Japanese figure skating 2018-19 season news & updates

rosewood

MTT Meter= 177
Messages
6,187
Since I read some of FUSers are interested in Fuji TV's "I-Scope" during Japanese Nationals, I translated what are written. Here are lists of the data from ladies SP that Fuji TV posted on twitter. (original source)
https://twitter.com/online_on_ice/status/1076700301690691585

Sorry for my low teknik :drama:
Height https://i.imgur.com/hJt0FNI.png
Distance https://i.imgur.com/QCdMMDY.jpg
Landing speed https://i.imgur.com/scA5V3H.jpg

ETA:
Screenshot https://i.imgur.com/yZBVyzg.png
Video https://youtu.be/uVdnPEdOHrc?t=412
 
Last edited:

Sylvia

TBD
Messages
79,978
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/...skating-hanyu-eyes-2019-grand-prix-final.html
Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu has stated he wants to compete next season after an injury prevented him from skating in last year's Grand Prix Final and national championships.
In a video aired Friday on "TV Asahi Big Sport Awards," the 24-year-old double Olympic champion said, "My year ended with my missing the Grand Prix Final and Japan championships."
"But next season, I intend to make it through the Grand Prix series and win it all."
...
Rika Kihira, who won the Grand Prix Final in her senior debut season, received a special award at the program, and said she was moving toward practicing quad jumps.
"Before the start of next season, I want to at least nail one in practice," said the 16-year-old.
Kihira previously has practiced the 4S, IIRC?
 

rosewood

MTT Meter= 177
Messages
6,187
^
Recorded quad attempts from Kihira so far:
4S https://youtu.be/aIxiRPewp8o?t=40
4T https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssSR28K6Tec

According to this article published today Rika practiced quad(s) during this past off-season but she stopped working on it to prepare for competitions. The first quad which she want to get in her arsenal at this point is 4T. "I'll do intensive work on it during this coming off-season and I wish to have it finished by next season." She broke into new boots after Nationals. "I got new boots. So I'm not prepared for working on quads yet. I think I'll be able to focus on it after Worlds (in March)."
 

DreamSkates

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,364
^
Recorded quad attempts from Kihira so far:
4S https://youtu.be/aIxiRPewp8o?t=40
4T https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssSR28K6Tec

According to this article published today Rika practiced quad(s) during this past off-season but she stopped working on it to prepare for competitions. The first quad which she want to get in her arsenal at this point is 4T. "I'll do intensive work on it during this coming off-season and I wish to have it finished by next season." She broke into new boots after Nationals. "I got new boots. So I'm not prepared for working on quads yet. I think I'll be able to focus on it after Worlds (in March)."
Wow. I can only imagine the next Olympic ladies competition! Will it still be Japan vs Russia for the podium?
 

Sylvia

TBD
Messages
79,978
Daisuke Takahashi aims to compete next season: https://english.kyodonews.net/news/...ng-takahashi-aims-to-compete-next-season.html
Vancouver Olympic bronze medalist Daisuke Takahashi, who came out of retirement to finish second in last year's Japan national championships, said Saturday he wants to compete again next season.
"I haven't decided on my targets for 2019 yet, but barring something unforeseen I want to continue competing and skate in the nationals," he said at an event in Tokyo.
<snip>
"If I can nail one [quad] each in both the short and free program, that would be good," Takahashi said. "If (rather than a toe loop) I could do a (more difficult) salchow, I'd be really happy."
... [he] has no plans to compete again in the remainder of this season, and said next season's Grand Prix series is not on his agenda.
 

nimi

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,682
Rika K. has now left Japan in order to train in USA for a little while; article in Japanese here.

Machine-translated excerpt: "It is a short schedule of ten days, but I would like to review the choreography and work on the four-revolution jump practice while having the coaches look at us." And: "Since the tournament continues in the United States and the Japan, I want to be careful not to get sick by the time difference"

So, she has this training camp in Colorado where she's going to work on her choreo and on her quad(s), then she'll return to Japan, and then next month she'll travel to USA again (and deal with the time difference again) to compete in 4CC? Sounds like a demanding schedule, I hope it'll work out for her.
 

