Fumie Suguri to miss making Japans World team yet again
- Thread starter slutskayafan21
- Start date
Well the irony is that some of us old fans of Fumie don't like seeing her skating go down the hill or her being kept off the Japanese Worlds Team.
Now, I don't mean that I want her to be put on the Japanese team despite her losing to Nakano. No, I am fine with Japan sending its best-performing skaters to Nationals. It's the emotional aspect of not seeing Fumie at Worlds that's troubling. Yes, it's fair that she doesn't get to go, but don't expect me to be happy about it.
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
Suguri has had two awful outings in a row in which she seems to have lost her jumping rhythm. That's not to say she won't get it back, but she doesn't have that much time left to make the Japanese team.
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2004
Very well said, and I couldn't agree with you more. Let's go get beers so we can cry in them!
Fumie's not as naturally talented as some of the other Japanese ladies, but she's got more heart than the rest of the team combined. Wherever she places this season, I just want her to skate her best.
And maybe join COI? As much as I'd like to travel to Japan to see her perform, I don't think it's going to happen any time soon.
xoxo
Rave
I have a lot of respect for Fumie, but I think her ambition to be artistic may have made some mistakes in the music choice these two years.
The difficult rythm of Bolero (6/8) last year..on which the melody is deliberately delayed by Ravel, and the more irregular 5/8 of TakeFive this year... these are not easy to make jump with, IMO!
Her gala number does show her excellence in doing syncopations, though.
The difficult rythm of Bolero (6/8) last year..on which the melody is deliberately delayed by Ravel, and the more irregular 5/8 of TakeFive this year... these are not easy to make jump with, IMO!
Her gala number does show her excellence in doing syncopations, though.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
I think there is one too many "yets'" in the title of this thread, along with a "to" that should be a "may," LOL.
Suguri has missed only one Worlds in the last 6 years. I don't think that record merits a "yet again".
(But it looks like Nakano -- the only lady so far to land a triple Axel this season -- mean business.)
Suguri has missed only one Worlds in the last 6 years. I don't think that record merits a "yet again".
(But it looks like Nakano -- the only lady so far to land a triple Axel this season -- mean business.)
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2005
Good points, but I meant yet again in that it would be two years straight. Yeah I should have also said may, but I really will be very surprised if she makes it.
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2005
I have to say after Cup of Russia things look even less promising for Fumie's prospects to make the Japanese World team.
While her clean short program at Cup of Russia could be seen as an encouraging sign, what happened with the marks after that clean short is not. Even with a clean short program she managed only 4th place behind Yu Na Kim (expected), Nakano, Korpi. The interesting thing is Nakano's clean short beat Fumie's clean short by over 4 points. Also Fumie's score of 56.18 is the lowest score I can recall her getting ever for a clean short program, and we a fair bit into the season now. It is also intersting to note Fumie's PCS and how they compared to Nakano's, when the PCS used to be a strength of Fumie's and a relative weakness for Nakano:
Fumie's PCS in short: 6.20 5.70 5.85 6.15 6.15 24.04
Nakano's PCS in short: 6.75 6.30 6.70 6.65 6.60 26.40
She had a decent long, but with downgraded jumps, some lower levels, and once again not so high PCS she ended up with a pretty low 91.97 and dropped further backwards.
While she looked to be skating better the signs are not anymore encouraging.
While her clean short program at Cup of Russia could be seen as an encouraging sign, what happened with the marks after that clean short is not. Even with a clean short program she managed only 4th place behind Yu Na Kim (expected), Nakano, Korpi. The interesting thing is Nakano's clean short beat Fumie's clean short by over 4 points. Also Fumie's score of 56.18 is the lowest score I can recall her getting ever for a clean short program, and we a fair bit into the season now. It is also intersting to note Fumie's PCS and how they compared to Nakano's, when the PCS used to be a strength of Fumie's and a relative weakness for Nakano:
Fumie's PCS in short: 6.20 5.70 5.85 6.15 6.15 24.04
Nakano's PCS in short: 6.75 6.30 6.70 6.65 6.60 26.40
She had a decent long, but with downgraded jumps, some lower levels, and once again not so high PCS she ended up with a pretty low 91.97 and dropped further backwards.
While she looked to be skating better the signs are not anymore encouraging.
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2007
Two problems:
1. Fumie's normally consistent jumps are no longer consistent.
2. Her programs this year are horrible.
Maybe these things can be fixed for next season but I think it's just too late for her. TBH, I don't even want her to make the next Olympic team at the expense of Nakano. Fumie got two Olympic trips and she's done a lot for Japanese figure skating with her 3 World medals. Please move on to show skating and let the other girls experience their turn.
