The Satoko Miyahara fan thread - "This is a start in the true sense"

[ToFarAwayTimes]

This girl got totally screwed in both the SP & LP. She was amazing & flawless.

Of course she got screwed. I predict that if the Japanese federation spends more money bribing ... er ... I mean bidding for competitions with the ISU, Miyahara would place better. But since they aren't paying the ISU officials more than the Russians and Americans, it's an amazing coincidence they didn't get any home Worlds this quad, and they ain't gonna place no better, either.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I have never been a fan until just recently.

Damn..that FREE skate couldnt medal? I think it was better than last years.....

 

[Cachoo]

I thought she was beautiful in both programs. It is important to me that a skater have good posture, beautiful carriage and know how to use their arms. She is the best imho in this area. The jumps are worrisome but everything else is awesome. I think you can have good debates over silver, bronze and fourth place--with everyone having a different opinion.

If there was any shenanigans last night I don't think it was bribery. I think there is a belief, me among them, that the sport is dying in the US when it is flourishing elsewhere. I'm not sure how else Gracie finishes ahead than the opportunity of winners at a US Worlds at a time when the US might be in trouble. I support Ash on the podium for her program. I would have been horrifed if Gracie was on the podium. Either way Satoko deserved better.

 

[kwanoverrated]

I love Satoko but in a competition nearly everything skates cleanly she will still likely fall short. There are many girls with better quality jumps, and while she is a beautiful skater she lacks the speed and power of some of the others so her PCS can be eclipsed too. When you look at the 3 medalists it is fairly easy to see why they beat her.

Gold beating her is the only joke, but Gold is the most overscored skater in decades so it is what it is.

 

[kwanoverrated]

I have never been a fan until just recently.

Damn..that FREE skate couldnt medal? I think it was better than last years.....

It was better than last years, but lets remember she wouldn't have been on the podium at all last year without numerous mistakes from Radionova, Wagner, Gold, and other contenders. The fact she beat someone like Radionova skating very well in both programs, which she never could have done last year, and was very close to a medal even in such a well skated event, shows she has in fact improved a lot since last year. She wouldn't have been capable of that last year.

 

[Seerek]

It was interesting seeing Miyahara's skating skills marks in the free skate drop down to Hongo/Daleman level and rather far away from the top 6. That was quite a stark message being sent (for a relatively clean performance no less).

 

[chapis]

The problem is I don´t know what is thinking Satoko right now, maybe she is confused, because, what the judges are smoking? What message they are giving her?

Basically they are saying her: ¨you suck at PCS, next season you better get a choreography with a cheesy soundtrack, your arms are too much refined, that is not ok, we love flailing/wild arms, and come on girl, get some videos of Evgenia M. to learn what good skating skills are, because yours are really poor. Oh, but don´t be sad, you are not terrible at everything, your jumps are great, at least you don´t need work at your jumps¨

 

[DBZ]

Basically they are saying her: ¨you suck at PCS, next season you better get a choreography with a cheesy soundtrack, your arms are too much refined, that is not ok, we love flailing/wild arms, and come on girl, get some videos of Evgenia M. to learn what good skating skills are, because yours are really poor. Oh, but don´t be sad, you are not terrible at everything, your jumps are great, at least you don´t need work at your jumps¨

Exactly! Everything about her presentation--fluidity, grace, posture, line and extension, ease of movement over the ice, attention to detail, choreography with depth--are all qualities we should be instilling and championing in what makes a great skater.

Aside from her jumps, she represents everything that is good about skating and should be encouraged and celebrated by the judges.

I mean, aren't these things coaches teach their students to strive for when they start skating?

I'm not a big Satoko fan, but even as a fan of skating from a purely objective standpoint, I could see plain as day how much thought and attention went into her FP...every movement down to the last fingertip.

To see that beautiful program and nuanced performance given lower marks than Radionova's horrendously constructed Titanic program or Pogo's sloppy skating...it's almost like an assault on the very principles of skating.

I just can't believe how any fan of skating can objectively look at those performances and not think Satoko should've had one of the highest PCS that night.

 

[Karpenko]

I gained newfound respect for Ms. tiny queen this week, that LP has really developed a lot since the beginning of the year. I'm starting to become a believer in this program, I love the detail and think she's skating with more speed and a more powerful expression. I love her polish, line, and that spiral is really lovely. This program is actually really cool!

 

[Bellanca]

Satoko Miyahara should be a PCS (tiny) queen, always ... you !!

I think when the step sequence (miss) is cleaned up and the ice coverage expands, the score goes up, but there were parts of Miyahara's FS score (step sequence aside) that caused a healthy dose of -- maybe ??

Still, very happy to see Satoko on the podium @ SC. Moving forward, I hope that she all season long!

 

[kittysk8ts]

What happened with the step sequence?? Does anyone know for sure? I understand and have read the IJS description of a step sequence but does anyone know what actually happened? I honestly cannot recall anyone losing an entire step sequence.....

 

[tamms]

What happened with the step sequence?? Does anyone know for sure? I understand and have read the IJS description of a step sequence but does anyone know what actually happened? I honestly cannot recall anyone losing an entire step sequence.....

It also happened to Haruka Imai last season from what I remember. In Satoko's case, I read that it's because the ice coverage for her step sequence wasn't expansive enough.

