Japanese figure skating 2017-18 season news & updates

[Jeschke]

Is there an entry list for Japanese nationals anywhere?

http://www.jsfresults.com/non_respo...m,National/2017-2018/fs_e/nationals/index.htm

 

[kwanfan1818]

What if another contender is first, Wakaba is second, and Satoko is third? In that case I think the champion and Satoko will go because Satoko has the higher finish at GPF, even though Wakaba placed second.

That was the second condition:
Higuchi is 3rd and Miyahara *is not* 2nd:

Higuchi/Miyahara/Someone else:

• Higuchi goes as champion
• Miyahara goes as 2nd or 3rd+GPF

Miyahara/Higuchi/someone else:

• Miyahara goes as champion
• Higuchi goes as 2nd or 3rd+GPF

Someone else/Miyahara/Higuchi OR
Someone else/Higuchi/Miyahara

• Someone else as champion
• Miyahara as 2nd or 3rd+higher at GPF

Higuchi/Someone else/Miyahara

• Higuchi goes as champion
• Miyahara goes as 2nd or 3rd+GPF

Miyahara/Someone else/Higuchi

• Same as above, swapping Miyahara and Higuchi

Someone else 1/Someone else 2/Higuchi OR
Someone else 1/Someone else 2/Miyahara OR
Someone else 1/Higuchi/Someone else 2 OR
Someone else 1/Miyahara/Someone else 2

• Someone else 1 goes as champion
• Whichever of Higuchi or Miyahara is in 2nd or 3rd+GPF

Higuchi/Someone else 1/Someone else 2 OR
Miyahara/Someone else 1/Someone else 2
OR
Someone else 1/Someone else 2/Someone else 3

• Champion goes
• Jap Fed decides between the someone elses in 2nd or 3rd based on SB, WS, and WR as of Japanese Nats

If any skater who is not ISU age-eligible -- if this can happen -- were to be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, they either bump everyone up and apply the criteria to the adjusted list or go to Fed's discretion. If anyone knows or has an option I've missed, pleas post.

 

[Sylvia]

"By Ice Time’s [Jack Gallagher's] mathematical calculations, there are 21 different possibilities for the two-woman team from contenders Miyahara, Higuchi, Mai Mihara, Kaori Sakamoto, Marin Honda, Rika Hongo and Yuna Shiraiwa."
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2017/12/12/figure-skating/race-two-olympic-spots-still-wide-open/

I've started a thread in the 2017/2018 National Championships forum in Kiss & Cry for JPN Nationals (thanks for the English entries link, @Jeschke): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/japan-figure-skating-championships-dec-20-24-2017.102627/

The top 6 ladies (Rika Kihira, Mako Yamashita, Nana Araki, Yuhana Yokoi, Rinka Watanabe, Tomoe Kawabata) & 6 men (Mitsuki Sumoto, Sena Miyake, Tatsuya Tsuboi, Kazuki Kushida, Yuto Kishina, Shun Sato) from Junior Nationals were invited to Senior Nationals.

 

[oleada]

http://www.jsfresults.com/non_responsive_toppage.htm?figure_top.htm,National/2017-2018/fs_e/nationals/index.htm

Thank you! What about a schedule?

 

[Sylvia]

What about a schedule?

ETA - link cross-posted in the JPN Nationals info thread in Kiss & Cry: http://www.jsfresults.com/National/2017-2018/fs_j/nationalsenior/11-01_schedule.pdf

ETA:

Yuka Sato and Miu Suzaki/Ryuichi Kihara (eta: very briefly in English) are interviewed along with DSC skating director Jerod Swallow in this local Michigan radio segment: http://michiganradio.org/post/why-do-so-many-international-olympic-figure-skaters-train-michigan

 

[clairecloutier]

Japanese federation officially announces that it will take the Olympics pairs slot relinquished by North Korea:
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports...ion-north-korea-misses-deadline/#.WjFt9t-nGUk

 

[Sylvia]

Team Japan for the Olympics has just been announced live on TV and JSF ended up going with Nationals final placements 1-2 for men & ladies:

Men: Yuzuru Hanyu, Shoma Uno, Keiji Tanaka
Ladies: Satoko Miyahara, Kaori Sakamoto
Dance: Kana Muramoto/Chris Reed
Pair: Miu Suzaki/Ryuichi Kihara

ETA - here's a video of the Olympic team announcement that was made live on TV (11+ mins.) - order was pairs, dance, men, ladies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEseE32rfuU

https://twitter.com/europeonice/status/944927415268024320
"Wakaba Higuchi named to #WorldFigure team with Satoko Miyahara."

