Fumie wants to continue, but needs to get a sponsor by the end of March

[Bennett]

Fumie wants to continue, but needs to get a sponsor by the end of March

Fumie has been searching for a sponsor since Jan to continue skating. She needs 20,000,000 yen (1USD = 90 yen; US$220,921).

If she can't find one by the end of march, she thinks it impossible to continue.

In Japanese
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20100311-00000518-sanspo-spo

 

[MikiAndoFan#1]

Aw, poor girl. I didn't know she was looking for a sponsor.



I hope she gets one! Good luck, Fumie!

 

[bibi24]

dang seems like a lot of $$$$

200 thousand $US, same as Mr.Olympia....

but she's worth it!

 

[sorcerer]

Here she says she has already spent all her savings in the last two years she spent without a big sponsor.
http://mainichi.jp/enta/sports/news/20100312k0000m050019000c.html

And also that what she wants to continue is to compete till Worlds 2011 in Tokyo.

Her ambition as an eligible skater wasn't forever then.
So yes, why not another year?
I wish sharing Miki's coach again brings harmony. .. bit worried though.

 

[hurrah]

Jeeze! She must really, really, really love figure skating---with religious fervor---to do that. Personally, I just wouldn't be able to use 450-thousand dollars worth of my own savings in that way. And the field in Japan is so deep, the chances of her being selected to go to Worlds is, quite frankly, zero. Of course, she should do what she she wants, but....

 

[janetfan]

Jeeze! She must really, really, really love figure skating---with religious fervor---to do that. Personally, I just wouldn't be able to use 450-thousand dollars worth of my own savings in that way. And the field in Japan is so deep, the chances of her being selected to go to Worlds is, quite frankly, zero. Of course, she should do what she she wants, but....

I always liked Fumie - but it sounds like she enjoys spending money as much as skating.

Her cost of skating for a season - $220,000.00 sounds more than a little high.

Last I saw in USA it can be around 90,000.00 a season but that is with the top coaches and trainers.

 

[dorispulaski]

I never liked Fumie's skating, but I am sorry to hear she spent all her savings the last couple years on it. It's very sad.

 

[sorcerer]

Her cost of skating for a season - $220,000.00 sounds more than a little high.
Last I saw in USA it can be around 90,000.00 a season but that is with the top coaches and trainers.

Plus living expenses abroad, flighing back and forth, ....

But let's see. If she trains with Sato in Japan, uses Miyamoto's choreo (he created Takahashi's SP for this season), etc., it can well be less, probably half of what she says.

Or, she might be searching for a retirement reason with which she can make up her mind ?
She can't and won't retire like just because her results didn't meet her own expectation.

 

[lavender]

Awww poor Fumie. What is she going to do after skating. I mean is there a plan B for her.

 

[Nadia01]

Fumie has been searching for a sponsor since Jan to continue skating. She needs 20,000,000 yen (1USD = 90 yen; US$220,921).

If she can't find one by the end of march, she thinks it impossible to continue.

In Japanese
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20100311-00000518-sanspo-spo

I don't see it happening.

Why would any big corporation sponsor a skater who is most likely to do poorly in the next couple of seasons? Also wouldn't the money be better spent on young skaters...? *scratching head*

 

[Wicked]

I have to wonder who Fumie has around her. The Japanese ladies are so good- is it remotely realistic that she will make the Tokyo World team? Why is no one telling her it won't happen? I feel bad that she has spent all her money. I do hope she has a plan for the rest of her life.

 

[Tony Wheeler]

I have to wonder who Fumie has around her. The Japanese ladies are so good- is it remotely realistic that she will make the Tokyo World team? Why is no one telling her it won't happen? I feel bad that she has spent all her money. I do hope she has a plan for the rest of her life.

Did anyone think that she was going to make the 2009 World Championship team, let alone win the free skate at that Nationals? I mean, even for me, the last year I truly enjoyed Suguri was probably 2004 or 2005 and scratched my head why she didn't just retire after her silver medal in the 2006 Worlds, but I suppose it would give you something to strive for when you finish 5th and then 4th at two Olympic Games.

