Skaters on Team Japan

[yhmafan]

Midori Ito: Triple axel appreciation post

Midori Ito (JPN) was the first woman to land a triple axel in competition. She is the 1989 World Champion, 1992 Olympic silver medalist,
1990 World silver medalist and a 9-time Japanese National Champion.
She is also the first Asian skater to win the world championships, the first woman to land a triple-triple combination in competition,
the first woman to land five different triple jumps and seven triples total in a free skate, and the first woman to land a triple axel at the Olympics.
She has also completed triple axel-double toeloop combinations in competition.

I didn't know that she has so many that "the first".

 

[Interspectator]

http://magicaleggplant.tumblr.com/p...ese-national-junior-high-school-championships
Results of all Japan Junior High Championships: Sota YAY! getting the hang of those 3As. Wakaba wins, with Yuna-chan close behind.
Men:

Sota Yamamoto 230.41 (77.50 + 152.91) - he landed three clean 3As!
Sena Miyake 159.21 (51.93 + 107.28)
Taichiro Yamakuma 158.02 (53.24 + 104.78)

Ladies:

Wakaba Higuchi 174.18 (62.12 + 112.06)
Kaori Sakamoto 167.10 (58.01 + 109.09)
Mai Mihara 165.08 (58.01 + 107.07)
Yuna Aoki 163.21 (49.15 + 114.06) - won the fs, tech panel ratified her 3Lz3Lo and 3S3Lo

 

[Maria Victoria]

http://magicaleggplant.tumblr.com/p...ese-national-junior-high-school-championships
Results of all Japan Junior High Championships: Sota YAY! getting the hang of those 3As. Wakaba wins, with Yuna-chan close behind.

Wow, thanks for the information! Congratulations to Sota and Wakaba and the rest of the medalists. The gap between Sota and his nearest rival is just :shocked:.

I'm really warming up to Sota and Wakaba who both celebrated their 15th and 14th birthdays last month, respectively. For sure, both of them still have a long way to go artistically, but I love their attack on their programs. Also I agree with the post that they were the only non-awkward pairing in last December's MOI.

 

[chasingpolaris]

Midori Ito: Triple axel appreciation post

Midori Ito (JPN) was the first woman to land a triple axel in competition. She is the 1989 World Champion, 1992 Olympic silver medalist,
1990 World silver medalist and a 9-time Japanese National Champion.
She is also the first Asian skater to win the world championships, the first woman to land a triple-triple combination in competition,
the first woman to land five different triple jumps and seven triples total in a free skate, and the first woman to land a triple axel at the Olympics.
She has also completed triple axel-double toeloop combinations in competition.

I didn't know that she has so many that "the first".

Thanks for sharing this. I remember watching one of her programs when I was very little and the commentators always praised the height of her jumps. They were out of this world.

 

[yhmafan]

Yuzuru and Shizuka

 

[cruzceleste]

Can someone confirm, it seem like the Reed brothers had withdraw from 4CC?

 

[sisy]

http://magicaleggplant.tumblr.com/p...ese-national-junior-high-school-championships
Results of all Japan Junior High Championships: Sota YAY! getting the hang of those 3As. Wakaba wins, with Yuna-chan close behind.
Ladies:

Wakaba Higuchi 174.18 (62.12 + 112.06)
Kaori Sakamoto 167.10 (58.01 + 109.09)
Mai Mihara 165.08 (58.01 + 107.07)
Yuna Aoki 163.21 (49.15 + 114.06) - won the fs, tech panel ratified her 3Lz3Lo and 3S3Lo

Do you know if Marin Honda competed?

 

[jimeonji]

Do you know if Marin Honda competed?

She did. She finished 9th in the category B short with a 43.15. She needed to be in the top 18 scores to make it to the combined free skate, but she was in 20th.

 

[cruzceleste]

She did. She finished 9th in the category B short with a 43.15. She needed to be in the top 18 scores to make it to the combined free skate, but she was in 20th.

How old is she?

 

[MalAssada]

Not sure if 13 already. She's ellegible for next season's JGP.

 

[cruzceleste]

^Thank you.

Maybe is just because I´m out of Japan, but based on reports from fans, looks like she divides her time between being an "idol" and a skater? Do you think that´s affecting her?

 

[inskate]

^Thank you.

Maybe is just because I´m out of Japan, but based on reports from fans, looks like she divides her time between being an "idol" and a skater? Do you think that´s affecting her?

That's Marin younger sister, Miyu Honda (who is a known child actress in Japan). Miyu decided to concentrate on figure skating in order to become an Olympian one day, so although she still appears in shows and on TV (doing commercials & starring in shows, participating in programs about skating with skaters like Evgeni Plushenko, Patrick Chan, etc.) she's more serious about her training. She's too young yet to tell if she'll be able to achieve competitive success; she's just started to attempt triples (IIRC 3S is the only triple she attempted in competitions). Her performance ability, skating skills and spins are very impressive for her age, though.

As for Marin, she had a growth spurt this off-season. She took out 3Lz and 3F early in the season, then gradually reintroduced them as the season went on. I think she actually did quite well, and was a victim of a few weird tech calls. She had a fabulous free skate at Junior Nationals, placing second to Wakaba Higuchi. Unfortunately, the Youtube video is no longer available (I'm happy I downloaded it while it was till up... ) Judging from the videoclips over at Dailymotion, her bad performance at Japan Junior High Championships seems to be caused by trying to introduce 3F-3L in her SP. She was attempting that combo in the practices (it didn't look ready yet), then, in the actual SP, she seemed to change her mind at the last second and went for 3F-3T instead. Unfortunately, her timing was wrong and she had a painful-looking fall. Then she missed her 3Lz - it didn't even look "popped", it seemed like she went for 2Lz intentionally. I hope her team isn't too hung up on 3-3L combos, Marin is capable of landing perfectly fine 3Lz-3T, 3F-3T, 3S-3T and 3T-3T; it would be better to polish those combos rather than spend time mastering a new one that is not very likely to be ratified by international judges (especially once Marin turns senior).

 

[cruzceleste]

^Thank you for details

 

[sisy]

Thanks, I hope to see Marin in JGPF next season.

 

[Meoima]

How much is Marin younger than Wakaba to be exactly? :scratch: I remember someone said they were both 13... so maybe several months apart?

 

[deedee1]

Can someone confirm, it seem like the Reed brothers had withdraw from 4CC?

It seems so, sadly;;;;
-their blog: http://ameblo.jp/reed-icedance-blog/entry-11988087205.html
-article: http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20150210-00000158-jij-spo

Please do take good care of your knee, Chris. No rush, no haste, please.

 

[inskate]

How much is Marin younger than Wakaba to be exactly? :scratch: I remember someone said they were both 13... so maybe several months apart?

Wakaba was born on January 2, 2001, Marin - on August 21, 2001.

 

[Meoima]

Wakaba was born on January 2, 2001, Marin - on August 21, 2001.

thank you, so it's about 6 months.

 

[alia jackson]

With Yuzu injured, Kozuka not his best and Mura is not on podium at 4cc. what is the chances of japan keep the 3 slots for world?

 

[Interspectator]

It could be in question. --It really depends on Yuzu. One can't really count on Mura or Kozuka. The can do well...but they also do badly more often than not.
Kozuka, whom I love, has had one good performance this season. Mura has had several mediocre ones. Hanyu is injured.

But I'm an optimist. I think they will keep their spots because they will be training hard and focusing on this one goal together. It will be fine. -Or not.
I'm both an optimist, and a fatalist. Hehehe.