2024-25 Team Japan announcement

[cohkaix]

This discussion is devoted to the announcements of ISU championships in 2025 and the Japanese teams/representations.
(including 4CC, JWC, and WC)

ISU Championships 2025 - Team Japan

World Championships
Men - Yuma Kagiyama, Shun Sato, Tatsuya Tsuboi (Sub list: Kao Miura, Kazuki Tomono, Sota Yamamoto)
Women - Kaori Sakamoto, Mone Chiba, Wakaba Higuchi (Sub list: Rino Matsuike, Rion Sumiyoshi, Hannah Yoshida)
Pair - Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara, Yuna Nagaoka/Sumitada Moriguchi, Sae Shimizu/Lucas Tsuyohsi Honda (Shimizu/Honda pending for getting CTES minimum)
Ice dance - Utana Yoshida/Masaya Morita (Sub: Azusa Tanaka/Shingo Nishiyama)

4CC Championships
Men - Tatsuya Tsuboi, Kao Miura, Kazuki Tomono (Sub list: Shun Sato, Koshiro Shimada)
Women - Wakaba Higuchi, Mone Chiba, Rino Matsuike (Sub list: Rion Sumiyoshi, Rinka Watanabe, Mako Yamashita)
Pair - Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara, Yuna Nagaoka/Sumitada Moriguchi
Ice dance - Utana Yoshida/Masaya Morita, Azusa Tanaka/Shingo Nishiyama

Jr. World Championships
Men - Rio Nakata, Sena Takahashi, Shunsuke Nakamura (Sub list: Taiga Nishino, Haru Kagiuchi, Daiya, Ebihara)
Women - Mao Shimada, Kaoruko Wada, Ami Nakai (Sub list: Ikura Kushida, Mei Okada, Haruna Murakami)
Pair: Sae Shimizu/Lucas Tsuyohsi Honda
Ice dance - Sara Kishimoto/Atsuhiko Tamura (Sub: Kajo Yamashita/Yuto Nagata)

 

[skatewill]

This discussion is devoted to the announcements of ISU championships in 2025 and the Japanese teams/representations.
(including 4CC, JWC, and WC)

Do you know when the team will be announced? Will it be at nationals?

I'm exited to see who they pick for the team. There are so many great skaters this year, I don't know how they're going to chose

 

[cohkaix]

Do you know when the team will be announced? Will it be at nationals?

I'm exited to see who they pick for the team. There are so many great skaters this year, I don't know how they're going to chose

I cannot locate the exact time at the moment. But I think it's after the nationals tonight. And it will be announced separately.

 

[underrotatedflutz]

Super excited for the announcement, is there a chance that Wakaba will be chosen for both 4CC and worlds??

 

[DancingCactus]

So women is going to be Kaori, Wakaba and...Rino?

 

[rabidline]

My prediction for the women is:

Worlds - Kaori, Mone, Wakaba
4CC - Wakaba, Rino, Mako or Rinka
Jr Worlds - Mao, Kaoruko, Ami

4CC is the tricky one for the women, it really depends on whether Kaori and Mone are skipping it (both have won it before). Rino should get the edge over the rest here- that skating is irresistible and she finally got 2 decent programs together. Whoever is not making 4CC out of Mako, Rinka, Rion, and Hana should get Senior Bs- I can see the Hamada girls going together to Challenge Cup, and Rinka and Rion (or Mako and Rino) going to something like Bavarian Open.

 

[rabidline]

So women is going to be Kaori, Wakaba and...Rino?

Don't forget Mone! Hehehe. She has the highest placement at GPF.

 

[rabidline]

My prediction for the men is:

Worlds - Yuma, Shun, TBD after 4CC
4CC - Tatsuki, Kazuki, Shun or Kao or Sota
Jr Worlds - Rio, Sena, Taiga or Shunsuke

A whole ass mess.

I really think if there's a time for a TBD and a skate-off, this one would be it. Because I think whoever is selected for that third senior Worlds spot NOW would have a big mental burden, especially if they're not sent to any big competition before Worlds (hence why I think Shun should go to 4CC before he goes to Worlds, but it's dicey with AWG schedule). I need them to learn from sending Sota to Worlds in 2023 BUT not giving him 4CC and letting Kao and Shun medaled there, I think it added to the pressure Sota was facing for his first Worlds without ever doing a senior ISU championship before.

