We had a good run up to the British, well planned weeks and hard work. We were focused, full of confidence and ready to go for a great championships. We had just got back from Oberstdorf International that was our best ever score and were feeling pretty good about ourselves. But fate had other plans and in the end the British was not at all what we expected. Then again it is always the toughest and most awkward event on our calendar. It all started with one or two things going wrong, forgetting to pack things and not doing jobs that we thought we'd get done. Little stuff but it all started adding up, slowly it started to get in to our training sessions back in the UK, before the British silly things would happen like our practice ice would be cut short, interrupted or cancelled all together. We just couldn't catch a break. Then we competed in the short program, we got a time violation, a fall on the throw (that Stacey hasn't even missed all season let alone fall) and a downgraded jump but otherwise a pretty solid program.
I was angry when the marks came up as it was a huge 5 points off our international scores. We felt even with the mistakes we made we should not of been marked so harshly. We didn't feel we were rewarded for the difficulty of our program's and performed strong senior pair elements. We felt very hard done by in our own country by our own judging panel, not what you want during our Olympic season. I ended up taking that energy into the free program where silly little stumbles happened throughout the program, Stacey got stuck with her leg above her head and wedged into my arm... That cost us a full point and I don't even know how she managed to get into that position? To top it all off we were both selected for drug testing and had to stand second on a podium we had owned for 10 years.
What can you do but look at it as a life lesson and move on. But what's the lesson? Don't do tons of stupid little things before I skate? Don't pee before a free program because you might get doping control? It's a strange one and definitely wasn't the result we wanted but maybe it's what we need before taking to the biggest stage there is in Sochi this February. Although I'm not looking forward to any commentary that even suggests we're Britain's number 2s as that would hurt like a toe pick to the face, although officially were ranked number one due to our high International scores. Anyway unfortunately I've let any kind of control over press in general out of our hands, such a shame when were having such a great season to be brought down like this. Well congratulations on making it through my British rant but that's about all I've got to say right now. We had a good Sochi preparation after the championships saw some family and are now back in Florida skating in a Holiday Show this weekend.
Well ciau for now and take it easy
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