1. Overall 188.55; 1. FS 123.17 (64.57+59.60-1.0) Mao Asada was not perfect but she soared through two triple Axels, one combined with a double toe loop, to overtake Yu-na Kim, who tired and made mistakes towards the end of her routine. Asada performed to Khatchaturian’s Masquerade Waltz in a sleeveless black dress with wrist bands. It had a sexy, see-through mid-rift and a chiffon skirt. She won the gold by 2.20, with Kim second.

The infamous Tonya Harding was the first woman to bring off a triple Axel to double toe combination in an international which she did in 1991 at Skate America in Oakland, CA, when she beat Kristi Yamaguchi to the gold. Midori Ito had become the first woman ever to do a triple Axel when she won the world title in Paris in 1989. Ito also completed the triple Axel to double toe combination in 1991, a few weeks after Harding, at the NHK Trophy in Japan. That was the last time this combination was executed successfully internationally.

Asada shed tears of joy after her performance and said, modestly, "I didn’t feel any pressure coming into this event as the World Champion. I am happy that I could get this victory and that I got credit for landing two triple Axels in my performance. It is really special. I did my best to perform in a relaxed way, like I do in practice. This is the first time I faced Athlete Kim this season." Asada was very respectful of Kim, always calling her "Kim senshu" which means "Athlete Kim". Asada said, "I believe we stimulate each other. Her performances motivate me to work harder and on my weak areas."

The tiny Ito was on hand as a commentator for NHK television and seemed almost as excited as Asada. Asada’s routine began with the triple Axel combined with a "Tano" double toe loop which earned +0.80 over the base value of 9.50 points. ("Tano" refers to shooting an arm up in the air during the rotation and holding it there for the landing. It was a signature move for ’88 Olympic champion Brian Boitano’s triple Lutz. The variation was invented on double jumps by 1962 world champion Don Jackson from Canada.) Asada’s stunning initial move was followed, after an intermediary outside spread eagle, by a solo triple Axel that received +1.40 over the base value of 8.20.

You might think, with triple Axels in her arsenal, Asada should be unbeatable because Asada, theoretically, could attempt eight triples while her rivals can do only seven. But Asada did not try a triple Lutz. (There are only six kinds of triples – Toe loop, loop, Salchow, flip, Lutz and Axel. Skaters are allowed to repeat once only two types of triples. The repetitions must be in a combination. A further restriction is that skaters may only do seven jumping passes.) Asada’s third move was initially planned as a triple flip to triple toe. Instead, she substituted a triple flip to double loop to double loop. It received +0.40 so she banked 8.90 points.

That was followed by a Level 3, +0.30 flying sit spin which gave her a total score of 2.90. Her Level 4, +1.60 spirals earned 5.00. As soon as she reached the 10% bonus time, she presented a +0.60 triple Salchow (total banked: 5.55). Then she under-rotated and fell on her second triple flip. She still ended up with 0.87 but that wasn’t enough to wipe out the one point penalty for the fall. She recovered with a good +1.0 triple toe (earning 5.40) and a +0.40 double Axel (total reward 4.25). She finished with a +0.60 flying combination Level 4 spin which brought in 3.60. She has a very long straight line step sequence. It was "only" Level 3 but had a whole point added to the base value of 3.30. Her routine concluded with a Level 4, +0.40 change foot combination spin which earned 3.90.

Asada’s component marks were 1.12 behind Kim’s but her technical score was 3.88 higher. Some felt Asada didn’t smile enough but that would have been inappropriate because this music has a very dark side. The Waltz is part of a suite written by Aram Khatchaturian in 1941 for a play called Masquerade by Mikhail Lermontov which has an Othello theme. Because of a misplaced bracelet, the main character, Arbenin, assumes, incorrectly, that his wife, Nina, is having an affair with the Prince. Consumed by jealousy, he poisons her. Racked with remorse, he imagines her coming back from the grave waltzing at the Prince’s Ball.

Asada said the routine is "challenging. I must develop my physical strength because I am forced to move all the way from the beginning till the ending." Her coach, Tatiana Tarasova, is probably most famous for her transformation of Alexei Yagudin, whom she developed from a technically talented but boring competitor into a dazzling star who, to this day, although he is now living back in Russia, still has a legion of North American fans. Yagudin’s step sequence, choreographed by Tarasova for his famed Winter routine, contributed significantly to his Olympic gold medal win in 2002. It was revolutionary in its day. Yagudin said, "When she first did it, I didn’t believe I could do it. It took my muscles a long time to get used to the effort. I thought my body would never get the strength."

Asada previously trained along with her older sister, Mai, in Lake Arrowhead, CA, with Rafael Arutunian. But she left him just before the 2008 Four Continents event in Korea. The decision was taken because Arutunian said he did not wish to travel to events.

2. 186.35; 2. FS 120.41 (60.69+60.72-1.0) It was probably inevitable that Yu-Na KIM would not be able to skate her best. It was amazing that she skated as well as she did under such unbelievable pressure. The Korean television kept showing her mother’s face. The poor woman was so tense she could barely watch.

Skating to Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sheherazade, used at one point by her idol, Michelle Kwan, dressed in red and gold, Kim began well with a lovely, clean, precise triple flip to triple toe which earned +1.40 over 9.50 base value. That was followed by an even better +1.80 double Axel, which gave her 5.30 points. Then came a superior +1.0 triple Lutz to double toe loop to double loop combination which racked up a total of 9.80 points. Next was a Level 4, +0.50 flying sit spin (total 3.50). At the bonus time, she presented a beautiful +1.60 double Axel to triple toe loop which earned 9.25.

But then she singled her triple Lutz. That still gave her a score of 0.66. Her spirals, which looked a little slow, were given the maximum Level 4, with +1.60 GoE which meant she banked 5.00. Then she under-rotated and fell on her triple Salchow. The 0.43 she earned for this move was more than wiped out by the -1.0 penalty for the fall. The flying combination spin was Level 3 with +0.40 (earning 2.90); her Level 3 straight line steps got +0.40 for a total score of 3.80. Her final jump, a flawless double Axel, received +1.00 for a total of 4.83. Her final move was a Level 3, +0.70 change foot combination which earned 3.70.

Kim looked so relieved at the end. "I felt a lot of pressure today and I have a cold that got worse today," she explained later. "I made some mistakes and I am disappointed about that. But, on the other hand, I did quite well and I won a medal. I felt more tired physically than I was yesterday. That was my problem. But I have other competitions remaining and I will try to do my best there. It was wonderful to skate at home. I will do better next time." South Korea’s Premier, Han Seung-soo, was in the audience and the Minster of Sports and Culture came backstage to congratulate the skater. Kim admitted, "I’m very happy it’s over."

Kim is her country’s first skater of note. She won gold medals in her very first competitions, the 2002 Triglav Novice event in Slovenia and the Golden Bear Novice event in 2003, but she didn’t really jump into skating fans’ awareness until when she began competing on the Junior Grand Prix circuit in the 2004/2005 season. South Korea has had many short-track speed skating competitors but Kim was the first from their country ever to win an ISU figure skating medal. She claimed silver at the 2005 world junior championships and then spent the summer in Colorado Springs, where her routines, choreographed by Tom Dickson, helped earn her the Broadmoor Trophy. She made even more of an impact two weeks after the Torino Olympics when she dethroned Mao Asada and became world junior champion, beating the Japanese holder of that title in both sections by a good margin. Both girls were too young to compete in the Games and there was much speculation about how they would have fared.

Because Asada executes a triple Axel, Kim and Orser are often asked when she will attempt one. Orser was known as "Mr. Triple Axel" because, from 1981 onwards, he consistently presented this three and a half turn jump in competition. (Fellow Canadian, Vernon Taylor, is credited by the ISU as the first to accomplish this jump in a world championship, which he did in 1978 in Ottawa.) Orser says they are not currently working on the jump because he doesn’t believe it is worth the risk of injury to Kim.

Orser says his main task was to develop Kim from a great technical skater, who came across to audiences as very cold and introverted, into a more out-going performer who shows more emotion to audiences. She will star in a charity show, Yu-na Kim’s Angels on Ice at the Mokdong rink on Christmas Day. Among the guest skaters is Johnny Weir. Proceeds will be donated to children in need. Last year, Kim was responsible for 12 million won being donated for young figure skaters, and 100 million won along with school uniforms worth 200 million won to poor students. She also presented 100 uniforms to students in Taean County where the country’s worst oil spill ever occurred last December. South Korea is a very small country but that spill was one third the size of the huge Alaskan Exxon Valdez spill.

South Korea bid, unsuccessfully, for the 2010 worlds which will be held in Torino. It has been provisionally allocated the Four Continents Championships but the site, Jeonju City, is two and a half hours journey south of Seoul.

3. 168.01; 4. FS 112.13 (57.48+58.40) Carolina KOSTNER won bronze by taking fourth place in both sections. She has dumped her new routine to Tchaikovsky’s famous music for the Act III Pas de Deux (the "black" act) from the Swan Lake ballet and gone back to last season’s routine to Dvorak’s Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor ("Dumky") Op. 90, played by the Eroica Trio.

Kostner intended to begin with a triple-triple combination. It turned into a triple flip to double toe. This and the immediately following triple Lutz to double toe to double loop both earned a full point over their base value. But then she slightly two-footed the landing of her second triple flip. Three of the judges saw this and punched in -1 GoE. Five did not see it and gave 0. One official thought it was good enough for +1.0. However, there was no doubt about the next move. She fell on the triple loop.

Her first spin, a Level 3 change foot combination got a slight negative reflecting the dissension in the judges’ ranks. The judge who marked out-of-line on the previous move giving +1, this time was out-of-line the other way. He/she gave -2 while two of his/her colleagues gave +1 and three others punched in 0 which is for satisfactory. The other three gave -1.

For her next element, a double Axel to triple toe, two thought it had an error and gave -1. Five decided it was satisfactory and gave 0 while the other two thought it was better than that and punched in +1. What is it about Kostner that causes all this dissention?

There was less disagreement about her double Axel to triple toe. All nine punched in 0 or +1. Kostner agreed with that. "I was happy about this combination." And the judges were unanimous with a -2 for her triple Salchow. Kostner’s change foot sit spin was only Level 2 and +0.10. But she did better on her next two moves, gaining Level 3, +0.70 GoE for her straight line steps and Level 4 with +1.00 for her spirals. Her final jump, a double Axel earned the base value but her final move, a flying sit spin was the basic Level 1 with a slight negative, -0.1.

"I was very nervous today," Kostner said. "I don’t know why because I have been training well. Each competition is getting better. But I didn’t expect the bronze medal. I’m so happy with that because I had a very difficult start to the season. I was very happy with the three jump combination. But I think I didn’t take enough speed out of the second triple flip and didn’t get the right rhythm going into the triple loop and that’s why I fell on it. Sometimes I need to wait a little until the correct moment for the loop."

This new system rewards people who think on their feet, but that can also be disastrous. In Skate Canada, skating her Swan Lake program, Kostner fell approaching her double Axel. Since she had not gone into the move, she tried it again, later, but had to hurry to fit it in and fell, giving her two falls instead of just one.

4. 166.36; 3. FS 115.88 (57.48+58.40) Joannie ROCHETTE recovered from what she termed a "disaster" in the Short Program which had left her in last place. With only 1.66 more marks, she would have gained the bronze medal. On a conference call to Canadian journalists after the event, Rochette said, "I think it was a good lesson for me to be fourth by a few little points, because it’s given me a good wake-up call. I need to prepare better for the world championships. I need to be back in fighting spirit for the rest of the year. I was very happy to be able to climb up to third place in the long program. I didn’t know if it was possible or not. I was glad that I gave a good impression to people and that I showed that [the short program] was not me. I’m glad I showed I can be on the podium at worlds."

