Higuchi shows promise for Japanese ladies

[gsk8]

Japan's Wakaba Higuchi took the junior scene by storm this season, showing all the qualities to become a top star like that of Olympic silver medalist Mao Asada, who burst onto the scene nearly 11 years ago....[More]

At Junior Worlds, the teenager showed a solid triple Lutz-triple toeloop, as well as a triple Lutz-double toe-double loop, and has been working hard on the triple Axel.

"I just need about a quarter of rotation more to complete it," said the Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medalist. "It was not scary to do the triple Axel and I tried for the first time a year ago. I think you need the triple Axel to become the champion or to get a good result in international competitions."

 

[Interspectator]

She's a firecracker. I love to watch her compete.
In her new SP she's going to put all her jumping passes in the second half to gain more points.
If she can raise the quality of her spins and steps as well, she'll be all set for Gold in the Juniors. :agree:

 

[FSGMT]

I just hope 3As and quads won't cause her injuries :hopelessness: Anyway, I'm happy that she'll have one more Junior season so that she can take things step by step.

 

[dorispulaski]

Thanks for a nice article on a very talented young skater!

 

[Crossover]

Thanks for the article. It always is a delight to know more of promising youngsters in progress with immense talents! It seems highly likely that Wakaba will bring in 3A on the table sooner or later given her determination for the goal and her powerful jumps. If she also could execute quads in competition as following her mentor, Miki Ando (not mentioned in the article but in other interviews) who landed 4S as the first lady in an int. competition, that would be also an awesome factor to the current ladies' event. She needs well-designed programs to reveal her musicality as well, but more importantly I just hope that she stays healthy and injury-free, so she can shine herself from all the potentials.

 

[kwanatic]

Higuchi shows SO much promise. I think she's the best jumper of the junior girls right now. At junior worlds her jumps earned her more +GOE than both Russian girls and she ended up with the highest TES of the FS. If they can clean up her flip edge (she gets dinged on that jump) she's going to be in business. She's fast, her jumps are big and airy and she's got a pretty good head for competition as well.

Higuchi definitely needs work on her spins and overall style as well as the way she relates to her music and performs to the audience. After seeing the strides Akiko Suzuki made with Rika Hongo this year, I think she should market herself as a performance coach. I think Higuchi would really benefit from spending time with Akiko and learning how to perform and really connect with the audience and the judges. That would help her PCS to improve and would put her on an even playing field with the Russians. She out-jumped them at worlds this year but they out-performed her. Higuchi has personality when she's on the ice but she doesn't project it throughout the performance. She gives little glimmers here and there, but it's not consistent enough to make a big enough impact.

I think she's brilliant. She and Yuka Nagai are the two junior level ladies I'm keeping my eye on. Nagai has nice jumps and a lovely style to her skating. She also needs work on spins and performance as well as a little more mental toughness. Both girls are young so there's still plenty of room for them to grow. I could definitely see them being on the 2018 Olympic team...

 

[Meli_Huber]

I think she's brilliant. She and Yuka Nagai are the two junior level ladies I'm keeping my eye on. Nagai has nice jumps and a lovely style to her skating. She also needs work on spins and performance as well as a little more mental toughness. Both girls are young so there's still plenty of room for them to grow. I could definitely see them being on the 2018 Olympic team...

Marin Honda will be a Junior international Nest Year too or?
Future for Japan Looks really good.