2020-21 Japanese Ladies' Figure Skating

[Joekaz]

Which is nothing new.

It's easy to see instances where skaters would have won under the previous system but lost under the new one (or changed their strategy to avoid taking unnecessary risk, as with the reduced use of the riskier quads in many programs), but I've yet to encounter a case where a skater might have lost with mistakes under the previous system but won under the new one.

Just because judges have always had alot of power, does not mean you should give them more. Especially a sport with such a terrible record of integrity in judging. Simple math and a look at scorecards will show that some skaters are getting enough GOE to cover mistakes. I believe a skater has gotten 80 TES on a 62 BV this year. That seems like enough cushion to cover a mistake to me. On a side note, the whole tech vs artistic balance is out of whack on top of it. What is the purpose of having SS in PCS when they already are being heavily rewarded in GOE?[/QUOTE]

 

[cohkaix]

Looks like Rika visited Mao Asada's 'Thanks tour' at the Osaka stop today (according to the IG post by Nagisa Hayashi, one of the tour members: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ52roGJNs7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link)
Keiji Tanak was also at the Osaka stop.

 

[Joekaz]

Wakaba Higuchi, Kaori Sakamoto, and Yuhana Yokoi are among those skaters who celebrated coming of age day this week in Japan. https://twitter.com/KiraraChin/status/1348593229705445383?s=09

 

[Skater Boy]

Are there any other skating fans who think Rika K could be world and olympic champ. ARtistically and technically she is awesome. And we have seen the 3A and quad. with Russian ladies all over the place - I mean whose on top depends on the month. Rika could win it all.

 

[Joekaz]

Are there any other skating fans who think Rika K could be world and olympic champ. ARtistically and technically she is awesome. And we have seen the 3A and quad. with Russian ladies all over the place - I mean whose on top depends on the month. Rika could win it all.

Very good chance. The real question is what are the chances of Worlds and Olympics taking place?

 

[Giu]

Are there any other skating fans who think Rika K could be world and olympic champ. ARtistically and technically she is awesome. And we have seen the 3A and quad. with Russian ladies all over the place - I mean whose on top depends on the month. Rika could win it all.

Me!!! Go Rika!

Now that Kosto lost her 3A (I wish her to bring it back) Rika is the only all-rounder left

 

[YuBluByMe]

Are there any other skating fans who think Rika K could be world and olympic champ. ARtistically and technically she is awesome. And we have seen the 3A and quad. with Russian ladies all over the place - I mean whose on top depends on the month. Rika could win it all.

Rika’s my pick to win the Olympics. I don’t think she’ll be the favorite (though many will consider her a realistic podium contender), but the favorites don’t win the Olympics. Of all the ladies I’ve seen this “season” (the Americans and Russians), she’s the only one that looks stronger than she did last season and I believe this would have been true with or without this cockroach of a pandemic that just won’t die. Her SP is also the best I’ve seen so far by a country mile and I hope she keeps it for next season.

(I hope she dumps the free skate, though. Her expression has improved, but her free reminds me too much of her SP her debut senior season and I hated her SP that year).

It’s not just Rika, either. The Japanese ladies as a whole look stronger than last year and the strongest so far. Speaking not of the Olympics, but of Worlds, Sakamoto could shake things up, as well. It wouldn’t be a shock to find two Japanese ladies on the podium again. Sakamoto has an acute problem with nerves, though. She always makes damning errors when it matters most. Miyahara doesn’t have this problem; her issues are technical.

 

[alexocfp]

Rika’s my pick to win the Olympics. I don’t think she’ll be the favorite (though many will consider her a realistic podium contender), but the favorites don’t win the Olympics. Of all the ladies I’ve seen this “season” (the Americans and Russians), she’s the only one that looks stronger than she did last season and I believe this would have been true with or without this cockroach of a pandemic that just won’t die. Her SP is also the best I’ve seen so far by a country mile and I hope she keeps it for next season.

(I hope she dumps the free skate, though. Her expression has improved, but her free reminds me too much of her SP her debut senior season and I hated her SP that year).

It’s not just Rika, either. The Japanese ladies as a whole look stronger than last year and the strongest so far. Speaking not of the Olympics, but of Worlds, Sakamoto could shake things up, as well. It wouldn’t be a shock to find two Japanese ladies on the podium again. Sakamoto has an acute problem with nerves, though. She always makes damning errors when it matters most. Miyahara doesn’t have this problem; her issues are technical.

Going on what we have now, the Russian ladies amass too many technical points that can’t be overcome by higher PCS.

