Japanese Figure Skating 2016/17 season news, national team, updates

[Sylvia]

Thank you so much, @rosewood, for taking the time to translate Mai Mihara's entire interview!

I: You have great mental strength.
M: I have routines that I always do. After 6 min warm-up, before I return to the rink again, I fix my make-up, I tell to myself "I'll shape up!" and then I pinch my cheeks and earlobes. In a previous competition Coach (Sonoko) Nakano told me "Pinch your earlobes and it'll loosen your tension." Since then I keep it as one of my routines. It got me fired up in this competition too.
... Skate America was a competition where I pinched my cheeks a lot.

 

[sammyf]

Looks like Marin Ono/Wesley Killing split as he's on partnersearch. I wonder if Marin could team with Spencer Howe? They would have a couple years junior eligible still.

 

[Sylvia]

Looks like Marin Ono/Wesley Killing split as he's on partnersearch.

Wesley Killing's reply on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WesleyKilling/status/819849595387858944
"everything is fine for now. It is a false alarm and I have removed the profile. It was not placed there by myself."

 

[Cant Skate]

It would appear that a Ono/Killing split is confirmed.

https://twitter.com/OnoKilling/status/821485065125396480

 

[breathesgelatin]

Jackie Wong just tweeted that Satoko Miyahara has sustained a hip injury and is out of 4CC's.

This is the article he linked to.
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20170207/k10010867511000.html

 

[Jeschke]

Jackie Wong just tweeted that Satoko Miyahara has sustained a hip injury and is out of 4CC's.

This is the article he linked to.
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20170207/k10010867511000.html

oh no
hope it's not that serious that worlds are endangered too.
japan needs her for that 3rd spot.

can we get murakami now?
what a farewell that would be!
@alchemy void might agree on this!
one last ride!

 

[Marco]

oh no
hope it's not that serious that worlds are endangered too.
japan needs her for that 3rd spot.

can we get murakami now?
what a farewell that would be!
@alchemy void might agree on this!
one last ride!

Still 2 months to recover for Worlds. Hope she can recover in time. What a shame it would be if Japan was down to 2 spots for the Olympics.

 

[rosewood]

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20170207-00000068-dal-spo

It's just announced Satoko Miyahara withdrew from 4CC and Asian Winter Games due to stress fracture in her left hip joint.

Rika Hongo replaces her in 4CC and Kaori Sakamoto in AWG.

According to a person related to JSF Miyahara needs 4 weeks for full recovery. She still plans to prepare for Worlds.

 

[alchemy void]

I'm sad for Miyahara, hopefully she is fully recovered for Worlds.

THRILLED my girl Rika gets to compete again this season! She can make the podium!

 

[rosewood]

Better news re Miyahara. According to this article (published on the 8th Feb) her injury sounds less serious than we thought.

(my rough summary of the point)
Satoko was diagnosed as stress fracture in her left hip joint in the middle of January as well as told she needs four weeks for full recovery. She started feeling a pain in her left hip before the GP final. In the beginning of January the pain increased. Even though with the pain, she skated at the Yokohama and Nagoya stops of JSOI in January. Since then she's been restricting the amount of her training. Now she trains on the ice almost every day. That said she's been avoiding doing jumps on which her weight is on her left foot i.e. luz so far. She plans to restart intensive training in 10 days (This article was published on the 8th Feb, so it'll be the 18th.) A person around her says "I'm expecting she'll show good skates at Worlds." Head of the figure skating committee in JSF Hidehito Ito says "Worlds is important. I want her to skate there. I wish her a quick recovery."

 

[Jeschke]

I'm sad for Miyahara, hopefully she is fully recovered for Worlds.

THRILLED my girl Rika

you did realize the other sub was kanako?
traitor!

 

[alchemy void]

you did realize the other sub was kanako?
traitor!

No! If she retired, why would she be an alternate? Second thoughts on retirement perhaps? #HopeDiesLast #CarmenForever

Let's just say, if Kanako isn't going then I'm glad it is Rika. Plus she has gone back to Riverdance!

 

[Seerek]

Watching Universiade last week, it doesn't appear Mariko Kihara's move in the off-season to Bruno Marcotte in Montreal has worked out that well - she was a distant 3rd out of the 3 Japanese ladies.

 

[rosewood]

Rotations are iffy but Rika Kihira landed a 3A-3T-2T at a local competition named Osaka Championships.
Dailymotion video
For those who are unable to see DM videos

According to a twitter report she did 3A-3T-2T 3Lz-2Ttano(step out) 2Lo(popped) 2A 3F-3T 3S 3Lz and received 113.61.