Rochette skated to Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez choreographed by Lori Nichol. Kostner and Rochette were the only skaters who were not penalized for under-rotated jumps. Rochette started a little tentatively. She stumbled and stepped out of her opening move, a triple Lutz, which was meant to be a three jump combo with a double toe to double loop. The base value of that combination is 8.80. As it was, the omission was costly. She was saddled with a -1.80 GoE and earned only 4.20.

She recovered well, presenting a good triple flip (+0.60) and an even better triple loop (+1.40). The following two spins were both Level 4 with the flying sit gaining +0.30 and the change foot upright +0.10. But, as the bonus time kicked in, she doubled her second triple Lutz. Her sequence of triple toe to triple Salchow earned +0.80 over the base value plus 10% to chalk up 8.20 points. Rochette’s straight line steps were Level 3 and +0.60. Her spirals were Level 4 and +1.0, and her sequence of two double Axels gained +0.80. Her final jump, a triple Salchow was rewarded with +0.80 over base. She concluded with a change foot combination spin that earned a marginal 0.10 over base.

"I learned a lot here," Rochette said. "Taking care of my health must be my top priority. Before coming here I was off the ice for two days with a sore back. I was stressed out because of school." Rochette expects her next competition to be the Four Continents championships which will be the tryout for the Olympic facilities in Vancouver in January. Last year she won the silver event when it was held at this rink in Goyang City (with Asada winning and Ando third). Then the season will end in March in the world championships in Los Angeles.

Her boyfriend, François-Louis Tremblay, two-time Olympian and double Olympic silver medalist in 2006 in short track, has sparked her interest in that sport. "I have tried it, but, no, I’m not very good," Rochette admitted. At least they can exchange tips on coping with the public’s expectations and with the debilitating jetlag of travel to Asia. Just before Rochette flew to Korea, Tremblay came close to breaking a world record in Nagano, Japan, where he was competing on the World Cup series. He ended up winning a bronze medal in the 1,500 metres behind two Koreans.

5. 161.93; 6. FS 99.85 (44.17+55.68) Yukari NAKANO, who had been lying third after the SP, had an off-day and dropped from third after the Short Program to fifth overall. Although Nakano earned 2.96 points less than Miki Ando in the Free Skate, she was able to finish 3.68 points ahead overall of the 2007 world champion.

Nakano performed to music from the ballet, Giselle. She plays the innocent peasant girl we meet in Act I who falls in love with the prince who hides his identity and betrays her. She dies of grief at the end of Act and becomes a spirit in Act II but Nakano deals with only the early joyful feelings.

Nakano’s first move, a triple Axel, was downgraded, as was the triple flip which followed. The flip, which was combined with a double toe, was also marked with an exclamation mark warning of a wrong edge take-off. The next moves, triple Salchow to double toe (+0.40 GoE), double Axel (+0.60), and Level 4 change foot combination spin (+0.70) were all good but then she doubled her Lutz. Her spirals were Level 4 with +0.80. Her second triple flip got a slight negative (-0.20). Then came a Level 3 flying combination spin which earned +0.60.

Nakano had a trip on her straight line steps and received only Level 2 with -0.30 GoE. Her final jumping pass was a triple toe to double toe to double loop combination but the third jump was downgraded and the GoE was -1.40. Her final move was a Level 4 flying camel spin which earned +0.80 over the base value.

"I was very nervous," Nakano said. "I am very disappointed to make so many mistakes today. The triple Axel was really good in practice and I thought I’d be able to do it in the program but I rushed it a little and I think that’s why I missed it. About doubling the Lutz – this has always been a weak jump for me."

Nakano was competing in her third GP Final. She first came on the international scene winning the Triglav Trophy back in the ’99 season. The next season she made the JrGP Final and took part in her first world junior championships. The following season (2001) she took golds in both her JrGP events and won bronze in the Final. A short time later she was fourth in the World Junior Championship, then won silver the following season.

In the fall of 2002, despite being recognized as only the third woman ever to accomplish a triple Axel in an international (in Skate America in Spokane), she finished only seventh in that event, which was her first Senior Grand Prix. A few months later she won gold in the Four Continents Championship.

She did less well in the following two seasons but won a bronze in the SrGP Final in the 2006, silver in the Four Continents and was fifth in her debut in the world (Sr) championships.

6. 158.25; 5. FS 102.81 (47.45+55.36) Miki ANDO finished last despite taking fifth place in both sections. Like Kostner, she has dumped this season’s new program which was, like Nagano’s, set to music from the ballet, Giselle. Her new program is to Symphony No.3 by Camille Saint Saens with Organ. Ando, who has never won a medal in this event, said, "After Skate America, my coach Nikolai Morosov played me this CD and I liked it. To have two people skate to the same music is boring for the audience."

Ando began with a quad Salchow which was downgraded followed by a triple flip, which was also downgraded, followed by a double Axel to a triple toe in which the second jump was downgraded. In her next jumping pass, a triple Lutz to double loop to double loop, both of the loops were downgraded. In total five of her ten jumps were downgraded. Only one of her spins earned Level 4. The change foot combination was Level 3 and the flying sit was Level 2. Her straight line steps were only Level 2.

Nevertheless, Ando said, "I was not disappointed. I am actually very happy because I didn’t try a quad (Salchow) for many years and the Axel-toe is a new jump for me. This year I felt I really wanted to go for the quad Salchow. The double Axel-triple toe was also under-rotated, but I am very happy that I still was able to do these two elements. Even though I was lacking speed and some jumps were under-rotated, I’m still pleased.

"I knew when I landed the Salchow that it was under-rotated. I made the decision (to include the quad) after the official practice. I discussed, for a long time with my coach if I should do the triple Salchow-triple loop combination or the quad and, finally, he said it was up to me. Though the scores weren’t good I’m not discouraged because I made the quad that I didn’t even attempt for so many years! This season I really have a strong wish to jump quad. Though it was downgraded today, I’m so happy to have shown to myself that it’s still possible. I can still do it in competition. I had a very long talk with my coach whether to go for it or not. In the end, Nikolai gave me his words, ‘Okay! Okay! I’ll let you decide.’

"I am more confident with my new music. It was an excellent decision to make the change. The music suits me well. Last season helped me to become stronger as a personality and as a skater."

She was credited with being the first, and still only, woman to land a quad Salchow in ISU competition which she did in the December 2002 in Junior Grand Prix Final. But then she grew and has spent the rest of her career trying to equal that moment. When she won the 2007 world title, in her home country, she did not try it but never stopped saying she would do it again in the future.

Ando attitude shows a complete severance with reality. If she wants to do well in the sport, she has to pay attention to the rules of the sport. For better or worse, the medalists in Vancouver and their coaches must study every possible way to accumulate points. Pursuing an unrealistic goal is nuts.

This was the event which stirred up the most controversy. Many fans believe Mao Asada should have beaten Yu-na Kim in this section by a huge margin. It appeared that Asada has skated perfectly presenting an extremely enjoyable performance. She appeared to have made no obvious errors, while Kim completely failed to execute one of the eight requirements. Certainly the exuberant behavior and smiles of Asada’s coach Tatiana Tarasova and her choreographer, Shanetta Folle, as they hugged Asada in the Kiss & Cry area, indicated they believed that their pupil had skated as well as she could.

But this is the era of the video replay. Technical Specialist Pirjo Uimonen and her assistant, Jan Cejvan, downgraded Asada’s triple loop, the second jump in her combination with a triple flip. (Since the loop is considered more difficult than the toe loop, Asada’s base value for her combination was more than Kim’s.)

Had video cameras been used, many decisions in the past would have changed, including denying Oksana Baiul her 1994 Olympic gold. Some fans say the ISU has gone too far in this direction and that since Asada’s combination looked flawless to most spectators, it should have been allowed. The error is visible on the video but only for less than a split second.

Kim took first over Asada by only 0.56 with Asada, even with the downgrading, earned the highest technical score by 0.20. Since both are the same age, with Kim born on September 5, 1990 and Asada born just 20 days later, let’s hope they’ll both be around for many years so the fans can continue to have many more enjoyable arguments over their relative merits.

No US competitors made it to this Final but Rachael Flatt, who was fourth in Skate America and earned silver in Cup of Russia, and Alissa Czisny, who won bronze in Skate Canada and was fourth in Russia, were the second and third substitutes. First reserve was Fumie Suguri of Japan, who gained silver in Japan and bronze in Russia.

1. 65.94 (35.50+30.44) The interest in Yu-na Kim in her home country is phenomenal. When she arrived from Canada with her coach, two-time Olympic silver medalist Brian Orser, at Incheon airport, she was greeted by a fleet of fans and journalists who have christened her "Queen Yu-na". Everywhere she went she was followed by camera toting Koreans both professionals and amateurs. (The recent technical developments which mean average folk can send photos and video of themselves with their idols have provided an added incentive for the fans to "stalk" their idols.)

This was the first time Kim had competed in an international in her own country. She was scheduled to take part in the Four Continents championship at this same rink earlier this year but had to withdraw because of back and hip problems. Some of the fans had bought tickets to that event and had been waiting impatiently since then to see her compete in person.

Kim was continually asked about her hopes. The questions were very similar and there was nothing new she could say. She politely endured all this hoop-la. The fact that she was seeking a third straight win at the Final to match Irina Slutskaya’s record seemed to most excite the news people. "I know how the local fans are expecting high marks and I will try to live up to their faith," she would repeat demurely again and again. "The strength of my rivals is making me nervous but I will try to do what I have prepared for."

She was the top qualifier, winning golds in Skate Canada and China. Joannie Rochette also won two golds (in Skate Canada and Paris) but the South Korean was the first qualifier because her scores totaled 385.20 which was 15.60 above Rochette’s. In the past two world championships, Kim won bronzes after taking first in the SP in 2007 and first in the FS in 2008. In the latter event, she competed despite losing much training time because of a back and hip injury.

In 2006, Kim began training at the historic Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club under Orser’s direction. "In Korea I am too well known," Kim explained earlier this year, while seated in the viewing room above the TCS&CC’s figure rink following an intense training session. "I can not walk down the street without being recognized so Canada is a more productive training environment." Since the TCS&CC is private, no one can gain entry without being cleared, which, Kim explains, makes it easier for her to train without interruptions.

As the willow-y slim, fragile-looking 5’4" figure, attired in black and silver, stepped on to the ice in the small arena, which was packed to the gills, for her six minute short program warm-up, the cheers were deafening. There were a huge number of yellow banners with "YUNA QUEEN (in Korean of course). She looked a little overwhelmed and tentative and made several errors in this practice time including popped jumps. Kim said, "I didn’t think that I would be nervous, but in fact I was. There was such a big cheer from the audience during the warm-up that it made me nervous."

As the top qualifier, she performed last and you could literally feel the excitement and electricity in the air as she stepped back on the ice for the actual performance. David Wilson, has fashioned a delightful number to Camille Saint-Saens’ Dance Macabre. She began with an absolutely straight-in-the-air, clean triple flip to triple toe loop. All the other competitors had been penalized for errors on this move. All but one of the nine judges gave punched in +2GoE for Kim. (The exception gave a miserly +1.0 but was not in the random computer selection since the median GoE was +2.) That put 11.50 points in her bank. Considering the smallness of the arena, the deafening volume of cheers was incredible.

However, there was palpable disappointment in the crowd who collectively gasped as she singled her next move, the planned triple Lutz, which earned only 0.30. In contrast, Asada executed a beautiful triple Lutz to earn +0.80 over the base value of 6.0. Kim’s shock at this major error may have affected her next move, the spirals for which she was given Level 3 and +0.80 GoE. That was lower than all her competitors except Rochette, who received Level 3 and +0.30 GoE. The others all earned Level 4. Mao Asado received +1.40 GoE, while Yukari Nakano, Carolina Kostner and Miki Ando all got +1.00 GoE.

