Japan Open 2007

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satorare

Match Penalty

Joined

Jan 16, 2007

• Mar 26, 2007

• #1

For the end of the season...
if you want something more, wait for this

Date: April 29, 2007
Location: Saitama Super Area, Saitama City
Format: A Pro-Am, Men-Ladies Mixed Competition by Three Teams
(Japan, North America, and Europe)

Each teams include 2 men and 2 ladies. The skaters perform their free programs and the sum of each scores decides the winning team (and prize money).

Team Japan
Miki Ando
Mao Asada
Nobunari Oda
Takahiko Kozuka
(Previously planned Takahashi and Honda pull out)

Team North America
Kimmie Meissner
Joannie Rochette
Jeffrey Buttle
Todd Eldredge

Team Europe
Sarah Meier
Kiira Korpi
Brian Joubert
Alexei Yagudin

website: http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/contents/newtitle/2007/01/006453.html

Ando pledges to do 4S this time, so let's hope she succeeds.
Kim of South Korea and Watanabe-Kido perform exhibitions.

 

Last edited: Mar 26, 2007

Mathman

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Jun 21, 2003

• Mar 26, 2007

• #2

Thanks for the post. Last year's contest was great. This totally blows the U.S. spring cheesefest out of the water.

Go Todd Eldredge, LOL!

 

SeaniBu

Record Breaker

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Mar 19, 2006

• Mar 26, 2007

• #3

Not that Kiira couldn't, but I'd say that might be the "long shot" in keeping it close - not that it is going to matter.

 

antmanb

Record Breaker

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Feb 5, 2004

• Mar 26, 2007

• #4

Isn't team Japan all elligible skaters?

That's a pretty big advantage to the home side! I wonder how Yags and Eldredge will cope doing not only a full LP but presumably a COP one too?

Ant

 

Mathman

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Jun 21, 2003

• Mar 26, 2007

• #5

"Anything can happen," but I think Japan's has a big advantage in sending 17-year-old junior champion Kozuka against old pros Yagudin and Eldredge.

It would have been more balanced with Honda. Last year the only thing that kept it close was that Yagudin and Honda both skated similar programs, tech-wise (finishing last). In these pro-ams the ISU judging system must be used (otherwise the eligible skaters can't be in it). This puts the pros at a great disadvantage. I doubt if Eldredge can still do a triple Axel, so he will have to impress the judges with his spins and hope for high program components.

 

Spun Silver

Joined

Mar 14, 2006

• Mar 26, 2007

• #6

Last year was kind of embarrassing. I don't like these pro-ams. I'd rather remember Alexei in his glory than finishing last in a competition. But I suppose he's gotta live.

 

Mathman

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Jun 21, 2003

• Mar 26, 2007

• #7

I hope Kimmie competes as planned. Last year she withdrew, citing school (the junior prom?), and the North American team missed her.

Actually, I think Kimmie should skate in Japan as much as she can. She could be in demand there as the "loyal opposition" to give the Japanese skaters someone to skate against. Sort of like Irina Slutskaya, all the times she squared off against Michlle Kwan in various cheesefests and competitions in the U.S.

Irina was greatly popular in America, especially when she finished second , and she could always count on a reliable payday.

 

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satorare

Match Penalty

Joined

Jan 16, 2007

• Mar 26, 2007

• #8

Last year's result
http://www.skatingjapan.jp/InterNational/2005-2006/jo/index.htm

We can't expect a good "competition" though,
the "guests" are tend to have generous scores in this event.

 

Mathman

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Jun 21, 2003

• Mar 26, 2007

• #9

satorare said:

...the "guests" are tend to have generous scores in this event.

Click to expand...

The polite and right thing to do when you invite guests into your home. I approve! :yes:

 

Mathman

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Jun 21, 2003

• Mar 26, 2007

• #10

PS. On the other hand, I just looked at the judges' panel: Switzerland, China, Japan, Austria, Japan, Finland and Canada. So except for the two Japanese judges there would be no reason for the panel to bend over backward to show hospitality to "guests."

 

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satorare

Match Penalty

Joined

Jan 16, 2007

• Mar 26, 2007

• #11

Perhaps this format was designed to invite Yagudin.
He's probably the most popular foreign skater in Japan.

 

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iloveaxel

Match Penalty

Joined

Oct 13, 2006

• Mar 26, 2007

• #12

Why they did not invite Carolina Kostner? Sarah Meier??? She's a snoozer. Blah.

 

Mathman

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Jun 21, 2003

• Mar 27, 2007

• #13

Does anyone know why Takahashi did not want to participate?

 

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alessandro

Spectator

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Mar 19, 2007

• Mar 27, 2007

• #14

Are you sure?I love Sarah..but i knowed..(one mounth later)...that Kostner cames in competitions and not Kiira...

 

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Sylvia

Record Breaker

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Aug 25, 2003

• Mar 27, 2007

• #15

Mathman said:

Does anyone know why Takahashi did not want to participate?

Click to expand...

Posted at FSU: "On the same day in Yokohama there will be an ice show, Prince Ice World (PIW). Shizuka Arakawa, Fumie Suguri, Takeshi Honda, Daisuke Takahashi, and Yukari Nakano will take part in the show. Nobunari Oda is also one of the guest skaters of PIW, but he'll be absent from it on April 29 and compete at Japan Open in Saitama."

 

iluvtodd

Record Breaker

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Mar 5, 2004

Country

• Apr 23, 2007

• #16

Is there any chance of broadcasting this in the US? Otherwise, we've got to hope that someone will post the performances on youtube! I want to see this, regardless of the results (realizing that the pros will probably be at a distrinct disadvantage, scoring-wise due to COP).

 

Joesitz (RIP)

Joined

Jul 11, 2003

• Apr 23, 2007

• #17

iluvtodd said:

Is there any chance of broadcasting this in the US? Otherwise, we've got to hope that someone will post the performances on youtube! I want to see this, regardless of the results (realizing that the pros will probably be at a distrinct disadvantage, scoring-wise due to COP).

Click to expand...

I would love to see Todd's and Alexei's 3As. I think Todd still does them in SOI.

It's a long and expensive trip to Tokyo. With many of the Japanese skaters in N.America they will have to face that loooong trip too. I'm not sure how the Europeans will get there. Isn't over the arctic a shorter distance?

I'm sure there will be several youtubes if we do not get a TV special.

Joe

 

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Hiara80

On the Ice

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Apr 10, 2007

• Apr 23, 2007

• #18

iloveaxel said:

Why they did not invite Carolina Kostner? Sarah Meier??? She's a snoozer. Blah.

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i think they invited Caro Kostner but she is very busy with her high school diploma, she will has the exam in May

 

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TtonyV7

On the Ice

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Jan 11, 2007

• Apr 27, 2007

• #19

Haha, interesting to note that Rochette had the highest PCS marks in this event last year. Quickly how things change...

 

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satorare

Match Penalty

Joined

Jan 16, 2007

• Apr 28, 2007

• #20

skate order

1 Alexei YAGUDIN RUS
2 Takahiko KOZUKA JPN
3 Todd ELDREDGE USA
4 Jeffrey BUTTLE CAN
5 Nobunari ODA JPN
6 Brian JOUBERT FRA

1 Kiira KORPI FIN
2 Joannie ROCHETTE CAN
3 Mao ASADA JPN
4 Sarah MEIER SUI
5 Kimmie MEISSNER USA
6 Miki ANDO JPN

begins at 13:00 (local time)