I wish she'll stay healthy until she blooms as a lovely senior skater. I wonder if Hamada is pushing Kihira too much at this point considering her injury in her left knee she got prior to Jr Nationals.

 

[Sylvia]

^^^ Thank you for the Rika Kihira update & clips of her impressive 3-jump combo!

@rosewood, can you answer @DreamSkates' question: "Any way to find out if there are skating events in Japan between the end of February and middle of March?" (besides the Asian Winter Games competition, Feb. 19-26 in Sapporo and the National Synchronized Championships, March 4-5 in Shiga).

 

[rosewood]

^^^ Thank you for the Rika Kihira update & clips of her impressive 3-jump combo!

@rosewood, can you answer @DreamSkates' question: "Any way to find out if there are skating events in Japan between the end of February and middle of March?" (besides the Asian Winter Games competition, Feb. 19-26 in Sapporo and the National Synchronized Championships, March 4-5 in Shiga).

A local small event "BSN Skate Festival" will be held on March the 5th at Haruka Imai's home rink in Niigata. There will be skating lessons by Fumie Suguri (shame the application dead line was Feb 3rd) in the morning and there will be an exhibition show with Haruka & Suguri in the after noon (ticket is 1,000 yen).
http://www.ohbsn.com/event/2017/01/015851.php

 

[Marco]

Fumie

 

[Sylvia]

Rika Hongo, Keiji Tanaka, Satoko Miyahara and Yuzuru Hanyu talked to Wei Xiong for ISU about their skating career, competitions and their programs for this season amongst other topics before the ISU Four Continents Championships 2017.
http://www.isu.org/en/single-and-pair-skating-and-ice-dance/news/2017/02/feature-teamjapan

Shoma Uno is attempting/landing 3A+4T in practices at 4CC! U.S. coach Damon Allen shared this clip of Uno filmed from afar (the stands): https://www.instagram.com/p/BQiJUWfA2Nr
Current base values, if both jumps are called rotated: 3A (8.5) + 4T (10.3) = 18.8

 

[icellist]

Just my opinion on the Japanese ladies this season compared to the 07-10 quad japanese ladies

Satoko Miyahara is the new Mao Asada (the artist and technician)
Mai Mihara is the new Yukari Nakano (the happy princess)
Wakaba Higuchi is the new Miki Ando (the technician working on artistry)
Mao Asada is the new Fumie Suguri (figure skating granny)
Rika Hongo is the new Akiko Suzuki (the fiery one)

 

[shady82]

Mao Asada is the new Fumie Suguri (figure skating granny)

I guess Honda is the new Murakami? Not sure either of these two comparisons is flattering..

 

[MAXSwagg]

Um...if anything, Marin is the new Mao. How anyone can see ANY similarities in Satoko and Mao...needs some glasses.

 

[midori]

How anyone can see ANY similarities in Satoko and Mao...needs some glasses.

You could say both are workaholic to the level that coaches may need to stop them from training, and they both have great lines, but other than those, yeah, they are almost opposite.

Marin is more like Yukina to me. (Wishing Marin stay healthy!)

 

[icellist]

Yea, Marin Honda is more like Yukina Ota for me.

Rika Kihara is like Midori Ito so far with that 3A!

Dunno who Kaori Sakomoto's historical counterpart is

 

[rosewood]

Is there any meaning of categorizing current skaters as someone else in their early days or in the past? I'd rather like to see the skaters respected as themselves.

 

[mikeko]

Yea, Marin Honda is more like Yukina Ota for me.

Rika Kihara is like Midori Ito so far with that 3A!

Dunno who Kaori Sakomoto's historical counterpart is

Kaori is more like Midori to me. Both jump(ed) like a senior man.

 

[Marco]

Yea, Marin Honda is more like Yukina Ota for me.

Yes, but thankfully not the jumps

 

[midori]

Is there any meaning of categorizing current skaters as someone else in their early days or in the past?

It helps me finding a new fav. If people say "xxx reminds me of young days of Lambiel" for someone I don't know much about, I'll probably go watch some performances of the skater. It's nothing disrespectful for neither skater, in my opinon, mainly because it is just too obvious that they're two different person.

 

[chapis]

Um...if anything, Marin is the new Mao. How anyone can see ANY similarities in Satoko and Mao...needs some glasses.

