LADIES- Japanese Nationals (Senior) | Page 21 | Golden Skate

LADIES- Japanese Nationals (Senior)

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
Gosh, I'm so sad for Yukari....and Fumie! :cry:
Best of luck in all their future endeavors!

I agree with your sentiments. I was rooting so hard for Akiko - but I feel sorry for Yukari for twice coming so close and not making the Olympic team.

I wish ISU was able to issue a few "wildcard" spots and if that was the case Yukari would certainly deserve one.

Good luck to Yukari and Fumie always.......
 

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
I wish ISU was able to issue a few "wildcard" spots and if that was the case Yukari would certainly deserve one.

I agree. I want Yukari to be at the Olympics and for Flatt, Nagasu, Wagner, and Czisny to be there too. It's a shame that countries with many talented skaters can't send more competitors the the Olympics.
 

christinaskater

Medalist
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
I think this is Akiko's breakthrough year and she is just building a name for herself in the international arena! But once she gets the respect of the international judges with more consistent and brilliant performances then she will surely make a huge statement!

4 Continents will be a really important event!!!!

I believe her bronze medal at the GPF was the catalyst for her:agree:
 

DesertRoad

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 31, 2005
Why isn't Akiko going to worlds? She's earned her place there, and she needs more international exposure.
 

doug_log

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
I agree with your sentiments. I was rooting so hard for Akiko - but I feel sorry for Yukari for twice coming so close and not making the Olympic team.

I wish ISU was able to issue a few "wildcard" spots and if that was the case Yukari would certainly deserve one.

Good luck to Yukari and Fumie always.......

Janetfan, I totally agree about this wildcard idea. I've been thinking about this for a while. I think a good system would involve the following:

1. Maintain the current qualification standards (placements at Worlds determines number of spots)

2. Any country who has a skater that
a. wins a GP medal AND
b. was NOT at Worlds the previous year AND
c. is age eligible for the Worlds/Olympics that season
will also earn his/her country an additional spot for that season's Worlds and Olympics.

3. This additional wildcard can only add ONE additional spot for any country.

So, for example:

The US ladies would have 3 spots for Worlds/Olympics 2010: (2 spots earned at Worlds 09 plus an additional spot for Ashley's medals; note: Ashley was not at Worlds 2009)

The Japanese ladies would have 4 spots for Worlds/Olympics 2010: (3 spots earned at Worlds 09 plus an additional spot from Suzuki/Nakano's GP medals during the 09-10 GP season; note: Suzuki/Nakano were not at Worlds 2009).

The Russian ladies would maintain only their 2 spots because Leonova was the only Russian woman to have medaled and because she was on the World team that led to the 2 spots.

Thoughts?
 

Nadia01

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 10, 2009
Just watched those videos, it's fine that Suzuki came in 2nd (I thought she should have won the FS) but I don't know why she was TEN points below Mao when she landed 7 triples and Mao only landed 5. Plus that bells LP does not have a lot of choreography between the jumps. Whatever though, I'm just so happy for Akiko :agree:

Kanako Murakami is also a joy to watch, like Akiko. I love how she always looks so happy and excited about her scores rather than sulky or sad. What a cutie, can't wait to see her on the Grand Prix circuit next year!

Kanako is very charming and super-cute. I don't know if you saw, but she was cheering for Akiko when the score was posted (Kanako skated right after Akiko & Kanako was already on the ice when Akiko was waiting for her marks)

Kanako lost her focus a lil bit in the beginning & she said she was sooo happy for Akiko that she couldn't focus very well at first. :) (It was said very charmingly and she didn't in any way imply that it was Akiko's fault or that she was mad or anything.)

Kanako was skating without any pressure b/c she knew she's not a contender for Vancouver. I still love it that she did her best, and I hope she can maintain her enthusiasm & love for skating for the next four years! :love:
 

jenaj

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Country
United-States
Oh okay. Still don't think it should be ten points higher but I guess that is the beauty of nationals, she won't score a 205 internationally with a 5 triple FS.

Maybe not, but Yu Na scored even higher with only a 5 triple program.
 

mishieru07

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 23, 2009
Maybe not, but Yu Na scored even higher with only a 5 triple program.

Yes, but you have to take into account that Yu Na gets HUGE GOEs on the jumps. And her jump content is technically more difficult than Mao's (difficult 3-3, 2A-3T, flip and lutzes).

