I'm definitely also watching Team Kobe led by Coach Nakano. I think this team will become the major force in Japanese ladies in the next couple of years...with solid technique foundation.
Adding: I remember Rin was originally under Coach Nakano, but has moved to Howa later on.
Adding: I remember Rin was originally under Coach Nakano, but has moved to Howa later on.
Such a pleasure to watch both of them LIVE in the past few days! They are just adorable!! I'm looking forward to seeing Kaori and Mai becoming the measure force in Japanese ladies' in the next couple of years...just keeping on trying and improving!
Gosh I'm so jealous of you two!!
I actually had a very funny encounter with the two girls: during the free dance competition, I left the main arena for a quick lunch in the hall way around the arena (it's not allowed to consume food in the main arena). While I was eating lunch, I saw Mai jogging across the hall way in front of me and she stopped to warm up not too far away from me for a while. I was quite surprised that she would warm up like that just around the arena. A couple of minutes later, there came Kaori (!) with two reporters by her side. Obviously Kaori was also doing warming-up and she stopped even closer to me to do some stretches. Then a local fan girl came up to ask for photo and signing. I helped to take photo of them, with Kao beaming in big smile! Later on I realize they were both warming up for the practice in sub-rink nearby. And it was the most pleasurous moment for me to simply watching them warming up outside competitions but without disrupting them.