English newspaper texts about Plushy

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Re: English newspaper texts about Plushy

Postby dimi » 31 Jan 2010, 05:02

I want to add two greek articles for Plushy because they are wonderful, all media of greece have gone nuts because they did not know about his return :-)

http://74.125.113.132/search?q=cache:SliAvDA04KQJ:www.enet.gr/%3Fi%3Dissue.el.home%26date%3D27/01/2010%26s%3Dektos-synorwn%26c%3Da8lhtismos+%CF%80%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%85%CF%83%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%BA%CE%BF&cd=3&hl=el&ct=clnk&gl=gr&lr=lang_el

Still in Love with Ice

After the big Michael Schumacher comeback, the athletic world with the same surprise, joy and huge enthusiasm has welcomed the comeback of Evgeni Plushenko!
The Tsar of Ice with the unforgetable Tosca and the notes of Godfather and his sparkling costumes decided after 4 years of not competing, living a normal new life,to comeback and take what he deserves again, his 6th European Gold Medal, ten years after he won his first one.
And he won it again in an impressive way.. quad toe+3toe ...making a world record again of 91.30 points breaking his own record that he had made in OLympic Games in Torino.
27 years old today, the Baryshnikov of Ice not only did he win the European title again, but just as Schumaher, he conquered the laws of nature and he won the bet against anyone who doubted him.
My mind was always in figure skating, said the Tsar who is bound to win again the second Olympic Gold Medal of his carrier in Vancouver and just as like Michael Schumacher, he is the rarity and one of the phenomenal athletes that can come back without any rust no matter how many years have passed...

http://www.tanea.gr/default.asp?pid=41&nid=1097500

European Champion of figure skating :Evgeni Plushenko
The triumphant return


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Ready to defend his title in Vancouver is Evgeni Plushenko who just won the gold medal in European Championship in Tallinn, Estonia.

The Russian Star of the Ice showed on last Thursday that despite his 3 years absence from competition, his technique is the most impressive. Even if he did a small mistake, doubling his triple lutz. "This is not an Olympic Performance" said the athlete making his own critique after his win.
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Re: English newspaper texts about Plushy

Postby cekoni » 03 Feb 2010, 06:12

Better ever, than never :hi_hi_hi: I apologize, but I was in Tallin to support Plushy :chir_lider: ... so, I am very late with english text about Plushy on European Championships 2010 :ku_bok: :plush1: :plush11:

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http://www.isuresults.com/results/ec2010/CAT001RS.HTM
Men - Final Result
1 Evgeni PLUSHENKO RUS 255.39 1 1 plush48
2 Stephane LAMBIEL SUI 238.54 5 2
3 Brian JOUBERT FRA 236.45 2 3

Here you have other official Results:
SP http://www.isuresults.com/results/ec2010/SEG001.HTM
LP http://www.isuresults.com/results/ec2010/SEG002.HTM
Judges Details:
http://www.isuresults.com/results/ec201 ... Scores.pdf
http://www.isuresults.com/results/ec201 ... Scores.pdf
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First - texts about short program, and his NEW WORLD Record! :ya_hoo_oo:

http://www.isuresults.com/results/ec2010/SEG001.HTM
Men - Short Program Result Details

1 Evgeni PLUSHENKO RUS 91.30 51.10 40.20 8.10 7.55 8.15 8.05 8.35 0.00 #21 :co_ol:

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www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60J4...type=sportsNews
Reuters - January 21, 2010, 5:08 am

Figure skating-Plushenko returns to ice with record score


TALLINN, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Yevgeny Plushenko marked his return to major competition with a record score at the European figure skating championships on Wednesday, sending a clear message of intent before next month's Vancouver Olympics.

The Russian broke the men's short programme record he set on his way to gold at the 2006 Turin Olympics -- the last big event he skated in before taking a break.

With a rousing programme that included a quadruple toeloop-triple toeloop combination, the 27-year-old drew the biggest cheers of the day when he scored 91.30 points, surpassing the record of 90.66 that he set four years ago.

French holder Brian Joubert, who had the spectators clapping and stamping along, was in second with 88.55 after downgrading a planned triple toeloop to a double in a combination. Compatriot Yannick Ponsero was third with 82.40 before Thursday's free skate.

Former double world champion Stephane Lambiel's comeback was not as successful as Plushenko's. Although he showed all his old fancy footwork and sublime spins in his knee-high boots, his stumble on the quadruple toeloop cost the Swiss points.

His 77.75 drew collective murmurs of disapproval from his cowbell-ringing fans expecting higher and put him fifth behind Michal Brezina of Czech Republic.

Plushenko had problems landing the quadruple in practice earlier in the day but he dusted himself down and shook his long blonde hair to produce a performance that judges made no deductions on.

"I finally skated clean today, of course I am so happy," he told reporters.

"I think it was the best performance of the season. I had a few inner doubts (after the morning's practice) but I told myself just to go out and do it, I pushed myself. Today I beat my best score but I won't be euphoric. Tomorrow is another day."

The men return to the ice Thursday for the free skate...

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www.google.com/hostednews/afp/artic...7Klcl4r018cKUzQ
By Emmeline Moore (AFP)

Flawless Plushenko on top at Europeans

TALLINN — Olympic champion Yevgeny Plushenko proved he has lost none of his charisma as he marked his international return with a flawless men's short programme to lead at the European figure skating championships here on Wednesday.

The competition is the first major event since the 27-year-old retired four years ago because of knee injuries after claiming gold at the Turin Olympics.

But he showed he is ready to defend his Olympic title by setting a new world record in the men's short programme, a mark which he set in Turin, to lead three-time winner Brian Joubert of France by 2.75 points going into Friday's free skate final.

A visibly relaxed Plushenko opened with a quadruple toeloop-triple toeloop combination, in his programme to Concierto de Aranjuez, following up with a triple axel and triple lutz as he nailed all his required elements.

And he warned: "I can skate better, believe me."

The skater from St Petersburg scored 91.30 points, bettering his previous record by 0.64, and putting him closer to a sixth European title.

Joubert, making his return after a foot injury ruled him out of the Grand Prix final, gave a strong performance to Rise by Safri Duo, but was technically lacking compared to the Russian.

The Frenchman doubled the toeloop in his opening quadruple-triple toeloop combination, to score 88.55.

France's Yannick Ponsero is sitting third with 82.40 as two-time world champion Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland is in fifth, 77.75.

Lambiel was also returning to international competition after retiring because of a thigh injury. But he was lacking technically, doubling his opening triple axel and stumbled out of the following quadruple toeloop jump.

Since his return Plushenko has competed in the Cup of Russia and the national championships but Wednesday was his first international event and he admitted he was pleased with the result.

"I finally skated clean today. In the other competitions I made mistakes," he said. "I skated very good today. I'm so happy with the result and the feeling. But the important competition is Vancouver. This is like preparing for the big day."

