2007 Japan Open

Kinoshita-Group Cup Figure Skating Japn Open 2007
29.04.2007
Japan

Results:

1 Team Japan 497.47
Nobunari ODA JPN 150.59
Takahiko KOZUKA JPN 132.76
Miki ANDO JPN 112.65
Mao ASADA JPN 101.47
2 Team Europe 471.11
Brian JOUBERT FRA 132.76
Alexei YAGUDIN RUS 128.43
Sarah MEIER SUI 111.29
Kiira KORPI FIN 98.63
3 Team North America 458.81
Jeffrey BUTTLE CAN 140.73
Todd ELDREDGE USA 117.52
Joannie ROCHETTE CAN 107.78
Kimmie MEISSNER USA 92.78


Men's results:
PL. Competitor Nationality TSS TES PCS SS TR PE CH IN Deduction StN.
1 Nobunari ODA JPN 150.59 77.59 73.00 7.50 6.95 7.45 7.25 7.35 0.00 #5
2 Jeffrey BUTTLE CAN 140.73 63.43 77.30 7.75 7.55 7.70 7.85 7.80 0.00 #4
3 Brian JOUBERT FRA 132.76 59.06 74.70 7.75 7.10 7.40 7.55 7.55 -1.00 #6
4 Takahiko KOZUKA JPN 132.76 69.56 64.20 6.85 6.15 6.45 6.50 6.15 -1.00 #2
5 Alexei YAGUDIN RUS 128.43 52.23 76.20 7.70 6.90 7.55 7.90 8.05 0.00 #1
6 Todd ELDREDGE USA 117.52 48.12 69.40 7.25 6.35 7.15 7.00 6.95 0.00 #3

Alexei performed Gladiator and did the following jumps:
3Lz3T 3Lz 3F 3F2T 3S2T 2A

Photos: http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070429/ids_photos_sp/r697387323.jpg

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdI0uQ80AMU

2007 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships

2007 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships

26 - 29.04.2007 Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Women's Individual All-Around Final
1 FERRARI Vanessa 61.075 ITA 191 14.925 15.700 15.375 15.075
2 IZBASA Sandra Raluca 59.900 ROU 226 14.475 14.325 15.625 15.475
3 KOZICH Alina 59.300 UKR 256 14.675 14.250 15.675 14.700
4 NISTOR Steliana 58.175 ROU 227 14.375 15.425 14.625 13.750
5 KRAMARENKO Ekaterina 57.825 RUS 231 14.175 15.025 14.850 13.775

Men's Individual All-Around Final
1 DEVIATOVSKI Maxim 90.250 RUS 541 14.525 14.925 15.100 16.250 15.575 13.875
2 HAMBUECHEN Fabian 89.675 GER 418 15.225 13.575 14.450 15.825 15.200 15.400
3 RYAZANOV Yury 89.000 RUS 542 14.475 14.275 15.075 15.650 15.100 14.425
4 MARTINEZ Rafael 88.425 ESP 371 13.975 13.675 14.900 16.075 15.200 14.600
5 KOCZI Flavius 87.825 ROU 532 14.800 14.900 13.750 16.550 13.775 14.050
6 ZONDERLAND Epke 87.675 NED 496 14.175 14.000 13.750 15.650 15.375 14.725
6 CAMPOS Manuel 87.675 POR 521 14.700 14.275 14.150 15.300 15.050 14.200
6 SELARIU Dorin Razvan 87.675 ROU 531 15.100 14.525 14.650 16.150 14.625 12.625

Results Women's Floor Exercise
1 191 FERRARI Vanessa ITA 15.400
2 156 TWEDDLE Elizabeth GBR 15.250
3 256 KOZICH Alina UKR 15.050
4 152 VERICEL Cassy FRA 14.625
5 227 NISTOR Steliana ROU 14.600
6 161 CHUSOVITINA Oxana GER 14.450
7 141 MORENO Patricia ESP 14.375
226 IZBASA Sandra Raluca ROU - WD

Results Parallel Bars
1 557 PETKOVSEK Mitja SLO 15.875
2 543 KRYUKOV Nikolai RUS 15.450
3 496 ZONDERLAND Epke NED 15.400
4 391 CUCHERAT Yann FRA 15.325
5 546 KHOROKHORDIN Sergei RUS 15.175
6 396 KARBANENKO Dimitri FRA 15.075
7 328 KASPIAROVICH Dimitri BLR 14.900
8 371 MARTINEZ Rafael ESP 14.750

Results Rings
1 592 VOROBYOV Olexander UKR 16.325
2 336 JOVTCHEV Jordan BUL 16.200
2 469 COPPOLINO Andrea ITA 16.200
4 545 PLUZHNIKOV K. RUS 15.800
5 470 MORANDI Matteo ITA 15.375
6 416 ANDERGASSEN Thomas GER 15.350
7 327 SAVITSKI Dimitri BLR 15.025
8 328 KASPIAROVICH Dimitri BLR 14.850

