Fumie Next Season

[Bennett]

Watching how Jeff skated clean and won the Championship with a great margin over Joubert who also did very well, I came to think that Fumie still has a great potential for the podium at Worlds next season.

The main problem with her for the last two seasons was the unclean programs. But her jumps are generally beautiful if she lands them (some edge calls on lutz though). She also has good spins and steps and skating skills. She has also been known for presentation. Although she has been rather undermarked in PCS, her skating would be faster and the programs would look so much better if she lands all the jumps.

If both skate clean, I think that Fumie is still capable of beating Yukari whose GOEs on jumps tend to suffer.

Although she may not be able to beat clean Mao, clean Miki, clean Yuna, clean Carolina, and clean Joannie who may have 3-3, Fumie has been known for her mental strength, which would help her remain competitive against these younger ladies who still may have some emotional vulnerability once in a while. Although I am not saying that Fumie doesn't have it, I still feel that Fumie may have a good potential to skate clean when others cannot due to pressures in the big competition.

I wish her good luck:agree:

 

[krenseby]

Watching how Jeff skated clean and won the Championship with a great margin over Joubert who also did very well, I came to think that Fumie still has a great potential for the podium at Worlds next season.

Well that depends on whether she upgraded her spirals and spins? I remember that those have been keeping her down because she wasn't as flexible as the other ladies.

Also, are her take-offs for her lutz and her flip on the correct edges? Does she manage to complete her jumps without underrotations?

If her spirals and spins are competitive and her jumps won't get dinged for bad take-off and underrotation, she does have a chance of making the top 7.

 

[Bennett]

Well that depends on whether she upgraded her spirals and spins? I remember that those have been keeping her down because she wasn't as flexible as the other ladies.

Also, are her take-offs for her lutz and her flip on the correct edges? Does she manage to complete her jumps without underrotations?

If her spirals and spins are competitive and her jumps won't get dinged for bad take-off and underrotation, she does have a chance of making the top 7.

Spins and spirals---she is surprisingly inconsistent. But at her SP at 4cc, she had LSp3 (GOE 0.00), SpSq4 (0.71), FSSp4 (0.43), andCCoSp4 (0.64). So she is capable of being competitive here.

Jumps----This season, she got edge calls on her lutz at China, but not at other competitions. She URed only a couple times.

 

[Tinymavy15]

With Miki's injuries and inconsistencies, Fumie has more of a chance at making the world team. It was really too bad that Miki (with all respect to her did not withdraw before Worlds started, giving Fumie a chance to go). However this past season Fumie herself looked very inconsistent and I did not feel like she ever got into her freeskate. I do not know if this was just bad music choice, if she is unhappy in Russia or what... I hope she can come back strong next season, but feel that her medaling days at GPF or Worlds are over.

 

[Bennett]

I agree that she had real troubles in her LP performances this season and the last. Although she barely get UR, she doubled or singled very often. But she wasn't like that a couple of years ago.
Judging from her comments at Nationals, she seems to be better at practices. I feel that she is capable of pulling herself together.

 

[sorcerer]

With Miki's injuries and inconsistencies, Fumie has more of a chance at making the world team. It was really too bad that Miki (with all respect to her) did not withdraw before Worlds started, giving Fumie a chance to go. ...

Hi there.
...
Oh well, after the SP, five ladies were close together, only 4 to 5 points away from the top. Many said that Meier an Ando were underscored.

Why do you consider that Miki should have withdrawn before the Worlds started?
Even if she did so in the last minute, for Fumie it would have been too late with so little preparation on her side.
Or do you think Miki should have withdrawn some weeks prior?

I think there was an ISU rule on the deadline in changing to the substitute...can't find it now.

ETA:
I definitely want Fumie to shine once more like phoenix.
I'd wish her to make it by winning, not by being given.

 

[indicatoto101]

It's not like Miki was given a pass to Worlds. She placed 2nd and won the long program, showing that she could skate with injuries and still be competitive.

I think what did her in was more the effect of the painkillers than the injury itself. When you can't feel your leg...

 

[ChrisH]

Although she may not be able to beat clean Mao, clean Miki, clean Yuna, clean Carolina, and clean Joannie who may have 3-3, Fumie has been known for her mental strength, which would help her remain competitive against these younger ladies who still may have some emotional vulnerability once in a while.

Also a clean Caroline and Mirai, who have 3-3s and superb non-jump elements.

