Keiji Tanaka | Page 5 | Golden Skate

Keiji Tanaka

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Page 2

- Are you nervous? Keiji Tanaka seems like a decent person now, but what kind of kid were you when you were little?
Keiji: I was often scolded by the older members of the club.
--Who are they?
Keiji: Probably you do not know them. For example, Ogami-kun.
- I know Ogami-kun [laughs]. I know him very well. I choreographed him.
Keiji: He took care of me.
- Oh, I see. Did he teach you manners and such?
Keiji: I learned a lot from him.
- What did you do to make him angry?
Keiji: I was a little kid and he got mad at me for interrupting him.
- You shouldn’t have interfered with his skating.
Keiji: I got in his way.
- Without knowing
Keiji: Well, things like that.
- Back then were you a quiet kid or an active one?
Keiji: I was energetic probably.
- Really? More than today?
Keiji: Ah, yes. That's right
- I see. You are shy?
Keiji: Yes, I was born shy.
--Since you were little?
Keiji: Yes, but I am less shy these days.
- You are still shy to me. You are still the same as when we first met each other. Wait, maybe you changed a little.
Keiji: I grew up a little.
- When was the first time that I met you?
Keiji: I think that’s when I was an elementary school student.
- At the Okayama rink?
Keiji: Maybe at Osaka University rink.
- Could be.

Close Friends

- I think there are many competitive skaters your age. Who are your close friends?
Keiji: Obviously it is Ryuju Hino-kun.
- So you are friends with Faye. What do you two talk about?
Keiji: In the past we used to talk about skating all the time.
--Nowadays?
Keiji: Recently we kind of talk about girls and things like that. We talk about skating less and less.
- I see.
Keiji: Or we talk about what we are going to do in the future.
- Already [laughs]? How old are you now?
Keiji: I’m 21.
- You are already an adult. Good, then we’d better go eat out together.
Keiji: Yes, Please.
- But I don’t want to spend the whole time without speaking a word.
Keiji: Kenji sensei will hopefully start and keep a conversation. Let's get Faye to join us [laughs].
- .... [silence]
Keiji: Please say something [laughs].
- Silent treatment. Come to think about it I wonder what we will be talking about if I go out to eat with Keiji and Fay.
Keiji: I have no idea.
- Me, neither. Let's go once and see how it goes. Do you like BBQ?
Keiji: I love it.
- Let's do that and take our time eating. Well, tell me what you think. There is also Hanyu-kun around your age and you have many rivals. How is it?
Keiji: Well, I feel strongly that I have come this far and still growing because of them.
- You don’t want to lose to them?
Keiji: Well, we have been competing against each other since novice days. Obviously Yuzu got ahead of us but I still want to chase him.
- One time on an ice show or something, I saw Faye and Keiji looking towards Hanyu-kun saying "Amazing” and "We’d better work hard."
Keiji: We both feel that way every time.
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Page 3

In the Senior Group at Age 21

- Keiji is still young but you’re an older skater now.
Keiji: That's right. Only Mura-kun and Dice are my seniors.
- Great.
Keiji: I’m scared.
--Why?
Keiji: Because my seniors are retiring one by one. I’m in a senior position.
- But that’s what everyone goes through.
Keiji: Yes.
- Well, you’re getting older, and everyone is getting older. Hanyu-kun as well and so is Fay. What do you guys talk about?
Keiji: Yuzu more likely talks about skating, like "How are your quads?”
- What do you say to the question "How are your quads?"
Keiji: Like, “They are not behaving. How do I jump?”
- He doesn’t tell you how?
Keiji: He explains it intuitively.
- Oh ~. What did he say?
Keiji: Long time ago when he taught me the axel jump he goes, "There is one more me in front of me and that myself is jumping in 3D, and I'm jumping into it." At that time it was a little beyond me.
- Now it's okay?
Keiji: Somehow.
- So, did you give it a try?
Keiji: No, not at all [laughs].

When Did He Land the Double Axel?

- Well then [laughs], when did you first land the double axel?
Keiji: I was in fourth or fifth grade of elementary school.
- You learned early, huh?
Keiji: It was rather quick.
- Moving on from single axel to double Lutz, did you land the double axel right after that?
Keiji: No, it took quite some time, but again there are Yuzuya and Faye at Japan Novice Championships, and Yuzu was the first to master it and won the Novice with it. Watching him succeed I felt “I’m screwed.” I landed it during the first season of Novice B.
- Wow, You were jumping the double axel in Novice B season?
Keiji: I jumped it. That was my strong weapon at that time.