Bonjour Sherry

Active Member
Messages
95
Here is a good article about Kaori Sakamoto--lots of details about her development and progress this season. http://www.insideskating.net/2019/01/15/features/kaori-sakamoto-the-coming-of-age

This article really highlights why weight is such an important issue to address, and also a sensitive issue. I think body image issues and eating disorders must be properly addressed by coaches, and not taken lightly at all. But on the other hand, skaters who gain a few pounds will have a tougher time doing jumps/elements and are more susceptible to injury. So it's both the skaters' and coach's responsibility to handle this. It's a tough discussion to put together.

Note, I am NOT calling skaters who gain a few pounds overweight. Sakamoto, even with the few 'extra pounds' as described by Nakano, probably has a great body by conventional beauty standards. But at elite levels of skating, one needs to be particularly lean to keep competitive.

For some skaters who reach puberty, they start to struggle with jumps with body changes/weight gains more since they had poor jumping technique. Sakamoto seems to have sound jumping technique, but even she is not totally immune to swings in weight.
 

insideedgeua

Well-Known Member
Messages
926
Rika K. has now left Japan in order to train in USA for a little while; article in Japanese here.

Machine-translated excerpt: "It is a short schedule of ten days, but I would like to review the choreography and work on the four-revolution jump practice while having the coaches look at us." And: "Since the tournament continues in the United States and the Japan, I want to be careful not to get sick by the time difference"

So, she has this training camp in Colorado where she's going to work on her choreo and on her quad(s), then she'll return to Japan, and then next month she'll travel to USA again (and deal with the time difference again) to compete in 4CC? Sounds like a demanding schedule, I hope it'll work out for her.

I wonder if something was lost in translation. She started in Colorado today. If she’s here for 10 days, it means she’s here until about a week before 4CC.

I’d be very surprised if she didn’t just stay in the USA until 4CC.
 

nimi

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,682
I wonder if something was lost in translation. She started in Colorado today. If she’s here for 10 days, it means she’s here until about a week before 4CC.

I’d be very surprised if she didn’t just stay in the USA until 4CC.
Yeah, probably the article actually says she'll return to Japan after the 4CC to prepare for the Saitama Worlds (or something along those lines), that would make much more sense.
 

rosewood

MTT Meter= 177
Messages
6,187
On Jan 16th JSF announced skaters to be sent to international competitions in the second half of this season.
https://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2019/01/16/kiji/20190116s00079000178000c.html

Bavarian Open (Feb 5-10, Oberstdorf)
Koshiro Shimada, Yuto Kishina, Satoko Miyahara, Yuna Shiraiwa(*to get Jr minimums)
Challenge Cup (Feb 21-24, NED)
Shoma Uno, Sota Yamamoto, Yuma Kagiyama, Rika Kihira, Wakaba Higuchi
Coup de Printemps (Mar 15-17, LUX)
Sena Miyake
_____
Happy for Sota given another chance to skate in an international competition. Wish Wakaba will show a redemption at CC. Dunno whether it's good or not that Shoma & Kihira entered to CC. With Satoko sent to B comp which is held in the same week as 4CC, I still think JSF picked Nats' 1,2,4 finishers as usual and Mai was originally selected for 4CC. Who declines 4CC and prefers to go to Bavarian instead? Happy for Kagiyama got a spot for a B comp based on his good results at Nats.

ETA:
In this short documentary I could confirm that going to JW was Shiraiwa's choice. She wanted to go to JW.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvjiomT_pZA
 

rosewood

MTT Meter= 177
Messages
6,187
It's a clever choice to remain up high the world standings; I cannot see her being into contention for the podium, but who is besides RUS? 🤷🏼‍♂️
That's my thought too. By skating in JW probably she'll be able to earn ISU points. In the documentary she was described as someone who tends to loose focus easily or someone who is not determined enough to do everything to climb up the ranks in Japanese ladies field. And her mom looked driven even more than her daughter. Recently Shiraiwa was on a crowdfunding site asking for money to run until next Olys. The amount of money she got was up to around 14,800,000 yen. In the documentary she said she's so much grateful to the people who supported her and she's now determined to do anything she can do to improve and meet people's expectations. I kinda felt going to JW is one of the changes in her mind that came from knowing so many people are supporting/rooting for her. But I wish she doesn't feel too much pressure from the CF or her (tiger) mom.
 