1. Fumie's normally consistent jumps are no longer consistent.
2. Her programs this year are horrible.
Maybe these things can be fixed for next season but I think it's just too late for her. TBH, I don't even want her to make the next Olympic team at the expense of Nakano. Fumie got two Olympic trips and she's done a lot for Japanese figure skating with her 3 World medals. Please move on to show skating and let the other girls experience their turn.
I don't think she'll steal her competitors' Worlds or Olympics spots. No need to force anyone into retirement. Let skaters compete and results speak for themselves. Heck, if Kwan started skating again and came back to the US nationals with a very COP friendly program and a triple-triple, would people say "Hey she's stealing younger skaters' Worlds spots, she should go away!" I doubt it. Thing is, if you win a Nationals medal, it really doesn't matter what age you are.
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2007
If she wants to keep competing, go for it. Fumie really needs to question for herself if it's the best use of her time at this point, though.
Since Michelle was skating very well (including winning a world title) after 2002 and people in the US were saying at that time that "she should go away and give the younger skaters a chance", I would not at all be suprised that there are poeple in Japan saying the same thing about Fumie.
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2005
Of course I am a Kwan fan and I would never utter the word retirement, but
people have been saying the above about Kwan for years while she was still competing. lol
BOT - Fumie is one of my favorite skaters but she has been struggling this season. I am surprised about her lack of jump consistency. She could be nursing a groin injury (speculation) because she is usually a very good jumper. I hope she stays around.
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2005
Michelle was still skating very well like you said though, she came 1st, 3rd, 4th at her final three worlds so she was always still comeptitive enough to continue pursuing her goals. Fumie's time appears to have passed, her skating is not going to improve as an eligible skater at this point, all she can do is try and fight regression which has already started, and yet improvement is neccessary since were she is at now (in an already regressed state of course) is not where she needs to be in order to be competitive enough for it to be worthwhile to continue. She is already at the point she has to hope for someone to mop up the ice just to make it to worlds ever again, and that is assuming one of her best possible competitions at this point. How is continuing into her late 20s in amateur skating, when she already been reduced to needing Nakano to drop bombs on the ice to have a hope for the 3rd spot to Worlds, worthwhile at this point?
I think perhaps her motivation to continue was that while she had a wonderful career she just missed out on 2 major goals, a World title (with 2 bronzes and 1 silver) and an Olympic medal ( with a 4th and 5th). However by now it should be painfully obvious such lofty goals are completely beyond reach at this point.
Yeah, but if you really want to know why it's worthwhile for skaters who have little hope of making their Worlds team to continue skating, you would probably not get any satisfactory answers from many skaters. Think of Bebe Liang. Think of Nikodinov, Kwiatkowski, and Corwin who went to nationals year after year without making the Worlds team? Why did they skate if making it to Worlds was going to be so difficult and the odds were very much against them? Who knows. In the case of why Fumie keeps on going, the same answer applies as well: Who knows.
I agree that Fumie won't be stealing anyone's spot on the team. It's unlikely that she would get a spot for any other reason that she earned it. If that be the case, then good for her. However, with the number of talented ladies in Japan the scramble for the top three spots is dreadfully difficult.
Fumie has been a wonderful competitor and I've always enjoyed watching her skating. I'm sure she will leave competitive skating when she feels the time is right and not let others make that decision for her.
Dizzy
Fumie has been a wonderful competitor and I've always enjoyed watching her skating. I'm sure she will leave competitive skating when she feels the time is right and not let others make that decision for her.
Dizzy
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2005
I see your point but Kwiatkwoski, Nikodinov, Corwin, had not won 3 world medals, been no lower then 7th at worlds 6 years straight, won a GP final, and been top 5 at the Olympics two times in a row. I would just think it would be harder for a skater of Fumie's achievements to handle with what her competitive situation is practically speaking right now.
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
Miki Ando landed a very easy 4Sal in practice for NHK. It looks like her recovery is going fine.
Yeah, but I don't think she's got anything to be ashamed of. If a new generation of skaters has come up that outdoes her best, than that's the way it is. However, I would personally still proud to see her skate her best program in the same way I am happy to see say old, retired skaters come back on the ice and reprise their best performances the best.
Thing is, you can't really say that Fumie should compete on the pro circuit instead, because there is no competitive pro circuit.
