- Joined
- Mar 23, 2010
ITA. Akiko has always been a weak SP skater who has had to come from behind in the FS. Does anyone remember when she was 20th at 2010 Worlds and had to skate in the first group but managed to finish 7th in the FS and got 11th overall? That's probably the worst example.
At Japanese Nationals, 2009 4th (6;3) 2010 2nd (4;2) 2011 4th (7;4) 2012 2nd (3;1).
Worlds: 2010 11th (20;7) 2012 3rd (5th;2nd)
4CC: 2009 8th (9;8) 010 2nd (1;2) 2011 7th (6;7)
GPF: 2009 3rd (5;3) 2010 4th (4;5 )2011 2nd (2;3)
GP events:
NHK: 2008 2nd (4;2) 2011 1st (1;2);2012 2nd (5;1)
SC: 2009 5th (8;5) 2011 2nd (4;1) 2012 2nd (5;1)
COC: 2009 1st (4;1); 2010 2nd (1;2)
COR: 2010 2nd (2;2)
Now with the exception of Worlds 2010, she doesn't bomb as badly like Ashley Wagner did and is usually within striking distance to easily get a medal and even win; but it would give her some buffer if she did not make mistakes in the SP.
If you look only at her past result, then it is almost the equivalent of looking at only her protocols without looking at her actual FS performances where she had probably the best skate of her life. While those result may look fine on paper, but many long observers of her include myself who watches the competition can see she was underscored in general in PCS, and in particularly in Japan, that is perhaps why this sensationalist thread title was made in the first place. I feel there's some truth in that, but some don't. To the rest of the world, she is world's no.2 (Her current ISU ranking). If Akiko skated for Russia, or Canada, or US, she certainly would have done better.