The short programme counts for a third of the marks with the remainder coming in the free skating final.

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http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=9612372
By JIM HEINTZ Associated Press Writer - TALLINN, Estonia January 20, 2010 (AP)

Plushenko Back in Full Form at Europeans
Plushenko, back in full form, handily in lead at Europeans


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"Russia's Evgeni Plushenko performs his short program at the ISU European figure skating championships in Tallinn, Estonia, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)
(AP)"


Evgeni Plushenko might be better than ever.

The 2006 Olympic champion took the lead in the European Figure Skating Championships on Wednesday with a short program that showed him in top form. The Russian earned 91.30 points, a career high exceeding his previous best at the Turin Games.

"To put it simply, I count this as the return of the sporting feeling," he said a few minutes after leaving the ice.

That Plushenko is in full stride after a three-year layoff and an aching knee is sure to worry anyone aiming to challenge him in Vancouver next month. That includes France's Brian Joubert, who ended the day in second place, and Switzerland's Stephane Lambiel, the Turin silver medalist who slumped to fifth in Tallinn.

Lambiel also is coming back from a lengthy layoff.

Yannick Ponsero of France was third after the short program.

Plushenko reeled off a series of jumps, including the day's only quad-triple combination, with such cool precision that it almost looked routine. But when he clenched his fist at the end, he showed it was much more than a skate on a pond.

Later he seemed both euphoric and wary.

"I am so happy with my feelings today," Plushenko said. "Of course, I am not going to fly to the moon because tomorrow (in the free skate) is going to be a big fight."

Joubert, skating last, showed that he too has come back — in his case from foot surgery late last year. His lively short program slightly outpointed Plushenko on content, and the main technical difference was he did a double toe loop after his quad instead of a planned triple.

"I was very nervous when I came on the ice, so when I did the quad I wanted to do a clean combination," said Joubert, the 2007 world champion. "The quad was good and I was about to do a triple, so I am a little bit disappointed in that."

Joubert vowed that he'll do two quads in the free skate Thursday. Plushenko promised only one — but with a smile that indicated he had more in mind.

Ponsero, aiming for his first continental medal, also did a quad-double combination.

The meeting of Lambiel, in his biggest competition since coming back from a year off, and Plushenko for the first time since Turin was eagerly anticipated. But hopes for the Swiss fell within seconds as he doubled a planned triple axel, then put both hands to the ice when he stumbled out of the first part of a quad-triple combo.......

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http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/olympics_b...mpionships.html
January 20, 2010 | 9:11 am

Evgeni Plushenko leads at European Championships

Russia's Evgeni Plushenko leads following today's singles short program at the European Figure Skating Championships in Estonia.

The defending Olympic champion earned a career-high 91.30 points in the short program, exceeding his previous best from the 2006 Winter Olympics. Plushenko, 27, continues to prove he's one of the most talented skaters in the world even though a nagging knee injury forced him out of competition for three years.

Brian Joubert is second and fellow countryman Yannick Ponsero is third. Switzerland's Stephane Lambiel, who won the silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics, is fifth.

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"Photo: Evgeni Plushenko reacts after his short program performance today. Credit: Ivan Sekretarev / Associated Press"

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www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_conten...2〈=eng_news
By JIM HEINTZ 2010-01-21 12:02 AM

Plushenko back in top form at Euro Championships

Image
"Russia's Evgeni Plushenko performs his short program at the ISU European figure skating championships in Tallinn, Estonia, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev) "

Evgeni Plushenko took the lead in the European Figure Skating Championships on Wednesday with a short program that showed a return to the form that won Olympic gold four years ago _ and maybe even better.

Plushenko earned 91.30 points, a career high exceeding his previous best at the 2006 Turin Games. The Russian showed he is nearing his best form heading toward the Vancouver Olympics next month following a three-year layoff and a lingering knee injury.

France's Brian Joubert is second, with Yannick Ponsero of France in third.

Olympic silver medalist Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland is fifth after the short program. Lambiel also is making a comeback from a long layoff.

Plushenko landed a series of jumps with cool precision, including the day's only quad-triple combination, but he showed what his performance meant when he completed his program with a celebratory clenched fist.

"To put it simply, I count this as the return of the sporting feeling," Plushenko said. "I am so happy with my feelings today. Of course, I am not going to fly to the moon because tomorrow is going to be a big fight."

Joubert, skating last, slightly outpointed Plushenko on content in a live-wire program, and the only significant technical difference was that he did a double toeloop after his quad instead of a planned triple. The Frenchman underwent foot surgery late last year.

"I was very nervous when I came on the ice, so when I did the quad I wanted to do a clean combination ... the quad was good and I was about to do a triple, so I am a little bit disappointed in that," Joubert said.

Joubert vowed that he'll do two quads in the free skate Thursday. Plushenko promised only one _ but with a smile that indicated he had more in mind.

Ponsero, aiming for his first European medal, also did a quad-double combination.

The performance of Lambiel, in his biggest competition since coming back from a year off, was highly anticipated, especially because it was his first against Plushenko since Turin. But within seconds, he doubled a planned triple axel, then put both hands to the ice when he stumbled out of the first part of a quad-triple combo.....

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www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/sports/olympics/21european.html
By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY Published: January 20, 2010

Still Jumping Strongly, Plushenko Makes a Comeback

TALLINN, Estonia — It certainly looked like the old Yevgeny Plushenko: from the hair (bowl cut on top, long in the back) to the ballet dancer’s flexibility to, above all, the jumps.

The jumps are what made Plushenko a dominant force in figure skating and a world and Olympic champion. And in his first major international competition in nearly four years, he jumped and scored better than anyone in the short program at the European championships Wednesday.

His opening quadruple toe-triple toe combination ultimately made the difference with his longtime rival Brian Joubert of France, who had to settle for opening with a quad-double.

Plushenko’s final total of 91.30 points was a record for the men’s short program, improving on the mark of 90.66 he established on his way to victory at the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy, his last major competition before retiring.

“I am so happy with my performance and feelings,” said Plushenko, a 27-year-old Russian. “Of course I’m not going to fly to the moon, because tomorrow is a big fight.”

Heading into Thursday’s free program — the second and final phase of the competition — Plushenko holds a slight lead over Joubert, who scored a personal best of 88.55 with his clean short program.

“It will be a good duel, as it has always been with Yevgeny,” said Joubert, the reigning European champion. “It’s good to see him back at this level.”

The toll of being a master of the quadruple has taken a toll on Plushenko’s knees, and pain was part of the reason for his break from the sport. “The problem still exists,” said his longtime coach, Aleksei Mishin.

But Plushenko pronounced himself healthy Wednesday, and he certainly skated that way, even if some French coaches argued that he had been overscored.

