2021-22 Japanese Women's Figure Skating

[figureskatingandrainbows]

According to TSL/other rumours, Rika's jumping triples except axel, lutz, and flip. The good news with that is she might be back to almost top shape by Nats (probably minus the 4S/3A) and after Nats has a month to continue training before the Olympics

 

[Joekaz]

According to TSL/other rumours, Rika's jumping triples except axel, lutz, and flip. The good news with that is she might be back to almost top shape by Nats (probably minus the 4S) and after Nats has a month to continue training before the Olympics

If those reports are true then she has no better chance than the other top girls. No axel, lutz or flip is a pretty big disadvantage.

 

[cohkaix]

JPN entries to JGPF are decided:

Jr. women: Rion Sumiyoshi
Jr. men: Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda

Other competition entry adjustment announcement: Yuhana Yokoi will compete in GP-IdF (hence will WD from the Warsaw Cup originally assigned.)

 

[zanadude]

JPN entries to JGPF are decided:

Jr. women: Rion Sumiyoshi
Jr. men: Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda

Why would they decide this before Jr. Nationals? It's just a few days away.

 

[cohkaix]

Why would they decide this before Jr. Nationals? It's just a few days away.

Perhaps ISU has a certain date for the federation to submit the entry? Rion still holds the highest score (182.56) among all the Jr. women's from both east and west sectionals (though I don't agree to compare scores directly across the sectionals, and I hope Rion is not hyped to try 4T in the competition...if she's not ready to put that in the program yet). And her performance in the local competitions this season so far is quite stable.

 

[zanadude]

Speaking of sectionals, I finally got around to watching the highlights from Eastern Sectionals. I know Marin Honda has been struggling technically for years now, but this was the first time I've seen her struggling artistically as well. Very shocked to see her pretty much going through the motions in her free program. Guess she's spending too much practice time on her cooking show...

In her post skate interview, she said that she was recently contacted by Mao Asada. They practised together, and Marin promised her that she would make it to Nationals, so she was quite relieved to have fulfilled the promise.

I'm still pulling for her, but I'm glad I was able to see her free performance here, because I'm not at all confident of her chances of qualifying for the free program next month.

The find of the show for me was Yurina Okuno. Really enjoyed both her short and free programs. Don't think she will go on to be a world champion or anything like that, but I hope she improves on her 13th place performance in Jr. Nationals this year, and that she will be a presence at Nationals for many years to come.

 

[Joekaz]

Wakaba needs to stop popping(as many have already stated) or she is going to pop herself right off the Olympic team at Nats again. She has the talent level and difficulty of programs to make the podium if she simply avoids falls or particularly pops. If she can simply avoid those 2 things she is such a beautiful skater that even with the constant PCS and GOE underscoring, ridiculous nitpicking with q calls, and ever present ! on the flip, she would still probably make the Oly team. The pops not only give away lots of points, but also give the judges the excuse to underscore her in the other areas, just as they did today.

 

[Dreamer57]

I like to think that Wakaba is saving her two best skates for Nationals!
That being said, a bronze medal at IdF is not out of reach. Plus she has won a Challenger event with the highest SP score amongst JPN women this season.

 

[cohkaix]

Wakaba makes it to the podium!

 

[Lzbee]

Wakaba was amazing

 

[readernick]

Wakaba didn't pop! So happy for her. I don't understand her PCS but whatever....

 

[Joekaz]

Wakaba now has the best SP and LP(I know the bogus scoring doesn't reflect this) this season among Japanese women. Now she just needs to put them together and get some fed support to get the scores she deserves(wishful thinking). On a separate note, the scoring manipulation the +5-5 GOE scale and the q call allows is outrageous and rivals PCS scoring in being the biggest jokes in this supposed sport.

 

[lurkerghost1]

As usual Wakaba dramatically underscored. If she was Russian she’d have beat Aliona at this competition with like 69 in the short and 152 in the free. Not only best free skate of the Japanese women but best free skate of the season for all women. Although funnily enough it’s not Wakaba’s best free skate lol.

 

[RatedPG]

Wakaba was my favourite performance in the free skate. But, she does seem to get sloppy with her spins and speed, etc. Anyways, I’m so happy she was able to win the bronze medal

 

[Joekaz]

Wakaba was my favourite performance in the free skate. But, she does seem to get sloppy with her spins and speed, etc. Anyways, I’m so happy she was able to win the bronze medal

Should have been 150+ with fair scoring. If she can put her SP from last week with today's LP, she could win Nats. Although the JSF will lowball her all they can Im sure.

 

[Dawn825]

I was so nervous before Wakaba skated, and felt genuinely elated after she was done. The triple axel was so great, and after she rotated her last jump I thought I was gonna cry.

 

[Dreamer57]

Yay Wakaba!

 

[gotoschool]

More rigged scoring against unfavored threats from the same places in systematic discrimination in this case Wakaba giving a great performance is super lowballed in both tech and PCS, which is why the scores and judges should be held in nothing but utter contempt.

 

[zanadude]

Mai Mihara should send Wakaba a nice fruit basket, as her bronze was the only way that Sinitsyna and Wakaba both remain below Mihara in the Grand Prix standings.

Mihara currently has the #5 spot in the Finals with only one event remaining. A quick look at the Rostelcom Cup participants to see if there is any realistic non-injury scenario that sees her through to the Finals shows that...no, no there isn't. But 2nd alternate may be doable?

 

[YuBluByMe]

Welp, I’m going to be the voice of dissent yet again. I thought Higuchi’s free would be no higher than 145. I said this before, but Higuchi’s always skates right through her music until her step sequence, after all the jumps are done. This is noticeable and it’s partly the reason for the sub-70 PCS. You could make a fair argument that she should have been second in the free skate, but it’s more that Kostornaia’s score was off, not Higuchi’s.

The politics of it: Higuchi is not among the top three Japanese women. Even if you take Kihira out of the picture, the top three are currently Sakamoto, Mihara, and Miyahara. She’s not going to get any freebies. I disagree with the politics of it (maybe I should start using quotation marks when I refer to this “sport”) but she’s going to have to put herself in the top three. One could make all the excuses they want about the judging, but it means jack squat if she leaves the door open.

I was actually happier about the 3Lz+3T+2T than I was about the 3A. That’s the first time she landed the second 3-3 so no pops in the free is a step in the right direction. Now she needs to land it in the SP and bring this free skate to Nationals. If she does, no amount of shenanigans would matter because she would have shut the door.