Rika Kihira | Page 58 | Golden Skate

Rika Kihira

Ulrica

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 22, 2018
Oh, Rika, I think the nerves and the huge expectations got to her but she still fought and gave us a beautiful performance, this was her first senior season and it's crazy how successful it was even without a Worlds medal, the best is yet to come, it is a long road to Beijing and that it's the endgame :clapper:
 

readernick

Medalist
Joined
Dec 5, 2015
I would just like to say that Rika’s freeskate was the best skate of the night and had she skated in the final group she would have won silver. But, her performance in the short kept her out of the final group.

In terms of her trying the 3A in the short, frankly she needs it. Did she need it this year? Maybe not, she perhaps could have won worlds / definitely would have got silver with a clean short ( perhaps around 77-78 with a clean double axel and higher PCS) and a 3A plus a clean 2A in the long. But, she is not aiming to be Worlds 2019 champion. She wants to be the Olympic Champion in 2022. Her major weapon against Sasha Trusova is the 3A. If she lands a 3A in the sp, one 4S and 2 3A in the long. ( along with adding another 3-3 combo which will be possible if she does one quad) her BV will be the same as Sasha’s who tries 3 quads in the long. What does this mean? Rika needs to get used to landing the 3A in the short program. The 3A is an easy jump for Rika. Her problem is mental. How do you overcome that fear? You keep doing the jump until it becomes natural for you. I think Rika will have that 3A in the short more consistent next year. She and her coach are playing the long game.
 

Fluture

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 26, 2018

She‘s beautiful. :)

I‘m disappointed for Rika but at the same time, she‘ll use this experience and learn from it. Maybe the huge expectations of going into this event undefeated and having the weight of the country on her shoulders was too much. This is her first year in seniors after all and what she‘s accomplished already is amazing. I wish her good luck for next season. Will she attend WTT? I‘d love to see her glorious FS again and it would be a chance for her to land the 3A in the SP with less pressure and finally overcome the mental block she seems to have with it.
 

Noxchild

Medalist
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
Country
Canada
There's a reason my faves are Nathan and Rika, and like how Nathan's disappointment at the Olympics gave him a deeper perspective of what he wanted out of skating and life as well as how to manage disappointment and high, high expectations, bolstering him to his many successes the season after, I strongly believe this Worlds is Rika's own moment of clarity, and next season she'll come back to us stronger and more resilient... and a Worlds medal to boot around her neck. Like many others I am intrigued by what the 3A can do next season, but I seriously doubt they are going to sweep everything and leave no throne for anyone else to claim. Rika's ambition to do the 3A even when it could imperil her proves her dedication and hunger... and with a 4S/4T coming next season, we are going to see a lot more highs and lows... and a great advancement in ladies' skating. Plus, I can tell she is just going to hammer out those 3A/4S during summer shows like she did last summer :thumbsup:

That said, Rika is still 16 and I hope she enjoys her post-season magnificently, goes to Disneysea or somewhere fun... and next season I want a cool SP too!!
 

doublequad

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 4, 2018
Rika was 14 points behind Alina. A clean 3A in the Free with +2 GOE would be 10.5 points - and one more for the deduction for 11.5 total. Heck, a clean 2A in the Short and a clean 2A in the Long would add 11 points - 9 for the jumps and 2 for the deductions. Likely her PCS would be higher but should could still have been marked down on PCS and it's possible she wouldn't have beat Alina. I guess it is fair with the new GOE and updated base values system that skaters that fall will usually come behind those that don't. But if she landed two clean 2A I think a 3A+3T is far more difficult than 3Lz-3Lo combinations.
 

Noxchild

Medalist
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
Country
Canada
Something else for Rika to be proud of - she is the NUMBER ONE female skater in the world based on this season's results alone - outranking Alina by 5 points!! Going to Challenge Cup really paid off ;)
 

jenm

The Last One Degree
Medalist
Joined
Jan 28, 2014
Something else for Rika to be proud of - she is the NUMBER ONE female skater in the world based on this season's results alone - outranking Alina by 5 points!! Going to Challenge Cup really paid off ;)

Rika continues to be amazing!
I'm very very proud of her and also a little bit stressed out (that's why I haven't posted anything since Worlds LOL).
If the TP had been calling things as they, Rika would have been on the podium and had she not been held down in PCS by the judges, well... huhu
Her FS, despite the mistake on her second 3A, was amazeballs. Her flow on the ice and overall performance was much better than some and deserved at least 72 in PCS. Home ice advantage my *ss. !%@!^&@(!*#^

I know this will only fire her up for next season. I hope she gets stable quads to compete with Sasha in the free. And finally get that 3A hurdle in the short destroyed. DESTROY THAT HURDLE, RIKA! I'M SO ROOTING FOR YOU!!!!!!!
*cries

Will she compete in WTT? I hope she ends her season with a bang!
 

lzxnl

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 8, 2018
Rika continues to be amazing!
I'm very very proud of her and also a little bit stressed out (that's why I haven't posted anything since Worlds LOL).
If the TP had been calling things as they, Rika would have been on the podium and had she not been held down in PCS by the judges, well... huhu
Her FS, despite the mistake on her second 3A, was amazeballs. Her flow in the ice and overall performance was much better than some and deserved at least 72 in PCS. Home ice advantage my *ss. !%@!^&@(!*#^

I know this will only fire her up for next season. I hope she gets stable quads to compete with Sasha in the free. And finally get that 3A hurdle in the short destroyed. DESTROY THAT HURDLE, RIKA! I'M SO ROOTING FOR YOU!!!!!!!
*cries

Will she compete in WTT? I hope she ends her season with a bang!

She's planning a 4S in the first half and a 3A in the second half of her free skate next season. If she pulls this off, it would be incredible. No woman has landed a quad and a triple axel yet, much less a triple axel in the bonus section of the program. I hope she stops getting robbed by the judges though. She needs to beat the Russians enough for that I think :laugh2:
 

rikaquegira

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 30, 2017
I’m so happy for Rika!!
This season was much more than what I expected, she was amazing all the way. Now she’s been selected for WTT so we will see her again. She has a couple of shows before the event and I’m guessing she will try to land her layout in shows as well like she did during Summer(and boy did that pay off). I hope she can set a new WR(which rightfully should be hers).
I’m still salty about how they robbed her of a medal at WC but unfortunately there’s nothing we can do besides supporting her. She gave her best to that garbage event and she should be proud of herself.
Next season will be lit!!!!! I cannot wait! I’m so excited to know what her programs will be like and whether she will be landing quads + 3As or not.
 

lzxnl

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 8, 2018
I’m so happy for Rika!!
This season was much more than what I expected, she was amazing all the way. Now she’s been selected for WTT so we will see her again. She has a couple of shows before the event and I’m guessing she will try to land her layout in shows as well like she did during Summer(and boy did that pay off). I hope she can set a new WR(which rightfully should be hers).
I’m still salty about how they robbed of a medal at WC but unfortunately there’s nothing we can do besides supporting her. She gave her best to that garbage event and she should be proud of herself.
Next season will be lit!!!!! I cannot wait! I’m so excited to know what her programs will be like and whether she will be landing quads + 3As or not.

She'll be kicking herself for not at least attempting a 3A in the short. But garbage event indeed.

She said she's doing a 4S in the first half of her FS and a 3A in the second half.
 
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