Stephane Lambiel, the two-time world champion from Switzerland, is also returning to the elite level after a two-season break caused by physical problems. Although he remains a true artist and a master of spins and footwork, he stumbled on his opening quadruple toe loop and could do no better than fifth in the short program, with a score of 77.75.

Joubert has had his own issues this season: slicing open his right foot with his skate while trying to perform a triple Lutz during practice Nov. 25. He had surgery and, along with Plushenko, missed the Grand Prix final that was won in impressive if quadruple-free fashion by Evan Lysacek of the United States, the reigning world champion.

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http://www.morethanthegames.co.uk/figur ... mpionships
Figure SkatingWinter Sports, Posted: Wednesday 20th January 2010 | 19:11

Plushenko back with a bang at European Championships

OLYMPIC champion Evgeni Plushenko of Russia has issued a message of intent to his Vancouver 2010 rivals with stunning short program to lead at the halfway stage of the European Figure Skating Championships in Tallinn, Estonia.


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I'M BACK: Russia's Evgeni Plushenko chalks up a career-best score in his short program after nearly four years out of competition

The 27-year-old, bidding for a sixth European crown, notched a career-high 91.30 points to lead in Estonia ahead of defending champion Brian Joubert of France.

Plushenko, the gold medallist at Turin 2006, also has three world titles to his name but a recurring knee injury had seen him take an extended break from competition for nearly years.

The Russian showed no signs of rustiness however and as he bids to become the first man to defend to Olympic crown in 58 years, Plushenko insists the best is yet to come.

"I can skate better, believe me, I can skate better," he said, after performing a quadruple toeloop-triple toeloop combination on Wednesday, as well as successfully pulling off his triple axel and triple lutz.

Joubert meanwhile, who took European gold in Plushenko's absence last year in Helsinki, achieved 88.55 points, also a career best, to lie second in Tallinn, while compatriot Yannick Ponsero is third with 82.40.

Despite claiming the world title in 2007, following his silver in 2006, Joubert disappointed in Turin, crumbling under the pressure after Plushenko had laid down a formidable marker.

But after following the Russian onto the ice in Tallinn, and recording a career high short program score, the Frenchman is adamant he will not make the same mistake in Vancouver.

"I was watching Plushenko's programme in my hotel room much like in 2006 when he skated early then," said Joubert.

"I got very nervous but now I can cope with the nerves. When I saw the score I knew it would be hard to beat him but I knew it was still possible."

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.... and many more... :-) ... next post - about LP and winning the sixth title of European champion! :co_ol:
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Re: English newspaper texts about Plushy

Postby cekoni » 03 Feb 2010, 06:28

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Long program - 21.01.2010

:plush1: :plush11:

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http://vancouver2010.blogs.nytimes.com/201...-and-his-coach/
By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY January 21, 2010, 9:09 pm

European Title Is Only the Beginning for Plushenko and His Coach

TALLINN, Estonia — Aleksei Mishin, the Russian who has coached three men’s Olympic figure skating champions, was beaming proprietarily Thursday night as Yevgeny Plushenko listened to the Russian anthem here with another gold medal around his neck.

But for Mishin, as for Plushenko, the comeback hardly culminated here at these European championships. This impressive, if not quite flawless, performance was about setting the tone for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver next month, about trying to send a message that what was required to win in Plushenko’s absence the last three seasons will no longer be enough.

That means an upgrade in athleticism. That means quadruple jumps.

“I’d like to tell you he’s coming back to wake up not only Russian men’s figure skating and not only Russian figure skating family but international also,” Mishin said. “He’s coming back to wake up a lot of athletes to start to work harder and be more ready and prepare.”

In his first major competition since the 2006 Games in Turin, Italy, Plushenko finished first in both the short program, where he compiled a record score, and Thursday’s free program against a strong field that included two former world champions, Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland and Brian Joubert of France.

It was the sixth European title for Plushenko, who won his first in 2000 when figure skating was using its old scoring system, with 6.0 the mathematical model of perfection.

That concept no longer exists in the new scoring world of elements with base values and running tallies. But Plushenko can clearly still crunch the numbers effectively in this era, too. In Tallinn, he ended up with a combined score of 255.39 points, well ahead of Lambiel, who is in the midst of a comeback of his own after a retirement that lasted one season.

Lambiel, who finished second in Turin, has yet to win Olympic gold. But why did Plushenko, who at 27 has already won all of skating’s major trophies, feel the need to return?

“My wife kept insisting,” he said through a translator. “And I have to say, competition is such a great feeling. Maybe I was missing that. But I won’t be going high in the sky at winning this. The most important competition is the Olympics.”

Lambiel received the silver medal and the night’s biggest standing ovation on the strength of a finely conceived if imperfectly executed free program set to music from “La Traviata.” Lambiel, the most expressive of the top Europeans, touched down on his opening quadruple jump and later fell at the start of a step sequence that he never expected to trip him up.

He finished with 238.54 points and the consolation prize of outscoring Plushenko in the program component score by nearly 2 points.

Joubert, in striking range of Plushenko after the short program, was disappointing and deeply disappointed on Thursday night. He stepped out of his opening quadruple jump and then continued to struggle, getting hit with deductions in bunches as he downgraded jumps, abandoning a planned combination, and came up with another shaky landing on a triple Salchow. He won the bronze medal with 236.45 points.

“Tonight really hurt me,” said Joubert, who complained that he did not feel well-conditioned enough after rushing to recover from foot surgery in December.

“I’m going to do the maximum to be at my best three weeks from now in Vancouver,” he said. “I know I can do much better. I know I can be Olympic champion if I do my best.”

Plushenko has already done it, winning in 2006 before taking an extended break from elite-level competition but not necessarily from skating.

“To say he’s gone four years without skating is not true; he has done lots of shows,” said Didier Gailhaguet, the president of the French ice sports federation. “But it’s a remarkable comeback. There’s no doubt, but you also have to say that nobody else on the podium got to Plushenko’s level, and he did not have much trouble winning. But that’s our fault. We can’t blame him.” :-)

Joubert, who skated before Plushenko in the final group, hardly applied much pressure. When Plushenko took to the ice in the Saku Suurhall, Tallinn’s main indoor arena, and his tango music began, he needed little more than a minute to cleanly land the only quad toe-triple toe combination of the night, a triple Axel, a triple Axel-double toe combination and a triple loop.

Though he later downgraded a planned triple Lutz to a double Lutz, he was otherwise in complete command.

“I’m working on the quad Lutz; maybe I have to do a quad instead of a triple,” Plushenko said.

Maybe he wasn’t joking. Plushenko said he was well aware that the men who won the last two world championships — Jeremy Buttle of Canada in 2008 and Evan Lysacek of the United States in 2009 — did not require a quad.

“I think that’s just not possible,” he said. “Today people were trying two quads, so that was good. Maybe they realized that you can’t win without a quad. My job now is to do two.”

Consider that a warning to the rest of the deep men’s Olympic field, which includes Lysacek.