Results Uneven Bars
1 258 ZGOBA Dariya UKR 15.775
2 227 NISTOR Steliana ROU 15.725
3 231 KRAMARENKO Ekaterina RUS 15.425
4 151 LINDOR Katheleen FRA 14.700
5 132 SIKULOVA Jana CZE 14.675
6 191 FERRARI Vanessa ITA 14.375
7 164 BRINKER Anja GER 13.600
8 206 WONG Lichelle NED 12.925

Results Pommel Horse
1 441 BERKI Krisztian HUN 15.800
2 402 KEATINGS Daniel GBR 15.450
3 532 KOCZI Flavius ROU 15.325
4 403 SMITH Louis GBR 15.300
5 543 KRYUKOV Nikolai RUS 14.975
5 321 TRUYENS Donna-Donny BEL 14.975
7 346 UDE Filip CRO 14.325
8 347 SELIGMAN Robert CRO 12.425

Results Women's Vault1 193 GIOVANNINI Carlotta ITA 14.812 15.000 14.625
2 161 CHUSOVITINA Oxana GER 14.725 14.500 14.950
3 234 GRUDKO Anna RUS 14.625 15.050 14.200
4 233 LOZHECKO Yulia RUS 14.450 14.250 14.650
5 133 KOMRSKOVA Jana CZE 14.350 14.300 14.400
6 157 KING Marissa GBR 14.175 14.600 13.750
7 174 KORCSMAROS Enikoe HUN 14.012 14.475 13.550
8 226 IZBASA Sandra Raluca ROU 13.975 14.600 13.350

Results Men's Floor Exercise
1 371 MARTINEZ Rafael ESP 15.550
2 395 BOUHAIL Thomas FRA 15.350
3 420 FAHRIG Matthias GER 15.275
3 429 KOSMIDIS Eleftherios GRE 15.275
5 544 GOLOTSUTSKOV Anton RUS 15.175
6 471 POZZO Enrico ITA 15.125
7 533 DRAGULESCU Marian ROU 14.300
8 532 KOCZI Flavius ROU 14.250

First photos from Australia movie set

http://justjared.buzznet.com/2007/04/27/hugh-jackman-mustache/#more-2548

Not exactly how I imagined Jackman to look like after he'd been sporting a beard for weeks but...

Australia Movie

Latest Baz Luhrmann's movie an Australia saga featuring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman will start being filmed in Australia soon. She's supposed to be an English aristocrat who inherits a cattle ranch in Australia and the cattle driver helps her to keep it before the WW II.
More details at:

http://www.australiamovie.net

3:10 to Yuma - First Official Photos

First two official photos from 3:10 to Yuma, a western with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale are now available at:

http://www.firstshowing.net/2007/04/18/actual-official-first-310-to-yuma-photos/

Imagine Batman and Maximus with beards and longer hair, one thinner and the other slightly rounder. This should be one interesting movie to watch!

Movie Review: Blades of Glory

*** MIGTH CONTAIN SPOILERS! ***

Featuring: Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, William Fichtner, Craig T. Nelson

Genre: dumb comedy

I’m gonna skip the rest because there is nothing much to tell and I will move straight to comments which I’m gonna keep short too. Even since before watching the movie I had decided not to comment on the skating part because as a skating fan I was probably going to be too harsh if I did and I knew you couldn’t really present real skating in a movie, especially a Hollywood made one. Apparently more recently they can’t produce a story and acting either. I’m sorry Sasha Cohen had to make her screen debut in such lame movie, though was seeing her act like a hysterical fan was kinda fun. As for the rest I don’t know who would laugh at such a movie, maybe only if you had a lobotomy first or you’re over ninety and senile.

Rating: 1/5

Movie Review: Wild Hogs

*** MIGTH CONTAIN SPOILERS! ***

Featuring: Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy, Ray Liotta, Marisa Tomei

Genre: comedy

Plot: four middle age friends go on a bike ride towards the Mexican border

Acting: was a bit hard to notice because of the multitude of cheap gags

Drama: middle age crisis + a biker gang who’s set to no good… + one’s a dentist, one’s ruined, one is house wife, and one has no sex life

Action: bike rides, gang fights

Funny: it tries a bit too much… puerile jokes

Visuals: nothing spectacular

Soundtrack: don’t remember

Comments: If it hadn’t been for Ray Liotta staring in it I wouldn’t have bothered. He delivered, portraying the usual bad intense villain messed up in the head he’s known for. Reminded me a bit of Hando aka Russell Crowe in Romper Stomper only with hair. The ending was a bit disappointing, he gave up to easily.

Rating: 3/5

Russel Crowe montage

An elegant montage of Russell Crowe's photos morphing one into another made with the occasion of his recent birthday can be found at:

http://russelliracrowe.uw.hu/birthday_gift/birthday_gift.html

Alexei Yagudin Interview

Golden Skate has a long and very detailed interview with Alexei Yagudin. In her well known style Kathleen Bangs makes him talk about his life during the past year or so, the move back to St. Petersburg, his skating, the shows, involvement in local business, TV appearances, vacation and future plans. One of the best news is that his gorgeous triple Axel is back, just in time for the Japan Open which will take place at the end of April.