 

[midori]

world
miyahara higuchi
uno tanaka hanyu
pairs&dances:same as OG

4cc
miyahara sakamoto mihara
uno tanaka mura

4cc pairs
suzaki kihara
takahashi shibata
miura ichihashi

4cc dances
muramoto reed
komatsubara koleto
fukase tateno

Edited to add bold to difference from the Olympic team

 

[midori]

JW
miura / ichihashi
sumoto miyake
kihei yamashita yokoi

 

[midori]

So... nothing for Suto/Ode? Not even 4cc?
Understandable, I guess, but, sad.

 

[Sylvia]

Thank you for posting the Worlds/4CC/JW teams, @midori!

Team Japan for 2018 Junior Worlds (March 5-11 in Sofia BUL) - full names with their Junior & Senior Nationals placements added:

Ladies: Rika Kihira J1/S3, Mako Yamashita J2/S10, Yuhana Yokoi J4/S8
Men: Mitsuki Sumoto J1/S6, Sena Miyake J2/S11
Pair: Riku Miura / Shoya Ichihashi J1/S3

I'm really glad Mai Mihara got 4CC and Wakaba Higuchi Worlds.

 

[all_empty]

Back in August, in this very thread, I said Kaori Sakamoto would play spoiler!

Part of me wishes she change her current short to a FS, skate her last year's short instead, and drop Amelie. Just putting it out there, skategods.

I hope for Satoko Miyahara to stay healthy, Mai Mihara to podium at 4CC (to boost her world standings) and Wakaba Higuchi to pull a Tonia Kwiakowski and secure three spots for Japan.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Ladies: Satoko Miyahara, Kaori Sakamoto

I CALLED IT a few weeks ago! I knew it. ANL now pats himself on the back!!!!!!

 

[PRlady]

What a great thing that Fed is doing, spreading the wealth around. So happy Wakaba's got Worlds and Mihara 4Cs.

I wish the Russian Fed were as generous with its top ladies.

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting from the Kiss & Cry section:

Sei Kawahara has announced his retirement:

https://twitter.com/seeei_1217/status/945208500468178954

Kawahara, 22, placed 12th in Senior Men at Nationals this year and competed in one Senior Grand Prix in his career: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00011880.htm

 

[GloriaW]

What a great thing that Fed is doing, spreading the wealth around. So happy Wakaba's got Worlds and Mihara 4Cs.

I wish the Russian Fed were as generous with its top ladies.

Yes, agreed. And smart. Each athlete has the opportunity to garner extremely valuable "second half of season" ISU points which factor in overall ranking, opportunities for Grand Prix events, start order for those events, etc. Smart planning for the future. With Olympic team slots set, the next Olympic quad starts "now"

 

[Sylvia]

Kyodo news article (12/25/17): https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports...-looking-improvement-ahead-pyeongchang-games/

Kaori Sakamoto said Monday she still has room to improve, a day after she was handed one of Japan’s two spots for the women’s figure skating competition at February’s Pyeongchang Olympics.
“I’m really happy,” said Sakamoto, who is still in her first year on the senior circuit. “I’m going to maintain stability in my jumps and do better with my expression.”
A Japan Skating Federation official said Sunday they chose Sakamoto over fellow high schooler Wakaba Higuchi in a “difficult decision.”
“Because she’s (Sakamoto) getting high marks for execution of her jumps, she still has room for growth,” federation director Yoshiko Kobayashi said. “We had a difficult time choosing.”

