Japan Open 2007

[Mathman]

Special thanks to Jeff Buttle who performed two programs (Hercules and Clash) at Japan Open GALA to fill the absence of Yu-na Kim

Both were brilliant. I reall hope Japanese TV would broadcast them all

Thanks for posting, Aaron. Welcome to Golden Skate! :agree:

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Europeans don't travel much except for Sara. The only reasons Campbells had more than usual int'l group was because, several Asian skaters train in the US.

Joe

 

[Spun Silver]

shen & zhao updated their blog and mentioned some tidbits while traveling to Japan.

They met a flight attendant and their fan who saw them live at 2003 world championships in DC. She insisted on upgrading their seat to business class for free!

Now, see, things like that make me feel that God's in his heaven and all's right with the world. That is exactly how they should be treated wherever they go.

 

[Mathman]

^ Especially by anyone who saw their Turandot at 2003 Worlds.

 

[Hiara80]

:scratch: i didn't undrstand what's wrong with Yu Na Kim, can you help me please?

 

[doubleaxel]

:scratch: i didn't undrstand what's wrong with Yu Na Kim, can you help me please?

What do you mean? What happened to her? People keep mentioning her here but I don't get what's going on, either.

 

[morninglight]

It is reported that the Japanese skating federation, who supported this competition this time, wants to reconsider because they felt sorry for all the skaters who were tired after the tough season. they are concerned about possible injuries this kind of competition can cause and want to protect the skaters. Good move:yes: Too many things going on with those top skaters.

 

[Mathman]

:scratch: i didn't undrstand what's wrong with Yu Na Kim, can you help me please?

Kim's back injury apparently is still bothering her somewhat, but the newest problem is a legal battle with her former agents, IMG-Korea. As of April 24th Kim was all set to skate at this event. But the next day IMG sued Kim's mother for breach of contract because she tried to get Yu-na out of her deal with IMG and sign with a different agency.

The ISU seems to have sided with IMG (why? what's it to them?), but from everything I have read Korean law is on the side of Kim and her mother. Anyway, the ISU told Kim she couldn't skate in Japan.

http://calibre.mworld.com/m/m.w?lp=GetStory&id=251880631

 

[Mathman]

It is reported that the Japanese skating federation, who supported this competition this time, wants to reconsider because they felt sorry for all the skaters who were tired after the tough season. they are concerned about possible injuries this kind of competition can cause and want to protect the skaters. Good move:yes: Too many things going on with those top skaters.

This is very strange to me. There have always been end-of-the-season cheesefests. A good payday for the skaters with little hassle or pressure. A skater could always decline the invitation (as Takahashi did, for instance).

 

[SeaniBu]

It sounds like they are trying to convey "they care" about the health and well being of the young skaters, as to advert the criticism often found when younger skaters get injured.

Like we have discovered, the athletes are "go for it attitudes" have to be "tamed" by outside influence or they will push themselves past the point and wind up injured. Korea I have little doubt will push their athletes as far as they can. I am glad the ISU stepped in - even though it was more likely in the best interest of the ISU than for Kim's heath.

 

[morninglight]

This is very strange to me. There have always been end-of-the-season cheesefests. A good payday for the skaters with little hassle or pressure. A skater could always decline the invitation (as Takahashi did, for instance).

They said that it's fine with a gala or pro skating tour. But this event took a form of competition, which they found to be more problematic.

Besides, it may be difficult for skaters to decline offers. It seems that Mao appears on TV everyday. I saw at least 5 news/entertainment shows that she participated as the special guest of the programs. Besides, she has 4 CMs to make. I felt sorry for her for not being able to practice enough for this event or spend more time to relax with her parents, dog, and friends in her local city. It certainly has to do with the money that she is capable of making that the agency and the other adults want to get benefit from.

 

[mikittyfan]

I have just watched Gala of Japan Open on TV!!

They said that it's fine with a gala or pro skating tour. But this event took a form of competition, which they found to be more problematic.

