Narumi Takahashi & Mervin Tran Fan Fest | Golden Skate

Narumi Takahashi & Mervin Tran Fan Fest

deedee1

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
What a tremendous year for Narumi & Mervin to end the 2011-12 season by winning their very first world medal at Nice Worlds, which was Bronze, and winning the World Team Trophy as part of team Japan! :clap::clap:

Short program at 2012 Nice Worlds: 65.37 / 3rd place

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5P90eoKGEQ

Free program: 124.32 / 3rd place, Overall 3rd

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXOEpHyzzQk&feature=related

I have created a new thread for them and for their fans. Please post here to cheer for them and/or any news relating to Narumi and Mervin! :)
 
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deedee1 said:
Sources: Jiji Press, Mainichi shimbun

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20120422-00000100-jij-spo


On April 22nd 2012, JSF has confirmed to the Japanese media that Mervin Tran, who is a Canadian but represents Japan as a pair team with Narumi Takahashi, has an intention try to get Japanese citizenship, aiming for Sochi Olympic Games.
Click to expand...

:yay::clap::party: I can already see Mervin with a huge fan base of older women who will want to adopt him as their son, as well as younger girls who will idolize him as an ideal older brother. And though I feel for Amelie, there will be women who want him neither as their son nor brother! And of course the men will take to him because he seems like such a good guy.

I hope the Japanese government will accept his application.
 
Here is my thought on Mervin's intention to give it a try for Japanese citizenship.

Japanese government and its laws do not allow duel citizenship. That means he has to give up his Canadian citizenship as long as he continues his competitive skating while representing Japan. Japanese laws also set very strict requirements for getting a citizenship. None of Mervin nor JSF is not sure, at this point, whether it will ever work out, or make it in time for 2014 Sochi Olympics.

I can easily imagine it's already been too big and hardest a decision to make for Mervin and his family. If he is about to be criticized by his home people, it will only add more pains in his and his family's heart...
I hope and would appreciate if Canadian people, or some of skating fans in Canada at least, understand and respect for Mervin's decision, and support him and his family.

I love Mervin's skating.
He does have a great skating skills, beautiful posture, lines and carriage on the ice. These things are which I normally see from many Canadian skaters in general and which I always appreciate for.
Thanks to their Canadian coaches, Narumi does have the same quality in her skating as Mervin's through her trainings in Canada over the years.

I love Mervin and Narumi as a pair team.
They may not be a powerful pair team, or the strongest technically like Tatiana/Maxim or Aolina/Robin yet. But together, they look very elegant and subtle in styles, which I do not always find in other pair teams.
In order to be successful as a pair team, it takes so much time to get used to each other, and get good unison. I can clearly see both Narumi and Mervin trust each other, and care the other as her/his partner a lot. That is very important and comes first priority when you are to skate such a dangerous discipline as Pairs, doesn't it? Neither Narumi nor Mervin can have the same quality in skating with another partner, I believe.

He told the Japanese media last night, that to compete at the Olympic Games is one of the biggest goals for every athlete in the world to dream of and want to achieve.

If it's one of his dreams and goals to achieve to represent Japan as the pair team at Sochi Olympics, I wish from the bottom of my heart his dream will come true. I truly look forward to seeing broad smiles from Narumi and Mervin on the Olympic ice on the nights of Pairs competition.

I am most grateful to Mervin for his decision to give it a try for Japanese citizenship. I am sure a lot of skating fans in Japan feel the same way.
I hope people in his home country will also understand his decision and cheer for him.
 
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Sorry but i think it would be BS to give someone citizenship who doesn't come even close to qualifying for it just to be a stronger team at the Olympics.
 
From the point of view of the athlete, changing his/her nationality would be a big deal on a case by case basis, but from a macro perspective, athletes changing their nationality to participate in the Olympics is very common. In fact, this is such a regular occurence that when a Japanese television company asked IOC to quote a number, the response they got was that it was literally innumerable---they simply did not know.
 
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I wish the IOC and the ISU weren't so strict on citizenship requirements. Sure, they're representing countries at the Olympics, but if Narumi and Mervin are the best Japan has in pairs, let them represent that country! Or, maybe change the rule to allow dual teams in sports like this. It would be a win for both Japan and Canada.

And, for those Canadians who wish for Narumi to give up Japanese citizenship and become Canadian, then there would be no Sochi Olympics for this pair. Because they won a world medal, she would be required to sit one season out (if they make the decision now), and then another, as Japan (along with the US) requires an athlete who wins a medal in international competition (meaning they received funding from the federation) to sit out TWO seasons.
 
I'm pretty in love with team as well. She's a total star. Such beautiful lines, musicality and skating skills! I enjoyed them the most amongst all the pairs at worlds!
 
Mervin's comment from Twitter re citizenship question

This just in ...

横田　かのん ‏ @yokotacannon
Don't make a hasty decision about the nationality change. I love to watch you&Naru just because you are YOU.@skate_moivo

Mervin Tran ‏ @skate_moivo
@yokotacannon I will continue to think critically about my decision, as I would very much like to go. Thanks for the support and concern.
 
ok someone fill me in on what's going on here

Why does this Tran fellow need a citizenship from Japan? Is he not allowed to compete at the Olympics otherwise?
 
brightphoton said:
ok someone fill me in on what's going on here

Why does this Tran fellow need a citizenship from Japan? Is he not allowed to compete at the Olympics otherwise?
Click to expand...

IOU requires citizenship to compete at the Olympics. In the past there has been drastic efforts to get citizenship before the Olympics recent examples include Tanith Belbin (from Canada to USA) and Katelyn Weaver (USA to Canada, though she has not yet competed at the Olympics).
 
I just love this pair and wish them the best of luck. It's really a pity that Japan won't allow dual citizenship. That's the big difference between their case and the cases of Katelyn Weaver and Tanith Belbin .. Yes, both girls' new citizenships may have been expedited ( I believe Tanith's was , at least )..but both countries allow dual citizenship. So both these young women can embrace their new countries without having to feel they're turning their back on their roots .

I'm Canadian , and I won't stop loving Narumi and Mervyn's skating whatever their nationality. It will be a difficult decision for Mervyn. I respect the seriousness with which he's facing it , and will respect him whatever he decides to do.

:)

ETA: Another Gauthier team , Utako Wakamatsu and Jean-Sebastien Fecteau competed for Canada and faced a similar dilemma. They placed 8th at Worlds in 2005, ( I think) .In the end ,it was just a step too far for Utako. It was sad, but completely understandable.
 
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Jammers said:
Sorry but i think it would be BS to give someone citizenship who doesn't come even close to qualifying for it just to be a stronger team at the Olympics.
Click to expand...

Tran getting citizenship is very unlikely
its not like Japan will win team event anyway if they had T/T in pairs, they are still improving and Japan doesn't have an ice dance team
 
Do the Reeds not both have Japanese citizenship ? According to their Wikipedia entries , the choice must be made at age 22 , and Chris will turn 23 in July..So , unless they're thinking of calling it quits, Japan does have an ice dance team...No?
 
Considering how difficult it is for anyone to gain a Japanese citizenship, why not get the girl to become a Canadian citizen?
 
brightphoton said:
Considering how difficult it is for anyone to gain a Japanese citizenship, why not get the girl to become a Canadian citizen?
Click to expand...

I don't think Narumi wants to give up her Japanese citizenship since it's very hard to get back. If she becomes a Canadian citizen, I think they'll have to sit out a season or two. They can give it a try if they want to target the 2018 Olympics.
 
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