Japanese Nationals Dec. 24 to 26

[SerpentineSteps]

Can I just comment on how CRAZY the level of competition is?

The only woman to land a quad (and a former world champ), the reigning world champ, the highest placing skater at GPF (and the reigning world junior champ), and the skater with the highest ISU ranking out of the bunch are all different people.

[Tinymavy15]

It is not fair that Miki gets similar PCS as Mao, Mao skates with a lot more speed and flow and much better edge quality. I think Mao's SP isn't really very musical, she goes through the program without much tango movement at all. (did LOri Nichol choreograph this one?) Her LP deserves much higher PCS than Ando.

I do agree that Miki is a favorite to win worlds. She did in 2007 in Tokyo when all eyes were on Mao. Mao still has much to prove and with the pressure all on her as reigning champion it remains to be seen what will happen. Kim is hit or miss. Miki has been consistent all year and has yet to really make a mistake in the free. 2 clean programs have done it before, they could do the trick again.

[Fozzie Bear]

This SP is the first program I've liked from Miki in a looong time. She really has improved her posture and positions for this program. My only complaint is the footwork seemed too slow across the ice, but this is one time I agree with her PCS being close to Mao's.

Mao didn't connect with the music at all, but I'm glad her she's skating better. Good for her for working on her jump technique.

I haven't seen Akiko's program yet. :( At least she got the third highest PCS.

Kanako's sure has a lot of energy! I don't like how bent over she is on some of her stroking though. Her torso was almost parallel to the ice.

No videos of Fumie yet. :(

[miki88]

Is Miki still a favorite to win Worlds? I kinda feel after GPF, the hype has shifted a little to Kanako. However, I actually liked this performance from Miki. I am so happy for Mao. But I definitely like her LP more than her SP. Not a fan of TAT programs. I am hoping she can give a good performance of Leibestraum, cause I know it'll be great.

[Krislite]

Kim is in big trouble in the long. In order to do the 7 jumping passes, she can't do the triple-triple less she go for the triple loop, because of the only two double axels in the long. Also she got many point in the spirals, and those are gone. The PCS increases as the program develops through the season, Kim is going in worlds without completing either of her programs. The PCS is bound to be lower then usual.

Huh? That's blatantly false. Kim can easily fill 7-jump passes with a 3x3 and no 3-Loop:

3Lz+3T
2A
3F+2T
2A+2T+2L
3S
3Lz
3T

She only needs to give up one of her "+3T" combos (in this case 2A+3T), not both, if she decides to omit the 3-Loop.

PCS is largely reputation based and politically driven. Being a World and Olympic champion, she'll have plenty to spare.

[genki]

Hi guys:

Merry Christmas.

I am so happy with Mao and Dai. I know that many Japanese fans cried over their performances.
For Mao, people were holding breath before the 3a, knowing that Mao struggled so hard during this season. For the fan, it is a triumphal moment that proved that Mao's struggle finally paid off.

For Dai, all Japanese fans know that he was still in pain from the collision with Taka 2 weeks ago. Since Dai kept silence about his injury in consideration for Taka, he has garnered a significant respect from fans all over Japan. I saw comments such as " His personality is level 4/" " He has a true spirit of Samurai, not blaming others at all.

After seeing that he skated his heart out, fighting through pain, I found that tears streaming on my cheeks . Jumps, spins or steps, those did not matter to me at all anymore. I felt that I peeked through a beautiful human spirit on display . People say that Dai is a crowd pleaser.What a cheap word! I am not pleased, guys. Instead, I am moved beyond words. His performance this time is not perfect, but it is a kind of performance that remains in people's mind forever.

[SkateFiguring]

Hi guys:

Merry Christmas.

I am so happy with Mao and Dai. I know that many Japanese fans cried over their performances.
For Mao, people were holding breath before the 3a, knowing that Mao struggled so hard during this season. For the fan, it is a triumphal moment that proved that Mao's struggle finally paid off.

For Dai, all Japanese fans know that he was still in pain from the collision with Taka 2 weeks ago. Since Dai kept silence about his injury in consideration for Taka, he has garnered a significant respect from fans all over Japan. I saw comments such as " His personality is level 4/" " He has a true spirit of Samurai, not blaming others at all.

After seeing that he skated his heart out, fighting through pain, I found that tears streaming on my cheeks . Jumps, spins or steps, those did not matter to me at all anymore. I felt that I peeked through a beautiful human spirit on display . People say that Dai is a crowd pleaser.What a cheap word! I am not pleased, guys. Instead, I am moved beyond words. His performance this time is not perfect, but it is a kind of performance that remains in people's mind forever.

[ks777]

This SP is the first program I've liked from Miki in a looong time. She really has improved her posture and positions for this program. My only complaint is the footwork seemed too slow across the ice, but this is one time I agree with her PCS being close to Mao's.

Mao didn't connect with the music at all, but I'm glad her she's skating better. Good for her for working on her jump technique.

I haven't seen Akiko's program yet. :( At least she got the third highest PCS.

Kanako's sure has a lot of energy! I don't like how bent over she is on some of her stroking though. Her torso was almost parallel to the ice.

No videos of Fumie yet. :(

ITA. Miki's posture has improved and it doesnt' bother me anymore. Her spins are actually pretty good now. Especially her sit spins.

