Russians Domnina and Shabalin Take Lead in Ice Dancing Compulsories, Canada's Virtue and Moir in Second, U.S. Davis and White in Third

The Ice dancers all knew they needed a 40 or better to get them up in the compulsory standings, where all the dancers performed the Tango. The judges were looking for excellence in the prescribed patterns. If one pattern is smaller than the previous one, that's a technical error. . Each step is numbered and must be performed in the exact time and beat of the music. Skaters that are "all over the rink" score higher because their speed allows them better flow and transition. The Russians placed first tonight, with Canada and the U.S. second and third respectively. But the subjectivity was obvious, as I disagreed on first and second place.

1. Russians Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin train in Aston, Pa. with Americans Belbin and Agosto. They are the 2009 European Champs, and won Bronze at Worlds. They are tall and statuesque and use their long lines to their fullest advantage. Their tango was sensitive, gentle, and romantic. Their experience was evident in this clean, mature and sophisticated performance, earning them a 43.76. However, I was more impressed and entertained by Canada's Virtue and Moir.

2. Canada's best hopes, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, won Silver at the Worlds, and are three-time Canadian Champs. They train in Michigan with American skaters, Davis and White. While their Free Dance is said to be their strength, I thought they performed admirably here, and personally I think they were better than the Russians, who they beat three times last season in compulsories. Virtue and Moir surely drew on the hometown support, who cheered intermittently throughout their performance. Their expression and body lines accentuated the curves of the dance and they took a more intensive, aggressive approach to it. They had lots of spins, and a dramatic, romantic ending, scoring a 42.74 for second place. No one looked happier to be on the ice.

3. US champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White resent being referred to as "in Belbin and Agosto's shadow," claiming they are just very different types of skaters. They won gold in every competition they entered last year. Davis and White have skated together since they were 8 and 9 years old, and this was their Olympic debut. Davis and White are "musical skaters," who become one with the music. You immediately noticed their "presence" on the ice, as they performed a wonderfully flowing clean dance punctuated with curves and spins. Their 41.47 put them in third place.

4. US skaters Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto, reigning Olympic silver medallists, are the most successful American skaters in history. She is originally from Canada and were also an audience favorite. When they came in as the first pair in the final group, they knew the bar had been set high. They performed with a strong edge and aggressive approach. Their quick movements, turns and dramatic ending earned them a 40.83 for fourth place.

5. Italy's Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali are seven-time Italian Champs, and won silver at Worlds. This is their third Olympics. Their dance had smaller patterns, which interrupted the flow of the dance. It appeared to be a good enough dance, but in the Olympics, good enough isn't enough. They are in fifth place with 39.88.

6. France's former world champions Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder didn't compete all last year due to injuries and a pregnancy. They are technically strong, using their knees in a soft rhythm that gives them a speed that appears to be executed with ease. Their dance earned them a 37.99, and sixth place.

With an Original Dance and a Free Dance yet to be skated, any skater in the top ten could move into medal contention. Russia's Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski are in 7th place, Great Britain's Sinead Kerr and John Kerr, brother and sister, are in 8th place, France's Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat are in 9th place, and Israel's brother and sister team of Alexandra Zaretsky and Roman Zaretsky, are in 10th place.

The Ice Dancing Original Dance is scheduled for Sunday, February 21st, and the Free Dance for Monday, February 22nd.

More Olympic Stories by this Writer: Lysacek Don't Need No Steekin' Quad!; Ice Dance Preview; Olympic Trivia; Johnny Weir Rooms with Tanith Belbin; 100,000 Condoms to be distributed at Olympics
Sources: NBC-TV 10 Philadelphia; Ice Dancing Results;