2019-20 Japanese ladies' figure skating

[rosy14]

It really is! Yuhana’s SP is crazy but I love it

I’m a bit surprised they sent Kaori to 4CC. I guess they just didn’t want her season to end so abruptly?

The third and fifth placed girls are still junior or with less international experience, so it makes sense to send Kaori.

 

[theharleyquinn]

I know Rika has been selected but do you guys think she will go to 4CC? Or will she decline?

Or would she have already declined by now?

Newish to skating so while I followed Rika at every competition last year I did not follow the process! She showed up, I watched.

I think Rika will go since she's been listed. It gives her another shot at the 4S and a SB in a big competition and gets her the points.

 

[Mishaminion]

Maybe it is a bit too early to tell but I worry no coaching change can really fix Satoko's jumps after so long. They looked considerably worse here than ever before, not just unimproved but even smaller and shorter in rotation.

I'm trying to compare this to Medvedeva reworking her technique but sometimes reverting to the old, noticeably on her 2A. But even then her "old" 2A hasn't deteriorated to a lower level than it was when she was coached by Eteri.

 

[artsciboy]

Oh again with that thing! I have heard it so many times, the responssability for maintain the three spots is not in only one person, it's the responsability for all the ones who are sent for competing, Wakaba was healing for an injury, that's why she bombs at 4cc that year, and she recovered something at WC but even when she made mistakes the judges really underscored her, the responsability of maintain the three spots was for Wakaba, Mai and Rika Hongo, the three did a poor job, Mai did a clean free skate but the mistake she made in the sp cost her being one place above where she ended, Rika Hongo did and absolute poor job and I don't see no one bleming her for that, that's it, the three made mistakes and japan lost it's 3 spots, it's not only Wakaba fault, also the federation should not take in count past competitions to see what skaters made a dissapoint and don't deserve to go to olympics, that's not something taking in count in their critreria

Speaking of Rika Hongo - what is she doing now?

 

[zanadude]

I know Rika has been selected but do you guys think she will go to 4CC? Or will she decline?

Or would she have already declined by now?

I believe so. Like how Daisuke turned down the Worlds birth last year.

You need to start preparing for 4CC right away, so it really wouldn't be fair to the person that is now an alternate to just hold on to the selection if they have no intention of going.

 

[gravy]

Wakaba back at Worlds!!

 

[Joekaz]

It seemed like a terrible skate to me. (perhaps, just because it ruined my hopes) I was really rooting for her during the Olympic season. Her Bond FS that year was amazing and I wanted to see it at the Olympics. Her pops cost her a place on the podium.

Anyway, all of this discussion is unimportant.... Wakaba is going to 4cc and Worlds. Rika is going to 4CC and Worlds. They are two of my favorite Japanese ladies and they will be accompanied by Satoko and her beautiful FS,(at Worlds) and Kaori and her fabulous FS.(at 4CC) It is a good result in the end.

Hopefully, Kawabata shines at JWs. (she has amazing potential)

I think it seemed worse because one of the pops was on a 2A of all things. I still can't believe that.

 

[zanadude]

What will become of Yuna Shiraiwa next season? Is dropping back down to juniors an option?

 

[cohkaix]

What will become of Yuna Shiraiwa next season? Is dropping back down to juniors an option?

No necessity just competing at local competitions

 

[zanadude]

No necessity just competing at local competitions

It's not necessary, just wondering if that's not a better option for her to put her hopes on winning junior nationals next season to build momentum for 2021.

 

[lusterfan]

Happy that Kaori still gets 4CC. Being 3 points behind Satoko, I wonder if she would've gotten Worlds if she had beaten Satoko. Ecstatic for Wakaba for making it back onto the World team! As much as I was gutted for her during the Olympic season though, I don't get why so many people are upset that she was "snubbed" the Olympic spot. Controversial opinion here, but reviewing their seasons, Wakaba wasn't significantly better than Kaori when peaking would matter, and so losing to Kaori at Nationals by nearly 7 (!) points was the deciding factor. If Rika had been 4th and not given a Worlds spot this year, that would be way more controversial given that her body of work was far better than any others. Wakaba was not that much better than Kaori. Looking at how they were scoring:

Wakaba: 217.63 (1st) -> 207.17 (3rd) -> 212.52 (2nd) -> 202.11 (6th) -> 206.96 (4th - Nationals)

Kaori: 176.11 (1st) -> 169.12 (2nd) -> 194.00 (5th) -> 210.59 (2nd) -> 213.51 (2nd - Nationals)

Had the Olympic team been named in the beginning of the season, Wakaba gets the spot hands down. I can see why Kaori's weak early season isn't comparable to Wakaba's, but that was not when it would matter. Although body of work should matter, current results are arguably more important. Olympics was not in Fall of 2017, it's all the way in Februrary of 2018. Kaori's score trajectory was soaring; momentum was building. Wakaba's score was outstanding in the beginning, but closer to when it would matter, her trajectory was going down. And given how strict Japan is with fairness and Nationals results, Wakaba threw away her spot with her Nationals mistakes. To skip over Kaori, despite her recent results and decisive 2nd at Nationals would've been more controversial to me...

