | ||
| 7 | Wyomi Masela (NED) | 5.3 | 8.800 | 14.100 | 5.0 | 8.800 | 13.800 | 13.950 | ||
| 8 |  Jana Komrskova (CZE) | 5.2 | 9.125 | 14.325 | 5.0 | 8.525 | 0.1 | 13.425 | 13.875 | |
Uneven bars
| Position | Gymnast | D Score | E Score | Penality | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Elizabeth Tweddle (GBR) | 6.7 | 8.875 | 15.575 | |
| | Ksenia Semenova (RUS) | 6.5 | 9.000 | 15.500 | |
| | Anja Brinker (GER) | 6.0 | 8.800 | 14.800 | |
| 4 | Ksenia Afanasyeva (RUS) | 6.1 | 8.550 | 14.650 | |
| 4 | Youna Dufournet (FRA) | 6.1 | 8.550 | 14.650 | |
| 6 | Rebecca Downie (GBR) | 6.1 | 8.425 | 14.525 | |
| 7 | Anastasia Koval (UKR) | 6.0 | 8.350 | 14.350 | |
| 8 | Valentyna Holenkova (UKR) | 5.2 | 7.500 | 12.700 |
Balance beam
| Position | Gymnast | D Score | E Score | Penality | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Yana Demyanchuk (UKR) | 5.9 | 8.875 | 14.775 | |
| | Anamaria Tamarjan (ROU) | 6.0 | 8.750 | 14.750 | |
| | Gabriela Dragoi (ROU) | 5.9 | 8.750 | 14.650 | |
| 4 | Marine Petit (FRA) | 5.5 | 8.650 | 14.150 | |
| 5 | Ksenia Semenova (RUS) | 5.7 | 8.425 | 14.125 | |
| 6 | Valeria Maksyuta (UKR) | 5.7 | 8.075 | 13.725 | |
| 7 |  Vasiliki Millousi (GRE) | 5.9 | 7.550 | 13.450 | |
| 8 | Yasmin Zimmerman (SUI) | 5.5 | 7.350 | 12.850 |
Floor
| Position | Gymnast | D Score | E Score | Penality | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Elizabeth Tweddle (GBR) | 6.0 | 9.150 | 15.150 | |
| | Vanessa Ferrari (ITA) | 5.4 | 9.275 | 14.675 | |
| | Ksenia Semenova (RUS) | 5.4 | 9.225 | 14.625 | |
| 4 | Ana Maria Izurieta (ESP) | 5.4 | 8.675 | 14.075 | |
| 4 | Anamaria Tamarjan (ROU) | 5.5 | 8.675 | 0.1 | 14.075 |
| 6 | Valentyna Holenkova (UKR) | 5.1 | 8.825 | 13.925 | |
| 7 | Sandra Izbasa (ROM) | 4.9 | 9.000 | 13.900 | |
| 8 | Lia Parolari (ITA) | 4.8 | 8.725 | 13.525 |
2009 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships
European Artistic Gymnastics Championships
29.03-5.04.2009
Official Website
Results
29.03-5.04.2009
Official Website
Results
Men's
Individual all-around| Position | Gymnast | |  |  | |  |  | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Fabian Hambuechen (GER) | 15.500 | 13.850 | 14.750 | 16.025 | 14.225 | 14.825 | 89.175 |
| | Daniel Keatings (GBR) | 14.475 | 15.475 | 13.425 | 15.550 | 15.000 | 14.350 | 88.275 |
| | Yury Ryazanov (RUS) | 14.375 | 14.575 | 14.625 | 15.000 | 14.775 | 14.850 | 88.200 |
| 4 | Philipp Boy (GER) | 14.600 | 13.875 | 13.825 | 14.975 | 14.350 | 15.200 | 86.825 |
| 5 | Flavius Koczi (ROU) | 14.300 | 13.575 | 13.225 | 16.475 | 14.625 | 14.575 | 86.775 |
| 6 | Enrico Pozzo (ITA) | 14.800 | 13.575 | 13.400 | 15.600 | 14.125 | 14.900 | 86.400 |
| 7 | Daniel Purvis (GBR) | 14.850 | 13.825 | 13.575 | 15.650 | 14.600 | 13.575 | 86.075 |
| 8 | Alexander Shatilov (ISR) | 14.475 | 13.675 | 13.625 | 15.675 | 14.350 | 14.150 | 85.950 |
| 9 | Niki Boeschenstein (SUI) | 13.975 | 13.250 | 14.125 | 15.775 | 14.825 | 13.800 | 85.750 |