For more details read the interview here:

http://www.goldenskate.com/articles/2006/040807.shtml

Movie Review: Ghost Rider

*** MIGTH CONTAIN SPOILERS! ***

Genre: sci fi

Plot: inspired from the Ghost Rider comics – imagine Faust in the future… not much of a plot though

Acting: Sam Elliot was good… but when all you like in a movie is the graveyard caretaker who has like 10 lines that says something about the movie as a whole

Drama: well, yeah, it’s unavoidable once the devil sticks its tail in it

Action: the second main character is a bike so of course there’s gotta be some action… actually watching the bike going up and down the sky scrapper was kinda cool

Funny: Nicholas Cage with hair… kidding… but Ghost Rider when it’s all on fire is hilarious, even with the sound off

Visuals: good CGI, the rest wasn’t so great. My favorite image is this one

Soundtrack: don’t remember

Comments: It’s one of the lamest comics adaptation for the big screen I’ve ever seen. Nicholas Cage gives his regular dumb clueless look, Eva Mendes is hot but not much else, her or a ditzy blonde wouldn’t have made much difference, Peter Fonda must be really short on cash to have accepted a part that he doesn’t even pull off well, unlike him the other bad guy was at least creepy. Liked Sam Elliot as I’ve said it already.

Rating: 2/5

Movie review: 300

*** MIGTH CONTAIN SPOILERS! ***

Genre: historic

Plot: the battle from Thermopile when Persians attacked Sparta - as far as I remember history wasn't twisted much

Acting: not bad, hated the King's voice but the Queen was cool

Drama: and some... conflicts all over the place

Action: lots of battle scenes, plenty of gore if you're into it but the visual were distracting enough not to make anyone puck

Funny: a few sarcastic lines

Visuals: very good, outstanding even, beautifully filmed, fit for a historic movie meant to give it grace and greatness... some scenes reminded me of Matrix in a way

Soundtrack: appropriate for most of the scenes though the final lament sounded like total rip off of some other song

Comments: If you like 300 (ok, maybe not 300, just 30 and the rest could have been computer generated as well) packages of meat in loin clothes with Superman red capes, metal buckets on their heads and oversized pot lids then you'll think you died and went to heaven. I heard people comparing it to Gladiator, hmm, my pick would be Maximus, the Spartan Queen, the visuals from 300 without the gore, actually without everything on the screen, only the idea of how they were made, and the Gladiator soundtrack.

Rating: 4/5 but I won't be seeing it again

Movie review: TMNT

*** MIGTH CONTAIN SPOILERS! ***

Genre: animation – need I say more? Obviously aimed at under 5 years olds as far as complexity is concerned

Plot: crossover between The Mummy, Stargate and The Fifth Element

Acting: the voices were rather well done

Drama: fallout between brothers – Moses should sue the screenplay writers for copyright infringement

Action: fights, explosions, etc. Batman should sue them too.

Funny: occasionally… not enough

Visuals: very good, better than expected for an animated movie, too bad humans still look like toys… the turtles look like Chipendales members and what happened to April’s yellow suit?

Soundtrack: not bad, even fitting at times

Comments: As someone who was watching the ninja turtles religiously every evening I was expecting more from this movie. I used to like April and imagine being in her place even if she had short hair, but I wouldn’t trade places with this one even if you paid me. I also missed Shredder, he used to be the first bad guy I liked, of course that changed after I got to see it in colors and realized he didn’t have a yellow helmet and he was too blueish for my taste. And the turtles used to be more fun.

Rating: 3/5 with indulgence

2007 World Swimming Championships - Day 8

Men's 50m Backstroke
1. ZANDBERG Gerhard RSA 24.98
2. RUPPRATH Thomas GER 25.20
3. TANCOCK Liam GBR 25.23

Women's 50m Breaststroke
1. HARDY Jessica USA 30.63
2. JONES Leisel AUS 30.70
3. KIRK Tara USA 31.05

Men's 400m Individual Medley
1. PHELPS Michael USA 4:06.22 WR
2. LOCHTE Ryan USA 4:09.74
3. MARIN Luca ITA 4:09.88

Women's 50m Freestyle
1. LENTON Lisbeth AUS 24.53
2. ALSHAMMAR Therese SWE 24.62
3. VELDHUIS Marleen NED 24.70

Men's 1500m Freestyle
1. SAWRYMOWICZ Mateusz POL 14:45.94
2. PRILUKOV Yury RUS 14:47.29
3. DAVIES David GBR 14:51.21

Women's 400m Individual Medley
1. HOFF Katie USA 4:32.89 WR
2. MARTYNOVA Yana RUS 4:40.14
3. RICE Stephanie AUS 4:41.19

Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay
1. Australia AUS 3:34.93
2. Japan JPN 3:35.16
3. Russia RUS 3:35.51

And this concludes World Swimming Championships for 2007.

Only one silver medal for Pieter van den Hoogenbad, a 6th place in 100m backstroke. Oh well...