Highlights World Figure Skating Championships

Hello, good afternoon, welcome to the BBC's dovage of the 2016 world

figure skating Championship, taking place in Boston. Robin is alongside

me to enjoy the action here, and we have some of the world's best figure

skater, gathered in one place, who are the ones to watch? I am

obviously drawn to the men's Championship, and it is Fernandez

from Spain versus Hanyu, they are rival, training mate, they know each

other well, one is world champion UN and one is Olympic champion. It will

be a fantastic event. In the pairs skating it will be interesting

because there are some Russians who have missed a season coming back,

there is a new partnership with the Russian French together,

representing Germany, so it is going to be all for play there, the

Chinese will be looking to sort of get themselves on to a medal podium

position, so the pairs is wide-open for me, and it is going to be

anybody's game. The ladies event, we thought it was going to be a Russian

dominated event but the Americans girls have said we want in on this.

The American team in general have had a horrific time, being told they

are over the hill, they are not good enough, we haven't got anybody on

the podium, and this has been a real event for them, in the home crowds,

on home turf to show they I are in a position to win. And in the ice

dance it is about the French champions, European champions who I

hope will be able to retain their title. They have had a rough season,

Gabrielle Papadakis concussed earlier in the year, they competed

at the European Championship, won it in style. Here they are to hopefully

retain their title. But they are going to get some push from the two

American teams who hope they will be on the podium, but I am looking

forward the seeing Penny Coomes and Nicholas Buckland, back on the

stage, having had a horrible season last year, they missed the European

Championship, and the World Champions through illness, but they

have worked, I can't tell you how hard they have worked to get back up

into form and they are raring and ready to go, and I am hoping to see

great things. So are we raring to go. We have four big event, lots of

talent for you to watch. Let us start with the ice dancing.

Let us join the action. So here are the standings after the

short dance, reigning World Champion Gabrielle Papadakis and Guillaume

Cizeron of France lead the way, two American teams in second and third

for now. Penny Coomes and Nicholas Buckland not far behind in eighth

after a massive personal best in the short dance for them.

Tenth at the 2014 winter Olympics, one better, ninth at the World

Championships a month later, what a terrible 2015 they had. Illness and

injury, striking them down. But here they are. Back on the ice, after a

personal best in the short dance. Let us see if they can match that

with this. So that box you see shows the

technical score, that ticks up as they complete the elements, that

score will be combined with the presentation score to give the final

total. You can breathe, wonderful,

wonderful stuff from Penny Coomes and Nicholas Buckland, That was the

best I have seen that performance, all season. Beautiful control with

the lifts, it has speed, there is great depth of edge, this was

lovely. Look, now, not a waiver. A season's best for them. A season's

best. Over the 100, over 54 plus points for the technical elements.

Then over 50 points for the component presentation, which is

brilliant. Before I went I was so nervous, I

had this feeling, gosh, it is all on this moment. This is what we have

worked for, we worked for this World Championships twice now and not, in

the first time round we didn't quite get there, so I was super nervous,

it felt like it was all on this, somehow, with all the training work

we have put in, we have learned a lot. We have become resilient and

put it on the ice. I am happy. A It is two seasons of this free dance, I

am really pleased with how we handled the pressure. I am happy

with it. A great performance, but by the time we reached the last three

teams they had dropped to fourth place.

As you would expect a warm welcome for last year's silver medallists.

Can they go one better here in Boston, in front of their home

crowd? It has been a challenging season, they say, the most

challenging of their careers but consistent result, let us see what

they can pull out of the bag here. Well the home crowd have loved that.

I loved that too. So did they. I thought that was cracking. It was

fast, they were so secure in all the movements, some wonderful transition

work in there. Again, smooth. Beautiful exit, transition here.

Their free dance score 113.31. This is a season's best. First place for

now. Out to prove a point perhaps after they lost their US national

title. They did to the Shibutanis who have yet to skate. The reins

world and European champions from France. Robin has his money on these

for the title. Beautiful! It looks easy, doesn't

it? APPLAUSE

Languid and lovely, and it looks so effortless.

Effortless, every edge, from both of them, is perfection. You could watch

the programme again and watch just one of them, and you would still be

in awe. That is a massive, massive score. They could well be the world

and be in is, these are the only skaters that can stop them from

topping the podium again, the Shibutani twins from America.

