2019-20 Japanese ladies' figure skating

[Mishaminion]

The URs were there, the judging was harsh but harsh to just about everyone.
PCS I thought she deserved more, but for whatever reason judges in general don't seem to be that sold on her programs

 

[Joekaz]

Agree. When her TES went down by 10!!! points I nearly screamed. They were way too harsh on her

It was a very harshly judged event. Completely opposite of SA. She would have scored 145-150 there I think, although that would have been overly generous. Its like baseball with umpires with 2 completely different strike zones. Not too mention the poor quality of the ice. The Japanese girls need to just concentrate on nationals and saving 3 spots at worlds. Unfortunately most of the current group of Japanese skaters dont have the proper body type to execute 3A or quads, which are a requirement to really compete now.

 

[Joekaz]

The URs were there, the judging was harsh but harsh to just about everyone.
PCS I thought she deserved more, but for whatever reason judges in general don't seem to be that sold on her programs

Agree

 

[haribobo]

LADIES (160+) bold = international scores/skaters, unbold are from sectionals
Rika Kihira 230
Satoko Miyahara 204
Kaori Sakamoto 202
Rino Matsuike 193
Yuhana Yokoi 191 (204 @ Sectionals)
Nana Araki 181
Wakaba Higuchi 181
Marin Honda 179
Tomoe Kawabata 177
Rin Nitaya 176
Chisato Uramatsu 171
Sakura Yamada 166
Mako Yamashita 163
Mana Kawabe 163
Rino Kasakake 163
Yuka Nagai 162
Yura Matsuda 162
Yuna Shiraiwa 161
Rion Sumiyoshi 161

 

[lzxnl]

LADIES (160+) bold = international scores/skaters, unbold are from sectionals
Rika Kihira 230
Satoko Miyahara 204
Kaori Sakamoto 202
Rino Matsuike 193
Yuhana Yokoi 191 (204 @ Sectionals)
Nana Araki 181
Wakaba Higuchi 181
Marin Honda 179
Tomoe Kawabata 177
Rin Nitaya 176
Chisato Uramatsu 171
Sakura Yamada 166
Mako Yamashita 163
Mana Kawabe 163
Rino Kasakake 163
Yuka Nagai 162
Yura Matsuda 162
Yuna Shiraiwa 161
Rion Sumiyoshi 161

Someone needs to help poor Rika keep those spots for Japan at Worlds

 

[skatenewbie]

The URs were there, the judging was harsh but harsh to just about everyone.
PCS I thought she deserved more, but for whatever reason judges in general don't seem to be that sold on her programs

Her FS is a bit average if we compare to her past programs in my opinion, maybe she need more time i dont know but i agree on her PCS, maybe higher in skating skills and 1 2 other areas depending on the performance.

 

[lusterfan]

I wouldn't necessarily say Japan is at risk of losing 3 spots for ladies. Combined placement for the top 2 ladies only needs to be 13 or less.

Even assuming Russia gets top 1-3 spots, Rika is safe for 4th or 5th. One of Kaori/Satoko/whoever else makes it onto the team only needs to get 8th or 9th. If Rika podiums, the other Japanese lady has even more slack.

Young You, Eunsoo, Tursynbaeva (if she comes back healthy), Bradie and Bell are the main contenders. Both Japanese ladies will have to lose to all of them before Japan loses its 3rd spot. That's not impossible, but it would take some melt down to happen!

 

[RafaelAstro]

LADIES (160+) bold = international scores/skaters, unbold are from sectionals
Rika Kihira 230
Satoko Miyahara 204
Kaori Sakamoto 202
Rino Matsuike 193
Yuhana Yokoi 191 (204 @ Sectionals)
Nana Araki 181
Wakaba Higuchi 181
Marin Honda 179
Tomoe Kawabata 177
Rin Nitaya 176
Chisato Uramatsu 171
Sakura Yamada 166
Mako Yamashita 163
Mana Kawabe 163
Rino Kasakake 163
Yuka Nagai 162
Yura Matsuda 162
Yuna Shiraiwa 161
Rion Sumiyoshi 161

Yuna Shiraiwa got a much better score in a earlier season sectional competition I believe, unless it was just a regional competition, it was before she got injured.