Besides, it may be difficult for skaters to decline offers. It seems that Mao appears on TV everyday. I saw at least 5 news/entertainment shows that she participated as the special guest of the programs. Besides, she has 4 CMs to make. I felt sorry for her for not being able to practice enough for this event or spend more time to relax with her parents, dog, and friends in her local city. It certainly has to do with the money that she is capable of making that the agency and the other adults want to get benefit from.

Hello, Mathman san and Morninglight san!
Thank you for your deep interest about Japan Open 2007.

Gala was so enjoyable and I really appreciated professional skaters'
performances as well as young skaters' ones!

Morninglight san, you are so kind of thinking of Mao and of being worried
about her, but as I live in Japan, I feel I know a little bit better the situation of Mao.
I don't think that she appears on TV every day.
Mao and Miki were invited to "Stars on Ice" in Canada this April and in this
Show, Miki skated 7 times in different cities and Mao two times and after
coming back to Japan, they attended several ceremonies to receive Sport
Awards. So they didn't have enough time to practice.

But watching Gala today, I felt that Mao and Miki and of course other skaters
had enjoyed this event.
In the part of competition, honestly the performances FP of Mao, Miki and
Kimmie were not so good, but we were really touched by their courageous
challenge and sense of responsability to try to do their best in any occation.
Besides, Mao and Miki were cheerful after the competition and they made
Japanese audience laugh aloud; an interviewer asked Mao what she had
been thinking, watching Miki's performance, then her answer was funny!
" I made so many mistakes that I was thinking, < Go, Go, Miki, Do well!!>
To hear this, Miki laughed with a big smile and Miki also behaved cheerfully
as a team leader. They were wonderful not to forget the sense of humour even
after the hard time.

But thinking of the health of skaters, I also hope that only Gala will be held from
next year.:agree:

Finally Mathman san, I remembered that Yuka and Todd are good friends!
And Yuka and Mao and Miki are also close friends!!
(About Yuka's comment that Todd jumps like a cat, yes, surely she said it
with a lot of affection and admiration, I think!)
(My cats land quite well too, but not at all like Todd, sorry, it was just a joke! )

Then have a good time and I look forward to reading your messages again.

 

[debdelilah]

This is very strange to me. There have always been end-of-the-season cheesefests. A good payday for the skaters with little hassle or pressure. A skater could always decline the invitation (as Takahashi did, for instance).

I don't know of any corresponding event where the skaters compete with other top international skaters--like Joubert vs. Oda vs. Buttle--skating their LPs. Definitely it's different than Marshalls turned out to be, although I guess Marshalls was originally planned to be that way this year. It's not a cheesefest in the "jump-light" sense. They have to be in top physical shape to have the stamina for their LPs.

I can see why they might want to reconsider doing it next year--to end the season skating your competitive long program the worst you did all year long can't be a good feeling. Probably nearly everyone who participated was tired after Worlds, with the exception of Nobunari, who had something to prove and got some more milage with his new program, and of course, with the exception of Kozuka, who didn't skate at Worlds, plus the pros.

 

[iluvtodd]

Thank you, mikittyfan, for your comments about the Gala. I have a question for you. Did every skater who competed skate an exhibition program as well? If so, do you remember the music titles for any of those exhibition programs?

 

[megrin]

Hi. I watched the Gala on TV.
They aired all the skaters' performances (good for them!), and acutally the performances were quite good.

Here're some of the music titles they performed: Mai skated "Aranjuez", Kozuka skated "Carwash", Mao skated "Habanera", Oda "New Cinema Paradise" (which was good), Buttle "Go the Distance", and "Should I Stay or Should I Go" (with Mohican-style hair!! so cute), Ando "I Believe", Yagudin: I can't remember the title now but the one in black and with a black hat, flamenco music, Eldredge: the one in a black plaid with red and green? some colors, the one he often skates in his show.

In the competition, after Mao skated and when she saw her points, she said "uso!", which literally means "lie!", which means "unbelievable!"; obviously it was quite a shock for her. (The judges seem to be rather harsh this time, especially Judge 3 for men...)