Well, it is the finale that the home crowd wanted, a Coldplay medley for

the US national champions, but is it going to be enough to snatch the

gold from the French? I don't think so. They had the momentum to carry

them through, they allowed themselves to be caught by the

crowd, but not at the expense of not being in control. 113.7 three. They

are in second place. That is it! That would be fantastic news, look

at that, seventh in the world, Penny Coomes and NIcholas Buckland.

Fantastic from them, they will be so thrilled, won't they? Absolutely

over the moon. Wonder. From the French, there was no beating them,

or was there? -- wonderful staff from the French. It is so beautiful

to be able to relax and just relax, he is one of those people that he

would put him with anybody, he would be able to make them feel like a

worthy world champion, but they were exquisite today. And a fantastic

performance from the Brits, they did brilliantly. I know you were

watching with your heart in your mouth. They worked, they performed,

they delivered in a way which I have never seen them do before, because

they were completely ready. It has been a tough season, but, boy, with

a ready. Moving on now to the men's free skate, and this is the story of

the championship for me, the rivalry between the training partners, Hanyu

and Fernandez. It is going to be a great competition. It is a friendly

rivalry, they could not be more different in terms of their styles

and cultures, the Japanese star is very fluid and laid-back, and Javi

is Spanish, they rile each other. The coach of both in Toronto has two

Olympics over medals, so he understands where they have come

from, but he's as either of them would not be as good if it were not

for this relationship in training. -- he says. We have got a Brit in

action as well, Phillip Harris. What are his chances? I hope you will

enjoy this moment, because he did not have the best skate in the short

programme, and he was able to qualify in his first World

Championships. He has to go for the triple Axel, he needs the

triple-triple combination, let's see if he can pull it off. Here are the

standings after the short programme, and no surprises who is leading the

way. No, pretty much as you would have called it. Please welcome

Phillip Harris. Two time British national champion, his first time at

the World Championships, time to test himself on the global stage.

In for the Axel. Just a double Axel but managed to get the triple toe

loop off on the end, so making a combination of that.

Triple Lutz, triple Salchow, needed the hands down on the Lutz. The

rotation was there. That was the triple Axel, he did

very well-known to put the foot down all the hand, he will be given

credit for that. You need is the second triple Lutz.

Good again, the hand was close but not touching.

A bit of speed going into this final pass. Push, push, push, come on.

Made the rotation, so he is really pushing through. Not quite the

quality he would want. There is the triple loop.

Hold on, you need the rotations on the spin for the level. Such a shame

he had that fall. His arms are very high and he is is quite loose in the

body. He need to get his shoulders and elbows in, get him to rotate

faster. He is is languid in the rotation.

A season's best for the. He would have liked to have been over the 200

mark. I have not done it before. I always do the first Axel. I didn't

today. I thought what am I doing, I had to think on my feet. Fell on it,

but I was, my brain was ticking, but yes, it was, it was a shame, it

wasn't my best, but you know, I will take it. I can build on it now, and

take this experience to the next season.

So disappointment for Philip but let us look as how the medals were

decided, starting with Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu.

He really is a very special skater. Robin's favourite, bookies's

favourite to recapture the title he won in 2014.

Yuzuru Hanyu, of Japan. Early mistake. On the quadruple

Salchow. Second triple Axel again, just not

the control we are used to seeing. Definitely not the performance he

was wanting to give. Applause. It is not what we expected

to see, it seems like all hopes of a second world title have slipped

away. For the great Yuzuru Hanyu. He knows it. You could hear there was

an audible gasp, that first fall. With the rotation, it looked fine on

the take off. You see his body leaning, he is at an angle. Not in

control of that one at all. Still in with a shout. He is still

there but 295, that is not what he is used to getting.

Let's welcome from China, Jin Boyang.

Just 18-year-old. He goes at some rate, into that

combination. Still got him 11.44 points. Not to

be sniffed at. Triple Axel, half loop, triple

Salchow, this better now. Not the combination he wanted. Not

the Quad, not the easiest or prettiest of landings.

Extra credit for doing it at the back end of the programme.

And another one, in come by nation. -- combination.

Agains not the prettiest of combination, but it was triple,

triple. Lutz and toe loop. So pointing racking up.

-- points racking up. APPLAUSE.

