Skaters on Team Japan

[champs]

I missed the first 10 mins or so of the BSFuji broadcast of the Jr. Nats but made it for the live broadcast of the ladies.
I want to congratulate the medalists and those skaters who skated well, especially Shiraiwa, Sakamoto, and Kasakake. Kasakake was a pleasant new find for me as I've never seen her skate before. Must have been really thrilling for her to be able to put out a performance that's a huge improvement from her prev. comp.
I must say as a fan of Yuna Aoki I was disappointed again. I'm really wishing her consistency will improve. Right now it's not just just a combo with a 3T at the end that she's struggling with but her opening 3Lz+3Lo has also been a hit or miss.
Also wished Yuhana Yokoi to make it the podium but life is not as easy as we wish it to be. I suppose her opportunities for international competitions will further be limited with this result but I hope she hangs on and land that 3A clean in competitions.
And speaking of 3A, Rika Kihira's skate was also a letdown, but knowing about her injury beforehand I somewhat expected a sub par performance last night, and since this is her first Jr season and she's not able to compete at the 2018 Olympics anyway she has plenty of time.
Overall I'm pleasantly surprised that so many jr girls did 2A+3T and 3-3's.

BS Fuji truly wasted Daisuke by letting him report by the rinkside during the 6min warmup for the penultimate group and in the backstage. If TV stations hire former competitors with international experiences such as him for a fs broadcast, they should know that fans want valuable inputs from them about the skating performances, not them to distract the skaters who're about to compete and want to concentrate. A really sad state this country's national TV networks are in. Sigh.

This time she had Dai to whisper to And she made Marin cry in the interview and kept on going in an attempt to make her cry even more but Marin is a strong girl so it didn't work. This not only makes it hard for Marin, but makes Kaori and YunaS feel sad too :dev2:

I had no problem with the interview portion and find it not fair for the announcer when you say she made Marin cry. It's her own performance that made her cry.

 

[hamaguri]

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/...hiraiwa-honda-win-japan-junior-championships/
Sakamoto holds off Shiraiwa, Honda to win Japan Junior Championships by japan times

 

[hamaguri]

Did anyone watch the Junior Nats on TV? Or in Sapporo? They made a fancy page for it.
Results page in English:
http://www.jsfresults.com/National/2016-2017/fs_e/national_jr/

Congratulations to Kazuki, Koshiro and Mitsuki!
Every time I see Koshiro now, I think there is something wrong with my TV screen because he looks elongated
Fuji announcer said that Mitsuki pulled a muscle on his right thigh 10 days ago. He looked like he was in a lot of pain at the end of his FS. Congrats for medalling!
Also, it was reported that Sena Miyake changed his coach to Nagamitsu/Honda. He made the change after West Japan Sectionals because he admires Dai. Source

And congratulations to Kaori, YunaS and Marin.
I’m SOOO happy for YunaS and I love her revamped Night Waltz FS and new dress and everything about her today :luv17: 1st in FS, 1st in PCS!
Too bad about Marin’s mistakes but she has many more chances to redeem herself at JGPF, Nationals and probably at Junior Worlds.
Rika Kihira injured her left knee a week ago. She says it’s healed now but I think she might have missed some training time. I hope she gets back into form by JGPF.

The top 6 boys and girls will skate at Senior Nationals. Not sure about ID. I’m sad for a lot of the ladies who missed out but there are just too many of them.

Photos
SP
http://sports.yahoo.co.jp/photo/figureskate/all/dtl/1987/
FS
http://sports.yahoo.co.jp/photo/figureskate/all/dtl/1988/

Top 3 girls and boys.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CxtX38JUQAAh2fp.jpg
Source

I hope someone will upload videos from today's broadcast. This is from Fuji's sports news tonight.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x52rib5_全日本jr-女子fs-髙橋さん解説_sport



This time she had Dai to whisper to And she made Marin cry in the interview and kept on going in an attempt to make her cry even more but Marin is a strong girl so it didn't work. This not only makes it hard for Marin, but makes Kaori and YunaS feel sad too :dev2:

Overall, Mita-san lacks some kind of delicacy to skaters. so annoying to see her on backstage.

