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- Mar 22, 2018
Still no news for Mai?, I think she is going to compete and I don't think that's a good idea
2023-24 Japanese Women's Figure Skating
- Thread starter figureskatingandrainbows
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2018
Mai is not doing well at practice and she is feeling pain, no surprise, why are you doing this to yourself Mai? 
I heard from a practice report that they only saw her land 3S and 3Lz triple jumps successfully. Everything else was doublesMai is not doing well at practice and she is feeling pain, no surprise, why are you doing this to yourself Mai?
I wonder if she is doing this, so she can justify competing at a GP event, so she can then compete at Nationals?
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- Nov 12, 2013
... and to Rino.why are you doing this to yourself Mai?
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- Mar 21, 2018
Due to being the Silver medalist at JNats last season, Mihara had a bye to Nationals so she’s competing here - “skating through the pain” - for no reason. But I’m waiting to see how she does in the SP before I get loud. …I may even wait until the free skate.I heard from a practice report that they only saw her land 3S and 3Lz triple jumps successfully. Everything else was doubles
I wonder if she is doing this, so she can justify competing at a GP event, so she can then compete at Nationals?
Interesting
Like you, I heard she is “skating through the pain”. Maybe, she needs a SB international score for events next year.
Let’s wait to see what happens at this event. Mai tends to do well, even not at her best.
Really rooting for the three Japanese Women. But, of course, I’m super nervous for Mai (
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Same coach as Sakamoto and blocked Rino, who looked great in her GP, twice from a chance to qualify for GPF. Coincidence or wanting less competition?
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- Aug 16, 2018
As a Rino fan, Mai has zero obligation to "make way" for Rino and relinquish her well-earned GP invitation, even if she only lands doubles in this entire competition. Mai will damage her reputation if she does badly in the eyes of both the host federation and the other GP hosts for next season, and it is a risk she seems to be willing to take. Rino has had her chances to get the GP invites last season and did not perform well (losing her own reputation in the process) while Mai did. I would rather Rino focus on preparing for Japanese Nationals and get a high enough placement, even aim for a podium place, instead of waiting for "scraps" Mai is not obligated to give her.
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I agree. If she is healthy, fine However, if Mai isn't healthy it would be a shame to miss seeing Rino, who is a more talented skater, get to perform. But Mai isn't obligated to anyone. This is a individual sport afterall.
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- Dec 5, 2015
This. No skater has an obligation to give up his/her spot for another. The skater earned that spot and it is up to him/her to decide how they will use it. I far prefer Rino to Mai but Rino did badly nationally and internationally last year. That's on her, the circumstances, and her team. Mai has nothing to do with it and it's not her responsibility to "fix" Rino's season for her.
In regards to injury, I don't think it is a good idea to skate injured but Mai is an adult and she has a right to make whatever decision she wants. I would have a different opinion if this was one of Mai Hamada's less than well-treated kids.
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- Joined
- Mar 22, 2018
We know Mai can do whathever she wants with her assignents but it's not wise from her, she doesn't need to compete here because she has her spot at nationals and she is pretty high at world ranking anyway. She is exposing her health for no reason, that could be very bad for her, yes Rino could have taken her spot and fight for a place at gpf but that's not the big deal here
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- Aug 16, 2018
Welcome to the world of the Japanese skaters, where unwise decisions (from our perspective) is the norm, and everything else is the exception.
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Like Higuchi saying she will do the 3A in her LP after she went 0 for 10 in practice this morning? Lol
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- Aug 16, 2018
Basically
This is my fifth year following all of them, I'm used to it at this point. When a Japanese skater makes a rational decision about their skating, now that's interesting news.
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- Mar 22, 2018
I actually laugh haha, poor of my baby she is confused
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- Aug 16, 2018
A more talented skater will prove that she's also a great competitor by getting the results she needs at Nationals to be sent and invited internationally next season. No need to shame another skater who earned her invite and is using it. Or then we'll go back to last season where Rino herself competed while sick and/or injured in a less than optimal condition, withdrew midway from one of the competitions she is invited to, and "wasted" her spot instead of giving it to a skater who likely needs it more than her.
Being talented and being a good competitor are 2 different things. Talented is the more obvious trait since skating ability is more obvious and judges can't put blindfolds on the fans. However Fed support or lack thereof, along with the accompanying scoring corruption has a big effect on one's perception of being a good competitor. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that Rino is a more gifted skater. That isn't an insult to Mai. Few skaters have the effortless floating Rino has. Whether that translates to competitive success or not is still to be seen.
I actually understand what she is doing, lol. Wakaba is looking at the longterm picture. She wants to get used to doing the 3A in competition, even if short term results aren't as good. Wakaba knows Sakamoto won't be beat in Japan by doing comparable content.
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- Aug 16, 2018
Exactly. Rino is my favorite skater so I believe in her talent and ability- she is, in my opinion, the most talented Japanese active female skater in pure skating. But improving as a competitor, understanding the importance of health and focusing on the important competitions have been a serious hurdle for her since she turned senior. Even her first junior GP season was also impacted after she got injured, she was the sole Japanese JGP medalist in that season and she finished 9th at the Japanese Junior Nationals in the same season, missing out on Senior Nationals and Youth Olympics. That's a very big opportunity that she and her team wasted.
I don't know if Rino just doesn't fare well when competing abroad for a long time, but that's something she needs to improve on, and it costs her another opportunity again, now. Being able to compete and maintain condition to deliver in competitions is what separates the talents from the champions and medalists, and when push comes to shove the Fed will choose the one that gets them hardware compared to the one that doesn't.
I didn't take it as an insult to Mai, but she competed very well last season (maybe too well and her current injury is the result of her pushing herself last season). So the spots Mai has right now is the result of what she has fairly earned, and shaming her to let it go in order for Rino to skate is very.... it doesn't sit right with me. But for next season, it's a full reset for Mai now to get her opportunities and we will see how it goes for her.
(Personally, I think there's an obligation for Mai to compete at least once this season from one of her sponsors and she chose the one with the least risk and most dividends to compete at- no international travel and Osaka is closer to Hyogo and Kobe, compared to Nagano, and her NHK scores will count as an international Season's Best while her National scores won't).
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The one thing I worry with Rino is rotating her jumps now that she is maturing. All women have to deal with that, so we will see. As to your point, I always consider Higuchi clearly more talented than Sakamoto, and you can see how that has gone. Wakaba is the better performer, but has struggled with injuries, consistentcy, and never has impressed her Fed or the judges in competition as Kaori obviously has.
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