2021-22 Japanese figure skating - pairs and ice dance

[mikeko666]

Senior pairs
Riku Miura & Ryuichi Kihara - National trainees A

Junior pairs
Sumitada Moriguchi & Ikura Kushida

Senior Ice dance
Misato Komatsubara & Takeru Komatsubara (Tim Koleto) - National trainees A
Kana Muramoto & Daisuke Takahashi - National trainees B
Rikako Fukase & Eichu Oliver Cho
Kiria Hirayama & Aru Tateno
Haruno Yajima & Yoshimitsu Ikeda
Ayumi Takanami & Shingo Nishiyama
Nicole Takahashi & Shiloh Judd

Junior ice dance
Utana Yoshida & Seiji Urano
Ayano Sasaki & Atsuhiko Tamura
Kaho Yamashita & Yuto Nagata
Nao Kida & Masaya Morita

 

[Dreamer57]

I am so excited for Team Japan this season!

Who do you think will get the NHK host spot, likely Team KoKo?

Here are Kiria & Aru practising their twizzles last month:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQARO3BJYqd/

 

[synesthesia]

It's amazing that there's an, I believe, unprecedented number of seven senior ice dance teams now!

Hopefully this, together with Cathy's programme for the development of young talent, heralds the beginning of a golden age for Japanese ice dance.

Who do you think will get the NHK host spot, likely Team KoKo?

I guess it will be decided at the selection competition in September, who the spot will go to? Probably a team out of Rikako/Oliver, Kiria/Aru and Ayumi/Shingo.

Here are Kiria & Aru practising their twizzles last month:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQARO3BJYqd/

I see what they did there with the song choice to showcase their twizzles. Hope they'll use it for their RD - it's a good track that fits the street dance-theme!

 

[Dreamer57]

I see what they did there with the song choice to showcase their twizzles. Hope they'll use it for their RD - it's a good track that fits the street dance-theme!

I hope so too - I'm looking forward to seeing all the RDs this year.
Can't wait to see Soran Bushi in particular!

Never heard of Nicole Takahashi & Shiloh Judd. Since when are they paired?

They made an announcement in May, they used to skate for the U.S. but with other partners.

 

[ladyjane]

I am hoping that with the relative success of Riku and Ryuichi last season, and their continuing success, pairs skating will also pick up in the future.

 

[Dreamer57]

Here's Kushida / Moriguchi earlier this year:

 

[cohkaix]

Riku and Ryuichi's Hallelujah from DOI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISlTEjsXWso

 

[readernick]

Here's Kushida / Moriguchi earlier this year:

Riku and Ryuichi's Hallelujah from DOI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISlTEjsXWso

So, I guess Japan is continuing the tradition of adorable pair's teams with the newest pairing? Really, how cute are both of these pairs! Riku/ Ruichi are continuing to improve! Amazing!

 

[Dreamer57]

https://twitter.com/figureskatingm1/status/1415268369931018241?s=20

There seems to be reports that JSF won't send any pairs or ice dance teams to the JGP events this year.

 

[ladyjane]

I read somewhere today that there will be no pair sent to Nebelhorn to get that possible 2nd pairs spot at the OG, as there is no second pair at this time (although there appear to be some Juniors coming up). Here's the source of my 'read somewhere':
https://twitter.com/figureskatingm1/status/1415283479881814018 .

I don't know if this is official enough, but it's not unexpected. So many fans were wondering about the existence of a possible 2nd pair after Rika and Ryuichi did such an excellent job at Worlds. Not yet!

 

[champagnerain]

I read somewhere today that there will be no pair sent to Nebelhorn to get that possible 2nd pairs spot at the OG, as there is no second pair at this time (although there appear to be some Juniors coming up). Here's the source of my 'read somewhere':
https://twitter.com/figureskatingm1/status/1415283479881814018 .

I read that as well in another article on Nikkan Sports (here, in Japanese). My quick/rough translation of the relevant passage:

At the World Championships in March in Sweden, Japan obtained the right for two spots in pairs, but because there is no pair to send to the Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany at the end of September, it was announced that they will give up the hope of earning the second spot.

I'm pretty bummed out because I assumed that this would be the outcome at first, but then I heard some fans speculating about possible pairs Japan could try to put together at the last minute just to see if they could try for the Olympic spot, and that idea got me so excited. It might have been a long shot, but it also could have been a good impetus to convince some singles skaters in Japan to try pairs.

 

[mikeko666]

JSF even won't have a test skate of pairs or ice dance for JGP. Apparently, they want to invest on pairs and ice dance as little as possible.
Utana and Seiji look very promising and JSF got one spot at every JGP event because she and Shingo did well at junior worlds two seasons ago.
I wonder if JSF is not willing to invent on junior ice dance because Utana and Shingo split only after two seasons despite their expectation.

 

[readernick]

JSF even won't have a test skate of pairs or ice dance for JGP. Apparently, they want to invest on pairs and ice dance as little as possible.
Utana and Seiji look very promising and JSF got one spot at every JGP event because she and Shingo did well at junior worlds two seasons ago.
I wonder if JSF is not willing to invent on junior ice dance because Utana and Shingo split only after two seasons despite their expectation.

That's likely the case. Investment in pairs and ice dance takes time. JSF is not thinking long term. They need pairs and ice dance to be competitive for the team medal. I think it is , frankly, a stupid decision.

 

[Dreamer57]

https://twitter.com/AnythingGOE/status/1416887538384609290?s=20

Moa Iwano has switched to ice dance and is now looking for a partner!
I really hope it works out for her - I adore her skating skills & artistry!

 

[synesthesia]

https://twitter.com/AnythingGOE/status/1416887538384609290?s=20

Moa Iwano has switched to ice dance and is now looking for a partner!
I really hope it works out for her - I adore her skating skills & artistry!

Fantastic news, she is an expressive skater with great basics indeed! I'd be surprised if her decision wasn't partly encouraged by Dai's switch. She trained with him under Nagamitsu-sensei and looks up to him a lot. Love this picture of them together with Moa's dog: https://www.instagram.com/p/BTDeuXMjSnv/

She's in good hands with recently married Emi and Marien. Fingers crossed for her to find a partner, who is a good match skating- and personality-wise!

 

[mikeko666]

Kana Muramoto & Daisuke Takahashi debuted their RD during an ice hokey event at their home rink Hertz Arena.

EDIT:
A bit of their performance in Dai's Instagram stories.

 

[mikeko666]

Utana Yoshida & Seiji Urano are liseted in the starting order of Junior Dance RD of Chesapeake Open.

YouTube livestream

 

[synesthesia]

Utana's and Seiji's RD:

210805 åç°åè : 浦éèªäº RD

2021 Chesapeake Openstan utana and seiji

www.youtube.com

They earned a score of 45.44.


Music:

You're the boss
This Cat’s on a Hot Tin Roof (Brian Setzer Orchestra)

 

[Sai Bon]

Cringe, "Seiji Yu-ra-no" (it's "Urano" with a short "u" as in "put").
Maybe I'm geoblocked, but I can't see the video, just get the sound.

 

[synesthesia]

Maybe I'm geoblocked, but I can't see the video, just get the sound.

The streaming link is restricted, but the separate video isn't. I just checked on Watan Network:

WatanNetwork YouTube region restriction checker | Check YouTube Video Region Restrictions Online

WatanNetwork online tool lets you see check any YouTube video to see in which countries it is blocked

watannetwork.com

Maybe it works, if you try to watch it with a different webbrowser.