Kanako Murakami attained a brilliant achievement secretly

[Akira Andrea]

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

The Photography
By Photographer: Kiyoshi Sakamoto
In SP of Ladies of Four Continents, Kanako Murakami made 3-3jump arranged in the second half succeed and showed the smiling at the last.
http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/photo/.../all/dtl/47/5/

Kanako Murakami attained a brilliant achievement secretly.
There was her continuous effort in the back of the success of 3-3 jump of the second half of SP.
February 13th, 2013

By Mie Noguchi
★Only Murakami challenged the 3-3 jump in the second half.

It was the still success of the big skill in Ladies at the first time in the world. In the SP in the Four Continents (February 8th-10th, the Gymnasium in Osaka city), Kanako Murakami (Chukyo University Chukyo High School) attempted the 3-3 jump in the second half where the base value becomes by 1.1 times at and succeeded it perfectly. In fact, the woman who made the 3-3 jump succeed in the second half in the ISU official competition has been at the first time in the world.

The bonus rule in SP was adopted from this season. Originally, in the second half where it tires in physical strength in FS in, the base value of jump becomes 1.1 times but there was not such the bonus in SP. Therefore, most players executes the lopsided composition in which it attempts three jumps in the beginning and attempts the step and the spin in the second half. Looking forward to showing the originality in the 'arrangement of jumps', the 1.1 times rule was introduced into SP, too.

Then, how will the player have acted? Because the result in SP influences to the starting order in FS, it is the standard strategy, to say "a mistake is never permitted in SP". A part of the player in Men arranged the difficult jump in the second half, aiming at the high score. But, for Ladies, 3-3 jump is difficult even to arrange in the beginning. Only one player, Murakami in Ladies arranged it in the second half.

If arranging the 3T-3T jump which she is good at to the second half, the base value becomes to 9.02 points from 8.2 points. Therefore, she determined the challenge to the jump composition which has the originality which the other player doesn't challenge. Attempting the step in the beginning of the program, as for the jumps, she arranged only the double Axel in the first half and the 3-3 jump and 3F in the second half. But, for her, the stamina and the mental strain which are necessary for achieving it were unpredictable at all.


★The challenge is to overcome the lack of stamina.

In the Skate Canada which was the first competition of the GP series of this season for her, she started from the 4th place, because, in SP, the second jump of 3-3 jump became the lack of rotation and she failed in the 3F of last jump, too. In Rostelecom Cup continued, too, she started from the 6th place, because the second jump of 3-3 jump became the lack of rotation and she fell in 3F.

She said, “Before starting the Flip jump after the 3-3 jump, my leg had cramps.
I fail when feeling uneasy so as to say, 'Although my leg seems to be too tired, what shall I do?' Anyway, doing practice with playing the music many times, I needed to make my feeling accustom to such the severity. If my feeling becomes strong, it should be able to cover the pain of the leg”.


The probability which she skates without the failure of jump was zero approximately in summer, but around the Rosterecom Cup in November the success rate in the practice had risen till about 60%. The weakness which returns the jump composition to the level of last season in order to skate for sure was nowhere. Looking ahead earnestly, she aimed at accomplishing the plan that anyone had not challenged.

She said, “I came to be able to skate without fatigue until '3-3jump'. The rest is the last Flip only. In order to improve the level from last season, Regardless I would like to nail the jump in the second half.　 I would like to attempt it without giving up, because being able to get a big score, if I succeed in it, even if I can't do it now.”

In Japan Nationals, she faced with good condition. But, because it is big stage, she seems to have gotten worked up too much, the first jump of her 3-3 jump became the double jump. She said that the timing of take-off had not matched.
In FS of the next day, she nailed the jumps one after another with forceful performance with changing her feelings. She won the silver medal, but bit the lip, saying, "To have failed in SP is frustrating still more because it had been good in FS".

★The innocent smiling face which does not make feel her pain to anybody is Murakami's charm.

It was from here that she showed the potential energy. As soon as the Japan Nationals ended in December 23rd, the team of Machiko Yamada coach entered the vacation, but Murakami started the voluntary practice from the next day and did not rest the practice except the New Year's Day. Although she injured the right instep because the skates which were exchanged after the Japan Nationals did not fit the foot, she not only did not decrease the quantity of practice but also increased it from 3-4 hours to 5-6 hours.
She said, "I would like to practice much so as to be able to perform the performance of higher level than one in FS of Japan Nationals".

When she entered the venue of 4 Continents, she found that the body does not move well by the fatigue because she practiced too much.
Murakami whined many times, saying, "Though feeling the body is heavy, will I be able to keep the stamina?" Nevertheless, the practice which was her obsession had already permeated her body. After having been sent by Yamada coach, saying "Try your heart's content with confidence", she skated to the beautiful music of SP and nailed all jumps cleanly without doing down the speed until the last.

She said, "I could perform SP with no mistake for the first time and could perform it more calmly than the SP of the Japan Nationals. It was too simple comment if comparing with the effort and with the challenge which is at the first time in the world. Then, when she was asked a secret of success, she returned such an answer while smiling with being embarrassed.