“Everybody will have to pay attention and think about how to beat him,” Mishin said of Plushenko. “To beat him, not too easy.”

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www.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp...0&vkey=ice_news
By J. Barry Mittan, special to icenetwork.com 01/21/2010

Plushenko wins men's title at Europeans

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"Evgeni Plushenko won the gold medal at European Championships. (Getty Images)"

Russia's Evgeni Plushenko won his sixth men's title at the European Championships with an impressive total of 255.39 points.

The Olympic champion won the free skate with 164.09 points, just under his personal best of 167.67.

"I'm very happy for myself that I'm still competitive after such a long break," Plushenko said. "Winning feels a thousand times nicer, as they are younger than I am. But apparently I can still benefit from my experience and can pull myself together when it counts."

Plushenko skated to "Tango Amore", a special violin composition by Edvin Marton.

Swiss skater Stéphane Lambiel, who stood in fifth place after the short program, scored 160.79 points to finish second in the free skate and win his third silver medal at Europeans with 238.54 total points.

He had the highest presentation score of 85.00 to Plushenko's 83.10 points, and missed his personal best free skate score by .11 of a point.

"I feel very confident with the silver medal and I want to win the gold in Vancouver," Lambiel said.

Lambiel, who skated a classical program to "La Traviata" by Guiseppe Verdi, had a total score of 238.54 points.

"It was good but it wasn't perfect," Lambiel said. "I put my hand down on the first quad and made a mistake on the triple Salchow at the very end. I also lost my edge [and fell] in the serpentine step sequence."

France's Brian Joubert, the defending European men's champion, who was second after the short program, won the bronze medal by scoring 147.90 points in the free skate and 236.45 points overall. The Frenchman turned out of the landing of his first quad toe, and popped his second attempt.

"I am disappointed," Joubert said. "Now, I don't know what to do. Maybe I'm still not ready for this program."

Joubert's marks for his free program to "Ancient Land" by Ronan Hardiman and "Discovery" by Maxime Rodriguez, were only .55 above his season best and more than 12 points below his personal best.

The Czech Republic's Michal Brezina, skating to George Gershwin's "An American in Paris," finished fifth in the free skate with 145.14 points, below his season best. With a total of 224.74, Brezina, who was fourth in the short, finished fourth overall, his best showing at Europeans.

"I was a bit nervous because I was skating in the last group with these big names like Plushenko and Joubert," Brezina said. "Now, I feel great. Yes, I made one big mistake at the end when I did a single Axel. I lost about eight points."

Italy's Samuel Contesti, who was second last year, could not move up to the podium after placing seventh in the short program. Contesti scored 145.43 points in the free skate to finish fourth in the free skate, but his total of 221.33 left him in fifth place overall.

Contesti, skating to Andean panpipe music, bettered his season's best by almost ten points.

"It was a great performance," Contesti said. "I'm very happy. I was fighting for the last three-jump combination because every point is important. One point can make a difference."

Yannick Ponsero, who was in third place after the short program, finished seventh in the free skate with 137.12 points, a season best but well off his personal best of 151.85. The Frenchman used a medley of songs including "Caravan" and "Sing, Sing, Sing" by Brian Setzer and "Summertime" and "Porgy and Bess" by Louis Armstrong.

Ponsero placed sixth overall with 219.52 points.

"Everyone was skating well tonight so it was hard for me physically and mentally to hold it together," Ponsero said. "I gave all my energy in the first minute and was tired afterwards."

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www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60K4...type=sportsNews
(Editing by Alison Wildey) Thu Jan 21, 2010 6:34pm EST

Plushenko marks his territory with gold

TALLINN (Reuters) - Yevgeny Plushenko kissed the ice after showing his rivals he has no intention of giving up his Olympic crown next month by easily winning gold at the European figure skating championships on Thursday.

The two skaters making their comebacks after absences from the sport beat those who had been keeping the podium warm for them with Switzerland's popular Stephane Lambiel taking the silver when his mesmerizing spins lifted him up from fifth.

Last year's champion Brian Joubert of France took bronze after an error-strewn routine. Plushenko scored 255.39 points, with Lambiel on 238.54 and Joubert on 236.45.

"I am just really proud, everything went well. Of course the most important competition this year will be the Olympic Games," Plushenko, whose last major competition had been the 2006 Turin Games, said in a rinkside interview.

Lambiel, who has come out of retirement, got a standing ovation after his delightfully presented routine to Verdi's La Traviata, with fans whooping when they saw he had scored enough despite slipping on to his bottom during a simple step sequence.

Joubert, who had been second after Wednesday's short program, shook his head while taking his time to take a bow after messing up his landings on the triple salchow and triple flip and downgrading a planned quadruple salchow to a double.......

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www.miamiherald.com/sports/breaking-news/story/1437849.html
By JIM HEINTZ Associated Press Writer, Thursday, 01.21.10

Plushenko wins European gold handily

TALLINN, Estonia -- Evgeni Plushenko aced his last major test before seeking a second consecutive Olympic gold next month by winning the European figure skating championships on Thursday.

The Russian's solid free program included his typical technical finesse - and a surprising error. There were gasps in the audience when he unexpectedly doubled a triple lutz, a jump that almost could be seen as routine for him.

Plushenko said he may have missed it because he's been working on a quad lutz "and maybe I just have to concentrate on the triple."

It was otherwise a characteristic Plushenko performance, full of cool, clean jumps, elegant steps and a dash of cockiness in keeping with the tango music.

But he wasn't ready to declare himself fully back from a three-year layoff, even if the cheering crowd was.

"It wasn't an Olympic performance today. I have to do a second quad," he said.

He didn't need one in Tallinn. Last year's European champion Brian Joubert, in second place after the short program, skated just before Plushenko and both his quad attempts went bad - stepping out on the first and doubling the second. He ended with bronze.

Stephane Lambiel, who skated after Plushenko, also was planning two quads. But he was a distant fifth after a badly troubled short program and Plushenko apparently felt little pressure.

Lambiel put a hand down on the first quad, and later fell during what appeared to be a simple part of his steps sequence, but was strong enough to rise up to the silver medal.

"For me, this was, wow, hard," Lambiel said. After his short program problems he was nervous and "when I went out on the ice today I just said to myself 'follow the music,'" - a joyous medley of tunes from La Traviata........

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www.sportsfeatures.com/presspoint/p...-2010-day-three
Devra Pitt - Getaz, Thursday January 21st 2010

ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2010 - Day Three

The ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2010 continued in Tallinn, Estonia, on Thursday with the Original Dance and the Men’s Free Skating.
.....

Evgeni Plushenko (RUS) takes his sixth European title

Evgeni Plushenko of Russia took his sixth European title ahead of Switzerland’s Stéphane Lambiel and Brian Joubert of France in what was an exact repeat of the 2006 European podium.

