Keiji Tanaka | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Keiji Tanaka

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Aww, apparently Keiji's FS was not so good jump-wise. Was anyone watching, can anyone share their impressions? I hope he put up a fight, though? I'd be disappointed if he didn't as that's the main reason I became a fan. :p Anyways, it's his first Olympics and greater names than him have faltered, so I hope he puts the result behind him in the next few days. There's always tomorrow, and a fresh start. :)
 

Latremu

Final Flight
Joined
May 8, 2017
Keiji!! Redemption skate in the individual event!! I hope he makes it to the top 10.
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Ok, Men's event starting in a few hours, so I'm stopping by to wish good luck to Keiji in his SP. It's definitely not going to be easy for him, knowing he messed up his team segment, and skating after Adam, Patrick and Dmitri. But he's got a beautiful short program this year that fits him like a glove, and I hope he can skate it clean yet again. Be strong, Tanaka-san, and show your future students how to hold it together on the biggest stage. Fingers crossed!
 

livetoskate

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 24, 2006
I think he doubled both quad sal attempts and fell on his triple axel in the team FS event. That's just from memory so it could be wrong. Keiji definitely has the ability to be in the top 5 though, if he skates his best. When landed, his quads look effortless!
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
I think he doubled both quad sal attempts and fell on his triple axel in the team FS event. That's just from memory so it could be wrong. Keiji definitely has the ability to be in the top 5 though, if he skates his best. When landed, his quads look effortless!

mmm, I don't know, if everyone's clean (unlikely, but hypothetically speaking), I don't think the judges would allow him to sneak into into the Big 6 ;) and probably not overtake a clean Adam and Mikhail either. But we'll see. It would be great if all members of Team Japan were in the top 10! Sending calming vibes to Pyeongchang. :pray:
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Ok, starting my fingers-crossed-well-wishes round here. I am kind of relieved I couldn't watch the SPs as people are saying Keiji had an awful fall - :sad21: - but it appears the rest was quite clean, and some muttered he was actually underscored? Myself, I'm quite moved by this guy's determination to fight it through. My best wishes for the FS, and I hope the fall was nothing serious. I so hope he gives it his all tomorrow, so that he has no regrets and so he can feel he did all he could. That's all I wish for. :yes: Never give up!
 

livetoskate

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 24, 2006
He got up quickly and did not seem really injured from the fall. Good thing the sides of the rink are very padded. I hope to see a great performance from Keiji tonight!
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
OK, probably not the kind of outing he'd have liked, but from the reports I've read, Keiji fought fiercely and gave it his all in the FP. Now that the stress of the Olympics is gone, I hope he can take some much-needed rest and go to Worlds in a much calmer mood. I wonder how hard it must be for him, knowing he's a very good skater (#15 in the world standings currently, if I recall correctly?) but nowhere near the prodigious talent of his two great compatriots, and that's the way it's going to remain.
As emotional and over the moon as I am for Yuzuru and Shoma, I hope at least a few media noticed there's a third man on Team Japan, and that we get to read an interview or two soon. I've already babbled my congrats in the Shoma thread and the Yuzuru thread, and now I'm here to say this: thank you for doing your best, Tanaka-senshu. It wasn't enough to be within the top 10 this time, but tomorrow's a new day. I hope he has no regrets and rests/heals well.
(@ livetoskate - well, so he did at Nepela, and yet it turned out he'd gotten an injury there, so better have it confirmed in an interview)
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Stars on Ice (on April)
http://figureskate-soi.com/skaters.html

It is his first SOI? Congrats!:luv17:

- - - Updated - - -

Photo collection of Olympics by fan
https://www.flickr.com/photos/seoul-music/sets/72157687954502220/

Very nice motion study in the collection. And no, I don't think it's Keiji's first SOI - he was there last year as well, and did the koi dance with Satoko and Nobu. Happy he's been invited, seeing how star-studded the the list of participants is.
Hope he's relaxing a bit and doing his usual amount of training now before Worlds. With the No.1 stressful event over, I think he'll finish much higher in Milan than last year. :pray:
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Not the best skate for Keiji, he knows better than to jump 2A. But tomorrow's a new day, and I'm not ready to give up on him. The fight is not over yet. With the right blend of determination and courage, I believe he can still get his spot back, and make it into the top 10. Go for it tomorrow, Keiji! Always cheering you on. :pray:
 

mikeko666

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
His boots got broken right before the Worlds and had to be replaced, but he is not still feeling comfortable in the new pair. You know Shoma is also having a hard time with his new boots. At least, it looks like Keiji is not in horrible pain like poor Shoma is. Da Bin just withdrew from FS because her boots got broken, so replacing the boots before the Worlds could be a good thing for him. It may also be a good thing there is one day between SP and FS, and I really hope he'll be feeling more comfortable with his new boots tomorrow. Let's hope he can perform his best tomorrow. :pray: :pray: :pray:

EDIT: More accurate information was released after Keiji's FS was finished. He got new boots after the Olympics, but the exact pair got broken the day he arrived in Milan. He had no choice but to skate in the broken pair. He was lucky that he didn't injure himself during the competition.
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Thank you for the info, mikeko. Some of my favorites have such rotten luck! I'm sure glad he was alright. Far from his best in the FS, but he fought valiantly, given the circumstances. I'm kind of sad he doesn't get much praise for that; I have a feeling he only tends to get noticed when he's skated lights out. :no: I'm still miffed a lot about Verner criticizing Keiji on Czech TV for 'listless' and 'unmemorable' performances where he doesn't even try to connect with the public. Rich, coming from a headcase king, pop king (pun not intended), and a guy who never fought the way Keiji did here when he started messing up.

I was glad on the other hand, for the many support banners for Keiji among the audience. I hope he keeps working and improving his mental resilience, and that his back doesn't trouble him in the upcoming season. If he and Kazuki could vie next year for the position of Japan's #3, and keep each other motivated, that would be great. Take a long rest, and good luck next season, Keiji! Always cheering you on.
 

mikeko666

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
It takes about a month to get used to new boots, but there was only about one month between the Olympics and Worlds. Shoma decided to change right after the Olympics and tried to get used to ASAP, and got injured his right foot. Dabin tried to keep the same pair she wore at the Olympics, but the boots gave up after SP. There is no right answer for such a situation.

In Kenji's case, he tried to keep the same pair but it got broken a week before the Worlds and he had to change to a new pair. But the left boot got broken the day he arrived in Milan. :( I remember his boots are by a Japanese manufacturer. I wonder if it could have been saved if his boots had been EDEA's.
 
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