Why can't Haruka Imai get no respect?

[brightphoton]

The season is long over, and I still can't get Haruka Imai out of my head. Her Giselle FS is the only program I re-watch from the 2014-2015 season. I couldn't even remember who won Worlds without checking Wikipedia.

Her Skate America FS was the cleanest she's ever done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVEjLrTHkAI

At TEB, she popped a loop and put a hand down on her salchow. For some reason, she got zero points for her step sequence at TEB. If someone could explain why, I'd very much like to know.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qchmFpw1Igk


Technically, Haruka isn't the strongest: she doesn't have a triple-triple, nor a lutz, and her spins and step sequences don't always have the highest levels.

But she shines artistically. She's fast and gets good ice coverage. Her choreography is exquisite, and her attention to detail is superb. I love watching her to catch all her arm positions and movements. Her interpretation and execution is top notch.

Despite all this, her PCS scores range from the mid 5's to low 7's. My question is, WHYYYY?

http://www.isuresults.com/results/gpusa2014/
http://www.isuresults.com/results/gpfra2014/index.htm

 

[noskates]

I never even heard of her.

 

[matmuh]

i really love her, not just on ice, she seems really humble and grateful to be skating and performing, she still smiles and thanks audience (sometimes even stands up) even after bad performances, lovely flow and skating skills, and her upperbody movement is great, as nicky from besp said " every fingertip has a purpose, but she seems to have stamina issues and i think she losts concentration
PCS is a mistery so i dont have an answer, but its related to being consistent and she isnt actually she has 3-3 (3S3T) but doesnt do it at FP i think because she doesnt do 3Lz
i really hope she can get GP assignment(s) next season and show us great performances

 

[brightphoton]

Oh yeah, I forgot, she does do a 3-3 in the SP.

She used to have a Lutz a few years back. I wonder what happened to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBNLr2CxbA4&t=1m

 

[Barb]

In theory PCS are interpretation, SS, choreo, etc. but let face it, this is only 10% and 90% is reputation of the skater being judged. It is not correct and is a very stupid thing but it is like that, she is not strong at technical level, so it is very difficult that she get to win and to be part of the people getting good or at least fair scores at PCS.

 

[matmuh]

Oh yeah, I forgot, she does do a 3-3 in the SP.

She used to have a Lutz a few years back. I wonder what happened to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBNLr2CxbA4&t=1m

if i remember correctly she suffered from injuries? but i dont know if its related to her not attepmting lutz

 

[sunnystars]

if i remember correctly she suffered from injuries? but i dont know if its related to her not attepmting lutz

her lutz looks quite dodgy so I do think the harsher edge call deductions factored into the omitting

 

[cruzceleste]

Maybe because her national placement are so low, this year I think she placed 11th, didn´t she?

 

[karne]

I have heard of Haruka Imai. How ridiculous to say you can't even tell us who the world champion is!

Her Skate America FS was the cleanest she's ever done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVEjLrTHkAI

2A-3T< (at least, would want to see replay)
3 - er...F? The entrance looked more like it was supposed to be 3Lz, but there was no way that was even close to an outside edge. Angle is not good to really tell, though.
3S-2T
Sloppy illusion turn into poorly-centred layback...probably only a level 2? (Not great with spin levels.)
FCSp - not bad (though no-one ever looks good doing that ugly "Yuna camel" position)
3Lo<-2T
3Lo
3S
2A with a slightly scary landing
StSq
ChSq
CCoSp - missed the three positions on the second foot.

That was her best? It was...underwhelming. A lot of 2-foot skating and crossovers. Slowed down a lot at the end, and she still had URs and sloppy landings.

At TEB, she popped a loop and put a hand down on her salchow. For some reason, she got zero points for her step sequence at TEB. If someone could explain why, I'd very much like to know.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qchmFpw1Igk

Let's see what's different here. Okay, that jump is much more easily identifiable as a 3F!<. Illusion into LSp is much better here.

Now, the step sequence: I'm not very good at the step thing, but a couple of things did jump out at me. First, she goes straight down the centre of the rink. There's not a lot of ice coverage. There isn't a huge variety of turns and steps, and rotation is very heavily biased to one side. So it's possible they thought it didn't have enough for a base level. I have not seen the protocol, what does it actually say? Does it say StSq, or does it say StSqB?

 

[ILoveFigures]

But she shines artistically. She's fast and gets good ice coverage. Her choreography is exquisite, and her attention to detail is superb. I love watching her to catch all her arm positions and movements. Her interpretation and execution is top notch.

Despite all this, her PCS scores range from the mid 5's to low 7's. My question is, WHYYYY?

http://www.isuresults.com/results/gpusa2014/
http://www.isuresults.com/results/gpfra2014/index.htm

Yes, she has good speed, but about 80% of the program she is just doing cross-overs, three turns and poses. No wonder she has good speed. Yes, she has somewhat good ice coverage, but what about the pattern. It's neither difficult nor intricate, and she skates mostly on lines and in big circles. I don't agree about the choreography being exquisite. Yes, some of the movements match the phrasing of the music, but what is the idea or vision she is trying to portray? Where is the originality of movement? Her attention to detail varies a lot. Sometimes she uses the nuances of the music well, but at other times it just plays in the background. She has nice arm movements at times, but where are the body lines? Look at her legs and feet! Her posture is not the best either, but she does seem involved in her performance. She also lacks precision in her footwork. In all honesty, her only getting 5-7s in PCS is justified in my opinion. She does fulfill some of the criteria in the components, but she lacks a lot of those criterias as well.

 

[YesWay]

In theory PCS are interpretation, SS, choreo, etc. but let face it, this is only 10% and 90% is reputation of the skater being judged.