She said, “When Shoma Uno (Grand Prix Tokai) who practices together brandishes the arm in the practice or the competition, he nails the jump well. Therefore, because I could nail the jump if I attempted to imitate him during practice in January, I, too, decided to brandish the arm. Is like a 'Takami Sakari' who is sumo wrestler!? I permit any movement if succeeding. (LOL)”
She conceals an effort and has made it comedy. It was her comment with overflowing attractiveness.

In SP of Ladies of this competition, the element which scored equal to or more than 10 points at one skill was only Asada Mao's 3A ( 10.07 ) and Murakami's 3T-3T jump ( 10.02 ). It was valuable one element. However, she didn't appeal for being such a big skill. I got a feeling of seeing the commanding eyes which makes an effort to the highest goal in the innocent smiling face which does not make feel her pain to anybody.
The end.

The article:
“Kanako Murakami attained a brilliant achievement secretly.”
http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/sports...2130001-spnavi

Referernce:
The judges details per skater in Ladies SP of Four Continents
http://www.isuresults.com/results/fc..._SP_Scores.pdf

2013 4CC Kanako Murakami SP "Prayer for Taylor" by Michael W. Smith
Choreography: Marina Zueva
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn6q1XkSMMA

[TheIronLady]

I love Kanako, but the hem of the SP dress is a little but uglier than it should be.

[kittyjake5]

Thank you for the article and the translation. Congrats to Kanako! Good strategy by her team.

[Akira Andrea]

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

Kanako who got her first medal with the 3rd place in 4 Continents said, "I am happy terribly".
February 11th, 2013 JST

Kanako Murakami who got her first medal with the 3rd place in 4 Continents said, "I am happy terribly".
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/wi...OHT1T00220.htm

Murakami who is 18 years old caught her first medal in the championship of the senior. Because she pumped herself up too much, she stumbled clumsily in the pose of the finish, but she was scored 181.03 points of her personal best at the total with SP. She stood on the podium together with Asada and Suzuki. Gazing the bronze medal of the chest, she rejoiced, saying "I'm happy terribly!".

Putting on a deep red lipstick, she performed to the tango enthusiastically with the black chic costume. Landing the 3 consecutive combination jump of '3-2-2' which is high difficult degree, she finished skating with no miss except having confused in the jump in the middle stage. In the last season, she suffered because the foot swelled etc. because the skates didn't fit her foot. Being coached by the Motoko Hirayama who is the specialist of a contemporary dance, she improved the transition of the skill. Therefore, the movement of the entering to the jump etc became smooth.

Because having been asked to agree many times by her pupil saying, "I was well done, wasn't I?", the coach Machiko Yamada said, "Anyway I will praise you for now", while smiling wryly.

In this competition, she found an unexpected tuning method. When she took a nap for about 1 hour after the official practice of the morning, it seems that her feeling became very clear and her tension was broken. 18 years old who got a lot of harvest said "I would like to utilize this experience in the Worlds", while smiling.

The article:
Kanako who got her first medal with the 3rd place in 4 Continents said, "I am happy terribly".
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/wi...OHT1T00220.htm

Reference:
Kanako Murakami 2013 4CC FS "Oblivion, A fuego lento, Adios Nonino" by Astor Piazzolla
Choreography: Pasquale Camerlengo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T3Wsjj1C4s

[apatinar]

Kanako is absolutely gorgeous to me and soooo talented! I hope she cleans up some of the rough edges like her layback and some of the entries into the jumps.. If she can do this she will skyrocket up the rankings!

[Akira Andrea]

This is an article in "Sports Nippon" in Japan.
Translating to English from Japanese.

Kanako Murakami graduated the high school
She has wore the blazer from Mao for three years but the size, too, has fitted now.
February 28th, 2013 JST

The photo:
Photo by Kyodo
Murakami who have the diploma in the hand.
http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/new...005293750.html

In February 28th, Kanako Murakami (18) who participates to the worlds in March participated to the graduation ceremony of Chukyo University Chukyo High School and said, "I could have a dense experience for this three years" while smiling. She go on to Chukyo University.

She wore the blazer which took over from Mao Asada (Chkyo University) for three years. The size, too, has fitted now because she grew 10 cm in the height while being in a student.

She said, "I think that I, too, grew in skating although I can not know whether I approached to Asada. Moreover, I used to be sulky before when getting scolded with the practice, but I don't assume such attitude now".

Aiming at the Worlds, she said enthusiastically, "If I can do the performance which I can be satisfactory to, the place is unrelated. I would like to raise the probability in Jump and would like to increase the dynamism in the performance".