Thanks! I was catching up Jr. Nationals and was looking forward to this weekend.
I love all the junior ladies including Wakaba and cant pick one up!
Cant wait Japanese Nationals. Of course, performance time in senior is different from junior, but really exciting to see them at Nationals.

How about Yuna Aoki? I have been expecting her, but she still can’t get the result…i find her potential is awesome..

Love Marin’s new FS costume. She said Jeff also was fond of it, right? Anyway, im a simple fan of her loveliness. Poor Marin, the title of Junior worlds has burdened her very much. heartbreaking to see her tears..

etA: now i read that BS Fuji will broadcast all the performance of FP on Dec.30 and 31. Of course, it's recording, but there's much improvement! What happened to Fuji?

 

[hamaguri]

Skaters' tears always break my heart.

I'm sad for Rika K. She was favored for the podium but finish quite behind I wonder does this mean the one who is going to Junior worlds will be Kaori, Yuna S and Marin? Or they will still hold the selection process? Yuna S international event is not bad at all, but Kaori, Rika K and Marin made JGPF + make the podium on sectionals and regionals, so I wonder if they will take these results into account?

Im also interested in it. I don’t know about the rule of the selection of Worlds (since it changes often.). but I don’t think that Jr. Nats is all and if she get the good result there (like No.1 of Japanese girls and within 3rd place) she may have a chance.

 

[mcq]

Im also interested in it. I don’t know about the rule of the selection of Worlds (since it changes often.). but I don’t think that Jr. Nats is all and if she get the good result there (like No.1 of Japanese girls and within 3rd place) she may have a chance.

Hm, I am pretty sure both Kaori and Marin will likely be sent regardless of their result at Senior Nats or JGPF (since they both make the podium at Jr Nats, qualify for JGPF, not to mention Marin being the junior world champion), unless any of these two is injured. Probably it will be between YunaS and Rika K for the 3rd spot. They probably will see how RikaK will do at JGPF and YunaS do at senior Nats. There is still a test skate/selection process (?) after that I think, but I highly doubt they will remove Kaori or Marin. YunaS has a good history skating at national event though, so the final ladies who will be sent would be really a tight battle. :think:

 

[malo42]

I'm sad so many girls I wanted to see compete at senior nats that didn't make it (RikaK, YunaA, Yuhana, and Kokoro), too bad for RikaK and maybe YunaA cos if either of the had even finished 7th they probably would have stretched it to allow them in. I really don't understand why Kokoro skates in juniors, if she had skated in seniors she'd probably have a spot at Sr Nats. As for Yuhana, imo she improves and improves so maybe she'll manage to have a break out season at 17 or 18. Also the top three here will probably all move to seniors next year so it'll open up some space for her. I'm excited to see Kasakake and the other girls who seemed like long shots to finish in the top 6 but did anyway.

No one is talking about the guys! I was happy to see Koshiro didn't risk anything and kept his eyes on the spot he wants a Jr worlds. I hope him and Tomono get to go this year and are able to win back three spots for the boys, even though they aren't very competitive internationally (yet!) I feel like there is real competition for those spots. I'm sad Sato Shun finished so low because he's been the one I've been following thinking he could be the next big thing but I'm not surprised when I see novices do poorly at junior nats.

I absolutely do not believe RikaK will get a spot at junior worlds. There is no other test skate, it's just Sr nats, that's where it's decided. I think at this point the only ones guaranteed a spot are the gold medalists, though I don't doubt Marin will be there.

 

[champs]

Skaters' tears always break my heart.