When did He Land Triple Axel?

- It took you some time but how did you do when you landed triple axel?
Keiji: Yuzu landed first, I was second and Faye was third. Again, I was feeling “I was screwed.”
- When did you start feeling that way?
Keiji: I felt that way all the time. Yuzu was the first to land triples such as Lutz, and Faye was the next to land. Since my novice days I have been feeling “I’m screwed.”
--How about these days?
Keiji: Even now I am screwed [laughs].
- How about right now in this room?
Keiji: I'm nervous and screwed.

National Sports Festival of Japan Middle School Student Winner!

- You moved up to juniors from 2008. You won the National Sports Festival as a middle school student?
Keiji: Yes. But Yuzu was not in it, though.
- You often mention Yuzu, huh.
Keiji: Because Yuzu was not in it I thought I would give it my best shot.
- It's not like taking advantage of his absence.
Keiji: But after I won, I felt like I won because Yuzu was not there.
- That does not matter. He was not there and there is nothing you could do about it. Is that an achievement since Dai-chan?
Keiji: Yes, third year in middle school.
- Were you happy after all?
Keiji: No, I was not walking in air. I was holding back my feelings because Yuzu was not in the competition.
- I guess it turned out okay because you could stay focused and practiced without getting carried away.
Keiji: It was a positive experience for me.
- Later you went to the Junior Worlds for the first time and won a silver medal as a dark horse?
Keiji: Yes.
- Looking back at that time how do you feel now?
Keiji: Well, I was doing very well but after all Yuzu won the gold in the previous year. So I was not excited that much. When I look back on that event I always feel that I still have a lot of room for improvement.
- You sure are a pessimist.
Keiji: No, but I don’t push my luck in my skating life.
- Yeah. Here you go again [laughs]. After that you moved up to seniors. After becoming a senior, was there any difference?
Keiji: Of course, I saw the higher level of seniors around me. But I had opportunities to compete at Japan Nationals while I was a junior, so I was not overly nervous.
- You have been to the international competitions many times. Which one was the most nerve wracking?
Keiji: Every time I remember it is Japan Nationals.
- From before you go? Since entering the arena?
Keiji: I started getting nervous in the preparation period about a month before competition. I was already tense like, "Wow, I only have one month".
- Are you sure? Isn’t it quite long?
Keiji: It's long, it's tough.
- I know it is tough and you still get nervous. You are also focused so when you get nervous you may be able to prevent injury.
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Episode 2 page 1
https://www.jsports.co.jp/press/article/N2016101715041406_2.html

- Which competition you remembered the most in the past?
Keiji: Japan Nationals three years ago when I was still injured. I could not jump at all at official practice in the morning, so I thought of withdrawal. I managed to get through with adrenaline.
- The one in Hokkaido? I remember. Everyone was watching it.
Keiji: That’s right. That was the event that I felt I gave it all I got.
- That was amazing. Hayashi sensei was crying.
Keiji: Is that true [laughs]?
- Oh, fine. I guess he was not crying but he was very pleased. He didn’t expect you could pull it off like that.
Keiji: I had not been able to jump at all.
- You could not jump until the morning?
Keiji: It hurt a lot in the morning.
- I see. Well, that was impressive.
Keiji: Whenever I skate at that rink the memory of that time comes back to me, so I have a very special feeling.
- Why don’t you go and visit there sometimes? I'm not joking because you go to a training camp in Hokkaido. You will feel better if you stop by there?
Keiji: I guess you are right.
- Well, what about the most frustrating one?
Keiji: It is the Junior Worlds that I went to a few times after winning the second place in the Junior Worlds. Among all these are the competitions I felt most frustrating.
- How did you do?
Keiji: After winning the 2nd place you are expected to podium consistently; otherwise they think you are going downhill more and more. I could not skate my best at all at the Junior Worlds afterwards so people remembered me as a has-been.
- If you put it that way it may be so, but you were not lazy.