NHK TV news broadcast of Team Japan for the Olympics (1 minute long; includes old practice footage of Hanyu training in at the Cricket Club in Toronto): https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171225_01/

ETA:

Jack Gallagher believes sending Sakamoto to the Olympics was the right call by JSF - here's his post-Nationals column: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports...g/sending-kaori-sakamoto-olympics-right-call/
Excerpts:

What is it I most admire about Sakamoto and why is she on the Olympic team?
Kaori has guts. Plain and simple.
She is absolutely fearless. This is something that can’t be taught. It is inherent.
Riding around on two thin blades in front of thousands of people is not easy, but Sakamoto does it like it is no big thing.
Combine this with her outgoing personality and you have a winning combination. There is nothing like see her walking around at competitions where everybody else is tight as a drum and Kaori is her usual exuberant self, smiling, laughing and enjoying herself.
We are living in a time now where analytics have invaded the sports world, and many think that everything can be deciphered by numbers. Fortunately this flawed philosophy has not invaded skating and let’s hope it never does.
When somebody is tough, hungry and talented, like Sakamoto, you can throw your analytics out the window.

My heart breaks for Higuchi, who has battled so hard these past four years, and is a wonderful skater. Wakaba is a highly emotional gal and I’m thankful I wasn’t in the room when she received the bad news on Saturday night. That would have been too much.
As I stood on the train platform at my station on Sunday on my way to the nationals, tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about Sakamoto and Higuchi.
“Here are these two kids who have worked their entire lives in pursuit of a singular dream, and in a few hours one of them is going to be crushed,” I said to myself. “How will they get out of bed tomorrow?”
So as joyful as I am for Sakamoto, I feel equal sorrow for Higuchi.

 

[livetoskate]

I am so happy for Kaori and she looked so thrilled in the nationals gala and the announcement of the Olympic team. Jack Gallagher wondered why Honda got so much more press and attention heading into nationals. I'd guess it's because Marin is pretty, but there's only so much prettiness can take you when you can't land all the jumps. I was also relieved to see that Kaori got a new, much better looking red dress for her free skate. The old dress was drab olive and brown, not championship worthy. The red dress still has a peter pan collar but looks nice.

As for the men, I appreciate Shoma Uno's skating quality more after seeing him against skaters like Tanaka. Even Shoma is not invincible with so many mistakes. The Olympic events are going to be such a nail biter! Sorry that Mura didn't make the Olympic team, but he redeemed himself at Japanese nationals after a messy performance at his last Grand Prix event. He actually looks handsome when not wearing an outlandish costume.

 

[Sylvia]

Another excerpt from Gallagher's column, linked above:

Higuchi posted a heartfelt message on Twitter late Sunday night:
“It is frustrating, of course frustrating, but I have no choice but to look forward. If we can not go backward we can not see the future either. A big dream is like this. I do not know what is there. But it is important to have such experience in life. Thank you. This is not over yet. There is more. Let’s do it.”

Direct link to Wakaba's tweet: https://twitter.com/wakawakaskate/status/944950074114654213

This Japanese article has quotes from Kaori Sakamoto about Mai Mihara: https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20171226-00000027-dal-spo
Google translated excerpt:

[Sakamoto] revealed that she received encouragement from Mihara (18): "Mai-san said" congratulations. "I was very pleased to hear that" my friends who practiced together are happy to be present at the Olympics. "Thank you (words) I appreciate it.

Sonoko Nakano is the coach of both Sakamoto and Mihara - the same article mentions that "Mihara overcame the suffering of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and Sakamoto right shin fatigue fracture, and both aimed at the Olympics."

This article seems to say that Mai Mihara will attend "Konan University (Kobe city) next spring" ... After the performance, [Mihara is quoted as saying] "I want to be a strong player for the next [4CC] even if I can not get out to the Olympic Games": https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20171225-00085498-nksports-spo

 

[Doggygirl]

Congratulations to the Japanese Olympic Figure Skaters! I too was happy to see the wide range of ladies chosen for Worlds and 4CC.

I'm sure this isn't the right thread for discussion, but I just wanted to say that I am very sad to read that the North Korean pair team will not be going to Olys... :wuzrobed I enjoyed them so much at Worlds in Helsinki

 

[greenapple]

I can't help but wonder why North Korea spent the money for the team to train in Montreal over the summer and then sent them to Nebelhorn to earn a spot, if they never intended to use it. Makes no sense. Hope springs eternal that this situation will change and they will compete at the Games.

 

[kwanfan1818]

North Korea already gave back the Pairs spot, and it was re-allocated to Japan.

 

[greenapple]

North Korea did not give the pairs spot back. The OC of that nation never communicated with the IOC. That is why the IOC reallocated the place to Japan. But as the IOC is willing to give them a wildcard place at the Games - hope springs eternal, as I noted above. I believe they will compete in PyeongChang.