I'm sad for Rika K. She was favored for the podium but finish quite behind I wonder does this mean the one who is going to Junior worlds will be Kaori, Yuna S and Marin? Or they will still hold the selection process? Yuna S international event is not bad at all, but Kaori, Rika K and Marin made JGPF + make the podium on sectionals and regionals, so I wonder if they will take these results into account?

Here is the selection criteria published by the JSF for international competitions, in Japanese:
http://skatingjapan.or.jp/image_data/fck/file/2016/160729_FS_Senkokijun.pdf
Section 2 covers the criteria for the Jr. Worlds: it says that for men and for ladies the first slot will be given to the winner of the Jr. Nationals, and the second (as well as the third for ladies) will be given to the junior-eligible skater(s) who is selected by the committee from those who meet at least any one of the following:
A) The medalists at the Junior Nats;
B) JGPF participants;
C) The medalists at Senior Nats;
D) The three highest ranking skaters in the ISU World Standing at the time the Senior Nats is over;
E) The three highest ranking skaters in the ISU season's best scores at the time the Senior Nats is over;
with the requirement that the skater participate in the Senior Nats. (Exemption from this requirement will be made for a skater who has previously medalled at Jr. Worlds if he or she is unable to participate in the Senior Nationals due to injury or under extenuating circumstances.)

(It's not 100% clear whether this requirement applies to both the first spot and the remaining spots or just to remaining spots, but I think it's the former.)

So participation in the Jr. Nats or JGP(F) is not required but participation in the Sr. Nats is. Which means none of Kihira, Aoki, and Iwamoto has a chance for the Jr. Worlds at this point, but Shiraiwa does. Even Rin Nitaya still has a chance (albeit slim) if she medals at the Senior Nats. Sakamoto has almost secured her spot already, she just has to participate in the Senior Nats.

 

[hamaguri]

I hope someone will upload videos from today's broadcast. This is from Fuji's sports news tonight.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x52rib5_全日本jr-女子fs-髙橋さん解説_sport

:

thanks! Daisuke's jacket is nice!

i truy want to watch the broadcast of BS Fuji. Hope someone will upload it!

 

[mcq]

So participation in the Jr. Nats or JGP(F) is not required but participation in the Sr. Nats is. Which means Kihira, Aoki, and Iwamoto has no chance for the Jr. Worlds, but Shiraiwa has. Even Rin Nitaya still has (albeit slim) if she medals at the Senior Nats as she was still 18 y.o as of July 1st. Sakamoto has almost secured her spot already, she just has to participate in the Senior Nats.

I see, Thank you for this, champs! I read this before but I didn't notice that senior nats participation is a must, that means Kihira likely lose her chances, that is too bad.
Looking at this I guess Kaori YunaS and Marin is a lock?

P.S : Lol at D and E. Is this for senior's world standing and season best? Highly unlikely any junior will achieve this.

 

[champs]

P.S : Lol at D and E. Is this for senior's world standing and season best? Highly unlikely any junior will achieve this.

My English translation may have been inaccurate by using the phrase rank 1-3, so I now have slightly edited the translation. I don't know by the clause what exactly the JSF means though; they may mean the top three among the Japanese junior-eligible skaters.

 

[mcq]

My English translation may have been inaccurate by using the phrase rank 1-3, so I now have slightly edited the translation. I don't know by the clause what exactly the JSF means though; they may mean the top three among the Japanese junior-eligible skaters.

Ah, I see. If that is the case that makes more sense. Thank you for translating all these, champs! I really appreciate it!

It is too bad Rika K finish below 6th, she actually would still be eligible for the Jr world spot, if not for that. She is a JGPF Participant and is 11th in the ISU season best score standing. The only Japanese skaters who score higher than her internationally is Satoko and Wakaba

 

[Plumededragon]

Honestly, Rika has her chance for Junior Worlds if she does well at JGPF. Remember Marin last year, her Junior National and Senior Nationals were not good, but she was still selected due to her record on the JGP season + bronze medal at JGPF.
So, if Rika manage to do well at JGPF, she will go. Yuna S has less chance unless she's stellar at Senior, then it will be between her and Rika, because Marin and Kaori chances to go are very high.

