Tran Aiming to Obtain Japanese Citizenship

[julieann]

I love T/T, but I just have to think that their bronze was like the Dube/Davison situation in 2008. Enough teams sucked so they snuck through for their one world medal.

I agre. T/T did a great job this year at worlds but P/T and B/L had a bad long program, S/H missed one lift and K/S missed two lifts, without the major mistakes of those teams they would have not won a medal. It's no different than the Shibs winning last year because the French team fell.

They even won 2nd at NHK and won a trip to GPF only because S/S performed so badly.

Tran earned Japan their first ever World championship medal in Pairs and have been earning good international results for a number of years now.

They've had pretty good results, not bad but certainly not as good as some.

World Championships 9th, 3rd
Four Continents Championships 5th, 7th, 5th
World Team Trophy 2nd
Grand Prix Final 6th
Cup of Russia 2nd
Skate Canada 4th
NHK Trophy 8th, 3rd, 2nd (S/S mistakes for them the silver and a spot at the GPF)

Never understand why teams like this form when they know all the hurdles that have to be overcome.

Their coach has said the only reason he pair them is because Tran 'looked' Japanese and he said it was more aesthetically pleasing than pairing her up with a Caucasian.

[victorskid]

I hope Tran is making attempts to learn Japanese. Even if he never gets citizenship, just the fact that he is representing Japan on the international stage makes it important to put in some effort to learn the language and culture.

In the team interview before the medal presentation yesterday, Mervin said a few words in Japanese. I'm not sure what/how well but it seemed (at least to me) sort of similar to what came from the Reeds in the same interview. I would think the latter would have/should have had more opportunities to speak the language.

[Belinda]

Well, they still get to compete at Worlds even if this doesn't work, which is a big deal for them. Competing at Worlds and not Olympics is better than not having a partner at all, or having a partner who isn't good enough to qualify for the Worlds with you.

Well, I can understand why Narumi had to look outside Japan for a partner. After all she has a number of predecessors. But what about Mervin? Was he so desparate as to end up looking for a partner outside Canada?

[algonquin]

Well, I can understand why Narumi had to look outside Japan for a partner. After all she has a number of predecessors. But what about Mervin? Was he so desparate as to end up looking for a partner outside Canada?

If I recall correctly, Narumi was training in Canada and asked her coach, Richard Gaulthie, to find a partner for her.

[Sylvia]

But what about Mervin? Was he so desparate as to end up looking for a partner outside Canada?

This thread from earlier this season has a translated French article about Tran in which he describes how he paired up with Narumi: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showthread.php?t=81635

[Ziggy]

Never understand why teams like this form when they know all the hurdles that have to be overcome. If they were to marry would he automatically become a citizen. Then they could divorce after Sochi.

No, he wouldn't.

And if, somehow, the Diet (Japanese Parliament) did grant him citizenship, the pressure to open up citizenship to other people who have actually lived in Japan for many years but cannot meet the normal citizenship requirements (like passing a written test in Japanese) would be enormous. The problem isn't opening up citizenship, but there is something wrong about granting it only to one young man who has never lived in the country while denying it to many others who have.)

Which is why it will most likely never happen.

If they want to be sure they can go to the Olympics he should move to Japan now and start learning the language so that he can meet the requirements for 2018.

And leave Gauthier and Marcotte to train with... (there are no elite level pair coaches in Japan)?

There are people who have been living and working in Japan for years (including those who have been married to Japanese spouses) who have been unable to obtain citizenship.

Could he qualify under the "special relationship" provision?

It has never been invoked yet.

[walei]

How tall is Mervin, he seems kind of short for a pairs skater so maybe Narumi was one of the only girls small enough and capable enough to pair up with him?

[kwanfan1818]

Tran wasn't considering pairs skating, so it was her coaches who identified him as a fit with Takahashi. He wasn't a smallish (for pairs) man searching for a pairs partner.

He's 5'9", a little taller than Robin Szolkowy.

[manhn]

If they skate for Canada and have bad performances by chance at Canadian Nationals, they could lose to Duhamel/Radford and Moore-Towers/Moscovitch and not go to the Olympics anyway..

If T&T actually competed for Canada by the time of 2013 Worlds, there would be an excellent chance that T&T and the other Canadian team (probably D&R) would qualify for 3 teams. They would this year had T&T been competing for Canada.

Anyways, I wish Tran all the best. But I'm just wondering why they didn't do this sooner. Was the bronze medal the catalist? I mean, they had a very bright future from the start, practically.

[kwanfan1818]

She'd have to give up Japanese citizenship were she to get Canadian citizenship in time for Sochi, which in itself would take both expedited Permanent Resident processing and an exemption to the residency rules for citizenship. (For Permanent Residency, she'd qualify under the "self-employed" category for world-class artists and athletes.)