 

[lileychristie]

I really think if there's a time for a TBD and a skate-off, this one would be it. Because I think whoever is selected for that third senior Worlds spot NOW would have a big mental burden, especially if they're not sent to any big competition before Worlds (hence why I think Shun should go to 4CC before he goes to Worlds, but it's dicey with AWG schedule). I need them to learn from sending Sota to Worlds in 2023 BUT not giving him 4CC and letting Kao and Shun medaled there, I think it added to the pressure Sota was facing for his first Worlds without ever doing a senior ISU championship before.

I don't think Shun should go to 4CC, he seems to have some stamina / health issues and going to 4CC right after AWG sounds like the perfect recipe for another disaster

Shun has medaled in 4CC before so he has senior ISU championship experience already, I think he'll do fine in Worlds (provided he can improve his health).

 

[rabidline]

I don't think Shun should go to 4CC, he seems to have some stamina / health issues and going to 4CC right after AWG sounds like the perfect recipe for another disaster

Shun has medaled in 4CC before so he has senior ISU championship experience already, I think he'll do fine in Worlds (provided he can improve his health).

Yeah - to those who didn't know Shun had to go to the medical room in the venue after the FS because he hyperventilated and was not in a condition to do media obligations (similar to Mana Kawabe last year). You're right about him having medaled twice at 4CC before (and add to it a GPF medal) so... yeah I hope that's enough for Worlds.

 

[YuBluByMe]

Aight, let’s discuss! The pairs and ice dance selections for both worlds and junior worlds are obvious. Singles is where it’s at!

It’s ironic, but the selections for men really aren’t that difficult because all the men in the selection pool skated poorly except for Kagiyama. Sato will be named to the team. He’s met six of the seven criteria; his Nationals performance won’t erase all that especially since the two skaters - Miura and Yamamoto - who could have been named over him placed below him at Nationals.

It’s only the third spot that’s in the air and it’s between Tsuboi, Miura, and Tomono. Tomono’s argument to be named is tenuous and not as strong as Miura’s who has a much higher SB and higher WS. It really doesn’t make sense to select him at all since he wasn’t exactly a superstar at Nationals and had only a three-point lead over Miura. Because of this I think if Tsuboi isn’t named, it’ll be Miura that’ll go to Worlds, not Tomono. Factors are Miura’s injury and Tomono’s excellent track record at Worlds and experience, but that what’s alternates are for.

World’s Prediction: Kagiyama, Sato, and Tsuboi.

Alternates: Miura, Tomono, Yamamoto

I don’t think Kagiyama will be selected to go to 4CC because of the Asian Winter Games a week before. After Nationals, JFed would want to give Sato another competition under his belt. It doesn’t necessarily have to be 4CC (he could be sent to a senior B), but he has never won it and it’ll be great chance for a bit of redemption and regain confidence if he wins. He’ll also probably be the favorite to win so he’ll have that pressure to deal with. I think Tsuboi is absolutely going to 4CC, regardless if he’s named to Worlds or not. Same goes for Tomono.

4CC Predictions: Sato, Tsuboi, Tomono

For Junior Worlds, Rio Nakata and Sena Takahashi are going. I hope Nishino gets chosen over Nakamura, despite juuuuust finishing below him. Nakamura went to junior worlds…what? Like three times already. Sending him to junior worlds one last time before he ages out will do nothing. The WS earned will not be enough for him to make a proper debut in the senior ranks. It’s SB that will do that. Give little fella a chance!

 

[YuBluByMe]

Unlike the men, the women were awesome and selections to the world team are easy. The world’s team will be Sakamoto, Higuchi, Chiba. Alternates will be Matsuike, Watanabe, and Sumiyoshi.

The 4CC team can be played with a bit. Chiba needs one more competition to make the final flight at Worlds, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be 4CC. However, she’s defending champion. I think Higuchi’s definitely going as is Matsuike as the fifth place finisher. I have a glimmer of hope that Yamashita will get selected instead while Chiba goes to Challenge Cup.

Little Mao and Wada will be going to Junior Worlds. I would still choose Nakai over Kushida, despite Kushida beating Nakai at both junior and senior Nationals. Nakai had a much stronger JGP season, to include a JGPF bronze while Kushida had her second JGP taken away. Also, it seems to me that Kushida has her best performances on home ice and tends to melt down in the free skates internationally. I say this as someone who loves both her programs (especially her free) and I prefer her skating to Nakai’s.

 

[surimi]

My guess for men is Kagiyama, Sato and Miura for WC, and Kagiyama, Sato and Tsuboi for 4CC. I'd love for Kazuki to go to either 4CC or WC in place of Sato, though. Hopefully they'll pick him.