| 10 | Hamilton Sabot (FRA) | 14.025 | 13.200 | 14.175 | 14.650 | 14.625 | 14.450 | 85.125 |
| 11 |  Vahang Stepanyan (ARM) | 14.100 | 13.950 | 14.225 | 14.850 | 14.375 | 13.100 | 84.600 |
| 12 |  Manuel Campos (POR) | 14.300 | 13.850 | 13.775 | 15.150 | 14.550 | 12.950 | 84.575 |
| 13 |  Samuel Piasecky (SVK) | 13.700 | 13.700 | 12.775 | 15.425 | 14.850 | 13.950 | 84.400 |
| 14 |  Sami Aalto (FIN) | 13.850 | 13.550 | 13.900 | 15.550 | 13.550 | 13.600 | 84.000 |
| 15 | Dimitrios Markousis (GRE) | 15.050 | 11.600 | 13.950 | 15.550 | 13.925 | 13.475 | 83.550 |
| 16 |  Artsiom Bykau (BLR) | 13.875 | 13.225 | 13.725 | 15.450 | 13.525 | 13.725 | 83.525 |
| 17 | Benoit Caranobe (FRA) | 14.300 | 10.900 | 14.125 | 15.075 | 14.575 | 14.175 | 83.150 |
| 18 | Christos Lympanovnos (GRE) | 13.250 | 13.025 | 13.550 | 15.475 | 13.775 | 13.750 | 82.825 |
| 19 |  Helge Vammen (DEN) | 13.775 | 13.175 | 13.100 | 15.075 | 13.675 | 13.650 | 82.450 |
| 20 | Dzmitry Savitski (BLR) | 13.475 | 12.825 | 12.500 | 14.875 | 15.025 | 13.600 | 82.300 |
| 21 | Jeffrey Wammes (NED) | 14.400 | 11.250 | 12.700 | 16.150 | 12.975 | 14.600 | 82.075 |
| 22 | M. Berbecar (ROU) | 13.550 | 13.150 | 13.575 | 15.200 | 13.250 | 13.025 | 81.750 |
| 23 | Gustavo Simoes (POR) | 14.175 | 12.975 | 13.750 | 15.125 | 12.325 | 12.250 | 80.600 |
| 24 | Sergio Munoz (ESP) | 14.025 | 10.575 | 13.675 | 15.950 | 13.675 | 11.375 | 79.275 |
Floor
| Position | Gymnast | D Score | E Score | Penality | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Fabian Hambuchen (GER) | 6.3 | 9.150 | 15.450 | |
| | Matthias Fahrig (GER) | 6.4 | 9.000 | 15.400 | |
| | Lefteris Kosmidis (GRE) | 6.5 | 8.850 | 15.350 | |
| | Alexander Shatilov (ISR) | 6.3 | 9.050 | 15.350 | |
| 5 | Anton Golotsutskov (RUS) | 6.2 | 9.000 | 15.200 | |
| 6 | Oleksandr Yakubovsky (UKR) | 6.2 | 8.875 | 15.075 | |
| 7 | Enrico Pozzo (ITA) | 6.1 | 8.925 | 0.1 | 14.925 |
| 8 |  Eddie Penev (BUL) | 5.9 | 8.525 | 14.425 |
Pommel horse
| Position | Gymnast | D Score | E Score | Penality | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Krisztian Berki (HUN) | 6.7 | 8.900 | 15.600 | |
| | Louis Smith (GBR) | 6.5 | 9.050 | 15.550 | |
| | Daniel Keatings (GBR) | 6.5 | 9.000 | 15.500 | |
| 4 | Andrey Perevoznikov (RUS) | 6.6 | 8.600 | 15.200 | |
| 5 | Alberto Busnari (ITA) | 6.4 | 8.775 | 15.175 | |
| 6 | Donna-Donny Truyens (BEL) | 6.7 | 7.850 | 14.550 | |
| 7 | Daniel Popescu (ROU) | 6.4 | 7.125 | 13.525 | |
| 8 |  Saso Bertoncelj (SLO) | 6.0 | 7.150 | 13.150 |
Rings
| Position | Gymnast | D Score | E Score | Penality | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Yuri van Gelder (NED) | 6.6 | 9.150 | 15.750 | |
| | Oleksandr Vorobiov (UKR) | 6.8 | 8.800 | 15.600 | |
| | Jordan Jovtchev (BUL) | 6.7 | 8.850 | 15.550 | |
| 4 | Matteo Morandi (ITA) | 6.7 | 8.825 | 15.525 | |
| 5 | Daniel Pinheiro (FRA) | 7.0 | 8.425 | 15.425 | |