 

[Joekaz]

Happy that Kaori still gets 4CC. Being 3 points behind Satoko, I wonder if she would've gotten Worlds if she had beaten Satoko. Ecstatic for Wakaba for making it back onto the World team! As much as I was gutted for her during the Olympic season though, I don't get why so many people are upset that she was "snubbed" the Olympic spot. Controversial opinion here, but reviewing their seasons, Wakaba wasn't significantly better than Kaori when peaking would matter, and so losing to Kaori at Nationals by nearly 7 (!) points was the deciding factor. If Rika had been 4th and not given a Worlds spot this year, that would be way more controversial given that her body of work was far better than any others. Wakaba was not that much better than Kaori. Looking at how they were scoring:

Wakaba: 217.63 (1st) -> 207.17 (3rd) -> 212.52 (2nd) -> 202.11 (6th) -> 206.96 (4th - Nationals)

Kaori: 176.11 (1st) -> 169.12 (2nd) -> 194.00 (5th) -> 210.59 (2nd) -> 213.51 (2nd - Nationals)

Had the Olympic team been named in the beginning of the season, Wakaba gets the spot hands down. I can see why Kaori's weak early season isn't comparable to Wakaba's, but that was not when it would matter. Although body of work should matter, current results are arguably more important. Olympics was not in Fall of 2017, it's all the way in Februrary of 2018. Kaori's score trajectory was soaring; momentum was building. Wakaba's score was outstanding in the beginning, but closer to when it would matter, her trajectory was going down. And given how strict Japan is with fairness and Nationals results, Wakaba threw away her spot with her Nationals mistakes. To skip over Kaori, despite her recent results and decisive 2nd at Nationals would've been more controversial to me...

I disagree. Wakaba was Japans best skater and only one to qualify for grand prix final that year( and came within 2 points of beating Zagitova). Kaori was 1st year senior that only scored over 200 once, at a leniantly scored Skate America b4 the Nats. She was under the radar with little pressure on her, while Wakaba was under intense pressure. Wakaba was the next eliglble skater because Kihira was a junior.

 

[lzxnl]

I disagree. Wakaba was Japans best skater and only one to qualify for grand prix final that year( and came within 2 points of beating Zagitova). Kaori was 1st year senior that only scored over 200 once, at a leniantly scored Skate America b4 the Nats. She was under the radar with little pressure on her, while Wakaba was under intense pressure. Wakaba was the next eliglble skater because Kihira was a junior.

I keep wondering, imagine if Rika hadn't messed up her SP 3Lz and her FS 3Lo and won nationals in 2017. How awkward would that have been for Japan?

It's not necessary, just wondering if that's not a better option for her to put her hopes on winning junior nationals next season to build momentum for 2021.

Well, if Mana Kawabe decides to not go senior next season, Shiraiwa has an uphill battle to climb.

 

[zanadude]

Well, if Mana Kawabe decides to not go senior next season, Shiraiwa has an uphill battle to climb.

Yuna has an uphill climb regardless. Might as well choose the path with a better chance of success, as Yuhana did.

 

[skatenewbie]

After seeing Satoko FS at nats i think she should change layout to her old one, doing two 2A+3T instead of 3Lz+3T. And maybe not repeating 3Lz? Better be clean and getting + GOE rather than trying harder jump but have messy landing etc, if she want good placement in Worlds at least

 

[Ice Dance]

It's not necessary, just wondering if that's not a better option for her to put her hopes on winning junior nationals next season to build momentum for 2021.

Why would skating as a junior be a better option in this case? I think it can be very hard to get to Nationals as a junior. We saw Kihira miss it the same season she landed that first triple axel in her first JGP. We saw Matsuike (sp?) miss it this season after placing well on the JGP. I think it might be easier to qualify as a senior? Mostly Yuna needs to heal. This seems like a serious injury & I really just want her to get better. Heal & come out super strong in the domestic events. See what opportunities she can earn. I don't care about senior vs. junior.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

There was a skater who landed a few 3A jumps last year, but I don't remember her name. I think she was a bit older. Did she compete this year and, if so, how did she do?

 

[DenissVFan]

There was a skater who landed a few 3A jumps last year, but I don't remember her name. I think she was a bit older. Did she compete this year and, if so, how did she do?

Ayaka Hosoda. She didn't qualify this year

 

[Ice Dance]

Did she compete this year and, if so, how did she do?

She competed in domestic events, but it sounds like she had a lot of difficulty with her other jumps this season.

 

[RafaelAstro]

What happened with Sui Takeuchi?, she landed a 3a-3t in a local competition two seasons ago, since then she dissapeared, many people thought she would compete at jgp because she was still age elegible but it doesn't happened. She even was practicing 4S!