2018-19 Japanese Ladies' figure skating

yume · Dec 23, 2018

Spinning said:
I don't mean only National but more like big competition s in general (reply to Rika and Kaori beat her in the last b2 competitions.

Even a big fan, I always feel Satoko's vulnerable. Unbeatable, coming from you out of all people, is a big honour really!

Well she was pretty unbeatable by her team mates during two or even 3 seasons. I don't think she should have been unbeatable, but that was it.

yume · Dec 23, 2018

Just saw that Wakaba withdrew from gala in bolzano in february. That surely means that we won't see her again after nats. I was hoping to see her in a senior B to improve her SB and have 1 GP guaranted.
https://mobile.twitter.com/wakahfans/status/1076818255900102656

DenissVFan · Dec 23, 2018

yume said:
Just saw that Wakaba withdrew from gala in bolzano in february. That surely means that we won't see her again after nats. I was hoping to see her in a senior B to improve her SB and have 1 GP guaranted.

I'm sure she'll get at least one GP through World Standings.

yume · Dec 23, 2018

DenissVFan said:
I'm sure she'll get at least one GP through World Standings.

Yes. But i prefer to not have hope in JSF fighting for her and getting her a 2nd spot. Easier to get two spots when you are in 24 SB list.

Nocturne · Dec 23, 2018

Spinning said:
Skaters' achievements are not play-by-play. Satoko has 4th place finished at the OG, WBM and Skate America GM this year. As long as Japanese Fed and media centered their promo on her, she is undoubtedly their no.1.

Mao was finished out of the podium more time that I would liked but she had always hang on to her top ladies position. Same with Daisuke. Being Japanese no.1 is non easy job. Yuzuru reached it at Sochi 2014 Even though he beat them all from 2012.

But well .... there has never been the official announcement. You can have your own preference at your heart desired. I love them all I don't care one bit. H** I even don't mind Mako win the national and claiming the no.1. They are all deserved it after all the hard work and heartbreaks.

Well, OG and Worlds are last season's results and dont mean much for her status in THIS season after half of the season is done and she has lost 3 of 3 comps against Rika and 2 of 3 comps against Kaori. Therefore the other girls surpassed her for now. It could all change at 4CCs and Worlds because every competition is a new one and she wont suddenly lose the feds support.

Mao's case (before her comeback) is a bit different because even when she faltered and other japanese girls occasionally finished above her, she was still always the one with the greatest potential and therefore the favorite. The highest possible scores. For the past years, it has been Satoko. But now the one with the greatest potential is clearly Rika. So now that Satoko is neither the national champion nor the one with the greatest potential I just dont understand how you can still see her as Number 1.

But you are certainly right that they all deserve success and support for all the hard work they do

leoleo · Dec 23, 2018

Marius said:
Unfortunately International judges don't reward Satoko with the GOEs she deserves on Steps and Spins and we all know that she is underscored in PCS pretty much every time. Anyway, without the mistake on the 3 Flip she would have won today, so while I don't think she is still the no. 1 she is still a very safe bet for JSF with her artistry and consistency.

Honestly Satoko kind of gets a pass here and there when it comes to UR calls and GOEs and even today she got away with a lot. Considering how much her TES could have gone down with her urs, idk if i can say she was underscored here. If someone is usually underscored it's Kaori with her huge jumps and incredible flow out of jumps. Well she did get away with an edge call today and only got a ! but in general her TES should be higher. I'm happy to see her get her due here but i don't know how that will translate internationally.

Marius · Dec 23, 2018

leoleo said:
Honestly where Satoko is underscored is in PCS. She kind of gets a pass here and there when it comes to UR calls and GOEs and even today she got away with a lot. If someone is usually underscored in GOEs it's Kaori with her huge jumps and incredible flow out of jumps. Well she did get away with an edge call today and only got a ! but in general her TES should be higher. I'm happy to see her get her due here but i don't know how that will translate internationally.

Yes, I tend to agree with you. I'd like to see everyone's strengthes and weaknesses to be highlighted as they should be. Satoko should get more in PCS and a lot less in GOEs and Base Value due to her URs, while Kaori should get huge GOEs for her beautiful jumps, apart from her Lz that should always get an edge call. We know figure skating is not meant to be this way unfortunately :rolleye:

Spinning · Dec 23, 2018

yume said:
Well she was pretty unbeatable by her team mates during two or even 3 seasons. I don't think she should have been unbeatable, but that was it.

Wakababy was silver medalist at WC and I'm pretty sure if she had clean skate she would be national champion last year too. Also last year Rika without senior pcs had no chances and Kaori was a little unrefined. After Mao left the stage, it has not been Satoko's false that no one catching up with her. But I'm sure we'll witness the shake-up next year.

yume · Dec 23, 2018

The skate of the competition was Ayaka's free skate IMO. Better, she was THE skater of the competition. She's an inspiration.