| 6 | Konstantin Pluzhnikov (RUS) | 6.6 | 8.725 | 15.325 | |
| 7 | Matteo Angioletti (ITA) | 6.6 | 8.675 | 15.275 | |
| 8 | Dimosthenis Tampakos (GRE) | 6.7 | 8.275 | 14.975 |
Vault
| Position | Gymnast | Vault 1 | Vault 2 | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D Score | E Score | Penality | Score 1 | D Score | E Score | Penality | Score 2 | |||
| | Thomas Bouhail (FRA) | 7.0 | 9.275 | 16.275 | 7.0 | 9.375 | 16.375 | 16.325 | ||
| | Flavius Koczi (ROU) | 7.0 | 9.300 | 16.300 | 7.0 | 9.325 | 16.325 | 16.312 | ||
| | Matthias Fahrig (GER) | 7.0 | 9.400 | 16.400 | 6.6 | 9.450 | 16.050 | 16.225 | ||
| 4 | Marek Lyszczarz (POL) | 6.6 | 9.375 | 15.975 | 6.6 | 9.300 | 15.900 | 15.937 | ||
| 5 | Daniel Popescu (ROU) | 7.0 | 9.325 | 0.1 | 16.225 | 7.0 | 8.900 | 0.3 | 15.600 | 15.912 |
| 6 | Jeffrey Wammes (NED) | 6.6 | 9.325 | 0.1 | 15.825 | 6.6 | 9.275 | 15.875 | 15.850 | |
| 7 | Fabian Hambuchen (GER) | 6.6 | 9.300 | 0.1 | 15.800 | 6.2 | 9.325 | 15.525 | 15.662 | |
| 8 | Dimitri Kaspiarovich (BLR) | 6.6 | 8.225 | 14.825 | 0.000 | 7.412 | ||||
Parallel bars
| Position | Gymnast | D Score | E Score | Penality | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Yann Cucherat (FRA) | 6.5 | 9.325 | 15.825 | |
| | Mitja Petkovsek (SLO) | 6.5 | 9.300 | 15.800 | |
| | Fabian Hambuchen (GER) | 6.5 | 8.875 | 15.375 | |
| 4 | Adam Kierzkowski (POL) | 6.0 | 9.100 | 15.100 | |
| 5 | Samuel Piasecky (SLO) | 6.2 | 8.875 | 15.075 | |
| 5 | Cosmin Popescu (ROU) | 6.2 | 8.875 | 15.075 | |
| 7 | Daniel Keatings (GBR) | 6.0 | 9.000 | 15.000 | |
| 8 | Nicolas Boeschenstein (SUI) | 6.0 | 8.175 | 14.175 |
Horizontal bar
| 1 | MARAS Vlasios | GRE | 6.700 | 8.675 | 15.375 | |||||||
| 2 | CUCHERAT Yann | FRA | 6.700 | 8.550 | 15.250 | |||||||
| 3 | KUKSENKOV Nikolay | UKR | 6.400 | 8.525 | 14.925 | |||||||
| 4 | TSAREVICH Aliaksandr | BLR | 6.400 | 8.425 | 14.825 | |||||||
| 5 | ZONDERLAND Epke | NED | 7.000 | 7.575 | 14.575 | |||||||
| 6 | KONECNY Martin | CZE | 6.700 | 7.800 | 14.500 | |||||||
| 7 | WAMMES Jeffrey | NED | 6.000 | 8.025 | 14.025 | |||||||
| 8 | CASSINA Igor | ITA | 3.600 | 7.275 | 10.875 |
Monday, March 30, 2009
2009 World Figure Skating Championships - Conclusions
This was supposed to be a post dedicated to the Worlds Gala, after a busy week of figure skating and running Absolute Skating, but unfortunately I haven't seen it yet. TVR 2 was bragging about broadcasting the biggest number of live hours from the Worlds, but when that means after midnight it's as if it hadn't broadcast any at all. There is a re-run for it, starting after 11 PM and ending close to 2 AM. Who is going to stay up all night to watch it on a work/school day? Not me. Maybe I'll get to record it, provided I can convince someone to wake up and stop the recording at the appropriate time. We'll see. On the other hand Eurosport doesn't re-run it at all. Not until the end of the year anyway. No matter how you turn it it doesn't look good.