But Kim was the only woman to get Level 4 for all three of her spins. The layback got (+0.70), the flying sit (+0.40), and the change foot combination (+0.80). Asada and Nakano received Level 3 for their layback while the other three competitors were awarded Level 2. The base value of a Level 4 layback is 2.7 points; for Level 3 it’s 2.4 and for Level 2, it’s 1.9. Since Asado received a higher GoE (+0.90) than Kim, she made up a little of her lower "level" technical deficit which meant she only lost 0.1 to her Korean rival on that element. That doesn’t seem much but it can make the difference in a tight decision.

Kim’s double Axel was textbook and received +1.40. Asada, Ando and Rochette’s double Axels received +1.0 GoE. Nakano’s got +0.60 and Kostner only received 0.40 for this jump which is known as her Archilles’ Tendon. All six women received Level 3 for their step sequence. Kim got the highest GoE, +0.70. Asada and Kostner received +0.60; Ando and Rochette, +0.50; and Nakano +0.20.

Kim might not have been perfect, but the spectators loved her anyway. Showers of stuffed toys rained down on all the competitors but the number for Kim was really ridiculously excessive. (For the FS, the organizers, who ran out of space to put them, made a guesstimate at 550 stuffed toys and 500 flowers.)

Kim arrived at the post-competition SP news conference wiping away tears. "They were because I really wanted to do well because it was my first international competition in Korea." She revealed, "The timing on the Lutz (which she popped to a single) wasn’t so great but the other things, the combination, the spins, the spirals were very strong and I was satisfied with that. I missed some jumps in the short program last season so I have some experience on how to recover." Asked if she thought she should be in the lead after her error, she calmly said, "Everything else except the Lutz was very strong and that’s why I got this result."

2. 65.38 (35.70+29.68) Readers of this website will remember being introduced to current world champion Mao Asada in reports about the JrGP in Long Beach in 2004 when Mao, as a substitute for her older sister, Mai, wowed spectators with a mesmerizing SP to Somewhere Over the Rainbow and a FS to La Boutique Fantastic which included a triple Axel. Both were choreographed by Lea Ann Miller. Although she had previously taken part in two novice events in Europe, this was where Asada became a star. (Kimmie Meissner, who was to win the 2006 world and 2007 US titles was the runner-up.) Later that season Asada won the Jr GP Final and the world junior championship.

But the road to an Olympic gold is proving rocky. Asada was only the third qualifier this year for the Final. In Trophy Eric Bompard, although she still won the silver, she made several mistakes. She was eclipsed in both SP and FS by Rochette, finishing a huge 13.59 points behind the Canadian. Coach Tarasova was quick to defend her protégé. "She was having problems with new boots and blades," Tarasova claimed.

Asada rallied two weeks later winning the Japanese Grand Prix in what was an all-Japanese podium with Akiko Suzuki earning the silver and Yukari Nakano bronze. However, even that was not a perfect performance. In Tokyo Asada’s second triple Axel, which was combined with a double toe, was downgraded. (The 23 year old Suzuki did not have a second GP and so did not qualify for the Final. American Ashley Wagner was fourth both in Japan and China and was 12^th in the rankings deciding the six qualifiers.)

Asada performed to Debussy’s Clair de Lune (Moonlight). Tarasova, who was based in Connecticut for many years, is now back in Russia and both parties appear to be doing a lot of traveling between Russia and Japan. Tarasova has trained many Olympic champions. When Asada was asked what Tarasova does for her, she replied, "Everything. It’s not just the jumps and the elements." Johnny Weir, who spent several summer in Connecticut under Tarasova’s direction, refers to her as "a complete mother figure". When asked about her performance, Asada said, "I didn’t have any problems with the jumps. I think that I skated quite well today. I don’t care too much about it (the downgrading). I just have to jump higher in the future."

Asada is famous outside the skating world for winning gold in Tokyo in the December 2005 Grand Prix Final where she beat the then world champion, Irina Slutskaya of Russia. That set off a huge debate because she was too young to go to the Olympics less than two months later. (The Grand Prix Series allows competitors to be a year younger than the requirement for the Games and for the world senior championships.) She had won silver (behind Kim) in the Final for the last two years.

3. 62.08 (34.20+27.88) Yukari Nakano was the fifth qualifier, taking silver in Skate America and bronze in Japan. Miki Ando also had a bronze (Skate America) and a silver (China) but scored 339.30, just 0.10 less than Nakano. Nakano, who was 23 on August 25, was fourth in the world championship earlier this year after finishing fifth in the previous two years. Many felt the girl in the gold blades should have placed higher.

Commenting on NBC television from Worlds, Peggy Fleming gushed that Nakano had performed the best triple Axel she’d ever seen. But it was downgraded, not because of the landing, but because the take-off was skidded and she didn’t get airborne until she was on a back inside edge. Nakano first landed a triple Axel, which was acknowledged by the ISU, way back in 2002 in Skate America. At that point she was only the third woman ever to be accredited as doing the jump. (Midori Ito was the first and Tonya Harding the second.) Nakano was fifth in last year’s GP Final.

Nakano, who is from Yokohama and trains with Nobuo Sato, skated to The Romance Suite from The Gadfly, Opus 97A by Dmitri Shostakovich, choreographed by Marina Zueva, wearing a plain purple dress with chiffon bell sleeves. Her combination was "only" triple flip to double toe and the first jump received an exclamation warning for wrong edge. She receive a negative GoE (-0.80) for both this and her triple Lutz.

4. 55.88 (28.80+28.08-1.0) Carolina "Caro" Kostner, the twice European champion who took the runner-up spot in the world championships earlier this year, was the fourth qualifier. She had an unsteady start to the season when she placed only fourth in Skate Canada but recovered to win the FS in the Cup of Russia and the gold overall after being second in the SP. She was third in the GP Final last year.

Her SP was set to Mujer Sola (Lonely Woman) and Canaro en Paris played by the current Kansas City group, Tango Lorca. She said, "It was really a shame I fell on the triple flip (which was to be her combination). I get many points for it and it was very consistent in practice. I guess I just didn’t push through enough. I’m happy about the triple Lutz (which received a -0.60 GoE). In practice, when I mess up the first jump, I often pop the Lutz."

5. 55.44 (28.60+27.84-1.0) Miki Ando, who will turn 21 on December 18, was the last qualifier. She stands just 0.44 behind Kostner. Ando performed to The Chairman’s Waltz from the soundtrack of Memories of a Geisha by John Williams, in a fanciful outfit inspired by a kimono. She fell on her first move, a down-graded triple Lutz which was to be her combination but there were no other mistakes.

Ando explained, "It is a long time ago since I skated first and I think this is the reason why I was so nervous. It is kind of a habit with me to always think of not falling during the jumps. But this time I was rather thinking of giving a nice performance as there were so many people from Japan in the audience. I think the fall was because I was nervous. Before I came here (to Korea) I was falling a lot during practice and that was not good for my shoulder."

Ando has had a lot of problems with her shoulder but it was a leg injury which forced the 2007 world champion to withdraw while attempting to defend that title in Gothenburg earlier this year. "I went through a lot of rehabilitation this summer." In her debut world senior championships in 2004, when she was the world junior champion, she finished an extremely promising fourth but the next year she dropped to sixth. Then in the Olympics, she had a disastrous time, finishing 15^th. She did not go to Worlds that year and appeared ready to give up the sport. But she bounced back and won the 2007 world title, giving credit to her "new" coach, Nicolai Morozov who now coaches in Hackensack, NJ, and also does her choreography.

Last season she did not make the cut for the GP Final but was fifth in this event in December 2006, and fourth in the previous two years. She was Japanese champion in the ’04 & ’05 seasons but then dropped to sixth. Since then she has been runner-up twice.

6. 50.48 (23.00+27.48) Four-time Canadian champion Joannie Rochette, who turned 22 on January 13, presented a flawed showing set to Summertime from George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, choreographed by world and many time Canadian ice dance champion Shae-Lynn Bourne.

The routine began well with a +1.0 double Axel but the combination, meant to be two triples, turned into double flip-double toe. Later, she slipped off her edge going into the triple Lutz which became a single. As she left the ice, she was obviously devastated. It took all her efforts to sit in the Kiss and Cry area with her career long coach, Manon Perron, and not cry.

She explained, "I just didn’t have it today. It was a disaster. I didn’t feel my best in the warm-up, but it was still ok. Unfortunately, I carried that feeling into the program. I felt good on the ice but I was a bit nervous because of all the noise. I don’t know why it happened. If I knew, it would never, ever happen again. I just need to get home and work on that short program. Tomorrow is another day. Usually, I’m not the one who pops jumps, so something went wrong tonight."

Rochette has competed in the world championships since 2003, and finished fifth last March. "Worlds are my main focus this season," Rochette said. This is only her second Grand Prix Final. She took bronze in the 2005 season. She had said she was intending to "treat this event as if it’s the final flight at worlds." She had not made any changes to her routines. "I’m working more on my upper body movements, to make the moves more artistic, like a show program."

After Paris she returned to Canada and had some pressing school work to finish. "I’ve been having a little trouble with my back because I’m not used to sitting on a chair so long," she admitted.

Joubert withdrew after aggravating a back injury he had sustained prior to this competition in the morning’s free skating practice. He said, "Today, I tried to practice but I had a big problem with my back. I can not breathe. I can not move. I was in pain. I was not in the best condition to skate today. I didn’t want to go out on the ice like this. First of all, now I want to go home to France and see my medical staff and to get ready for the European championships. My problem is that I was late in my preparation for the season. I worked a lot for the Cup of Russia and I think I paid for that physically. I’m tired. I’m not flexible and my muscles get tired. And I got injured because of this." He was to have interpreted music from the soundtrack of The Last of the Mohicans by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman, choreographed by Evgeny Platov.

Overall 1: 237.72; FS 1: 159.46 (82.56TES+76.90PCS) In a surprise upset, first time qualifier Jeremy Abbott presented a sophisticated, polished showing, winning the free with the highest technical and component scores which pulled him up from second to take gold. His lead over Kozuka, who gained silver although he was third in the free, was a substantial margin of 13.09.

Abbott’s Tom Dickson-choreographed routine was set to Astor Piazzolla’s Eight Seasons Tangos, which are variations on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons performed by Gidon Kremer and Kremerata Baltica. He said, "I wanted to come in here and do my best. I certainly know that any given day there’s a chance of winning, but I did not think it was going to happen. There’s so many amazing skaters here, and to be at top of that list is overwhelming. It’s amazing – such a great feeling. Going out there I was so nervous that I was shaking. I was thinking, ‘I’m at the Grand Prix Final!’ It’s such a big deal. I felt like a Novice Man again. But I know that I am a lot stronger than that. I can do the performance I did today. I just stuck to my plan. I knew that I know how to do that program and so with each jump that I checked off in my program, I felt more confidence. At the end it just felt incredible."

Performing in a bright blue top with beading and black trousers, he began with a +0.80 triple Lutz and a lovely +1.20 triple flip. After a Level 4 flying sit spin which earned just 0.10 over base value, he soared into a splendid +1.20 triple Axel followed by a +0.60 triple Salchow. His Level 4 change foot sit spin earned just +0.30 over base. At the point where the extra 10% for jumps clicks in, he performed a triple Axel to double toe which was rewarded with +1.0 GoE and so earned a total of 11.45 marks. The subsequent circular steps were Level 3 and earned +0.70 extra. Then came his highlight, a three jump combo of triple Lutz to triple toe to double toe worth 12.43 which earned an extra +0.80. Next was a +0.60 triple loop and Level 3 straight line steps which got an extra +0.30. A double Axel to double toe earned +0.80 over base in part because the second jump was executed with hands over head. The program wrapped up with a Level 3 change foot combination spin that earned an extra +0.70.

