Japanese World Team: 2013 Outlook

There's no way JSF is putting Hanyu off the world team, especially since they are fully supporting his coach change to Orser. I heard they are paying for most of his expenses too.

It's funny how one piece of news can directly shift the Japanese team outlook It's kinda like the stock market (simplified).

Becki said:

There's no way JSF is putting Hanyu off the world team, especially since they are fully supporting his coach change to Orser. I heard they are paying for most of his expenses too.

It's funny how one piece of news can directly shift the Japanese team outlook It's kinda like the stock market (simplified).

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I was just listing the possibilities. I didn't specifically say that he was only going to not make the world team. A coaching change can be a big factor in how the skater performs, so it's just another variable to consider when predicting the outcome of a season that has not even started yet. I occasionally like doing crazy paranoid predictions sometimes. It's from the skating withdrawal On the other hand I think he will benefit greatly from Wilson choreo and will score big if he skates clean, enough to overtake Takahashi.

Becki said:

The Japanese Figure Skating Class designation thing has been released: http://skatingjapan.or.jp/image_data/fck/file/2012_Figure/24Figure.pdf

Suzuki is in "Exceptionally Special Skaters" once again Haruka Imai has been 'downgraded' to "Special Skater A".

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Thanks for the PDF. I fed the document to Google Translate and I find it interesting that Nobunari Oda has been placed in the topmost class designation thing (according to Google Translate, "Special election strengthened the hand"). Guess they haven't completely given up on him yet.

I am also very glad to see the JSF isn't shafting Akiko like they tried to do last season!

evangeline said:

Thanks for the PDF. I fed the document to Google Translate and I find it interesting that Nobunari Oda has been placed in the topmost class designation thing (according to Google Translate, "Special election strengthened the hand"). Guess they haven't completely given up on him yet.

I am also very glad to see the JSF isn't shafting Akiko like they tried to do last season!

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Haha, the direct translation is "exceptionally/special strengthen athlete", but really I suspect these are the skaters who will receiving the most funding and support.

NMURA said:

We can say that Takahashi was treated as the clear favorite representing the home only because Hanyu was not there. IF Hanyu was participating WTT, Takahashi's score could be lower (although his performances could've beaten Chan this time). Even the JSF has considered that possibility and put Hanyu off the team in favor of Takahashi. They said Hanyu has sprained his ankle. But it's very strange to make the conclusion so early.

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Eh? What is strange and what do you mean by "early"? I think if someone strains an ankle, it's announced when it's diagnosed. The rest is just rumors that you keep spreading around. But if you are a press-secretary of JSF, than you are within your rights to declaim things in your ex cathedra tone.

Japan Ladies might be hurting after Sochi. No Ando, Suzuki or Asada to rely on anymore. Unless the new girls get a lot better Japan might be heading for a slump of their own just like the US Ladies have the last 5 years.

Suzuki is clearly the number one Japanese lady this season. With PCS's in the high 7's and 8's already, a triple-triple, incredible and beautiful artistry and musicality only matched by Asada and Kostner, top-notch footwork and vastly improved spins-- she is on top.

I hope next year would become an even better season for her. With her stature now as World medalist and for recently beating the World champion- if she plays her cards right, she may take it to an even higher level! I am so proud of her! I love you Akiko!!!!!!!!!!!!


I agree that JSF favored Takahiko this season after his World silver medal (fair enough) and were quite unsure where Dai is heading in his career. Dai had to reestablish himself as the top skater in Japan and in the world. Yuzuru will keep on improving next year and will give Dai and Patrick a formidable challenge for the world title and who knows Takahiko may find the form that was missing this season!


For the ladies in the future- I think Kanako, Satoko and Rissa can keep the Japanese flag on top with the Russians and Americans!

Kanako has a chance to make a team is she becomes more consistent. She has grown artistically this year. I expect her to be even better next year.

Jammers said:

Japan Ladies might be hurting after Sochi. No Ando, Suzuki or Asada to rely on anymore. Unless the new girls get a lot better Japan might be heading for a slump of their own just like the US Ladies have the last 5 years.

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They have actually lost a spot at Junior worlds. The Japanese junior men did as well. A lot of the ladies have technique and UR problems. I wonder if we'll eventually see a shift in power from Japan to China in regards to single skating. The Chinese junior men are actually up a spot at next year's junior worlds

I think that the World team for the men will be Daisuke, Yuzuru and Takahiko again. I don't think that Yuzuru is going to overtake Daisuke, though, not yet anyway. After last year's Worlds, everyone thought Artur Gachinski would become a big threat, but this year he finished what? 18th? (Not that he can't come back from that and be a huge star.) Same thing could happen to Yuzuru, although hopefully not, and probably not. But you never know. He's young and could be unpredictable. And he had a coaching change, too, which is probably a good thing, but could take some getting used to. I do think he will be the future of Japanese skating (thinking maybe 2018 Olympics?), but I don't think he will overtake Dai next year.

Daisuke's getting better, too, so that's why I think he'll be the top Japanese man at the 2013 Worlds. He had been having trouble with his quad for the longest time, but I think now he is finally getting it solid and somewhat more consistent. Plus, he performs programs and interprets them like no one else (IMO) which results in good PCS.

The third spot on the team I think will go to Takahiko. Yeah, he had a rough season, but that doesn't mean he can't come back. I think he will be better next season; he has so much potential. I have no clue what Nobunari Oda is going to bring, I haven't seen him skate in so long. But with the whole injury he had and everything, I don't expect him to skate well enough to make the World team, especially because I think Taka will do better next season than he did this season.

As for the ladies, if Miki comes back, I think it will be Miki, Mao and Akiko on the team. As much as I love Miki Ando, though, I kind of hope she doesn't come back. I think she has accomplished what she can, she's a two-time World Champion, and she should just stay retired so she can quit while she's on top. I'm not sure what else she can do. Although, I'd love watching her skate again, so I'm torn.

So if Miki's back she will almost certainly be on the team, and I think Mao will, too. She's their star, and even though she's had a hard couple seasons, she's on the comeback trail.

As long as Akiko skates as well next season as she did this past season, she should be on the team as well. She was amazing this season, she won a World medal, and I really hope she can keep it up I think Kanako will do better, but Akiko was really the #1 Japanese lady this season, so I don't think Kanako will make it.

But, hey, it's not for a year. A lot of things could change; we'll have to see how the Grand Prix goes

Butterscotch, welcome to GS!

Like you, I don't know what to hope for in regard to Miki. I like her very much, and I admire her as a skater. But it's always hard to predict how a skater will do after a season away from the ice. Well, we'll get to see for ourselves at the same time everyone else does. Japan is certainly flush with talent in singles skating! I'm just glad they so enjoy sharing it with the rest of us.

Like you, I think Takahashi's efforts this year show that he is getting stronger, and so I don't automatically assume that another Japanese skater will pass him by. If Hanyu's so splendid that he can exceed even Takahashi, then good for him. But to me so far he lacks the magic that Daisuke brings to the music. He's certainly exciting to watch, though. Wow, this is going to be a stupendous season.

Thank you, Olympia! I agree with you, and I can't wait for the season to start!