Aww, the YT comments. Everybody's torn between being happy for Xiaoyu and being sad that Vanessa won't make the GPF. (The male partners somehow don't factor into those feelings.)

I'm so happy for Aliona and Bruno

Vanessa

 

 

 

 

Star Wars for da almost-win, woot! And the dearly beloved S/M for gold, terrific! I'm so happy. *blinks away a few tears*

SM program  is  an instant classic.  This choreo is so perfect I  just can't . 

See my first S/M twist today! It was really beautiful!

Awww my German babies... (well, Aliona is older than me but...you know) will go to the final! And got first!!! And I love their FS!!!

Bruno's one-hand lifts are really something (love that in the SP) and the way he puts her down is so genlte. And they changed the ending pose!

tho I liked their previous costumes more... Yuzu the trendsetter strikes again. First all those FTT shirts in ACI, then Misha's shirt+gold, now Aliona's dress with golden collar

But Vanessa and Morgan but I can't be too sad, Y/Z earned their spot, and their SP was a beauty, she is a real swan (I have to watch their fs, I think I'd liked it in CoC). tbh going by my personal taste alone I'd rather have seen J/C in the final instead of D/R. But I like 5 out of 6 pairs, so I guess it will be a competition worth watching... pairs are saving the gp!

 

Does anyone know why S/M didn't do 3Athrow in this competition? Maybe they just wanted to go clean, but with all those bad news I'm getting rather apprehensive

S/M's free is gorgeous, the transitions are so good. Bruno improve every time I see him and Queen Aliona is  Only mistake on jump combo, but their twist their lift and their sbs spin are stunning. 

Yu/Zhang skated very well too. I like both programs. I think skating with Zhang highlight Yu's grace and softness more than ever. Her lines and posture are the best. I said it again, swan lake's ladies this season need to watch and learn from Xiaoyu. Their chemistry still off, but well, at least they get good results.

Also my praises for Aljona and Bruno. What a FS. Now it is ready including the gorgeous ending pose that is not too exhausting for Bruno like the two previous ones were. Looked like they skated from the bottom of their hearts and it all worked out so well.

 

FS is an ambitious, very intense and unique program. Not a surprise though as through her long career Aljona has always showed up with artistically interesting programs imo.  She and Tatiana Volosozhar are my favorite pair skaters of these decades. Tatiana got her OG gold in Sochi as finally she got a partner with whom that was possible. Will Aljona get hers in PC. Looks like it is possible and she surely deserves it but in PC it is the present that counts, not the past. Sui/Han are a stunning pair and deserve their high scores, though their programs are more classic and traditional than S/M´s programs. I love also the skating style and the programs of the other Chinese top pairs. 

 

12 hours ago, LadyLou said:

Does anyone know why S/M didn't do 3Athrow in this competition? Maybe they just wanted to go clean, but with all those bad news I'm getting rather apprehensive

   
Bruno said after SP that they are still working on it. So not decided yet will it be included later or not.