Akiko Suzuki

She just won the chubu regionals competiton with 173.90(PB), beating Mai Asada over the weekend. She scored 116.36 in FS!!

Too bad she is not competing in GPs. I think she could challenge Suguri and Nakano for the 3rd spot on the world team. Now i am even more excited about the japanese Nationals!

She'd had some kind of eating disorder 3-4yrs ago and wasn't competing for a couple years but she got all of her triples back last year and was showing a great promise! I am just so happy for her! She was showing a lot of promise when she was a jr, along with Ota and nakano.

Now only Yukina Ota could make a strong come back.... I would be so happy!

Here are some videos of Akiko this year.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=w2gZcmZCMfU

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rhc4QUG2sro&mode=related&search=

ks777 said:

She just won the chubu regionals competiton with 173.90(PB), beating Mai Asada over the weekend. She scored 116.36 in FS!!

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Wow, that's really high! Are these scores inflated at all compared to ISU scoring? Mai Asada's ISU PB is only about 140. How did she do at this regional competition?

I've never heard of Akiko before, thanks for the pointer to the videos!

Mai only scored 129.84. a bit inflated somewhat but her pcs were in the 6s.

Here is the score,
http://www.skatingjapan.jp/National/2007-2008/fs/block4/data0205.htm

Akiko in 1st and Mai 3rd in FS.

Wow, Akiko had a level 4 straight-line step sequence, with GOE averaging +1.60. I wonder if that would hold up under ISU judging. Too bad she's not competing internationally, or she and Yu-na Kim can compete for the record of being the first woman to have a level 4 step sequence.

Akiko's PCS scores were really high: high 6's in all the components. And mostly level 4 spins, and level 4 spiral sequence.

I hope we'll get a chance to see her compete sometime soon. Maybe she can beat an inconsistent Miki or an aging Suguri to the Japanese world team. What an upset that would be.

I think she is 22 yo. She was competing jr with Nakano and Ota and did make the Jr GP finals.

Thanks for the videos! I wasn't familiar with Akiko, either. I wish her luck and hope she makes it to the GPs next season.

She's a very expressive skater, especially in the footwork sequences. Looks like nationals is going to be another tough competition!

I love her

While exhibitions and competitive programs are not directly comparable because of the difficulty, her 2007 EX's seem to me to be a lot more expressive and polished than the 2006 Japan Nationals programs. I couldn't confirm for sure whether she has a true lutz, but she seems to have had a noticeable lip in her 2006 programs.

hockeyfan228 said:

I couldn't confirm for sure whether she has a true lutz, but she seems to have had a noticeable lip in her 2006 programs.

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In the regional protocols, she was marked down "e" for the lip (-1 GOE across the board).

She has a beautiful footwork seq in the more recent exhibition piece.

Wow if she can keep up that momentum Japan Nationals will be even more exciting that it is already going to be.

I hope Mai can regroup and do really well at Skate America, although she will have some tough competition from Miki Ando, Kimmie Meissner, Emily Hughes & Caroline Zhang.

I am also hoping Yukina Ota comes back strong this year after all of her injuries, she is just gorgeous on the ice.

Take care and have a wonderful day!!

Sincerely,
Shannon

Wow!! That is so wonderful to hear! I have no doubt in my mind that she totally deserved the score. I still fondly remember watching the 16-year-old Akiko skating her SP to Chopin's piano concerto at 4CC and her Romeo & Juliette LP from 2002 and falling in love with her beautiful flow and expressive musicality. It hurt to see her name burried in the standings in the later years and I had given up hopes on her a while ago when we stopped hearing about her.
I had NEVER thought she'd actually be coming back like this! And this gives me hope that maybe Yukina Ota will have the same kind of come back someday - someday soon, hopefully! These two have always been my favourite Japanese ladies by far.

And ETA: thanks for the videos! Gosh, I can hardly put my excitement into words! Is she better than ever!! The straight line steps in the Titanic program and her LP from last year - it has been a LONG while since the last time a step sequence made me this excited, and that coming from a lady! Probably one of the BEST skated step sequences I've seen from ANY lady!!! WOW!! Besides, i love her musicality and how her skating has so much warmth. It's not just about being flexible and pretty on the ice. She skates with a tangible strength and is one of the very few skaters that "skate on the edge", as in, they give so much of themselves that you think they are about to lose it and fall over, but they don't - it kind of reminds me of Lambiel. It's a beautiful balance and it's both exciting and very, very moving.
Does anyone know if she has any international assignment this year?
Just when I was about to give up on ladies, Akiko comes up for me to root for, AT LAST!! Go Akiko, I hope it's all up from here for you!!

I want to watch the competition. Could we find on youtube?
I have watched national last year,but I couldn't remember her name. Of course, the score must be inflated,but it seems interesting to watch.