With a showing like this, he proved he is definitely capable of causing an upset at nationals. He said, "It’s going to be just as much of a fight as this competition was. The senior men in the United States right now are just so incredible and I’m so proud to be one of the top men – it’s a very exciting time."

2. 224.63; FS 3. 140.73 (69.43+73.30-2.0) Kozuka used music from the soundtrack of the Nino Rota movie, Romeo and Juliet. He had a dicey start, two-footing the landing of his quad toe which was down-graded and he had to do some fancy toe steps to keep from falling. He recovered to execute a very nice triple Axel to triple toe which earned the base value of 12.20 and +1.60 Grade of Execution and a +1.40 triple flip. His first spin, a flying sit, was given Level 4 with +0.50 GoE. The straight line steps were only Level 2 with +0.50 but a second spin, the flying change foot, was Level 4 with +0.60. At the point where the bonus marks click in, he executed a +1.0 triple Salchow to double toe. That was followed by his Level 2 circular steps which earned +0.50 over base value. However, his triple Lutz to double toe to double loop was worth only the base value and he put two hands on the ice and fell on the subsequent triple loop which was downgraded. Almost immediately, he fell again, flat out, on his next move, his second triple Axel. He recovered to present a triple Lutz with earned +0.60 and managed to close well with a Level 4 change foot combination spin which was awarded +0.70.

"I was a little upset about my mistakes at the end," Kozuka said. "I lost energy. As I had fallen on the quad at an earlier competition and I didn’t this time, I’m happy with that. I was less nervous once I did the quad. I missed the loop because I was a little tired and I didn’t have enough speed. At the beginning of the season I didn’t think I’d make the Final. I achieved that one goal for the season which is good. I was very nervous because I had to wait till last to skate. (Competitors in this event skate their FS in reverse order to their placing in the short.) I think this was one reason why I ran out of steam at the end. This has been a great experience.

"I’m a bit shy. I prefer mathematics over poetry or literature. I know my program components are weak because I’m not so out-going. I know there is criticism that my outfit is too plain but my choreographer wants the judges and fans to look at my fancy footwork and not get distracted by the costume. I feel this program can help me to improve my components." He said he has been working on his stamina and building leg muscles. "I have been landing only one out of five quads in practice but I don’t want to take it out because I need it."

3. 215.50; 2. FS 143.00 (71.30+71.70) Weir, skating to Notre Dame de Paris by I. Fiamminghi, earned a new personal best score, although he doubled the loop. He said, "It’s my first Grand Prix Final medal and that’s great. About the loop - my fans know that I start to get ‘trippy’ on the slow section after the stop. This time I started to forget what I was doing and I lost my focus a little there. Yesterday’s performance was very disappointing. I felt very upset with that skate . I was 11 points out of first place after the short program, and that’s not a position I like to be in. So, today really was a fight. It helps that I’m getting old. With that maturity, I have a new ability to trust myself more, and trust my technique. When I go to the ice for the competition, I’m not nervous about what may happen. This season one of my main goals was to be a really reliable skater. I wanted to put out the best performances that I could and I’ve really been working on that at home. I think that focus and determination has really come from everything that I’ve put into my skating this season. I’m really happy with the outcome."

He told the International Herald Tribune, "My biggest regret is that, at times, I haven’t believed in myself. It’s a very cutthroat and catty sport, and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to realize that at the end of the day all you’ve got is yourself. In sport, in life, in anything, you have to trust yourself." Because he stayed in Japan after his second Grand Prix and came directly from there to Korea he said he was so looking forward to being back, although it will only be for a short time until he returns to Seoul for Yu-na Kim’s Christmas show. "I’ve been in Asia now a long time. I feel like I’ve been in an endless competition and I’m so homesick. I’m excited to be going home."

4. 206.65; 4. FS 137.31 (63.21+74.10) Verner advanced a place from the SP but that was because of Joubert’s withdrawal. Although he didn’t fall, the handsome Czech gave a flawed performance to three well-known Astor Piazzolla tangos, Oblivion, Adios Nonino and Libertango. Also included in the four and a half minutes was Matos Rodrigues’ La Cumparsita. He said, "I think I don’t have my skating confidence back yet. I lost it at the worlds in Gothenburg and I haven’t recovered it yet. To be honest, I’m upset that everything goes well in practice but once the competition starts, I can’t show what I can do. I’ll be doing some shows over Christmas and the New Year. There, I’ll have fun skating and I can do difficult elements under difficult conditions and hopefully I’ll get back my confidence."

Verner, dressed in black and silver, with red cuffs, landed his first jump the quad toe badly in a spray of ice chips, and was saddled with a -1.60 GoE. A short time later he soared through a +0.80 triple Lutz to double toe but then he singles his triple Lutz attempt. He recovered from that error and executed a +0.60 triple Salchow followed by a Level 3 straight line step sequence which earned an extra +0.70. His flying sit spin was a Level 4 with +0.50 but then he singled his second triple Axel attempt which was to have been a combination and, even worse, doubled and messed up a planned triple. Not long after he appeared to be a different person executing an easy looking, smooth triple Lutz combined with an improvised triple toe just past the spot where the 10% bonus marks check in, which earned a full point over the base value plus 10%. But the up was followed by another down. His triple flip to double toe not only was given an exclamation point for a suspect wrong edge take-off, the judges thought it should have -0.80 GoE take off the base value. Relieved the end was near, he relaxed and produced a Level 4 change foot sit which earned the base value followed by Level 3 circular steps which gained +0.20. His final move was a Level 3 change foot combination spin which gained +0.70 GoE.

5. 205.16; 5. FS 137.16 (65.96+73.20-2.0) After riding the heights dethroning Jeff Buttle to become the youngest Canadian champion since since Charles Snelling won at 16 in 1954, and doing so well in his Grand Prixs, it probably was inevitable that Chan might have some setbacks. This competition certainly showed how unpredictable life can be. Chan took this reversal gracefully. "As athletes we all have good days and bad days, and today was a bad," Chan said with a resigned smile. "All you can do is smile and move on. I was healthy. I missed both triple Axels but this jump is still pretty new for me. (He only started lansing it for last season.) I put the short program behind me and I move on. Now I have to put this behind me and work hard to make sure it doesn’t happen at worlds."

Using music from Rachmaninov’s Cello Sonata and his Piano Concerto No. 2, dressed in deep blue, he fell but got credit for the rotation of his first triple Axel so he still got a consolation prize of four points less the one mark penalty for the fall. He looked more like himself on his next four moves, a +1.20 triple flip to triple toe, a +0.60 triple Lutz, a Level 4 +0.20 change foot sit spin and Level 3 +0.70 circular steps. But he fell again on a triple Axel and this one was downgraded which meant he banked only 0.58. That, with the point deduction for a fall, had him in negative land with -0.42.

From then on he was fine, with all his elements earning at least the base value. The triple Salchow was given only the base value but he earned Level 4 for the remaining two spins with +0.40 for the combination and +0.20 for the ending sit. His triple loop received +0.60 and the three jump combination triple Lutz to double toe to double loop got +0.80. A double Axel was given +0.40 and his straight line steps were Level 3 with +0.70.

"I haven’t had that much mileage under me dealing with jet lag and traveling this far," Chan said earlier. "This is a learning experience. My mom and I have been asking people like doctors and friends about what’s the best thing to do. We took some doctor’s masks to wear on the plane so we don’t get sick because you are breathing recycled air on the flight and you are so close to people who might have a cold. We tried to nap on the plane but there’s no miracle cure for it. You just have to live with it."

The event was missing some expected stars. In a shock move, current world champion Jeff Buttle decided to leave eligible competition. Then Olympic silver medalist and twice world champion Stephane Lambiel, after deserting his long-time coach and moving to Wayne, NJ, to train alongside Johnny Weir, decided pain was preventing him from training at 100%, and announced he would no longer compete. There is nothing, however, preventing either of them changing their minds.

Then the current world silver medalist, Daisuke Takahashi, got injured. In the blog he writes for the Kansai University which he attends, he revealed he had surgery to correct a tear in his right knee’s anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in November. Apparently, rehabilitation will take six months. In a philosophic mood, Takahashi wrote that he’s not agonizing over the injury. "I must accept things I can not change, and strive to change the things I can. I hope to grow not only as a skater, but also as a man."

Another expected contender, US champion Evan Lysacek, was second reserve after earning "only" bronze medals in both Skate America and Skate Canada.

1. 83.90 (47.00+36.90) The discovery of the season, Takahiko Kozuka, took a significant, unpredicted lead of 5.64 after the SP. The talented youngster, who is from Nagoya, and turned 19 on February 27, was the world junior champion in 2006, and eighth in the 2008 world (senior) championship. However, he was little known in the skating world until his unexpected victory over the top two Americans in Everett. He proved that showing was no fluke when he won silver in Paris. His two-competition score was 3.42 more than Chan’s. This is his first Final.

Kozuka interpreted Dave Brubeck’s classic jazz composition, Take Five, which was choreographed by 1994 world champion Yuka Sato. His opening pose was deliberately contemplative and relaxed as befitting the muted 3am mood of the music. His first move was an explosive triple Lutz to triple toe which gained +1.60 over the base value of 10.0. That was quickly followed by a triple Axel that was so good it was awarded +1.40 over the 8.20 base value. His flying sit spin was the top ranked Level 4 with +0.60 GoE. His triple flip looked easy and the judges threw him an extra point over the 5.50 base. His two sets of footwork, straight line immediately followed by circular, were rated "only" Level 3 with +0.70 and +0.50. He finished the routine with two great Level 4 spins, the change foot sit (+0.50) and the change foot combination (+0.90) which finished in a wonderful "old-fashioned" blur. "Capella" a poster for fsuniverse.net called the routine "seamless and sublime" and I agree.

Kozuka was born to a skating family. His father, who coaches him along with Nobuo and Kumiko Sato, competed in the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo and his mother was an ice dancer. He said, "Because it is my first Final, before I started skating my legs were shaking and I was really nervous. My coach, Nobuo Sato, calmed me down. When I started, I felt much better with each successful jump and I knew that I could perform the step sequences pretty well. I think my footwork was better than before. I was worried about making a fool of myself again, about falling on the flying sit like I did in Paris. But I told myself, if I worry too much, I’ll make a mistake for sure so I tried to clear my mind of doubts."

The qualifying tie between Abbott and Joubert (because they both had a win and a fourth place) was broken on total points with Abbott only 0.99 less than Joubert. (Carriere’s second in China and sixth place in Japan gave him tenth place ranking in the Series.)

Abbott, who turned 23 on June 5, is trained by Tom Zakrajsek in Colorado Springs. He performed to Albinoni’s Adagio in G Minor choreographed by Catarina Lindgren. Abbott had an acceptable start with a triple flip to triple toe (+0.20). He built on that good start, making the audience sit up with a splendid triple Axel which earning +1.40, nearly as much as Kozuka’s. Abbott’s Level 4 change foot combination was worthy of +0.80 and the following triple Lutz earned a small positive (0.20).

However, he traveled on his flying sit which received Level 3 with a small negative (-0.24). His remaining three elements, the circular (+0.50) and straight line (+0.40) steps and the change foot sit spin (+0.90) all earned Level 3.

Abbott explained, "After I got back from Russia, I had only about a week and a half of training and I got sick during that time. I train really hard and that helps me get through the times when I don’t feel 100%. I didn’t have great practices when I first got here but each one got a little better.

