The Akiko Suzuki and Yukina Ota appreciation thread | Golden Skate

The Akiko Suzuki and Yukina Ota appreciation thread

christinaskater

christinaskater

Medalist
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
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oleada

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
I absolutely loved Akiko's SP! It was beautiful, artistic and touching. After all she's been through, I want her to kickass and do well. I also wish someone (if it were up to me it would be Suguri) would withdraw from 4CCs so she could go.
 
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Bennett

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
christinaskater said:
I wish Akiko could work with a big time international coach as well as Yukina, to help them build their names abroad
Click to expand...

I totally enjoy them, especially Yukina. I feel that Yukina may be one of the most remembered skaters despite her short appearance in junior and senior GP. I sincerely wish her come back in GP series.

Yukina used to have long been coached by Ms. Hamada in Kyoto (Does anyone know if she Is still in Kyoto after Daigo rink closed?) who also coaches Aki Sawada. But her current coach is Mr. Yutaka Higuchi in Tokyo, who is a former Olympia and is a great coach for singles and ice dancing. A former ice dancing couple, Rie Arikawa & Kenji Miyamoto (who is now a choreographer), were also his students. Mr. Higuchi is excellent at artistry and his programs are tasteful, classy, and sophisticated (although Yukina seems to have another choreographer). I really like his style and I feel that Yukina and Mr. Higuchi would make a great artistic team. He is also known as a TV commentator who is very gentle and warm.
 
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sorcerer

Final Flight
Joined
May 1, 2007
If none of Mao, Miki, and Fumie pulls out of 4CC, can't Akiko and Yukina go to
International Challenge Cup in Hague starting March 5th
or
Copenhaguen Trophy starting March 7th?
 
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Pikachuusb

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Love Yukina Ota!! She is just gorgeous on the ice. :love: I hope she doesnt give up and her jumps come back. I remember being soo impressed when she was a jr. Her artistry is wonderful. I know she isnt fully healed, hopefully she does heal soon. I wish her the best of luck in the future :agree:
 
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JonnyCoop

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2003
Thanks for posting these links; it was my first look at Suzuki and I gotta say -- what a lovely, charming young lady to watch. Her spiral sequence and footwork were terrific and reminded me of Michelle Kwan. And she just seems to be having fun out there, which is refreshing to see, given how stressed out Miki and Mao look about half the time anymore (Thank you, Japanese media...). Loved seeing her laugh with her coaches before she took the ice.

As for Yukina -- I am among those who eagerly await a comeback. When I first saw her, I was expecting another "technician" from Japan, but was completely impressed by her marvelous artistry. Hopefully she can get what she needs to be getting a few GP assignments in the next couple of seasons, at the very least.
 
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oleada

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
So looking ahead at next season, do Yukina and Akiko have a shot at a spot at NHK? Mao, Miki and Yukari will more than likely have two spots (and I assume one of those will go to NHK), and I'm guessing Nana Takeda will have two as well do to her good score at NHK this year. Is Rumi Suizu moving up from Juniors, and will she get a GP assignment? What about Shoko Ishikawa (how old is she?) ?As for Fumie - is she going to keep going? Anyone care to speculate?

Since Japan seems to do it's GP spots by Nationals ranking, I do think there is a good shot that Akiko at least will go to NHK.
 
christinaskater

christinaskater

Medalist
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
I love Akiko and Yukina

T hey just need more international exposure in the big events


Akiko is up there

I love her better than Yukari!
 
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Bennett

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
oleada said:
So looking ahead at next season, do Yukina and Akiko have a shot at a spot at NHK? Mao, Miki and Yukari will more than likely have two spots (and I assume one of those will go to NHK), and I'm guessing Nana Takeda will have two as well do to her good score at NHK this year. Is Rumi Suizu moving up from Juniors, and will she get a GP assignment? What about Shoko Ishikawa (how old is she?) ?As for Fumie - is she going to keep going? Anyone care to speculate?

Since Japan seems to do it's GP spots by Nationals ranking, I do think there is a good shot that Akiko at least will go to NHK.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it is a very interesting, difficult decision for them to make. To many good skaters to choose.

I wonder if Fumie will get two spots again. She placed 4th at Nationals but her GP appearance this season wasn't very successful (though not bad). But she still has 4CC where she has a chance to recover.

is she going to keep going?
Click to expand...

I think that people would be very surprised if she retires now.

This season, Akiko couldn't get a GP assignment because she wasn't good at Nationals in the previous season. This season, however, Akiko placed 5th whereas Nana Takeda placed 6th. Akiko also won the Golden Spin whereas Nana was third at NHK. I wonder if either or both get two spots. To me, Akiko looks like a better jumper and has better artistry at this point of time although Nana also has a lot of potential.

