Japanese skater/skating news & updates

[Katarzyna]

Well Oda is already married, so someone didn't think he was too short to date

Blind date?

Wow, Japanese skating will take a hit after Sochi, with Takahashi, Suzuki, and Ando actually retiring. Mao has yet to say anything but I wouldn't be too shocked if Sochi is her last outing as well, and there is also Oda. I will cry after the Sochi Olympics for about a week

Me too! ::: I love Olympics and all the excitement connected with it, but I hate all the retirements following soon afterwards.

Does any country even come close to the depth of Japan in the combined fields of men's and ladies??

I think Russia came close in the late 90-ies. E.g. in 1999 they had 4 Men in GPF, very promising Juniors (Ilia Klimkin won JW that year) and some skaters decided to switch countries (Davydov, Paskevitch) due to that depths. In Ladies Irina Slutskaya, twice European Champion, couldn’t qualify for Euros and Worlds that year as Butyrskaja, Soldatova and Volchkova all were in excellent shape. Elena Sokolova, who had competed successfully the previous season, also didn’t make the team.

I’m also pretty sure that Russia will have more depth in Senior Ladies than Japan in the upcoming years. But for the time being Japan is probably clear winner in this field.

[pinky166]

Oda is the same size as some pairs GIRLS, seriously, that's not going to happen. Even Cong Han is at least 5 cm taller and of more substantial build, and Sui is as tiny as pairs girls come (and she might not have even hit puberty yet) soo yeah...no pairs for Oda.

[Akira Andrea]

This is an article in “Daily Sports” in Japan.
Translating to English from Japanese.

Mao is going to declare a cancellation of the ban on triple Axel, in both SP and FS.
6th January 2013.

The ice show “Stars on Ice” was opened in Namihaya Dome in Osaka city in 5th January, and Mao Asada (22, Chukyo University), Daisuke Takahashi (26, Kansai Postgraduate school) etc. showed the first skating in new year.

Mao is going to declare a cancellation of the ban on triple Axel, which she had continued to freeze in last year, in both SP and FS. In Japan Nationals which she won in the end of last year, the condition of her triple Axel jump is improving steadily, such as landing many times in the practice.
So she swore saying “I think that I would like to incorporate the triple Axel in both SP and FS. I will practice, aiming at that.”

As soon as ending the Japan Nationals, she started the practice again, but she rested only New Year's Day. She said with smiling, “I ate ‘Osechi’ or ‘Japanese New Year dishes’ in my home and it was delicious.”

At the show, performing to the exhibition program, “Merry Poppins” she nailed the double Axel excellently, having an umbrella.

Having finished performing the role of heroine cutely, she said "I could skate delightfully ", by the look to have satisfied.

After ending the Tokyo Tour of that ice show in 14th January, she plans to go to Canada for modification of the short program.

Aiming at the Four Continents (Osaka) in February and the Worlds (Canada) in March, she said, "I think that I would like to incorporate the more difficult jumps in it, without destroying the good part of the program."　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

The article: Mao is going to declare a cancellation of the ban on triple Axel.
http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/winter...6-dal-spo.html

[rayhaneh]

Japan Super Challenge 2013 (a competition which sees a number of Japanese skaters divided into two groups skating against each other) is underway now in Nagoya, with the 2 groups as follows (in order of skating):

Group Red: 1. Satoko Miyahara 2. Tatsuki Machida 3. Sota Yamamoto 4. Nobunari Oda 5. Kanako Murakami 6. Mao Asada

Group Blue: 1. Takahito Mura 2. Ryuju Hino 3. Kaori Sakamoto 4. Akiko Suzuki 5. Yuzuru Hanyu 6. Daisuke Takahashi

This will be shown on Fuji TV on February 3rd

[rayhaneh]

It's Zamboni time and Team Red have 168 points while Team Blue have 232

Left to skate are Kanako and Mao for Team Red and Yuzuru and Daisuke for Team Blue

Twitter feeds report that Machida and Akiko had good skates, while Nobunari Oda had several jump mistakes

Also, Akiko skated her Kill Bill routine and apparently Takahito Mura played Bill to her Kiddo and she slays him at the end

[rayhaneh]

Blue Team won be a narrow margin

Apparently Kanako and Mao struggled both on one element but skated very well overall

Yuzuru on the other hand had mistakes on all of his jumps passes (fell on the quad and the 3A - he was skating his short program)

Takahashi skated his tango exhib and skated clean

Although it won't be on tv before next month, I'd imagine we'll get images of the competition via the news

[Iceman]

I think someone like Cynthia Phaneuf might be able to lift and throw him. I'm not sure that the Japanese have anyone who could do it, though.