So this being said, let's move on to the comments:
Pairs:
- Aliona SAVCHENKO / Robin SZOLKOWY - are still strong and it was a pleasure to watch them win; they might not have the classic sophistication of a top Russian pair but they bring in a breath of fresh air and no ballet.
- Dan ZHANG / Hao ZHANG - I remember watching them at the 2002 Olympics when they were all technique and no artistry at all, they've come a long way. There's still room for improving, though.
- Yuko KAVAGUTI / Alexander SMIRNOV - I used to complain about the Russians' obsession for circus and clowns routines. After watching their FP I realised I missed the clown costumes they used during the season, they made the program look better.
- Qing PANG / Jian TONG - they skate with more feeling than the other Chinese pair, the technical level seems to be stagnating. And Jian Tong needs a haircut, badly.
- Maria MUKHORTOVA / Maxim TRANKOV - the thing is, I like them, and it's sad to see they still can't hold their own during the FP. Another observation is that Maria was so much in character during the FP acting like a total bitch that she showed no connection whatsoever with her partner or the audience. Of course that didn't help selling the program. Her complicated hairdo made think I was seeing her brains and not her braids when she was gliding across the ice.
- Tatiana VOLOSOZHAR / Stanislav MOROZOV - I would have liked to see them place higher. It amazed me how Tatiana transformed from the ugly duck she used to be into a beautiful gracious swan, it's quite a pleasure to watch her now. Too bad her partner is getting old, I'm afraid their time is almost over.
Men:
- Evan LYSACEK - It was nice to see him win at home. He's still not my favorite skater by far, but his performance was solid and he's stopped looking like a teenager and started skated more like a man, which is good.
- Patrick CHAN - a new face for me, good skating skills, missing that 'awe' factor.
- Brian JOUBERT - It's no secret I wished he'd won, but I guess his nerved worked against him. I was counting on a big fight during the FP, hopefully with no mistakes. It wasn't meant to be. I hope he'll learn from this and win the Olympics next season.
- Tomas VERNER - I guess it wasn't his time yet. It's not too late, he's still young and on a good day he can give everyone a run for their money, although there's still some work to do.
- Samuel CONTESTI - definietly the revelation of the season for me, I just loved his FP and I'm so looking forward to see him skate next season.
- Takahiko KOZUKA - I liked him though maybe he shouldn't have skated to Romeo & Juliette soundtrack, that's too much of a chick flick.
- Nobunari ODA - another one who did good, less expressive though.
- Denis TEN - promissing for his young age.
- Brandon MROZ - a fresh face, not extraordinary but somehow it reminds me of the time when Joubert first showed up on the scene.
- Kevin VAN DER PERREN - they didn't show him, I would have liked to see him although given his placement I imagine I didn't miss much.
- Adrian SCHULTHEISS - at first I found him interesting, but now I think he just repeats himself and doesn't bring anything new; and he's starting to look weird.
- Kristoffer BERNTSSON - I like his style and his programs, it's a shame he can't achieve more with them.
Ice Dance:
- Oksana DOMNINA / Maxim SHABALIN - not my favorite couple and I didn't care for their FD, probably too serious for my taste, but they won it fair and square. I found it hard to get used with Oksana not being a blonde anymore.
- Tanith BELBIN / Benjamin AGOSTO - Tanith usually has nice costumes, but the OD one was horrible with that see through skirt. For some reason I don't see myself ever rooting for them to get the gold and there was just no one else to take the silver from them.
- Tessa VIRTUE / Scott MOIR - I don't get what the hype is about them, to me they are nothing special at all, no sparkle, just bland and boring.
- Meryl DAVIS / Charlie WHITE - their OD was my favorite and I seem to like them more and more.
- Nathalie PECHALAT / Fabian BOURZAT - when they first appeared I thought they were going to be something special in time but then they sort of disappeared in the background for a while. Now they're back again and they're looking good in spite of the horrid costumes and circus theme, it must be a Russian thing like I said. And did you see Nathalie's bra? Hehe...
