2023-24 Japanese Women's Figure Skating

[Sai Bon]

DOI new programs (to be updated):

Mao Shimada SP: 'Americano' (choreography by K. Weaver)
Ami Nagai SP: 'Baby, God bless you' (yes, previously skated by Rika, choreography by D. Wilson)
Rena Uezono SP: 'Twilight'
Mone Chiba SP: 'Dark Eyes'

Mai Mihara SP: 'To Love You More' by Céline Dion (choreography by J. Buttle)
Rinka Watanabe SP: Avatar: The Way of Water
**Note: Kaori is not skating on Friday, as she's participating in an Olympic concert.

Oh Mai, not Celine Dion...

 

[cohkaix]

DOI new programs (to be updated):

Mao Shimada SP: 'Americano' (choreography by K. Weaver)
Ami Nagai SP: 'Baby, God bless you' (yes, previously skated by Rika, choreography by D. Wilson)
Rena Uezono SP: 'Twilight'
Mone Chiba SP: 'Dark Eyes'

Mai Mihara SP: 'To Love You More' by Céline Dion (choreography by J. Buttle)
Rinka Watanabe SP: Avatar: The Way of Water
**Note: Kaori is not skating on Friday, as she's participating in an Olympic concert.

Kaori‘s New FS is Wild is the Wind (Nina Simone Medley) + Feeling Good

 

[cohkaix]

In case anyone would like to watch the videos from the DOI broadcast on Jul 1st, you may follow the instruction from this Tweet:

https://twitter.com/skatejapanews/status/1675280506773020672?s=20

To get to the IG account (just follow that account to get approval).

So far, I'm enjoying Hana's 'Koo Koo Fun' the most.

 

[cohkaix]

Going from National placements:
- Yuna Aoki
- Rika Kihira (for her 2nd spot)
- Rino Matsuike
- Saki Miyake
- Mako Yamashita

I think with Yuna, Saki and Mako my concern is if their lack of World Standing points will affect the selection. So my guess is Rino will get it or Rika, if her ankle is better (she just posted an Insta Story of an xray result where the fatigue fracture is still there).

There should be a closed selection event where the eligible skaters compete this July, and we'll know who will get the TBD spot.

Just realized that the TBD to NHK will be decided by mid Sept. So assuming the closed selection might be held by the end of Aug.

 

[RafaelAstro]

Gosh I don't like the music selections so far :/

 

[cohkaix]

Entry list to the famous 'Gen-san' Summer Cup is just released: Entry list in Japanese

Sr women: 52 skaters (Kaori Sakamoto, Wakaba Higuchi, Rion Sumiyoshi, Hana Yoshida, Mone Chiba, Yuna Aoki, Rino Matsuike...interesting Mai Mihara is not listed)
Sr men: 28 skaters (Sota Yamamoto, Kao Miura, Nozomu Yoshioka, Takeru Amine Kataise,... no Kazuki Tomono)
Jr. men: 37 skaters
Jr. women (2 groups together): 100 skaters!

This year, Gen-san is in overlap with Kinoshita Group's competition, so some of the skaters from Kinoshita Academy are not here.

*The detail list of entries will be updated in the Summer Competitions 2023 under '2023-24 National Figure Skating events' (23-24 Japanese Nationals)

 

[yesterday]

long days to come!

 

[rabidline]

 

[cohkaix]

JSF is holding the training camp for Sr. skaters, starting from today. And today's also the media day. The skaters invited to the camp (including Jr. skaters) include:

- Kaori Sakamoto
SP: TBA, Jeff Buttle
FS: Wild Is the Wind/Feelin’ Good, Marie France Duberuil

- Mai Mihara
SP: To love you more, Jeff Buttle
FS: Jupiter, David Wilson

- Wakaba Higuchi
SP: TBD
FS: Fix you/Paradise; Shae-Lynn Bourne

- Rinka Watanabe
SP: Avatar Way of Water, Kenji Miyamoto
FS: Name unknown (a music in medley of several songs), Shae-Lynn Bourne

- Mao Shimada
SP: Americano; Katlyn Weaver
FS: Benedictus; Lori Nichol

- Ami Nakai
SP: Baby, God bless you, Akiko Suzuki
FS: Only hope, David Wilson

- Mone Chiba
SP: Dark eyes; Misha Ge
FS: The Legend of 1900: Akiko Suzuki

- Hana Yoshida
SP: Koo Koo Fun, Katlyn Weaver
FS: name unknown (in the theme of Japanese style music), Lori Nichol