Performing to “Tango Amore” by Edvin Marton, Plushenko nailed his opening quad-triple toeloop combination followed by a high triple Axel, a triple Axel-double toe and three more triples. The only glitch in his confident performance came when he doubled a Lutz. The 2006 Olympic Champion earned 164.09 points, a new seasons best and racked up a total of 255.39 points. “There was one stupid error, I did a double Lutz. I repeated it as a triple later on, though, but you have to do everything”, Plushenko said. “I’m especially happy about the quad-triple because once again I had trouble with it in the warm up. But apparently I still benefit from my experience and can pull myself together when it counts. I’m very happy for myself that I’m still competitive after such a long break. At the Olympic Games, I’ll need to skater better. I want to do two quads”, he continued.

Lambiel skated last of the 20 Men in the Final. He put his hand down on the first quad toe but recovered to land a quad-double toeloop combination and five triples, but he fell in the serpentine footwork and the triple Salchow was shaky. Lambiel earned 160.79 points for his expressive routine to “La Traviata” and moved up from fifth to take the silver with 238.54 points. “It was good, but it wasn’t perfect. I felt great this week in Tallinn. The competition is very tough, the level is very high. There is a lot of stress. It could have been worse, but it could have been better. Now I feel very confident with the silver medal and I want to win the gold in Vancouver”, the 2006 Olympic silver medalists told the press.

Joubert skated second in the group. His routine to “Ancient Land” included a quadruple toeloop and six triples, but he doubled the planned quadruple Salchow. The defending champion scored 147.90 points and settled for the bronze at 236.54 points overall. “I am very disappointed with my free skating, but it was not a big surprise because I knew I wasn’t ready for my free skating. But I know what I have to work on”, the 2007 World Champion commented.

World Junior silver medallist Michal Brezina (CZE) came in fourth with a strong performance to “An American in Paris” (224.74 points). Samuel Contesti (ITA) moved up from seventh to fifth with a clean program (221.33 points)......

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Re: English newspaper texts about Plushy

Postby cekoni » 03 Feb 2010, 06:31

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku2yeGIjT28




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQze1bErZLM



---------------------

... other videos and reports from competition on russian and english language you have on 2 topic: :-):

Чемпионат Европы 2010 || European Championships 2010
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=97

Отчёты ОЧЕВИДЦЕВ ЧЕ-2010 || Reports witnesses from EURO-2010
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=103

Photos... here: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=104
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Re: English newspaper texts about Plushy

Postby cekoni » 03 Feb 2010, 07:24

http://www.goldenskate.com/articles/2009/euros_ms.shtml
January 20, 2010 Article by Anna Kondakova Photo by Andrei Simonenko

Plushenko 'satisfied' with short program
2010 European Figure Skating Championships

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Evgeni Plushenko earned a new world breaking score for his Short Program at the 2010 European Figure Skating Championships.


The operative word for the Men's competition is "comeback". With 38 skaters representing 30 countries, the list of the contenders for the title consist mostly of the skaters who have been out of competition for a while.

The 2006 Olympic Champion Evgeni Plushenko (RUS) is coming back after a four-year hiatus and has not competed at the European Championships since he took the title in 2006.

Fellow 2006 Olympic silver medalist Stéphane Lambiel (SUI) had announced his retirement due to injury a year and a half ago, and his last ISU Championships was at 2008 Worlds where he finished fifth.

Defending European Champion Brian Joubert (FRA) is combing back after more a recent, but perhaps no less, disruptive training accident which forced him to withdraw from both the 2009 Grand Prix Final and the French National Championships in December.

Another skater on the road to recover the lost ground is the 2008 European Champion Tomas Verner (CZE). Unlike others, he had participated in all major events in the past seasons, but his recent performances have been far from the level he needs in order to return to the continental championships' podium.

Plushenko, who is currently ranked 92nd in the ISU World Standings due to the lack of the recent international results, skated in the first warm-up group of the second half of the event, and set an insurmountable standard for the rest of the field.

The Russian Champion knocked off his three opening elements: a quad toe loop - triple toe lop combination, a triple Axel, and a triple Lutz out of steps. He then proceeded to deliver the rest of his elements without the slightest hesitation.

"The morning practice did not go well," offered Plushenko. "I could not get a consistent quad. I jumped and I fell, I jumped and I fell... but in the warm-up, I immediately landed a clean quad and then a quad combo. This was very important for me."

Plushenko is steadily improving the flow of his routine to Concerto d'Aranjuez, however, his trademark energy and command over the audience were somewhat lacking. Still, his technical expertise was undeniable and the judges gave him a warm welcome back' by awarding him a world record breaking score of 91.30 points.

"I am quite satisfied with the way I skated today," said Plushenko. "The main thing is that I have regained my competitive spirit. It happened at exactly the right time and at the exactly right competition. This is the benchmark against which I judge myself right now."

"Let's say I'm not quite ready to fly to the moon," the 27-year-old added, "because I know that there is gonna be a big competition tomorrow. But it's a great feeling to sit here in the middle [as the winner of the short program], and I have a small gold medal to show for it."

The Russian Champion, who has been struggling with a knee injury since he began intense training, said that he is perfectly healthy right now. "I feel healthy today, I don't have any problems right now and I hope tomorrow I won't have any problems either."

Regarding the choreography of his routine, Plushenko denied that it has any deeper meaning. "It's just my skating. It's what I want to do. To skate and to enjoy it."

In contrast, his main opponent Joubert was the last skater to perform his short program. The Frenchman gave an upbeat and enthusiastic performance, but only executed a quad - double toe loop combination, and is currently behind the leader by nearly three points (88.55).

"I know I can do better," said the 25-year-old. "I was very nervous to be the last skater in the short program, but it makes me very comfortable for tomorrow. It's going to be very interesting for everyone tomorrow, a big fight."

The double toe loop at the end of Joubert's combination was an accident according to the 2009 World Championships bronze medalist. "As I've said, I was very nervous, but still I came onto the ice planning to do a quad-triple combination. The quad landing was good and I wanted to do a clean combination. It was the most important. I'm a bit upset about this little mistake, but I am looking forward towards tomorrow."

Joubert, who cut his foot with his own blade in practice earlier in the season, has completely recovered from the injury. "I don't feel any pain in my foot. I put protection in my boots, which makes me more confident, especially about the triple Lutz."

Joubert admitted watching Plushenko's performance from the hotel and was complimentary about his rival. "I watched him on TV, just jumps, and they were perfect. Then I saw the score I thought 'It's gonna be difficult to beat him, but it is possible.' Exactly the same thing happened at the 2006 Olympic Games, but at the Olympics, I skated very poorly in the short, and I now I skated well."

Plushenko returned the compliment with a challenge. "I skated early and I've watched all other skaters. I saw Brian Joubert. Good job, good job. But everyone is strong here. Everyone is on more or less the same level, and it's going to be big fight. [Joubert] said he can beat me. I say let him try."

