Japanese skater/skating news & updates

[ioana]

Thank you for the translation, Akira Andrea! Things make more sense now .

[jjane45]

LOL~ Uncle Dai is just so amazing...

[Akira Andrea]

What is going on with the man in a bird costume?! Shizuka did really well considering her blades kept getting stuck in gaps between the blocks of ice

The man who wore the eagle suits prepared the floating ice type rink on the very cold sea in the north side of Japan at last, while suffering the many troubles for several cold days, but, in this day of the event, the surface of the the rink began to melt by the sunshine for the rare fine weather after a long time.

If speaking about why he wore the eagle suits, it is because the eagle is the country symbol of the Rausu town where this event was held.

The country symbol of the Rausu Town.
http://ameblo.jp/country-sign-hokkai...608084770.html

Steller's sea eagle (wikipedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steller%27s_Sea_Eagle

[Akira Andrea]

Possibly, Shizuka Arakawa may be a resident of another galaxy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVe32dZ8-os

[robinhood]

Possibly, Shizuka Arakawa may be a resident of another galaxy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVe32dZ8-os

wow!

[jjane45]

Possibly, Shizuka Arakawa may be a resident of another galaxy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVe32dZ8-os

Incredible flexibility and strength. I wonder if any of the younger skaters at comparable height could do this? Also loved her composure.

[falling_dance]

[Loves_Shizuka]

[julieann]

That was soooo awesome, I couldn't imagine the strength that would take.

[MysticHaze]

What are the chances of Miki Ando returning next season?

[Jeschke]

What are the chances of Miki Ando returning next season?

miki

as she mentioned, next season will be her last. she wants to have a satisfying end to her career. don't know in which way this will be. world team trophy or japan open seem more likely than going again for the olympics.
she would have to go to b-competition for minimum tes and has to qualify for japan nationals (maybe a bye due to home pick grand prix). not to mention that it will be not too easy to get one of the three spots.
or maybe she finishes her career at worlds in her home country.

asking me, i doubt we will see her competitve again, but hope dies last. and until that day i pray

[NMURA]

ANDO
Probably she's inclined to comeback after watching Suzuki's debacle and the rough deal to Miyahara (at JW). I suspect that the JSF won't give her a NHK spot. It will be Asada, Murakami and Miyahara. Ando must do Chubu regional and Western sectionals, and she'll be sent to NRW trophy in order to gain the minimum TES. At Japanese nationals... it's all up to who they want to choose for the 3rd spot. I don't expect much preferential treatments for her. Skipping two seasons and "coming back" just for her personal satisfaction is too opportunistic. In last year (after cancelling participating COC), she has said that Sochi Olympics is a "reward" for her (past contributions). That remark could make negative effects to JSF considerations.

[Sylvia]

Coupe du Printemps, March 22-24 in Luxembourg - results for JPN skaters:
Tatsuki Machida won the silver in Senior Men (181.58) - his videos: SP (61.47, 2nd) & FS (120.11, 1st)
Risa Shoji won the bronze in Senior Ladies (129.66).
Riona Kato won the gold in Junior Ladies (146.25).
Sei Kawahara won the bronze in Junior Men (151.31).
Mai Mihara won the gold in Adv. Novice Ladies (112.26); Yuka Kito was 9th (76.09).

Triglav Trophy results so far:

Daisuke Murakami is 3rd after Senior Men SP (66.69) - 3A +1, 3Lz(e)+2T, 3F (this is his first competition back since his WD during his NHK Trophy SP last November);
Akio Sasaki is 4th (66.25) - 3A fall, 3Lz+3T, 3F.

Miyabi Oba is 2nd after Senior Ladies SP (54.63) - 3Lo+3T, 3F, 2A.

Junior Men 2nd in SP: Taichi Honda (51.11).
Junior Ladies 2nd in SP: Yura Matsuda (49.58).
Advanced Novice Boys 1st in SP: Sota Yamamoto (47.22).
Advanced Novice Girls SP 1-2: Marin Honda (47.10), Kaori Sakamoto (41.62).

[kwanfan1818]

ANDO
Probably she's inclined to comeback after watching Suzuki's debacle and the rough deal to Miyahara (at JW). I suspect that the JSF won't give her a NHK spot. It will be Asada, Murakami and Miyahara. Ando must do Chubu regional and Western sectionals, and she'll be sent to NRW trophy in order to gain the minimum TES. At Japanese nationals... it's all up to who they want to choose for the 3rd spot. I don't expect much preferential treatments for her. Skipping two seasons and "coming back" just for her personal satisfaction is too opportunistic. In last year (after cancelling participating COC), she has said that Sochi Olympics is a "reward" for her (past contributions). That remark could make negative effects to JSF considerations.

Wouldn't this depend on who her new coach was, and, if a Japanese coach, and she's training in Japan, how respected that coach is? (Not that I'd expect Mr. Sato to take her on.)

[lauravvv]

In last year (after cancelling participating COC), she has said that Sochi Olympics is a "reward" for her (past contributions). That remark could make negative effects to JSF considerations.

Aren't you just assuming? I understand that the last part in brackets is from you, not her. It's possible that she didn't mean it that way (that the JSF should give that reward to her for her past achievements), but rather that she sees it as a possible reward to herself (from herself) for all the hard work that she's done, but still a reward that she can only gain by having good enough results in the Olympic season itself.

[NMURA]

The (past contribution) part is my interpretation, but it's quite apparent that Ando considers obtaining the Olympic spot is a personal matter. All Olympians should participate the most important sports event with the national pride and goals above personal satisfactions.

[Akira Andrea]

Because Japan Federation has never decided the Japan representative for Olympics by only past contribution of a player, no player expect such a situation in Japan, too.
Miki Ando never said that she expect Sochi Olympics participation as the reward for her past contribution.

She said, "It is sure that the Olympics is my goal, but I have not competed in a competition, thinking that I would like to participate to Olympics, even once. It was so, too, in the time of Vancouver Olympics. The Olympics is a reward (as the result). I would like to say that it is not for the Sochi Olympics that I compete in next season".

I think that she meant not the reward for the past contribution but the reward for her result in next season.

[lauravvv]

Because Japan Federation has never decided the Japan representative for Olympics by only past contribution of a player, no player expect such a situation in Japan, too.
Miki Ando never said that she expect Sochi Olympics participation as the reward for her past contribution.

She said, "It is sure that the Olympics is my goal, but I have not competed in a competition, thinking that I would like to participate to Olympics, even once. It was so, too, in the time of Vancouver Olympics. The Olympics is a reward (as the result). I would like to say that it is not for the Sochi Olympics that I compete in next season".

I think that she meant not the reward for the past contribution but the reward for her result in next season.

Thank you for explaining. I suspected so.

[icellist]

Haruka Imai's silver medal at gardena trophy raises her world standing to 2088 placing her in top 24 (pushing out Amelie Lacoste)

She is now guaranteed a GP invite

[kwanfan1818]

She will push out Elena Glebova from the Top 24 WS. The WS list is adjusted before GP selections to drop everything from the 2010-11 season and to factor everything from the 2011-12 season at 70%.