There should be updated news about full programs from the above list of the skaters soon. (Will be updated above)

 

[skim1001]

Kinoshita Trophy (Aug 11-12) Entry List

Notable Entries:

Sr Women (there's only 7 skaters here): Mone Chiba, Hana Yoshida, Rion Sumiyoshi (all 3 are also listed at Gen-san summer cup which will be happening at the same time)

Jr Women: Haruna Murakami, Mao Shimada, Ayumi Shibayama, Ami Nakai, Ikura Kushida, Yo Takagi

 

[rabidline]

Challenger assignments from JSF are out:

Lombardia Trophy (Sept. 8-10 at Bergamo, Italy)
Men: Yuma Kagiyama, Nozomu Yoshioka,
Women: Hana Yoshida

Autumn Classic (Sept. 14-16 at Quebec, Canada)
Men: Sota Yamamoto
Women: Kaori Sakamoto, Mone Chiba
Pairs: Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara

Nebelhorn Trophy (Sept. 20-23 at Oberstdorf, Germany)
Men: Koshiro Shimada, Kazuki Tomono

Finlandia Trophy (Oct. 4-8 at Espoo, Finland)
Men: Kao Miura, Shun Sato
Women: Mai Mihara, Rinka Watanabe

 

[rabidline]

Update to JSF Strengthened Athlete/ Funding Groups:

Updated to Group A
Tatsuya Tsuboi
Mana Kawabe
Rika Kihira
Rion Sumiyoshi
Wakaba Higuchi
Updated to Group B
Taiga Nishino
Daiya Ebihara
Rena Uezono

 

[rabidline]

Also, development on transparency for World team selection process:

The Board of Directors of JSF also approved to specify in the selection criteria for athletes to be sent to international competitions in the 23-24 season that "athletes eligible for selection criteria up to the end of the Grand Prix Final will be made public during the week of the All-Japan Championships." This is to make the selection process for World Championships and other events easier to understand.

 

[skim1001]

JSF's entries for the JGP:

☆ Thailand
Rio Nakata, Tsudoi Suto
Ami Nakai, Yo Takagi

☆ Austria
Haru Kakiuchi, Taiga Nishino
Ayumi Shibayama, Haruna Murakami

☆ Turkey
Rio Nakata, Daiya Ebihara
Ami Nakai, Rena Uezono

☆ Japan
Shunsuke Nakamura, Seigo Tauchi, TBD
Mao Shimada, Ikura Kushida, TBD
Sara Kishimoto and Atsuhiko Tamura

☆ Hungary
Haru Kakiuchi, TBD
Ayumi Shibayama, TBD

☆ Poland
TBD, TBD
Rena Uezono, TBD
Sara Kishimoto and Atsuhiko Tamura

☆ Armenia
Shunsuke Nakamura, TBD
Mao Shimada, TBD

 

[hermine17]

Thank you for all the information rabidline and skim1001.

Well, I'm glad that there are more challenger assignments than last year at least. Still wish there would be more of those.

I'm so sad that Yurina Okuno did not get a JGP assignment. I hope she'll get one of the TBD spots. I'm happy for Rena Uezono though; she looked very strong at DOI.

I'm also sad that Rion is "only" in Group A. Come on, the girl won two medals on the GP circuit.

 

[surimi]

Good to see more entries for Challengers than last year. Kaori, Mai, Mone, Hana and Rinka. I'm just surprised that Wakaba hasn't been selected yet (especially since Germany has no JPN women's assignment). After her break, she could really use the points. Perhaps they're waiting for her competitive results first? Is she assigned to Gensan? I can't find the entries now. Same for Mana.
I've read Rika is still injured and has just recently arrived in Canada to start training, so no point in assigning her to an early competition.
Fingers crossed fo Rion, too. Perhaps she could be sent to Warsaw if she doesn't get the NHK TBD slot. It's just 10 days after her GP France.

 

[rabidline]

Good to see more entries for Challengers than last year. Kaori, Mai, Mone, Hana and Rinka. I'm just surprised that Wakaba hasn't been selected yet (especially since Germany has no JPN women's assignment). After her break, she could really use the points. Perhaps they're waiting for her competitive results first? Is she assigned to Gensan? I can't find the entries now. Same for Mana.
I've read Rika is still injured and has just recently arrived in Canada to start training, so no point in assigning her to an early competition.
Fingers crossed fo Rion, too. Perhaps she could be sent to Warsaw if she doesn't get the NHK TBD slot. It's just 10 days after her GP France.