Plushenko's game plan for tomorrow will depend on how others skate. "I have a strategy. I have to see how Brian skates," he said, but quickly added, "I plan one quad."

Joubert, on the other hand, has more ambitious plans: "I don't have a strategy. I consider this event a preparation, so I want to try to do two quads: a toe loop and a Salchow."....

------------------------------------

http://www.goldenskate.com/articles/2009/euros_ml.shtml
January 21, 2010 Article by Anna Kondakova Photo by Andrei Simonenko

Plushenko wins sixth European title

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Evgeni Plushenko performs to Tango Amore by Edvin Marton a the 2010 European Figure Skating Championships.

The old timers successfully held off the younger skaters to capture all three medals of the Men's event in Tallinn. Evgeni Plushenko of Russia easily maintained first overall to capture the title, while Switzerland's Stephan Lambiel's rose from fifth to nab the silver. Defending champion Brian Joubert of France was forced to settle for bronze.

Plushenko, who skated right after his main rival Joubert, knew beforehand that the title was his to loose and the Olympic Champion approached his performance accordingly.

The crowed erupted into the applause after he landed his opening quad toe loop - triple toe loop combination, and each following jumping pass received an equally warm welcome. After the first minute and a half, which saw him checking off two triple Axels and triple loop, the game was essentially over. His only error came when he doubled a triple Lutz.

The student of Alexei Mishin picked up 164.09 (80.99/83.10) points for the long program, and with 255.39 points in total, easily won his sixth European title by an impressive 20-point margin. Even more impressive is the fact the 27-year-old did it ten years after capturing his first continental crown back in 2000 in Vienna.

"Thank you, Estonia!" Plushenko exclaimed. "Thank you all the Russians! Thank you, my beloved wife Yana and, of course, thanks to all the judges for giving me those marks!"

"To be frank, I have to say that it's a pleasure to win over so many strong skaters who worked so hard every day for the past three years," Plushenko told the audience. "I'm very proud of it."

"For the past two years I've been training in Estonia in the summer," Plushenko told the local audience. "I have been coming to Tartu. There is an excellent training base there, with a great sauna, so I feel quite at home here. I have a lot of friends in Estonia and I love Tallinn."

"I see a lot of Russians here," he continued. "Lots of the Russian flags, but, by the way, thank you, Spain, muchas gracias! Thank you the French, merci beaucoup! and thank you everyone else who supported me."

At the press conference, Plushenko dismissed his mistake on the triple Lutz. "I guess it happened because I'm working on a quad Lutz," he joked. "Perhaps I should just go for quad and forget about doing triple. That's all."

He also admitted following figure skating during his hiatus. "Of course I followed figure skating. The last two World Championships were won by people who did not attempt quads. For me it's incomprehensible. I'm happy that today skaters already attempted two quads, which is the way it should be done. I'm glad that they feel that it is necessary."

Plushenko promised to include the second quad toe loop into his long program for the Olympic Games.

"It's hard to compete today as under the new rules we all are equal," he reflected. "We all have to do spins with the same changes of edges and so on. We have to complete all those rockers and brackets in step sequences. I've followed the rules, but I haven't yet learned all of it. Frankly, sometimes I feel that the judges have not learned them either."

"Everything is going according to the plan, everything is going well," Plushenko summed up. "Of course I'm happy to win the sixth European gold medal, but the most important event, naturally, are the Olympic Games."....
.....
Joubert failed to live up to yesterday's claim that he could challenge Plushenko for gold. The defending champion turned out of his opening quad toe loop landing, popped a quad Salchow attempt into double, and later was unable to execute the third three-jump combination.

"I don't know what happened on quad Salchow," said Joubert. "I did not have enough speed coming into the jump. I made a small mistake on the [quad] toe, which was good, but afterwards I was not relaxed enough and therefore I made the big mistake."
While none of those mistakes were particularly disruptive to the flow of the program, each cost him a lot in the technical score, and he was only able to earn 147.90 (68.10/79.80) for his effort. With a total score of 236.45 points, he slipped to third overall.

"To be honest, I'm very disappointed," offered a visibly upset Joubert at the press conference. "But it was not a surprise. I'm not yet ready for the long program. Yesterday I was very confident in the short. I worked very hard on it, but physically I'm not strong or confident enough for the long program. Now I know what I have to do.".....
.........
"I felt a bit nervous before, because I was skating in the last group with these big names like Plushenko, Joubert....," confessed Brezina, who was tenth last year. "But now I feel great and on the ice I felt comfortable."...
.....
"It was a very good competition with Brian (Joubert), Evgeni Plushenko, and Stephane Lambiel," Ponsero later told the press. "Everyone was skating well tonight, so it was hard for me physically and mentally to hold it together. I gave all my energy in the first minute and I was tired afterwards. That's a little disappointing."......
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Re: English newspaper texts about Plushy

Postby cekoni » 03 Feb 2010, 08:09

2 similar texts... :mi_ga_et:

http://nz.sports.yahoo.com/news/article ... -seek-gold
Reuters - January 22, 2010, 12:27 pm

Figure skating-Wife's nagging drove Plushenko to seek more gold

TALLINN, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Yevgeny Plushenko has it all -- a full complement of titles, pots of cash and, most importantly, a nagging wife.

If it had not been for wife Jana telling him to get his skates on, the Russian may never have returned to the ice to defend his Olympic crown in Vancouver next month.

"My wife kept going on about it," the 27-year-old told reporters after winning European gold on Thursday when asked what had made him consider a comeback.

"It is a great feeling the competition, I hadn't had enough of it."

Plushenko said during his three-and-a-half years away from competition he had kept an eye on the pretenders to his throne, adding that it was unbelievable that skaters had become world champions in his absence without performing a quadruple jump.

His return seems to have pushed the rest of the field into putting the tricky jumps into their routines.

"I was really glad that today people were doing two quads, maybe they understood that you need a quad to win. My task next time is to do two quads," said Plushenko, who has six European and three world gold medals as well as the Olympic gold.

"The most important competition is still to come, the Olympic Games. There the fight will be very hard."

When asked what the main differences between the Plushenko of 2006 and today were, the Russian quickly fired out a list.

"I have everything right now. I have all titles, I have money, I have a great wife, the best one," he said.

"My spins are much better, my steps are much better and I feel much better, that's the difference.".....

------------------------------------

http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-ne ... 772xm.html
Jan 23, 2010

Plushenko boost as Russian hopes soar for Vancouver

Tallinn (AFP) - Yevgeny Plushenko has given a much-needed boost to Russian figure skating ahead of the Olympic Winter Games as they topped the medals table at the European figure skating championship here this week.

The 27-year-old reclaimed the coveted men's title as his country landed three of the four titles on offer at the continental championships.

It was the most successful Europeans for Russia since just before the 2006 Winter Games when they flexed their muscles by sweeping the podium, as they had also done before Nagano in 1998.

