2011 Euros Pairs FS Full (Eurosport) – Bern 🇨🇭 | Savchenko/Szolkowy Win 4th European Title

Summary: The Pairs Free Skate at the 2011 European Figure Skating Championships in Bern delivered a dramatic conclusion, as Germany’s Aliona Savchenko / Robin Szolkowy reclaimed the European title ahead of defending champions Yuko Kavaguti (川口悠子/Юко Кавагути) / Alexander Smirnov (Александр Смирнов) of Russia. Skating their playful Pink Panther program, Savchenko and Szolkowy produced much of the quality that had made them three-time European champions, including strong side-by-side triple toes, a triple twist, difficult lifts and throws. Their performance was not flawless: Savchenko unexpectedly lost control during the side-by-side spin and was forced to stop while Szolkowy continued spinning, while both skaters doubled their planned triple Salchows. They were praised for the exceptional quality of their elements and movement. Their 133.89 points placed them second in the free skate, giving them 206.20 overall and leaving them to wait anxiously for the final pair. Kavaguti and Smirnov then produced the performance of the night. Skating last to Debussy’s Clair de Lune, the defending champions delivered an elegant and technically strong program featuring a triple twist, side-by-side triple toes, a double Axel–double Axel sequence and two triple throws. Their performance was “beautiful” and praised for its choreography, difficult transitions and the softness of Kavaguti’s throw landings. Their season-best 134.12 won the free skate, but it was not quite enough to overcome the Germans’ advantage from the short program: with 203.61 overall, Kavaguti and Smirnov finished just 2.59 points behind and took silver. Russia’s Vera Bazarova (Вера Базарова) / Yuri Larionov (Юрий Ларионов) secured their first European medal with an assured performance to The Man in the Iron Mask. The young pair impressed the commentators with their triple twist, side-by-side triple toes and particularly the height, distance and control of their throw triple flip. Their season-best 125.35 in the free skate gave them 188.24 overall and the bronze medal. The competition also featured encouraging performances further down the field, including fourth-place Katarina Gerboldt (Катарина Гербольдт) / Alexander Enbert (Александр Энберт) and Italians Stefania Berton / Ondřej Hotárek, whose energetic Romeo and Juliet free skate lifted them to fifth overall. Throughout the broadcast, the unusually cold conditions inside Bern’s PostFinance Arena became almost a character of their own, with spectators wrapped in blankets and the Eurosport team of Nicky Slater and Chris Howarth repeatedly joking about trying to keep warm. In the end, Kavaguti and Smirnov won the free skate by just 0.23 points, but Savchenko and Szolkowy’s advantage from the short program proved decisive. Their 206.20 total secured a fourth European title, with Kavaguti/Smirnov second and Bazarova/Larionov completing the podium for Russia. Detailed results: https://www.isuresults.com/results/ec... Golden Skate's report: https://www.goldenskate.com/savchenko... --- Chapters 00:00 Pairs Free Skate – Introduction & Group 1 Warm-Up 08:20 Natalja Zabijako / Sergei Kulbach (EST) – 13th 16:46 Sally Hoolin / Jakub Safranek (GBR) – 14th 24:44 Stina Martini / Severin Kiefer (AUT) – 15th 33:16 Group 2 Warm-Up 40:21 Carolina Gillespie / Luca Dematte (ITA) – 12th 48:29 Katharina Gierok / Florian Just (GER) – 11th 57:11 Adeline Canac / Yannick Bonheur (FRA) – 9th 1:06:01 Lubov Bakirova / Mikalai Kamianchuk (BLR) – 10th 1:14:01 Group 3 Warm-Up 1:18:43 Klara Kadlecova / Petr Bidar (CZE) – 7th 1:26:56 Stacey Kemp / David King (GBR) – 8th 1:35:05 Katarina Gerboldt / Alexander Enbert (RUS) – 4th 1:43:52 Maylin Hausch / Daniel Wende (GER) – 6th 1:53:06 Final Group Warm-Up 1:59:56 Vera Bazarova / Yuri Larionov (RUS) – 3rd 🥉 2:08:22 Aliona Savchenko / Robin Szolkowy (GER) – 1st 🥇 2:16:51 Stefania Berton / Ondrej Hotarek (ITA) – 5th 2:25:34 Yuko Kavaguti / Alexander Smirnov (RUS) – 2nd 🥈 2:35:06 Final Results 2:37:25 Champions Interview 2:43:20 Victory Ceremony 2:50:40 National Anthem of Germany --- #figureskating #フィギュアスケート #eiskunstlauf #фигурноекатание #피겨스케이팅 #pattinaggioartistico #patinageartistique