Agreed. Realistically, I don't think Rika came to Skate Canada expecting to win, as she knows the condition of her ankle, and trying to win against the greatest female technician ever without a quad or a full set of triples was always going to be difficult. However, she's given herself every chance to do so, she should be proud of her performance, and hopefully tomorrow marks the first time Rika skates two clean programs as a senior.
Rika Kihira
- Thread starter Marin
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Agreed. Realistically, I don't think Rika came to Skate Canada expecting to win, as she knows the condition of her ankle, and trying to win against the greatest female technician ever without a quad or a full set of triples was always going to be difficult. However, she's given herself every chance to do so, she should be proud of her performance, and hopefully tomorrow marks the first time Rika skates two clean programs as a senior.
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2019
Woohoo way to go baby!!!! So proud of her. What a gorgeous performance. That triple axel is a thing of beauty.
Rika is still the most stressful skater for me to support because she has the most potential in my eyes and it burns when she doesn't do well. She's got it all. Jumps, artistry. She's the complete package.
I'm going to go back in hiding until the free is over.
Rika is still the most stressful skater for me to support because she has the most potential in my eyes and it burns when she doesn't do well. She's got it all. Jumps, artistry. She's the complete package.
I'm going to go back in hiding until the free is over.
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2017
Rika's free practice went really well! Every jump looked clean to me, and yes, she's committed to the 2A-2T-2Lo as expected. Opening 3A and the final 3Lo were a tad wonky, but probably not worth any deductions. This will be a delight to watch
I did not watch so Thank you for This post! It makes me incredibly Happy to see her doing so well despite her injury [emoji178]
I truly believe Rika can win against all odds, fingers crossed for her!
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2018
Well done and congratulations to Rika!! 
She has become such a tough competitor, I worried that nerves would get to her here, but she did wonderfully.
She has become such a tough competitor, I worried that nerves would get to her here, but she did wonderfully.
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2017
Congratulations to Rika! Grasping that silver without her lutz and with a mistake, and with ease 
I am sure once she overcomes her injury she can win anything
I enjoyed both her programs very much, she is just stunning and her performance quality is getting better and better!
I am sure once she overcomes her injury she can win anything I enjoyed both her programs very much, she is just stunning and her performance quality is getting better and better!
Great job by our terrific lotus. Her next comp is NHK Trophy, where her opponents are Alina Zagitova and Alena Kostornaia. Alena has a 3A too, and Alina Olympic-level scoring 
, but I think Rika has a solid chance to win gold... Even more so if she gets her lutzes back by then.
Now rest!
, but I think Rika has a solid chance to win gold... Even more so if she gets her lutzes back by then. Now rest!
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2014
To me, Rika is developing into one of the most impressive overall women skaters I have ever seen balancing a variety of engaging and challenging artistry, fabulous skating skills and step sequences, with smooth fast, graceful flow across the ice, excellent edges, erect posture, impressive tech performances with multiple triple axels and triple triple combos and fabulous flexibility and picturesque positions and speed in her I spin, Ina Bauer and Biellmann especially. She also has a plasticity and sensitivity in her expressive movement to music that is marvelous with a sense of excitement and anticipation mixed with refinement and attention to detail in every movement. Performances like the ones she gave at Skate Canada give me a sense of transcending any system and fulfilling a beautiful ideal, which reminds me in many ways of a young Mao, though each is totally unique in their own way.