Skaters to Look Up to

- Among Japanese skaters who do you look up to, or who is your role model?
Keiji: I think Dai-chan and Machida-kun.
- Machida-kun?
Keiji: Yes.
- Dai-chan’s steps and expressions.
Keiji: I respect his steps, expressiveness, and his way of thinking about skating.
- Machida-kun?
Keiji: I had seen Machida-kun for a long time at the rink since I was little. As a junior member I was watching his growth process, but it’s so incredible how much he grew during the Olympics season. His way of thinking was getting more and more fascinating.
--Oh. How?
Keiji: I was so impressed with his interviews.
- In what way is his interview fascinating?
Keiji: [Laughs]. I think everyone knows that. I do not remember much [laughs].
- Um, remember when Machida-kun got out of the arena with Keiji after announcing his retirement, Machida-kun said "Yo, Keiji, Let’s get back!" Do you remember?
Keiji: Yes he said that [laughs].
- I got a kick out of it.
Keiji: Oh, is that so? [laughs].
- I was laughing my head off. From the next day I kept saying to you, "Yo, Keiji, Let’s get back!"
Keiji: [laughs].
- He is a good senior to you, huh? He took good care of you.
Keiji: At that moment, nobody knew he would retire. He told me to watch him when they announced the Worlds assignments. I thought that I would hear the announcement so I went to the rink side. Then I heard that he would retire right there. He let me see in person his retirement. I was about to cry.
- I see. I am sorry that for a second I misunderstood your story and thought that he had told you about his retirement before making announcement.
Keiji: I did not know at all.
- Nobody knew. So, you two went back together after he said, "Yo, Keiji, Let’s get back!"
Keiji: That’s right.
- You guys walked out but you walked all that way?
Keiji: No, by car.
- By car
Keiji: I did not know what to say to him.
- He told you to go back together with him.
Keiji: I got in a car and I couldn’t even say, “Thank you for your hard work.”
- But you could have said, “Thank you for taking care of me till now.”
Keiji: I was feeling panicky.
- You were in a panic, huh.
Keiji: I thought he would go to the Worlds afterwards. I did not know what to think.
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Page 2

- So, among foreign skaters who is your role model?
Keiji: Patrick Chan for sure.
- Which part?
Keiji: Definitely the skating technique. I see that the level of skating is rising every year as I watch Patrick Chan. I want to catch up with his dimension as soon as possible.
- You have Nagamitsu sensei and Hayashi sensei in your coaching team, so I think you can get close to his level as you practice hard. Are you aiming for the Olympics?
Keiji: Yes, I think it is the competition I cannot go unless I set it as my goal. I have two more years and I will be suffering until that time.
- Are you already nervous?
Keiji: I’m thinking a lot about it and I guess I’m screwed.
- You’re already screwed? You still have two years and you are screwed?
Keiji: I have to start thinking about it because I know that there are a lot of things I need to improve.

Question Box

- Then, let’s get to the question box section.
Keiji: "What would I do if I could take a month off?"
What shall I do?
- What do you do usually? You usually get one day off a week, don’t you?
Keiji: I take one day off per week.
- What do you do?
Keiji: I stay home.
- You’re a homebody, huh. What do you do staying home?
Keiji: I watch all the videos I’ve recorded.
- You watch TV.
Keiji: Yes, on my day off.
- So, you relax when you’re off. But you have one month.
Keiji: Seriously, I will spend one month getting my driver’s license.
- Oh, I get it. You want to get a license.
Keiji: I do.
- Do you like cars?
Keiji: No, not at all [laughs].
- You’ve been saying things like that the whole time. Well, okay, you want to get a license and keep it just in case [laughs].
Keiji: "What is the best way to relax?"
I go to a public bath with the younger skaters.
- Who are they?
Keiji: Junya Watanabe and Taichiro Yamakuma.
- Oh, Junya-kun? I know Taichiro-kun.
Keiji: With two of them.
- Pretty funny trio.
Keiji: We’re totally average people.
- What do you talk about in the public bath?
Keiji: We talk about various things. Ah, but we only talk about skating.
- Well then next question.
Keiji: "If you got 100 million yen what would you spend your money on?"
I live alone now, and I would like to live in a room bigger than the current layout.
- It's a good idea [laughs]
Keiji: It's now 6 tatami-mat size which is small. I want a room a little larger to place a sofa.
- Do you cook your meals?
Keiji: Yes I do.
- What are the dishes that you are good at?
Keiji: I recently found ways to cut corners. I don’t slice tomatoes any more.
- You bite into it?
Keiji: Yes I bite into it. These days I wash it and pour dressing over it and eat it with a fork.
- It doesn’t sound like such a good idea [laughs]. Next.
Keiji: "What do you think you are doing in ten years?"
- In ten years you’ll be how old?
Keiji: 31?
- 31. How about it?
Keiji: I want to coach skaters.
- Ah, you want to be a coach.
Keiji: I will probably be at the rink all day.
- From morning till night. Will it be in Okayama?
Keiji: I haven’t thought about it yet, but eventually. I will probably be spending long hours at the rink.
- So you will be coaching.
Keiji: Yes. I want to.
Keiji: "What era do you want to go with a time machine?"
I guess the economic bubble era.
- Bubble era! ? What do you want to do when you go there?
Keiji: I wonder how people were spending money lavishly.
- Incredible days. But it’s somewhat recent.
Keiji: But I was not born yet.
- I see. The other day Koshiro also said that. He said, "In the old days there was Nagano Olympics." So I said no, it’s not in the old days and he said, "But I was not born yet"
Keiji: He is honest, isn’t he? [laughs].
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Page 3 (last page)

