2018-19 Japanese Ladies' figure skating

[skatenewbie]

Just saw the protocols... which are here for anyone who didn't realize there was a JO thread like me
Protocol

We all know Kaori has a flutz but it really looks like she has been working to improve it and it looked best here! I went frame by frame and it looked like it took off from the right edge.

I know a lot of people said that the new scoring might help Satoko but I don't think it is/will.

her lutz is still inside edge but she did stay on outside edge longer and clearer. her flip is definitely inside edge right on take off but she goes outside edge first, maybe this is why the TP thought it was outside edge? this take off is like Mai's Flip which been getting called few times last season too.

 

[cohkaix]

About Kinki regionals: although Rika (Kihira) is seed skater (from her podium placement at Nationals last year), she still enters Kinki and I think it was reported in the news that she plans to compete at Kinki regionals.

Updates: Kihira WD-ed from Kinki regionals, as she has to attend the NHK Cup PR event.

 

[AngelENTL]

Loving Kaori's LP this season. I wish she'd hold the spiral longer and more dramatically - but I think that may very well develop over time. I think the Skating Lesson blows her off way too much. She's a very talented skater. I can't wait to see what this season brings for her. I think a World medal is a real possibility.

 

[hippomoomin]

Wonder how the team dynamics will play if Rika takes Satoko's #1 place. Would their coach favor one over the other?

 

[tosca]

Loving Kaori's LP this season. I wish she'd hold the spiral longer and more dramatically - but I think that may very well develop over time. I think the Skating Lesson blows her off way too much. She's a very talented skater. I can't wait to see what this season brings for her. I think a World medal is a real possibility.

Agreed. Her skating skills are so beautiful. But I also taking everything that the SL crew says with a cup of salt.

So sad about Rika Hongo at Finlandia. Really loved her Frida program LY. She looked VERY out of shape.

 

[ioanna]

From the Grand Prix conference today in Japan
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/...medalist-uno-wants-to-believe-in-himself.html

Rika Kihira: I want to execute [the triple axel] well and finish the competition smiling.

It's been reported that when in good form Kihira nails the triple 70 percent of the time in practice.

Satoko Miyahara: For me, this season is about resetting what I have been doing and starting over from scratch. I want to improve the quality of my jumps.

 

[cohkaix]

From Kinki regional that's undergoing:

Ayaka Hosoda, successfully landed a beautiful 3A during her SP performance:
https://twitter.com/marin_channel/status/1049145421249966080

The 3A was rectified with a +1.87 GOE from the protocol.

 

[leoleo]

From Kinki regional that's undergoing:

Ayaka Hosoda, successfully landed a beautiful 3A during her SP performance:
https://twitter.com/marin_channel/status/1049145421249966080

The 3A was rectified with a +1.87 GOE from the protocol.

That was a beautiful 3A! the japanese really own the 3A :agree:

 

[figurefan0726]

I’m really frustrated that during the Japan Open, Kaori’s flips were called as an “e” when you can clearly see that it was an inside edge

 

[yume]

Wakaba and Yuna S. won their regionals (Tokyo and Kinki regionals). They skated their free programs better than at their first competitions of the season apparently.

 

[leoleo]

According to Asahi, #WakabaHiguchi is injured on the instep of the right foot now.
cr: https://twitter.com/wakahfans/status/1049278194979758080
this would explain her performances lately! i'm so worried, i hope she's okay

 

[Joekaz]

Agreed. Her skating skills are so beautiful. But I also taking everything that the SL crew says with a cup of salt.

So sad about Rika Hongo at Finlandia. Really loved her Frida program LY. She looked VERY out of shape.

Sakamoto is kind of the opposite of Satoko. Great speed and jumps but no musicality or grace. Sort of a Japanese Slutskaya. She is the type that will be in contention for the podium but has to have others make mistakes to medal. However that isn't a terrible thing since skaters usually do make mistakes. Lol

 

[Spirals for Miles]

And in response to that, I direct you to her Moonlight Sonata SP and Amelie FS.

 

[Joekaz]

And in response to that, I direct you to her Moonlight Sonata SP and Amelie FS.

Those are the 2 programs that the guys from SL were making fun of last year for the reasons I stated. Particularly Amelie. Great speed and jumps with little musicality and grace. Its nothing personal. Everybody has strengths and weaknesses.

 

[Spinning]

Those are the 2 programs that the guys from SL were making fun of last year for the reasons I stated. Particularly Amelie. Great speed and jumps with little musicality and grace. Its nothing personal. Everybody has strengths and weaknesses.

TSL's opinions worth nothing. They make fun of everybody. Musicality is as always subjective. Grace??? Not much grace in present stage of FS anyway.

No one hold it against you for not like her artistry.

 

[champs]

Aunt Joyce would be happy to know there's someone on GS who agrees with his, I mean her, authoritative definition of musicality and grace and her immaculate analyses.

 

[chopinskate]

Sakamoto is kind of the opposite of Satoko. Great speed and jumps but no musicality or grace. Sort of a Japanese Slutskaya. She is the type that will be in contention for the podium but has to have others make mistakes to medal. However that isn't a terrible thing since skaters usually do make mistakes. Lol

Sakamoto isn't as refined a skater as Miyahara, but she has musicality. Moreover, she has qualities Miyahara doesn't have. FS shouldn't be some sort of factory-unit where all the best skaters skate the same way, as long as these differences are made to be shown in quality programs. The CoP already restricts it far too much.

Those are the 2 programs that the guys from SL were making fun of last year for the reasons I stated.

Who cares?

 

[yume]

According to Asahi, #WakabaHiguchi is injured on the instep of the right foot now.
cr: https://twitter.com/wakahfans/status/1049278194979758080
this would explain her performances lately! i'm so worried, i hope she's okay

I knew there was something wrong.

 

[Joekaz]

Sakamoto isn't as refined a skater as Miyahara, but she has musicality. Moreover, she has qualities Miyahara doesn't have. FS shouldn't be some sort of factory-unit where all the best skaters skate the same way, as long as these differences are made to be shown in quality programs. The CoP already restricts it far too much.



Who cares?

I was just explaining why the SL guys are critical of some aspects of Kaoris skating. Does anyone disagree that if clean Satoko, Higuchi and Kihira will beat her? But how often does everyone skate clean? Right now Sakamoto seems to be in better form than Satoko and Higuchi, who are struggling with jumps, and Kihira is first year senior so who knows what will happen. Not to mention Marin and Mai who are also very talented.

 

[chopinskate]

I was just explaining why the SL guys are critical of some aspects of Kaoris skating.

No, you explained why you didn't think aspects of her skating were great, and used those two to support your view.

Does anyone disagree that if clean Satoko, Higuchi and Kihira will beat her?

"Will"? Maybe. It's figure skating where reputation and judges' tastes matter more, after all. "Should"? Depends on the kind of performance, and how their programs measure up. Remember that Satoko's jumps aren't anywhere close to Kaori's quality, although she has better spins and skating skills, sure. Kihira and Higuchi are about the same on SS and spins, and AFAIK all three of them are training the 3A (although Wakaba has shown the ability to have more soul in her performance than Kaori, in her WC18 LP). And this definitely has nothing to do with what you said. Less refinement in terms of presentation skills doesn't have anything to do with what kind of a connection a skater can establish in a performance, and Kaori definitely isn't "unrefined" to the point that she can't project a personality or inject inspired moments into her skating. It really depends on how they tune their programs, and who has the best vehicle to allow them to be at their best.