Show more posts

Latest Posts

2014 GrandSlam Latin Hong Kong | Setting The Scene


2013 GrandSlam Latin Hong Kong © BenSon Wong The last time that many of these couples competed against each other was back in February, on the occasion of the first GrandSlam leg in Tallinn, EST.  Afterwards, on 5 April, came the European Championship in Aarhus, DEN, where two couples per nation fought it out over the first continental title of the year. But other than that, they went separate ways. Each couple selected some World and International Opens to compete in for World Ranking points and for a shot at some prize money.

Some danced only in 3 or 4 competitions since February, others in as many as 12. Charles-Guillaume Schmitt - Elena Salikhova, FRA, the sixth-placed couple in Tallinn, entered 4 in May alone, winning the World Opens in Riga, LAT, Porto, POR, and Paris, FRA.  And earning approximately 600 ranking points for each of these wins! The winner here in Hong Kong will likely get twice as many. GrandSlams are in a league of their own when it comes to the number of ranking points that are up for grabs. Read up on the WDSF World Ranking Points Schedule here. 

As in every competition for more than a year, Aniello Langella - Khrystyna Moshenska, ITA, are the favourites for first in Hong Kong too. Their last defeat dates back to April 2013, when they came in second to Andrey Zaytsev – Anna Kuminskaya, RUS, at the European Championship in Krasnodar, RUS. Their winning streak is an enduring one, extending over four regular GrandSlam legs, the 2013 GrandSlam Final, the 2013 World Championship, and the recent European.

2013 GrandSlam Latin Hong Kong © BenSon Wong In the GrandSlam in Tallinn, Nino and Khrystyna had their best result ever. A total score of 198.43 (out of a possible 200) in the final and a perfect score of 40 for the Jive were two statements of supremacy that are resounding still today. Even if some experts say that the Italian couple was not quite as dominant in the following competitions – the European and an International Open – it is the “team to beat” every time it takes to the floor. 

Several couples have positioned themselves in recent month to do the beating. Gabriele Goffredo - Anna Matus, MDA, seem to have overcome the inconsistency that had marred their results at some points in their career. Armen Tsaturyan - Svetlana Gudyno, RUS, Andrey Kiselev - Anastasia Kiseleva, RUS, Yury Simachev - Anastasia Klokotova, RUS, Stanislav Nikolaev - Elena Ziuziukina, RUS, have taken over from their fellow countrymen Imametdinov - Nikolaeva and Voronov - Imrekova to uphold Russia’s aspirations in the race for first.

Marius-Andrei Balan - Nina Bezzubova, GER, and Charles-Guillaume Schmitt - Elena Salikhova, FRA, have been finalists in all the recent GrandSlams. Charles-Guillaume and Elena have even made it to the podium on two occasions last year: 2nd in Beijing and 3rd in Moscow. For Marius-Andrei and Nina that is still a pending assignment. But after their third-place finish at the World Latin last November, it is certainly an achievable one. Look out for Umberto Gaudino - Louise Heise, DEN! The young couple stands poised to make its first GrandSlam final in the very near future. The same goes for Pavel Pasechnik - Marta Arndt, GER.

The many couples from Asia as well as the ones coming from Australia, Canada and South Africa make this particular GrandSlam almost as universal as a World Championship. Couples love coming here for many reasons. By far the most important one is the impeccable organisation they can expect from the Hong Kong DanceSport Association. GrandSlam Hong Kong stands for a great event staged in a great city and by great people!

By WDSF Communications on 29 May 2014 09:57

BD Dance
Olympic Channel
Casa Musica