Is there any rule that the man has to do the throwing and lifting? Seriously. In dance, the woman sometimes lifts the man. Test the boundaries, go outside the box. lol

[rayhaneh]

Nobunari Oda has become a dad for the second time

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/osaka/spo...OHO1T00037.htm

It's another boy who was born on January 5th. They named him Shinnosuke ^_^

[apatinar]

whoah, Oda has been busy! lol.. So, I have often wondered with Japanese skaters.. With the extreme popularity of skating right now in Japan, are all the top skaters making a lot of money in the same way North American skaters were back in the 90's? I remember being in Japan a couple of years ago and was astounded by all of the posters of skaters in the subways and all of the commercials...
It is very easy to google net worth's of celebrities and athletes here in the U.S. but the only Asian skater I can find a net worth on is Yu-Na Kim.

I just wonder about this because skating is such an expensive sport and now Oda has 2 children to support.

[skateboy]

Nobunari Oda has become a dad for the second time

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/osaka/spo...OHO1T00037.htm

It's another boy who was born on January 5th. They named him Shinnosuke ^_^

Wow! I think this deserves its own thread. Hope you don't mind me re-posting. (I'll give you credit, promise!)

[minmin]

Miki Ando left Toyota Motor Corp at 1st January.

http://www.facebook.com/miki.ando.official

Toyota was going to support, but she decided to leave. Because she is sorry to have rested competitions for 2 seasons.
She also say "I'll return competitions remembering supporter of Toyota at next season."

[maatTheViking]

I just wonder about this because skating is such an expensive sport and now Oda has 2 children to support.

well, we don't know what his wife does? Maybe she has a well paying job

[Marco]

Miki Ando left Toyota Motor Corp at 1st January.

http://www.facebook.com/miki.ando.official

Toyota was going to support, but she decided to leave. Because she is sorry to have rested competitions for 2 seasons.
She also say "I'll return competitions remembering supporter of Toyota at next season."

So she IS coming back next season?

[rayhaneh]

So she IS coming back next season?

At least in the statement on her FB page, she says she will be competing nexxt season

[inskate]

Miki Ando left Toyota Motor Corp at 1st January.

http://www.facebook.com/miki.ando.official

Toyota was going to support, but she decided to leave. Because she is sorry to have rested competitions for 2 seasons.
She also say "I'll return competitions remembering supporter of Toyota at next season."

Thanks for the info! I hope to see her skating soon (if not in competition, then at least in shows).

Blind date?

Quite the opposite, actually - Nobunari and his wife, Mayu, were friends since middle school. Nobunari asked Mayu out in 2005. She turned him down at first, saying that as a figure skater he would travel too much and she would feel too lonely, but then asked him out a month later. In a recent TV show, Meringue no Kimochi, they appeared together and Mayu revealed that she turned him down at first because at that time there was a fad going on with people asking each other out for a joke, so she decided to test if Nobunari was truly honest. Smart lady.

[Lainerb]

Miki Ando left Toyota Motor Corp at 1st January.

http://www.facebook.com/miki.ando.official

Toyota was going to support, but she decided to leave. Because she is sorry to have rested competitions for 2 seasons.
She also say "I'll return competitions remembering supporter of Toyota at next season."

This is exciting indeed. With Japanese ladies in their current situation Ando probably has a good chance of making the Olympic team if she is in somewhat good form.

[rayhaneh]

There have been several announcements made by the JSF today, one including international assignments for Kozuka, Oda and Machida: it appears they will all come to Europe between February and April

http://www.jiji.com/jc/zc?k=201301/2013011600909&g=spo

Takahiko Kozuka will be at the Challenge Cup (Den Haag, Netherlands, February 21-24) and the Gardena Spring Trophy (Selva, Italy, April 1-3)

Nobunari Oda will take part to the Bavarian Open (Oberstdorf, Germany, February 7-10)

Tatsuki Machida will participate to the Coupe de Printemps(Luxembourg, March 22-24)

[seabm7]

Takahiko Kozuka will be at the Challenge Cup (Den Haag, Netherlands, February 21-24) and the Gardena Spring Trophy (Selva, Italy, April 1-3)

I guess this means Kozuka will be recovered from his injury and ready for skating on February. I'm glad he and others got more international assignments before the end of the season.

[mathil]

I guess this means Kozuka will be recovered from his injury and ready for skating on February. I'm glad he and others got more international assignments before the end of the season.

After his injury, he was advised to stay off the ice for one month. So he should be able to resume training at the end of January.

[NMURA]

I guess Kozuka's "injury" was not that serious in the first place. He and his coach might have needed some excuses for the setback at Nationals.