For the figure skating fans on DU, breaking news:

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

Rena Inoue and John Baldwin (USA) landed the throw triple axel in the pairs short program this afternoon... GOOD FOR THEM!!

First pairs team in the history of the Olympics to land that jump, and here's the best part, it was better than the one they did at US Nats!!!

Scott Hamilton is going to be orgasmic on the broadcast tonight!!!!

[bumblebee1]

1. Can't wait to hear that one. n/t

[Reverend_Smitty]

2. Nice move they did...

however they didn't get a lot of love from the judges

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

3. Ain't that the truth, Rev.

I generally like the new system of judging in skating, but I/B's performance tonight only validated, at least, to me that the judges are still holding up certain skaters when they don't deserve it.

While I love Shen and Zhaou, the Chinese pair that came back from his devasting achilles tendon injury, Rena and John were superior tonight and not just because of the the throw triple axel. I thought their program was better in many ways to the Chinese pair, but Shen and Zhaou are former world champions and that still counts for something in the world of figure skating judges. Actually their performance in the LP at the Worlds in Washington,DC in 2003 is and always will be one of my all-time favorite figure skating performances. They were absolutely breathtakingly beautiful on the ice that night.

I loved Dick Button's comments tonight. IMHO, "Uncle Dick" as he as known to us figure skating geeks in the US, is the absolute best commentator in the history of the sport. I thought it was kind of karmic that he was in attendance in the Palavela today in Turin.

Dick Button owns a few history-making records himself. He was the first competitor to land a double axel in competition and also the first to land a triple jump, a triple loop in 1952. He can snark away about catchfoot positions, terrible sit spins and "fanny" positions on death spirals, all he wants. Dick Button has been there, done that and won the whole thing.

Dick Button, :yourock:

[Berry Cool]

4. Scott isn't doing pairs coverage.

And yeah, Dick has earned the right to pretty much say what he wants!