Japan-a-thon - How do the rising talents of Japan's own all compare to each other?

[miki_tan]

Akiko Suzuki

Akiko Suzuki competed 2001 Jr Worlds and 2002 4CC.
Both competitions were aired on JSKY SPORTS.
(I don't have both tapes.)

I think that she is "relatively" artistic type with "relatively" weak jumps.

I like her moves but not everyone think (very)highly of it.
She did sometimes "technical" performance like landing 6 triples
and even tried 3S-3Lo combo.

 

[Vash01]

I have never seen Akiko Suzuki Skate yet. Is there any where I can see her skating video?? I hope she makes a full recovery from eating disorder!! I have read it somewhere that Akiko is as artistic as Yukina Ota.. is that true??

I have seen Akiko Suzuki skate at JGP in Arizona. She is nowhere as artistic as Yukina Ota. I thought she was a good jumper for her level at that time.

Vash

 

[miki_tan]

I have seen Akiko Suzuki skate at JGP in Arizona. She is nowhere as artistic as Yukina Ota. I thought she was a good jumper for her level at that time.

I am ashamed to saying about artisty because of subjectivity.
but I think "nowhere" is too much for her performances.

edited to add: I just remember now.
Ms Noriko Shirota of JSF Chief of Figure Training said in 4CC coverage
"Her case is, she have a high reputation for gaining for 2nd marks though,,".
It looks like Shirota was saying as "high reputation" and didn't say as her opinion.

So there were pros and cons for it.

 

[miki_tan]

In my humble but no so original opinion, Akiko Suzuki's perfomance is
more of "feminine" impression than Yukina Ota.

 

[miki_tan]

West Japan Championships Junior Ladies SP result (October 29 in Hiroshima)
Top 10
1.Mai Asada 57.25
2.Mao Asada 56.04
3.Akiko Kitamura 47.58
4.Satsuki Muramoto 46.15
5.Miri Yoshida 42.91
6.Haruka Inoue 39.67
7.Emi Hirai 38.75
8.Sayaka Yodo 37.96
9.Erika Fujisawa 37.34
10.Ari Nakanishi 34.88

Looks like Mai Asada is Baaaaaack!

East Japan Championships Junior Ladies SP result (October 29 in Tochigi)
Top 10
1.Nana Takeda 45.77
2.Rumi Suizu 43.46
3.Momo Makino 43.04
4.Ayako Hagiwara 41.31
5.Risa Mochizuki 39.54
6.Mutsumi Takayama 36.82
7.Yuka Ishikawa 36.68
8.Rina Kasawa 33.86
9.Nagisa Hayashi 33.54
10.Hinako Kikuchi 33.02

 

[shine]

I have never seen Akiko Suzuki Skate yet. Is there any where I can see her skating video?? I hope she makes a full recovery from eating disorder!! I have read it somewhere that Akiko is as artistic as Yukina Ota.. is that true??

Akiko! I love her. I wouldn't say she's *quite* as artistic Yukina Ota (who is? ), but she has totally wonderful, mature presentation and musicality, and TONS of charm, and her basic skating is very strong. A very high quiality skater for sure and my second favorite Japanese skater. Her SP in 2002 to the Chopin piano concerto is one of my favorite programs in recent years. A few videos of hers are shared on Rinkside by a number of people there.

 

[miki_tan]

East Japan Championships Senior Ladies SP result (October 30 in Tochigi)
Top 10
1.Chika Suguri 41.00
2.Akiko Suzuki 38.99
3.Fumi Hasebe 38.07
4.Kana Kibesaki 37.90
5.Chisato Shiina 37.15
6.Hiroe Kakisawa 36.74
7.Nagisa Suwabe 35.91
8.Sachie Yamaguchi 31.54
9.Sayaka Ishida 29.50
10.Takako Kimura 29.40

West Japan Championships Senior Ladies SP must have also finished today
but not updated results on official site.

Both East and West Japan Championships Junior Ladies FS is ongoing now.

 

[miki_tan]

East Japan Championships Junior Ladies Final result (October 29-30 in Tochigi)
Top 10
1.Nana Takeda 1 1 136.01
2.Momo Makino 3 2 127.67
3.Ayako Hagiwara 4 3 122.69
4.Rumi Suizu 2 5 114.66
5.Risa Mochizuki 5 8 107.93
6.Mutsumi Takayama 6 6 107.46
7.Yuka Ishikawa 7 7 106.60
8.Nagisa Hayashi 9 4 106.04
9.Eri Ishigami 16 9 97.42
10.Rina Kasama 8 11 97.13

West Japan Championships Junior Ladies Final result (October 29-30 in Hiroshima)
Top 10
1.Mai Asada 1 1 158.46
2.Mao Asada 2 2 154.25
3.Akiko Kitamura 3 3 144.74
4.Miri Yoshida 5 4 128.65
5.Satsuki Muramoto 4 5 117.49
6.Sayaka Yodo 8 6 102.76
7.Emi Hirai 7 10 99.69
8.Haruka Inoue 6 15 97.59
9.Asako Yodo 11 11 94.48
10.Yuko Iwaki 12 8 94.40

West Japan Championships Senior Ladies SP result (October 30 in Hiroshima)
Top 10
1.Ayumi Miyamoto 35.08
2.Yuki Umetani 33.96
3.Ami Kobayashi 32.75
4.Miki Sone 31.96
5.Chihoko Tanaka 31.65
6.Haruka Miki 30.09
7.Haruka Oshima 29.98
8.Ayako Kaneishi 29.18
9.Yuri Takehisa 26.77
10.Ninami Sasaki 26.45

 

[miki_tan]

Then who will get 3 tickets to 2005 Jr Worlds?

