LADIES- Japanese Nationals (Senior) | Page 23 | Golden Skate

LADIES- Japanese Nationals (Senior)

Marrymeyunakim

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 4, 2009
Haha, well deviating from the current flow of conversation...

Is anyone else worried that a lot of Mao's jumps seem under-rotated? It might not be enough to qualify for under-rotation, but I feel like at an international event, many of her jumps at this competition would have been under-graded. Try to go back to her jumps and play them in slow-motion or pause right at the landings. Hmm... I wonder if it was just this time, but all of her jumps were like that here. Except for the last toe.

Yes, a lot of her jumps may have been deemed underrotated in international competition. I don't know what it is but the Mao I was blown away by had amazing jumping ability and didn't slow down as much entering jumps. This must have been 2-3 seasons ago. I think that her confidence must be battered and to have the weight of the Japanese media bearing down on you must not be fun either.
 

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Country
France
As for ladies, a young Katarina Witt was equally drop dead gorgeous (btw she hasn't aged as well as Dorothy Hamill has; just an observation, though I do admire European women for not doing plastic surgery, botox, et al, like the North American women do).

Katarina looked very good when I saw her at 2006 U.S. Nationals.

lots of stuff

That said, I would say body type is more important in skating versus face

I agree with this...and I don't think Akiko gains favor in the judges' eyes in this area either. She is short but not dainty.
 

miki88

Medalist
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
I think Mao's jumps( the ones she didnt get a downgrade) seem okay, and even though the nationals are more lenient, they are not that much lenient on the jumps because they did downgrade several of her elements. Maybe she just needs to pick up more speed before landing her jumps. She seems slower now.
 

Marrymeyunakim

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 4, 2009
Mao's triple axels seemed good, as did her loop (as always). Her flip was so-so, on the verge of being underrotated... I think it all stems from confidence. If she was more confident she would have more speed heading into her jumps.
 

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Katarina looked very good when I saw her at 2006 U.S. Nationals.



I agree with this...and I don't think Akiko gains favor in the judges' eyes in this area either. She is short but not dainty.

Akiko is not that short and is thin. Look at this picture: http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/X9xW...+Skating+Final+Day+3/iZMrUoaJHKN/Akiko+Suzuki

She is the same height as Miki and only a little shorter than Yuna. All three look to be about the same weight so clearly nothing is wrong with Suzuki's body type. It actually looks like she is narrower through the shoulders and hips than both Miki and Yuna. Plus she looks really pretty here, her eyes and lips are very nice.
 

roogu

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 2, 2004
Can't believe the JSF chose Miki again like in 2006 when Yoshie outskated her. Suzuki should be going to both worlds and Olys.
 

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Country
France
Akiko is not that short and is thin. Look at this picture: http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/X9xW...+Skating+Final+Day+3/iZMrUoaJHKN/Akiko+Suzuki

She is the same height as Miki and only a little shorter than Yuna. All three look to be about the same weight so clearly nothing is wrong with Suzuki's body type. It actually looks like she is narrower through the shoulders and hips than both Miki and Yuna.

Yes, exactly. Akiko has smaller frame, which potentially makes her seem less imposing on the ice. Her legs aren't "ideally" (I am going back to societal views on physical beauty now) proportioned to that smaller frame, however. She doesn't have thin legs to give her a "cute" or "princess" kind of look...compare to Mao Asada, Sasha Cohen, or Tara Lipinski.

Essentially Akiko's body type doesn't give off any particular image - elegant, cute, or supple. That can be a detriment to how people view her.
 

Bennett

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Kiira, Laura, and Carolina Kostner all have great skating skills, esp. Laura and Caro are very fast and have great basics. Kiira also strokes like an ice dancer, very smooth and gentle to the ice. I doubt if their faces or body types mattered as much as these factors.
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Kiira, Laura, and Carolina Kostner all have great skating skills, esp. Laura and Caro are very fast and have great basics. Kiira also strokes like an ice dancer, very smooth and gentle to the ice. I doubt if their faces or body types mattered as much as these factors.

I am not too keen on Kira's Skating Skill actually, she does not seem to down in her knees enough like the Japanese skaters do so well. She seems to skate over the ice, not down into it and thus flips out of many of her landings. Her facial expression is almost always blank, and it amazes how much judges prefer a "pretty" face that does nothing to an "average" expressive one.
 

bluelutz

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 23, 2003
[qoute=christinaskater]I love this Akiko Kanako moment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y76x5UDDTo4

I really love Kanako, never have I seen interaction like this in a competitive event! Such nice people!

Is that a real interaction or some creative video editing??? So cute if real! What is the connection between Akiko and Kanako?[/QUOTE]

It is definitely real.
Both Akiko and Kanako are based in Nagoya city, where so many other great skaters are from, like Midori, Yoshie(Onda), Yukari, Miki, Mao and Kozuka.
However, in recent years, just like other Japanese cities, some of their skate rinks closed down due to the high rent and the high cost of maintenance. Therefore they have to share the same ice sometimes, even though they belong to different clubs. It is nothing like in U.S., most of Japanese skaters have to struggle just to find the ice to practince, except some skaters like Mao and Miki, whoes college got the brand new rink.
because of that kind of condition, most of skaters in Nagoya have known each other since they were very young.
Actually, a couple years ago, Kanako, when she was still in the novice level, beated Akiko at their local competition, they got some unique ones that they allow novice skaters to compete against seniors.
 