[Olympia]

Hi guys:

Merry Christmas.

I am so happy with Mao and Dai. I know that many Japanese fans cried over their performances.
For Mao, people were holding breath before the 3a, knowing that Mao struggled so hard during this season. For the fan, it is a triumphal moment that proved that Mao's struggle finally paid off.

For Dai, all Japanese fans know that he was still in pain from the collision with Taka 2 weeks ago. Since Dai kept silence about his injury in consideration for Taka, he has garnered a significant respect from fans all over Japan. I saw comments such as " His personality is level 4/" " He has a true spirit of Samurai, not blaming others at all.

After seeing that he skated his heart out, fighting through pain, I found that tears streaming on my cheeks . Jumps, spins or steps, those did not matter to me at all anymore. I felt that I peeked through a beautiful human spirit on display . People say that Dai is a crowd pleaser.What a cheap word! I am not pleased, guys. Instead, I am moved beyond words. His performance this time is not perfect, but it is a kind of performance that remains in people's mind forever.

Thanks so much for this wonderful picture of the competition. I have no doubt I would have felt the same way about Daisuke's long program. To me, skating isn't just about numbers and GOE's, although of course they're important. Like any performance art, skating is at its best when it conveys something about the human spirit--both the particular spirit of the skater and something in all of humanity. You're right: "crowd pleaser" doesn't begin to explain what such a skater gives to his viewers.

I was thinking of something related to that today while watching an old Nutcracker on Ice program that they reran on American TV. It starred Oksana Baiul in her prime, maybe 1995, and as I watched her, I realized that some skaters just let you see what skating is really for. Daisuke is that kind of skater most of the time anyway, but he must have increased that quality a hundredfold during this competition.

[hikki]

Men results

1 Takahiko Kozuka 87.91 164.02 251.93
2 Nobunari Oda 77.48 160.00 237.48
3 Daisuke Takahashi 74.78 162.01 236.79
4 Yuzuru Hanyu 78.94 141.12 220.06
5 Takahito Mura 72.33 134.98 207.31
6 Tatsuki Machida 73.75 130.36 204.11
7 Daisuke Murakami 69.39 129.32 198.71
8 Kento Nakamura 64.27 128.74 193.01
9 Kensuke Nakaniwa 62.09 129.43 191.52
10 Yasuharu Nanri 61.86 125.79 187.65
11 Keiji Tanaka 57.64 126.14 183.78
12 Ryuichi Kihara 52.53 126.11 178.64
13 Ryuju Hino 50.80 120.90 171.70
14 Takuya Kondo 57.83 105.95 163.78
15 Hayato Odajima 51.27 108.59 159.86
16 Akio Sasaki 64.84 94.72 159.56
17 Yuki Horinouchi 52.65 106.07 158.72
18 Fumiya Itai 58.18 96.50 154.68
19 Yukihiro Yoshida 47.70 103.93 151.63
20 Yoji Tsuboi 50.81 96.29 147.10
21 Junki Sano 48.84 95.02 143.86
22 Junzo Nishigami 48.49 94.88 143.37
23 Jun Suzuki 49.91 93.40 143.31
24 Hayato Miyazaki 45.58 83.66 129.24

Protocols for Men's SP: http://www.skatingjapan.jp/National/...l/data0103.pdf
LP: http://www.skatingjapan.jp/National/...l/data0105.pdf

The judges didn't differetiate Kozuka & Takahashi's PCS by a lot. I'm especially surprised with the small difference in PE/ CH/ IN in the free skating. Methinks the JSF really wants to promote Koz!

I wanna see Hanyu in the Worlds next season!

[seniorita]

People complaining about thread drift on the internet never fail to make me laugh. I understand the frustration, but I have yet to go to a website where a strict interpretation of the thread title happened throughout the discussion.

hey if this goes for me, I didnt complain that much, i just wrote a half line comment, I blame the christmas food, I had eaten too much to even search for the results, I didnt know if there was an official site. Usually I m derailing the threads myself.

[SkateFiguring]

People complaining about thread drift on the internet never fail to make me laugh. I understand the frustration, but I have yet to go to a website where a strict interpretation of the thread title happened throughout the discussion.

hey if this goes for me, I didnt complain that much, i just wrote a half line comment, I blame the christmas food, I had eaten too much to even search for the results, I didnt know if there was an official site. Usually I m derailing the threads myself.

Should we continue with the thread drift discussion? I've got great stories.

[ImaginaryPogue]

hey if this goes for me, I didnt complain that much, i just wrote a half line comment, I blame the christmas food, I had eaten too much to even search for the results, I didnt know if there was an official site. Usually I m derailing the threads myself.

Nah, not you (not just you :D). You rock.

[Fozzie Bear]

ITA. Miki's posture has improved and it doesnt' bother me anymore. Her spins are actually pretty good now. Especially her sit spins.

Yeah, she had some really nice variations in those sit spins. Her camel spin was much better stretched out too.

Just watched Akiko's and Fumie's performances. I think the judges were a little stingy on their GOEs.

[aftertherain]

Daisuke long program:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YZvprWoHk8

Miki sp:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOAvF3T4lxU

Miki's SP dress is soooooo much better than those two disasters from last season. Is this one new or has she been wearing it all season? I hope her FS dress looks just as good!