Rika is great, but she will need a few falls and deductions by the 2 or 3 skaters above her to win.

Unless she starts hitting a few quads, then it’s game on for sure.

 

[Joekaz]

Rika’s my pick to win the Olympics. I don’t think she’ll be the favorite (though many will consider her a realistic podium contender), but the favorites don’t win the Olympics. Of all the ladies I’ve seen this “season” (the Americans and Russians), she’s the only one that looks stronger than she did last season and I believe this would have been true with or without this cockroach of a pandemic that just won’t die. Her SP is also the best I’ve seen so far by a country mile and I hope she keeps it for next season.

(I hope she dumps the free skate, though. Her expression has improved, but her free reminds me too much of her SP her debut senior season and I hated her SP that year).

It’s not just Rika, either. The Japanese ladies as a whole look stronger than last year and the strongest so far. Speaking not of the Olympics, but of Worlds, Sakamoto could shake things up, as well. It wouldn’t be a shock to find two Japanese ladies on the podium again. Sakamoto has an acute problem with nerves, though. She always makes damning errors when it matters most. Miyahara doesn’t have this problem; her issues are technical.

Because of her lack of tech difficulty, Kaori is somewhat dependent on others mistakes and favorable judging ( ignoring her flutz, getting high GOE and PCS). But those things definitely can occur, so she has a real chance at podium this year.

 

[readernick]

Going on what we have now, the Russian ladies amass too many technical points that can’t be overcome by higher PCS.

Rika is great, but she will need a few falls and deductions by the 2 or 3 skaters above her to win.

Unless she starts hitting a few quads, then it’s game on for sure.

I really don't think she necessarily needs more than one quad this year. She needs to be 100 percent clean. If she can land 3 clean 3As, one clean 4S, and everything else is also clean she would definitely be one of the favorites. Sasha ( if clean with 3 or more quads) could beat her, but I am not sure Sasha will be clean. Anna might too, but Anna doesn't generally perform as well internationally as domestically and the international panels are more likely to call some technical issues which will likely lead to somewhat lower scores. Basically, Rika will be a favorite to lead after the SP. She would need to be perfectly clean in the LP to hold her lead. She also needs to be injury free, because she can't exchange the 3Lz for a 2A like she did at JN when she said the 3lz was causing her pain.

 

[lzxnl]

Rika’s my pick to win the Olympics. I don’t think she’ll be the favorite (though many will consider her a realistic podium contender), but the favorites don’t win the Olympics. Of all the ladies I’ve seen this “season” (the Americans and Russians), she’s the only one that looks stronger than she did last season and I believe this would have been true with or without this cockroach of a pandemic that just won’t die. Her SP is also the best I’ve seen so far by a country mile and I hope she keeps it for next season.

(I hope she dumps the free skate, though. Her expression has improved, but her free reminds me too much of her SP her debut senior season and I hated her SP that year).

It’s not just Rika, either. The Japanese ladies as a whole look stronger than last year and the strongest so far. Speaking not of the Olympics, but of Worlds, Sakamoto could shake things up, as well. It wouldn’t be a shock to find two Japanese ladies on the podium again. Sakamoto has an acute problem with nerves, though. She always makes damning errors when it matters most. Miyahara doesn’t have this problem; her issues are technical.

Kaori's international scoring cap is at less than 230 with everything going her way. Anna Scherbakova regularly scores 235+ even with mistakes, for instance. Without actually landing a 3A or a quad, she's not a safe bet on making an international podium.

Rika is unlikely to dump her free, because she likes the music, although I hope someone in her coaching group convinces her to, because the music is incredibly bland. It's worse than Clair de Lune to me. My ideal pairing of programs would actually be her short from this season and her free from last season. While Beautiful Storm is a masterpiece, it's too similar to the Fire Within, and I think IAoP is actually not far behind. I think I've rewatched IAoP more times than BS.

I really don't think she necessarily needs more than one quad this year. She needs to be 100 percent clean. If she can land 3 clean 3As, one clean 4S, and everything else is also clean she would definitely be one of the favorites. Sasha ( if clean with 3 or more quads) could beat her, but I am not sure Sasha will be clean. Anna might too, but Anna doesn't generally perform as well internationally as domestically and the international panels are more likely to call some technical issues which will likely lead to somewhat lower scores. Basically, Rika will be a favorite to lead after the SP. She would need to be perfectly clean in the LP to hold her lead. She also needs to be injury free, because she can't exchange the 3Lz for a 2A like she did at JN when she said the 3lz was causing her pain.

