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

[oleada]

A faction of sickos were going around at Nationals trying to get people to sign a document in support of blood donation, which Hanyu is a spokesperson for. In reality, it was acrually a petition to keep Hanyu off of the Worlds team.

If that's true, that's really messed up.

 

[mikeko]

A faction of sickos were going around at Nationals trying to get people to sign a document in support of blood donation, which Hanyu is a spokesperson for. In reality, it was actually a petition to keep Hanyu off of the Worlds team. This wasn't reported by just one person, but by many people in attendance there. Fortunately they got caught.

And people like you are spreading the rumor without a photo on social network. Smells like Trump.

 

[midori]

This wasn't reported by just one person, but by many people in attendance there. Fortunately they got caught.

Just tell us who are the "many people" if you insist its true. You haven't shown any proof but just spreading a pathetic rumor. I know there is a rumor about it and *maybe* some talked like they'd like to do a petition, but after so many people tried to find out if any of the action actually happens, no one could find anything.
And now they say it was in disguise of blood donation? That's a new addition. Oh people cannot have enough imagination.... three words to them: get a life.

 

[Sylvia]

Team for Worlds
Suto/Ode
Muramoto/Reed
Uno, Hanyu, Tanaka
Miyahara, Higuchi, Mihara

Thank you.

4CC
Uno, Hanyu, Tanaka
Miyahara, Higuchi, Mihara
Suzaki/Kihara
Hirai/Asuncion

Jr world
Tomono, Shimada
Sakamoto, Honda, Shiraiwa
Fukase/Tateno

Asian Games
Uno, Mura.
Miyahara, Hongo
Suzaki/Kihara, Takahashi/Shibata
Muramoto/Reed, Mori/Suzuki

2 pairs and 2 dance teams are listed for 4CC - link to all the assignments (in Japanese): http://skatingjapan.or.jp/whatsnew/detail.php?id=3231

ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2017
February 15 - 19, Gangneung, Korea
...
Pairs: Sumire Suto/Francis Boudreau Audet, Miu Suzaki/Ryuichi Kihara
Dance: Kana Muramoto/Chris Reed, Emi Hirai/Marien de la Asuncion

8th Asian Winter Games
February 19 - 26, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
Shoma Uno, Takahito Mura
Satoko Miyahara, Rika Hongo
Suzaki/Kihara, Narumi Takahashi/Ryo Shibata
Muramoto/Reed, Ibuki Mori/Kentaro Suzuki

This would be 2 competitions in 2 weeks for Uno, Miyahara, Suzaki/Kihara and Muramoto/Reed.

ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2017
March 15 - 19, Taipei, Taiwan
Kazuki Tomono, Koshiro Shimada
Marin Honda, Kaori Sakamoto, Yuna Shiraiwa
(No pair team)
Rikako Fukase / Aru Tateno

 

[MAXSwagg]

Just tell us who are the "many people" if you insist its true. You haven't shown any proof but just spreading a pathetic rumor. I know there is a rumor about it and *maybe* some talked like they'd like to do a petition, but after so many people tried to find out if any of the action actually happens, no one could find anything.
And now they say it was in disguise of blood donation? That's a new addition. Oh people cannot have enough imagination.... three words to them: get a life.

You used to post many reasonable things but have just lost it. You really should try for an apology...

It just speaks for itself, sadly.

 

[midori]

2 pairs and 2 dance teams are listed for 4CC - link to all the assignments (in Japanese): http://skatingjapan.or.jp/whatsnew/detail.php?id=3231

ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2017
February 15 - 19, Gangneung, Korea
...
Pairs: Sumire Suto/Francis Boudreau Audet, Miu Suzaki/Ryuichi Kihara
Dance: Kana Muramoto/Chris Reed, Emi Hirai/Marien de la Asuncion

Thanks for the correction! I must have missed them when typing as they're announced.

 

[midori]

You really should try for an apology...

Hmm, I don't understand what part you want an apology. The "get a life" is for someone who added the disguising part to the imaginary petition rumor, and I didn't even think it was you... (And in case it was you I wouldn't apologize for it).
Besides, I still don't understand why you wouldn't tell us about the source of it while you're so convinced it's true.

 

[Marco]

So upset for Mao but this is all too predictable. She really needs to rest her knee. As beautiful as her skating is, she just isn't keeping those jumps up anymore. Kudos to the judges and JPN Fed for not forcing her to Worlds.