Yukina was 7th. I wonder how likely it is for her to get a chance. This season Mai who placed 8th in the previous season got one spot at SA and another alternative spot at NHK. So I am hoping that Yukina can make it.

I doubt Rumi Suizu will get any GP assignment because she did not place very high this time.

I don't know how old Shoko is.
 
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oleada

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
The GP assignments are determined by placement at Worlds and a skater's score from the previous season (i.e.. are they on the season's best lists, and depending on that they might get one or two assignments). Placements at Nationals is how most of the host federations for the GP give out spots, like Evora/Ladwig at SA this year.

I don't know if Akiko's score from Golden Spin will count toward the season's best list (I think not), but from her placement at Nationals is encouraging for a spot at NHK.

Mai originally got one spot - Skate America, but that was because she was on the season's best list, not because of her placement at Nationals. Nationals is how she got NHK. Who knows if her scores from SA are high enough to get her an assigment next year, but I think they're not. She got the NHK assignment after the Japanese fed withdrew Aki Sawada, because she was the next one on the Nationals list.

This season, Akiko couldn't get a GP assignment because she wasn't good at Nationals in the previous season. This season, however, Akiko placed 5th whereas Nana Takeda placed 6th. Akiko also won the Golden Spin whereas Nana was third at NHK. I wonder if either or both get two spots. To me, Akiko looks like a better jumper and has better artistry at this point of time although Nana also has a lot of potential.
Click to expand...

The Japanese fed might also feel that since Nana is younger she might have more potential than Akiko.

As for Suizu - her high score for the year is 129.32. I don't know if that's high enough for a GP next season, or even if she's moving up. She just turned 17 this month, so I think she might have one season left on the JGP if she choses to remain on it.
 
shine

shine

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
The two have always been my favourite japanese skaters and are probably my 2 favourite ladies skaters right now. Yukina is so beautiful to watch and Akiko just comes alive on the ice. Akiko seems to be on track and I just wish Yukina could get her jumps back.
 
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Bennett

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Thank you oleada for your explanations that complement my post. Yeah, I also wonder if Akiko's Golden Spin counts.

Thinking of the long-term potential, it may be difficult for both of them to make the next Olympics, with Mao, Miki, and Yukari. But it is possible for Nana to think of the 1014 Olympics whereas perhaps not for Akiko who is three or four years older than Nana.

Regarding the short-term potential, Nana only uses up to 3 loop yet. Although Nana is still 19 and improving, I wonder if she will master flip and lutz by the next season. On the other hand, Akiko already has up to 3Lz combination. At Nationals, Nana and Akiko scored so close because akiko messed up some of her jumps; but the base value would be higher for Akiko.

It's really a difficult decision for them to make. I wonder how this turns out.
 
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Oscilla

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 1, 2006
christinaskater said:
Hope someone can upload her LP at the Nationals! Please
Click to expand...

Do you mean Akiko's? I can upload it once I get back from work. I thought someone would have uploaded it by now, that's why I haven't.


Regarding the short-term potential, Nana only uses up to 3 loop yet.
Click to expand...

She used 3F in her LP, although she messed it up. She had it planned at Nationals as well, but she (unusually for her) doubled her opening 3L, so she opted to do 3L anstead of 3F later in the program. She can do lutz in the practices, but she flutzes, so she decided not to try it until it's clean.
She is working on 3T-3T and 3L-3T, and landed 3L-3T in the Gala (still undertotated, but a promising attempt).
Akiko, OTOH, seems to be working on 2A-3T, which could help her rack up points as well.
 
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Bennett

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Although I am not very optimistic about their GP appearnces next season (some hope for Akiko, but not quite sure), I hope that they could make it 2008 or 2009:) Especially, I hope that Akiko would be able to make it before her retirement some time.
Regarding Yukina, of course, I would love to see her in GP series. But I also look forward to seeing her as a pro because her artistry is simply superb:love: She will become a star cast as a pro. It would be lovely if she can try lots of things with her artistry.
 
christinaskater

christinaskater

Medalist
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Akiko is such an amazing artiste on the ice! She needs to work on her jumps though and the stability of the landings. If she does all of that she could be up there in the top 3

I saw her before around 2002 and she was really amazing! One of the skaters with bodies that naturally moves with the music!

She could also improve on her spin positions a little, some more polish in that area

Footwork is excellent, musicality, artistry-fab


Overall amazing! But to meet the current demands of competitive skating, the 3-3 is something we would be waiting for....


Yukina is the best in terms of musicality! She is amazing, she gives me chills



Akiko was really better before, she's had her bouts with anorexia...but i think she's on her way to recapturing her past glory

Who knows , like Shizuka, one or both girls are going to put everybody on the look out!
 
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