Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue won the short dance (and maybe the event? it's still unclear what's going to happen). I was sincerely surprised by how much I enjoyed their short dance. I'm usually not a huge fan of people skating to Hallelujah, but I loved their short dance. Their movements were clean and the program was choreographed simply. There were a few moments I loved, simple moments where, rather than filling the program to the brim, they held a nice edge in close hold to the music. I was far from their biggest fan in the past, but they are clearly good skaters, and their material finally showcases this effectively.
Piper Gilles and Paul Porier were the favourites for this event, but finished in second. I like their short. I don't entirely understand, though I do have a theory as to the story, but I don't think I need to. They stand out from the crowd because they are going so far from the pretty music and pretty people we're seeing a whole lot too much of this year, because the short dance is a waltz and the world champion's freedance was classical and traditional.
Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin are definitely my favourite Russian team. I generally like their skating, they have nice lines and decent choreography, even though it is still very Russian. They look very nice on the ice and match each other well.
The Brits, Penny Coomes and Nicholas Buckland, finished the event in Bordeaux in fourth. They aren't my favourite team, they don't have the soft knees and long lines we expect from the ice dance event. They end up looking a little too much like a pair team for my tastes. They aren't bad skaters, but they are lacking a little refinement in the details, which is part of why they are not as successful as some might expect them to be.