Ma baby Rika is the one with the right mentality this season, I think a medal in the next world championships is a real possibility, I don´t think 1-3 russian podium it's going to happen, Rika could place above Anna and Alena if she is clean with much more chance if she bring back her lutz and includes the quad salchaw, I more worried about the other japanese senior ladies especially knowing that there is not potential junior skaters right now.

 

[Joekaz]

I wouldn't necessarily say Japan is at risk of losing 3 spots for ladies. Combined placement for the top 2 ladies only needs to be 13 or less.

Even assuming Russia gets top 1-3 spots, Rika is safe for 4th or 5th. One of Kaori/Satoko/whoever else makes it onto the team only needs to get 8th or 9th. If Rika podiums, the other Japanese lady has even more slack.

Young You, Eunsoo, Tursynbaeva (if she comes back healthy), Bradie and Bell are the main contenders. Both Japanese ladies will have to lose to all of them before Japan loses its 3rd spot. That's not impossible, but it would take some melt down to happen!

Good point

 

[lusterfan]

Rika no longer seems to have a mental block with the SP and hasn't been popping her axels (but still not landing them all in one competition). Rika doesn't have any inherent advantage over Kostornaia, but the podium should be reachable (Anna/Alina aren't impossible for her to beat). By the time Worlds comes, hopefully she will have had enough time to add back her lutzes and even a 4S. Without them though, I don't think she can beat a relatively clean Trusova.

I'm also quite worried about Japanese depth at the moment. Marin and Mako seemed like the next big things from Juniors, but they've both been going downhill. Tomoe and Yuhana are the only ones sticking out to me right now, but they still seem far behind everyone else...

 

[skatenewbie]

Cant wait to see Yuhana in the GP. She's not the youngest even though she's from junior. She had a lot potential and i hope she can land that 3A. Also maybe the Japanese junior ladies currently is more of a late bloomer? They need more experience to get the consistency. The jumps is there, and artistry as well. Let's see how they develop

 

[lusterfan]

Cant wait to see Yuhana in the GP. She's not the youngest even though she's from junior. She had a lot potential and i hope she can land that 3A. Also maybe the Japanese junior ladies currently is more of a late bloomer? They need more experience to get the consistency. The jumps is there, and artistry as well. Let's see how they develop

Agreed! So many of them have excellent skating skills and BIG jumps (especially lutzes), but have nowhere near enough consistency to challenge. Japanese ladies do seem like late bloomers though, so I hope their good basics will translate well once they nail the consistency.

 

[zanadude]

Article on Ayaka Hosoda (in Japanese):
https://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/201911030000999.html

No mention of any kind of injury in the article. Some things that she said:

• "'I really blew it', 'It's all over', like that is how I really feel.
• "The problem was all mental. Last year's success made me really confident in my axel, but I couldn't do my other jumps as I did them in practice."
• "Right now, I really can't think about the future. I'd like to think about the future once I've settled down a bit."

In other sad news, Miyu Honda finished 17th in Junior Western Sectionals, and will not progress to Junior Nationals.
Moa Iwano finished 14th. Does she get a birth by virtue of being in a Jr. Grand Prix event this year?
Yuhana Yokoi's younger sister Kinayu finished sixth, which I believe is good enough to advance. Nana Araki finished second. The winner was somebody named Aina Watanabe with a total score of 179.09.

 

[rabidline]

Article on Ayaka Hosoda (in Japanese):
https://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/201911030000999.html

No mention of any kind of injury in the article. Some things that she said:

• "'I really blew it', 'It's all over', like that is how I really feel.
• "The problem was all mental. Last year's success made me really confident in my axel, but I couldn't do my other jumps as I did them in practice."
• "Right now, I really can't think about the future. I'd like to think about the future once I've settled down a bit."