Why isn't Akiko getting sent to Worlds!! Going by J.Nats, they should send Akiko, Yukari and Mao no?

I'm delighted for Akiko but really sad for Yukari. Kanako is so much fun to watch, I hope she does well for the next quad!
 

LeCygne

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Maybe not, but Yu Na scored even higher with only a 5 triple program.

Exactly, that was internationally, too. This Japanese Nationals.. Inflation is to be expected, especially for Mao. And with the season she's had, JSF needs to send out the message that Mao's still got it, she can still score 200+ just like Yu-Na.

Either way, I'm very happy that Mao was able to go out there and deliver like she did. It's got to be a confidence boost for the rest of the season, even if she didn't land her 3 triple axels and get them all ratified. I still think she should have changed up her programs/jump layout a bit, but at least now she's doing better with what she's got. She's still got a ways to go, but I'd say she's definitely on par with Yu-Na now, after how Yu-Na did at Skate America and GPF.

Kanako was skating without any pressure b/c she knew she's not a contender for Vancouver. I still love it that she did her best, and I hope she can maintain her enthusiasm & love for skating for the next four years! :love:

I know, I just love Kanako. She's so cute and her enthusiasm is incredibly charming. How old is she? (Too lazy to look it up :p) I hope she goes and wins Junior Worlds, but I guess that really depends on who USFSA decides to send. :eek:hwell:
 

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
I know, I just love Kanako. She's so cute and her enthusiasm is incredibly charming. How old is she? (Too lazy to look it up :p) I hope she goes and wins Junior Worlds, but I guess that really depends on who USFSA decides to send. :eek:hwell:

She's 15, turned 15 in November. Yes she is very cute but I think she has a shot at winning Jr. Worlds no matter who the US sends, the only real threats would be Ashley or Mirai. Kanako can probably beat Caroline, Alexe, Christina, Angela (I think her skating is great but she doesn't get very high scores), or whoever else the USFSA might send. Her biggest competition will probably come from the Russians, as Polina Shelepen and Anna Ovcharova are very good.
 

LeCygne

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
She's 15, turned 15 in November. Yes she is very cute but I think she has a shot at winning Jr. Worlds no matter who the US sends, the only real threats would be Ashley or Mirai. Kanako can probably beat Caroline, Alexe, Christina, Angela (I think her skating is great but she doesn't get very high scores), or whoever else the USFSA might send. Her biggest competition will probably come from the Russians, as Polina Shelepen and Anna Ovcharova are very good.

Thanks for the info. You're right, Kanako actually does have a great chance either way, but I'd still say the title is the U.S.'s to win or lose if they send Mirai and/or Caroline. (Or Ashley and Rachael of course, but I don't see that happening). I wouldn't write Caroline off just yet. She normally has a much better second half of the season, and if she skates as well as she did last year at 4CC/Junior Worlds, I don't think Kanako could beat her. Yes, the Russians are great as well, but Kanako is more polished and refined and has beaten both of them (as well as Makarova) this season. My point is, the only ones that could really spoil the party is the U.S. if they send seniors again.
 

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Country
France
I am continually angered by the 3-per-county limit on skaters.

Yukari's LP is wonderful. Really sad we won't get to see her in the mix at the Olympics.
 

oleada

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
I know comparing junior and senior competitions is not reliable, but here's the scores for Nagasu, Murakami and Zhang this season

170.41 Kanako Murakami Ice Challenge Graz
160.85 Kanako Murakami JGP Torun Cup
160.53 Kanako Murakami JGPF
156.83 Mirai Nagasu Skate Canada
155.38 Mirai Nagasu Cup of China
154.92 Kanako Murakami JGP Croatia
153.15 Caroline Zhang TEB
132.46 Caroline Zhang Skate Canada

Keep in mind junior programs have less elements. I wouldn't say that Mirai or Caroline beating Kanako is a foregone conclusion. They've both struggled this season, particularly Caroline. Kanako's worst score this season is higher than Zhang's best score! I don't think that there's an argument for saying they deserve higher PCS. Kanako is really expressive and skates with good speed and has good skating skills. She has nice maturity to her skating, too. Non-jump elements are also really good. I love Mirai, but she has major issues with under rotation. Caroline's can bounce back, but she's never going to get much GOE on the jumps and I doubt she can improve much on her poor skating skills in a few months.