JSF has no basis to send Wakaba to Challengers this year, since she has zero national results last season, and internationally her sole result (Lombardia Trophy) is not that great (she didn't win or podium). Wakaba was invited to the GP series by the hosting federations, so what JSF can give her is adding her to the Group A of Strengthened Athletes.

The only skaters getting Challenger assignments are in the Special Group of Strengthened Athletes.

Rion already has 2 GP slots: France and Finland. She would not be able to get the NHK TBD slot. Rika Kihira (1 spot), Rino Matsuike (0 spots) may get the NHK TBD slot.

 

[surimi]

JSF has no basis to send Wakaba to Challengers this year, since she has zero national results last season, and internationally her sole result (Lombardia Trophy) is not that great (she didn't win or podium). Wakaba was invited to the GP series by the hosting federations, so what JSF can give her is adding her to the Group A of Strengthened Athletes.

The only skaters getting Challenger assignments are in the Special Group of Strengthened Athletes.

Rion already has 2 GP slots: France and Finland. She would not be able to get the NHK TBD slot. Rika Kihira (1 spot), Rino Matsuike (0 spots) may get the NHK TBD slot.

But have the rules for getting Challengers ever been codified? There used to be times when even B funding skaters would get to Challengers.
It's not Wakaba's fault she didn't do well in Lombardia last year considering she was sent there injured, and then took a year off to heal fully. Unless there are rules stating who is eligible for CS and who is not, I see it as 'when there's a will, there's a way' kind of thing.

My mistake for not noticing Rion assigned twice. Good for her to have 2 GP. I'd have loved for her to get Germany Challenger, too.

 

[rabidline]

But have the rules for getting Challengers ever been codified? There used to be times when even B funding skaters would get to Challengers.
It's not Wakaba's fault she didn't do well in Lombardia last year considering she was sent there injured, and then took a year off to heal fully. Unless there are rules stating who is eligible for CS and who is not, I see it as 'when there's a will, there's a way' kind of thing.

It would be unfair though for the other skaters who competed last season (at least at Nationals) if Wakaba is assigned by JSF just like that. For B funding skaters in the past, it's more justified because they did something to earn getting to the B group that Wakaba didn't do last season: compete in last season, especially at Nationals. And Wakaba only got to Group A because she was invited to compete at the GP by the GP hosts, not because of her placements at Nationals last season and JSF considerations based on last season (like Rinka and Yuma being in the Special Group despite other senior skaters placing higher than them at Nationals). She can't even say she has great international results to be considered for that group since she didn't compete.

But I would love it if the Challengers assignment rule gets codified though. More transparency is always better, even if it will get more messy.

 

[surimi]

It would be unfair though for the other skaters who competed last season (at least at Nationals) if Wakaba is assigned by JSF just like that. For B funding skaters in the past, it's more justified because they did something to earn getting to the B group that Wakaba didn't do last season: compete in last season, especially at Nationals. And Wakaba only got to Group A because she was invited to compete at the GP by the GP hosts, not because of her placements at Nationals last season and JSF considerations based on last season (like Rinka and Yuma being in the Special Group despite other senior skaters placing higher than them at Nationals). She can't even say she has great international results to be considered for that group since she didn't compete.

But I would love it if the Challengers assignment rule gets codified though. More transparency is always better, even if it will get more messy.

What would be fair is if all who have at least one GP can test the judges' reception of their programs before GP series. If any federation is resourceful enough to send them, it's JSF. In women, it would only mean the addition of Rion, Mana and Wakaba, so not that many.

In 2019, Marin Honda got a Challenger despite not having produced any medals in the previous season, and placing 15th at the 2018 Nationals. Hosoda, Shiraiwa and Kawabata of the top 10 all got snubbed (Hosoda likely wasn't in the WS, but I bet the other two were). CS selections was just the top 7 and Honda. It looks like JSF can make exceptions if they want to, and I daresay a recent OG top 6 finisher and team medalist, plus preceding JNats silver medalist, would deserve special consideration - and an exception from rules which don't even exist in the first place. If Wakaba wasn't in a state to skate throughout the season, one wonders if it isn't JSF itself's fault for sending her to compete in CS while injured, further aggravating whatever was bothering her.