For this season? Maybe not, but as you say, the margins are probably razor thin if everyone is clean. Rika can score around 235 without a 4S if she lands everything, and that 4S gives her almost +10 points extra. Scherbakova is known to score at 245 too, so the numbers suggest it'll be a close game if everyone skates well. A 4T for Rika at maximum difficulty gives her another +10 points, which would put her comfortably above Scherbakova, whose marginal benefit from an extra quad is less than that of Rika's as Rika replaces a double with a second quad, whereas Anna replaces a triple with a third quad (and I don't think she'll have time to stabilise a new type of quad).

 

[Giu]

I'm one of the few that like Rika's FS. It's soft and gentle, and yet so powerful. It suits her very well.
It's easier to skate to something more modern, energetic and with lyrics, so I treasure this kind of skating and the skaters that still choose this kind of music; those able to engage the audience with this are increasingly rare. Yes, she is far from Satoko's level, but she's on her way
And now she is with the perfect coach

 

[surimi]

I just saw Rika K's free today. Her FS left no impression in me. As someone said, it's quite bland. Even compared to Clair de Lune which at least has a distinguishable and memorable theme. I wasn't into the quirky SP either. We'll see if she has a chance against the best Russians if them and her all hit their jumps. So far her Storm seemed like the best vehicle for her.
Satoko has great artistry and musicality, but I felt the music was a bit too heavy for her, at least at this point. If she can match the music's drama in the 2nd half the way many Russian ladies can express it, and change the costume for something more inspiring, it'll be a great program. My opinion of course.
Kaori was good, for me the most enjoyable of the three.
All of the top 3 Japanese ladies can IMO defeat anyone but the Russians at Worlds if all go clean.

 

[readernick]

I just saw Rika K's free today. Her FS left no impression in me. As someone said, it's quite bland. Even compared to Clair de Lune which at least has a distinguishable and memorable theme. I wasn't into the quirky SP either. We'll see if she has a chance against the best Russians if them and her all hit their jumps. So far her Storm seemed like the best vehicle for her.
Satoko has great artistry and musicality, but I felt the music was a bit too heavy for her, at least at this point. If she can match the music's drama in the 2nd half the way many Russian ladies can express it, and change the costume for something more inspiring, it'll be a great program. My opinion of course.
Kaori was good, for me the most enjoyable of the three.
All of the top 3 Japanese ladies can IMO defeat anyone but the Russians at Worlds if all go clean.

You are welcome to your opinion. But, I have to say a skater of Satoko's quality doesn't need cheap tricks to sell music. She does something magical with every movement of her face and body.

Your criticism of Rika's FS is fair. However, when compared to the bland and rather empty programs that Anna and Sasha also have in the FS this season. (It is hard to perform when doing quads and axels) It will stack up just fine.

As for the Japanese ladies, I think Rika can beat anyone even the Russians girls if totally clean with 3 3As and a quad. Kaori can probably beat everyone except the Russian number 1/2, and possibly a totally clean Bradie/ Young You. But, Satoko while the #1 PCS skater in the World imho, might fall behind if her jumps aren't rotated. All in all, they should have no trouble holding their spots if Kaori can keep her cool.

 

[cohkaix]

Japan Inter-High Figure Skating Championships (high school competition): Jan 21-24.

The preliminary competition for ladies' (SP) will start in about 2.5 hrs. (The preliminary round for ladies' will be divided into 3 groups, as there are over 100 skaters for the ladies)

The Group A to start today will include: 2. Rion Sumiyoshi, 13. Rino Matsuike, and 11. Saki Miyake.
The result page: https://www.jsfresults.com/non_resp...,National/2020-2021/fs_j/highschool/index.htm

And...the good news is that, this competition does have an online site for LIVE coverage (which is NOT blocked OVERSEA!!!):

冬季インターハイ2024(インハイ.tv) | スポーツブル (スポブル)

冬季インターハイ2024(インハイ.tv)をスポーツブルで無料ライブ配信。スポーツブル(スポブル)は、インターネットスポーツメディアです。数十社の良質なスポーツ媒体と連携し、話題のスポーツニュース記事、動画をいち早くお届けします。また、ここでしか見ることの出来ないオリジナル記事や、番組を配信しています。スマートフォンはもちろん、PC、タブレットでもお楽しみいただけます。

sportsbull.jp

 

[gotoschool]

Here are Rika, Kaori and Satoko's freeskate performances in HD with comments they made to interview questions while watching their performances. It's great to see them expressing themselves verbally and skating at the same time, and it makes me appreciate these wonderful performances more. Unfortunately, I could not find one for Mai's marvelous performance.

