I would be soo sad to see kanako retire, she is such a talented skater and I really enjoy her programs alot, she really should be able to achieve much more in the future if she decides to continue, maybe a break from skating is all what she needs after Sochi, because somehow i just find it hard to imagine her permanently retired after Sochi.
Kanako to retire after Sochi?
- Thread starter Crystallize
- Start date
Oh gosh! I certainly didn't see this coming. Since in my mind Kanako is always a young girl. But what am I to stop her having a normal life that she wants...
Will it work if she has some time off from competition like a couple of years, tastes the normal life, then put her university life on hold, comes back in time for 2018 Olympics? I don't think there will be any serious Japanese ladies contenders then.
Will it work if she has some time off from competition like a couple of years, tastes the normal life, then put her university life on hold, comes back in time for 2018 Olympics? I don't think there will be any serious Japanese ladies contenders then.
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2013
That would be really sad... especially when she's developed so much more artistically as a skater. It seems her jumps are waning from previous years and she's burning out faster than expected. I hope she stays on. Like Kostner, I think if she hangs around for a bit, she will eventually be a solid medal contender... not that she hasn't having placed in the top 3 in a few of the Worlds SPs.
- Joined
- May 19, 2011
We're pretty sure Akiko will leave after Sochi...if Miki comes back I think Sochi would be her last hurrah...and Mao has been going nonstop since her junior days so I think Sochi might be it for her too...
If Kanako decides to call it quits (totally understandable BTW) then that leaves Japan with a bunch of newbies and no top world level skater. It would be exactly what happened in the US around 2008 where all of the newbies (Mirai, Caroline, Rachael, Ashley) ended up jockeying for position. That would put Japan back in the building phase. If Mao, Akiko, Kanako and Miki all retire, that leaves Satoko Miyahara as the top Japanese lady (3rd at nationals). Satoko has terrible UR issues and is still very young which means she'd be a blip on the international radar. Rika Hongo (5th at nationals) has the goods but she's also very green and wouldn't be much competition internationally. Haruka Imai has the maturity and presence but she's never been a solid competitor (14th at nationals this year).
There isn't a lot of promising talent coming up through the Japanese ranks right now. I think with Yu-Na, Mao, Carolina and Akiko gone, Kanako could be a world medalist. She was 5th last year at worlds, 4th this year...all three medalist from this year's worlds will be gone after Sochi which means the door is wide open for Kanako if she wants to step through it. BUT I totally get why she wants to leave. Life is about more than skating so if she's ready to move on I understand.
I'll miss her though
I've been watching her since her junior days and I've really enjoyed watching her grow, mature and improve.
If Kanako decides to call it quits (totally understandable BTW) then that leaves Japan with a bunch of newbies and no top world level skater. It would be exactly what happened in the US around 2008 where all of the newbies (Mirai, Caroline, Rachael, Ashley) ended up jockeying for position. That would put Japan back in the building phase. If Mao, Akiko, Kanako and Miki all retire, that leaves Satoko Miyahara as the top Japanese lady (3rd at nationals). Satoko has terrible UR issues and is still very young which means she'd be a blip on the international radar. Rika Hongo (5th at nationals) has the goods but she's also very green and wouldn't be much competition internationally. Haruka Imai has the maturity and presence but she's never been a solid competitor (14th at nationals this year).
There isn't a lot of promising talent coming up through the Japanese ranks right now. I think with Yu-Na, Mao, Carolina and Akiko gone, Kanako could be a world medalist. She was 5th last year at worlds, 4th this year...all three medalist from this year's worlds will be gone after Sochi which means the door is wide open for Kanako if she wants to step through it. BUT I totally get why she wants to leave. Life is about more than skating so if she's ready to move on I understand.
I'll miss her though
I've been watching her since her junior days and I've really enjoyed watching her grow, mature and improve.