Before Salt Lake City in 2002 they also won three of the four titles.

But the once-powerful team has been in the doldrums since Torino.

They had not medalled in the men's or women's event at Europeans since 2006, also losing their pairs stranglehold.

But two weeks before Vancouver that has all changed as they showed they are ready to challenge for three titles - men's, pairs and ice dancing.

The return of Plushenko last year after retiring following Torino has proved a major boost.

And in his international debut he showed that he still has the jumps and the programme to compete against younger rivals with a crushing victory that gave him a sixth men's gold.

The three-time world champion led both the short programme and free skate to finish a massive 16.85 points ahead of Olympic silver medallist Stephane Lambiel, also returning after more than a year off with a thigh injury.

"I feel healthy right now," warned Plushenko.

"My speed and steps are much better today. I feel much better," he said.

"I won't get too euphoric though. The most important competition is still to come, the Olympic Games."

France's Brian Joubert failed to show he has recovered his form sufficiently after a foot injury, as he struggled to third, and lost his title, putting his ability to challenge for Olympic gold in doubt.....
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Re: English newspaper texts about Plushy

Postby cekoni » 03 Feb 2010, 08:39

Parts from few French and Italians newspapers... translation by Ximena and Kiwi :plush39:

European Championships - Golden Plushenko: The Tzar is back!

The Russian dominated the men's competition at the European Tallinn, returning to the throne after 4 years without any continental competitions: the best now and forever is Plushenko! Lambiel and Joubert medalled as well.

Sixth European gold medalist Evgeni Plushenko, without a doubt the best skater in the third millennium. After a sabbatical of four years, in fact, the 27 year old Russian has put all his opponents in a row in Tallinn, earning the gold medal in front of Stephane Lambiel and Brian Joubert.

After finishing the short program-record with a score of 91.30, Plushenko was "satisfied" of a 164.09 in free, for a total of 255.39 points which is close to his best dating back to Turin 2006 (258.47). Impressive the difference between him and his rivals: 17 points to silver medallist Lambiel 17 points and almost 20 to Joubert...

The Tsar is back, in short, there's no room for none else ... (...)

Plushenko is still the Tsar ice

Evgeny Plushenko made an historic victory at the European Figure Skating in Tallinn. The Russian, three-time world champion, won his sixth continental title ten years after his first [AMAZING] with a beautiful free program which he only has made a mistake on the triple Lutz, and he confirmed after the short program to have every intention of successfully defending his Olympic title won in Turin 2006.

---------------------------------------------------

Evgeni Plushenko was crowned European champion for the sixth time. The three time World champion got this way his ninth European medal and his 16th, combining OG, Wordls and Euros on his comeback. The 27-year old Russian, who retired after being crowned at the Olympics in 2006, decided to come back this season, just like Lambiel.

The skater, the most succesfull one after the War, has kept his flexibility and his absolute control over his jumps. He managed, with an amazing ease two triple axels, one in combination and a quadruple jump. But he has not reached the emotion that purist would like to see, and his speed has turned a little slow if we compare it to four years ago. With one international compeition on his back before Tallin, Plushenko has managed a performance that very little people would have thought possibe a couple of months ago.

------------------------------------------

.... "and they found themselves in the podium just like 2006, before the Olympics in Turin and what happened was that Plushenko became Olympic Champion and Joubert cracked under pressure and we hope that's not the case..."
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Re: English newspaper texts about Plushy

Postby cekoni » 03 Feb 2010, 09:36

Olympics NEWS :plush45: :plush17:

According to information, Evgeni in St. Petersburg now resume his training.
He will leave for Vancouver on February 11th and be on the Olympic village on February 12th.


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http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valle ... 03322.html
February 02, 2010

Russian blades on ice

The first wave of Russian Olympic figure skaters hit the ice at Abbotsford Recreation Centre to a chorus of oohs and aahs from spectators Monday morning.

A trio of Russian pairs skaters – Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov, Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov, and Vera Bazarova and Yuri Larionov – spent most of their time ironing out details of choreography and footwork, but wowed local fans with occasional jumps, lifts and spins.....

The Russian team will train at ARC for more than two weeks (Feb. 1-17), and arriving in Canada in advance of the Olympics holds several benefits for the athletes. Adjusting to the 11-hour time change and the local climate is important, and the training camp also offers the skaters a chance to decompress following the stress of recent European championships.....

The only bit of bad news on Monday was the revelation Russian superstar Evgeni Plushenko will not be among the group training in Abbotsford. Plushenko, the defending Olympic gold medallist in men’s singles and a three-time world champion, will arrive in Vancouver at the beginning of the Games.

According to Moskvina, the drawbacks of bringing Plushenko to Canada early outweigh the benefits.

“He’s a very experienced skater, and he’s very famous,” Moskvina said. “To be here would be an extra challenge, because everybody will be asking to have a photo taken. It will be extra attention to him, and it will be a great distraction.

“He’ll come directly to the athletes’ village.
” ...

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http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?sec ... id=4869191
January 29, 2010, 11:12 AM ET

Figure skating won't lack for stories in Vancouver
.....

The Winter Games' glamour sport will be in its usual glamour spot in Vancouver, with live, prime-time coverage for every event -- even the snooze-inducing compulsory dance. Between big names making comebacks, the phenomenon that is Kim Yu-na and the friends-and-former-training-partners-turned-rivals, there will be plenty of fodder to keep everyone's favorite Olympic soap opera running......

There are big dreams for some older folks, too.

Olympic men's champion Evgeni Plushenko is returning after a three-year absence in hopes of becoming the first man to win back-to-back gold medals since Dick Button in 1952. Joining him on the comeback tour is Turin silver medalist Stephane Lambiel.

Though Plushenko did ice shows during his retirement, he didn't return to hard training until the spring. Yet he established himself as the man to beat -- again -- with a dazzling performance at the European championships. His free skate wasn't anything special, but his short program was so majestic that if he skates like that in Vancouver, it will be tough for anyone to catch him.

Plushenko earned a world-record 91.30 points, topping the mark he'd set for the short program at the Turin Games. And unlike his generous scores at the Russian championships, these were right on the mark.

"To put it simply, I count this as the return of the sporting feeling," Plushenko said afterward. "I am so happy with my feelings today."

Like Kim, Plushenko will face stiff competition. In what could be a first, the men's field will feature four world champions: Plushenko, Lambiel, Brian Joubert and American Evan Lysacek.

Plushenko, Lambiel and Joubert went 1-2-3 at Europeans, while Lysacek backed up last year's win in Los Angeles with the title at the Grand Prix final, giving the Americans their best hope for gold since Boitano in '88.

-----------------------------------------------------

http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/2010 ... d+Magazine
January 30, 2010

Kristi Yamaguchi's Olympics preview
...