 

[kittysk8ts]

It also happened to Haruka Imai last season from what I remember. In Satoko's case, I read that it's because the ice coverage for her step sequence wasn't expansive enough.

Thank you so much!

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting @Wyliefan's comment from the Skate Canada Ladies FS play-by-play thread in the Kiss & Cry section:

Can we give Satoko an award for Best Music Cuts? Whoever cuts her music should do everyone's! Sounded totally seamless.

I agree! Tom Dickson choreographed the long program, AFAIK. Does someone know all the different cuts that are used? I recognize "Jupiter" from Holst's The Planets at the end and "Princess Leia's Theme" (from the Stars Wars soundtrack by John Williams) in the middle section.

 

[ioanna]

Does someone know all the different cuts that are used? I recognize "Jupiter" from Holst's The Planets at the end and "Princess Leia's Theme" (from the Stars Wars soundtrack by John Williams) in the middle section.

The program starts with "Venus"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE6_PacCnRw

Then the step sequence is set to "Mars"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmk5frp6-3Q

After then it's "Princess Leia's Theme" and "Jupiter".

 

[Meoima]

What happened with the step sequence?? Does anyone know for sure? I understand and have read the IJS description of a step sequence but does anyone know what actually happened? I honestly cannot recall anyone losing an entire step sequence.....

This article explains why http://www.rockerskating.com/news/2016/10/31/opining-on-2016-skate-canada-early-season-missteps

 

[kittysk8ts]

This article explains why http://www.rockerskating.com/news/2016/10/31/opining-on-2016-skate-canada-early-season-missteps

Yes! I read it. Thanks so much. What a shame.

 

[Cachoo]

The program starts with "Venus"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE6_PacCnRw

Then the step sequence is set to "Mars"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmk5frp6-3Q

After then it's "Princess Leia's Theme" and "Jupiter".

I think this program is gorgeous from beginning to end. I guess I love everything she is doing so much that the cheated jumps really don't matter to me. I know technically they matter to her. I feel the same joy watching her as when I see Jason when he is on. He'll never be a great quad jumper. But he does so many other elements beautifully as does she....let us see how she progresses this season.

 

[skatesindreams]

I thought she was beautiful in both programs. It is important to me that a skater have good posture, beautiful carriage and know how to use their arms. She is the best imho in this area. The jumps are worrisome

I was in the arena.
This speaks for me.

Unless Satoko can make sure that the judges see/know that her jumps are completed; she will never get the scores she deserves.

 

[Marco]

Satoko is such a beautiful skater. I think an accurate way of judging her would be to give her the PCS she deserves (IMO mid to high 8s in everything other than SS), but also ding her for her jump flaws.

I actually don't believe Satoko (and Kaetlyn) deserved lower (not the least THAT much lower) PCS than Medvedeva. Medvedeva would still win comfortably on TES but to infer that she was THAT much better than Satoko and Kaetlyn is simply questionable.

 

[VarBar]

I gained newfound respect for Ms. tiny queen this week, that LP has really developed a lot since the beginning of the year. I'm starting to become a believer in this program, I love the detail and think she's skating with more speed and a more powerful expression. I love her polish, line, and that spiral is really lovely. This program is actually really cool!

It's amazing how often I have agreed with Karpenko lately.

 

[Karpenko]

Hopefully next time (?) Satoko gets an entire footwork sequence invalidated in the long program - the judges boost her transitions score, because I mean hello?? without the footwork being an element, there's now a crapload of extra transitions/choreography going on there that weren't accounted for with the points. I'm sure she's learned her lesson though.

 

[ks777]

I love her spiral in the LP. just so beautiful.

 

[Sylvia]

Thank you again, @ioanna, for identifying the other pieces in Satoko's FS from Holst's The Planets - one of my favorite programs of this season!

Congrats to Satoko on qualifying for the GP Final by winning the silver medal at NHK Trophy! ETA: She ends up with 24 points - 11 for the bronze at Skate Canada and 13 today and qualified in the 6th spot based on the combined scores tiebreaker.

 

[Bellanca]

WTG Satoko!! GP Final bound!!

 

[Bellanca]

Great job for Tiny Queen @ 2016 GPF - SP. Good wishes for the FS.

 

[Bellanca]

Congratulations to Tiny Queen! Nationals three-peat! WTG!

 

[Jun Y]

The program starts with "Venus"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE6_PacCnRw

Then the step sequence is set to "Mars"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmk5frp6-3Q

After then it's "Princess Leia's Theme" and "Jupiter".

The transition from the climax of Princess Leia's Theme to Jupiter is just ... brilliant. Devilishly clever.

While I guess the most reasonable interpretation of this program is a nonspecific (but strong) female character with a splash of space adventure, the gestures in the "Mars" step sequence appear to be directly referring to Rae in "The Force Awakens," whose weapon is a staff. And her white costume also recalls Rae's gauzy wrap-around costume in TFA (which in itself may have been an homage to Luke Skywalker's white costume from Episode IV).

 

[ioanna]

Satoko's FS music with all songs combined
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYTlLdIL36M

 

[Barbara Manatee]

Thanks! This was already such a potent program, but now... The music alone is bringing me to tears, to see the next performance will break my heart. The emotional power of Satoko's skating is so genuine, never gimmicky. I hope it will be recognized at worlds this year.