In other sad news, Miyu Honda finished 17th in Junior Western Sectionals, and will not progress to Junior Nationals.
Moa Iwano finished 14th. Does she get a birth by virtue of being in a Jr. Grand Prix event this year?
Yuhana Yokoi's younger sister Kinayu finished sixth, which I believe is good enough to advance. Nana Araki finished second. The winner was somebody named Aina Watanabe with a total score of 179.09.

I assume this is referring to the Junior and Senior ladies results at the West Japan Sectionals this season, also functioning as a qualification event for Japan Junior Nationals and Japan Nationals.

First thing first, Ayaka Hosoda competed at the Senior level, and finished in 16th place. The cut-off to make Japan Nationals is up to 12th place, therefore Ayaka will not be competing at Japan Nationals this season. Yuhana Yokoi won the West Japan Sectionals in the senior level. Top 6 are here, including Yura Matsuda and Mako Yamashita:
https://twitter.com/figureskatingm1/status/1190930108057391105

For the Junior ladies, the winner of West Japan Sectionals is Mana Kawabe. The name should be familiar, she was assigned to JGP series this season and is also a teammate of Rika Kihira, Satoko Miyahara, Yuna Shiraiwa, Azusa Tanaka and Ayaka Hosoda (all under Mie Hamada's coaching team).

Full results for the Junior ladies here: https://twitter.com/figureskatingm1/status/1191216100580548608
Top 15 qualifies for Japan Junior Nationals, including Rino Matsuike, Chisato Uramatsu, Azusa Tanaka, Rika Tejima, and Moa Iwano who finished 14th. Top 6 placement at Japan Junior Nationals will compete at Japan Nationals.

 

[zanadude]

For the Junior ladies, the winner of West Japan Sectionals is Mana Kawabe.

Thanks. I totally butchered that name.

 

[sakurano]

I have the impression that the Japanese may be better artistically it will not change anything until they have quads, and it's a shame because the beauty of this sport is not the quads but the variety of skaters.

good job at yuna S, Wakaba and kaori

having seen kaori sp for real made me the lover;

there will be surprises for nationals,

good recovery to Mai it seemed she was still in the hospital before her coach arrives in France

 

[Mishaminion]

The talent is there but the Japanese ladies have been very hit and miss over the last few years.
They can't afford to be with all the Russians dominating the ladies.

I disagree that quads are not part of the beauty of skating, they are part of the variety too.

 

[Dreamer57]

I think the key is consistency. There have been GP medals awarded to ladies without quads, it just so happens that most of the Japanese ladies this season seem to be either injured or making uncharacteristic mistakes.
So far I think Rika is at the forefront and Yuhana is making quite a smooth transition into seniors.

 

[sakurano]

The talent is there but the Japanese ladies have been very hit and miss over the last few years.
They can't afford to be with all the Russians dominating the ladies.

I disagree that quads are not part of the beauty of skating, they are part of the variety too.

of course it's beautiful the quads and it's part of the sport but what I do not like is to see all these wounds to follow the movement, that's not why I like figure skating but this is only my opinion

well, the Japaneses have their rhythms

 

[eterialskater]

of course it's beautiful the quads and it's part of the sport but what I do not like is to see all these wounds to follow the movement, that's not why I like figure skating but this is only my opinion

well, the Japaneses have their rhythms

You are talking as if Sakamoto, Higuchi, even Kihira are paragons of artistry. No they are not. They are powerful and fast skaters but you have to be seriously wumming if you put them on the rank of Asada in terms of interpretation, musicality, elegance, nuance. It seems quite popular here to elevate the Japanese ladies to a pedestal where people attribute qualities which on close perfection really do not exist. Honda and Miyahara have it but there technically poor so in the end it really boils down to not having the full spectrum of skills required of a modern day figure skater. Having exceptional technical skills combined with top notch artistry.