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Blade Haiku

NBC Presents: Verse on Ice!

During the Olympic skating competition you'll hear NBC's analysts (key at bottom) speak in rink tropes that can sound Shakespearean—or Seussical.

1. A lot of steps. If you get behind Catching up is virtually impossible.

2. Triple Lutz right here. One two three!

Good air position good rotation

Got all the way around.

3. You fall on an individual jump And the next one is a throw.

You gotta shake it off

Concentrate

Let your body do its job.

4. That was a little scary!

This guy's a cat

I don't know how he landed that!

5. Side-by-side triple toe loop

She doubled hers.

Rushed in the takeoff.

6. It's his triple Axel.

Does not have a quad

He needs to hit this beautifully.

He did!

Analysis: 1.) Tracy Wilson, on ice dancers Allison Reed and Otar Japaridze; 2.) Scott Hamilton, on Johnny Weir; ; 3.) Hamilton, on pairs skaters Maria Mukhortova and Maksim Trankov (above); 4.) Hamilton, on Evgeni Plushenko; 5.) Hamilton, on pairs skaters Anabelle Langlois and Cody Hay; 6.) Hamilton, on Evan Lysacek

PHOTO

HEINZ KLUETMEIER (PAIRS SKATERS)