I had seen Kanako when she won junior worlds and she had won me over with her spark,last season was hard but she looks better this year, also she is one of the skaters I always like her exhibition programs.
I had seen Kanako when she won junior worlds and she had won me over with her spark,last season was hard but she looks better this year, also she is one of the skaters I always like her exhibition programs.
If figure skating survived Hughe's musicallity and perfect jumping technique against Michelle's, I m not worried.Originally Posted by janetfan
They weren't. If a call was made as such, it was a terrible one. That was a legit 3-3 combination. Murakami has been receiving < calls on this combo ever since 2011 Worlds and it really bugs me because she's never deserved to get the downgrade call.They actually were...I love how her SP starts with a step sequenceI also thought that her 3-3 was great in SP, were both jumps really UR? I didn't think so, both looked super-clean to me.
I feel Murakami has been a bit underrated. I would have put her 6th at 2011 Worlds and 4th at 2012 Worlds (I'd have Ashley Wagner 3rd there and Alena Leonova down in 5th, btw). She is a really solid and enjoyable all-around skater, just with technique issues on the Lutz and Flip.
As for her programs this year, the layout of the SP is extremely smart. It gives her nice bonus points with the jumps spread out like that and I'm so glad we are finally seeing Short Programs with this kind of setup. I really wish she wouldn't do the illusion turn in the step sequence. I hate how that movement has been put into almost every step sequence these days, to get those CoP qualifications filled in; it's almost always ineffective choreography and especially interpretively. The only other problem with the program is the huge gap she takes in the steps before her solo 3Flip jump - that requires a large deduction. It doesn't seem Murakami is capable of doing a 3Flip directly out of steps with her technique, so she should probably change it to a 3Loop. In her Long Program she did a 3Loop-2Loop with preceding turns that didn't have too much of a delay between the turns and the jump, plus an edge jump would feel better with the music in this section of her Short Program anyway.
The Long Program is a big departure for her artistically and it remains to be seen if she can pull it off. She is required to be serious, seductive, and a bit deadly with this program, when she naturally has a less severe attitude and a rather innocent aura.
Last edited by Blades of Passion; 10-13-2012 at 10:45 PM.
I was talking about technique and her nerve issues, I said this before Kanako just needs more confidence buts he is already very artistic
I won't be the end if Hughes won who was a so so skater
Julia may not be that artistic yet nor like Sasha Cohen, but she is still 14
but she has something that is nerves of steel
A competitor needs this to be successful in competitions. Coach Yamada did a great job with Mao about this in her junior career and it helped her further on. Only this time, there seems to be more than we see from Kanako that's keeping her from having nerves sorted out. I hope she finds her zone, pronto.I was talking about technique and her nerve issues
I won't be the end if Hughes won who was a so so skater
Julia may not be that artistic yet nor like Sasha Cohen, but she is still 14
but she has something that is nerves of steel
Just watched her LP on Skate Canada. Kanako no longer looks juniorish. Her spins are stronger too. But the judges are too harsh with her marks, so she can't afford making any mistakes.
I like her presentation, but her jumping technique is very flawed (mule kick, flutz, etc.) It will hold her back, as she will always be prone to underrotating her jumps.
Her skating doesn't touch me.She is nice but not WOW
Hasn't this poor technique on toe jumps been a problem with other Yamada-trained skaters? Maybe she needs a touch of Arutunian.
I don't see her changing coaches.
Unfortunately, Kanako has a mule-kick flutz and she badly underrotates her jumps. As long as she doesn't correct these faults, she won't achieve as much as her higher-rated peers. She is pretty and charming, but that doesn't make up for the technical flaws.
I see a lot of roughness in her skating.
Nothing special, average skater
I thought she should have won Skate Canada with aplomb. I was shocked when the scores showed up on the screen. I thought she would be easily over 120 in the FS. The judges were over-tough on her, imo.
Overall, I was super impressed with Murakami's new programs. Starting the SP with a step sequence was brilliant. Maybe I haven't been paying close enough attention, but I can't recall any major skater doing that in the IJS era. I also loved that she saved all her combos for the second half of the program in the LP -- gutsy!
I think she's a serious gold medal contender this year at worlds and next year at the Olympics -- if she can keep up the level evinced this past weekend at Skate Canada.
Last edited by Pepe Nero; 10-28-2012 at 03:42 AM.
It is refreshing to see a skater do something different. Generally skaters just get jumps out of the way and leave the rest of the program for the choreography.
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