Focus On Standard

2015 GrandSlam Final Standard

From here the focus will be on Standard. In just over two hours 12 couples will dance in the 2015 GrandSlam Standard Final at the Luwan Stadium in Shanghai. Below is how we see the situation on the Vimeo on Demand page pitching the 90-minute programme of the semi-final and final.

A hierarchy seemed firmly established when it comes to the standings that were produced by the major Standard competitions held throughout the year - at least until very recently! Simone Segatori and Annette Sudol, GER, were the dominators from the first leg of the GrandSlam Series in Helsinki, FIN, on to the European in Aarhus, DEN, and on to the biggest of them all, the GrandSlam Stuttgart in August.

Dmitry Zharkov and Olga Kulikova, RUS, seemed destined to be the perpetual runners-up, claiming their second places with varying margins of points that separated them from the winners. Evaldas Sodeika and Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU, were cast as the second runners-up - except in the GrandSlam Wuhan, where they fell back a few places.

This could have continued forever, but then - suddenly - the powers shifted and the customary order was reversed. In the 2015 World Standard in Vilnius, LTU, the Russians staged the ultimate upset by winning all five dances and the title over the Germans. And that with a difference of nearly seven points - a landslide! Even the Lithuanians managed to place ahead of Segatori - Sudol in the Quickstep of the final.

Exactly eight days later the same three couples face off again to contest the last title of the year. Together with ten other top-ranked couples they have been invited to Shanghai, CHN, and the GrandSlam Finals.

Pre-order the programme (US$ 3.75 for 90-day streaming period) right here!

Remember, videos of 15 dances recorded during the preliminary round will be available for free right here and on our YouTube channel DanceSport Total.

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By WDSF Communications on 13 December 2015 08:52