"I came here for the Four Continents championships (held at this same rink earlier this year, where he finished fifth). For some reason, I found a fan base here. I don’t have an explanation for that but I’m very grateful and excited for all the support the fans are giving me. I love a really loud crowd. When you have people that are so supportive and so excited about figure skating, it makes you excited about wanting to skate and do your best."

3. 74.55 (39.80+35.75-1.0) Brian Joubert won the Final when it was in St. Petersburg in December 2006, but last season he was not able to compete in his second assignment due to illness and didn’t qualify for the Final. This season, he came back from a surprisingly low fourth place in the Eric Bompard Trophy to win Cup of Russia and claim the fourth qualifying spot for this event. The six-time national and 2007 European champion was the first Frenchman to claim the world title in 2007 since Alain Calmat won in 1965. But last season the handsome hearthrob was plagued by a strange virus and by technical changes which penalized his flips as Lutzes and he lost both European and World titles.

Joubert, who turned 24 on September 20 and is trained by Jean Christophe Simond, skated to Rise by Safri Duo choreographed by Evgeny Platov. The outfit was shiny black with fishnet in the cutouts. He opened with a quad toe but the landing was not firm enough for him to execute the triple he planned. However, he was able to execute a double toe to fulfill the "combination" requirement. The judges gave him nothing over the base value. His triple Axel earned +0.60 but then he fell on his triple Lutz. Because he’d completed the rotation, he received still received 3 points. (A triple Lutz’s base value is 6.0.) But he also had 1.0 deducted because of the fall.

Joubert received Level 4s for two of his spins, the change foot combination (+0.30) and the change foot sit (+0.10) which was his final move. His circular steps were Level 3 (+0.90) but his straight line steps were only Level 2 (0.70). He had some interesting points including miming trying to stay in place on a slippery surface. The crowd was extremely enthusiastic to every skater and threw lots of stuffed animals on the ice. Joubert got a bear dressed as him!

He said, "I am disappointed. I was not strong enough in my legs. They were too soft. I am not 100% fit. I had so much trouble (with boot problems this fall) and that is the reason I didn’t practice very well. The audience helped me a lot. It is fantastic for me to skate in this atmosphere. Well, tomorrow is another day. This was my first time in Korea. It was a pleasure to skate before such unbelievably supportive fans. I was very nervous but the audience helped me. The beginning of the season is very difficult for me. I haven’t felt confident in practice."

4. 72.50 (37.50+36.00-1.0) The third qualifier, Johnny Weir, got silvers in the first and last GP events. In the first, in Everett, a left-out double toe jump lost him the gold which was claimed by Kozuka. (It’s amazing for a past three-time US champion, that it was Weir’s first appearance in Skate America!)

In the last, in Tokyo, a cold drained Weir’s strength. He was second in Japan to Nobunari Oda. [Oda was entered in only one Grand Prix and was 13^th on the GP rankings. He had been excluded from competition by his Association after he was arrested on July 26, 2007 and fined for driving his moped after drinking beer. However his win in Tokyo and, earlier this year, gold medals in Oberstdorf and Vienna show that the 21 year old, now taught by Nicolai Morozov in Hackensack, NJ, is back and could be a factor in the world championships.]

Many were surprised when Lambiel went to train alongside Weir earlier this year but Weir said, "Why not? We’ve known each other since I was 13 and he 12 when we competed in a novice event in Slovenia. Nothing Stephane did on a daily basis changed my ultimate goals or my drive. Actually, we were never on the same ice at the same time. People read incredible things into it and were worried for me. It was made out to be far more important than it actually was." Weir, who turned 24 on July 2, placed fourth in last year’s Final.

Because of his cold, Weir stayed in Japan after competing in the last GP. He explained, "Nikolai Morozov helped me find somewhere to train (in Nagoya). It made more sense to stay in Asia rather than go home and go through all the jet lag." Ever since he won the NHK event in 2004, Weir says, "I’ve been very popular with Asian fans." He is very friendly with Yu-na Kim and he will be returning to Seoul to take part in her Christmas Day Charity Show.

He skated to On The Wings of Time by French composer and conductor Saint-Preux, choreographed by Nina Petrenko (who is Viktor’s wife and daughter of Weir’s coach Galina Zmievskaya). Weir began with an extremely smooth triple Lutz to triple toe which earned +1.0 over the base value. However, he stepped out of the triple Axel landing and put two hands on the ice which was classed as a fall. He quickly pulled himself together and executed a triple flip which got an exclamation point warning of wrong take-off edge and a -0.80 GoE.

"I am disappointed with the way I performed today," Weir said. "My performance was just off. I think I was just trying so hard to be perfect that I wasn’t thinking of what I was actually doing on the ice. I watched the replay (of the Axel) and I could see that I was winding up so much more because I wanted to do it so badly. And I didn’t. I’m so disappointed, I tried but I was still thinking about the mistake for the whole rest of the performance." His three spins were Level 4, earning +0.30, +0.40 and +0.60. However, his circular steps were only Level 2 and (+0.60). The straight line steps were marked higher with a Level 3 and (+0.80).

5. 69.34 (37.34+34.00-2.0) Tomas Verner, from Brno in the Czech Republic, who turned 22 on June 3, qualified with a bronze in China and silver in Russia. This is his first Final. He said, "It didn’t start too well but it’s nice to be here with the top skaters in the world." He has had an up-and-down career. Earlier this year, he won the European title after being runner-up in 2007. But then he had a disastrous Free Skate in the world championship in Gothenburg and finished 15^th overall after being 4^th the year before. He is trained by Viasta Koprivova in Prague and by Michael Huth in Oberstdorf in Germany.

He skated to two pieces by Django Reinhardt, a Belgian gypsy guitarist who died in 1953, Melodie en Crépuscule and Minor Swing played by the Greek-American group, Children of the Revolution. His choreography is done by Rostislav Sinitsyn and Lori Nichol. He began with some interesting wavy poses, like some strange rag doll.

He fell on his first move, the quad toe, although he accomplished the rotation. That meant in addition to the standard subtraction of a point for a fall, 4.80 was taken off the quad’s base value of 9.80. (Because the value of quads has been increased, the subtraction for a fall on this move has also gone up from -3.) Because Verner accomplished the rotation, he still banked 5 less1 points.

"I wanted to do the quad in the short," Verner explained. "Then I was somehow exhausted at the end and that part didn’t go well and I fell again on the circular steps. It’s stupid. I understand when I fall on a jump but falling on footwork is just not acceptable." His triple Axel earned the base value but his triple Lutz to triple toe was given minus 0.40. He received Level 4 for the change foot sit (+0.10) and the flying sit (-0.18) and Level 3 for the other three elements, straight line steps (+0.60); circular steps (-1.68) and the change foot combination spin (+0.10).

6. 68.00 (33.30+36.70) The Canadian champion Patrick Chan was the only competitor to win his two events, Skate Canada and Trophy Eric Bompard, and so was the top qualifier for the Final. However, this performance was unfortunate. Chan, who will be 18 on New Years Eve, skated to Tango de los Exilados by Walter Taieb performed by Vanessa Mae.

He fell on his opening move, the triple Axel, got an exclamation warning mark for wrong edge on his triple flip to triple toe which he had to struggle to save and which got a -1.60 GoE and fell again on his triple Lutz. Chan confessed his poor performance was due to "nothing I could point a finger at. It could be the traveling, coming from such a long way. This is only the second time I’ve had such a long flight. Getting used to a different rink was something. I have to leave that behind me. Tomorrow is another day. It’s all a learning experience."

Chan had made no changes to his routines leading up to this event. "I haven’t had the opportunity to go back to Lori (Nichol) and I don’t make changes without her input but I feel that the performance level and the component skills are getting better. I’m not feeling the pressure of being the top seed because I had the experience of having people gunning for me in Paris, where Takahiko, Brian and Alban (Preaubert) were chasing after me looking to overtake me. I skated last in the SP (in Korea) and it was good to have that experience of skating the FS last in Paris. It’s all good experience, mentally and physically, for what’s to come in the future." Last year he finished fifth in the Final.

1. Overall 191.49; FS 1. 125.25 (64.93 TES + PCS 60.32) Qing Pang and Jian Tong were clearly the winners, taking gold over their teammates, the Zhangs by 3.27. Their routine, choreographed by Nikolai Morosov, makes them a little more expressive, but they still have room to develop more Tango flash and arrogance that is the essence of this dance. The music begins with a Tango created by the Gotan Project. That morphs into Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez and then concludes with the Tango de Roxanne from the movie, Moulin Rouge. They are dressed in black and red.

Skating immediately after the second warm-up, they opened with a sequence of two double Axels earning +0.40 over the base value of 5.6. That was followed by +0.20 triple toe loops and a Group 4, Level 4 lift which earned +0.80 over the base of 4.0. Their straight line steps, which began with them going in opposite directions and then crossing over, were deemed Level 3 by the Technical Specialist David Moellenkamp and his assistant David Kirby, and was awarded +0.50 by the panel of nine judges who included the US’s Anne Cammett and Canada’s Deborah Islam.

They made their one error on their flying change foot combination spins which were saddled with -0.24. Then they soared into a Level 1 triple twist which earned +1.40 over the base value. That was followed by an almost as good +1.26 throw triple Salchow and a +1.12 throw triple loop. Their forward inside death spiral was Level 4 and +0.84 and their pair combination spin Level 4 and +0.20. Their last two moves were lifts, a Level 3 toe lasso, earning an extra +0.30, and a Level 4 Axel lasso earning +0.60.

Although their component marks were second best, 1.28 behind Savchenko and Szolkowy, they were the clear winners with a technical score that was the best by 2.77 over the Zhangs who were second in this category and second overall. In the Kiss and Cry area Tong looked pleased and sat wearing a Santa Claus hat thrown at him by a member of the audience.

"This win comes as a little surprise for us," said Tong. "We didn’t have so good results last year and this is a good comeback for us. We feel strong again. This is the first time for us to win the Grand Prix Final. We medaled before (winning bronze in 2004 and 2006) but not gold. We only just resumed training before the Cup of China because I had an Archilles Tendon injury in August. I still have to build up my strength more as most of the big technical elements are in the second half of the routine (in order to get the 10% bonus on lifts and jumps), which requires a lot of physical conditioning. We are looking forward to the Olympics in Canada. Canada has been lucky for us. We won our world title there."

Like their teammates the Zhangs, Pang and Tong were born in Harbin but when coach Bin Yao went to Beijing when a training center opened there, he left Pang and Tong behind. They trained by themselves for several years until they, too, were accepted into the Beijing training facility.

It is interesting to note that Pang and Tong’s choreography (and that of Savcheko and Szolkowy) scheduled five moves which were eligible for a bonus in that period while the Zhangs only put four qualifying elements in that time period and the other pairs only three. Of course, this is a matter of stamina. However, such planning could provide the extra points making a difference as to who gets Olympic medals.

2. 188.22; FS 2. 119.88 (62.16+58.72-1.0) Dan Zhang and Hao Zhang, who started skating together in 1997, performed to music from The Yangtze River Piano Concerto by Hao Weiya. They began with a combination of double Axel to triple toe. Although they got a slight negative, -0.20, they banked 7.30, a good start. Their throw triple Salchow was deemed worth an extra +1.26 and their Level 1 triple Lutz twist +1.40. Then came a Level 4 toe lasso lift which earned an extra +0.60 and a +0.70 Level 4 forward inside death spiral. Their flying change foot combination spin was well synchronized. It was deemed Level 4 and gained +0.50.

However, at the point, when the bonus marks for jumps and lifts activates, she splattered on the throw triple loop. They recovered well and they earned +0.20 over the base value for their triple Salchows. They received Level 4 for both their Axel Lasso (+0.80) and Group 3 lift (+0.10). However, their straight line steps were only Level 2 and earned nothing over the base value. It was the same with their final move, a Level 4 pair combination spin.