In my view, that is a gross exaggeration. The kind that people spout when their favourite skater is "held back" in PCS just because they "skated in earlier group", or they don't have "reputation", or they're not the judges' "favourite" etc etc.

While I do believe a bit of that does go on - I also believe it's mostly sour grapes nonsense and it's nowhere near "90%". Even when it does happen I am of the view that it's more often "consistency" at work, not "reputation" (which is almost defensible because a consistent skater is surely showing more skill than an inconsistent one?)

I wish the J-sport figure skating TV programs were available translated outside of Japan. They have recently broadcast the last Russian, Canadian, American etc nationals, with commentary from people like Yukiko Okabe.

Yukiko is an ISU judge and technical controller, so the information and insights she (and the other J-sport FS commentators) give on each skater's performances, are absolutely priceless, and real eye-openers regarding how skaters are scored. She highlights things that laymen wouldn't notice, and you get to hear exactly how ISU judges and tech specialists think, what they look for, how/why/where skaters win or lose points for their technical elements, GoE, PCS components etc etc.

If everyone was able to hear that kind of commentary, for every competition... I think there'd be a lot less conspiracy theories, outrage, sour grapes, fan wars etc etc...!

----

Anyway - regarding Haruka, she was always an elegant and graceful skater - she made sudden improvements in her speed, attack and consistency the season before last. I had high hopes for her this last season, but I don't know if she's had injuries or something because she didn't seem to carry the momentum from the year before, and her performances ended up rather disppointing and inconsistent. I hope she comes back stronger this season, because she is so charming to watch.

 

[daphenaxa]

Yukiko is an ISU judge and technical controller, so the information and insights she (and the other J-sport FS commentators) give on each skater's performances, are absolutely priceless, and real eye-openers regarding how skaters are scored. She highlights things that laymen wouldn't notice, and you get to hear exactly how ISU judges and tech specialists think, what they look for, how/why/where skaters win or lose points for their technical elements, GoE, PCS components etc etc.

Oh I know it is off topic but that is interesting. Could you share some of the comments she made about some skaters that were the more striking and eye opening to you?

 

[Barb]

in that protocols FP, Gracie Gold choreography and interpretation 8, Haruka 6 . Ok, I understand if Gracie has better SS, transitions, but better choreo and interpretation???

 

[YesWay]

Oh I know it is off topic but that is interesting. Could you share some of the comments she made about some skaters that were the more striking and eye opening to you?

Well, I'd struggle to give you the specifics of a given skater or performance (don't keep the recordings after watching), but we have often watched what looked like a clean performance, well executed, skated with passion and emotion - and expect a good score. But then hear in the commentary (and see in replays) how eg. steps were not precise and well defined enough, small issues spin positions, poor transitions, lack of difficulty, where levels were lost, where the choreography didn't tell the story or suit the music, how the skater looked at the ice too much instead of connecting with the audience etc etc.

Conversely, we have seen performances that seemed a bit lackluster and may have included some very obvious mistakes - and expect a low score. But then the commentary points out elements that were very well executed, very difficult, clean deep edges, sharply defined steps, how well they interpreted the music, how they gained levels etc etc.

When stuff is pointed out that way, in such depth, and by someone who is an actual judge and technical controller... and you can see what they mean in the replays... suddenly scores that you might have thought were too high or too low... don't seem unreasonable at all...!

Plus, the more you hear that kind of commentary, the more you become able to spot the details for yourself...

 

[karne]

I agree with YesWay. Listening to technical specialists is extremely informative, and you learn something new every time. I thoroughly recommend any skater of an appropriate age to learn and volunteer as data entry. Listening to a panel discuss in real time is an extremely valuable learning experience.

 

[Krunchii]

Hmm, I remember watching her at Skate America but I didn't watch most of TEB this year due to midterms and only watched a few of the girls, she had a lot of two-footed skating and I remember some of her jumps having spotty landings, no 3Lz but I did like her Malaguena SP's step sequence. She is fast but like others have said it comes from doing a lot of crossovers, I always thought her scores weren't higher because she didn't have enough consistency and would make little mistakes that cost a lot, that and she doesn't have the same difficulty as the top girls. I can't remember why her step sequence got invalidated, someone had a reason but I can't for the life of me remember right now

in that protocols FP, Gracie Gold choreography and interpretation 8, Haruka 6 . Ok, I understand if Gracie has better SS, transitions, but better choreo and interpretation???

her POTO program is a well choreographed program I thought, it worked with the music and lyrics but it's just the wrong program for Gracie

 

[Sandpiper]

I really liked Haruka Imai this year. She has good programs, movement, and interpretation, imo. However, the Japanese Nationals tech panel was out for blood, and that didn't exactly work in her favour (massive understatement).

I agree her PCS were too low for things like interpretation and choreography, but what can we expect, when judges don't tend to differentiate between components? She'd need more momentum/consistency/reputation for those things to build. Hopefully she can work on rotation and getting the lutz back for next season.

 

[bramweld]

She just needs to polish her technique, the jumps are too much of a hit or miss. But she is lovely to watch when on.

 

[mskater93]

in that protocols FP, Gracie Gold choreography and interpretation 8, Haruka 6 . Ok, I understand if Gracie has better SS, transitions, but better choreo and interpretation???

Have you seen them both live? There's a huge gap in CH and IN between them in Gracie's favor in addition to SS and TR.

 

[Barb]

Have you seen them both live? There's a huge gap in CH and IN between them in Gracie's favor in addition to SS and TR.

I dont need see them at live, no way Gracie's interpretation ( sooo stiff, fake and exaggerate smile, and never listening music) is better and the program is regular at best. I dont hate her, I like Gracie but I admire her jumps, spins, speed, not interpretation and performance. and it is incredible she has not a memorable program in all her career considering the hype.