Don't get me wrong-- Asada, Ando, Suzuki, and Murakami as well as other juniors will all be back next year ready to fight, and it will make it incredibly difficult for Fumie. But Nadia brings up a great point-- does anyone, sponsors OR the Japanese Federation themselves, want to put Suguri on a World Championship team so she can have her "swan song" that would have ended much nicer 4 years ago? It's a new Olympic cycle and while it would be sweet and all, Japan has three ladies in the top eight in the World right now, and a handful of juniors that I'm sure they want to give some major international experience to leading up to Sochi.

 

[lavender]

I know she loves skating so it would be nice if she could continue just for that reason but I don't see it happening. I feel bad because she wasn't ready to be left behind. She might (a big might) be able to make it if Miki moves on but who wants to chance it.

 

[dannyascii]

Awww, I feel for her, but I too don't see her getting a major sponsor. She's been a phenomenal athlete for a long time, but she's simply not up to the level of the other ladies in Japan. Even if by some miracle she did place at nationals, she still would not be competitive internationally and I doubt she'd be sent to Worlds even then. I hope she finds one though; it'd be a shame for someone, competitive or not, to be forced to quit due to finances.

 

[Tinymavy15]

So sad. All that time and money and she keeps missing the world/Olympic team. She is skating pretty well too. Any other country she would be on the team every year. I wonder if she has considered skating for a diffrent federation? Japanese Fed has not shown her any favors.

 

[krenseby]

So sad. All that time and money and she keeps missing the world/Olympic team. She is skating pretty well too. Any other country she would be on the team every year. I wonder if she has considered skating for a diffrent federation? Japanese Fed has not shown her any favors.

You know, I actually think that her problem is much the same as Johnny Weir's. Even when she lands her jumps, her programs are not adapted to score high under COP. That's why another skater can splat and still beat her cleaner program. That was pretty much the case in the 2009 - 2010 season.

Morozov succeeded in helping her regain jump consistency, but his work in converting her to a COP style skater was a much more mixed success; her transitions and speed were often lacking, and the improvement in spins, spirals, and footwork was mixed.

 

[wonbinfan86]

You know, I actually think that her problem is much the same as Johnny Weir's. Even when she lands her jumps, her programs are not adapted to score high under COP. That's why another skater can splat and still beat her cleaner program. That was pretty much the case in the 2009 - 2010 season.

Morozov succeeded in helping her regain jump consistency, but his work in converting her to a COP style skater was a much more mixed success; her transitions and speed were often lacking, and the improvement in spins, spirals, and footwork was mixed.

The ironic thing is in her prime she was probably one of the fastest skaters on the ice.

 

[blue_idealist]

It annoys me that everyone's being so negative! Her chance isn't zero of making the world team next year. I think Asada would surely beat her, but Ando, Suzuki, etc. could screw up. Buuut why doesn't she just do more shows to get money - or are there not enough opportunities in Japan?

 

[ks777]

it sounds like she spent all of the family's savings according to the newspaper and her father is actually retired from Japan airlines but now he is looking for a job. How sad is this? Fumie please retire and get a job and pay your parents back some money!

 

[hurrah]

Yukari, after she found out she wasn't going to make the Olympics, spent the time between Nationals and Olympics writing up her MA dissertation, and after the Olympics, promptly announced that she was retiring and moving on to working at a television station.

I was really sad to hear that Yukari wasn't going to use the opportunity the Federation had offered to her, to skate on a big stage, Worlds, for the last time. But on the other hand, to be honest, my respect for her increased, because she was deferring the chance to go to Worlds to someone who was skating better this season, Akiko. And no one would have blamed her, in fact, would positively have loved to see Yukari perform her swan song at Worlds.

So I guess I prefer Yukari's way to Fumie's way. But of course, theoretically speaking, Fumie's chances of going to Worlds is not zero. BUT...

I would like to see Mao, of course, go to Worlds next year. I also think it's possible that Akiko might use that opportunity to retire from amateur skating, and she would really deserve that chance more than Fumie. Also, I think Miki is likely going to take Worlds seriously as well, because I don't think she's 100% certain whether she wants/can stay til Sochi, so Worlds would be a crucial litmus test for her. And then there's Kanako Murakami, who needs to start establishing her position on the senior circuit, and I think it would be more her turn than Fumie's.