Hao Zhang said, "I’m not upset about the fall on the throw loop. I think overall we still did a good program. You can’t always skate perfect. We are happy to be in second place, today."

3. 185.09; FS 3. 114.95 (55.35+61.60-2.0) Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy gave a flawed showing of their Schindler’s List routine, which concludes with half-a-minute of what they term "more up-beat" music, Tomaso Albinoni’s Adagio. In Paris, they had messed up both throws, two-footing the triple flip and singling the throw Salchow, but still won. This time they were not so lucky and were defeated for the first time since the Cup of Russia in November 2007. "Just because we are world champions doesn’t mean we aren’t human and can’t make mistakes just like everyone else," said a disappointed Savchenko.

She was dressed in red, he grey. They began with a planned sequence of two triple toes. The first one was great but Szolkowy explained, "I was surprised that Aliona was slow going into the second toe loop. Usually, I am the one who has problems there." Savchenko added, "It was only after the marks came up for the Zhangs and I was on the ice, that I realized one boot was too tight. At that point it was too late, there was nothing I could do. My foot started to feel numb. After the first triple toe loop, I made an error on a linking step in the sequence to the second and couldn’t take off properly." They received -2 GoE on that move.

They did manage a good Level 2 triple Lutz twist which earned +0.70 but, as Szolkowy said, "Unfortunately, we carried that insecure feel from the toe loops on to the triple Salchow." Savchenko did not complete the three rotations. The move was downgraded and they earned a total of only 0.46 for this element. For the following flying change foot combination spin, they received Level 4 but only the base value. Their back outside death spiral was a good Level 4 with +0.98 GoE. (They and Mukhortova and Trankov were the only pairs to try the more difficult back outside version of the death spiral.)

Their circular steps were Level 3 with +0.50 but then, at bonus time, she fell on their throw triple flip. Their following two lifts were good Level 4s, with the Axel lasso getting +1.0 and the toe lasso (which has an easier ascent and there a slightly lower value) +0.50. The next two elements both received Level 4 - the pair combination spin received +0.30 and the Group 3 lift +0.50. But, the throw triple Salchow was slightly flawed (-0.28) and they got a deduction for going over time of -1.0.

Back in Germany, preparing for their national championships the next week, coach Ingo Steuer said he wasn’t too worried. "Aliona and Robin had a black day in Korea but they fought through it. I actually find it good that they saw that no victory is easy. It will provide motivation for them to work even harder. There is always hard work to be done. They are not invincible and there will be ups and downs."

4. 175.83; FS 5. 111.75 (57.27+54.48) Tatiana Volosozhar and Stanislav Morozov skated to music from the sound track for the movie Pearl Harbor by Hans Zimmer. They opened with a triple toe to double toe sequence that was messy and was penalized with -1.20 GoE. Their triple Salchows were even worse and got -2.0. However, their Level 2 triple Lutz twist was very good and earned +1.12 over the base value, and their Group 3, Level 4 lift received a full point added to the base value. Their Level 4 pair combination spin gained a small +0.20 but their Level 4 Axel lasso lift was rewarded with +1.0.

However, she stumbled on their throw triple loop. Volosozhar later confided, "The problem with the throw triple loop is something in my head, I think." They recovered well and their next element, the throw triple Salchow earned an extra +1.26. The following Level 4 flying change foot combination spin earned just the base value as did their Level 3 straight line steps and the Level 4 toe lasso lift which had a reverse rotation portion. They wrapped it up with a Level 4 forward inside death spiral which earned them +0.70 over the base value.

Volosozhar said, "We made errors on the jumps and I fell on the throw loop but we competed in our first GP Final and finished fourth and that’s not bad. The whole season started well for us and we are gaining more experience with each competition." Her partner added, "Today, it felt really hard to skate. My combination was off somehow. Maybe it was the jetlag."

5. 167.45; FS 4. 112.03 (56.51+55.52) Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Smirnov, who were matched up in 2005 and are taught by Tamara Moskvina, performed to music from the opera I Pagliacci by Leoncavallo. She wore a pink tutu with white arms. The inspiration for that probably comes from the fact that the tragic opera is about a troup of traveling performers who might wear something like that.

They began with a sequence of two triple toes but he did a double on the second jump. Kawaguchi said, "Thank goodness I didn’t fall again. The fall on the triple toe in the short was really embarrassing for me as a former singles skater." However, on the following Level 1 triple Lutz twist, she crashed into his shoulder giving them -0.98 GoE. They tried a throw quad Salchow which she landed on two feet which gave them -1.60 off the base. However, their Axel lasso received Level 4 and +1.0. The Group 3 lift which followed earned Level 4 and +0.50. Their forward inside death spiral gained Level 4 but only the base value.

Smirnov stepped out of his double Axel which was to be a sequence of two jumps. Then came a nice +0.42 throw triple loop and a +0.20 Level 4 Group 5 step in lasso lift. Their Level 4 flying change foot combination spin earned and extra +0.40 but on the straight line steps he looked a bit shaky and they got -0.42 taken off the base value. Their final move, a Level 4 pair combination spin earned marginal +0.10 on top of the base value.

Kawaguchi said, "Overall we made no major error and so it was quite good – certainly better than our free skate at Skate Canada. We were in last place after the short program so we had nothing to lose, but we had a chance to prove to ourselves that we can do better. I found a way to pull myself together." Their coach, Tamara Moskvina, said, "They need more experience to help them feel more secure."

6. 153.16; FS 6. 91.60 (40.36+52.24-1.0) That Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov did not skate well is not surprising. What is, is that he didn’t withdraw. He was throwing up beforehand and afterwards went straight to hospital, leaving his partner to sit with a team member in the Kiss & Cry. Their routine, set to The Lady and the Hooligan by Dmitri Shostakovich, definitely has possibilities but this performance did not do it justice.

They had bumpy catch on their first element a Level 1 triple twist. She doubled and he stepped out of their triple Salchows. However, their Level 4 Axel lasso got a +1.0 GoE. She put her hand down on their throw triple loop and their back outside death spiral received a slight negative (-0.14). Then he fell and she doubled their triple toe loops. They managed the following throw triple Salchow receiving +0.56 and their next three elements, the Level 3 toe Lasso (base value only), the Level 2 flying change foot combination spin (+0.04) and the Level 3 steps (base value) were adequately performed. However, Trankov could not get her up into their Group 3 lift and they only just managed to perform their final move, a Level 1 pair combination spin which got -0.06 GoE.

US champions, Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker, were first reserves, losing out in what was initially a three-way tie. They won silver in Skate America and bronze in Skate Canada which tied them with Volosozhar and Morosov, who were second in China and third in Russia, AND Mukhortova and Trankov, who were third in Skate America and second in France. The combined score for their two events was used to break that tie. Volosozhar and Morosov earned 342.91; Mukhortova and Trankov got 338.54 and the Americans 334.54.

1. 70.14 (39.66+30.48) World champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy were the top qualifiers winning Skate America and Trophy Eric Bompard, with 15.60 points more than the Zhangs. They were the Final’s defending titleholders after winning silver the previous season and bronze the season before. They went into this event, not having lost a competition since the 2007 Cup of Russia. Coach Ingo Steuer won the Grand Prix Final in 1997 in Kitchener, Ontario, in the year that he and partner Mandy Woetzel were world champions. (They might have been Olympic champions were it not for an accident in 1997 in which he was hit by the outside mirror of a passing car in his home town, Chemnitz. "I didn’t think the injury was that bad initially," said Steuer in the press room in Goyang City while his pupils were being interrogated by the press. "But it had done a lot of damage to my shoulder. I didn’t think I would be back in shape for the Olympics in Nagano in 1998. I missed too much training. We weren’t thinking of the gold. We were just pleased to get to the Games, and we were proud of our bronze.)

Savchenko and Szolkowy, who have been German champions since they teamed up in 2003, skated to fun and fast music from the soundtrack for the movie, Lost in Space, composed by Bruce Broughton. Both are dressed in shiny material, he in a muted purple body suit and she in shocking pink with hot pants and fake knee-length boots. In Skate America, they had placed second in the SP behind Mukhortova and Trankov because Szolkowy doubled his toe loop. Here in Korea, skating last, the move was perfectly synchronized and they earned +1.0 over the base value.

Savchenko, who turned 24 on January 19, and Szolkowy, who was 29 on July 14, then executed their throw triple flip which she landed a little scratchily and they had -0.14 taken off the base value. Then came their Level 1 triple Lutz twist which was good enough for the judges to punch in a GoE of +0.56 which was added to the base value. However, it did not match the incredible height achieved by both Chinese pairs. Then came their Level 4 flying change foot combination solo spins which earned +0.30 over the base value. Their Group 3 Level 4 lift was solid and earned an extra 0.80. They followed that with very polished spirals which gained a +1.80 over base. The forward inside death spiral had an excellent entry with him holding his free foot skate in a high kick position. Their "down" position was solidly held. (In Oberstdorf when they won the Nebelhorn Trophy, they were given a Level 1 for this move because she bobbed her head up when he changed hands. But she learned that lesson well and, here, they received Level 4 and earned an extra 0.84 over base.) They finished up with great energy and her smilingly selling the routine with their Level 4 pair combination spin which was awarded +0.50 over base. However, their lead over the Zhangs was only 1.80.

Both said it had been very hard for them to skate. Savchenko said, "Maybe it was the jetlag, maybe the cold rink. But the audience was wonderful and gave us so much energy. Our highlight today was the toe loop but we are never satisfied. We want to continually improve our scores." Szolkowy agreed. "The audience was with us from the first beat of the music. If they weren’t there, it would have been worse for us. We really want to win the gold." Their score was a season’s best.

2. 68.34 (40.22+29.12-1.0) Dan Zhang and Hao Zhang are from Harbin in the north of China but train in Beijing with Bin Yao, the man who, almost single handedly, pushed Chinese couples from the very bottom of the ladder to the top. The pair, who are not related, received slightly more (0.68) for their element score than the Germans. They were the second qualifiers winning Cup of China and Cup of Russia.

The couple is best known for winning silver at the 2006 Olympics after an interrupted Free Skate in which she crashed onto her knees during an under-rotated throw quad Salchow attempt. Dan turned 23 on October 4 and Hao was 24 on July 6. They have won two silvers, with a bronze in between in the last three Grand Prix Finals. They have also won two silvers in the world championships (2006 & 2008) and a bronze (in 2005) but were only fifth in 2007.

Skating to Riding on the Wings of Songs by Felix Mendelssohn, choreographed by Marina Zueva, they opened their routine with a Level 2 split triple Lutz twist which earned a relatively massive 1.52 over the base which was the best in the competition. Then came their throw triple loop. After she had landed it well, she fell. There is a set distance cutoff point after which a fall does not count as part of the landing and she had passed it. She must have skated at least fifteen feet past the landing contact point. That meant, although they lost a point for the fall, it did not factor into their performance of this element and they still scored +0.96 GoE.

Then came their solo triple Salchows which have a base value of 4.50, half a point higher than the triple toe loops executed by the Germans. They earned +0.40 GoE for this element. It was followed by their Level 4 flying camel combination spins which gained an extra +0.30, the exact same score as Savchenko and Szolkowy. The two couples both earned the maximum level for their spirals, but though the Chinese presented the move with excellent precision and gained +1.0 GoE, that was significantly less than the +1.80 earned by their main rivals. Similarly, their Group 3 Level 4 lift got a GoE that was less than the Germans though only by a marginal 0.10. However, their Level 4 death spiral was given a considerably better GoE, +1.12. Both couples chose to execute their pair combination spin last. The Chinese earned Level 4 but their GoE was +0.30, 0.20 lower than the Germans.

