Takahashi and Tran Split

[joyfuls]

True, but surely you don't believe everything they say? It's a political organization.

Regardless we'll see what's really going on once things settle down and we get closer to Sochi.

Narumi seems like a really sweet girl. She has also always appreciated Mervin and is always thankful that he is her partner, so it's really odd that she would just drop him suddenly in the middle of the season. She left him hanging and he only tweeted a week ago

"Sitting at a restaurant and they start playing "Imagine" on the speakers. Miss competing. Get well soon Narumi."

Something big must've changed her mind. I wish them the best of luck in finding new partners. They have a big future ahead of them!

[mary01]

Narumi seems like a really sweet girl. She has also always appreciated Mervin and is always thankful that he is her partner, so it's really odd that she would just drop him suddenly in the middle of the season. She left him hanging and he only tweeted a week ago



Something big must've changed her mind. I wish them the best of luck in finding new partners. They have a big future ahead of them!

Me too I also hope they both will find new partners soon, and maybe, just maybe go back as a pair after the olympics, I atleast wish they would, if it doesn't work with the new partners!

[Skater Boy]

Injuries seem to make people go crazy or rethink their partnership. I wonder - weaver and poje are they next. Think about it. Dube and DAvison - Bryce gets seriously injured with his knee and then it is over. Samuelson and Bates. Everyone is out for the elusive ogm I guess.

[mousepotato]

Injuries seem to make people go crazy or rethink their partnership. I wonder - weaver and poje are they next. Think about it. Dube and DAvison - Bryce gets seriously injured with his knee and then it is over. Samuelson and Bates. Everyone is out for the elusive ogm I guess.

It was over. Bryce had a career ending injury, should Jessica have retired too? Or found another partner and tried to make a go of it. I think Takahashi was either pressured to skate with a single skater from Japan to make up the team for the OM or their relationship wasn't as good as they let on.

They had a good set up as it was and if this break-up was caused by her not wanting to miss one or maybe two competitions in their whole career is pretty stupid. The OM was a long shot in 2014 as it was.

I feel bad for Takahashi, she isn't that great of a skater and if they do pair her up with a man from Japan they will be at square one, I think her career is essentially over at this point. Tran OTOH will can get a great Canadian partner and have a real shot at a future.

[dorispulaski]

It's possible she gets homesick in Canada, and she just doesn't want to go back to train away from Japan? Her reasons are all just speculation at this point, I think.

[golden411]

Steve O'Brien ‏@Obriens13

@skate_moivo I don't want you to sit out after gaining a bronze at worlds. Skate for Canada if you must, but please don't stop.
11:30 AM - 19 Dec 12

Mervin Tran ‏@skate_moivo

@Obriens13 the plan is to continue. Unless fate has something else in store, but then again, I am stubborn at times. So I won't quit easily.
7:10 AM - 20 Dec 12

[hiflo]

At the 2012 World Championships, Takahashi and Tran placed third in both programs and won the bronze medal.[11][12] They became the first pair to medal for Japan at a senior World Championships.[12] They placed third at the 2012 World Team Trophy. In April 2012, Tran said he would continue to consider an application for Japanese citizenship and the president of the Japanese Olympic Committee said he was "willing to make a special request (on behalf of Tran) to the government if necessary."[13][14] In May 2012, a government official said it would be difficult to naturalize Tran because he has never resided in Japan.

This is what I found from wikipedia. JOC was willing to make a special request, but the Ministry of Legal Affairs basically refused it because he has never resided in Japan.

When I was living in Japan, there were two cases in soccer where Japanese Government granted citizenship pretty much immediately for the 1996 Olympics. The two soccer players were only in Japan for a year or two- they didn't really speak, let alone write, Japanese. From memory both were from South America.

If the Japanese really wanted Tran to compete for Japan, they could have easily found a way for him. I just think there is something more political behind their split.

[dorispulaski]

Welcome to Golden Skate, hiflo.

I hope Mervin will find a new partner soon.

[chuckm]

This is what I found from wikipedia. JOC was willing to make a special request, but the Ministry of Legal Affairs basically refused it because he has never resided in Japan.

When I was living in Japan, there were two cases in soccer where Japanese Government granted citizenship pretty much immediately for the 1996 Olympics. The two soccer players were only in Japan for a year or two- they didn't really speak, let alone write, Japanese. From memory both were from South America.

If the Japanese really wanted Tran to compete for Japan, they could have easily found a way for him. I just think there is something more political behind their split.

Could the soccer players have been of Japanese descent?

[mikiandorocks]

I can only remember two cases:
- Sergio Escudero but he was not of japanese descent. He played for a japanese club. I believe he was born in Argentina and was of spanish descent.
- Mike Havenaar who was of dutch descent.

It's a real shame that T&T had to split. I still can't believe it!

[Kalina]

...
- Mike Havenaar who was of dutch descent.

Havenaar's situation is a bit different because he was born and raised in Japan, and was granted citizenship along with his family when he was still a child.

[Olympia]

I wonder what the policy would have been to give Lucinda Ruh citizenship if she had skated for Japan. She lived there for several years while her father was there on business, and she spoke Japanese to some degree. I know, I know; she came in something like thirteenth in her year in Worlds, but I'm just imagining possibilities.

[Nadia01]

I wonder what the policy would have been to give Lucinda Ruh citizenship if she had skated for Japan. She lived there for several years while her father was there on business, and she spoke Japanese to some degree. I know, I know; she came in something like thirteenth in her year in Worlds, but I'm just imagining possibilities.

Probably a big fat no. JP govt takes naturalization VERY seriously.

[mikiandorocks]

Havenaar's situation is a bit different because he was born and raised in Japan, and was granted citizenship along with his family when he was still a child.

Didn't know he was already born in Japan. I only remember a sport news article mentioning naturalized soccer players and Havenaar's name was on the list.

I still can't believe T&T split. Off course that it's nice to know that a country takes the granting of nationality so seriously but it's also a bit frustating to think about so many great partnerships we could have in skating that in the end don't happen because of situations like this.

[wallylutz]

The link article re: their split stating that the citizenship issue is not a "direct cause" per JSF. That's not saying much and saying a lot at the same time. One, it does confirm that Tran's citizenship issue was definitely a consideration though there are likely other factors.

Although there have been pairs and dance couples split, few happened while they were current world medalists except due to retirement or career ending injuries. Evgeni Platov has publicly stated how he couldn't stand Pasha Grishuck and her strange behaviors but he toughed it out until they win their 2nd Olympic Gold medal, then they turned pro and he promptly dumped her.

World Medalists just don't split for no good reasons, it's very rare because it is often very difficult to rebuild the same success with a different partner. In either dance or pairs, you pretty much have to start from scratch. In Dance, if one the 2 partners is relatively famous, you can usually get fast-tracked but it would take some time. In pairs, the time to work out the unison and most importantly, build the trust, is easier said than done.

Due to this high opportunity cost, it makes this split particularly curious.