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ks777

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 15, 2003
[qoute=christinaskater]I love this Akiko Kanako moment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y76x5UDDTo4

I really love Kanako, never have I seen interaction like this in a competitive event! Such nice people!

Is that a real interaction or some creative video editing??? So cute if real! What is the connection between Akiko and Kanako?[/QUOTE]

Yes it really happened. Kanako and Akiko train sometimes at the same rink and they are friends.
 

Bennett

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Kanako looked a bit overwhelmed by the event. Mao was calm and her own self when she participated in senior nationals as a 15 yr old (she was aiming to land 2 3As and she did). But Kanako looked like a little guest here.:) Yet, it was great she still did what she did and placed as high as possible (just after Miki).:agree:
 

Nadia01

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 10, 2009
Can't believe the JSF chose Miki again like in 2006 when Yoshie outskated her. Suzuki should be going to both worlds and Olys.

Actually Miki earned her spot fair and square before Nat. So there's nothing wrong with her getting a spot on the Oly team.
 

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Yes, exactly. Akiko has smaller frame, which potentially makes her seem less imposing on the ice. Her legs aren't "ideally" (I am going back to societal views on physical beauty now) proportioned to that smaller frame, however. She doesn't have thin legs to give her a "cute" or "princess" kind of look...compare to Mao Asada, Sasha Cohen, or Tara Lipinski.

Essentially Akiko's body type doesn't give off any particular image - elegant, cute, or supple. That can be a detriment to how people view her.

I guess. She has more of an athletic build like Alena Leonova, although Leonova looks taller and sturdier. I don't think body type makes that big of an impact though, all the top ladies are built differently and that's why it is so interesting to watch because they all attack the jumps differently.
 

Phoenix347

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 24, 2009
Yes, exactly. Akiko has smaller frame, which potentially makes her seem less imposing on the ice. Her legs aren't "ideally" (I am going back to societal views on physical beauty now) proportioned to that smaller frame, however. She doesn't have thin legs to give her a "cute" or "princess" kind of look...compare to Mao Asada, Sasha Cohen, or Tara Lipinski.

Essentially Akiko's body type doesn't give off any particular image - elegant, cute, or supple. That can be a detriment to how people view her.

I'm afraid I'd have to agree with you. There is something about Akiko's body that doesn't say elegant or supple. Even though she seems like a wonderful person, I think image can sometimes affect people's judgment. However, even though Kiira Korpi has a pretty face, her blank look and lack of charisma doesn't translate into beautiful skating for me. It is still mysterious to me how she gets the PCS score that she does get. Maybe the judges think Grace Kelly is skating instead. Judges just can bear to give a movie star and a royalty bad PCS scores!:laugh:

Edit: On a more thread related note, I noticed that as Mao was heading toward the Kiss and Cry and getting gifts from her fans after her LP, just as she was getting a gift from a fan, someone threw a stuff toy that hit the fan giving the gift on the back of head. Luckily I don't think the fan was injured so I had to laugh. Another thing was that someone gave her something in a Lego bag. I had no idea that Mao like building Legos. Maybe it calms her mind... she dropped on the way to the Kiss and Cry, though.
 
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Bennett

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Another thing was that someone gave her something in a Lego bag. I had no idea that Mao like building Legos. Maybe it calms her mind... she dropped on the way to the Kiss and Cry, though.

I thought that it was her childhood hobby. But in 2008, I watched a TV showing the products that she herself built and displayed at home. The products were boyish stuff, something mechanic like a car. Adorable. She might still do that, perhaps?
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
Yes it really happened. Kanako and Akiko train sometimes at the same rink and they are friends.

I thought it was a very nice moment. It is unusual to see a skater about to compete take time to celebrate another skater's score.

I also was surprised when Kanako apparently set-up the start of her program in the wrong spot. She took these cute little sideway hops to get to a better spot. The crowd noticed and let out polite laughter which Kanako responded to with a look over her shoulder and a smile of her own.

I have heard about Kanako but this was the first time I saw her skate.
I think she is just the most charming personality and a really terrific young skater.
 
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sigrid

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 25, 2006
I met Kanako the past year in Madrid's JGP where I was a volunteer, and I couldn't help falling in love with her. She's such a cute girl inside and outside the rink, always with a smile, and you can feel how she enjoys with FS :love:
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
Can't believe we're having this conversation again. Akiko is adorable and irresistible. I can't believe any judge anywhere would hold anything about her appearance against her. She's accomplished and immensely appealing and she hit the jackpot with her programs, but she's not on the same level as Yu Na or Mao, hence I doubt she's a contender for gold. But you never know. And if by some miracle she won, I wouldn't mind.
)


I am with you Spun and since Medusa tipped me off about Akiko I have become a big fan of her skating.

I like watching Akiko and particularly like the way she smiles at her coach right before she skates out to center ice to start her programs. I think there is something very endearing about her and find it easy to cheer for her.

The truth is I like all skaters and only make fun of Plushy ;) - but I think it is really the "Plushybots" I am fooling with - since I have admired Plushy for years. He is just like Evan in many ways. Not the most elegant skater but a really strong competitor who skates so well under pressure. :yes: ;)
 
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