- Jana KHOKHLOVA / Sergei NOVITSKI - no one should be allowed to show up on the ice wearing those atrocious neon glowing costumes, if ony for that and they didn't deserve to medal. Just kidding, but they weren't good enough... yet.
- Sinead KERR / John KERR - They're getting better and better and they're wonderful to watch. Unfortunately Sinead is 30 already and there's not much time left for them either. Let's all hope for a miracle next season.
- Federica FAIELLA / Massimo SCALI - I was glad to see she changed the OD red pants for a skirt, it looked much better. The FD clown costumes stayed though. *shudders*
- Anna CAPPELLINI / Luca LANOTTE- a lovely young couple, lovely FD and lovely dress.
Ladies:
- I can't really say much because the Ladies bore me most of the times so I wasn't paying much attention during the SP and then I had guests during the FP, but I have to say that the Asian ladies, Yu-Na KIM, Miki ANDO, Mao ASADA, rocks!
Random comment:
What was with those ugly dresses worn by the flower girls in the arena?
Message to Eurosport:
You, guys, really need to run an efficiency check on your commentators. If you paid them by correctness of the things they said, then Yvonne Ghita must owe you millions by now. Are you capitalizing on that? If yes then when? We are so anxious to have her off the air. We are growing gray hairs here listening to her nonsense. Sure, it's fun to try to guess in advance how many mistakes she is going to make this time, which names, dates and places she is going to mix up, but we are really getting tired of doing that and after a while all we wish is to turn off the volume and stop listening to her. Get Cornel Gheorghe, get Florin Gafencu, even Marius Negrea would do, anyone who knows what they're talking about, just not Yvonne Ghita. Seriously, you're wasting your money and we've had enough!
- A frustrated fan
So this being said, let's move on to the comments:
Pairs:
- Aliona SAVCHENKO / Robin SZOLKOWY - are still strong and it was a pleasure to watch them win; they might not have the classic sophistication of a top Russian pair but they bring in a breath of fresh air and no ballet.
- Dan ZHANG / Hao ZHANG - I remember watching them at the 2002 Olympics when they were all technique and no artistry at all, they've come a long way. There's still room for improving, though.
- Yuko KAVAGUTI / Alexander SMIRNOV - I used to complain about the Russians' obsession for circus and clowns routines. After watching their FP I realised I missed the clown costumes they used during the season, they made the program look better.
- Qing PANG / Jian TONG - they skate with more feeling than the other Chinese pair, the technical level seems to be stagnating. And Jian Tong needs a haircut, badly.
- Maria MUKHORTOVA / Maxim TRANKOV - the thing is, I like them, and it's sad to see they still can't hold their own during the FP. Another observation is that Maria was so much in character during the FP acting like a total bitch that she showed no connection whatsoever with her partner or the audience. Of course that didn't help selling the program. Her complicated hairdo made think I was seeing her brains and not her braids when she was gliding across the ice.
- Tatiana VOLOSOZHAR / Stanislav MOROZOV - I would have liked to see them place higher. It amazed me how Tatiana transformed from the ugly duck she used to be into a beautiful gracious swan, it's quite a pleasure to watch her now. Too bad her partner is getting old, I'm afraid their time is almost over.
Men:
- Evan LYSACEK - It was nice to see him win at home. He's still not my favorite skater by far, but his performance was solid and he's stopped looking like a teenager and started skated more like a man, which is good.
- Patrick CHAN - a new face for me, good skating skills, missing that 'awe' factor.
- Brian JOUBERT - It's no secret I wished he'd won, but I guess his nerved worked against him. I was counting on a big fight during the FP, hopefully with no mistakes. It wasn't meant to be. I hope he'll learn from this and win the Olympics next season.
- Tomas VERNER - I guess it wasn't his time yet. It's not too late, he's still young and on a good day he can give everyone a run for their money, although there's still some work to do.
- Samuel CONTESTI - definietly the revelation of the season for me, I just loved his FP and I'm so looking forward to see him skate next season.
- Takahiko KOZUKA - I liked him though maybe he shouldn't have skated to Romeo & Juliette soundtrack, that's too much of a chick flick.
- Nobunari ODA - another one who did good, less expressive though.
- Denis TEN - promissing for his young age.
