Preview | GrandSlam Finals Standard Shanghai
Preview | GrandSlam Finals Standard Shanghai
Preview of 2018 WDSF Standard GrandSlam Finals Shanghai
Sunday, December 9th, 2018 will decide the crowing champions of the WDSF GrandSlam Finals in the Standard discipline. The entire year leading up to these Finals is essential in terms of GrandSlam participation and ranking for the couples that aim to be a part of this concluding event. The World DanceSport Federation hosts five GrandSlams throughout the year, and the Finals decides ultimately, the champion couple of the entire series for that year.
A couple's final ranking in a GrandSlam event earns the couple points. The more points earned, the higher the couple ends up on the WDSF GrandSlam Ranking List. Therefore, couples try to participate in as many GrandSlams hosted throughout the entire course of the year to earn as many points as possible. This year, the five WDSF GrandSlams took place in:
- March 4th, 2018: Helsinki - Finland
- June 30th, 2018: Taipei - Chinese Taipei
- July 15th, 2018: Rimini - Italy
- August 10th, 2018: Stuttgart - Germany
- October 26th, 2018: Moscow – Russia
Looking at the Standard discipline, below are the top 12 couples of the WDSF GrandSlam Ranking List as depicted by their placements, and therefore scores, of each of the above GrandSlams:
Rank | Points | Couple | Country | FIN | TAI | ITA | GER | RUS |
1. | 4720 | Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova | RUS | 1) 1140 | 1) 1140 | 1) 1140 | 1) 1240 | 1) 1200 |
2. | 4484 | Evaldas Sodeika - Ieva Zukauskaite | LTU | 2) 1083 | 2) 1083 | - | 2) 1178 | 2) 1140 |
3. | 4077 | Evgeny Moshenin - Dana Spitsyna | RUS | 5) 912 | 4) 969 | - | 3) 1116 | 3) 1080 |
4. | 4012 | Alexey Glukhov - Anastasia Glazunova | RUS | 6) 855 | 5) 912 | 3) 1026 | 4) 1054 | 4) 1020 |
5. | 3532 | Madis Abel - Aleksandra Galkina | EST | 7) 798 | 6) 855 | 4) 969 | 7) 868 | 7) 840 |
6. | 3255 | Anton Skuratov - Alena Uehlin | GER | - | 9) 684 | 8) 741 | 6) 930 | 6) 900 |
7. | 3239 | Evgeny Nikitin - Anastasia Miliutina | RUS | 8) 741 | 8) 741 | 5) 912 | 8) 806 | 8) 780 |
8. | 3135 | Francesco Galuppo - Debora Pacini | ITA | 3) 1026 | 3) 1026 | 2) 1083 | - | - |
9. | 2921 | Vaidotas Lacitis - Veronika Golodneva | LTU | 4) 969 | - | - | 5) 992 | 5) 960 |
10. | 2762 | Vasily Kirin - Ekaterina Prozorova | AUT | 9) 684 | 11) 570 | 7) 798 | 11) 620 | 10) 660 |
11. | 2661 | Tomas Fainsil - Violetta Posmetnaya | GER | 11) 570 | 12) 513 | 10) 627 | 9) 744 | 9) 720 |
12. | 2529 | Vadim Shurin - Anastasia Meshkova | LAT | 10) 627 | 10) 627 | 6) 855 | - | 13) 420 |
Francesco Galuppo and Debora Pacini of Italy only took part in three GrandSlams this year. They attended those in Helsinki, Taipei, and Rimini, but did not attend Stuttgart nor the Moscow GrandSlams. Even though they took the Bronze Medals at this year’s WDSF Standard World Championship, the couple will not be a part of the GrandSlam Finals this Sunday. They were 3rd last year in Shanghai! Now, their absence gives way for another couple to take pedestal placement.
Vaidotas Lacitis and Veronika Golodneva of Lithuania will also not be in attendance. They are ranked 9th in the WDSF GrandSlam Ranking List and took fifth in last year’s GrandSlam Finals. Vasily Kirin and Ekaterina Prozorova of Austria, will also not be taking part. They attended all five GrandSlams of this year and were 8th place semi-finalists last year in Shanghai. As a result of these three couples’ absence, three other couples made this year’s WDSF GrandSlam Standard Finals.
The Opportunity of a Lifetime
Holding a placement of 13th in the WDSF GrandSlam Ranking list is a couple from Latvia: Edgars Linis and Eliza Ancane, a couple that attended all five GrandSlams of this year, placing 12th, 7th, 9th, 14th, and 14th, respectively to the GrandSlams listed above. Edgars and Eliza did not take part in last year’s GrandSlam finals but placed 12th in the 2016 Finals, the only GrandSlam Finals attended throughout their entire career.
Ranked 14th in the GrandSlam Ranking List comes Yuming Qiu and Liying Wei of China. They have attended every GrandSlam of 2018 except for the one hosted in Rimini, Italy and were actually last year’s Wild Card pick for the GrandSlam Finals.
The third and final couple having a chance to compete here in Shanghai on Sunday is one from Poland: Darius Mycka and Madara Freiberga, ranked 15th in the GrandSlam Ranking List. This will be their very first GrandSlam Finals.
To top off our twelve selected couples is our thirteen couple - this year’s Wild Card couple: Yuan Shaoyang and Qi Chong Xuan of China. Ranked 53rd in the GrandSlam Ranking List, this is the couple’s first GrandSlam Finals, an exhilarating experience to be a part of.
A Night to Remember
Come join us this Sunday as we anticipate the unpredictable results to come our way. We are definitely in for a show this upcoming weekend. These couples have been given an incredible opportunity to be part of something truly outstanding, the best of the best to shine on the dancefloor. With great power comes great responsibility, and these couples have the responsibility to light up the night, not only for themselves, but as motivation to all of the younger generations looking up to their idols, the stars of the World DanceSport Federation.
We wish all of the athletes the best of luck! Stay tuned here on FloDance and catch the showdown live!