About the fall, Dan Zhang explained, "I fell after the throw just like I did at the Cup of Russia. I don’t know exactly what the reason is. Maybe the ice is not so good anymore because we skated next to last. They are holes and you can get stuck."

3. 66.24 (37.52+28.72) Qing Pang and Jian Tong were the fourth qualifiers, placing third in the Cup of China and winning gold in the NHK in Japan. They have skated together since 1993 and have had a long international career, competing in Worlds at senior level since 1999. They have been in two Olympics. In the 2002 Games they were ninth and in 2006 fourth. They have won bronze in the Final twice, last year and also in the 2005 season. They were the 2006 world champions but were second in 2007 and fifth last March. She will turn 29 on Christmas Eve. He was 29 on August 15.

Skating to Still Got The Blues by The Midnight Blues Band led by guitarist Gary Moore, which was choreographed by Lori Nichol, they accomplished a season’s best beginning with competent base value triple toe loops and then executing a gorgeous Level 2 Lutz twist which earned +1.12 over base. Their throw triple loop was huge, the best in the competition, and they earned +1.26 over base. Their Level 4 forward inside death spiral earned +0.84 over base and their Level 4 spirals received +0.60. Their Group 3 Level 4 lift received +0.40. However, they lost speed on their Level 4 pair combination spin which received only the base value. They concluded with their solo spins which were only Level 3 but gained +0.40 over base.

Tong said they had used two different choreographers for their Short and Long programs. "There is now a sharper contrast between our two routines. The short program has a slower rhythm while the free skating is faster and stronger. We hope they will be better received, more like dance performances. We hope to impress the judges with our changes rather than relying solely on technical elements."

Pang said, "This was the best short program of the season so far. With each competition we have done better and better and this is very encouraging. We had a little error in the pair combination spin. He kicked me!"

4. 64.08 (36.44+27.64) Tatiana Volosozhar and Stanislav Morozov from Ukraine were the fifth qualifiers, earning silver in China and bronze in the Cup of Russia. Morozov, who was 29 on February 1, won the 2000 world junior championship with Savchenko but he battled injuries and they broke up. He returned to the sport teaming up with Volosozhar in 2004. They were fourth in the 2007 world championship and began training with Nikolai Morozov (no relation) in New Jersey. However, ninth place in the 2008 worlds made them reconsider this move and in June, they moved to Germany and are now training in Chemnitz with Ingo Steuer alongside Savchenko. "Aliona is very helpful," said Morozov. "I speak a little German but Tatiana doesn’t speak any." Volosozhar was 22 on May 22. This is their first Grand Prix Final.

They began well, with triple Salchows, which earned +0.60, and a splendid Level 2 triple Lutz twist which was rewarded with +1.12 over base value. In their Level 4 lift, Morosov heaved Volosozhar up with one arm only, which earned +0.80 GoE. Their Level 4 death spiral received +0.70. However, she double footed the landing of the throw triple loop, and the GoE was -0.98. Their final moves were all Level 4 but received only minimal plus GoEs. The flying change foot combination spin earned +0.20 over the base value. Their pair combination spin got +0.10 and the spirals got nothing over base.

They skated to music for the 1995 movie, Mr. Holland’s Opus, composed by Michael Kamen, which is about an elderly American’s life-time dream of composing a symphony. Voloszhar said, "We skated better than at the Cup of China but this is the third competition with a mistake on the throw so we really have to change something or have to continue to work on it. We already did work on it so that’s disappointing. Morosov said, "We changed the solo jumps to Salchow because we get more points for it. Although I have been doing the triple Salchow for much less time that the toe loop, I am more confident on it. It is psychologically easier for me. Lately, the toe loop wasn’t consistent."

5. 61.56 (34.40+27.16) Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov from Russia were the last qualifiers and so skated first. They gave what they termed a "magical" performance winning the SP in Skate America but haven’t been able to repeat that sublime performance since then. Skating to Nobody Home by Pink Floyd performed by London Symphonic Orchestra, they executed a nice Level 1 Lutz triple twist which earned +0.42 over the base value.

However, on the triple toes, their GoE was -0.60. "My toe loop was not perfect," said Trankov, "but this was our fourth short program in competition without a major error, which gives us confidence. Here it was just a little bit difficult for us to skate first." Skating first means the skaters do not use the full six minutes to warm up or they might use up all the energy needed to perform.

Their spirals were Level 4 +0.60. On their throw triple loop, she struggled not to put her hand on the ice and succeeded but they were penalized with a -0.28 GoE. Mukhortova said, "I fought for the landing so there was no fall and my hand didn’t touch the ice so it was just a small error." Their other four elements were all satisfactory Level 4s: the death spiral earned +0.56; the flying camel combo +0.40; the lift +0.40, and the pair spin received nothing over the base value.

Mukhortova, who was 23 on November 23, and Trankov, who turned 25 on October 7, have been trained by Oleg Vasiliev since 2006. They train mainly in St. Petersburg in Russia but will spend time in Chicago, where he trained the current Olympic champions for many years, to get acclimatized before Worlds. They have taken bronze, gold and silver in the last three years in the Russian championship. They teamed up in 2004 and almost immediately won bronze in the world junior championships followed the next season by gold. They have taken 12^th, 11^th and 7^th places in the last three world (senior) championships and won the silver medal in the 2008 European championship. This is their first Grand Prix Final.

6. 55.42 (28.50+27.92) Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Smirnov from St. Petersburg were the third qualifiers, winning Skate Canada and placing second to the Zhangs in Moscow. They are the current Russian champions and were fourth in the last world championships and third in Europeans. They were fifth in the Final last year. Kawaguchi was Japanese and trained in New Jersey for several years. She is now a Russian citizen and turned 27 on November 20. She is an experienced pair skater but this is only their third season together. Smirnov was 24 on October 11.

Skating to Camille Saint-Saens’ lyrical The Swan, dressed in white, things went wrong right from the start when she fell on their triple toe loop. They crashed a little on the catch in their Level 2 triple Lutz twist which was given -0.56 GoE. Their throw triple loop was good, earning +0.28 and their Level 4 lift received +0.60. Their death spiral got +0.28.

But he lost their unison in the flying camel combination spin and in trying to get back in sync, an extra foot was put on the ice which meant the move got zero points. (The base value of this move, done at Level 4, is 3.50 points so this is approximately what they lost.) They recovered from this error and their spirals and pair spin earned both earned Level 4 and +0.40.

Smirnov later explained, "We lost unison. I lost my orientation in the blue ice rink where I couldn’t see the spectators. (The ice was in a pit, rather like the situation in the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City where the first row of spectators was way over the skaters’ heads.) And I lost sight of Yuko. This has never happened to me before. We never have had a spin without a level. We had a spiral sequence once without a level in one event, and we know why that was. We felt quite good when we went out but, probably, the legs were shaky after Yuko fell." Though they were far behind technically, their component marks were fourth best.

1. 156.10 FD 95.75 (47.00+48.75) Delobel and Schoenfelder, who teamed up together when they were 12 and have been taught for most of those years by Muriel Zazoui, were thrilled to win their first gold Grand Prix Final gold. Delobel said, "We are definitely very pleased, especially since I have been sick the whole day. I was vomiting. Nevertheless, we gave a strong performance. I never really thought about withdrawing. This is one of our last seasons and we want to give everything each time. Only if it had been a lot worse and I would have needed to go to the hospital would we have withdrawn. I managed to stay on my legs. We did take out our optional lift at the end of the routine. (This has no base value and is given no GoE but it can contribute to the component score.) This lift is very difficult and requires pressure on the abdomen, and we decided it is not worth doing."

Her partner added, "I think it was overall better than the previous performances. True, we could have put in more energy under different circumstances but we were focusing on the elements. It’s a great joy for us to win the Final for the first time." They have had help with their choreography from Canadians Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon, with whom they trained in Lyon for several years. They chose to Free Dance to The Great Gig in the Sky by Pink Floyd. They skated in white, portraying, said Delobel, "the story of us, our struggle to make it in ice dance, and our decision whether to stay on after winning the world title." Schoefelder elaborated, "Now that we have the title, we are a little more relaxed, and there is a possibility of an Olympic medal."

All their elements received a positive GoE, ranging from a low of +0.10 for their twizzles to a high of +1.0 which they earned for three moves, their circular steps, their rotational lift and their Midline steps. They received Level 4 for all but their first element, the combination spin which was only Level 2 but earned +0.80 GoE, and their last move, the Midline steps, which gained Level 3. Although they clearly earned the top component score, they were eclipsed by 0.70 on the element score by Davis and White.

2. 152.95 FD 93.62 (46.30+47.32) Domnina and Shabalin used Khatchaturian’s Adagio for the ballet Spartacus which has been interpreted by many singles skaters. This was a significant work in the development of ballet and became hugely popular in the Soviet Union. Instead of the focus being on the ballerina, the choreography concentrated on the male star’s strength in spectacular lifts, carries and gravity defying leaps. This translates into pair skating but does not work so well for ice dancers. The story is of the ultimately doomed Spartacus, the slave who leads a rebellion of his peers against the Romans.

Shabalin said he enjoys this music because, "I like to be the hero even if it is only on the ice. The most important thing is that I feel much better. I have no pain from my knee injury. Now we can work at 100%. With each day, each week, it gets better and this competition proved that we are getting there. We went out in a fighting move and we are happy with our second marks and with the way we expressed the character of the program. We were happy with our component marks but, technically, we could have had higher levels on some elements."

Domnina was less enthused. "It was still only 50% of what we have to do. However, at the end I thought it was surprisingly easy to skate. I could have continued. It was one of the easiest performances for me for some reason." Five of their elements received Level 4: the twizzles (+0.50); the circular steps (+1.20); the curve lift (+0.30); the rotational lift (+0.50); and their combination spin (+0.40). Their other moves: the long lift which went from straight line to rotational (+1.0); the diagonal steps (+0.80) and the straight line lift (+0.80) were Level 3.

They left previous partners to team up in 2002 and won the 2003 world junior championship. Shortly afterwards and then made their debut in the 2003 world senior championships finishing 15^th. They have made constant progression since then and, until injury took them out of the running, they were definite contenders for the gold in Gothenburg.

3. 148.04 FD 92.15 (47.70+44.45) Davis and White, who are trained by Igor Shpilband, received the best technical score. They performed to My Heart Opens Itself to Your Voice and Bacchanale both from Camille Saint Saens’s opera Samson and Delilah and overtook the Italians. It was a delightful four minutes of very intensive, very high risk skating. Their twizzles are done at express speed that is dazzling. Seven of their eight elements earned the maximum Level 4 with GoEs which ranged from the low of two +0.50s (for their spin and curve lift) up to a high of +1.20 for their circular steps. Their midline steps were Level 3 with +0.60.

This was not the first time they have beaten the Italians. In their first world seniors (2007), Davis and White were seventh and Faiella and Scali ninth. But last March Davis and White got sixth at worlds while the Italians were seventh. White said, "It’s great to be able to come here and medal. Obviously, two of the top teams withdrew, but we are happy with the way we skated. It was one of the best performances we’ve put out in practices or in competition. It’s been a good progression and we feel like we topped it off here. I think it was a good learning experience being out here with the top teams, seeing what makes them so competitive. We’re going back home to work on a lot of little things that they do so well and that we want to achieve as well. It was really unfortunate that Tanith and Ben had to withdraw. Ben’s a real trouper and I’m sure that he must have been in a lot of pain to withdraw."