O/T - I'll scream if the US sends Caroline and/or Mirai again, for the fourth time! I hope juniors like Maxwell or Gao get a shot. They deserve it, IMO.

As for Kanako, she was great. She really is the future of Japanese skating. I look forward to seeing more of her! Her skating is so expressive and musical and she is really well rounded.
 

Nadine

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 3, 2003
Here are links to the top 5 free skates:

Mao Asada FS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3HSQaJEoJI

Akiko Suzuki FS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLscBppp2b0

Yukari Nakano FS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaMVKC3lMgk

Miki Ando FS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbzUs95F21Y

Kanako Murakami FS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVXHjqdSTmE

Video of Japan's Olympic team being introduced in the arena: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy60mQxWBJY


Thanks so much, Sylvia, for posting these! :)

Lol, I've spent the last hour reviewing each one, and I have to say what a superbly skated event, no falls except for Suzuki's freak one after that one jump, but otherwise the top 5 skated really really well (not as extraordinarily well as the American ladies did at 2008 Nationals nor 2002 Nationals, but pretty darn close).

Here's my review of each one (btw I agree with the placements & the JFSA decision on the Olympic Team):

Mao Asada -- finally, a clean performance, no falls, just what she needed to get her confidence back. Forget about 2 mos. ago, now is the time to start anew/fresh, and it looks like exactly what she is doing. Instead of starting off with *too much*, now she is thinking smart, and starting off little by little. She can build from this. Very wise to take out the second 3A, but IIRC that was TAT's plan all along, to give Mao two 3As in the FS, so she would be able to do one without problem. Wise indeed. That said, her 3A & 3T looked textbook perfect out there, but her other triples, especially the 3F, just okay. They barely made it all the way around, leaving it up to a judge to downgrade if they are in the mood. It can go either way, just depends on the judge. Thank goodness her other elements are so good that she has at least a one-triple jump advantage over the rest of her countrywomen, just as Michelle Kwan did, and rightfully so. Final note, I hope to see a different costume, makeup, and hairstyle come the Olympics. These things can also make all the difference in the world (aka Jeremy Abbott & Evan Lysacek at the GPF).

Akiko Suzuki -- can't believe that one poster that basically called her ugly at her first competition at COC, wherein she won gold. She's far from it, her inner beauty makes her shine, and reminds me of Alena Leonova & Liz Manley. Bubbly personalities, great jumpers, as well as similar body types ~ all of which took Liz Manley far ~ she was the surprise silver medalist at the 1988 Olympics. Alena & Akiko need only to look toward Liz (or Irina Slutskaya or Midori Ito) to see that the same can happen to them.

Yukari Nakano -- I said it the first time I saw her FS at TEB, and I will say it again now, this program is a masterpiece. My favorite of all the LPs she has had over the years. Tonight just wasn't her night, just bad luck is all, because I see the tiebreaker between her & Akiko as so close that it came down to the little things. Both great jumpers, but I would give the edge to Akiko on presentation, due to the fact that Yukari's *leg wrap* has always been unpleasant & bad technique (btw this is the reason why I consider Tonya Harding the greatest jumper of all time, not Midori Ito, as Midori had the same exact bad leg wrap technique). But, as a long time fan of the wonderful/beautiful/pleasant/generous/gorgeous Yukari Nakano, I have never minded. I'm only pointing it out here to explain why I would have given it to Akiko Suzuki as well (also Akiko's bubbly personality won out over Yukari's more reserved one). That said, take heart, Yukari, there is still Worlds & 4CC!:love: I'll never forget you, just as I have never forgotten Yoshie Onda, Angela Nikodinov, Tonia Kwiatkowski, Amber Corwin, et al. They too never made it to an Olympics, though not without trying, just bad luck is all. Just bad luck. :( Like you, they represented their country proudly, and with honor, dignity, and humility over the years, skating well into their 20's, earning medals along the way. And there is one thing you have that hardly anyone has, your name in the figure skating record books ~ becoming the 3rd woman (along with Ludmilia Nelidina) to land the 3axel in competition ~ your name will live on...

