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Figure Skating (and Tennis)
Jan. 27th, 2011 04:02 pmI have no idea what the household is going to do with itself during the women's final at the Australian Open, because we like both of them. I get vision of my Nan cheering for Djokovic even if Murray does get through. She is not a Murray fan and she quite likes Djokovic, well, for today at least.
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It's the European Championships, and I am enjoying watching it. So far many strange things have occured:
1) There is a British couple in the Pairs competition.
2) There are, in fact, two British couples in the Pairs.
3) There was a Russian pairing, where he was twice her size, that featured the beginnings of artistic merit. And one of the best finishes to a program I've seen - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2akoWLhuKp8. I prefered the Germans - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtwsMSiAgDs but it's very much a personal thing.
4) The Kerrs are in third in the ice dance, after the short programme (it's a smooshing of the compulsaries and the original dance) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjFCsrKlono I want to swap the UK commentators for the Russian ones. I might not be able to understand a word, but at least they're quiet during the performance.
So far there's not been any major themes in the music, unlike the year where half of the men danced to Riverdance, or the year where folk music was the chosen music for the original dance so a third of the couples danced to Kalinka. It's the men's short programme, and I've just checked and it looks like the Russian Skating Federation are still not speaking to Plushenko. I am intrigued by the new Russians, not least of all because Alexei Urmanov coaches one of them.
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I also saw the Under-23 Men's Cross Country Skiing 15 km from the Nordic Skiing Junior World Championships in Estonia. Russian 1, 2 and 3. There was a Brit in 6th, a Brit who has previously won in Norway in the Norwegian Championships. But no, lets fund the alpine skiiers and the snowboarders instead (argh!).
I have great love for the third Russian, Shakirzianov, who on being given his finishing blanket (cross-country skiiers, they're like horses in a way) lays it on the ground and then collapses on top of it with a look of delight and satisfaction.
~~~~
It's the European Championships, and I am enjoying watching it. So far many strange things have occured:
1) There is a British couple in the Pairs competition.
2) There are, in fact, two British couples in the Pairs.
3) There was a Russian pairing, where he was twice her size, that featured the beginnings of artistic merit. And one of the best finishes to a program I've seen - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2akoWLhuKp8. I prefered the Germans - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtwsMSiAgDs but it's very much a personal thing.
4) The Kerrs are in third in the ice dance, after the short programme (it's a smooshing of the compulsaries and the original dance) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjFCsrKlono I want to swap the UK commentators for the Russian ones. I might not be able to understand a word, but at least they're quiet during the performance.
So far there's not been any major themes in the music, unlike the year where half of the men danced to Riverdance, or the year where folk music was the chosen music for the original dance so a third of the couples danced to Kalinka. It's the men's short programme, and I've just checked and it looks like the Russian Skating Federation are still not speaking to Plushenko. I am intrigued by the new Russians, not least of all because Alexei Urmanov coaches one of them.
~~~~
I also saw the Under-23 Men's Cross Country Skiing 15 km from the Nordic Skiing Junior World Championships in Estonia. Russian 1, 2 and 3. There was a Brit in 6th, a Brit who has previously won in Norway in the Norwegian Championships. But no, lets fund the alpine skiiers and the snowboarders instead (argh!).
I have great love for the third Russian, Shakirzianov, who on being given his finishing blanket (cross-country skiiers, they're like horses in a way) lays it on the ground and then collapses on top of it with a look of delight and satisfaction.