Is it just Kanano's coach moving away - or is she calling it quits too? Otherwise I don't understand why she is being so emotional over skating clean with Jill Trenary content. I am actually pretty ok with her short program.

Like Elena Leonova, I believe Rika's short-lived mission on the world team as a seat filler is complete. I will be very surprised if she even makes 4CCs from now on, barring major disasters at the top or the Olympic year where the Olympic team doesn't go. Wakaba and Mai are simply the better athletes with cleaner techniques.

Like RUS, I am glad JPN is choosing its team based on Nationals/ current season's results instead of past results, and promoting their younger athletes instead of sticking with their past champions or medalists. They can't stick with the same skaters forever, especially if they are not even scoring that well.

One bone to pick - PCS scoring for Marin Honda. She is clearly the best if not second best behind Satoko in PCS. Keeping her off the podium (presumably just because she isn't age eligible) is crazy. She is at least one notch above skaters like Rika, Wakaba and Mai in all aspects of PCS.

As deserving as the world team is, there is a small part of me that wonders perhaps that the 3rd spot isn't so secure, esp with a harsh caller at Worlds. Then again, it isn't going to be any more secure with a different team.

 

[kittyjake5]

Yeah I have heard the rumor about a "petition in disguise" circulating at J Nationals. I have
not seen any proof to back up the rumor other than hearsay. I am waiting. I don't understand why
folks would want to keep Yuzu off the World Team he is superstar in Japan.

@rosewood your thoughts?

 

[rosewood]

Yeah I have heard the rumor about a "petition in disguise" circulating at J Nationals. I have
not seen any proof to back up the rumor other than hearsay. I am waiting. I don't understand why
folks would want to keep Yuzu off the World Team he is superstar in Japan.

@rosewood your thoughts?

Errrrr, I've been devastated about issues of Mao's injury in her left knee these days and hasn't read many articles or posts on boards in Japan , and the rumor is very new to me. ehhhh Sounds like kind of a fan-fic which came up in the frightening fan battle from where I'm paying very much attention to stay away.

If @MAXSwagg wants people to believe in what s/he states, I think s/he needs to show a proof of it.

 

[kittyjake5]

Errrrr, I've been devastated about issues of Mao's injury in her left knee these days and hasn't read many articles or posts on boards in Japan , and the rumor is very new to me. ehhhh Sounds like kind of a fan-fic which came up in the frightening fan battle from where I'm paying very much attention to stay away.

If @MAXSwagg wants people to believe in what s/he states, I think s/he needs to show a proof of it.

Thank you.

 

[Catherine M]

Thank you.


2 pairs and 2 dance teams are listed for 4CC - link to all the assignments (in Japanese): http://skatingjapan.or.jp/whatsnew/detail.php?id=3231

ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2017
February 15 - 19, Gangneung, Korea
...
Pairs: Sumire Suto/Francis Boudreau Audet, Miu Suzaki/Ryuichi Kihara
Dance: Kana Muramoto/Chris Reed, Emi Hirai/Marien de la Asuncion

8th Asian Winter Games
February 19 - 26, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
Shoma Uno, Takahito Mura
Satoko Miyahara, Rika Hongo
Suzaki/Kihara, Narumi Takahashi/Ryo Shibata
Muramoto/Reed, Ibuki Mori/Kentaro Suzuki

This would be 2 competitions in 2 weeks for Uno, Miyahara, Suzaki/Kihara and Muramoto/Reed.

Guess Uno, Miyahara, Suzaki/Kihara and Muramoto/Reed don't want to miss out on the Olympic test event at Four Continents along with supporting the home Asian Winter games. Luckily there won't be any long distance travel between Korea and Japan during the switch over.

 

[ioanna]

Satoko Miyahara's days aren't numbered. Even if the federation will start promoting and pushing a new star skater (not like they aren't doing it already), Miyahara will have the same nerves of steel she's had since she was a junior. Something not many athletes have.

 

[icellist]

I think Satoko will most likely withdraw from asian winter games. She doesn't need anymore competitions for the latter half of the season.

 

[all_empty]

Japan has put many senior-ineligible skaters on the podium in the past, dating back to Miki Ando.

This is Wakaba Higuchi's third national podium, even though she's only become eligible this year.

Honda has solid skating skills but Higuchi's no slouch in that department at all, especially when it comes to power and speed, even if Scheherazade isn't necessarily the best showcase for it.

