[vc_row][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1629314969982{margin-top: 40px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Armen Tsaturyan and Svetlana Gudyno of Russia have done it once again! They have earned their 12th WDSF GrandSlam title here in Taipei, and they did it with an air of impeccable ease. The night was theirs, and they owned it.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Laz8SfOiY”][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]Our runners-up were our beloved Marius-Andrei Balan and Khrystyna Moshenska of Germany. Khrystyna ended up posting on Instagram, detailing that this was quite a challenging competition for their couple emotionally. Just last weekend, they gave all that they held within themselves to their performances at the 2019 WDSF European Championship held in Paris. But, she wrote, “part of our souls were left there.”[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]Surprisingly, they did not score in the 39th percentile for anyone dancing. For each dance, their score ranged in the 38th percentile. Nonetheless, they wrote how very grateful they are to the event, its organizers, sponsors, and fans. Now they shall be off for a long-awaited and much-deserved vacation before their next competition, which shall be Wuppertal at the beginning of July! We wish them happy relaxation and lots of energy for their next performance![/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]Taking the last pedestal placement, we have Andrey Gusev and Vera Bondareva of Russia finishing in third, scoring in the 37th percentile range for each dance. Due to Timur Imametdinov and Nina Bezzubova of Germany not participating here in Taipei, their absence allowed all couples to move a step up in ranking, including Gusev and Bondareva. They usually place 4th in GrandSlam events. Next up were Andrea Silvestri and Martina Varadi of Hungary, placing 4th, and Edgar Marcos Borjas and Alina Nowak of Poland in 5th.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]
A Major Win for Estonia
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]Probably the most exciting event of the evening was the result concluded by Estonian pair Konstantin Gorodilov and Dominika Bergmannova, who made their first GrandSlam final ever – placing 6th here in Taipei! Usually, GrandSlam rankings end up concluding around 9th position, as in Bucharest in March this year. However, in this very same GrandSlam last year, they were 10th.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]For comparison, they marked higher than Poland’s Jakub Lipowski and Diandra-Aniela Illes, who were 7th in the semi-final in Bucharest, while Gorodilov and Bergmannova were 9th. In Taipei, Lipowski and Illes finished 8th in the semi, but Estonia transitioned one more round ahead. A major congratulations to Gorodilov and Bergmannova – every dancer remembers the first time they make a GrandSlam final – it truly becomes a mark on history, a moment to cherish forever.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DosE42th9eU”][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]Also, Borjas and Nowak were in 8th position in Bucharest and now made the final, ending in 5th. Their 6th place at the European Championship just last weekend also marked a fantastic breakthrough time for the couple, showing their progress and stability in technical and performance strength.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]Also, Borjas and Nowak were in 8th position in Bucharest and now made the final, ending in 5th. Their 6th place at the European Championship just last weekend also marked a fantastic breakthrough time for the couple, showing their progress and stability in technical and performance strength.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]
A Victory for Italy and Romania As Well
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]We also saw a breakthrough in Italian duo Vito Coppola and Oona Oinas, finishing in 9th! In Bucharest, the couple did not even make the semi. Here in Taipei now marks their highest placement at a WDSF GrandSlam ever! They surpassed competitors Anton Aldaev and Natalia Polukhina of Russia and Winson Tam and Anastasia Novikova of Canada, two couples who usually always place higher than them. Last but not least, it is vital to mark that Romania’s Paul Moldovan and Cristina Tatar also placed their highest ever in a GrandSlam: they finished in 7th place right behind the final! Their usual placements in GrandSlams are around the 11th to 14th positions, so making it at the top of the semi-final round is a true achievement.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]The next WDSF GrandSlam we shall be anticipating will be in Rimini, Italy, in mid-July, so all of the couples are off in their preparation for this next huge summer event – sure to be hot in all ways! Soon, we shall look at the results of the Standard counterpart GrandSlam taking root today in Taipei. Will there be as many surprises in the ranking as in our Latin competition? We shall soon see! Stay tuned![/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][vc_column_text]By Michelle Blank – Consultant & Contributor for FloDance[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
