The one thing that Eteri has shown is for her skaters to be in good shape for Worlds. Remember last season with Alina? Her form at Worlds was much different to that at Euros or Nationals.
That said, I have faith in Rika, just not the judging.
2019-20 Japanese ladies' figure skating
- Thread starter yume
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The one thing that Eteri has shown is for her skaters to be in good shape for Worlds. Remember last season with Alina? Her form at Worlds was much different to that at Euros or Nationals.
That said, I have faith in Rika, just not the judging.
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- Dec 28, 2013
My mistake, must have confused her with someone else. Edited.
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- Mar 22, 2018
After watching junior worlds I have some things to say:
-Tomoe Kawabata is the most inconsistent skater I have ever seen, saddly because she has amazing technique
-Mana kawabe was underscored in the short program, she is a potential skater but so far we have not seen her doing great this first season on junior level
-I'm worried about the future of junior skaters in japan
-I want to forget this competition so bad
-Tomoe Kawabata is the most inconsistent skater I have ever seen, saddly because she has amazing technique
-Mana kawabe was underscored in the short program, she is a potential skater but so far we have not seen her doing great this first season on junior level
-I'm worried about the future of junior skaters in japan
-I want to forget this competition so bad
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- Mar 16, 2017
Yeah, our ladies need consistency. They don't lack talent, in fact many have great jumps, techniques and performance!! Im glad they manage to retain 2 spot, few more mistakes and we'll have 1 spot.
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- Feb 25, 2014
Something does seem very wrong with the level of preparation going into events. There needs to be an overhaul somewhere in JSF with ladies because the talent is clearly there.
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- Mar 3, 2018
I don't think it's a systemic problem, it's an individual one. Unless something massively changed in Japan in the last 2-3 years, the system is still the same that produced all the current great Japanese senior ladies. Mana and Tomoe are just not quite there as competitors yet.
Japan's JGP allotment unfortunately is in really bad shape for next year.
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- Feb 25, 2014
And Yuhana. And I love the senior ladies very much, but they have also been inconsistent in the past few years (barring obvious cases of injury). It can be a hard line to draw between individual and systemic problems, but at a given point a larger number of individual problems warrants a systemic solution.
Agreed about the JGP allotment. It's very worrisome because their ladies will get fewer chances to get much-needed experience that could help reduce the competitive nerve issues.
In comparison the Japanese girls seem to be ice skaters competing where the Russians seem to be competitive athletes who skate.
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- Dec 5, 2015
I don't think Poland will be using all their spots. Perhaps, the Japanese ladies could receive a few?
Anyway, Tomoe is extremely inconsistent. If she wants to have any chance in the competitive Senior Japanese field, she needs to learn how to control her nerves.
Mana is still young. I think she still be stronger next year. If she does become more consistent, she will be a real threat in a couple of years. Her SS are amazing and her jumps are powerful.
Fortunately there is the JGP to be held in Japan this September, where 3 ladies can compete for the host country. But an allocation of 1 in 6 events does look incredibly low indeed.
I wonder whether Nana and Tomoe are going to move into seniors. I'd say that senior GPs are pretty full as well!
In place of the scheduled Worlds broadcast, Fuji TV did a live in-studio news broadcast centered on the coronavirus. At the start, they had a short talk session with Rika Kihira.
Rika said that she was notified that Worlds were cancelled at about the same time as everyone else in the news, e.g., there was no special pre-announcement for the athletes. She heard the news from her coach. She heard separately from her coach that You Young was very distressed and crying upon hearing the news.
Rika continued to practice in Canada for a couple days afterward, but eventually all of the skating rinks closed to everybody, meaning she could not practice, so she returned to Japan.
After this, Shizuka Arakawa did a special live exhibition (with no crowd) program to "A Hero Lies In You". Before this, she said that all March ice shows had been cancelled, and that she had no idea when they could resume.
Rika said that she was notified that Worlds were cancelled at about the same time as everyone else in the news, e.g., there was no special pre-announcement for the athletes. She heard the news from her coach. She heard separately from her coach that You Young was very distressed and crying upon hearing the news.
Rika continued to practice in Canada for a couple days afterward, but eventually all of the skating rinks closed to everybody, meaning she could not practice, so she returned to Japan.
After this, Shizuka Arakawa did a special live exhibition (with no crowd) program to "A Hero Lies In You". Before this, she said that all March ice shows had been cancelled, and that she had no idea when they could resume.
I think all rinks are closed for public session.
Some rinks are closed entirely and others still open for private session.
Recent instagram practice posts.
Not sure if these video is recorded lately but at least those 2 rinks still open for private sessions.
Miyabi Oba lands 3A at HOWA Sports Land, Nagoya.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B96KCG8JbBX/
Rion Sumiyoshi resumes on ice practice after 4 month rest at Meiji Jingu, Tokyo.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9yHQThJo1q/
ETA: I found some rinks even open for public session.
Some rinks are closed entirely and others still open for private session.
Recent instagram practice posts.
Not sure if these video is recorded lately but at least those 2 rinks still open for private sessions.
Miyabi Oba lands 3A at HOWA Sports Land, Nagoya.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B96KCG8JbBX/
Rion Sumiyoshi resumes on ice practice after 4 month rest at Meiji Jingu, Tokyo.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9yHQThJo1q/
ETA: I found some rinks even open for public session.
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- Apr 23, 2018
Adorable message from Wakaba tweeted by JSF...
https://twitter.com/skatingjapan/status/1257535535507140608
https://twitter.com/skatingjapan/status/1257535535507140608
Hm, there was a certain Rika Kihira who was also extremely inconsistent as junior.... It's always like that. Those, who are "weak" as juniors are strong as seniors (Rika, Mai, Wakaba...), and those who are strong as juniors are weak as seniors ( Marin). I think Tomoe is going to be a star in seniors
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- Oct 22, 2019
Question for those of you well versed with Japanese ladies skaters.
Was Rika predicted to be a star or did she burst onto the scene?
Was she well known or just another junior?
I knew nothing about her before Beautiful Storm and now I'm obsessed. She's my chosen child! I'm trying to get as much information as possible!
Was Rika predicted to be a star or did she burst onto the scene?
Was she well known or just another junior?
I knew nothing about her before Beautiful Storm and now I'm obsessed. She's my chosen child! I'm trying to get as much information as possible!
From what I remember, Rika was pretty well known as a junior mostly because she was landing the 3A somewhat consistently even back then. She didn't have a ton of success on the junior level (qualified to JGP Final twice but never podiumed, never podiumed at Junior Worlds) so I can't say she was necessarily predicted to become the star that she is now, but I didn't follow juniors too closely back then so I'm not sure
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- Mar 5, 2014
This performance of Las Strada at Nationals in 2017 when Rika was still a Junior was huge for me and many others and was the first time Rika really struck me as an extra special skater as the large number of views and praise beneath the video indicates. Many of her most watched videos were removed after this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFRiKM4dOgU
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- Apr 5, 2017
Rika was known as a talent with enormous potential in her junior years, but she was also known to be inconsistent and (iirc) thought of as more of a technician than an artist, which is possibly part of why she wasn't hyped as heavily as Marin Honda was. Which ultimately I think worked out in Rika's favor-- her senior debut was anticipated, but there wasn't the automatic assumption of success in the way that I heard people talking about Marin in mid 2017.
It's funny because I first starting watching Rika at ONT 2018 and immediately thought, why is this girl not being spoken of as a serious Worlds contender already?
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