International competitors who could dominate:

”..But the real intriguing story is the comeback of Evgeni Plushenko of Russia. He was the gold winner in 2006, but hasn’t really competed much since. Then, a month ago, he appeared at a major international event called the Rostelecom Cup and blew everyone else out of the water. It’s amazing to be away from world competition for so long and then dominate. He could be better than ever.”

---------------------------------------------

interview to René Fasel, president of international hockey union (so he is the Cinquantta of hockey, at the end they ask him about the Olympic)

- Besides hockey, what other event you cannot miss no matter what a Olympics?
- Evgeni Plushenko, three years he was away from competing, he enjoyed like and he is back again. What an extraordinaire skater! I also follow Stéphane Lambiel for his act of courage...
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Re: English newspaper texts about Plushy

Postby cekoni » 03 Feb 2010, 09:52

www.absoluteskating.com/interviews/2010evgenyplushenko.html
By Titanilla Bőd, Photos © 2010 Absolute Skating, EMJO

Plushenko wants to make history and sets his sights on Olympics in Sochi

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If you thought that Evgeni Plushenko would be satisfied with his sixth European gold medal, you’d be wrong. After tasting the victory again, Plushenko wants to compete as long as possible, maybe also in Sochi. However, he will still do shows, for example in Slovakia, where he promoted his Olympic Ice Tour (planned for April 2010). Here’s what he said at his press conference in Bratislava on Wednesday 27th January.

- In December you had some problems with your knee. Is it all right now?
- Yes, Europeans was the first competition since my comeback and I had no pain. I didn’t have to care about how to place my legs to avoid pain. We have changed the system of the practice as well, I used to jump 10-12 quads, now I have just three or four per session and I don’t care if I land them.

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- In two weeks the Olympic Winter Games start in Vancouver. Was it the main motivation of your comeback?
- The Olympics are the biggest event in the life of every athlete. Now I’m going to attend my third Olympics. I will do everything to win the gold, but I won’t have to fight with other skaters but mainly with myself.

- Who do you think will be your main rivals in Vancouver?
- Everyone wants to win, however, I heard at the Europeans from many skaters that they wanted to beat me, and they didn’t manage to. That’s why I ask when I hear these statements: what are you talking about? Anyway, there are 10 skaters with a real shot at the gold: two Frenchmen, a Swiss, a Canadian, three American and two Japanese guys…

- How does it feel that everyone wants to beat you and only you?
- It’s always been like that. Throughout my career I had to face such great skaters as Elvis Stojko, Todd Eldredge, Ilia Kulik and Alexei Yagudin. I tried to learn something from each of them. Now I’m competing against a new generation, and I already have an Olympic gold and an Olympic silver medal, that’s why I would be satisfied even with the bronze in Vancouver.

- Could you compare the new generation with the old one?
- It’s hard because the scoring system has changed since then and the Code of Points still has its flaws. If the judges want someone to place high, they can arrange it. Like in Tallinn, Brian Joubert got more points for his transitions than me, although we did exactly the same transitions on the ice. In fact, we don’t have any transitions because we focus on our jumps. So there are lobbies in the new scoring system as well, and the judges can influence the result. But I think the old generation had more charismatic skaters. Urmanov, Stojko, Browning, Boitano, Kulik and Yagudin had their own style, charisma, artistry.

- You have been touring a lot in Slovakia lately. Do you like the country?
- Yes, I do and I’m planning two brand new exhibitions numbers for the shows in spring. One is going to be fun, the second one is dramatic. My good friend, Edvin Marton will also present his brand new compositions and we will try to bring to Slovakia as many Olympic and world medallists as possible. There will also be some acrobatic numbers, too.

ImageImageImage

- You have been working together with Edvin Marton as a composer for many years, which is unusual in the figure skating world.
- I’m lucky to have such a friend as Edvin, because he is really patient. We had to rearrange the music for my tango free program at least thirty times and he didn’t complain about it at all. We wanted to make the music fit the program perfectly, to emphasize every jump or step. I’m grateful for Edvin that he bears this without complaining. By the way, during the years he has become really familiar with figure skating.

- Do you plan any major changes in your long program before the Olympics?
- There will be changes. I’m going to work on my jumps and on my steps as well. But I’ll be glad when I hear “Plushenko after comeback is better than the Plushenko who won in Torino”.

ImageImageImage

- Do you want to compete after the Vancouver Olympics? Will you attend the Worlds in Torino?
- Torino is one of my favourite cities. I won my fourth European title there and one year later I won the Olympics. It would be nice to win the Worlds in the same town. If I’m not injured, why not try it? I’m motivated. Now I’m a six-time European champion but Ulrich Salchow won nine European titles at the beginning of the 20 th century. Only four guys skated back then, but still it is a great result. I also want to reach this, I want to make history. And the Olympics in 2014 will be held in Russia, Sochi, and I want to take part.

- There is a clip on Youtube of your triple axel, quad toe-loop combination. You could make history also with this, if you landed it at the Olympics.
- But I won’t and I think no other skater will in the next ten years. But it’s a great feeling that now we are talking about this combination and tomorrow all my rivals will be practicing it. When I landed it at practice I realized I still can jump and my comeback wasn’t senseless. But to land such a hard combination you have to be in peak form, because after three and a half rotations you still have to add four rotations. I’m not practicing this combination now, it’s risky - you can easily get injured.

- How do you spend your time if you are not skating?
- I’m writing a book about the three and a half years without competing, when everybody laughed at me if I mentioned my comeback. I admire all the athletes who managed to come back after a longer break, because it’s not easy, believe me.

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- There have been movies or documentaries on several skaters. What about you? Will there be any movie about you?
- I had some offers, and a Russian channel wants to make a documentary about me, but they wanted to see how I would do at the Europeans. I think I have convinced them.

- Europeans ended on Sunday. Since then you are travelling over Europe – you were in Budapest on Monday, in Prague on Tuesday and now in Bratislava on Wednesday. Shouldn’t you practice instead?
- I will be on the ice on Thursday again. I don’t think it’s good to train everyday. An athlete should feel what is best for him. The season is long and the practices are tiresome. Sometimes it is better to skip a session, go for a walk to the city or to the countryside, and go back to the ice next day with new strength. That’s my method, but I wouldn’t be happy if all my rivals started to use it from now on.

- How do you rest?
- In the summer I love motorcycling, but last year I had the chance to ride a motorbike only four times, because I had so much training. I also fell in love with paintball. I played it four days before the Europeans. It helps me to switch off my brain. Sometimes I’m more tired after a paintball match than after a figure skating practice session.

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Re: English newspaper texts about Plushy

Postby dimi » 04 Feb 2010, 06:20

SPorts Illustrated, the biggest sport magazine in America picks the medalists in Vancouver

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/ ... /index.htm

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• Evgeni Plushenko, Russia

• Patrick Chan, Canada

• Evan Lysacek, U.S.
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