- Brandon MROZ - a fresh face, not extraordinary but somehow it reminds me of the time when Joubert first showed up on the scene.
- Kevin VAN DER PERREN - they didn't show him, I would have liked to see him although given his placement I imagine I didn't miss much.
- Adrian SCHULTHEISS - at first I found him interesting, but now I think he just repeats himself and doesn't bring anything new; and he's starting to look weird.
- Kristoffer BERNTSSON - I like his style and his programs, it's a shame he can't achieve more with them.
Ice Dance:
- Oksana DOMNINA / Maxim SHABALIN - not my favorite couple and I didn't care for their FD, probably too serious for my taste, but they won it fair and square. I found it hard to get used with Oksana not being a blonde anymore.
- Tanith BELBIN / Benjamin AGOSTO - Tanith usually has nice costumes, but the OD one was horrible with that see through skirt. For some reason I don't see myself ever rooting for them to get the gold and there was just no one else to take the silver from them.
- Tessa VIRTUE / Scott MOIR - I don't get what the hype is about them, to me they are nothing special at all, no sparkle, just bland and boring.
- Meryl DAVIS / Charlie WHITE - their OD was my favorite and I seem to like them more and more.
- Nathalie PECHALAT / Fabian BOURZAT - when they first appeared I thought they were going to be something special in time but then they sort of disappeared in the background for a while. Now they're back again and they're looking good in spite of the horrid costumes and circus theme, it must be a Russian thing like I said. And did you see Nathalie's bra? Hehe...
- Jana KHOKHLOVA / Sergei NOVITSKI - no one should be allowed to show up on the ice wearing those atrocious neon glowing costumes, if ony for that and they didn't deserve to medal. Just kidding, but they weren't good enough... yet.
- Sinead KERR / John KERR - They're getting better and better and they're wonderful to watch. Unfortunately Sinead is 30 already and there's not much time left for them either. Let's all hope for a miracle next season.
- Federica FAIELLA / Massimo SCALI - I was glad to see she changed the OD red pants for a skirt, it looked much better. The FD clown costumes stayed though. *shudders*
- Anna CAPPELLINI / Luca LANOTTE- a lovely young couple, lovely FD and lovely dress.
Ladies:
- I can't really say much because the Ladies bore me most of the times so I wasn't paying much attention during the SP and then I had guests during the FP, but I have to say that the Asian ladies, Yu-Na KIM, Miki ANDO, Mao ASADA, rocks!
Random comment:
What was with those ugly dresses worn by the flower girls in the arena?
Message to Eurosport:
You, guys, really need to run an efficiency check on your commentators. If you paid them by correctness of the things they said, then Yvonne Ghita must owe you millions by now. Are you capitalizing on that? If yes then when? We are so anxious to have her off the air. We are growing gray hairs here listening to her nonsense. Sure, it's fun to try to guess in advance how many mistakes she is going to make this time, which names, dates and places she is going to mix up, but we are really getting tired of doing that and after a while all we wish is to turn off the volume and stop listening to her. Get Cornel Gheorghe, get Florin Gafencu, even Marius Negrea would do, anyone who knows what they're talking about, just not Yvonne Ghita. Seriously, you're wasting your money and we've had enough!
