- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
In the end, Sota finished 3rd in the free, and 3rd overall. He needs a thorough rest now, and has a lot to think about before the new season.
I will not say congrats on his medal, because he didn't seem too happy about it to me. It was obvious he thought he'd not done as badly in the KnC, where he appeared relaxed talking to his coach. The reality seemed to hit him at the medal ceremony. The JSF is probably disappointed, as his FS scores are back to those of his weakest events. If Sota gives an interview tomorrow, I'll be surprised if he doesn't say he's disappointed with his performance. I can only hope this free won't cost him a GP next season.
He'll need a strong showing in the summer (Gensan?) and the fall (a challenger) to win back JSF's trust, that's my prediction.
It's hard to say what I am feeling now.
It could have been worse. He didn't fall, and didn't pop. But it also could have been 20 points better, if Sota had had confidence in his jumps. He's light years better than this FS showed. Too many smaller mistakes cost him the silver here. The mistakes cost him the level on his last spin, too, as he'd fallen behind the music and had to choose between getting -1 for finishing late, or sacrificing some rotations.
He looked quite winded at both Kokutai and Challenge Cup, too. Maybe he has a health problem? It's possible, but he skated great at the Nagoya show last month.
He and his coaches have brought the SP scores to near perfection, and now it's time for some real effort on the FS, too. And I don't mean the tech, but fixing Sota's mindset. I would say this is where the problem is. Compared to his 2019 Challenge Cup self, he now lacks the ferocity, the determination, the strength of mind, and the killer instinct to win.
You know, I wouldn't even be surprised if we learned that Sota is battling some mental issue like depression or anxiety. I just hope that if so, it doesn't escalate in him not enjoying skating anymore.
Even with the mistakes, Sota's skating gives me joy. I hope he tackles whatever demons he has, and comes back strong next season. He has a loving family and coaching team, he has a devoted fanbase, so there's a lot to be comforted by.
I don't know if he can regain his 4-2 and 4-3, but I want him to regain consistency.
I suggest 'Fight' as Sota's motto for next season.
I will not say congrats on his medal, because he didn't seem too happy about it to me. It was obvious he thought he'd not done as badly in the KnC, where he appeared relaxed talking to his coach. The reality seemed to hit him at the medal ceremony. The JSF is probably disappointed, as his FS scores are back to those of his weakest events. If Sota gives an interview tomorrow, I'll be surprised if he doesn't say he's disappointed with his performance. I can only hope this free won't cost him a GP next season.
He'll need a strong showing in the summer (Gensan?) and the fall (a challenger) to win back JSF's trust, that's my prediction.It's hard to say what I am feeling now.
It could have been worse. He didn't fall, and didn't pop. But it also could have been 20 points better, if Sota had had confidence in his jumps. He's light years better than this FS showed. Too many smaller mistakes cost him the silver here. The mistakes cost him the level on his last spin, too, as he'd fallen behind the music and had to choose between getting -1 for finishing late, or sacrificing some rotations.
He looked quite winded at both Kokutai and Challenge Cup, too. Maybe he has a health problem? It's possible, but he skated great at the Nagoya show last month.
He and his coaches have brought the SP scores to near perfection, and now it's time for some real effort on the FS, too. And I don't mean the tech, but fixing Sota's mindset. I would say this is where the problem is. Compared to his 2019 Challenge Cup self, he now lacks the ferocity, the determination, the strength of mind, and the killer instinct to win.
You know, I wouldn't even be surprised if we learned that Sota is battling some mental issue like depression or anxiety. I just hope that if so, it doesn't escalate in him not enjoying skating anymore.
Even with the mistakes, Sota's skating gives me joy. I hope he tackles whatever demons he has, and comes back strong next season. He has a loving family and coaching team, he has a devoted fanbase, so there's a lot to be comforted by.
I don't know if he can regain his 4-2 and 4-3, but I want him to regain consistency.
I suggest 'Fight' as Sota's motto for next season.
I hope he wasn't to dissapointed and returns strongly next season! I'm looking forward to seeing more of him.
My reaction to him was exactly the same as yours! I recall posting in this thread years back that he could just be doing crossovers and I'd still be captivated ^ ^
Sigh, if only he'd felt this at ease in the Netherlands... I feel this is his problem in a nutshell. His only problem.
Sota and his friends Kazuki Kushida and Reo Ishizuka are going to have an online get-together on the Unlim platform next Thursday: 
I'm afraid Sota will be below all of Sena, Selevko and Tatsuya at the end of the season when 2019 results are scrapped. That stings, knowing how much potential he has. I hope he storms into the next season determined and well-trained. 
)
The choice of city for him was Onomichi, in Hiroshima Prefecture.