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2016
Congratulations to Rika as well. Her performances were the best for me as there definitely was a beautiful balance of technical content and artistry. Good luck to her next competition.:clapper:
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2018
Ugh I'm tired of people saying that she skates like junior, she doesn´t have interpretation, her programs are ugly, her jumps are tiny and other fake arguments :noshake:, just people sending hate because they know this girl is one o few skaters that can compete against eteri girls this year (shame that the majority of people saying this speak spanish 
). Anyway I wonder what is Rika plan in a future to increase her base value with quads, maybe she plans to train another quad apart from the salchaw and the toe loop in order to fight for the gold in the next olympics, maybe with time she will see if it is neccesary another quad but I think a quad lutz its a real possibility and maybe a quad flip, I surely being so hype right now 
but there is no reason to think she will not go for something big in the next seasons, I just hope she can heal completely her injury now and bring back her beautiful lutz and attempt her quad salchaw :luv17:. I'm so happy that she won the silver medal in this tough competition and with decent components , but I just think the gap between Trusova components ans Rika's should have been much more evident 
. Anyway a great performance by Rika in both skates!, she is incresing her interpretation and consistency with time and I love the new programs more everytime I see them 
, congratulations Rika! what a fighter you are now!, Rooting for her to win gold in nhk 
). Anyway I wonder what is Rika plan in a future to increase her base value with quads, maybe she plans to train another quad apart from the salchaw and the toe loop in order to fight for the gold in the next olympics, maybe with time she will see if it is neccesary another quad but I think a quad lutz its a real possibility and maybe a quad flip, I surely being so hype right now but there is no reason to think she will not go for something big in the next seasons, I just hope she can heal completely her injury now and bring back her beautiful lutz and attempt her quad salchaw :luv17:. I'm so happy that she won the silver medal in this tough competition and with decent components , but I just think the gap between Trusova components ans Rika's should have been much more evident . Anyway a great performance by Rika in both skates!, she is incresing her interpretation and consistency with time and I love the new programs more everytime I see them , congratulations Rika! what a fighter you are now!, Rooting for her to win gold in nhk Out of all the female skaters competing at the moment, Rika is the closest to the complete package IMO. Her only real weakness right now, if one can excuse my delusional fan talk LOL, is that she needs to serve More Face and is too reserved for the full depth of emotion her programs call for, especially during Breakfast In Baghdad. Gotta commit to the movements and let them FLOW through you, girl. (This def wasn't a problem with Beautiful Storm last year btw.) I think a more tongue-in-cheek attitude might help - gotta go all in with the zany like Junhwan Cha did with his absurd Romeo & Juliet FS last year. I am sure her programs will develop and grow more mature with time.
Other than that... she's perfect lol.
Other than that... she's perfect lol.
I agree, especially the Junhwan part
Breakfast in Baghdad is already a great program, but if she can skate with more abandon and some craziness then it’ll be even more amazing.Though while I loved her Beautiful Storm like most other people, I felt that there were a lot of times when she was just so focused on the elements and the choreo that she kinda...forgot to sell it? I don’t know if I can put it in a better way, but that was my observation. Oddly enough, I found her facial expressions in Clair de Lune much better, and I know that face isn’t everything but it’s still part of the commitment level.
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2015
Honestly, my three favorite female skaters at the moment (Rika, Alena and Ksenia S) all have a similar issue. They express music with their bodies but not their faces. I think this is something that, usually, comes with age and maturity. Even Ashley Wagner (the queen of giving face) wasn't like that at 16 or 17. Mao Asada also needed time to learn to perform.
Rika just needs time to develop this aspect of her performance. Each performance gets better, at ACI her performance level was quite low, at Japan Open it was better, and at SCI it was better still. This all happened in the space of a month. I think that by the end of the year, her programs will be terrific.
Rika just needs time to develop this aspect of her performance. Each performance gets better, at ACI her performance level was quite low, at Japan Open it was better, and at SCI it was better still. This all happened in the space of a month. I think that by the end of the year, her programs will be terrific.
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2004
I agree, especially the Junhwan part
Though while I loved her Beautiful Storm like most other people, I felt that there were a lot of times when she was just so focused on the elements and the choreo that she kinda...forgot to sell it? I don’t know if I can put it in a better way, but that was my observation. Oddly enough, I found her facial expressions in Clair de Lune much better, and I know that face isn’t everything but it’s still part of the commitment level.
I agree with those here that say at times the facial expressions dont come through as they obviously should. She is not alone in this and I think pressure and concentration can be a problem for many. I have to say that I love watching her and would rather see her skate along with Kaori and some others than that have wonderful expressive artistry otherwise than a whole bushel basket full of skaters who smile but dont move me in their artistry. As famed Canadian figure skater photog David Carmichael told me in astonishment, "She doesnt KNOW how good she really is..."
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2019
Agree completely. She is perfect. And for anyone complaining about the quads revolution, once Rika is fully healed and gets her quads she will be the next advancement in figure skating, the perfect mix of jumps and artistry.
Love this girl!!!!!!!
Aliona won by 236 TES 88. Rika's TES was 77 due to first Axel landing and downgraded program. This means they are very close competitor and Anna will be in the same zone because her last SP score should have been higher than that. Sasha is still bit ahead of all but difference seems to be just one jump. It will be very exiting competition in NHK and final!
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