Hongo and Murakami getting better PCS than Honda is a bit of a headscratcher, but they had crowd-pleasing performances.

 

[ioanna]

I think Satoko will most likely withdraw from asian winter games. She doesn't need anymore competitions for the latter half of the season.

She won't. She expressed her wish to compete at the Asian Games.

 

[shady82]

Satoko Miyahara's days aren't numbered. Even if the federation will start promoting and pushing a new star skater (not like they aren't doing it already), Miyahara will have the same nerves of steel she's had since she was a junior. Something not many athletes have.

I too don't see Satoko being overtaken anytime soon. None of the skaters below her are catching up with her in PCS in the near future (Honda, maybe but it will be at least after the next Olympics). In fact, Satoko's PCS are rising internationally with every year (to the point where I believe they may be a tad generous), and her overall scores are improving as well.

She also seems to have weathered puberty quite well already. Many of the juniors have not yet hit puberty. They mostly have strong basics, but nobody knows what storms puberty will throw at you.

 

[ks777]

I too don't see Satoko being overtaken anytime soon. None of the skaters below her are catching up with her in PCS in the near future (Honda, maybe but it will be at least after the next Olympics). In fact, Satoko's PCS are rising internationally with every year (to the point where I believe they may be a tad generous), and her overall scores are improving as well.

She also seems to have weathered puberty quite well already. Many of the juniors have not yet hit puberty. They mostly have strong basics, but nobody knows what storms puberty will throw at you.

I don't know, I think Satoko could be overtaken next year by Marin and Wakaba.

 

[MAXSwagg]

I too don't see Satoko being overtaken anytime soon. None of the skaters below her are catching up with her in PCS in the near future (Honda, maybe but it will be at least after the next Olympics). In fact, Satoko's PCS are rising internationally with every year (to the point where I believe they may be a tad generous), and her overall scores are improving as well.

She also seems to have weathered puberty quite well already. Many of the juniors have not yet hit puberty. They mostly have strong basics, but nobody knows what storms puberty will throw at you.

The GOEs on her jumps are way too high. Most of her jumps should be getting just 0 and maybe even -1 given how much she pre-rotates some of them.

 

[mikeko]

I am not very optimistic with any of Hamada girls because of their jumping technique. Wakaba, Mai and Kaori would have higher chances to survive puberty.

 

[shady82]

I think the coach whose skaters have the most problematic jumping technique is Yamada/Higuchi. Almost all their top (recent) female skaters have had serious UR issues, most namely Nakano, Murakami, and most recently Matsuda.

I agree Hamada is not the best jump technician, but I'm quite impressed by Yuna Shiraiwa's jumps this season.

 

[feraina]

I think the coach whose skaters have the most problematic jumping technique is Yamada/Higuchi. Almost all their top (recent) female skaters have had serious UR issues, most namely Nakano, Murakami, and most recently Matsuda.

I agree Hamada is not the best jump technician, but I'm quite impressed by Yuna Shiraiwa's jumps this season.

And also Mao Asada, whose has really suffered due to the poor techniques she learned under Yamada.

 

[midori]

Nestle Coffee Machine ad, featuring Takeshi Honda. Must see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAmooLuQf1Y


ETA: the small footprint at 0:20 (when Takeshi operates the machine with his phone) says "Don't text while skating"

 

[rosewood]

I think the coach whose skaters have the most problematic jumping technique is Yamada/Higuchi. Almost all their top (recent) female skaters have had serious UR issues, most namely Nakano, Murakami, and most recently Matsuda.

I agree Hamada is not the best jump technician, but I'm quite impressed by Yuna Shiraiwa's jumps this season.

You can't blame Yamada/Higuchi for Matsuda's techniques since she just moved to Yamada/Higuchi from Nagakubo last season. You can blame Nagakubo instead, though. I think Matuda is improving technically under Yamada/Higuchi after the move. I don't see she skates this good this season in Sr field if she stayed under Nagakubo.

 

[Sylvia]

(2)Mai Mihara
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUk3sAuRPuE

She made a debut in Sr field this season. She loves to watch other skater's videos recorded in her phone to improve her own skating. She was a Jr skater who had a reputation as a very promising girl. Sonoko Nakano is a coach who thinks it's very important to teach her students how to live their lives as well as wishes her students to enjoy skating. Mai is a hard worker at school as well. Her friend says it's amazing many teachers praise her as a high achiever academically despite she's very busy traveling around the world, and she's inspiring to her classmates.

