Japan On Ice - 22 of July

[gio]

On 22 of July in Courmayeur (Italy, Valle D'Aosta region on the French border, just northwest of Turin) a GREAT show will take place! Miki Ando, Mao and Mai Asada, Fumie Suguri, Yukari Nakano, Akiko Suzuki, Nobunari Oda and Daisuke Takahashi will take part of it. This is a part of a program, in fact they will train here from 19th to 23rd of July with an agreement made by the Japanese Fed. The morning of 22 of July the trainings will be open for the public.

GREAT

I hope I'll have a chance to go!!! If I go I'll be your reporter!

[Joesitz]

Please do gio and tell us why NW Italy. It's a long way from Gothenberg. Maybe it's the mountains to keep the skaters working overtime. Smart thinking.

Joe

[z4mboni]

I read somewhere (this might be just a rumour, though) that it was a combination of the need to have good training facilities and the need to keep the Japanese press away. Usually the training camp took place in Nagoya, Japan; together with promising novice/junior skaters. I don't think that hordes of photoreporters would create a good atmosphere for training, especially for the younger ones.

Also, I noticed that in interviews a lot of Japanese skaters (Oda and Suguri, and a few others) mentioned that they love Italy and would like to spend some time there... It seems that, in a round-about way, they'll get their wish.

[leode]

Here is schedule of "Japan on Ice" on July 22nd, 2007.
And Japan team will have a training at Courmayeur from July 19th to 23rd, 2007.
http://www.artonice.it/?q=it/node/3877

Schedule
7/22/2007(Sun) 18:00- at Courmayeur in Italy
Place: Courmayeur Forum Sport Center　

Members:
*Singles-Men
Daisuke Takahashi (JPN)
Nobunari Oda (JPN)

*Singles-Ladies
Miki Ando (JPN)
Mao Asada (JPN)
Mai Asada (JPN)
Yukari Nakano(JPN)
Fumie Suguri(JPN)
Akiko Suzuki(JPN)

gio, I'm looking foward to reading your report, thanks.

[gio]

I'll try to go, but nothing is sure. Courmayeur is far from my city, but that isn't the real problem. The only thing that may prevent me from going there is the fact that there are no direct means of transport. I'll have to take a train from home to Milan, then another to Turin, then to Aosta, then a bus to Courmayeur. Unfortunately being Courmayeur a village on the mountains it isn't very easy to reach especially on Sundays. I understand why the Jap fed choose this place. It is outside of the World. There won't be a lot journalists and the skaters would concentrate just on training (what other things can you do in such a village??). Very smart!

[leode]

gio, really? I didn't know that Courmayeur is a village on the mountains. I think you're right that they choose this place and also one of reasons is ... as the altitude of mountain is high, it makes the function of heart and lung stronger. It is good for figure skaters. Anyway, I hope you'll go to see it!

[gio]

gio, really? I didn't know that Courmayeur is a village on the mountains. I think you're right that they choose this place and also one of reasons is ... as the altitude of mountain is high, it makes the function of heart and lung stronger. It is good for figure skaters. Anyway, I hope you'll go to see it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courmayeur

Yes, probably also because of the altitude and the fresh air, it makes a great training point!

[skippy]

Hi! I am new here.

Japanese training camp took place every summer in Nobeyama, Nagano until last year. It was not Nagoya.
And since Chukyo University in Nagoya built a luxurious new facility this year, the camp would take place in Nagoya from next year.
It is a mystery why Japanese Federation needs to have camp in Courmayeur this year because the new facility in Nagoya is super and they can shut out media easily. (They used to do so in Nobeyama,too.) Also Courmayeur is very far from Japan.
I heard a rumor that Italian Federation invited Japanese team and I think that's the reason.

Anyway, Courmayeur seems nice and beautiful place, and I am so excited to know how skaters are doing!

[Mathman]

Thanks for posting, Skippy. Welcome!

[Joesitz]

I'll try to go, but nothing is sure. Courmayeur is far from my city, but that isn't the real problem. The only thing that may prevent me from going there is the fact that there are no direct means of transport. I'll have to take a train from home to Milan, then another to Turin, then to Aosta, then a bus to Courmayeur. Unfortunately being Courmayeur a village on the mountains it isn't very easy to reach especially on Sundays. I understand why the Jap fed choose this place. It is outside of the World. There won't be a lot journalists and the skaters would concentrate just on training (what other things can you do in such a village??). Very smart!

My great grandmother used to speak Italian with a French accent. She came from somewhere up there in the Alps. I understand on the French side they speak French with an Italian accent. Is that still going on?

Joe

[SeaniBu]

Yes, probably also because of the altitude and the fresh air, it makes a great training point!

Ice at higher altitude can make a difference as well. ~ well... as the story goes.

[Lanie]

Didn't Sasha and Kimmie skate at Cormayeur during the 2006 Olympics to get away from the press?

[gio]

My great grandmother used to speak Italian with a French accent. She came from somewhere up there in the Alps. I understand on the French side they speak French with an Italian accent. Is that still going on?

Yes, there is still a French minority in Italy and an Italian minority in France. All around the Western Alpes. They are bilinguals but speak with accents. But there are also dialects that are half Italian and half French.
So, you have Italo-French roots?

[leode]

Thanks for the information about Courmayeur, gio.

[jishu]

Hello everybody, i just register now first because i'm a ice skating fan and for giving you some informations about courmayeur since i live near it :-)

Coming to courmayeur isn't so difficult there is a direct bus line from milano (or torino) to courmayeur with 5 runs x day, faster than taking the train (surely a bit more expensive but faster)

Here you can get timetable and information about it
http://www.savda.it/

JOC (JAPANESE OLYMPIC COMMITTEE ) signed an agreement with the aosta valley regional government for sending their athletes (all kind of disciplines from IS to judo) in our valley for training for the next 4 years (and maybe more), so the japan on ice will probably be a fixed appointment.
why this ? Well i suppose because there is a God that had listen to my prayers (since i'm an huge fan of japanese stuff ^_^)

About the 22/7 exibition i can only say that has been really amazing.

Hope to see some of you here for the 2008 ^_^