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

[Marco]

Winning junior worlds and 4CC's seems not like a total waste

Though I am totally on your team here: what could have been

Both under 6.0

 

[Miki89]

Oh Yukina . Still my favorite Hamada skater. I could see her being a great pairs skater. Actually, Satoko could be an exquisite one too.

Perhaps, the lack of taller male skaters is one reason their pairs field has lagged so far behind singles.

 

[Spun Silver]

Oh Yukina . Still my favorite Hamada skater. I could see her being a great pairs skater. Actually, Satoko could be an exquisite one too.

Perhaps, the lack of taller male skaters is one reason their pairs field has lagged so far behind singles.

They dont need tall men. Cong Han is 5'7" (170cm).

 

[rosewood]

Is anyone interested in a Japanese costume designer? Visit Satomi Ito's sites.
http://cargocollective.com/stmito
http://cargocollective.com/stmito/About
https://www.instagram.com/stm_ito/

 

[kwanfan1818]

Her skating costumes are beautiful!

 

[rosewood]

Emi Hirai of Hirai/De La Asuncion announced her retirement. According to her post it sounds Marien also retired. Best wishes for her(their?) second life.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTzJNLblA2s/

Nobunari Oda became a manager of the FS club of Kansai University where he as well as Daisuke, Machida, Satoko etc studied/studies. Congrats to him!
http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/1805903.html

 

[Sylvia]

ISU's latest featured interview is with Mai Mihara by Wei Xiong (they spoke on the day of the World Team Trophy gala exhibition): http://www.isu.org/en/single-and-pa...ews/2017/05/featured-interview-mai-mihara-jpn
Excerpt:

Q: In order to prepare for next season, what will you do this summer?
M: I want to polish my presentation, so I will take ballet courses and challenge different things. My goal is to improve my presentation to a competitive level against the top skaters, so I want to pay more attention to my posture, my expression, etc. in my daily training. <snip>
Q: What is the most enjoyable thing do you find in skating?
M: I think it is the touch of the ice and how your feet feel different compared to walking on the ground.

(Re. the second answer by her - I always thought that was myself.)

 

[Marco]

Mai and Marin for PC!

 

[rosewood]

Machida's new program "Don Quixote Gala 2017:Basil's Glory" skated at Prince Ice World in Yokohama.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xEEmM_1cVg

 

[Sylvia]

Emi Hirai of Hirai/De La Asuncion announced her retirement. According to her post it sounds Marien also retired. Best wishes for her(their?) second life.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTzJNLblA2s/

Marien wrote a message in French and English on his Facebook (May 8, 2017): https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...980051.1073741825.670380050&type=3&permPage=1
He mentioned on Twitter that they are scheduled to perform at the "Dreams on Ice" show (July 7-9).

 

[kwanfan1818]

Machida's new program "Don Quixote Gala 2017:Basil's Glory" skated at Prince Ice World in Yokohama.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xEEmM_1cVg

 

[Spun Silver]

Machida's new program "Don Quixote Gala 2017:Basil's Glory" skated at Prince Ice World in Yokohama.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xEEmM_1cVg

I already commented on this in the US SOI thread, where it was posted as a contrast to SOI programs... but my gosh, what a guy. He never seems to tire of challenging himself. This is like a draft of an Olympic free skate. I am in awe of him. Fabulous!

 

[Eislauffan]

Machida's new program "Don Quixote Gala 2017:Basil's Glory" skated at Prince Ice World in Yokohama.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xEEmM_1cVg

What an exquisite program. He skated to Don Quixote in the free in the 2011/12 season, and it suited him very well back then, too. Good to see that Tatsuki is still doing shows. It would be a loss if he wasn't.

 

[skateboy]

Machida's new program "Don Quixote Gala 2017:Basil's Glory" skated at Prince Ice World in Yokohama.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xEEmM_1cVg

That was great!

 

[Sylvia]

BTW, I thought it was worth bumping up Tatsuki Machida's fan thread with @rosewood's exhibition program link: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/in...suki-machida-thread.92364/page-3#post-5072543

Wakaba Higuchi was interviewed by Tatjana Flade at World Team Trophy last month for this GS article: http://www.goldenskate.com/2017/05/wakaba-higuchi-2/

The triple Axel is on the top of Higuchi’s list for the next season, and she plans to include it in the free skate. She also wants to show more strong and powerful skating overall.
“I have trained the triple Axel a lot,” the teen from Tokyo said. “Last year, I started doing it with a harness. The first time I tried it two years ago, but it wasn’t so serious. So last year I really started working on it. It is a bit scary. I had some hard falls and I got some bruises.” ... <snip> ...
Higuchi has not yet made a final decision about her programs for the upcoming season.
“I would like to get back the speed,” she reiterated. “I will change both programs for next season. I want to have emotional, and at the same time, cool programs.”

 

[Sylvia]

Coach Mie Hamada and many of her young students (Yuna Shiraiwa, Rika Kihira, Marin Honda, her older brother Taichi Honda) were at USFS' Jumps camp in Colorado Springs last week - I heard that Kihira demonstrated her 3A there.

Benoit Richaud choreographed programs for Mai Mihara and Kaori Sakamoto in California last week: https://www.instagram.com/p/BUA2qfol81g/

 

[YukiNieve]

Nobunari Oda is practicing 4Lz.

https://twitter.com/nobutaro1001/status/873344039201816576

 

[Karpenko]

Why in the superhuman isn't he landing that? Come on, Nobu.

Amazing! He's still got it

 

[DimaToe]

Oda with a 4lz would be a legitimate contender for the 3rd Olympic spot TBH

...then I remember he doesn't know when to stop jumping.

 

[YukiNieve]

Nobunari's 4T+3T+1Lo
https://twitter.com/nobutaro1001/status/873669878179180544

He's having fun!

 

[Karpenko]

Ok now I'm completely on board for an Olympic season comeback. even if he's just having fun. He's amazing and one of the most talented men ever in skating (IMO), I think he would have a chance at the 3rd spot. He still has those knees

Thankfully if he keeps jumping this time, the system has changed. Either way he's awesome for still keeping up!

 

[SamuraiK]

Damn Nobu!! It will suck for Mura or Tanaka but overall I think if Oda decides to comeback he definetly deserves the 3rd spot.

He's my top contender for best skater to never medal at Worlds (I know it was his own fault in 2006 and 2011 but still).

 

[DimaToe]

If someone starts a petition for Oda's comeback I would very gladly sign it Given that this is Japan we're talking about I'm very surprised it isn't a thing yet.