- Joined
- Mar 28, 2005
There is alot of talk about the U.S rivalry between Weir and Lysacek in the U.S over the next 4 years but the rivalry in Japan between Oda and Takahashi will be intersting. Neither of these hugely talented youngsters has stepped to a World podium yet but it is probably only a matter of time. They are very different skaters, but quite evenly matched for the time being.
The whole situation at the Japanese Nationals this year, with Oda thinking he had won and would go to the Olympics, but then a scoring error being found that gave it to Takahashi surely intensified the competition between them. Also Takahashi being dropped from Worlds to make room for Oda, especialy when the scoring error at the Nationals was reported to be a legitimate one, probably irked Takahashi as well, as either had a more viable medal chance here then in Turin with Plushenko not in the field.
Takahashi is a very hot and cold skater. His skating is much more mature and musical then Oda's at this point right now though. Oda is such a pure jumper, and has youthful exuberance out there. Both are working hard on their spins and footwork to get their levels up it seems in the last year. Oda's biggest weakest is in the long repeating jumps, or rearranging what jumps he does, which sometimes costs him. At Worlds he lost the bronze due to not getting credit for a jump he repeated. This sounds like what happened at Japanese Nationals this year too. So twice it cost him big, and it seems to be a tendency of his.
The whole situation at the Japanese Nationals this year, with Oda thinking he had won and would go to the Olympics, but then a scoring error being found that gave it to Takahashi surely intensified the competition between them. Also Takahashi being dropped from Worlds to make room for Oda, especialy when the scoring error at the Nationals was reported to be a legitimate one, probably irked Takahashi as well, as either had a more viable medal chance here then in Turin with Plushenko not in the field.
Takahashi is a very hot and cold skater. His skating is much more mature and musical then Oda's at this point right now though. Oda is such a pure jumper, and has youthful exuberance out there. Both are working hard on their spins and footwork to get their levels up it seems in the last year. Oda's biggest weakest is in the long repeating jumps, or rearranging what jumps he does, which sometimes costs him. At Worlds he lost the bronze due to not getting credit for a jump he repeated. This sounds like what happened at Japanese Nationals this year too. So twice it cost him big, and it seems to be a tendency of his.