I don't see why Joubert's last spin was uncounted; was there a rule how many spins you are allowed to do? What was wrong with that? Could someone tell me why?

 

[Mathman]

I don't know of any corresponding event where the skaters compete with other top international skaters--like Joubert vs. Oda vs. Buttle--skating their LPs. Definitely it's different than Marshalls turned out to be, although I guess Marshalls was originally planned to be that way this year...

But the Marshall's events used to be quite serious events. In 2004, for instance, the line-up (and order of finish) for the end-of-the-season competition was

Cohen, Arakawa, Kwan, Ando, Slutskaya, Kirk, Suguri

Plushenko, Joubert, Weir, Weiss, Lysacek, Goebel

The 2004 fall Marshall's featured

Slutskaya, Kwan, Cohen, Kirk, Czysny (last minute substitution for Arakawa, IIRC) Nikodinov

Plushenko, Lysacek, Joubert, Weir, Janke, Graziev

The two winners in each contest got $50,000 -- the same amount as for winning a world championship.

It has only been in the last two years, when the big U.S. draws (Michelle, then Sasha) were ailing or exhausted, that the format was changed to exhibition-style.

 

[iluvtodd]

Hi. I watched the Gala on TV.
They aired all the skaters' performances (good for them!), and actually the performances were quite good.

Here're some of the music titles they performed: Mai skated "Aranjuez", Kozuka skated "Carwash", Mao skated "Habanera", Oda "New Cinema Paradise" (which was good), Buttle "Go the Distance", and "Should I Stay or Should I Go" (with Mohican-style hair!! so cute), Ando "I Believe", Yagudin: I can't remember the title now but the one in black and with a black hat, flamenco music, Eldredge: the one in a black plaid with red and green? some colors, the one he often skates in his show.

In the competition, after Mao skated and when she saw her points, she said "uso!", which literally means "lie!", which means "unbelievable!"; obviously it was quite a shock for her. (The judges seem to be rather harsh this time, especially Judge 3 for men...)

Thank you so much! Glad to hear that Japanese TV showed all of the exhibition performances. From your description of Todd's shirt, the program would be "Better Days," which he skated to in this season's SOI/CSOI tour.

That's some news about Mao's :scratch: reaction to her marks. It must have been tough for the eligible skaters to keep up their levels of excellence through such a grueling season.

I still wish this would be shown in the US. I wonder if it will be aired in Canada. Thank goodness for youtube and the fans in Japan who were kind enough to post their impressions of the competition/gala online. Thank you! :agree:

 

[Spun Silver]

.
Besides, Mao and Miki were cheerful after the competition and they made
Japanese audience laugh aloud; an interviewer asked Mao what she had
been thinking, watching Miki's performance, then her answer was funny!
" I made so many mistakes that I was thinking, < Go, Go, Miki, Do well!!>
To hear this, Miki laughed with a big smile and Miki also behaved cheerfully
as a team leader. They were wonderful not to forget the sense of humour even
after the hard time.

That's so cute. It reminds me, in a sad way, of a Sasha interview where she was asked if she was friends with her competitors. There was a pause where I guess she was trying to decide how honest to be. Then she said no. I don't think she and Michelle had a Mao-Miki relationship. I get the sense that the Japanese skaters are more of a unified team. US skaters are much more individualistic. (Surprise.) Sasha and Michelle were more like Russians: give me Gold or give me death!

The US skaters do seem to set their competitive spirits aside for the COI tours, though - or is that just a fiction?

 

[R.D.]

And that's saying something esp. after she lost the gold to Ando.

This is in Japan, right, so I'd expect coverage to be only on Japan TV (although CN8 surprised me the other night by showing the Japan Nationals )

 

[mikittyfan]

Thank you!!(^-^)

I am shocked about Kimmie being beaten even by Korpi, let alone Rochette. What happened??? And also about Mao. But hurray for Miki! She's proving she's a true champion and not a one-shot wonder. arty:

Hi, Spun Silver san!
Thank you so much for your very kind comment about Miki!