Mai Asada who got highest CoP scores in 2 Sectionals could not qualified for JGP Final in December that 4 other Ladies qualified.

My prediction is just replace Miki Ando by Mao Asada from 2004 team.
But we must wait to see it at least Jr Nationals (November 20-21 in Osaka).

 

[Vash01]

I am ashamed to saying about artisty because of subjectivity.
but I think "nowhere" is too much for her performances.

edited to add: I just remember now.
Ms Noriko Shirota of JSF Chief of Figure Training said in 4CC coverage
"Her case is, she have a high reputation for gaining for 2nd marks though,,".
It looks like Shirota was saying as "high reputation" and didn't say as her opinion.

So there were pros and cons for it.

Remember, I saw her in 2001 in JGP. I am comparing that with all the Yukina Ota performances I have seen so far (from 2002JGP to 2004seniors). At that time Suzuki did not have artistry. To make the comparison a bit fair, The closest time period would be Suzuki in 2001 JGP vs. Ota in 2002 JGP. In this case I stand by my statement that she was nowhere close to Ota. If I see her in 2004, I could make a comparison of the current artistry. I do remember being impressed with her 3-3 combo in 2001.

Vash

 

[miki_tan]

Vash, you have a right to have and say your opinion and
my opinion is your opinion concerning her artisty is wrong PERIOD

 

[miki_tan]

Mai Asada

IMO, Mai Asada is favorite of "Ridiculously Bashed Japanese Skater Award".
(other contender is Miki Ando and Yoshie Onda)

2 years ago, I thought she is artistic skater in the same league of Yukina Ota .
Then after 2003 Jr Worlds I read too many hateful posts in English board.
I can't even believe they saw same skater.

 

[Mathman]

Golden Skate did a feature article on Mai Asada in June. Barry Mittan writes:

"For Japan's Mai Asada, skating wasn't her first artistic endeavor. It was ballet, a natural beginning for someone whose name means "dancer" in Japanese. She started when she was still in kindergarten and still practices the art today, although she no longer has time for ballet classes. Instead, she practices the discipline by herself as part of her relaxation and occasionally watches a ballet at the theatre. Asada performed in many recitals before she discovered the art of figure skating and transferred her balletic talents from the floor to the rink. Her balletic background is evident in her style and grace on the ice and she often employs traditional balletic moves in her programs."

http://www.goldenskate.com/articles/2003/060104.shtml

Here is pretty Akiko Kitamura at the Junior Grand Prix last year

http://www.jgpfinal2003.se/143_4317.JPG

http://www.jgpfinal2003.se/143_4324.JPG

Mathman

 

[qoo]

I watched clips of Akiko Suzuki from 4 continents a couple of years ago... but I didn't find her that artistic.... I don't know what people see in her. Definitely not on par with Yukina.

 

[Mathman]

IMO, Mai Asada is favorite of "Ridiculously Bashed Japanese Skater Award" (other contender is Miki Ando and Yoshie Onda)

2 years ago, I thought she is artistic skater in the same league of Yukina Ota .
Then after 2003 Jr Worlds I read too many hateful posts in English board.
I can't even believe they saw same skater.

Miki_tan, I feel like I should apologize on behalf of all U.S. skating boards. But look at it this way. If people go to trouble of criticizing a skater on the Internet, that means that the skater has reached the big time. The most picked-on lady skaters in the U.S. are Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen (also the most praised).

The cartoon parody show, South Park, once had a song which ridiculed Brian Boitano ("What would Brian Boitano Do?") So Brian skated to it in one of his specials.

When reporters asked him, "But Brian, don't you know that this song makes fun of you?" he answered, "Of course, but I'm just glad that someone thinks I am famous enough to make fun of!"

Mathman

 

[miki_tan]

East Japan Championships Senior Ladies Final result (October 30-31 in Tochigi)
Top 10
1.Fumi Hasebe 3 1 116.82
2.Chika Suguri 1 2 112.13
3.Akiko Suzuki 2 4 105.96
4.Kana Kibesaki 4 3 105.42
5.Hiroe Kakisawa 101.21
6.Chisato Shiina 5 7 98.23
7.Nagisa Suwabe 7 12 92.78
8.Sayaka Ishida 9 6 91.33
9.Takako Kimura 10 8 90.40
10.Natsuki Wakao 11 9 89.37
11.Sachie Yamaguchi 8 11 88.83

West Japan Championships Senior Ladies Final result (October 30-31 in Hiroshima)
Top 10
1.Ayumi Miyamoto 1 1 102.99
2.Miki Sone 4 2 98.80
3.Yuki Umetani 2 3 97.49
4.Ami Kobayashi 3 4 94.49
5.Chihoko Takana 5 6 91.21
6.Haruka Miki 6 5 90.22
7.Ayako Kaneishi 8 7 87.82
8.Haruka Oshima 7 9 87.67
9.Kayoko Tsuji14 8 81.84
10.Yuri Takehisa 9 11 77.37

They are expected to place below top 10 at Nationals.
Top 10 will be consist from skaters currenty competing GPs and top 5 (invited) Juniors.