It may be that Fumie was pacing herself this past season so that she could make a stronger run at the Vancouver Olympics. She is in a much better position than Sasha to make it to the LA Worlds. I expect that'll she use her 2 GP assignments to once again build up to Nationals.

Many are of the opinion that she deserved a medal at the Torino Olympics. I'm somewhat sympathetic to that opinion. Was it the majority opinion?

 

[Bennett]

When I think of it a bit closer, I recall that Fumie was doing pretty well during the first half of the 2006-7 season. She made the GPF. But GPF was an unfortunate event for her with a delayed bus or something. It was a weird competition. Then she missed the flip at Nationals, which cost her the ticket to Worlds. Then she was injured at 2007 4CC and withdrew.

Somehow in this season, I have had an impression that she had been struggling throughout the season. I feel that she did relatively well at Nationals but not too well considering her standard that she set during the first half of the previous season. Her SPs were not bad, but she made a bit too many mistakes in her LP to be competitive. I wonder what's going on with her. I hope that her skate will turn to the good direction next season.

ETA:

Was it the majority opinion?

Opps! Sorry I missed your post! We seemed to be posting at the same time! I don't know if it was a major opinion. But I do hear the same opinion with you quite often.

But perhaps putting it in the context in the current rules, her doubling 3F-2T jump cost her really a lot, which made her base value 3.8 point lower. Since her base value at LP was not that high in the first place, she couldn't afford making mistakes whereas Sasha and Irena could to remain on the podium. Besides, Fumie wasn't at her best at that time in terms of stamina because she had an injury early in the season, which might have affected her PCS. So I personally don't think it unfair. But I can sympathize that opinion as well because she was clean in both SP and LP.

Thanks for reminding me that I forgot to list the newer skaters like Caroline, Mirai, Flatt, Wagner etc and more (Wow, indeed so many!)

 

[Taan]

:disapp::disapp::disapp: i do not like fumie's skating anymore, her problem is she can skate a great sp but never can do a good lp.....the reason is she only has 2 consistent triples, the 3lutz and 3flip

she has bad edge jumps, no 3loop, no tripletriple, her spins/spirals are average

yes she has great artistry but its not enough


she is a perfect example of a great sp skater and awful lp skater

she has no future on any world or even grand prix podium, imo, she's O-V-E-R!

 

[JonnyCoop]

If we could see the Fumie of 2005-2006 (and before) again, then I think she's got a great shot at the podium if she can make the team. If, however, we see the Fumie of 2006-07 (what kind of TOTALLY WEIRD BIZARRE LONG PROGRAM WAS THAT?????) or 07-08 (where is the feel for the music?? when did she start skating on auto-pilot?? who was that woman at Cup of Russia and what had she done with Fumie Suguri??), forget it.

It's not the missed jumps that are Fumie's big problem, IMHO; she can probably get those back. But her expressiveness and terrific choreography of seasons past hasn't been seen in the last 2 seasons, and that I think is tragic.

 

[iluvtodd]

Whatever the case, I want (and hope) Fumie will be back and keep on skating!!!

 

[Bennett]

I actually loved her long program 2006-07 and really thought it the best among what she's skated so far! It was very unique, comical, and cute. I loved the lovely music, the pretty costume, hairstyle, and her expressions.
This season, however, I couldn't get into her programs due to all the mistakes.

I was wondering why doubling or singling jumps are getting habitual. I wonder if her former coach Mr. Sato may have been able to help her techniques better.

A part of me feels like seeing her shine as a pro skater because what's she is passionate about is not very much apprecaited in competitive skating. But as long as she stays there, I would like her to shine as a competitive skater.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I liked her 2006-7 LP, and love all the recent SPs. It's just been this year's LP that has been a clunker (nd the LP from the Olympic season, unfortunately). That (lack of) choreography did nothing for her. She showed the trademark expressiveness in the fun "Take Five" SP this season even when she messed up the jumps.

I agree with what Paul Wylie (?) said in one of the GP broadcasts. Perhaps she would do better with a singles coach who can help her with her technique. I'm not liking this Zhulin collaboration this year.

 

[Tinymavy15]

I actually loved her long program 2006-07 and really thought it the best among what she's skated so far! It was very unique, comical, and cute. I loved the lovely music, the pretty costume, hairstyle, and her expressions.

I so agree. Call me crazy, but I LOVED that freeskate... it is still among my top favs of all time. I thought that it was perfect for her. I don't get why so many people disliked it.

 

[cassieandcheetah]

I like Fumie, but I just don't understand why she wants to keep returning....