Mai: Suddenly my knees were unable to move when I got up. There were times when I had this kind of trouble but never had that awful pain before.

Last December she was diagnosed as juvenile idiopathic arthritis. It occurs to 1/10,000 kid. It gives a patient serious pains in his/her every joint of his/her body. At present the cause of the disease is unknown.

Mai: When I was told to enter hospital, it was as serious as I was unable to walk. I was not sure I can make a comeback to skating. It was depressing. That said, I thought at the time "If I give up here, it's the end of the game. I'll believe in myself."

Narration: While it was supposed her comeback was impossible, she never gave up.

Mai: I saw Nationals in my hospital room. Skaters' performances encouraged me a lot. It was the strong feeling in my mind, "I want to skate there together with them once again!"

She made a comeback on the ice after 4 months (in May). She started with single revolution jumps. Then she was very fast to get her triple jumps back. She still needs to attend to the hospital once a month.

Coach Nakano: Sometimes her physical condition goes down and it makes her performance significantly lowered. In such cases I said to her "If you do this, try your best. Try your best up to the level where you fall down." Then her energy came back. I think she is a fighter whose will is stronger than everyone.

In this season as her comeback season Coach Nakano gave her a Synderella program. Caoch wished her to dance all up in this bright program.

Mai: If I were alone, I could not have come where I am now. My friends, my mom, Coach Nakano, Coach Urano...thanks to everyone's support I came here. I must not forget about this gratitude.

Narration: She got over the big difficulty with her hard working. The day is coming when she comes back to the stage where she wished so much to skate.
____

Go Mai!! I'm looking forward to seeing your skate of your soul!

I think I love Coach Nakano's students (training in Kobe) like Mai & Kaori. I can see pure joy of skating from them. Their stunning skating skill and solid jumps are killing!

I came across this Mai Mihara interview from 2016 Skate America with photos that was published on 12/22/16 before Nationals: http://web.canon.jp/event/skating/interview/2016_2017/mihara.html
(Google translation)

ETA: @rosewood, could you provide a better translation of what Mihara said about meeting(?) Jason Brown and Adam Rippon at Skate America?

 

[mikeko]

You can't blame Yamada/Higuchi for Matsuda's techniques since she just moved to Yamada/Higuchi from Nagakubo last season. You can blame Nagakubo instead, though. I think Matuda is improving technically under Yamada/Higuchi after the move. I don't see she skates this good this season in Sr field if she stayed under Nagakubo.

This is Yura's third season with Yamada/Higuchi, and her UR problems have actually worsened. Mr. Nagakubo's students tend to UR a lot less. See Rin Nitaya. He is the coach who helped Akiko to master 3T-3T at 26.

 

[rosewood]

This is Yura's third season with Yamada/Higuchi, and her UR problems have actually worsened. Mr. Nagakubo's students tend to UR a lot less. See Rin Nitaya. He is the coach who helped Akiko to master 3T-3T at 26.

You're right this is the third season and not the second season with Yamada/Higuchi. My mistake. That said, I don't think she worsened her UR after moving to Yamada/Higuchi. Here is a protocol of her SP in 2013 Jr Nationals (4th). Her jumps were 3F+3T< 2A 3Lo<. She URed half of the jumps under Nagakubo at her big competition. I couldn't find the video but found a video of JGP Riga Cup 2013 (here). She was already a UR type skater, and it was her pre-puberty season.

Talking about Akiko's 3T-3T is kinda cherry picking. She did lots of URs even in her peak days as well as Rika who is Nagakubo's current leading student is doing lots of URs in pre-Olys season. I'm not dissing Nagakubo. I just said in my original post that Yura can't be used as an example of UR skater for the purpose of dissing Yamada/Higuch.

 

[mikeko]

You're right this is the third season and not the second season with Yamada/Higuchi. My mistake. That said, I don't think she worsened her UR after moving to Yamada/Higuchi. Here is a protocol of her SP in 2013 Jr Nationals (4th). Her jumps were 3F+3T< 2A 3Lo<. She URed half of the jumps under Nagakubo at her big competition. I couldn't find the video but found a video of JGP Riga Cup 2013 (here). She was already a UR type skater, and it was her pre-puberty season.

Talking about Akiko's 3T-3T is kinda cherry picking. She did lots of URs even in her peak days as well as Rika who is Nagakubo's current leading student is doing lots of URs in pre-Olys season. I'm not dissing Nagakubo. I just said in my original post that Yura can't be used as an example of UR skater for the purpose of dissing Yamada/Higuch.