The article:
Kanako Murakami graduated the high school
http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/new...005292650.html


The video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDq2dIF914I

[Akira Andrea]

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

Dyeing her hair to the "lucky color for the competition", Kanako is going to face to the Worlds
March 12th, 2013 JST

The photograph:
Murakami who arrived at Toronto airport is smiling in front of the artwork of the dinosaur which was displayed.
http://news.biglobe.ne.jp/sports/031...13_thum500.jpg

From London, Canada at March 10th: By Kengo Abe
Aiming at the podium with a petite makeover
The worlds is held at London, Canada in March 13th. Kanako Murakami (18, Chukyo University) who is participating to the event by the three season continuation, entered to the venue at first arrival from Japan. She arrived at Toronto airport wearing a baseball hat which she is hooked on recently, but the reason why her smiling doesn't become extinct was the color of the hair to have peeped from the hat. She who is with "the lucky hair for the competition" which the ends were gradated into the brown, smiled joyfully, while saying "I dyed my hair with a gradation". At the graduation ceremony of the high school in February 28th, she said, "I would like to dye my hair" as her first wish. It was the desire which is only possible by the woman around the year who had been prohibited from dyeing hair in the high school.

In the 4 Continents in February, she made two continuous triple jump combination succeed in the second half of the short program for the first time in Ladies and then her best scores was updated at total scores. She is in good feelings, so as to say, "If I can perform the good performance just as it is, because gradually my condition rose". She was 8th place in 2011 of her debut and was 5th place in last year, but, in this championship, she aims at the place on the podium.
Raising the feelings more by the hair of the wish, she is going to dye this championship to "the Kanako color".

The article:
“Dyeing her hair to the "lucky color for the competition", Kanako is going to face to the Worlds”
http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/n...2-1096490.html

[Akira Andrea]

Kanako Murakami: 3rd Place in 2013 Worlds SP "Prayer for Taylor" by Michael W. Smith, Choreography: by Marina Zueva
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...9M0Yxqyus#t=5s

Judges Details par Skater : Kanako Murakami = 3rd
http://www.isuresults.com/results/wc..._SP_Scores.pdf

[Akira Andrea]

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

Kanako got the 3rd Place with her personal best score in SP and said, “Will it be miracle?”
March 16th, 2013 JST

The photography: by Kyodo Com
Kanako Murakami who updated her best score in SP of Ladies is glad hugging with Coach Yamada.
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/zoomImage...OHT9I00224.htm

The second day of the worlds (March 14th, London, Ontario, Canada)
In the SP of Ladies, Mao Asada (22, Chukyo University) who aims at the 3rd victory after the interval for three years became the 6th place with 62.10 points because she nailed the triple Axel but failed the other jumps. Yuna Kim (22, Korea), who is Vancouver Olympics Champion in 2010 and participated to after the interval for two years, became 1st place with 69.97 points. 18 years old, Kanako Murakami (Chukyo University) became 3th place with 66.64 points of her personal best score.

Murakami who finished skating struck a victory pose many times with the smiling of the whole face. In her 3rd Worlds, she finished performing perfectly to the program in the SP and became the 3rd place with 66.64 points which updated by 2.6 point, too, to her personal best score of 64.04 points which had won in 4 Continents. Her smile which was a full of energy burst, while saying, "I was surprised seeing my score. Will it be a miracle? It was good because I could skate as same as the practice calmly".

The program of SP was the novel performance composition which enters from the step. The strategy which she jumps two continuous triple jump combination in the second half where the base value becomes 1.1 time came true and she became a number one overwhelming to Yuna Kim as for the technical point. According to the light pink clothing, she dyed hair a bright brown behind the high school graduation in the end of February. Before the Worlds, she learned the dance from Motoko Hirayama of the creative dancer and she studied even how to move the eyes, so as to say "It becomes a beautiful look if seeing distant place".
She expressed, with deep emotion, the graceful piano music which the prayer was the theme. She threw out her chest, saying "I think that had been able to express it impressively". Mao and Suzuki got a late start but they approached to getting the maximum of 3 frames for Sochi Olympics by Murakami's doing well.
She was the 8th place two year before and she finished in the 5th place with crumbling though she was the second place in SP last year. Her program of FS is a passionate tango.
Concentrating her mind, she is going to challenge aiming at her first podium, saying, "I would like to perform a good performance calmly".
The article:

Kanako got the 3rd Place with her personal best scores in SP and said, “Will it be miracle?”
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/wi...OHT1T00226.htm

[Akira Andrea]

This is an article in “Fuji network News” in Japan.
Translating to English from Japanese.

Kanako Murakami became a university student and talked about the wish in the university life. (Chukyo University)
April 1st, 2013

Because new school year begin from April 1st, Kanako Murakami (18) became a university student. She faced the entrance ceremony wearing a suit.

Murakami talked about the wish and the pleasure in the university life.
Murakami said, "I think that it would be nice if I could balance the skating and the study. I think that it would be nice if I could make friends a lot.”

Article:
“Kanako Murakami became a university student and talked about the wish in the university life”
http://www.fnn-news.com/news/headlin...N00243239.html

[spikydurian]

Congrats to Kanako. I am impressed with her when I saw her skate for the first time even though she didn't medal. I think she's likely to take over from Mao and Akiko when they retire.