*sigh* The Ladies free skate just finished up at world’s. It’s never easy being a Carolina Kostner fan. It’s a roller coaster from one extreme to the other. I had a feeling tonight wasn’t going to be great, but I was not expecting a meltdown of that proportion. Her jumps just totally abandoned her tonight. I wanted to reach through the screen and hug the girl. Thankfully, NBC was kind and cut her getting the scores in the kiss and cry.

Even with tonight, I still love her anyway. Hopefully, next season will be better.

The free dance just finished up at the world championships, and Tanith and Ben missed gold by the tiniest of margins.

Considering where they were at this time last year–4th place at worlds after a fall in the CD. Considering where they were at the beginning of the season–many doubting they’d ever make a major podium again, and many thinking they’d maybe be around 5th at worlds. Considering where they were just a couple of months ago–not even able to compete because of a back injury to Ben… I should be thrilled right now. If it hadn’t been so very close, I would probably be thrilled. Instead, I’m feeling a bit gutted for them because when it was all said and done, they should have had that gold medal tonight.

It’s not that I wasn’t expecting this to happen. I’m not one to normally believe in the many ice dance conspiracy theories that surface all the time in figure skating fandom land. I like to think that, for the most part at least, that most of the judges really care about getting the right medals to the right people. I’ve had a nagging feeling all week though that no matter what happened, it was going to be silver for B/A and the Russians would get gold. Russia/The Soviet Union has dominated the dance event for practically forever. That said, the last time a Russian team won world’s was in 05 when Navka/Kostomorov took the title. The Olympics are coming up next year, and the Russian dancers hadn’t had a single title this whole Olympic cycle. It was inevitable, and I saw the writing on the wall, and I knew this was coming, but that doesn’t make it any easier for this fan. I was still hoping against hope that they’d somehow get it anyway.

Tanith and Ben were their usual class acts in the interview that followed with NBC–no one can ever deny their good sportsmanship, but you could tell they were disappointed. Tanith looked like she might start crying any second, and for some reason, that made me want to cry. The last time I cried over figure skating results, I was 14 years old.

I’m a big believer in karma though. B/A have done a lot of hard work this past year, and they’ve come such a long way. I hope they take the big prize next year.

At the other extreme, and perhaps maybe a little ironically, I’m thrilled for Pechalat/Bourzat from France who finished in 5th! Alexander Zhulin may be something of a philandering dog when it comes to his personal life, but he was a heck of a skater (He and Maya Usova are still my favs from any discipline ever), and he’s a helluva coach. What he has done with those two in less than a year is just incredible.

Also, in other ice dance news, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, who won bronze, totally made me a fan tonight. They skated to Pink Floyd and it was awesome.

Oxygen is indeed showing part of the pairs SP from last night. D/B were indeed clean, but seriously, I do not like. There is no polish, no sparkle, no “IT” factor, no chemistry, no connection between them. Yes, I know the technical side is important, but so is the PCS side of the equation. While I think it is possible, if they can stay uninjured and can get some good experience just competing at all, Brooke and Ben can do at least as well as D/B technically. On the other hand, I don’t think D/B will ever match Brooke and Ben PCS wise. Somethings you can train, and somethings, you just have to be blessed with to begin with. I’ve said it before, but when it comes to chemistry, musicality, polish, etc., Brooke and Ben are the best the US has to offer, IMO. There’s just no comparing D/B to C/O when it comes to the other side of the equation.

Unless there are some major, major meltdowns tonight, I don’t think we’re going to get 3 spots for next year. I hope and pray that Brooke and Ben can get one of the 2 spots that we’re likely going to have.

The compulsory dance for the ice dancers just finished up at the World Championships in LA. I know it’s ice dance, where falls are far more rare than they are in other disciplines, but out of the 30 couples that skated, there were no falls. I’m suitably impressed. I’m also happy with where the two teams I’m rooting for ended up. B/A are in 2nd and P/B are in 6th (and ahead of the Italians that they should have been ahead of most of the season but weren’t). Now, I’ll shut up so that my skaters do not incur the wrath of the whatever high atop the thing.

The pairs short program will be later on tonight. Like the CD, it won’t be televised, but I’ll be following pbp on a figure skating board. As Castile/Okolski aren’t skating, there really isn’t a particular pair I’m rooting for tonight. I’m having an internal battle over how I want Denney/Barrett to do. I dislike their skating. Yes, they can land some big tricks, but they lack togetherness, connectedness, musicality, etc. Basically, they lack so many of the things that I love about C/O. D/B just don’t have the “IT” factor that C/O do. Also, someone needs to tell Denney to remove her ears from her shoulders and not hold her hands like paddles when she skates. That said, if the stars align just right and they get a little help, McLaughlin/Brubaker and D/B might pull off placements that are equal to or less than the magic number of 13 and earn the US three spots for the Olympics next year. This might help out C/O, although I think if they can stay injury free long enough to actually be able to compete in the fall and get some experience, I think they can earn one of the Olympics spots. It’s a dilemma. I suppose I should probably hope for D/B to do well so not to as incur any wrath against Tanith and Ben, Natalie and Fabian, Brian, or Carolina.

In other news, it appears that we’re about to have a “we-is-a-gonna-die” thunderstorms.