Well, he was packing in those points. Absolutely. This is the

entry into the Quad Lutz. No question he made the rotation. The

first of the Quad toe loop, he had to fight. He wanted to do a

combination there, thought no, I will leave that one alone.

Look that the technical 104, presentation 76. It is a lot of work

but goodness me the talent. Just 18-year-old. Incredible.

Oh to remember that far back! Here is Hanyu's training partner.

The defending champion, the European champion. The first span with regard

to win a word title. And here comes old blue eyes.

Oh, beautiful quadruple toe loop, like as a feather. -- light as a

feather. If you want my world title, he says,

you've got to come out and beat that! Absolutely sensational, the

best he has ever skated. Look at that, how smooth was that exit!

Goodness me! And then the same with the Salchow. Goodness me, that was

magnificent. You work hard and you deserve it. Oh! Goodness me! This is

a seasoned's best! 216. And that is a massively. And Hanyu's world

record was 330. Still a way off that, but outstanding. Look at that,

that is fantastic. So Javi is world champion. They lead the way once

again. Boyang Jin onto the podium for the first time. Go buy some

people are calling that the greatest free skate they have ever seen, how

does that sound to you? Well, it is a really good, complicated

programme. It has really hard technique, the jumps are the top of

the top, and the spins are hard. Everything in the programme is

pretty complicated, but also the music is really playful. I think it

is a little bit special, I know that people like it here. Gold for Javier

Fernandez, and you will be very lucky if you ever see a skate better

than that, it was outstanding, wasn't it? It was phenomenal, no,

people are saying this is probably the best figure skating long

programme that we have ever seen. We will have to wait a while before we

see another one like that, it was just breathtaking. Hands down gold.

No question. A good skate from Phil Harris, but he was disappointed.

That is potentially a good thing, because he understands what he was

capable of doing, he knew what he wanted to do, but he did actually

pull something is back and pushed through those elements. That is what

he has to take away, that he can pull it back when he needs to. But

not a bad debut. Time to move on to the pairs after a breathless

competition so far, who are we looking out for? It is about the

Chinese team, sensational in the short programme, they could be

looking for their first world title. We can join the action, time for the

pairs. These are the standings after the short programme, the Chinese

capital at the top are the ones to watch, and then the Canadians in

second place, also pretty good too! They are, reigning world champions

at the moment. No British interest in this event, unfortunately.

Second at last year's worlds, so hoping to go one better if you

glance in Boston. Skating together for ten years. -- go one better here

in Boston. Oh! Overcooked the throw on that.

That could be it, couldn't it? No triple there either, so they are

seeing the gold disappear from their One or two errors again, Robin.

Those of the errors they did not want to make. The quarter twist was

spectacular. They are going to be the leaders at this point, just not

by as much as they would like. Robin Cousins looking into his crystal

ball correctly. But as the defending champions, the Canadians who come

next are currently just a couple of points behind them after the free

programme. If they can nail the technicals, it could be the

difference - it could be gold tonight. They have a very strong

technical aspect to their programme, but it needs to work.

Side by side triple Lutzes for their chosen jumps.

So, in for the quad, no, just a trouble. Quad! And they have got it!

Quadruple Salchow. A little messy on the exit, but they

made the rotation, triple toe loops with double toes to follow.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Waiting for a yes moment, and that

is the best of the night. Absolutely phenomenal technically. I still, I

am going to say I miss a little phenomenon news -- finesse in the

general skating but when you perform the elements the way they did. This

is the Quad. Not the prettiest position in the air. But she fought

for that landing. The flip. She seems to be celebrating. Each

element. I am not fan of that. But you can't ignore this could be

reasons of, look Well, she is very very very pleased

with that. Well, they are the ones to beat.

Only the German pair Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot can stop

the Canadians but despite a strong performance from them, they only

managed the bronze. -- bronze. Back-to-back titles for

the Canadian pair. Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford. And

China in second. And Aliona and Bruno in third. Determined skating

from the Canadian, no-one was going to take that title from them. They

weren't. I was rooting for the Chinese because they have been

consistent, and the Russian, well they were a bit inconsistent, and

didn't, were a bit cautious but the Canadians through caution to the

win. It was fantastic. Back-to-back word titles. Let us move on the

finale. It's the ladies free skate. This has been billed, as the new

stars of Russia against the old guard of America. Absolutely. The

press have made a huge deal about it. It is true. The young up start

Russians, who are sort of five or six or seven of them, that they are

capable of being on podiums but they are led by Evgenia Medvedeva, the

European champion. This time last year she wasn't old enough to

compete etch though she qualified. You have Ashley Wagner and Gracie

Gold who are sitting in a nice position, going we have been round

for a while, we want to prove that the Americans can be worthy of being

on the podium. So Russia, wait for us. Could it be one last hurrah for

the American Golden Girls? Let us get back to Boston and the action.