She may be tied more to her citizenship than he is to Canadian citizenship.

[flowerpower]

She'd have to give up Japanese citizenship were she to get Canadian citizenship in time for Sochi, which in itself would take both expedited Permanent Resident processing and an exemption to the residency rules for citizenship. (For Permanent Residency, she'd qualify under the "self-employed" category for world-class artists and athletes.)

She may be tied more to her citizenship than he is to Canadian citizenship.

I suspect that Mervin is very tied to his Canadian citizenship, since he was born here, has always lived and trained here, and has a serious girlfriend in Montreal. He might, though, be willing to give it up temporarily, since he could probably get it back fairly easily.

Narumi has lived and trained in Canada for quite a few years, so she has had residency for a long time. Her application for Canadian citizenship could probably be expedited. As I understand it, the problem is that if she gave up her Japanese citizenship (as Japan would require her to do, since they do not permit dual citizenship), it would be very hard to get back. She may not be willing to do that.

[walei]

I don't know how the Japanese public/media would feel if Narumi gave up her Japanese citizenship and skate for Canada. Had they done this before becoming more high profile it would be okay but now that they are World Bronze Medalists situation may be different.

Has there been any skaters in the same situation in the past? Switching countries after they become high profile?

[Roxanne]

Wouldn't they have to sit out a whole season if they switched to Canada?

[Vagabond]

Has there been any skaters in the same situation in the past? Switching countries after they become high profile?

Sure. I think the prime example is Julia Soldatova, who was a World Bronze Medalist for Russia before switching to Belarus. The pairs skater Tatiana Volosozhar finished fourth for Ukraine at Euros four times before switching partners and and skating for Russia. Others I can think of (depending on your definition of "high profile") include Elena Berezhnaya and Fedor Andreev (who switched disciplines as well as countries).

Wouldn't they have to sit out a whole season if they switched to Canada?

Two whole seasons, just like a singles skater who switches countries, which is why they are very unlikely to do it. The one-season rule for pairs and dance doesn't apply when both partners are switching federations.

[Roxanne]

Two whole seasons, just like a singles skater who switches countries, which is why they are very unlikely to do it. The one-season rule for pairs and dance doesn't apply when both partners are switching federations.

Okay. That confirms that it's impossible for them to go to Sochi. oh well. The Olympics is just one event. Hopefully, Japan will get another pair soon.

[julieann]

Tran wasn't considering pairs skating, so it was her coaches who identified him as a fit with Takahashi. He wasn't a smallish (for pairs) man searching for a pairs partner.

He's 5'9", a little taller than Robin Szolkowy.

Robin Szolkowy is 5'9"

I don't know how the Japanese public/media would feel if Narumi gave up her Japanese citizenship and skate for Canada. Had they done this before becoming more high profile it would be okay but now that they are World Bronze Medalists situation may be different.

Has there been any skaters in the same situation in the past? Switching countries after they become high profile?

Ask Yuko Kavaguti, the reason she skated for Russia is because getting her former partner Japanese citizenship was impossible.

[Ozzisk8tr]

Two words: Tanith Belbin.

Seriously though, I hope he can, though it is doubtful. So sad for skaters who love their sport and work so hard can miss out on that Olympic dream because they don't fit a certain criteria. Politics and sport should never mix, like religion and politics. That's my opinion anyway.

[kwanfan1818]

Narumi has lived and trained in Canada for quite a few years, so she has had residency for a long time. Her application for Canadian citizenship could probably be expedited. As I understand it, the problem is that if she gave up her Japanese citizenship (as Japan would require her to do, since they do not permit dual citizenship), it would be very hard to get back. She may not be willing to do that.

There are different visas under which someone can live and train in Canada. She may or may not have a Permanent Resident visa, which is the pre-requisite for citizenship, and most other visas take far less paperwork, effort, and money.

In one of the threads about Yuko Kavaguti, someone wrote that Kavaguti could request her Japanese citizenship back ten years after she relinquished it.

Ask Yuko Kavaguti, the reason she skated for Russia is because getting her former partner Japanese citizenship was impossible.

I don't remember Smirnov saying he'd be willing to give up his Russian citizenship to skate for Japan in the Olympics. I might have missed this.

5'9" is rounding up for both Szolkowy and Tran, since they are listed at 175cm on their official bios.

[kwanfan1818]

dupe

[allezfred]

Two words: Tanith Belbin.

Ten words: Japanese citizenship regulations are a lot tougher than American ones.

I don't remember Smirnov saying he'd be willing to give up his Russian citizenship to skate for Japan in the Olympics. I might have missed this.

I believe julieann was referring to Yuko's previous partner Alexander Markuntsov. They medalled at Junior World's representing Japan.