From Russia to China

In just a few hours the Cup of China will begin in Beijing. I think the Compulsory Dance begins at 2:45 a.m. here, so it probably starts mid-afternoon there.

The Cup of China will mark the Grand Prix debut of Tanith Belbin & Benjamin Agosto, Evan Lysacek and Joannie Rochette. They all medaled at worlds and expectations are high for them this season. High enough that Vancouver medals are expected.

This stop in the GP Series will also showcase the comeback kids in pairs: Shen & Zhao. I'm looking forward to seeing their skates. The started out as stronger technical skaters but their artistry grew over the years. They've spent the past two years touring with Stars on Ice, that only helps in growing their skills along with consistency.

Will their performances in front of their a home audience be anything like Evengy Plushenko's in Moscow this past weekend? Talk about a comeback. Since winning the Olympic gold in Torino, he's divorced, toured all over eastern Europe, gained 20 pounds, got involved in Russian politics, got married again, lost 20 pounds. He came out and landed quad combinations as naturally as walking. I never was a big fan of his before, but I respect that he truly put in the effort to comeback and be competitive for another Olympic win. He seemed to not be rushing through his footwork and covering the sloppiness with wild arm movements. He seemed to really be taking his time to make sure he was completed all the various turns to maximize the level. I hope that continues.

Trophee Eric Bompard

The Grand Prix season kicked off this week in Paris. As I described to my husband, the Grand Prix Series is a bit like getting into conference play. The smaller, opening competitions such as Nebelhorn and Finlandia are over. Now's the time to play with the big guys and face the serious competition.

Wow Yuna Kim! Second time breaking the 200 point mark in a year. She did it with a wobbly spiral sequence in the short and skipping her triple flip in free. The James Bond themed short is classic, another great program by David Wilson.

Loved the break out by Adam Rippon too. The 'Tano Lutz is back!

How about Nobunari Oda as Charlie Chaplin? Classic program as well. He ticked off the elements while giving an entertaining skate.