Rika: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MooZ2DNCNr0

Kaori: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5db5QMZGww

Satoko: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lorFA1ClXVs

As for Rika, I really enjoyed her freeskate music, such lovely trancelike inducing piano rolls and really atmospheric. I enjoyed watching Rika's challenging change of edge spiral, her expression, and skating overall. I heard that she had injured one of her legs or foot and so had to lean a bit more when she jumped and she bobbled the final Biellmann just a bit but I thought she held it together really well and still had a number of beautiful jumps especially the quad salchow. It is often the little things I enjoy in her performances like the fluidity of her final movements through so many changes in position, the liquid smoothness of her skating, her quick reflexes, combined with the challenging jumps and she has always has a uniquely engaging charisma to me. I certainly take the criticism of Rika into consideration and it helped me notice some minor mistakes, but also note the relatively high view counts and like to dislike ratio on Rika's performance in Japanese which was likewise the case in English before the vidoes were removed, the standing ovation of the crowd when she finished and the fact that she amazingly landed a triple axel and a quad salchow with an injury.

I was impressed with the fluidity of movement, speed, and beautiful, symmetrical and flexible spin positions in Satoko's performances. I was also impressed with the power and abandon in skating, expression and jumps in Kaori's performance. Unfortunately, I couldn't find Mai commenting on her performance. I am thankful for all the beautiful skating and that they can perform in a state resembling some degree of normalcy which makes me feel some kinds of memories of what the world was like a year before as well as if peeking in on a bittersweet dream. I often get this feeling listening and watching Japanese music and videos as well. I don't have any illusions about the scoring since Japanese women especially the one who is the biggest threat will always be held down relative to federations or skaters with more political power and nationals scoring often serves as the precedent for this, which is why it is the performances far more than the scoring that I remember and cherish.

 

[surimi]

You are welcome to your opinion. But, I have to say a skater of Satoko's quality doesn't need cheap tricks to sell music. She does something magical with every movement of her face and body.

We have differing opinions on what classifies as cheap. A costume is not a cheap trick for me but rather a part of experiencing a story. Still, that was just a minor issue for me. It's rather that I feel that the music is too big for Satoko in the climaxes. Maybe she'll own it by Worlds, maybe I'll end up preferring other programs of hers. She's still an artist on ice, and has great musicality, but IMO no skater is versatile enough to credibly sell any type of music. I don't see how that's a slight against Satoko's artistry.

 

[Blades of Passion]

I enjoyed watching Rika's challenging change of edge spiral

Ooph, for me her lack of extension, wobbling body while changing edge, and not holding out the position after the change, makes it painful to watch. I also agree with others that her program is very boring. She's not an introspective skater, and not balletic or inherently delicate. I think upbeat, powerful, or mysterious are things that suit her better. Last year's Long Program was her best for me so far, I'd like to see her do something like that, and keep working on refining the body positions and being as expressive as possible. Last year she lacked an exciting finish to the program when that's what the music was calling for. She needs to bring the energy; shoot her arms up, throw her head back, and have a big smile.

 

[kirauza343]

Ooph, for me her lack of extension, wobbling body while changing edge, and not holding out the position after the change, makes it painful to watch. I also agree with others that her program is very boring. She's not an introspective skater, and not balletic or inherently delicate. I think upbeat, powerful, or mysterious are things that suit her better. Last year's Long Program was her best for me so far, I'd like to see her do something like that, and keep working on refining the body positions and being as expressive as possible. Last year she lacked an exciting finish to the program when that's what the music was calling for. She needs to bring the energy; shoot her arms up, throw her head back, and have a big smile.

The penché during her change of edge spiral is my favorite part :/

I have to disagree, I find her to be very graceful and I think she does well with soft, pretty music. There’s a light, airy-ness about her movements that’s lovely to watch. It’s important to keep in mind that this was the first performance of this free at her first competition in almost a year and she usually gets to start breaking in her frees in ice shows that didn’t happen this year. There’s still room for this program to grow.

 

[Sai Bon]

I don't know whether any of you understand Japanese, but apparently she ended up going in the wrong direction after exiting a spin and it took a minute of so of hard thinking before she got back on track. The whole time she was desperately thinking "how on earth can I get back on track?" and as soon as she did, she had to jump. Her mind is very nimble and she's able to multitask. Amazing. I'm sure this programme can only get better.