Last edited:

rosewood

MTT Meter= 177
Messages
6,187
I wonder if something was lost in translation. She started in Colorado today. If she’s here for 10 days, it means she’s here until about a week before 4CC.

I’d be very surprised if she didn’t just stay in the USA until 4CC.
No, it's not a translation thing. The article actually says she'll be there for 10 days and then fly back to Japan. I looked for another article about the Colorado camp but the NHK's article was the only one, so I couldn't confirm the information on the article is correct or not. Anyways the article was published by NHK (public broadcasting) so I can say it's sorta reliable source. Aside from flying back to Japan before 4CC, I'm not sure working on quad(s) there is a good idea. A while back she said she broke into new boots just after Nats and she'll not work on quad(s) until coming off-season. I don't know why she or her coach changed her (their) mind. But we'll see.
 
Last edited:

Jammers

Well-Known Member
Messages
7,558
Rika doesn't need a quad to win the World championship. Work on upping your jumps in the off season not when you still have competitions to do.
 

nimi

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,682
Uh oh... Shoma's issues with his right ankle aren't over, it seems:
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20190207-00000050-dal-spo

For us non-speakers who have to rely on garbled machine translations, yawning_shoma sums it up like this: "Shoma revealed he sprained his ankle twice in January, after spraining it initially at nationals in December. he sprained it once a week after resuming practice and then again two days before he left for 4CC"

But according to Jackie, he nevertheless landed a clean 4F in his FS run-through :eek:
(he's dropped the flip from his SP layout though)

ETA: And Rika may have injured (sprained?) her finger falling on a lutz? :yikes:
https://www.hochi.co.jp/sports/winter/20190206-OHT1T50049.html
 
Last edited:

Bonjour Sherry

Active Member
Messages
95
Congratulations to the Japanese ladies for a great showing at 4CCs! It's what most of us expected. Especially for Mai, who made a great comeback. One would not have guessed that her 3-3 got a < call with her whopping technical score.

I hope that Mai's coaching team works with her on performance quality, lines, and jump technique. She's losing out to the other top Japanese (i.e. Kaori) because the overall quality of her skating doesn't match up. Unless she works hard at improving, she will continue depending on the other top Japanese to make mistakes if she wants to return to Worlds. I must be the only one who thought the judges made the right decision placing Satoko third overall at Nationals. Satoko had a doubled jump, but she still landed 6 triples and everything else she did was vastly superior to Mai's. In fact, if Satoko placed third in the long (and not just overall), I wouldn't have complained.
 

Marco

Well-Known Member
Messages
15,262
Rika skated with so much confidence, like a champ already. She landed few 3axels in practice all week and just landed a beauty when it mattered. She is heading into Worlds as the reigning GPF Champ and 4CCs Champ. With Alina Z underperforming several times this season, it's hard to not see Rika as a World title contender. She is already matching Alina's PCS at Europeans (although she obviosuly was quite mistake-ridden there).

I am happy for Mai's medal although at the same time I am shocked that the one error kept Kaori off the podium altogether, especially given her lead over Elizabet and Mai in the short. Mai desperately needs more interesting programs.
 

livetoskate

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,005
Jack Gallagher has a nice interview, in English with Japanese translation, with Dice Murakami on Ice Time. Dice is now coaching in Oregon although he emphasizes that he's helping out and doesn't have plans so far of being a head coach taking kids to big competitions. Great to hear from Dice and see what he's up to!
m.soundcloud.com/user-983930015/no-13-daisuke-murakami
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top
Do Not Sell My Personal Information