- Okay then, you talk about money going to bubble era. What do you want to do over there?
Keiji: If I had money I would like to save it up.
- You want to go back there, bring along money and save it up, then let the money grow. Next
Keiji: "What's the biggest failure in life?"
I often make small mistakes, but the most stressful incident is when I went to Sochi Junior Grand Prix Final and I thought I adjusted my watch to the local time, but I was about one hour late for the bus. My coach called me and I was a nervous wreck at that time.
- Hayashi sensei was angry.
Keiji: Later I asked Faye about it and he told me that he felt something was off. He didn’t tell me that.
- That’s terrible [laughs].
Keiji: "What's your current biggest worry?"
Recently I’m not doing well at practice and after finishing it I go home feeling down, and I find myself alone. I watch comedy on TV alone, laughing alone and feeling lonely. That’s the problem I have now [laughs].
- What do you want to do to solve the problem?
Keiji: The only solution is to go to a public bath with my juniors.
- Go ahead.
Keiji: All together soaked in the cold bath and warm bath alternately. I go like,“You guys, let’s go!”
- There you inherited the spirit of Machida-kun.
Keiji: I can see that.
- You’ve got this.
Keiji: "What will you do on the last day of the earth?"
I want to splurge, but I don’t want to go all out so that I won’t go bankrupt, just in case.
- Yeah [laughs]. You splurge to the limit within your means.
Keiji: Even if I could push some more I still won’t get carried away. I won’t have a guilty conscience.
- I get it. You know what, Koshiro-kun said, "On the last day on earth I want to try the crazy jumps like quintuple even if my body collapses.”
Keiji: Hahahaha [laughs].
By the way what type of girls do you like?
Keiji: Cutie girl. Pretty girl.
- Yup. What else?
Keiji: Beautiful. Maybe good personality and other qualities.
- Like that? How old are you?
Keiji: 21.
- The other day a 14-year-old boy came here, and he said, “I like a girl who is attentive, kind hearted and who I can have a good time together about everything."
Keiji: [laughs].
- Cute, pretty, and beautiful.
Keiji: I only see the appearance [laughs].

Goal of this Season and Future Aspirations

- Finally, please tell me your goal and resolution of this season.
Keiji: Since we have two years until the Olympics, I think it is important how much I push myself during one year this season. I’ll make the jump content more difficult than the current layout, thinking more about the next season. I think that I’ll really suffer this season. I’m going to accept that suffering, and I want to get the better results a little at a time.
- Everyone is cheering on you, so please don’t get injured or sick. Please take good care of yourself and do your best
Keiji: Yes, thank you.
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Although it is an old interview it is a fun read and I enjoyed translating this.
I was debating whether to post the translation or not as it is very old. I hope Keiji fans enjoy reading this.
 

OniBan

Final Flight
Joined
May 8, 2014
Although it is an old interview it is a fun read and I enjoyed translating this.
I was debating whether to post the translation or not as it is very old. I hope Keiji fans enjoy reading this.

thank you for translating!! I really appreciate it. The thing is there's always so many in-depth interviews and such in the Japanese media about various skaters, but the language barrier is often a detriment for me. So I'm grateful that you're doing this! This is such an insight into Keiji's personality, I really enjoyed reading it.
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Translation of excerpts from local newspaper article dated Feb. 4, 2019
http://www.sanyonews.jp/article/863645

Tanaka: “I’m going to make my performance stand out.”

