Yukari Nakano

I like MM and Fumie^2's idea, but I thought we'd cross the Pacific for this one...

Yukari Nakano gave, to some, the champion's performance at the World Championships this year, but finished off the podium behind Mao, Caroline, and Yu-Na. Some felt that it should have been enough for her to finish ahead of at least Caroline and Yu-Na, but the judges didn't agree. In your opinion, what does she need to do to make it to the podium? She is the "oldest" of the Japanese women, and, according to some, is considered the "redhead stepchild" of JSF. What does she need to fix (UR? leg-wrap?) to make that final push to become a world medalist?

Or, was this just the judges' way of saying, "Wait your turn?" (She has been waiting an awfully long time)

I really like Nukari. I think she is a great skater.

But I think that her problem is, that her jumps are often downgraded.

When she works on that problem, she have a good chance to win a medal at worlds.

I hope, she can skate a great season 2008/2009. :agree:

blue dog said:

I like MM and Fumie^2's idea, but I thought we'd cross the Pacific for this one...

Yukari Nakano gave, to some, the champion's performance at the World Championships this year, but finished off the podium behind Mao, Caroline, and Yu-Na. Some felt that it should have been enough for her to finish ahead of at least Caroline and Yu-Na, but the judges didn't agree. In your opinion, what does she need to do to make it to the podium? She is the "oldest" of the Japanese women, and, according to some, is considered the "redhead stepchild" of JSF. What does she need to fix (UR? leg-wrap?) to make that final push to become a world medalist?

Or, was this just the judges' way of saying, "Wait your turn?" (She has been waiting an awfully long time)

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bluedog - You really should write carolina otherwise some readers will thing it's someone else.

She's a fine competitive skater, and I should think the judges know this by now. The leg wrap is not nice for many fans (incuding me) but it is perfectly legal. There should be no minuses in the GoEs for that reason.

Joe

I still say that the final group of the womens long at 2008's world and looking at the result shows what's wrong with CoP more than any number of careful analyses and theory.

The audience in the arena responded to her program more than any other and it _fell_ a place. That's no way to win new fans (or keep old ones). And trying to explain it in terms of the new system just makes things worse.

JMO but Nakano became my favorite active skater that night (and the results knocked me further into apathy about watching any skating in the future).

Address UR and improve the loop. Jumpers win the game.

Yukari Nakano puts her heart and soul into her skating, and that boosts her PCS scores quite a bit. But she needs to work on her URs to make it to the podium.

1. Fix UR
2. Add triple-triple
3. Fix Leg Wrap

Best of luck to Yukari in the coming season. Ganbatte kudasai!

saltypig said:

1. Fix UR
2. Add triple-triple
3. Fix Leg Wrap

Best of luck to Yukari in the coming season. Ganbatte kudasai!

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Right on all 3 counts! The 3Axel is only worth 7.5 under COP. Yukari, if I'm not mistaken, was downgraded on that element in every international event this season. Carolina Kosnter's 3flip+3toe+2loop is worth 11.0. Mao Asada's 3flip+3loop is worth 10.5. Yu-Na Kim's 3flip+3toe is worth 9.5. Joannie Rochette's 3Salchow+half loop+3toe is worth 7.48 in the latter half of her LP. Nakano is not doing herself any favors by constantly going for a 3Axel she's not getting credit for and that's not worth much to begin with.

I think any hope of her fixing the leg wrap at this stage of the game is pretty much hopeless. This is the flawed technique she grew up with and at 23 years of age, trying to rectify it may prove to be near impossible. It could severely throw off her timing on those toe jumps altogether.

The underrotation is her biggest issue. So many of her jumps appear under-rotated to my eyes. The leg wraps give them the impression of being labored and unpleasing to the eye.

She's a wonderful spinner though and has a beautiful smile! I like that she doesn't unravel under pressure often. All in all, she's a very dependable skater, but a 3+3 and better executed rotation on those triples will help her to reach the next level.

Yukari, if I'm not mistaken, was downgraded on that element in every international event this season.

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Nope, it got ratified at Skate Canada and Cup of Russia.

I still say that the final group of the womens long at 2008's world and looking at the result shows what's wrong with CoP more than any number of careful analyses and theory.

The audience in the arena responded to her program more than any other and it _fell_ a place. That's no way to win new fans (or keep old ones). And trying to explain it in terms of the new system just makes things worse.

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I agree with this. Looking at the program purely CoP-wise, the results might make sense, sort of. But when I watch the programs, I can't help but be really disappointed. Even the commentators (ESPN, Eurosport, TVP...) who watch this sport for decades and are usually suspisious when it comes to jump underrotations (Uncle Dick suspected Yuna's SP Lutz and LP Sal to be downgraded, IIRC) were not able to notice the underrotations and suspected that Yukari will certainly place high, maybe even win.

I feel really bad for Yukari, because she's an amazing skater and the only thing that holds her back is her jump technique, which at this age might be impossible to fix. I'v very impressed with how much she improved - she was so nervous 2 years ago at Worlds in Calgary and had to be comforted by Nobunari (even more nervous himself ), but now she skated like a champion and brought her best game to the Worlds. She might not have gotten a medal, but her performance will remain in my memory for a long time!