Revolution Etude - Vancouver 2001

We've got Simon back on this one - no more Joanne, thank you lord!

S : He had an injection on the ankle just before the warmup today. Triple world champion but qualified in fifth place in his group. He's ailing that's for sure. What can he do here? Alexei Yagudin.

....music starts....he looks so focused....

S : 21 years old last Sunday.

.....coming up to the quad....I can't look!....

S : YES!! QUAD TOE, TRIPLE TOE!!!

C : Just incredible because the landing of the first jump ws not the sort of landing he was looking for. Brilliant stuff!!

S : And he lands the triple axel!!

...oh the death drop!!...circular steps....

S : Triple lutz, again clean.

....combination sit spin....more steps than you can shake a stick at! I just LOVE this!!!

C : Stunning step sequence. Used just about every inch of the blade through that.

....spins....ends....AAAAH!! YOU BEAUTY!!!!

S : OH YES!! And the Canadians on their feet. Look at the strength of character there. That is heartening. So many people have almost handed the gold medal to his big rival Evgeny Plushenko because Yagudin has been ailing, and just a couple of weeks ago, he was beaten in the Grand Prix Final by Plushenko by some way. But he will not relinquish his title without a major fight and he's back with a big chance now.

C : Just a phenomenon isn't he? When you see him off the ice without his skates on, he can hardly walk but with the support of the boots he's ok. And it is incredible to perform jumps of that sort of quality with an injured ankle.

S : Had two injections before practice. Apparently had another injection before he went into the warmup this afternoon. What a performance from Alexei Yagudin and that really has put the cat amongst the pigeons. That really makes it a real EVENT the men's programme because so many have given it up to Plushenko.

....slow motion replays....

C : Marvellous watching that combination again. He was almost on the boot on the landing of the quad toe at the beginning but still got triple toe on the end. He knew how important it was. There's the triple axel, no problems there and getting the lutz on the end of the linking steps at the beginning. A little bit of a lean but he doesn't even need to check with the arms. Fantastic. Spins were good, footwork brilliant, and as always he sold the programme as only he knows how.

S : Yes, there's something heroic about him, isn't there, which really transfers itself across the ice, and never guilty of underselling his performance, but you can understand the emotion that's going on there because he only knows and she knows exactly what he's been through. (shot of Tatiana's reaction at the end ) (laughing) Look at Tatiana Tarasova!! She's proud of him and I guess we all are.

....kiss and cry....

S : Three times a world champion, who knows? He's odds against to win it this year but boy, what a performance!

C : Yeah, I think you have to go back to Scott Hamilton for the last time somebody won it four times.

S : Four in a row, yup. Terrific marks, remember, he's not in the final group. Alexander Abt to go next, then the last six including Plushenko and Stojko but these are very good marks. 5.6 though, I think, is taking the mickey. That's from the Slovakian judge. But first right across the board. Triumphant performance from the world champion Alexei Yagudin and the high point really of the world championships so far.