Tanaka will be at this event (4CC) for four consecutive years. The beginning of this season was tough for him as he had trouble breaking in his new skating boots and he could not get the results he wanted, but he bounced back at last year-end at Japan Nationals winning 3rd place. “I’ve put the bad feeling behind. At Four Continents Championships I want to get the confidence that I can contend against the top skaters,” he said.

This season he has been working with a new trainer to fine tune his jump technique. At the last year’s 4CC he placed 4th earning his personal best scores in both the short and long programs. He is aiming for the podium for the first time, which might be possible if he can successfully execute the total 3 quad salchow jumps in his planned layout.

His rivals include 17-year-old Junhwan Cha (Korea), bronze medal winner of GPF in December last year, and 18-year-old Vincent Zhou (USA), placed 6th at PyeongChang Olympics. “I’m going to make my performance stand out among young skaters,” he said. The 24-year-old PyeongChang olympian will make his presence felt and the experience he gains will help him improve more at the Worlds.
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Translations of articles on SP by Keiji at 4CC:
https://the-ans.jp/news/51138/

Praised by a USA reporter for topping his personal best by more than 3 points

At 4CC on the 7th (Japan time on the 8th), PyeongChang Olympic silver medalist Shoa Uno (Toyota) was 4th after the men’s SP scoring 91.76. Keiji Tanaka (Kurashiki University) shone as the second Japanese to skate. Setting a personal best of 83.93 he placed 7th. Last year he was 4th and one step away from the podium, but will he get on the podium this year? A USA reporter praised his performance today.

Tanaka was third at the Japan Nationals. Today again his skate was energetic. The landing of his opening quad salchow was unsteady and he had to put his hand on the ice. But he landed the next 3Ltz-3T combo and in the second half his 3A was spectacular. With a score of 83.93 he smashed his personal best (80.60 points) at the international competitions. His performance was magnificent.

USA reporter Jackie Wong cheered him on in his tweet, "It was one of his best short programs in the season."

He needs a perfect performance in the free to get on the podium. Can he show us his growth in Anaheim? The answer will come on the 9th (Japan time 10th).

https://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/201902080000609.html
Keiji Tanaka finished 7th topping his personal best score but not satisfied due to mistakes.

Keiji Tanaka (24 = Kurashiki University) entered on the ice as the second Japanese skater. At the beginning of the program his 4S landing was shaky with his right hand touching the ice. His next jumps were 3Ltz-3T combo. The 3Ltz tilted to the left in the air but he landed it to connect it to the next jump to finish as combo. The last 3A was clean and beautiful with good height and distance. He ended the program with a finish pose of thrusting up his right hand earning the cheers from the audience.

"When I was jumping the first Salchow I felt like I should have squeezed and tightened my body more, but I went all out and hung on,” he reflected.

The score is 83. 93 points and he is in seventh place. He broke his personal best by more than three points at this ISU official event. "I think the score still reflects my mistakes. I am not satisfied because I didn’t do the clean program after all," he said.
 

mikeko666

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
Well done, Keiji! :clap: SB with two clean 4S and two clean 3A!

Damn the hockey size rink :scowl:, but it was his first time to try 3Lz+1Eu+3S in a competition. The Worlds' rink in Saitama will be 60 x 30 m, and he will be alright next time.
 

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
Very well done Keiji! :yahoo::agree:
Free skate at 4CC full of your energy, determination and heart was something your fans have been wanting and waiting to see for the entire season! :rock: We all knew the program should be just magical when you skate lights out. :luv17:

Agreed, Mikeko-san. Could have hit 3Lz-1eu-3S easily if not NHL sized rink, couldn't he? Let's wish he will peak in March and hit all jumps cleanly. :)
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Fuji TV program about Keiji’s road to 4CC aired 2/6/19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrIsSLYxeOU&feature=youtu.be&t=3m2s

