- Joined
- Mar 21, 2005
She is my new favorite! She is so beautiful and so polished for a junior!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FLal0brk4U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FLal0brk4U
Last edited by a moderator:
KANAKO MURAKAMI : The Young Polished Gem
- Thread starter christinaskater
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2005
She's not particularly polished. In fact, she is bursting with a lot of uncontrolled energy, resulting in a wonky upright spin and then that awkward fall on the footwork in the video you linked. She needs to work on containing herself, knowing when and where to let the energy out to her advantage. Other than that, she is an extremely promising skater, with great spins, strong jumps and the speed that judges love to see.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2009
I agree! She's so great and cute. She's won all her junior events this season and came in 5th at senior nationals which is pretty good considering the competition she was up against! Can't wait to see her on the senior GP next year :agree:
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2009
I agree with this. She's not that polished....yet. She does have a good sense of style and presentation, though, and especially for a 15-year old. I think besides getting her considerable energy under control, she does have some technical issues that she should work on fixing before the next season begins. Like the flutz (for which she got the big "e" in the JGPF final) and that weird and unattractive little bend she does with the free leg, prior to going into many of her jumps. At 15, I suppose puberty/most of her height growth is past her, so hopefully she won't have that to contend with. She is fun to watch, and next year should be in the thick of Japanese senior ladies and come into her own, particularly with the retirement of some of the current Sr J ladies after this season.
- Joined
- May 15, 2009
Murakami looks very athletic and like a natural performer.
The polish will come with more training and experience.
I think she is a great looking young skater and found her enthusiastic performances at Natls very enjoyable.
She appears to be one of the next big stars who will emerge after this Olympic season and I look forward to seeing her skate again at Jr Wolrds.
The polish will come with more training and experience.
I think she is a great looking young skater and found her enthusiastic performances at Natls very enjoyable.
She appears to be one of the next big stars who will emerge after this Olympic season and I look forward to seeing her skate again at Jr Wolrds.
I find her so refreshing to watch! Love the speed, presentation, and personality. Great technical elements and skating skills overall. But I agree that she has some issues in her jumps. Flutz and also mule kick. The mule kick may not be as bad as that of Caroline but still noticeable. I greatly respect Machiko Yamada, but she may not be the one who teaches textbook techniques. Mao, Mai, Uno Shoma, and Yukari all have had some issues one way or another.
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2009
I totally agree with you on this. So many of her students (current & former) seem to struggle with their jumps.
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2009
ITA.
Also she is one of the best dressed skaters. It's just nice to see her beautiful and elegant costumes after seeing the travesty that is...*coughcoughcough*
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2009
. Yes it is. I really don't like Polina Shelepen's LP costume it's kind of gaudy and tacky. Kanako is cute and a very good skater. She kind of reminds me of Mirai with her speed and enthusiasm.
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2009
Murakami is really talented and cute, but she is like mini mao. She has jump issues, and if she doesn't fix them quick, she will face some serious problems like mao did.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2009
She doesn't really remind me of Mao, she is much faster and more sassy.
I think she's a cute skater too, but not in the same way as Mao. I feel Kanako is more playful than Mao. But her skating is not at the level as Mao's when she was her Kanako's age. Didn't Mao already compete at the Senior level at 15? Maybe Kanako will peak later, which may be better.
I totally agree with you! And I love the interaction between her and Akiko---it's so nice to see the both of them cheering each other on!
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2009
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2004
She has some nice qaulities, good speed and a kind of liquidness to her arm movements, but what I notice more than anything else is that she doesn't seem to have any core strength.
She gets through the jumps by building up torque in her extemities (that free leg bend, some weird stuff she does with her arms). This is just the kind of technique that lets the skater down as they get older (see Nagasu, Zhange etc etc etc).
She needs some core strength training ASAP!!!!
She gets through the jumps by building up torque in her extemities (that free leg bend, some weird stuff she does with her arms). This is just the kind of technique that lets the skater down as they get older (see Nagasu, Zhange etc etc etc).
She needs some core strength training ASAP!!!!
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
I agree she's not too polished yet, but she definitely has all the making of a star. Musicality and personality to spade. I love her. This is my favourite program from her http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOjHiPkgOT4 from last year's JGPF. 
- Joined
- May 15, 2009
I am sure you are probably right. I think I read that Kanako just turned 15. That means she is still young and will possibly grow more. So there are several factors to consider.
As far as her performance at Natls - I thought she was terrific for such a young skater and despite some criticism I am reading here - I hope and suspect she will become a star after this Olympic season.
Sometimes I wonder about how much we expect from these young skaters.
She showed me enough to become her fan - and I think the skating world needs more like her. She showed me good athleticism, good skating skills, exceptional charisma and a wonderful heart.
What more do we need from one who just turned 15?
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2004
she looks like she can develop quite far because she has got height in her jumps and not just small teeny ones. having said that we have seen umpteen skaters grow a couple of inches and fall apart.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2009
Yeah, but maybe it's too soon to say. Mirai grew more than a couple inches (about 9-10 in three years!) and she's on the comeback trail and has been looking very strong recently. Caroline too I'm not convinced is done, I feel like she's not one to just give up. Mao's issues I don't think were because of growing, she's been the same size since 2006 and yet her problems just started recently (I actually think it's mostly coaching confusion).
Similar threads
