Narumi Takahashi's new partner revealed? | Golden Skate

Narumi Takahashi's new partner revealed?

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA
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Oct 25, 2012
Country
Northern-Ireland
According to a link that a friend of mine posted to Facebook an hour or so ago, Takahashi's new partner will be...drum roll...Ryuichi Kihara

www.47news.jp/CN/201301/CN2013012901002400.html

Story is in Japanese, but it can easily be translated into English.

Well, we all knew it would be a Japanese skater. But, for somebody with Narumi's record of success, I would have thought they would have paired her up with somebody who had experience in pairs skating, rather than a singles skater.

But, good luck to them both! It will be great to see Narumi back in action. Now all we need to do is sort Mervin out with a new partner...

Thanks for the link, Ira

CaroLiza_fan
 

rkuang

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
According to a link that a friend of mine posted to Facebook an hour or so ago, Takahashi's new partner will be...drum roll...Ryuichi Kihara

www.47news.jp/CN/201301/CN2013012901002400.html

Story is in Japanese, but it can easily be translated into English.

Well, we all knew it would be a Japanese skater. But, for somebody with Narumi's record of success, I would have thought they would have paired her up with somebody who had experience in pairs skating, rather than a singles skater.

But, good luck to them both! It will be great to see Narumi back in action. Now all we need to do is sort Mervin out with a new partner...

Thanks for the link, Ira

CaroLiza_fan

Aw, I really like Takahashi and Tran :( But it couldn't be helped really. Pairs partners change so fast these days that it's getting hard to keep up, or really invest in them.
 

FlattFan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 4, 2010
Can Mervyn Tran and Vanessa Lam partner up? Vanessa might not make it in single with her small jumps. But her line, her jumps, and her steps are solid for pair. They should be very competitive in a short time.
 
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Can Mervyn Tran and Vanessa Lam partner up? Vanessa might not make it in single with her small jumps. But her line, her jumps, and her steps are solid for pair. They should be very competitive in a short time.

So that Tran can find himself in a position where he's unable to make Olympics again? :p
 

koheikun90

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 25, 2010
I knew it, I knew it I called this one! I think is a great pairing. Ryuichi has a lot to catch up on but I always felt he had the size and build to do pairs.
 

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
Again, it is in Japanese, but the gist of it is that Narumi Takahashi and Ryuichi Kihara will be trained by Yuka Sato in Detroit.

Thanks for the info Ira!
CaroLiza_fan

Thanks for the info, CaroLiza_fan! :)

Still Idk what to say and expect on this new-pairing...however, wow, traininig in Detroit will be quite beneficial for this new team, I believe. Jason used to be a US great pair skater and knows hell a lot of how to skate with once-a-single skater (yeees, Yuka! ;)), so that he can perfectly advise to Narumi. And vice versa Yuka to Ryuichi. He can also learn how to skate from Yuka! When I heard about the rumor (Kihara as her new partner), I was worried because his skating skill was no match with Narumi's I thought. He doesn't have to worry about the language barrier in Detroit, either, Narumi and Yuka being with him.
Oh my. Jason and Yuka sounds just a perfect choice for them! :eek: Here's my hoping good luck to them! :yes:

And I sincerely hope Mervin also can find his new partner asap. Time is so precious especially for Mervin, since he is the one who has no other choice but to change his 'representing' country...Best of luck to him!!! Mervin, please don't forget there are so many skating fans in Japan who are willing to root for you no matter what!!! :yay:
 
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figuristka

Medalist
Joined
Dec 15, 2003
So happy she got another partner. Funny but before i clicked to see who i wondered if it may be Kihara, who was also one of my picks :) For me it was between kihara and Nakamura.:yay:
 
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Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Thanks for the info, CaroLiza_fan! :)

Still Idk what to say and expect on this new-pairing...however, wow, traininig in Detroit will be quite beneficial for this new team, I believe. Jason used to be a US great pair skater and knows hell a lot of how to skate with once-a-single skater (yeees, Yuka! ;)), so that he can perfectly advise to Narumi. And vice versa Yuka to Ryuichi. He can also learn how to skate from Yuka! When I heard about the rumor (Kihara as her new partner), I was worried because his skating skill was no match with Narumi's I thought. He doesn't have to worry about the language barrier in Detroit, either, Narumi and Yuka being with him.
Oh my. Jason and Yuka sounds just a perfect choice for them! :eek: Here's my hoping good luck to them! :yes:

And I sincerely hope Mervin also can find his new partner asap. Time is so precious especially for Mervin, since he is the one who has no other choice but to change his 'representing' country...Best of luck to him!!! Mervin, please don't forget there are so many skating fans in Japan who are willing to root for you no matter what!!! :yay:

How wonderful to hear that they'll be training in Detroit with Yuka and Jason! I hope everything works out for them. Now we just have to worry about Mervin.
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
Hope it goes well and glad Japan will have a pairs team for Sochi! I don't think they'll be super competitive any time soon, but if he's a good singles skater, the SBS jumps and spins might be fine at least, and the throws should still be fine. Assuming they'll make the minimum TES scores for Sochi, they will at least have a shot at a medal in the team competition. They need to start entering competitions soon though.
 

Ilvskating

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 30, 2010
They look good together. I really liked the girl since last year, even though I was surprised they won the bronze.
 

starryxskies

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 2, 2012
I was wondering if they will show up at this year's WTT just to gain some points...

I don't think they have anything to lose... They will get points regardless even if they place last. Better to get minimum points than to leave the category blank for Team Japan.
 

ohheyskaters

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 28, 2011
I don't think they have anything to lose... They will get points regardless even if they place last. Better to get minimum points than to leave the category blank for Team Japan.

Will they have two programs ready in two months, though? They just started training which means he probably just started learning a lot of the basic pairs skills. This probably won't be enough time, especially since she just came off an injury as well... I hope they aren't pressured to participate especially having a newbie lift and throw her increases her chances of getting injured again. That would be awful heading into the Olympic season and the Olympic qualifier being in September. :(
 

jjane45

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 23, 2009
Safety first, definitely. What about "walking thru" the lifts and throws, just do sbs jumps and sbs spins? That will still count as something right? But if it becomes an issue of fed reputation then too bad ;)
 

pitterpatter

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 25, 2012
On the one hand I agree they don't have much to lose, but on the other hand - what a pressure cooker of a situation to be making your debut as a brand new pairs team. It might be better for them to develop under the radar instead of inviting buzz and speculations about their progress.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
On the one hand I agree they don't have much to lose, but on the other hand - what a pressure cooker of a situation to be making your debut as a brand new pairs team. It might be better for them to develop under the radar instead of inviting buzz and speculations about their progress.

I think pairs skating is a little harder than getting a singles skater to say I am now a pairs skaters let's go to the World Team champonships. Itis an insult to pairs skating. Besides learngng how to do a lift is more than strength - it is requires timing and the two skaters working together and I am not so sure he is all that strong for lifts - he will have to work out. coordinating spins and death spirals ain't so easy. I guess it is fair to allow them to compete but the price should be their reptuation. Surely there is ap airs team in Japan - maybe not top notch but this is ridculous and an absolute insult to pairs skating. If Japan pulls this crazy stunt I hope they get penalized or some kind of justice occurs in the future. it is still unclear if this team really can work together and if he can even be a pairs skater. They risk serious injury althugh yes, I guess they can do a walk thru but wasn't the reason in part their were minimum scores was to prevent the Jamaican bobsled type scenarios at the cost of international participation? some thought olympics and world championships should be more than I won the national championships of say Kenya where maybe (I am hypothezing) there is no real skating competition if any.
 

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
Since I don't have much knowlege in pairs skating, please allow me in advance if I am wrong on what I am writing below. :)

When skaters want to try pair skating, do they have to start their career specifically as a pair skater from the begining, so that means they have to start in their early career, say, 6 y.o. or 7 y.o?
Aren't there a couple of pairs skaters among top teams who once were single skaters at some point of their career? Robin Szolkowy, Ondrej Hotarek, both of Pang and Tong come to mind, for instance.

IIRC, Narumi herself was a single skater when she got started. She decided to switch to pair skating when she moved to China due to her fathers job because she was so impressed with the level of Chinese pair skaters who were dominant; Shen/Zhao, Pang/Tong and Zhangs! and she fell in love with pair skating back then. Isn't Mervin once a single skater? When Narumi and Mervin made a team, it was so hard for him to get used to how to lift her, I heard.
If you are not from countries that are powerhouse in figure skating; e.g. Russia, Canada and US, it must be so hard for any skaters to start their career as pair skaters and/or even ice dancers from the beginning, I think.

Is it a bit late and risky for Ryuichi to switch to pair skater at the age of 20/21? Probably yes. Then is it worthy for trying it? ABSOLUTELY! :yes: Gooo, Narumi & Ryuichi! :yay:
 
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