Moving to Yamada/Higuchi is not helping Yura either. The tech panel at 2014 Nationals was strict as hell, and they practically destroyed her triples. I remember I thought she should have stayed with Mr. Nagakubo. Ted Barton pointed out last season at JGP that all of her landings were slightly underroated although luckily to her, the tech panel was very lenient to everyone.

Akiko rather popped or fell than URed in her peak days. She had too much speed into jumps to hide UR. She sometimes even sightly overrotated (2013 WTT).

 

[ostile17]

Daisuke Takahashi's article about Japan Nationals in his Nikkei Column - STEP STEP STEP

Translation by @izayukam

http://izayukam.tumblr.com/post/155479664667/daisuke-takahashis-article-step-step

 

[rosewood]

I came across this Mai Mihara interview from 2016 Skate America with photos that was published on 12/22/16 before Nationals: http://web.canon.jp/event/skating/interview/2016_2017/mihara.html
(Google translation)

ETA: @rosewood, could you provide a better translation of what Mihara said about meeting(?) Jason Brown and Adam Rippon at Skate America?

@Sylvia I did a whole translation since this girl is very inspiring. I bolded the sentences where is the part you wanted to read (re Ashley, Jason and Adam).

(my rough translation)
Interviewer: Congratulations for winning a podium at your debut competition in the Sr GP circuit. It was a great success with placing 2nd in SP and 3rd in FS and you won a bronze overall.
Mihara: Skate America was my debut competition in Sr GP circuit, so I was pretty much nervous before skating. However, I wonder if a fall down during the warm-up prior to my skate made me relaxed a little. The venue for the Sr event was big and voices from the stands were great. I was pleased to skate on this stage, and it made me smiling before my performance.

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.

I: Coach Nakano supports you greatly.
M: Yes. Prior to the competition Coach Nakano told me "Try to keep the same feelings that you've had even though it's a senior competition. You've done enough preparations." She pushed my back and I felt much more comfortable.

I: You placed 2nd in SP. Did it give you big pressures?
M: No, there was no change in feelings, since it was my goal to pull out the power that I had. I didn't pay much attention to scores or standings. In FS I just focused on showing everything that I worked on during preparations. Of course, there may have been standings in the bottom of my heart, but I thought it was more valuable to have the opportunity to skate along with top skaters so I will not think about the standings.

I: This season's LP is "Cinderella". It's just like your up-swing momentum was made into this program as it is.
M: Yes. This is the program that Yuka Sato-sensei choreographed for me. She told me "Get yourself fully into Cinderella and play it to the end of the program." Yuka-san is a wonderful skater. I can't help but saying "Ah beautiful" even if it's just her cross cuts that I watch. I felt honored to skate a program choreographed by her. "After all skating is the best charm in figure skating," I realized. I wish I'll deliver a skate that I was taught by Yuka-san by the end of this season.

I: What about the bronze you won with mistakes in FS?
M: Coach Nakano as well as members from JSF told me "The podium in a debut competition in Sr field is very good." I was very glad, but as I made mistakes, I felt lots of regrets. It was bigger than happiness. That said, it was a competition where I got the biggest ever confidence, and I think it will lead me to next. I thought I'm a lucky person.

I: After making a debut in Sr field, do you have any special feelings about other skaters around you?
M: It was a lot of fun to practice along with other top skaters during official practices or 6 minutes warm-ups. As expected, even in practices top skaters' expressions were tremendous and they were creating their own mood. I felt big presence or aura from them. That was the biggest difference between them and Jr skaters. I wish I could improve my expression more.

I: There was a scene where Ashley Wagner the winner of the competition gave you a hug with saying "Congratulations for winning a podium at Sr debut competition."
M: We were leaving there after the press conference. I did not see a top skater talking to me, so it was a big surprise. It was very kind of her to talk to me. After all top skaters' mental is different from others, I thought. I also thought I need more mental training to be like them.

I: You had lots of precious experiences during Skate America.
M: Yes. Jason Brown and Adam Rippon talked to me too. It was like a dream and I couldn't believe in it, so I pinched my cheeks after back in my hotel room. Skate America was a competition where I pinched my cheeks a lot. (lough)

I: At SKate America you were with Mao Asada you admire.
M: The reason why I started skating was I saw her on TV. So I was very happy that she participated in the same competition. I was glad she said "I'm happy" when I said "You are the reason why I started skating."

