2017 WDSF GrandSlam Standard Hong Kong _ Promo

The 2017 GrandSlam Series Standard reaches its halfway point with the third regular leg held in Hong Kong on 9 July. The two earlier legs in Helsinki, FIN, and in Wuhan, CHN, produced an identic outcome in as far as the winners as well as the runners-up were concerned. In Finland, Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS, prevailed in a hotly contested final over Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER, with a total score of 193.17 to 191.91. That’s a winning margin of very little over one point! One month later in China, the Russians claimed their second victory, but this time the margin separating the two couples was all of 0.05. It was produced either by freaky math or by the system’s insistence that a winner had to be declared – even if it all looked very much like a tie on the floor.

In any case, everybody was eagerly awaiting the next encounter between the two dominant Standard couples of the past three years. It was supposed to happen on 19 May in Olomouc, CZE, during the 2017 European. But as they did the year before, Simone and Annette decided against dancing it. Not unexpectedly, the championship’s narrative was that of another crown conquered by Dmitry and Olga, who made it their fourth consecutive championship title since the 2015 World Standard in Vilnius, LTU. They did so with a personal best of 195.79 points. Runners-up were – as in the 2016 European in Wroclaw, POL - Evaldas Sodeika - Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU, who were very happy with their total of 191 points too.

That brings us to Hong Kong and the GrandSlam Standard that is the highlight on Sunday 9 July. Of course, we can only hope that all the top couples will be there and ready to dance it. But all dancers love this bustling world city and are eager to show their best stuff in what must be one of the most perfect venues for DanceSport: Queen Elizabeth Stadium (QE II).

If we look back at last year’s GrandSlam Standard, it proved to be the turning point in a Series that had developed precisely as this one did. After coming in runners-up in Finland and in China, Simone and Annette struck back – at the MacPherson Stadium because of a scheduling conflict at the QE II – and held Dmitry and Olga at bay with 194.93 to 193.59.

The story continues at QE II and the WDSF Communications team will provide you with a front row seat to all the action. Together with the host broadcaster TVB, the team members will bring you the best Standard dancing there is in full HD.
6-camera production with full graphics, a few behind-the-scene pieces plus interviews with the protagonists! The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final, the interviews with the medallist couples.

© 2017 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved
Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with host broadcaster TVB and the Hong Kong DanceSport Association

Music by Casa musica | Music Cue Sheet dancesport.box.com/s/gtm04o15scsx4nj8ufezykn8xhiv7ldn