- A frustrated fan
Sunday, March 29, 2009
2009 World Figure Skating Championships - Ladies FP
Ladies - Free Program
| FPl. | Name | Nation | Points | SP | FS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yu-Na KIM |
| 207.71 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 2 | Joannie ROCHETTE |
| 191.29 | 2 | 3 | |||
| 3 | Miki ANDO |
| 190.38 | 4 | 2 | |||
| 4 | Mao ASADA |
| 188.09 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | Rachael FLATT |
| 172.41 | 7 | 5 | |||
| 6 | Laura LEPISTÖ |
| 170.07 | 6 | 7 | |||
| 7 | Alena LEONOVA |
| 168.91 | 11 | 6 | |||
| 8 | Fumie SUGURI |
| 164.58 | 9 | 9 | |||
| 9 | Sarah MEIER |
| 163.37 | 10 | 10 | |||
| 10 | Elene GEDEVANISHVILI |
| 162.48 | 8 | 11 | |||
| 11 | Alissa CZISNY |
| 159.78 | 14 | 8 | |||
| 12 | Carolina KOSTNER |
| 153.56 | 5 | 15 | |||
| 13 | Susanna PÖYKIÖ |
| 153.31 | 12 | 12 | |||
| 14 | Ivana REITMAYEROVA |
| 147.41 | 16 | 13 | |||
| 15 | Cynthia PHANEUF |
| 146.09 | 15 | 14 | |||
| 16 | Elena GLEBOVA |
| 140.02 | 13 | 17 | |||
| 17 | Na-Young KIM |
| 131.50 | 17 | 21 | |||
| 18 | Annette DYTRT |
| 131.15 | 18 | 19 | |||
| 19 | Anna JURKIEWICZ |
| 130.29 | 20 | 16 | |||
| 20 | Jenna MCCORKELL |
| 128.67 | 21 | 18 | |||
| 21 | Tugba KARADEMIR |
| 124.31 | 22 | 20 | |||
| 22 | Candice DIDIER |
| 122.08 | 19 | 22 | |||
| 23 | Kerstin FRANK |
| 105.73 | 23 | 23 | |||
| 24 | Ana Cecilia CANTU |
| 101.82 | 24 | 24 |
Saturday, March 28, 2009
2009 World Figure Skating Championships - Ladies SP & FD
Ladies - Short Program
Ice Dance - Free Dance
| FPl. | Name | Nation | Points | SP | FS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yu-Na KIM |
| 76.12 | 1 | ||||
| 2 | Joannie ROCHETTE |
| 67.90 | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Mao ASADA |
| 66.06 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Miki ANDO |
| 64.12 | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Carolina KOSTNER |
| 63.18 | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Laura LEPISTÖ |
| 59.66 | 6 | ||||
| 7 | Rachael FLATT |
| 59.30 | 7 | ||||
| 8 | Elene GEDEVANISHVILI |
| 58.82 | 8 | ||||
| 9 | Fumie SUGURI |
| 58.40 | 9 | ||||
| 10 | Sarah MEIER |
| 58.36 | 10 | ||||
| 11 | Alena LEONOVA |
| 58.18 | 11 | ||||
| 12 | Susanna PÖYKIÖ |
| 57.12 | 12 | ||||
| 13 | Elena GLEBOVA |
| 55.90 | 13 | ||||
| 14 | Alissa CZISNY |
| 53.28 | 14 | ||||
| 15 | Cynthia PHANEUF |
| 53.14 | 15 | ||||
| 16 | Ivana REITMAYEROVA |
| 52.98 | 16 | ||||
| 17 | Na-Young KIM |
| 51.50 | 17 | ||||
| 18 | Annette DYTRT |
| 51.04 | 18 | ||||
| 19 | Candice DIDIER |
| 50.16 | 19 | ||||
| 20 | Anna JURKIEWICZ |
| 45.60 | 20 | ||||
| 21 | Jenna MCCORKELL |
| 45.52 | 21 | ||||
| 22 | Tugba KARADEMIR |
| 44.24 | 22 | ||||
| 23 | Kerstin FRANK |
| 43.20 | 23 | ||||
| 24 | Ana Cecilia CANTU |
| 41.58 | 24 | ||||
| 25 | Tamar KATZ |
| 40.62 | 25 |
Ice Dance - Free Dance
| FPl. | Name | Nation | Points | CD | OD | FD | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oksana DOMNINA / Maxim SHABALIN |
| 206.30 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||
| 2 | Tanith BELBIN / Benjamin AGOSTO |
| 205.08 | 2 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 3 | Tessa VIRTUE / Scott MOIR |
| 200.40 | 3 | 6 | 4 | |||
| 4 | Meryl DAVIS / Charlie WHITE |
| 200.36 | 4 | 3 | 3 | |||
| 5 | Nathalie PECHALAT / Fabian BOURZAT |
| 194.36 | 6 | 4 | 5 | |||
| 6 | Jana KHOKHLOVA / Sergei NOVITSKI |
| 193.41 | 5 | 5 | 6 | |||
| 7 | Sinead KERR / John KERR |
| 186.07 | 8 | 7 | 7 | |||
| 8 | Federica FAIELLA / Massimo SCALI |
| 182.76 | 7 | 10 | 8 | |||
| 9 | Pernelle CARRON / Matthieu JOST |
| 178.72 | 9 | 8 | 10 | |||
| 10 | Anna CAPPELLINI / Luca LANOTTE |
| 175.70 | 11 | 9 | 11 |
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