Gist:
0:50
Named Keiji (police detective) he is serious and hard working. He started skating at 7 and has been steadily rising to the top level.
He has been looking up to Daisuke Takahashi who is his hometown hero.
His rival is Yuzuru Hanyu who has grown at a rapid speed. Keiji has been chasing after him one step at a time.
1:43
He made the PC Olympics team.
Keiji: “He (Yuzuru) has inspired me to do my best and all my hard work paid off.”
But he faced tough reality. With the disappointing result (20th SP, 15th LP & 18th overall) he felt like he was denied as a skater.
2:19
Keiji: “I need to reset myself to be reborn; otherwise it’s no use continuing to fight. I am willing to tear down the whole thing in order to have a clean slate. I want to change everything.”
He is going to be a new “Keiji Tanaka” who no one knows before. He will destroy everything.
The rivals his age are always fighting fiercely on the ice to surpass themselves.
Younger challengers are driven and aiming for the top as well. A steady and gentle soul cannot survive in this world.
3:22
After the disappointing Olympics he is now burning with ambition to win. He does not hesitate to push himself to go beyond his limits.
Asked to name the training camp he has gone through Keiji said “Wounds all over the body,” and laughed.
Keiji: “I want to turn my program into a strong weapon to fight with.”
Daisuke: “Your score is affected by how much you capture your audience. If you create the right atmosphere your score will get a boost. From now on he needs to consciously pay attention to detail to create a favorable atmosphere even when doing difficult technical elements.”
At last year’s Japan Nationals gala Keiji appeared on ice and a stir swept through the arena. He portrayed a character in JoJo and wowed the crowd with his offbeat and quirky moves.
Keiji: “It makes JoJo program more interesting if I keep the gap between the JoJo character and my usual self in competition. I want to be a skater who can do both.”
4:59
That was the moment he awakened and unleashed another side of him hidden inside.
Keiji: “I really need to show my presence because it will help me at Worlds. I will be performing constantly keeping that in mind.
5:15
“I have another self inside of me.”
Now that another Keiji is free what kind of performance will he deliver?
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Thank you for sharing this interview! I'm happy for Keiji's 4CC result - placing before JunHwan in the FS was an admirable feat! I hope this gives him confidence for Worlds. I am still convinced that the choreo for his FS this season, and the music itself, both rather old-fashioned, is doing the exact opposite of what he wants to achieve (show a whole new side of himself), and that saying bye to Scali would do Keiji a world of good. But I have to admit he was visibly trying to pay attention to detail and selling the program as best he could, and apparently the work with Daisuke is paying off. He had very nice contact with the audience. That's a very nice development and I'd like to see it continue.
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Keiji sets his mind to his gala performance of JoJo at the Worlds in March.
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20190211-00000034-dal-spo

Looking back at this competition where he topped his personal best, Tanaka said, “I wanted to connect what I achieved at Japan Nationals to this event. Also I had been re-examining the issues I’ve had at the Nationals and trying to fix them as thoroughly as possible. I fixed some and I’m working on others. I want to go to the World drawing on the experience I gained.”

Last year at Japan Nationals gala he skated to the theme music of “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” and rocked the house. Many fans want to see him perform this program and the Worlds provide a big opportunity. “I want to do it here in Japan. But from my experiences at Worlds in the past, I know that the gala invitation is limited to the skaters placed very high. How high I can go depends on how well I will be doing from now on.” To spread the “JoJo standing pose” to the world, it is crucial that he makes a big progress.

Also, he tried and landed the 4T during the official practice of this event. There was a plan to jump 4T at this event but he explained, “I needed to compete with a solid layout with two 4S, so I decided to only practice (4T) this time.” He has been training 4T on a regular basis and he is looking forward to adding it next season. About the likelihood of adding the 4T to the layout in the World in March, he said “I’ve not decided yet what kind of jumps I would do. I need time to think it through.”
 

mikeko666

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
Thank you for sharing this interview! I'm happy for Keiji's 4CC result - placing before JunHwan in the FS was an admirable feat! I hope this gives him confidence for Worlds. I am still convinced that the choreo for his FS this season, and the music itself, both rather old-fashioned, is doing the exact opposite of what he wants to achieve (show a whole new side of himself), and that saying bye to Scali would do Keiji a world of good. But I have to admit he was visibly trying to pay attention to detail and selling the program as best he could, and apparently the work with Daisuke is paying off. He had very nice contact with the audience. That's a very nice development and I'd like to see it continue.

I totally agree. I hope Keiji will try a different choreographer next season. I want him to try Tom Dickson, who is more contemporary and has created programs with more originality.
 
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