Miki Ando -- your FS was my favorite tonight. You looked like a magestic lady out there (btw your costume is one of my all time favorites!, it literally blew me away, fit the music & choreography so well). Mao needs to look toward you to see how to fit everything all together in terms of hairstyle, makeup, costume, and choreography. And all the jumps looked rotated except for the last 3lutz. Very good skate. I'm so proud to have seen your transformation through the years, from a young jumping bean, to what you have become today, an all around skater that skates like the lady she is. Bravo! I've been your fan since the beginning, and that has not changed. Does the heart good to see that you didn't give up after that disastrous FS at the 2006 Olympics. You are a worthy role model for all your countrywomen to look up to!

Kanako Murakami -- nice elegant performance. I look forward to seeing you develop over the years in the same way Miki Ando has. :)
 

christinaskater

Medalist
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Thanks so much, Sylvia, for posting these! :)

Lol, I've spent the last hour reviewing each one, and I have to say what a superbly skated event, no falls except for Suzuki's freak one after that one jump, but otherwise the top 5 skated really really well (not as extraordinarily well as the American ladies did at 2008 Nationals nor 2002 Nationals, but pretty darn close).

Here's my review of each one (btw I agree with the placements & the JFSA decision on the Olympic Team):

Mao Asada -- finally, a clean performance, no falls, just what she needed to get her confidence back. Forget about 2 mos. ago, now is the time to start anew/fresh, and it looks like exactly what she is doing. Instead of starting off with *too much*, now she is thinking smart, and starting off little by little. She can build from this. Very wise to take out the second 3A, but IIRC that was TAT's plan all along, to give Mao two 3As in the FS, so she would be able to do one without problem. Wise indeed. That said, her 3A & 3T looked textbook perfect out there, but her other triples, especially the 3F, just okay. They barely made it all the way around, leaving it up to a judge to downgrade if they are in the mood. It can go either way, just depends on the judge. Thank goodness her other elements are so good that she has at least a one-triple jump advantage over the rest of her countrywomen, just as Michelle Kwan did, and rightfully so. Final note, I hope to see a different costume, makeup, and hairstyle come the Olympics. These things can also make all the difference in the world (aka Jeremy Abbott & Evan Lysacek at the GPF).

Akiko Suzuki -- can't believe that one poster that basically called her ugly at her first competition at COC, wherein she won gold. She's far from it, her inner beauty makes her shine, and reminds me of Alena Leonova & Liz Manley. Bubbly personalities, great jumpers, as well as similar body types ~ all of which took Liz Manley far ~ she was the surprise silver medalist at the 1988 Olympics. Alena & Akiko need only to look toward Liz (or Irina Slutskaya or Midori Ito) to see that the same can happen to them.

Yukari Nakano -- I said it the first time I saw her FS at TEB, and I will say it again now, this program is a masterpiece. My favorite of all the LPs she has had over the years. Tonight just wasn't her night, just bad luck is all, because I see the tiebreaker between her & Akiko as so close that it came down to the little things. Both great jumpers, but I would give the edge to Akiko on presentation, due to the fact that Yukari's *leg wrap* has always been unpleasant & bad technique (btw this is the reason why I consider Tonya Harding the greatest jumper of all time, not Midori Ito, as Midori had the same exact bad leg wrap technique). But, as a long time fan of the wonderful/beautiful/pleasant/generous/gorgeous Yukari Nakano, I have never minded. I'm only pointing it out here to explain why I would have given it to Akiko Suzuki as well (also Akiko's bubbly personality won out over Yukari's more reserved one). That said, take heart, Yukari, there is still Worlds & 4CC!:love: I'll never forget you, just as I have never forgotten Yoshie Onda, Angela Nikodinov, Tonia Kwiatkowski, Amber Corwin, et al. They too never made it to an Olympics, though not without trying, just bad luck is all. Just bad luck. :( Like you, they represented their country proudly, and with honor, dignity, and humility over the years, skating well into their 20's, earning medals along the way. And there is one thing you have that hardly anyone has, your name in the figure skating record books ~ becoming the 3rd woman (along with Ludmilia Nelidina) to land the 3axel in competition ~ your name will live on...