It is the finale. The last competition, the women's free skate

programme, and it is set up to be a kind of head-to-head between the

young stars of Russia coming through, against the old guard of

the USA. Many people's pick for the gold,

even though this will be her first World Championship, at age 16. Only

just become eligible for senior competition. Lots of people saying

she could start with a Gold Medal at the World Championships. European

champion just a few weeks ago. What can she do here?

That signature raised arm in the jumps. Triple jump, triple toe loop.

The musicality of the choreography is phenomenal.

Right down to the very last beat, she performed that. What an

outstanding, outstanding programme. Absolutely lovely. She jumps with

her arm raised. Do you get more marks for that? Yes, the low tasting

is spectacular. -- rotation, she has so much time to prepare, you see the

mechanics happening but it St no forced.

You were surprised to see Anna up in second, after the short programme.

She doesn't give you a lot of emotion. When she is performing. But

she is one of great inconsistencies, so she knows that she has got to

deliver every element here, tonight. And this could be the Championship

when it all comes together. He is on fire tonight. These jumps

are coming off with ease. -- she. Well, that is the performance of her

career, fantastic stuff! She has been third, has an chic, behind her

fellow countrywomen at the Europeans and the Russian championships, but

right in the mix tonight. Yes, she is!

Great flight, nice to see these skate have the same running edge on

the exit of the jump as she has coming in, keeping the momentum

moving, absolutely right over her blades on those landings.

Did she think she was going to go top? It looks like that was not the

best surprise. I do not think she would have seen Medvedeva skate, and

it is not another league, but she was fantastic, and she is exactly

where she should be. Right then, Gracie she says another fourth or

fifth place feels irrelevant - if she is not on the podium, it is not

worth it. That is better, triple toe, double

toe. Double, that is the gold gone for

sure. More than likely the silver as well.

Well, the crowd picked her up and wheeled her on, but there is only so

much they can do if it is not working for you on the ice, then it

is not working. So she is on the podium for now, but that means

American hopes for the world title rest on this lady's shoulders. She

has never won a World Championship, and she has hinted that this might

be her last season of competition, so this could be her last chance.

Oh, nice! Triple loop, loop, triple Salchow combination.

Triple Lutz, that is what we were waiting for!

That is what the Americans have been waiting for! She says she best when

she is the underdog. That lovely, absolutely beautiful.

Triple flip, triple toe loop. She has been downgraded in the past a

lot of four and a rotating some of the jumps. -- for under rotating.

The storytelling was exquisite, beautifully crafted programme. She

has done head! She is the world silver medallist. What a fantastic

performance from our new world champion, her first ever World

Championship competition, and Evgenia Medvedeva is on top by quite

a margin. And it turns out that gold medal

winning performance by Medvedeva was a world record, so we got to see

something really special. Incredibly special, and to see one so young in

her first World Championship to have that finesse, that poise, not only

technically brilliant, but artistically as well. You felt the

emotion from all the way through, spectacular. We have really enjoyed

some brilliant performances. Any standout moments? If I was there,

who would I like to watch again? It has to be Fernandez. It was serene,

incredible, fun, jovial, exactly how I like to skate back in the day! I

could not do the quads and triple combinations, but that was special.

Solid performances by the Brits. Yes, Kristin did herself proud in

the first event, now on the world stage. Phil Harris did make the

finals, did not have these Katie wanted but was able to do a personal

best. Falcons and Buckland, they are back, contenders for the future. --

four Coomes. It has been a pleasure to watch it with you, 20 more sport

to come next weekend for you. -- plenty more sport. We have triathlon

action coming from Gold Coast in Australia, then live gymnastics, the

British Championships from Liverpool. Both of those events,

athletes battling for the place at the Rio Olympics this summer. All

that coming up next weekend, but what they championships it has been

in Boston, three successfully defended world titles, and a new

start in women's skating. For the ladies at least, the future looks

Russian. Thanks very much for watching, goodbye.