 

[malo42]

^ But really honestly no she doesn't because Marin still placed in the top six and competed at senior nats. Even Rin has more of a chance than Rika.

 

[hamaguri]

Ah, I see. If that is the case that makes more sense. Thank you for translating all these, champs! I really appreciate it!

It is too bad Rika K finish below 6th, she actually would still be eligible for the Jr world spot, if not for that. She is a JGPF Participant and is 11th in the ISU season best score standing. The only Japanese skaters who score higher than her internationally is Satoko and Wakaba

I didnt know the participation to Senior Nationals is must for Jr Worlds spot. :hopelessness: i dont think the participation there has any meaning to Jr. Worlds. hope jsf will revise it from next season.

 

[malo42]

^ National competitions are important in Japan, that's why the level of them is so good.

I just wanted to mention how when I first started following Japanese I think the #1 criteria for a Jr Worlds spot was to be on the podium at jr nats, in other words even if a skater was age eligible for jr worlds but skated nationally as a senior and then came in like 4th or 5th at nats so didn't make it to senior worlds they wouldn't have a chance at a jr worlds spot either. Shortly after I started following they decided to change that (lol I think it was Yuzuru, I remember thinking 'wat? they're going to try and send Yuzuru to jr worlds again too?), and at that time I was a bit disappointed. I figured the Jr level would stop being so competitive nationally and everyone would leave ASAP to skate on the senior level, like it is in the US where to me it seems pretty much pointless to even skate at jr nationals cos even the winners seem to get put at the end of the list for jr worlds spots and honestly I feel like that's one of the reasons the US is doing so poorly. Anyway I'm going on about something pointless, it's just I look back on it now and really nothing has changed in regards to jr nats, it's as exciting as ever!

 

[YesWay]

Many videos from Junior Ladies free skate:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR2i6WQNePZjPrgE0JBA5qA

.....

Is it the uploaders who are making the brightness/contrast way too high?
Or youtube messing with the video?

Or has Japanese TV started broadcasting skating like that recently?
(I've seen many Japanese videos from different sources like that lately, so I have to wonder)

But if it was the broadcasts, surely they'd be deluged with complaints about it?

I mean, there are times all you see is the skater against a completely featureless white background.

This is disorientating... it robs us of all sense of speed, height and direction... we can't see the tracks on the ice to judge rotations finished on the ice, depth of edges, turns etc... We don't see if snow is being kicked up... we can't see if a skater is "travelling" in a spin, because the camera will follow the skater, hiding any movement across the ice... etc etc. And it's surreal: everyone who's ever been to a skate competition knows the ice isn't white like that. I know TV directors are a bunch of idiots, but surely this is beyond even them?

So what's going on?

 

[tsuyoboogie]

Did anyone watch the Junior Nats on TV? Or in Sapporo? They made a fancy page for it.

Aww...no Mitsuki on the page. I wonder why.

Congratulations to all the Jr. National medalists and National qualifiers!
I was so grateful to be able to follow the competition through many live reports being shared via twitter.
The final top six Jr. Men are, for the most part, as expected. Glad none of them completely bombed. Wishing Mitsuki a quick recovery and Sena siuccess with Team Nagamitsu. They lost Shu but gained Sena.

As for the Jr. Ladies...
Extremely happy for Kaori and Yuna S! Can't even imagine the pressure Marin must've felt to skate after both of their FS performances. I'm sure this experience will make her stronger.

And Wow! at novice Ice Dance babies Utana Yoshida/Takumi Sugiyama scoring 2nd (56.82) in the FD. I was impressed to learn they've only been skating together for less than? a year. Seems they both still also skate as singles (Takumi skated in the Men's SP just prior to the FD at Jr. Nationals) but according to this article both may decide to make Ice Dance their main discipline. I'm anxious to see a video of their performance soon.