All my fave skated well overall but didn't get tge results i wanted for them.

zanadude · Dec 23, 2018

yume said:
The skate of the competition was Ayaka's free skate IMO. Better, she was THE skater of the competition. She's an inspiration.

Agreed. Really hope she decides to keep skating next season...but she was decidedly noncommittal in her interview.

Marin at leaat sounded like she had hope for the future, saying that the coach made her aware that this change would be a two to three year process. But Yuka Nagai's interview was painful to watch. "I don't really feel disappointed so much as I feel confused. I really don't know what I have to do to get better."

irriya · Dec 23, 2018

Nocturne said:
Why would Satoko still be Number 1 in Japan after both Rika and Kaori finished ahead of her at GPF and Nats? But she is solid number 3 so she will be sent to be big comps. No need to worry.

Mai is the sad one. Always doing her best, always working hard and she almost never gets rewarded. 4th again My heart goes out to her.

I think if Mai didn't make mistake on 3s in IDF' fs, if she could win in IDF and go to GPF, JSF might consider placing her ahead of Satoko. But she wasn't able to go GPF, it's natural for JSF to think Satoko is more reliable than Mai because she really didn't have a lot advantage here. I'm sad for her but it's reality unfortunately.

CanadianSkaterGuy · Dec 23, 2018

yume said:
The skate of the competition was Ayaka's free skate IMO. Better, she was THE skater of the competition. She's an inspiration.

All my fave skated well overall but didn't get tge results i wanted for them.

It's crazy that she doesn't have a Wikipedia page yet even. Please let's see her at least in the Challenger Series. She needs to be in the history books for 3A at an ISU-competition.

Is she the first female skater to ever land 3 triple axels at one Japanese nationals? Can't remember if Mao achieved that or not, and Rika unfortunately had an issue in the SP.

zanadude · Dec 23, 2018

CanadianSkaterGuy said:
It's crazy that she doesn't have a Wikipedia page yet even. Please let's see her at least in the Challenger Series. She needs to be in the history books for 3A at an ISU-competition.

Is she the first female skater to ever land 3 triple axels at one Japanese nationals? Can't remember if Mao achieved that or not, and Rika unfortunately had an issue in the SP.

Didn't Rika Kihira do that last year?

CanadianSkaterGuy · Dec 23, 2018

zanadude said:
Didn't Rika Kihira do that last year?

Ah you're right she did! But had other errors unfortunately. She was much better jumps-wise and program/performance wise this year - quite astonishing the progress she's made.

yume · Dec 23, 2018

Rika did it last year.
Mao must have done it with all those years landing 3As left and right.

yume · Dec 23, 2018

zanadude said:
Agreed. Really hope she decides to keep skating next season...but she was decidedly noncommittal in her interview.

Marin at leaat sounded like she had hope for the future, saying that the coach made her aware that this change would be a two to three year process. But Yuka Nagai's interview was painful to watch. "I don't really feel disappointed so much as I feel confused. I really don't know what I have to do to get better."

Really sad when a skater is lost like that.

Good that Marin stills have hope. She's improving her technique with a new coach and knows that it can take time.

About Ayaka, she must think that it's nice to end her career in such a good way. But there is also the opportunity to be in history books and skate in an international competition. Anyway, whatever decision will be the best for her.

zanadude · Dec 23, 2018

CanadianSkaterGuy said:
Ah you're right she did! But had other errors unfortunately. She was much better jumps-wise and program/performance wise this year - quite astonishing the progress she's made.

As far as I can tell, Ayaka is the only woman to land four axels in a single performance at Nationals.

yume · Dec 23, 2018

I thought that Mao did that in her 2009 free at nats.

Interspectator · Dec 24, 2018

Ladies' Word Team Selection
Kaori Sakamoto
Rika Kihira
Satoko Miyahara

4CC
Kaori Sakamoto
Rika Kihira
Mai Mihara

Danny T · Dec 24, 2018

Yes, at least Mai got 4 Continents! Too bad I won't be in the US at that time, would've loved to come to see the Japanese ladies alone (@ conference organisers: why do you do this to me?). I read Mai also got Universiade? It's good we can see her twice again this season.

Wakaba :sad21:

2018-19 Japanese Ladies' figure skating

yume

🍉

yume

🍉

DenissVFan

yume

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Nocturne

leoleo

Marius

Art on Ice

Spinning

yume

🍉

zanadude

irriya

CanadianSkaterGuy

zanadude

CanadianSkaterGuy

yume

🍉

yume

🍉

zanadude

yume

🍉

Interspectator

Danny T

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