4. 145.12 FD 87.23 (42.80+44.43) Faiella and Scali gave a performance which is definitely unique to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Pierrot, in a clown outfit, is in love with the moon. She is his Columbine. He said, "We are a little upset about the technical mark because it’s very low. We are upset but at the same time happy because we feared that Federica’s accident had affected the ligament because the cut was pretty deep. We were more afraid on the spin (during which the accident happened) because she has to hold me and on the twizzles because she has to grab her blade. But it was fine."

However, their spin was given only the basic Level 1 with +0.40 GoE. Faiella skated with her hand bandaged. She said, "I was thinking about it during the lift. I used only two fingers to hold on instead of the whole hand but that worked OK." They received Level 4 for their straight line and rotational lifts, and for their twizzles, but their first lift, which was a curve, gained only Level 2. The other three moves were Level 3. Scali added, "We are upset that we lost a medal but sometimes you win and sometimes you lose."

The senior events began with the Original Dance in which five of the top six teams in the world were entered. Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, who are the world silver medalists, were unable to skate in either of their Grand Prix assignments, Skate Canada or NHK. When she withdrew from SC, Virtue said she had been struggling with an injury related to overtraining. It was diagnosed as "chronic exertional compartment syndrome" which caused pain in both legs. She had surgery in October. However, Domnina and Shabalin, who had to pull out of worlds, are back.

Jana Khokhlova, 23, and Sergei Novitski, 27, who are the current Russian champions, a title earned in the absence of Domnina/Shabalin, were third in the Cup of China (behind Domnina/Shabalin and Belbin/Agosto) but won the Cup of Russia to land the fourth slot for the Final. They warmed-up for the Original here in Korea but then went over to the referee, ISU Ice Dance Chairman, Alexander Gorshkov, and withdrew. They won the world and European championship bronze medals and were fifth last season in the GP Final. According to the medical bulletin, Novitski is suffering from "digestive intoxication". He had been very sick after breakfast that day. They would have performed to Sam’s Blues by Sam Taylor and the well-known in dancing circles, Puttin’ On the Ritz.

Their coach, Alexande4r Svinin said, "Sergei is suffering from food poisoning. He has been in ill health since breakfast this morning. We tried everything and gave him medication. He tried to skate but it was just not possible.

1. 60.35 (Elements 29.80 + Components 30.55) The French World champions Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder were the only couple who won both their assignments, Skate America and Trophy Eric Bompard. However, they took gold by virtue of their leads in the Compulsory Dance, a section which is not part of the Final. In Everett, WA, they were eclipsed in the Free Dance by Belbin and Agosto, and in Paris, they were only third in the Original, behind Faiella and Scali and the Scottish brother and sister Sinead and John Kerr, who won two bronzes and were third reserves for the Final.

They had an extremely trying journey to Korea. Their flight was delayed for four hours at the origin point because it was snowing in Paris. But they showed none of that in their spirited Original which is required to use music of the "20s, 30s and 40s". Their approach was to make up a story. Delobel, 30, explained, "I am an American nurse at the end of World War II." Schoenfelder, 31, added, "I am an old man, broken down by all horrible years. She makes me feel good again, to get back my zest for life with a little harmless flirtation."

It’s an interesting concept with him wearing a cardigan, staggering and bent over at the beginning miming using a walker. She is in a khaki outfit complete with snazzy cap and a sequined red cross on her left arm. The "uniform" is completed with a pair of very short, tight hot pants. The routine uses four pieces of well known music including the Andrew Sisters singing the evocative Apple Blossom Time, Show Me The Way To Go Home and the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. They began with Level 3 Midline non-touching steps which earned a very good +1.60 GoE. Then came a Level 4 straight line lift with +1.0 GoE. Their circular steps were Level 3 and +1.20. Their spin, however, was only Level 2 and +0.70. Their final element was their twizzles. The move earned the maximum Level 4 but a slight mistake meant the GoE was -0.30. Last year they won the bronze in this event.

Delobel was pleased. "I think this is the best performance of the season of this program. We are really happy with it for today. The audience was great, very supportive and we fed off their energy." When asked about the Level 2 for their spin, she explained, "In the sit position, (my leg) wasn’t at a full 90 degree angle and this cost us a Level. Also maybe a quarter turn was missing. We really want to hear the Marseillaise (the French national anthem) played for us like it was for (junior man) Florent Amodio."

Schoefelder said that since their second Grand Prix, "We’ve worked a lot on our footwork and changed it. Although we skated it well before, we didn’t get a level 4. As you saw here, it was already better. The choreography of the steps is good now. We just have to do it cleaner to achieve a Level 4 for Europeans."

The element score of the three top couples was only 0.10 apart. The Italians had the highest score 29.90 while the French and Domnina/Shabalin were tied with 29.80.

2. 59.33 (29.80+29.53) A short time after their win in this event last year (after being the runners-up the previous season), Russians Oksana Domnina, 24, and Maxim Shabalin, 26, took the European title away from Delobel and Schoenfelder. However, they were unable to compete in the world championships in Gothenburg due to his left knee surgery. Less than a year previously, he had surgery for a meniscus injury on his other knee. Shabalin said, "We lost a lot of training time but I no longer have any pain now."

In a move which astonished the skating world, after a prolonged rehabilitation period in a hospital in Germany, they decided to leave Moscow and their coach, Alexei Gorshkov. They came to the United States in June to train with Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karponosov in Aston, PA. A month previously, Belbin and Agosto had left their career long coach to train with this same husband and wife coaching duo.

In a further surprise, Domnina and Shabalin presented a Waltz for their OD. The requirement for this season’s OD is "music from the 20s, 30s & 40s". This particular Waltz, which Dmitri Shostakovich wrote for his Jazz Suites No.2, was certainly composed in that period. However, it is hardly what the ISU Ice Dance Committee envisioned when they chose this era. The Waltz, of course, has been around since the 17^th Century.

In a third surprise, although they won the Cup of China, they were only second in the Cup of Russia losing to their less experienced teammates, Khokhlova and Novitski. Their outfits were designed to look correct from a period point of view. That meant she looked great in a pink knee length dress with black hat and scarf. He had a cap and a multi-colored scarf. But both costumes appeared bulky and that detracted from their lines. Domnina admitted, "It felt hot and, because I didn’t really put it on properly, I was worried it might fall off but this didn’t really distract me. Her partner explained, "She’s a snobbish, pretty woman in the 1930s and doesn’t think much of me to begin with," said Shabalin, "But I win her over."

They earned Level 3s for their midline non-touching step sequence (+0.80 GoE), their circular steps (+1.40) and for their straight line lift (+0.80). Their spin (+0.10) and twizzles (+0.40) were Level 4. Domnina said, "We got Level 4 for the spin but only 3 for the lift. So there was already some progress compared to our previous performances but not yet what we really wanted."

3. 57.89 (29.90+27.99) Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali, who train with Pasquale Camerlengo and Anjelika Kryova at the Detroit SC, were second in the French GP but won the NHK in Tokyo. They were the third qualifiers because their total score from those two events was 15.18 less than that of Domnina and Shabalin. It was the Italians’ first Grand Prix gold, although they have earned six GP bronzes over the past four years. This is their first time making it to the Final.

Competing on the day he turned 29 (December 12), Faiella, 27, and Scali performed to music from the 1936 smash musical Follow the Fleet, It’s Too Darn Hot, Let’s Face the Music and Dance, which is a Foxtrot, and Let Yourself Go. He was a buoyant tap dancing Fred Astaire in a sailor outfit. She’s emulating Ginger Rogers in pants (which, at that time, was quite a revolutionary fashion move). "I love this music," Scali enthused. "The costumes are authentic," said Faiella. "We studied the movie."

The received Level 3 for their spin (+0.20) and non-touching steps (+1.20). The other three elements gained Level 4. Both their rotational lift and twizzles got +0.50 GoE and the diagonal steps +0.60. "We only had Level 2 for the diagonal at the NHK and Level 3 for the twizzles so this definitely showed improvement," Faiella explained. She had fallen on a transition move in this routine in Tokyo although they still won the gold. She said she was being extra careful at that point. "I learned that I need to wait for Massimo to pass through before I make that step, and I did."

4. 57.33 (28.30+29.03) Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto qualified for the last spot in the Final by earned silvers in Skate America and Cup of China. Belbin said they would, of course, have liked to have won but they were up against tough opposition. They were satisfied with their performances because, "We’re still adjusting to our new coaches, new routines and entirely new training techniques." Last season they took silver in the Final which they had also done in the 2005 season when the Final was held in Beijing. They also have a bronze from the previous season when the Final was in Colorado Springs.

She was in white with a saucy red beret she’d bought in China. She had white frills on her boots. He was in a white jacket over black. They presented a Tap Dance to music composed by John Kander and Fred Ebb for HBO’s special for Liza Minnelli Stepping Out. Agosto said, "We thought we executed our elements very well. We felt very confident and strong. But, looking at our levels, we aren’t sure why they are lower than we thought they would be."

Their opening element, the twizzles received only Level 2 with +0.50 GoE. The next three elements were all Level 3. The spin was awarded +0.5 over the base value. Both the circular steps and the non-touching steps gained +1.0 over base. Their only Level 4 was for their rotation lift which earned +0.40. Agosto said, "We completely changed all of our footwork since Cup of China. This whole season has been so new for us. It’s a learning experience."

5. 55.89 (28.00+27.89) At 21, Meryl Davis and Charlie White are the youngest competitors in this event but they have been skating together the longest - since 1997. Both attend the University of Michigan. They were sixth in the last world championships after taking seventh place in their debut the year before. This season they gave brilliant performances to win Skate Canada at the beginning of November. But White had a disastrous showing in the OD in Moscow, falling twice and putting a hand down. They recovered from eighth in this section with second place in the FD which pulled them up to claim the bronze. This is their first trip to the Final.

These young Americans and Khokhlova and Novitski gained the same places, a win and a third in their Grand Prix events, but were higher on the qualifier list than the Russians because they earned 17.62 more in total scores. Both couples actually had less combined points than Belbin/Agosto who scored 372.94 to Khokhlova and Novitski’s 367.12 and Davis/White’s 349.50. However, a win and a bronze is deemed better than two silvers, so Davis/White were the fifth qualifiers and Belbin/Agosto got the last spot.

Their OD was set to the timeless classic, Happy Feet which Jack Yellen and Milton Ager collaborated to write in 1930 performed by the Manhattan Rhythm Kings. White was asked whether his mind was flashing back to that experience when he stepped on the ice in Korea? He said, "That was over. It was just some poor skating and bad luck combined. I took a couple spills, nothing crazy, just some unfortunate accidents. I really wanted to go over there and prove to the Russian crowd that we could compete with the two top Russian teams. I think it went to my head a little bit and I didn’t concentrate quite enough."

This performance was far superior to their disaster in Moscow. White said, "It was okay. It wasn’t perfect. I stopped my second twizzle a little bit but other than that it felt good." That was the element they started with. It received only Level 2 with a -0.10. But the next three moves were all Level 3 with the diagonal steps getting +1.0 over the base value, the spin +0.70 and the midline non-touching steps +1.0. Their final move, the straight line lift earned +0.50.

INJURIES In the Saturday morning’s Free Dance practice, Belbin took the ice alone. Agosto said his back started hurting two days ago. "My back started hurting in practice and it just kept getting progressively worse each time I tried to do something. He spent most of Saturday working with the US team doctor, Dr. Robert Kruse. Kruse said he believed their withdrawal from the competition was a necessary decision. "He’s been having trouble with numbness. The exact nature of the injury hasn’t been diagnosed yet but, to be safe, we feel that the correct and safe decision is to withdraw.

Belbin tried to put the best face on the situation. "I don’t think that this is a big break in our momentum. Injuries happen to all skaters. It’s just a natural occurrence in the sport. I’d much rather that he go home and get better than run the risk of hurting himself or me."