I love Satoko just because she reminds me of Mao

 

[Sylvia]

2017 International results:

Mentor Cup (Torun POL)
Senior Pairs Gold - Sumire SUTO / Francis BOUDREAU-AUDET JPN 164.48 1 1
Junior Pairs Gold - Riku MIURA / Shoya ICHIHASHI JPN 112.35 1 1

Senior Dance Bronze - Kana MURAMOTO / Chris REED JPN 152.49 3 2
Junior Dance 7th - Rikako FUKASE / Aru TATENO JPN 110.00 10 5
Adv. Novice Dance Gold - Utana YOSHIDA / Takumi SUGIYAMA JPN 79.61 2 2 1

Winter Universiade (Almaty KAZ)
Ladies:
Silver - NITAYA Rin JPN 187.18 3 2
Bronze - ISOBE Hinano JPN 174.27 5 3
7th KIHARA Mariko JPN 154.30 9 5
Men:
Silver - TANAKA Keiji JPN 252.09 2 3
6th HINO Ryuju JPN 226.01 9 6
20th KAWAHARA Sei JPN 173.86 23 19

Bavarian Open (Oberstdorf GER)

Senior Men:
Silver - Hiroaki SATO JPN 204.15 2 5
Bronze - Shu NAKAMURA JPN 198.60 3 6
4th Ryuju HINO JPN 196.32 8 2

Junior Ladies I:
Gold - Saya SUZUKI JPN 179.72 1 1 (J5 at Nationals)
Silver - Riko TAKINO JPN 166.98 2 2 (J6 at Nationals)

Junior Men:
12th Sena MIYAKE JPN 131.86 15 11 (J6 at Nationals)

Adv. Novice Girls I:
Gold - Moa IWANO JPN 123.48 1 2 (Novice A silver)
Silver - Akari MATSUOKA JPN 119.46 2 3 (Novice A bronze)
Bronze - Rion SUMIYOSHI JPN 119.00 3 1 (Novice A gold)

Adv. Novice Boys:
Silver - Haruya SASAKI JPN 132.18 1 2 (Novice A bronze)
Bronze - Shun SATO JPN 119.55 12 3 (Novice A gold)

Four Continents Championships (Gangneung KOR)

Silver - Yuzuru HANYU JPN 303.71 3 1
Bronze - Shoma UNO JPN 288.05 2 3
13th Keiji TANAKA JPN 220.18 11 13

Gold - Mai MIHARA JPN 200.85 4 1
9th Wakaba HIGUCHI JPN 172.05 10 9
10th Rika HONGO JPN 167.42 9 13

10th Sumire SUTO / Francis BOUDREAU-AUDET JPN 164.96 10 9
13th Miu SUZAKI / Ryuichi KIHARA JPN 130.85 12 14

9th Kana MURAMOTO / Chris REED JPN 140.38 9 9
12th Emi HIRAI / Marien DE LA ASUNCION JPN 121.71 12 12

Asian Winter Games (Sapporo JPN)

Gold - UNO Shoma JPN 92.43(2) 188.84(1) 281.27
4th MURA Takahito JPN 90.32(4) 172.99(4) 263.31

4th HONGO Rika JPN 60.98(2) 100.39(4) 161.37
WD Kaori Sakamoto (flu)

Pairs:
6th TAKAHASHI Narumi / SHIBATA Ryo JPN 48.78(5) 81.75(6) 130.53 (international debut)
WD SUZAKI Miu / KIHARA Ryuichi

Dance:
Silver - MURAMOTO Kana / REED Chris JPN 64.74(2) 94.40(2) 159.14
5th MORI Ibuki / SUZUKI Kentaro JPN 48.84(5) 75.28(5) 124.12

---

Coupe du Printemps (Luxembourg, March 10-12)
Shoma Uno is entered: https://twitter.com/cdp2017/status/826708308023185410


World Junior Championships (Taipei, March 15-19)

Ladies:
Marin HONDA J3
Kaori SAKAMOTO J1
Yuna SHIRAIWA J2
( Subs: Rika KIHIRA J11, Saya SUZUKI J5 )

Men:
Koshiro SHIMADA J2
Kazuki TOMONO J1
( Subs: Sena MIYAKE J6, Mitsuki SUMOTO J3 )

Pair: Riku MIURA / Shoya ICHIHASHI
Dance: Rikako FUKASE / Aru TATENO J1

 

[Sylvia]

Coupe du Printemps (Luxembourg, March 10-12)
Shoma Uno is entered: https://twitter.com/cdp2017/status/826708308023185410

Senior: Takahito MURA, Shoma UNO and Rika HONGO
Junior Ladies: Rino KASAKAKE (J4)
Junior Men: Yuto KISHINA (J4), Tatsuya TSUBOI (J5)
Adv. Novice Girls: Mana KAWABE (Novice A 4th place)
Adv. Novice Boys: Takeru KATAISE (Novice A silver medalist)