My eyes have been following my TV screen to Prague in the Czech Republic.  There is gliding to be seen.

The women’s single competition is fine.  So is the men’s.  One person leaping into the air and rotating three or even four times before gently returning to the ice.  Exquisite.  And it doesn’t deeply draw my heart.

It’s the pairs competition that holds me close.  And there’s something far beyond what the judges seem to be focusing on.  They allocate points for the man throwing the woman into the air, and for him lifting her high while he skates on.  Those moves interest me but they don’t take my breath away.

One thing that the judges and I agree upon is the synchronization of woman and man doing the same series of jumps, a few metres apart.  If the follow through is perfectly in time with each other, there is joy in my heart – one arm extended forward, one leg extended backward.

However …

All this skill and timing pale before the ineffable, which seems to be a very fine word:

Something too great, intense or sacred to be expressed in words

But words are all I have here (other than photos).

A highly skilled couple from Germany came first, became world champions.  But a pair from Japan touched my heart.  Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi.  All I have are scattered words:

Flowing

Curving

Dancing

Smiling

Loving

Yuna and Sumitada were the stars of my show

They shone