http://www.europeans2012.co.uk/news/62GB Figure Skaters Qualify For Main Competition At EuropeansThe 2012 ISU European Figure Skating Championships opened in Sheffield, on Monday (23 January) with the Preliminary Rounds for Ice Dance and Men, and saw the GB entry in each category qualifying to compete in the Short Programme.
The Preliminary Rounds take place before the official competition starts. In total 28 Men (17 Direct entries and 11 Preliminary Round entries) and 20 Ice Dance couples (12 Direct entries and eight Preliminary Round entries) compete in the Short Program. As there are 19 entries in the Pairs event in total, no Preliminary Round is necessary.
....
In the Men’s Preliminary Round Evgeni Plushenko of Russia won easily with 157.52 points, followed by Romania's Zoltan Kelemen (114.64 points) and Maciej Cieplucha of Poland (108.53 points). 2011 British Champion, Jason Thompson was ranked 13th in the Preliminary Round but he still advances to the Short Program as the representative of the host country. As a result, there will be 29 skaters in the Short Program on Thursday (26 January).
....
Plushenko said after his performance: “I think this is the hardest one (competition) of my life. The performance today wasn't my best, but for today it was good and I am happy with it. Actually competing in the Preliminaries is very good for me, it is an extra run-through of my program. It was very important for me to go for the quad today, because I don't know how my knee will react, it can be different each time. Also I pulled a muscle the other day in practice on the quad and I couldn't turn my head. To be honest, yesterday I wasn't sure if I could skate today. Actually I am proud of myself for skating today the way I did”, he continued.
----------------------------------------
Czech TV news - shorty part from Plushy's FS ...
Pljuščenko prošel na ME z kvalifikace, s ním i Kaška a Myslivečková s Brownem:http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ct4/zimni-s ... s-brownem/.... and nice pic