Akiko Suzuki On The Move | Page 5 | Golden Skate

Akiko Suzuki On The Move

It seems that at 4cc, she's boosted the levels of her various non-jump elements. So with her level of consistency, basic skating skills, performance ability, and possibly the best step sequence this season, I think it's time we consider Akiko a major podium threat at Vancouver.

She reminds me of Canada's Joannie Rochette. They're both older, strong but still graceful skaters. They have sound basics and good command of the ice. Neither of them are hyper-flexible (although Akiko is a little bit more flexible than Joannie), but they both have good lines and posture. They are both capable of landing a hell of a lot of triples in a program, just not a triple/triple combo. Where Akiko wins is that she gives a more engaged performance than Joannie; Akiko is capable of losing herself in the music and sparkle, while Joannie is a lot more controlled. And of course, so far this season, Akiko has been the vastly more consistent one, with the most 7-triple LPs of any lady so far. Where Joannie wins is she has a true lutz, and she has a lot more international regard than the newly relevant Akiko.
 
I'm so happy that Akiko has finally won her first medal in an ISU Championships! Congratulations Akiko!

She has surely upped the ante and the levels of her non-jump elements, earning level 4's on nearly all of it, she even got a level 4 in the SP for her step sequence which is surely the best in the business!

I totally agree that she is loving this moment! She is winning and medaling in almost all the competitions!

I love that she really skates in the zone like Michelle Kwan, she wears her heart on her sleeve! She is truly special and endearing.


I agree that she is the dark horse of Vancouver

I think that she needs to do the triple lutz double toe and triple flip in the SP!

Hope she can skate freely in Vancouver

My prayers are for you Akiko!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111
 
I think ISU does not consider GPF as an ISU Championships event ( I think ISU only considers the Olympics, World Championships, Four Continents Championships and European Championships as it's Championship events)

Surely for all of us we consider the GPFinal the pre-worlds and one of the major competitions but the name of the event i guess does not have the word championships so the ISU does not consider it an ISU Championships

This is from www.isufs.org

Suzuki’s lively performance to “Westside Story” included six triple jumps, but the Lutz was shaky. She only popped a loop. With a score of 114.84 points (62.20/52.64), the Grand Prix Final bronze medalist was ranked second in the Free Skating and slipped to second overall at 173.72 points. It was Suzuki’s first medal at an ISU Championship. She had finished 8th in her two previous appearances at Four Continents in 2009 and 2002. “This is the first time I was first after the short program in a (major) international event, but I didn’t want to think about that. I just wanted to perform the Westside Story. I missed one jump, and there were some little mistakes, but stayed focused until the end. That was good”, the 24-year-old said.
 
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silverlake22 said:
Skate Canada was just a messed up competition. They gave Mirai all sorts of "e" on her lutzes too even though they were good jumps that should have gotten a "!" at worst. Mirai is not known for having a bad flutz the judges there were just being dumb keeping Mirai down as much as possible in the short and free so that Alissa and Laura would beat her even though she skated circles around everyone in the free landing more bigger, better jumps than everyone else. Mirai should have been 2nd or 3rd, Akiko 4th and Laura 5th. Plus the judges gave Joannie, Emelie, and Cynthia HUGE PCS scores for no reason.

Maybe Akiko should go with a 3lz-2t and a 3lo then, unless the tech caller is being crazy. Akiko and Mirai are two of my favorite skaters and I just feel bad because I feel like international judges always give them scores that are the very minimum of what they really deserve.
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I'd kind of forgotten about Mirai in SC. All I ever remember about that competition is that Joannie skated a great short and got a 70 that some people questioned and that Alissa did one of my favorite SPs of the season, setting me up to be hopeful about her once again only to be typically let down. Again. Makes me want to go back and check out Mirai's performance again. I don't like saying things like this but I also wondered throughout that GPS if Mirai was sort of kept down. Also, bummer about Akiko's "e" call that apparently encouraged her to change her SP. Those two have been among my favorites this season.
 
Layfan said:
I'd kind of forgotten about Mirai in SC. All I ever remember about that competition is that Joannie skated a great short and got a 70 that some people questioned and that Alissa did one of my favorite SPs of the season, setting me up to be hopeful about her once again only to be typically let down. Again. Makes me want to go back and check out Mirai's performance again. I don't like saying things like this but I also wondered throughout that GPS if Mirai was sort of kept down. Also, bummer about Akiko's "e" call that apparently encouraged her to change her SP. Those two have been among my favorites this season.
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Mirai, IMO, was pretty forgettable during the LP at Skate Canada. I was the arena for the LP and although she landed the jumps, it was a pretty connect-the-jumps kind of performance, with interpretation mostly falling by the wayside. She was much better at US Nationals.
 
evangeline said:
Mirai, IMO, was pretty forgettable during the LP at Skate Canada. I was the arena for the LP and although she landed the jumps, it was a pretty connect-the-jumps kind of performance, with interpretation mostly falling by the wayside. She was much better at US Nationals.
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Yes, I totally agree and I think even Frank and Mirai agree. I think the game plan to to skate clean and get her confidence back, which seemed to work. Missing out on the podium lit an extra fire and the way she skated at Nationals showed that she reworked parts of Carmen with Lori sometime in the winter. Her freeskate and short at Nationals were the best programs I have ever seen her skate, and that is where she needed to skate them.
 
evangeline said:
Mirai, IMO, was pretty forgettable during the LP at Skate Canada. I was the arena for the LP and although she landed the jumps, it was a pretty connect-the-jumps kind of performance, with interpretation mostly falling by the wayside. She was much better at US Nationals.
Click to expand...


I just got back to this thread and read this old post of mine ... I did go back and watch Mirai at SC and yes, she was forgettable. no expression at all. I'm completely amazed at the difference at nationals. It'll be interesting to see which Mirai shows up at the Olympics.
 
Layfan said:
I just got back to this thread and read this old post of mine ... I did go back and watch Mirai at SC and yes, she was forgettable. no expression at all. I'm completely amazed at the difference at nationals. It'll be interesting to see which Mirai shows up at the Olympics.
Click to expand...

Agreed. And was especially surprised to see the "lively" version of her show up under the high pressure skates of US Nationals.

As this is a thread about Akiko, have been so impressed by her competitive fire and "giving" style of performing. Would seem tough to stand out amidst such a dense and competitive group of ladies in Japan, but even using such "overused" music (WSS) she pulls it off. Energy, energy, energy. Impressed.
 
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