 

[kwanfan1818]

In ISU speak, not accepting the spot by the deadline is giving it back, as all of the members have to actively confirm they are using their spots by the deadline. They can choose to let the ISU know they aren't using all of the spots before the deadline.

I don't know what you mean as a wildcard place, which is nowhere in any of the ISU qualification system documentation, but the IOC can do what it wants. There are host spots, but South Korea has already been given one in Pairs, per Communication 2119.

 

[Meoima]

JSF had a meeting with members of Yuzuru Hanyu's team on the 16th, and were informed he would be ready for the Olympics. Kobayashi said: "He wasn't back on the ice yet on Dec. 14, but was back on the 16th, without doing any jumps yet." Yuzuru will not be competing at 4CC and go straight into Pyeongchang Olympics.
From https://twitter.com/Iron_Klaus/status/944942226710331392
---
Former Tennis player Shuzo Matsuoka commented on Yuzuru's condition: "He has been in pain and decided to go to the Olympics after healing his injury, I was relived about that. I had severe injuries many times on my ankles before, but probably if you want to play in the competitions, you can. But that burdens on your whole body the most, you hurt your other parts of your body and loose important balance. So considering about the Olympics, (it is important for him to) be fully recovered. And in my opinion, two months is enough time for him."
Translated by Yude from Golden Skate forum
https://twitter.com/GERBERA1207/status/945296368314105856

 

[greenapple]

I have no idea what you are talking about. There is no "ISU speak" when it comes to the Olympic Games - and not responding by the deadline is NOT the same thing as relinquishing the spot. The ISU has zero power when it comes to the Olympic Games. It is one of a gazillion sports federations that fall under the IOC umbrella with no authority to offer wildcard spots to any athlete or nation. But the IOC has all the power to do that.

The ISU collects the confirmations from qualified nations and forwards that information to the IOC - and the IOC decides what happens next - not the ISU - or its rules. It has nothing to do with host spots.

Read the news rather than reciting rules which have no application to this present situation. The IOC is offering wildcard spots to all North Korean athletes. And offering to pay their expenses, which makes total sense in terms of world peace during the Games.

 

[allezfred]

North Korea did not give the pairs spot back.

Except they did because:

The OC of that nation never communicated with the IOC.

The North Korean authorities know exactly what they are doing with this "will they, won't they" carry-on. Shame that the athletes are being used as pawns in their games.

 

[chapis]

Another excerpt from Gallagher's column, linked above:

Direct link to Wakaba's tweet: https://twitter.com/wakawakaskate/status/944950074114654213

This Japanese article has quotes from Kaori Sakamoto about Mai Mihara: https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20171226-00000027-dal-spo
Google translated excerpt:

Sonoko Nakano is the coach of both Sakamoto and Mihara - the same article mentions that "Mihara overcame the suffering of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and Sakamoto right shin fatigue fracture, and both aimed at the Olympics."

Mai trains with Kaori? I have seen some instragram stories from Wakaba with Kaori. Or all of them are training in the same place?

 

[midori]

world
miyahara higuchi
uno tanaka hanyu
pairs&dances:same as OG

4cc
miyahara sakamoto mihara
uno tanaka mura

4cc pairs
suzaki kihara
takahashi shibata
miura ichihashi

4cc dances
muramoto reed
komatsubara koleto
fukase tateno

Edited to add bold to difference from the Olympic team

And substitutes are: (in order, info from photo tweets of media sheets by @gototaisuke)

Olympic Games:
Men: Mura, Tomono, Murakami
Ladies: Higuchi, Mihara
Pairs: Takahashi/Kihara, Miura/Ichihashi
Ice Dance: None

World Championships:
Men: Mura, Tomono, Murakami
Ladies: Sakamoto, Mihara
Pairs: None
Ice Dance: None

4cc:
Men: Tomono, Murakami, Hino
Ladies: Higuchi, Hongo, Honda, Shiraiwa
Pairs: None
Ice Dance: None

Junior Worlds:
Men: Tsuboi
Ladies: Araki
Pairs: None
Ice Dance: None

 

[wickedwitch]

So I've read that Marin Honda is extremely popular in the Japanese media. Could someone explain why that is? She's a lovely skater, but, IMO, not more so than other top Japanese ladies.