 

[ks777]

I like Fumie, but I just don't understand why she wants to keep returning....

I have mixed feelings about Fumie keeps coming back. It's great that she is motivated and training hard but at the same time, she needs to realize that she is losing her jumps.

I just think that the only reason she keeps coming back even though she hasn't made the world team for a few years now is that Shizuka Arakawa won the gold at the Olympics and Fumie can't stand the fact that Shzuka beaten her. If you followed Fumie closely, you might have noticed that Fumie and Shizuka had problems getting along. I remember reading Shizuka's interviews where Shizuka said " I don't know how to talk to her." Shizuka even said she won't get any responses from Fumie when tried talking to her. I have never heard anything positive about Fumie from the japanese skaters. Yukari Nakano and Miki Ando both trained at the same rink with Fumie but I have never heard them say anything about Fumie except that Ando was scolded by Fumie at a competition when Ando was talking to another skater until right before taking the ice.
Yukari and Miki also states that Shizuka Arakawa is like their sister. I remember seeing Miki wearing shizuka's gold medal at the Olympics closing ceremony.
Where was Fumie at the closing ceremony?? She changed her flight and left Torin early right after the compeition even though she was the assistant captain for the Japan's Olympic team and was supposed to stay with the team until the end.

I remember reading an article about Yuka's Dad(Fumie's coach at the time) where he was asked about Fumie and Shizuka(Yuka's mom and Morozov were her coach at the time). He was very happy that they(Mr and Ms. Sato, Fumie and Shizuka) were able to go out for dinner together for the first time ever, during the Olympics.

So my point is that Fumie keeps coming back becuase she wants to top what Shizuka accomplished, in my opinion. So we might see her until 50yo, still skating...

 

[cassieandcheetah]

I have mixed feelings about Fumie keeps coming back. It's great that she is motivated and training hard but at the same time, she needs to realize that she is losing her jumps.

I just think that the only reason she keeps coming back even though she hasn't made the world team for a few years now is that Shizuka Arakawa won the gold at the Olympics and Fumie can't stand the fact that Shzuka beaten her. If you followed Fumie closely, you might have noticed that Fumie and Shizuka had problems getting along. I remember reading Shizuka's interviews where Shizuka said " I don't know how to talk to her." Shizuka even said she won't get any responses from Fumie when tried talking to her. I have never heard anything positive about Fumie from the japanese skaters. Yukari Nakano and Miki Ando both trained at the same rink with Fumie but I have never heard them say anything about Fumie except that Ando was scolded by Fumie at a competition when Ando was talking to another skater until right before taking the ice.
Yukari and Miki also states that Shizuka Arakawa is like their sister. I remember seeing Miki wearing shizuka's gold medal at the Olympics closing ceremony.
Where was Fumie at the closing ceremony?? She changed her flight and left Torin early right after the compeition even though she was the assistant captain for the Japan's Olympic team and was supposed to stay with the team until the end.

I remember reading an article about Yuka's Dad(Fumie's coach at the time) where he was asked about Fumie and Shizuka(Yuka's mom and Morozov were her coach at the time). He was very happy that they(Mr and Ms. Sato, Fumie and Shizuka) were able to go out for dinner together for the first time ever, during the Olympics.

So my point is that Fumie keeps coming back becuase she wants to top what Shizuka accomplished, in my opinion. So we might see her until 50yo, still skating...

hmmm...this is very interesting. Thank you for your thoughtful response! I have to say I did sense a weird kind of stubborn streak in her returning year after year (despite the obvious loss of jumps) that couldn't quite be rationalized......

 

[Bennett]

I personally feel that she keeps coming back because she loves skating and because she loves the life as a competitive skater. She appears to me to be very simple about her passion.

Mao as a little girl said Fumie was sweet and taught her steps. Regarding Miki as a young skater being scolded by the older Fumie---I thought Miki cited this story as an appreciation to Fumie in that she helped her realize the seriousness of the competitions and considerations towards others (i.e., other skaters might want to focus instead of chatting with her).

JMOs.

 

[krenseby]

I just think that the only reason she keeps coming back even though she hasn't made the world team for a few years now is that Shizuka Arakawa won the gold at the Olympics and Fumie can't stand the fact that Shzuka beaten her.

I think that has to be dead wrong. She is not sticking around to match Arakawa's gold. With skaters like Mao,Yuna, and Yukari around, her chances for a gold medal finish are tiny!

So I doubt that what she has in mind is an Olympic gold medal or an Olympic medal of any kind!