I: When of Asada-senshu did you see?
M: It was her performance when she won the 2015 GP final. Mao-san was 15, and I was 6 years old. She was very cheerful and hippety-hop. I thought "Looks so fun." Her performance was fascinating in any means.

I: Eleven years have passed since then. What was the impression of Mao-san you met when you skated with in the same competition?
M: Talking about Mao-san, I forgot the time during I was watching her anyway. Her way of expressions was fabulous. Mao-san of today was performing as a gentle adult woman. I learned from her how to move my hands and how to do facial expressions as well. I've been following Mao-san's process of growth all the way. I've always spent my time thinking "I want to be like that." This time again I re-found she has a charm that I don't have. It made me wish "Ah, I want to be like that" once again. Her level is far ahead of mime but I was very happy to skate together with her in any ways.

I: You had a chat with her too, didn't you?
M: I had a chance to have a chat with her in a massage room after SP. I asked her to take a photo together. I was so much happy and made it into my mobile phone wallpaper before FS.

I: You were hospitalized due to juvenile idiopathic arthritis during last season and had to sit out of competitions in the second half of the season.
M: I was hospitalized after the Junior Grand Prix final in December 2015 due to a sickness that causes pain in every joint in the whole body.

I: How was it in the hospital?
M: I saw Nationals in my hospital room. Skaters were doing great performances. While, I was unable to walk and needed to stay in a wheelchair. It was the hardest time. It was not I was frustrated with sitting out of Nationals but more like an emotion "Everyone is amazing."

I: What encouraged you during the time when you were battling with the disease?
M: Watching skating on TV made my feelings stronger "I want to make a come back to that stage!" Especially I watched my idol Mao-san's performances a lot. Also I tried to recall my happy moments. That is, the moments when I made it to the Jr GP final last season as well as my idol Mao-san was also in the same venue for the Sr final. Other than that, I watched videos of my own skates. I tried to persuade myself that I got more jumps that I can do now as well as my expressions are better and that I've improved since I started skating even if it's a small step.

I: With various thoughts you tried your best to encourage yourself.
M: Yes. I think I became stronger mentally. Also I have pretty much stronger feelings of "How happy it is I'm able to skate!" than before. When I get out on the ice I feel "Ah, I'm able to skate" every day, and it makes me happy every time. There are still mornings when I feel pains in my joints when I woke up. But even in those mornings I feel I'm happy since I woke up in my own room and not in my hospital room. It made me feel easier to face the tough training.

I: What did you do to prepare for re-starting your training?
M: When I was unable to do on-ice training due to my disease, I built up my muscles around my knees. I also did stretching exercises so that I can strengthen my flexibility. Thanks to those preparations I'm told "Your jumps got higher and have more ice coverage" from people around me from this season. I also gain more GOEs than before. I've not realized it yet for myself, but that is quite encouraging.

I: You sat out of competitions in the second half of last season. What made you decide to go up to Sr field?
M: In this past spring I was told "Do your best so that you can compete in Sr field" by my coach and people from the federation, and I decided. I'm keeping my skating diary. When I look back my days from when I was hospitalized last December, I can truly say to myself that I incredibly improved since then.

I: This is your debut season in Sr field and yet you are quite competitive. Any thoughts?
M: I'm still pre-matured. Even though I could get on a podium at SKAM, I think I'm still lacking in enough ability. My goal at this point is to show everything I worked on in my preparations. I'm a type who gets too relaxed when I did well in the first half. I need to leave things behind and keep focused to the very end of the second half.

I: Maybe you're in the position where people naturally expect placing high at Nationals from you.
M: I still have long way to go. To me Mao Asada-san is the biggest idol. Also there are other good skaters. I'm watching videos of various skaters to learn from them. It's amazing Satoko Miyahara-san is so consistent on jumps and there aren't any fear of falls when she jumps. Junior skaters are strong too. I think I need not to lose to Jr skaters in expression area as well as need to receive good GOEs on jumps to be competitive with them.

I: Is PeyongChang Olys in your sight?
M: When they won in the bidding for 2018 Olys, I counted my age and found "I'm age eligible for the Olys." I want to make it to the Olys very much. I've worked hard aiming at it. I have only two years ahead. I'm still on the level as pre-matured as I can't see the Olys in my sight. I keep the dream of making an Olys team in my mind and try my best to overcome various things that I need to get over.