Not related to Jr. Nationals, but is this a reliable source and am I interpreting it correctly? Is Ami and Spencer no longer skating together as a result of her injury? In Ami's most recent post on Sept 24 to their facebook page she mentions hitting her head during practice. Pairs is so scary! I'll be sad if they split since I felt they had good chemistry and a lot of potential. I just hope Ami is doing okay.

And a belated thank you mikaboo for explaining "seeded skaters" for me. Always so helpful and informative!

ETA: Fixed facebook link

 

[ioanna]

So is Shu Nakamura officially Team Hamada's prince among princesses?
https://66.media.tumblr.com/2b308ecc42d0e9e4edfe8ac2de270ca0/tumblr_ogymzrzvNb1uh3g7co1_1280.jpg

 

[mikaboo]

Not related to Jr. Nationals, but is this a reliable source and am I interpreting it correctly? Is Ami and Spencer no longer skating together as a result of her injury? In Ami's most recent post on Sept 24 to their facebook page she mentions hitting her head during practice. Pairs is so scary! I'll be sad if they split since I felt they had good chemistry and a lot of potential. I just hope Ami is doing okay.

And a belated thank you mikaboo for explaining "seeded skaters" for me. Always so helpful and informative!

ETA: Fixed facebook link

So sad about Ami/Spencer I hope she is okay and doesn't have to stop skating.

So is Shu Nakamura officially Team Hamada's prince among princesses?
https://66.media.tumblr.com/2b308ecc42d0e9e4edfe8ac2de270ca0/tumblr_ogymzrzvNb1uh3g7co1_1280.jpg

I think it was confirmed at Kinki Regionals that he was (iirc, it was written in the pamphlets they hand out) and people say he's made improvements already!

How about Yuna Aoki? I have been expecting her, but she still can’t get the result…i find her potential is awesome..

I’m sad for YunaA but I wasn’t surprised that she didn’t place high. Without a reliable 3-3, she will be behind the other girls and a lot more of them are catching up now. I still hope she can make a breakthrough though.

I didnt know the participation to Senior Nationals is must for Jr Worlds spot. :hopelessness: i dont think the participation there has any meaning to Jr. Worlds. hope jsf will revise it from next season.

It was the same last season too when I checked if Mai Mihara could still make the JW team after she came in 8th at Junior Nationals. RikaK’s case is similar with Mai in a way that they both medalled at 2 JGPs, won a ticket to JGPF, fell ill/injured before Junior Nationals and failed to make it to Senior Nationals, had SB high enough to be considered for a GP spot except that RikaK is still not eligible to turn senior next season whereas Mai managed to get 2 GP spots. I hope Rika’s injury isn’t bad and it really is healed so she can get some quality training done before JGPF.

 

[SuzyQ]

Junior Nationals will be aired again on the Fuji TV (terrestrial broadcasting) this Friday, Nov. 25 (actually very early morning of Saturday). Can we expect to watch boys more?

http://www.fujitv.co.jp/sports/skate/japanjr/index.html

次回 | 11月25日(金) 26:50～28:40 放送

全日本Jr．フィギュアスケート選手権2016＜フジバラナイト FRI＞
羽生結弦や宮原知子や浅田真央も優勝した若手選手の登竜門！▽女子は世界ジュニア女王の本田真凜を中心にハイレベルな戦い！男子は4回転に挑む友野一希に注目！

番組紹介

浅田真央や羽生結弦も優勝した「若手選手の登竜門」
出演者

【スペシャルゲスト】
高橋大輔

【解説】
荒川静香

【実況】
〈女子〉
西岡孝洋（フジテレビアナウンサー）

〈男子〉
鈴木芳彦（フジテレビアナウンサー）

【リポート・インタビュー】
三田友梨佳（フジテレビアナウンサー）