The 2009 European Figure Skating Championships continued Thursday in Helsinki, Finland, with the Original Dance and the Mens’ Free Skating.
Ice Dance, Original Dance
The Original Dance of the 2008/09 season is rhythms of the 20s, 30s and 40s. The 27 couples in the event chose a wide variety of dances.
Jana Khokhlova/Sergei Novitski of Russia strengthened their lead in the Original Dance ahead of Italy’s Federica Faiella/Massimo Scali and Sinead Kerr/John Kerr (GBR).
Khokhlova/Novitski chose “Sam’s Blues” and the upbeat “Putting on the Ritz” for their dance. Dressed in neon green and bright yellow, they drew the attention of the crowd right away. The reigning World and European bronze medalists delivered a strong performance of their dance that was highlighted by a straight line lift, fast twizzles and intricate footwork. The Muscovites were awarded a level four for all elements except the side by side step sequence which was a level three. They earned 62.17 points (32.90 element score/29.27 program component score) which was a new seasons best and accumulated a total of 99.60 points so far. „We were in the lead, but it doesn’t mean much”, Novitski commented. “We changed our first lift after Russian Nationals. Although it was a quite interesting lift, we somehow never got the maximum of points for it. Apparently we did the right thing, because he had a high technical score”, he continued. “Yesterday someone told us – ‘the first place hasn’t been reserved for you’, and this person is absolutely right. We’ll have to fight for it, and there are no weak competitors here”, he added when asked about their teammates Oksana Domnina/Maxim Shabalin withdrawing due to injury yesterday.
Faiella/Scali interpreted a tap dance from the Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire movie “Follow the Fleet” and completed a level-four side by side midline step sequence, a one armed rotational lift and a dance spin that were graded a level four as well. Faiella was slightly shaky on the synchronized twizzle. The Italians got a level three for the twizzles and the diagonal step sequence and picked up a seasons best of 59.03 points (30.90/28.13). They remained in second place at 95.06 points. “We could handle the situation well, and we were really into the dance today. It was like going back to the 30s. The elements were really good”, Scali told the press. “It was exciting to get our first silver small medal today. The pressure is higher being in the medal position. The hardest part was the Finnstep and after that everyone got more relaxed. Today we felt confident with our performance.”
Kerr/Kerr entertained the crowd in the Hartwall Areena with their fast paced Swing and Lindy Hop routine that featured crisp footwork (level three), a curve lift with her in a handstand and a spin with changes of position. They brother and sister team lost unison in the twizzles that were graded a level three. The Scots scored 57.71 points (30.20/27.51) and defended the third place with 92.60 points total so far. “Most important for us was to really dance the swing dance, and consider the judges like they were a part of the audience. We want to entertain. We skate well when we’re enjoying ourselves and we did that today”, Sinead Kerr explained. “I was actually more nervous today than I’ve been before during this season”, her brother admitted. “But as the music started and the audience began enjoying, it really helped a lot, and after 50 seconds I was enjoying it. I was more nervous here because this is the first time Sinead and I are on the medal position. It’s very exciting but it also brings added pressure. I’m looking forward to tomorrow”, he continued.
Nathalie Pechalat/Fabian Bourzat (FRA) came in fourth with a smooth Lindy Hop dance (91.94) and remain close to the podium. Pernelle Carron/Matthieu Jost (FRA) are currently ranked fifth at 89.39 points.
Men, Free Skating
The Men’s event concluded with an exciting Free Skating. Brian Joubert of France skated to the gold and his third European title. Italy’s Samuel Contesti took the silver medal, his first medal at an ISU Championship, while Kevin van der Perren from Belgium captured the bronze.
Joubert skated fourth in the final flight and debuted a new Free Program to “Matrix Reloaded” and “Requiem for a Dream”. He turned out of his opening quadruple toeloop but pulled himself together immediately to nail a triple Axel, triple Axel-double toe, triple Lutz-double toe combination. The crowd gasped when the reigning World silver medallist went down on the next jump, a triple Lutz and doubled a loop, but then cheered loudly as he recovered to land a triple flip and double Axel. Joubert earned a level four for the combination spin and a level three for the other two spins and his energetic circular step sequence. When he finished he knew that it wasn’t his best and he wasn’t sure if it was enough. But the Frenchman collected 145.11 points (71.51 element score/74.60 program component score) and was ranked second in the Free Skating. Overall he racked up 232.01 points to take his eighth medal in his eighth consecutive appearance at the ISU European Championships.“ I changed my program only two weeks ago. Today I went to skate with an open mind as I didn’t quite know what to expect. I knew it was going to be difficult today, but I had a good feeling”, Joubert commented. “I’m a bit disappointed about (mistakes on) the Lutz and the loop because I was not tired. Now I have two months time to work for Worlds and I hope it will be good. All of the victories are important, but this one is the most important, because the beginning of the season was so hard, but I came back. I’m not at my best, but I won“, he added.
Performing a colourful cowboy routine to “Once Upon a Time in the West” and “Cotton Eyed Joe”, Contesti produced a triple Axel-triple toe, triple flip, another triple Axel, triple loop, and when he landed a triple Salchow-triple toeloop combination right in front of his coaches at the boards, he shouted in triumph. A double Axel and double Axel-double toeloop followed in the final seconds of the program. The 25-year-old Italian was awarded a level four for the three spins and a level three for both step sequences. His only error was a double Lutz early into the routine. Contesti scored 144.97 points (76.77/68.20) and was third in the Free Skating but overall moved up to second place at 220.92 points to claim Italy’s first medal in the Mens’ event at European Championships in 55 years. In 1954, Carlo Fassi was European Champion. “I felt the pressure during all the competition. I just tried to concentrate before, not to watch other performances, just to stay inside my world”, Contesti explained. “It (medaling) is just phantastic. This is a beautiful victory for all people that believed in me. It was a lot of work with my wife, a lot of sacrifices from our part.”
Van der Perren overcame a painful hip injury to win his second European bronze medal since 2007. Performing to “Heros” by Safri Duo, the Belgian executed a high triple Axel, his trademark triple Salchow-triple toeloop-triple loop combination as well as four more triples and spins and steps that were all but one graded a level three and four. Van der Perren received 143.56 points (76.86/66.70), which was a new seasons best, and moved up one spot with 219.36 points overall. He edged out Yannick Ponsero of France by just 0.06 points. “This medal means so much to me. I didn’t skate a clean program since my surgery in April. I’m surprised about the placement. I was skating in the most horrible condition I ever had. I didn’t think I’d be on the podium”, van der Perren said.
Ponsero completed a quadruple toeloop and seven triple jumps to win the Free Skating portion and to move up from ninth to fourth place (219.30 points). Alban Préaubert gave a strong performance as well that included a quad toe and seven clean triples and was ranked fifth (212.22 points). 2008 European Champion Tomas Verner (CZE), who stood in second place after the Short Program, slipped to sixth after singling three jumps.
The ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2009 continue Friday with the Ladies Short Program and the Free Dance.