Miki Ando -- your FS was my favorite tonight. You looked like a magestic lady out there (btw your costume is one of my all time favorites!, it literally blew me away, fit the music & choreography so well). Mao needs to look toward you to see how to fit everything all together in terms of hairstyle, makeup, costume, and choreography. And all the jumps looked rotated except for the last 3lutz. Very good skate. I'm so proud to have seen your transformation through the years, from a young jumping bean, to what you have become today, an all around skater that skates like the lady she is. Bravo! I've been your fan since the beginning, and that has not changed. Does the heart good to see that you didn't give up after that disastrous FS at the 2006 Olympics. You are a worthy role model for all your countrywomen to look up to!

Kanako Murakami -- nice elegant performance. I look forward to seeing you develop over the years in the same way Miki Ando has. :)

Beautiful commentary!





I have to say this event has been one of the best competitions ever! The women were ON!!!!

I'm really impressed with the Japanese field!

AKIKO was simply superb I must say, there is an energy, a magic that she brings reminiscent of Michelle Kwan! She really spell binds that audience in her amazing programs. You could feel the passion oozing through their bodies and souls! When MK left, I felt Yu-Na , Mao or Miki will bring that magic back but I was surprised to see AKIKO bringing the magic back on the ice!

She is really an inspiration after battling confidence issues, eating disorders and now she has won a GP event, a GPF medal (I consider this the Pre-Worlds majoR) and a national silver title! Simply amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She is going to be a sentimental favorite , a dark horse going to the Olympic Games! I just couldn't wait to see her bring the magic in Vancouver!!!!!!!!

She was meant to really skate on that Vancouver ice and who knows ?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I agree that she is a 6.0 skater that also excels in the COP, I'd love to see her fix some of her spin positions that make her look awkward and a little improvement on the spirals!

I do hope she skates the triple lutz-double toe and triple flip in the Olympics. I agree that Skate Canada was a sham with the judging.


I loved Miki Ando's performance, it was so mature, she has improved immensely in all aspects. You could see that she really worked so hard to be polished. She is a totally different skater compared to event 2007 when she won the worlds. She has evolved to a truly stunning skater. I really hope she does a triple-triple in the Olympics. I love that she is pacing herself before the Olympics. She does not want to peak early. She wants to place lower than Mao since she would feel the pressure is less. Less pressure going to the Olympics works a lot of magic.


Mao Asada was simply lovely, she is simply silencing her critics. She really made a statement and she is working so hard to win the Olympics. She wants it night and day. She is happy since the pressure is less especially going to the Olympics. She wants it that way. I do hope she tries 1 triple axel and the triple flip -triple toe


Yukari is a stunning talent . Her spins are beautiful and her spirals have improved a lot. Her main problem is her jumps are not textbook perfect because of the leg wrap. In the COP we know that text book means getting positive GOE's and leg wraps would get deductions in the GOE's. Nonetheless, she fought for it! She was amazing BTW!


Kanako was simply adorable! I see her winning the worlds in a few years! There is so much polish and grace already! She is special! I love her relationship with Akiko! She was really cheering her on!!!!!!! It's rare that we see that kind of camaraderie especially in this really competitive sport.
 
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Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Country
France
Akiko Suzuki -- can't believe that one poster that basically called her ugly at her first competition at COC, wherein she won gold.

*ahem*

I never called her ugly and I've been supporting her all season.

What I said, and I still stand by this statement, is that in terms of how society views beauty, when judging a person's face, she is objectively homely and her scores have been lower because of it.

We can deny it all we want, but peoples' emotions (including judges) are swayed by how much we like looking at a person and those emotions influence how we evaluate the person.

If Akiko had a face as popular as Yu-Na's in terms of the societal definitions of beauty, she would be a contender for Gold.
 

Nadia01

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 10, 2009
O/T - I'll scream if the US sends Caroline and/or Mirai again, for the fourth time! I hope juniors like Maxwell or Gao get a shot. They deserve it, IMO.
Uh...I'm confused.

Why is the US sending Caro & Mirai to jr level competitions? Shouldn't they be doing sr comps? Am I missing something?
 

seniorita

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2008
i feel bad for Nakano cause she tried so much and i like her programs but Akiko was just great, a real fighter!:) I will also root for Akiko more cause I just saw we have same birthday:biggrin:
Miki I guess she was tired, and without much goal but Im in heaven for Mao, after all the talks and speculations, she bounced back and i hope she peaks to Olympics. Her programs grew on me now.
 
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