Turin, Italy 2006 Winter Olympic Games

Olympic Figure Skating Analysis

TURIN, Italy – I'll admit it. This is the first time I've sat through an entire original dance. I was shocked. It was nothing like I expected. My wife Silvia Fontana and I watched short track last night, and the spills and tumbles we saw there didn't get our attention like some of the falls tonight.

One of the couples that caught my eye early on was the sibling team of Sinead Kerr and John Kerr of Great Britain. Each of the dance teams skated to a selection of Latin rhythms, but theirs was unique. They've gotten choreographic advice from 1984 Olympic champion Christopher Dean, and you could really see his influence in their movement. This is definitely a team to keep an eye on for the future.

Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovski of Israel were expected to contend for a medal, but found themselves far behind after falling in the compulsory dance. But they haven't worked this hard to just give up. Their original dance was stellar. Normally, this couple has a frantic quality to their skating, but they came out with solid choreography and lifts. Their effort helped them jump up in the standings, and although they won't win a medal, they should be proud for bouncing back.

Lithuanians Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas should be proud for being five-time Olympians. Margarita has struggled with nerves in the past, and tonight she looked a little off. Unfortunately, they had the first of what would be many dramatic falls of the night.

Falls in ice dancing are rare because the emphasis is (or at least should be) on skating to the beat of the music, footwork and interpretation. But under the new judging system, there is such an emphasis on doing complicated lifts, most of which have very little relation to the theme or music. Veteran competitors like Margarita and Povilas, who skated under the 6.0 system, have had to learn a new way of doing what they've been doing for years. Under the pressure of the Olympics, it can be quiet overwhelming.

In ice dancing, once you get off the beat, it's very difficult to get back on. It looked like she got caught up in the footwork, bringing both of them fown. It's unfortunate because she and Povilas were one of the few teams to fully capture the sultriness of the Latin theme. It certainly doesn't hurt that they're married.

Ukrainians Elena Grushina and Ruslan Goncharov are also married, but didn't interpret the music as well as the Lithuanians. They have nice lines and skated a conservative-but-clean program, which was enough to keep them in medal contention. On thing very noticeable about them was their slow footwork. They performed a lot of Latin moves with their upper bodies to make up for the lack of intricate and difficult moves with their lower body. That way, they draw attention from their weaknesses.

I quite liked the French team of Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder, but they didn't have the flair of the Lithuanians or even the Israelis. The French are more suited to dramatic programs than ones that require a lot of attitude. This will be a team to watch in the free dance; their program is theatrical and filled with some of the most inventive moves of the entire competition.

Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski are another avant-garde team. I liked the fact that they charged right of the gate. He is one the best dancers in the world in terms of edge quality and control. But they had timing issues as well and missed a spin. It's obvious this couple has a passion for dancing. As innovative as they are, their size similarity may hinder them a little bit.

Marie France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon have ideal bodies for ice dancing: tall and lean. They weren't the most outrageous in terms of Latin flair, and had skated a clean program until their final lift. As Marie France went up into a difficult split position, it looked like a piece of her skirt might have gotten caught in Patrice's hold, reducing the friction necessary to keep a good grip. Her hand slipped out, and without the proper centrifugal force to make the lift, she went parallel to the ice like a helicopter.

Right after she fell, she got right up and finished that final position. I don't think she realized how much pain she was in until she bent backwards into that pose, and then collapsed. She was in so much pain she could barely move, and had to be taken off in a stretcher. This fall looked worse than Dan Zhang's fall in the pairs' free skate. I thought she had broken her hip, or at least sustained a painful contusion. There's no way I can see them skating Monday.

Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali got a warm reception from the home crowd. It's clear that they aren't quite up to the level of the top teams in terms of unison; Federica messed up a couple of twizzles (turns on one foot). It's so important in ice dancing that every step is matched between partners. This shakiness translated into a fall later in their program when they got off their pattern and she pulled him down.

Russians Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov skated exactly as expected. They were spot on with every move and no doubt maxed out the score on every element. Ironically, with all the falls, they ended up being the most unexciting couple of the evening.

Barbara Fusar Poli and Maurizio Margaglio of Italy hoped they would contend with the Russians for gold, especially since they held the lead going into the original dance. Maurizio has had a long history of making mistakes; Barbara is one of the best female dancers out there. When he went to lift her, her weight got too far away from his center of gravity and they ended up collapsing on one another. At the end of their program, Barbara just stared at Maurizio for at least forty seconds – an eternity. If looks could kill, he would be dead many times over.

Barbara and Maurizio were at the rink until late last night working on a new lift for their free dance. Apparently, they were told one of their lifts was illegal, so they were trying to come up with a new one. The last-minute change and lack of rest may have affected them today. They were devastated in the kiss and cry area.

Fortunately, Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto were able to seize the moment. You could tell before they skated that they were very confident. A lot of attention goes to Tanith, but Ben deserves a lot of credit. We used to work out together at a couple of clinics. He is super strong. I knew that he would have absolutely no problems lifting her.

Although the falls shifted the placements, I still think the Russians will come out on top. Their programs are designed to maximize the new judging system, and although they are very good, I don't think they are that superior to the field in terms of the program components (old artistic) marks.

They are a perfect example of how the new judging system limits choreography. To get level four elements, all you see is nothing but Biellmann positions, where the lady brings the skate to her head. It's the same thing over and over. Fortunately, there are couples like the French and the Bulgarians, who continue to combine difficult moves with innovative choreography. Both have a great shot at the podium, as do the Americans.

I hope all the couples can follow the Israelis' lead and put their mistakes behind them. The best competitions are always the ones where everyone skates to the best of their ability.

Updated on Sunday, Feb 19, 2006 9:27 pm, EST

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