Virtue and Moir #22 - To Russia with love

[sap5]

Does Dimanno get expenses paid to go to Sochi and cover the event?

Yes.

[Lissa]

Ugh I guess we don't get to see the SD since here in Canada we are only getting 4 hours of coverage. Sat at 4-6pm & then in the evening 8-10pm, I was hoping we would see coverage on Friday, isn't the SD on Friday?

[Emdee]

A short comment from FSU-er Finnice who attended today's practice: Tessa and Scott were very commanding.
Sounds good to me.

ETA: Watch this clip from today's Junior competition - the background at 1:42. T&S will love this at tomorrow's practice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3NNglLEeZU

Nice banner.
Dance me to the end of time.
We got it now, Pani!!

[Zazy]

She really is terrible. Surely there was someone who is better informed about the sport they're covering, not to mention that can write as an objective journalist and not a tabloid writer.

I don't understand why the Toronto Star doesn't give Robyn Doolittle a shot. She can actually skate and would at least know what she's talking about. I thought she did a great job blogging about Battle of the Blades a couple years ago. Dimanno is an embarrassment.

[bmcg]

DiManno is a columnist right? Not a sports journalist like the late Randy Starkman. Maybe she got herself the gig with the promise of other columns on Sochi and the progress in the run up to 2014. Sucks for us but maybe the Toronto Star wants her to do some other work while she's there so we unfortunately get stuck with her to cover figure skating. Her style of writing works for other topics, just not for sport.

[Lissa]

Can someone please tell me when the SD is? Will it be up live streaming?

[elle123]

SD starts 9:15am EST. Not sure if it's streaming anywhere.

[IoanaC]

http://tvonsite.org/index.php?kanal=sport2

This is the link, but it kept freezing yesterday.

[Shayii]

Wishing Tessa and Scott lots and lots (and lots) of luck for the SD!! Can't wait to see their performance, I think it'll be amazing. And for everybody that's there try to enjoy it and not be too nervous.

Wednesday practice pics http://lizabet236.gallery.ru/watch?a=FHz-jozd

Thank you for the pictures, such stunning pictures for stunning people. I love this one http://lizabet236.gallery.ru/watch?ph=FHz-enrr9 and I want to know how they're not falling over in this one http://lizabet236.gallery.ru/watch?ph=FHz-enrr0.

[Macassar88]

Does Dimanno get expenses paid to go to Sochi and cover the event?

She really is terrible. Surely there was someone who is better informed about the sport they're covering, not to mention that can write as an objective journalist and not a tabloid writer.

I feel like most people here could do a better job

[Emdee]

My heart is in my mouth especially after reading Scott's quote.

[walei]

My heart is in my mouth especially after reading Scott's quote.

What did he say?

[Emdee]

Sorry I see now it was Tessa's quote where she said that they learned from last year that they had to approach this a bit differently and have to think long term and its really about the Wch in March.

Its the underlying implication....

[elle123]

I saw the banner that said "To Russia with Love" ... was that you, Pani?

The feed was a little choppy but I think they did a good job today and 2 points is definitely not insurmountable. But like they said, it's about the end result at Worlds and they seemed pleased with their skate today.

[elle123]

Just took a look at the protocols and Scott and Tessa got a level 4 for the second YP! Unfortunately, their twizzles only got a level 3 but that's easily fixable.

[Emdee]

There are two banners
One says Dance me to the end of time.

Of course they are from Pani and her cohorts!

Two points are defintely not insurmountable and their piece de resistance is still to come.

[IoanaC]

The good news: the levels in the polka, 3 and 4. Great job! They were very careful with the pattern, I thought, maybe that's why the enthusiasm/performance level was lower than at CoR.

The bad news: the judges seem to appreciate D/W's SD more, and they might get stuck with second place in this portion throughout the season. Which wouldn't be a disaster, especially since the real difference is just 1 point (Tessa and Scott lost the TES on account of the twizzles), IF the same wonderful judges marked the obvious difference of choreography, originality and difficulty between the two FDs. We'll see tomorrow, but I'm not too hopeful...

Emdee, there are actually about 4 banners in total! I think only Japanese skaters have more!

[Golightly]

Does anyone have a link to the protocols? I saw that was quite good, actually. Much better than the past two skates

[IoanaC]

Does anyone have a link to the protocols? I saw that was quite good, actually. Much better than the past two skates

http://www.isuresults.com/results/gpf1213/index.htm

[elle123]

Does anyone have a link to the protocols? I saw that was quite good, actually. Much better than the past two skates

http://www.isuresults.com/results/gp..._SD_Scores.pdf