 

[rabidline]

It’s only the third spot that’s in the air and it’s between Tsuboi, Miura, and Tomono. Tomono’s argument to be named is tenuous and not as strong as Miura’s who has a much higher SB and higher WS. It really doesn’t make sense to select him at all since he wasn’t exactly a superstar at Nationals and had only a three-point lead over Miura. Because of this I think if Tsuboi isn’t named, it’ll be Miura that’ll go to Worlds, not Tomono. Factors are Miura’s injury and Tomono’s excellent track record at Worlds and experience, but that what’s alternates are for.

Yeah, the third spot is really the main hot item here - I am also curious about JSF explanation if they do decide it now.

The thing about Boston is that it will be the Worlds that decides the Olympics spots. I think Yuma is a surefire bet for the podium, but Shun's meltdown here and this is to be his first ever Worlds... ideally whoever is the third skater can be a calming presence to hopefully settle Shun's nerves down and also provide some back up.

Tatsuya - he's a Jr Worlds medalist, but he's never been to 4CC, only really had 1 real good senior international result (this year's NHK bronze) and he just has one quad (4S)... if he goes clean it's great, but if he doesn't he will drop like a rock - if he makes mistakes in the SP, that could be him not making Worlds FS. The responsibility is big. I think they'll risk sending him if Yuma goes with someone of a Yuzuru/Shoma caliber, but this isn't the case now.

Kao - He's been very unreliable in terms of being open of his physical condition. 2 meltdown FS in a row. If he gets selected for Worlds, he 100% will push to compete and not withdraw regardless of his own physical injury... again this is a Worlds that decides Olympic spots...

Kazuki - has the best track record at Worlds and is seasoned and mature enough to adapt to any situations, but is he too mature/old to maintain his physical condition for the FS? He's 3 out of 3 of losing a podium spot in important competitions (2 GPs and Nationals) this season because of his FS. But at least he should qualify for Worlds FS even if disaster strikes - he's a decent PCS skater.

 

[KiraraChin]

Kazuki - has the best track record at Worlds and is seasoned and mature enough to adapt to any situations, but is he too mature/old to maintain his physical condition for the FS? He's 3 out of 3 of losing a podium spot in important competitions (2 GPs and Nationals) this season because of his FS. But at least he should qualify for Worlds FS even if disaster strikes - he's a decent PCS skater.

I don't think they will select Kazuki but spots-wise would be the better choice because he is consistently inconsistent, if that makes sense lol
He might lose medal positions, but he always does enough to keep himself in the middle of the pack - which is something really valuable to keep spots.

I guess it comes down to how much they trust Shun. Otherwise, it can be a great burden on Yuma, too.

ETA: My guess for the Men's team would be Yuma, Shun and Tatsuya for Worlds, Tatsuya, Kao and Sota for 4CC, and maybe Kazuki, Sena and... Nobu? for Challenge Cup

 

[KiraraChin]

Just out:



So they went with Yuma, Shun and Tatsuya for Worlds... Good luck guys to keep those spots
Pleasantly surprised Kazuki got 4CC

 

[rabidline]

Tatsuya did get 4CC - they definitely learned from Sota in 2023.

Mone gets the chance to defend her title at 4CC.

 

[YuBluByMe]

Yeah, the third spot is really the main hot item here - I am also curious about JSF explanation if they do decide it now.

The thing about Boston is that it will be the Worlds that decides the Olympics

…which is a huge factor. I still say the strongest team is Kagiyama, Sato, and a healthy Miura. I agree with your points about Tomono’s experience and international reputation being a good balance for an inexperienced skater, which is exactly why I won’t be sounding off if he’s selected.

My only issue with choosing Tomono is that Tomono hasn’t shown anything this season. He really hasn’t done much better than Tsuboi, despite being more experienced. I also believe that Japanese men struggle on home ice more than internationally. A lot of them have their worse skates at Nationals because the competition is stiffer than the rest of the world. I hear you though! The risk of having Sato and Tsuboi on the same team is real. You are correct that Tsuboi will drop in the standings with any mistakes. Judges don’t know him as well as Tomono.

EDIT: Well damn. Selections are already out. Heh, I took too long writing.

 

[lileychristie]

I'm sooo happy for Rino - 4CC and first alternate for Worlds

But, JUSTICE FOR MAKO!!! Not even first alternate for 4CC!?!? JSF what is your problem with her
They better give her a Senior B event in the 2nd half of this season. Does Senior B scores count for GP assignment? I surely hope so

 

[rabidline]

Mako, Rinka, Rion, Hana, Saki - it's really tough to be a Japanese woman and getting that second half assignment