Shen-Zhao may have made short work of pairs program
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
The pairs short program may have ended after 2 minutes, 40 seconds.
That was the time it took the first pair to skate, Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo.
The two-time bronze medalists from China broke their own world record short program score with 76.66 points.
Their throw triple twist was rafter-scraping, and her landing on the throw triple loop was both elegant and rock solid.
Shen and Zhao, who had retired after winning the 2007 world title, came back this season and already had a world-record short program (75.36) at December’s Grand Prix Final.
U.S. champions Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett, skating fourth, were hopelessly outclassed, winding up with 53.26 points.
When she doubled a planned side-by-side triple toe loop, they pretty much were cooked. They scored .7 on the element, compared to 5.8 for the Chinese on the same element.
-- Philip Hersh in Vancouver
