Rika Hongo: ‘Not where I want to be yet’
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Love this article! Rika seems very hard-working and determined. I'm sure she'll use her COR result as motivation for nationals and future competitions! I love that she acknowledges what she needs to work on, and her plans to fix it. I'm also loving her programs this season! I'm sure she will only improve as the seasons go by.
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i thought she was very consistent. i think rika and everybody else is being really harsh on her because they put her into that "consistent skater" mold. but why isn't she allowed to mess up once when other skaters constantly have errors? i know her consistency was one of her strong straits but i think adding that stress is unnecessary.
i agree with jenny, i think her PCS arent as high as they should be. rika performs, she's got great transitions, and i dont see a problem with her skating skills. she almost reminds me of gracie gold in terms of quality. they're different, for sure, but they're both high quality skaters. if she spread out more of her skating across the ice in the SP, i think it would help. but otherwise she seems fine to me. ive never seen her live though so perhaps she has other problems we cant be aware of like speed.
i love her programs this year. i think she's heading in the right direction. i hope she finds what she's looking for and hopefully she doesn't think her programs this year are an issue ;~;
i agree with jenny, i think her PCS arent as high as they should be. rika performs, she's got great transitions, and i dont see a problem with her skating skills. she almost reminds me of gracie gold in terms of quality. they're different, for sure, but they're both high quality skaters. if she spread out more of her skating across the ice in the SP, i think it would help. but otherwise she seems fine to me. ive never seen her live though so perhaps she has other problems we cant be aware of like speed.
i love her programs this year. i think she's heading in the right direction. i hope she finds what she's looking for and hopefully she doesn't think her programs this year are an issue ;~;
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- Dec 25, 2012
Rika is in a great point in her career right now. Two very good programs that most people enjoy and her own style which is her selling point. She sticks in the memory and is fun to watch.
She's very hard on herself, as all top athletes are, but she knows what she needs to work on and is working on it. -So nothing needs to change other than what she is changing already.
Go Rika!
She's very hard on herself, as all top athletes are, but she knows what she needs to work on and is working on it. -So nothing needs to change other than what she is changing already.
Go Rika!
In the CoR SP, Rika skated next to last, after Sotnikova, Chartrand, Medvedova, and Edmunds. Chartrand was at that point in first, Medvedova in second, and Sotnikova in third. The very knowledgeable Russian crowd was well aware Rika had beaten Mao in the FS at CoC and they weren't exactly anxious for another non-Russian lady to be in the top 3. Rika let the cool reception from the crowd get to her, and she didn't skate as precisely as she had in China, URing the second jump in her combo and not showing her usual spark. Again in the FS, she wasn't her usual sprightly self, and wasn't fully into the spirit of her routine, making unusual mistakes.
Rika needs to tune out the distractions. She isn't always going to get a receptive audience and if that happens, she just has to skate for her own enjoyment and for those in the crowd who DO appreciate her efforts (and there are always some out there who do).
Rika needs to tune out the distractions. She isn't always going to get a receptive audience and if that happens, she just has to skate for her own enjoyment and for those in the crowd who DO appreciate her efforts (and there are always some out there who do).
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I like Rika alot. This is only her second Grand Prix seaon unless I am mistaken. She has sooo much room to grow. I see her on the Olympic team in 2018. She has "it". She just needs to embrace her talent and DO IT!
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- Nov 11, 2013
Posture! Posture! Posture! That will help increase her PCS. I can't enjoy her performances because of her horrid posture, it's waaaay too distracting.
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- Jan 25, 2013
Her posture can be improved, but it's not always a determinant (see: Radionova, who has poor posture but consistency and her World bronze/Russian national title reign allows her to get the PCS she gets). Rika needs to be delivering clean performances. It's a great step that she's somewhat fixed her flutz (which will add about 3-4 points to her total score). She is also getting more calls on her 3F+3T combo compared to last season. She needs to do what she does best and that's skate with attack and become a crowd favourite. Like Suzuki, she'll likely never be as elegant or as technically strong as Mao. She's a scrappy skater, but if she's exciting to watch and engages the audience then judges will forgive deficiencies in her skating (hence why Fernandez has become so great).
I really think she's underscored though on the basis of being the de facto Japanese #3. This will take time.
I really think she's underscored though on the basis of being the de facto Japanese #3. This will take time.
Her posture has improved vastly in the last year or two, largely due to working on it with Akiko Suzuki.
Of course she can always do more in that area, but I no longer find it a distraction... and certainly don't think it should be her top priority right now (as she said herself, her Lutz edge...
)Her PCS isnt because of world bronze and national title.
It's the other way around.
She won world bronze and national title because she scores high PCS (on top of her technical).
Consistency, though... yeah, not going to argue against that...
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I am really warming up to Rika this year - I see a lot of improvement in her skating (although the edge calls and UR is worrying since I don't recall her having those issues before?). Working with Akiko has helped her progress. It's nice to see Akiko around since I miss her competing.
I really wish she would get rid of her Biellmann though - couldn't she just do a haircutter spin? Is she getting level fours for that ugly position with the bent arms and legs?
I really wish she would get rid of her Biellmann though - couldn't she just do a haircutter spin? Is she getting level fours for that ugly position with the bent arms and legs?
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She was getting edge calls and UR's last year too.
http://www.isuresults.com/results/wc2015/wc2015_Ladies_FS_Scores.pdf
She flutzes noticeably and is prone to getting UR calls especially in the FS. I made a jumpamatron last year due to the discussions here at GS after WC.
https://youtu.be/YXALcmZ2w5g
The lutz is so far beyond "e" I'd give it an "E". Not sure on the 3s being UR. It's close though.
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I don't think you can compare those two... Rad is an innate performer, and she sells everything. She would still sell it if she could barely skate =)
Now for Rika, the posture is big deal because you just see the posture.
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I like Radionova's bright and big smile while her performing but I have never been sold by Radionova due to her posture, wonky jumping techniques and so on. Facial expressions play only a small part in figure skating. Hongo is a skater to have improved gradually. During the last season, I couldn't stand her posture and programmes (too generic), but I can enjoy her programmes a lot this season. Suzuki has been really helpful for Rika.
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- Jan 25, 2013
I disagree with your implication that Rika isn't an innate performer, or that Radionova's posture isn't a notably glaring aspect of her skating. And while I have continued to be a huge Radionova fan, even I can admit that I prefer Rika's programs way more this year.
Rika has made leaps and bounds in her performance in the past year. Last year's "Carmen" was not terribly memorable but "Riverdance" is a whole different story. So I'd say Rika is moving in the right direction and kudos to her to keeping the attitude of wanting to improve further.
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