Japan Open Competitors Announced

IceBallerina · Jun 15, 2018

The organizers of the Japan Open 2018 has announced the first participants of the tournament, which will take place on October 6. Via https://www.sports.ru/figure-skating/1064139943.html

The Japan Open competition consists of three teams - Europe, North America, and Japan. Skaters will only preform their free program, and individual scores will be added up for a final team total. Organizers have released a few names of those participating, the rest will be announced at a later date.

TEAM EUROPE: Alina Zagitova, Javier Fernández, Deniss Vasiljevs
TEAM NORTH AMERICA: Nathan Chen, Bradie Tennell, Gabby Daleman
TEAM JAPAN: Satoko Miyahara, Kaori Sakamoto

Thoughts? I am not sure if it wasn't true, but I heard Javi wasn't planning on competing in the 2018 Japan Open. Change of heart?

mrrice · Jun 15, 2018

Oh......This is gonna be good!!!! The top 2 teams are amazing and I imagine that team Japan will be just as strong. May the best team win!

4everchan · Jun 15, 2018

mrrice said:
Oh......This is gonna be good!!!! The top 2 teams are amazing and I imagine that team Japan will be just as strong. May the best team win!

would like patrick and kaetlyn or gabby to complete north america

mrrice · Jun 15, 2018

4everchan said:
would like patrick and kaetlyn or gabby to complete north america

That would have been my absolute dream.

Ic3Rabbit · Jun 15, 2018

4everchan said:
would like patrick and kaetlyn or gabby to complete north america

I doubt we'll see Patrick or Kaetlyn there (I'd be surprised) since it lines up the same time as the Thank You Canada tour.

4everchan · Jun 16, 2018

Ic3Rabbit said:
I doubt we'll see Patrick or Kaetlyn there (I'd be surprised) since it lines up the same time as the Thank You Canada tour.

that solves it then... i thought we had one more chance to see Patrick compete.... at last hallelujah at Japan Open... but i guess we can say goodbye to that...

gabby perhaps?

Ic3Rabbit · Jun 16, 2018

4everchan said:
that solves it then... i thought we had one more chance to see Patrick compete.... at last hallelujah at Japan Open... but i guess we can say goodbye to that...

gabby perhaps?

Maybe.

NanaPat · Jun 16, 2018

4everchan said:
would like patrick and kaetlyn or gabby to complete north america

Kaetlyn and Patrick are doing a show in Kelowna on October 6. Japan can't have them. No way.

Haleth · Jun 16, 2018

Hmm Keegan, Jason, or Vincent maybe for NA?

Shoma usually does JO so I suspect a repeat. Would the second man be Keiji? Kazuki? Since Yuzuru hasn't done it before I'm guessing he'll stay out this year as well.

And who will complete the men for Europe? Aliev? Kolyada? Deniss?

chuckm · Jun 16, 2018

4everchan said:
that solves it then... i thought we had one more chance to see Patrick compete.... at last hallelujah at Japan Open... but i guess we can say goodbye to that...

gabby perhaps?

After Kaetlyn, Bradie was the highest-scoring North American lady at both Olympics and Worlds. Since Kaetlyn wasn't available, that's why Bradie got the nod for the JO.

4everchan · Jun 16, 2018

NanaPat said:
Kaetlyn and Patrick are doing a show in Kelowna on October 6. Japan can't have them. No way.

omg.. i am so sorry Nana

ok.. i will side with you and my friends from Kelowna... i visited kelowna and the okanagan a while back... what a beautiful place .. i'd love going to that show and have some wine with patrick

4everchan · Jun 16, 2018

chuckm said:
After Kaetlyn, Bradie was the highest-scoring North American lady at both Olympics and Worlds. Since Kaetlyn wasn't available, that's why Bradie got the nod for the JO.

you certainly know, with all your years of experience that Japan Open invites whomever they want

including pro/semi-retired skaters... it has nothing to do with world rankings or scores...

I have been dreaming about patrick competing one last time because he has kept his LP for the SOI tour... but of course, with the new tour, it makes sense that he and Kaetlyn won't be at JO... if i were an event organizer, I would have the common sense to invite Gabby who is extremely marketable with a bronze medal earned at 2017 worlds as well as team gold in PC... something Bradie may achieve at one point, or may not.

We don't know who has been approached or not yet... maybe Gabby already said no... maybe they asked Mirai or Ashley... maybe they haven't... in any case, last year was a let down for Canadian fans as our skaters rightfully decided to focus on their challenger series event/gp events and declined to go... so we are simply hoping that North America includes at least one Canadian skater this time around...

Skater Boy · Jun 16, 2018

4everchan said:
would like patrick and kaetlyn or gabby to complete north america

Hardly North American - it is American lol Why couldn't they get at least one Canadian.

4everchan · Jun 16, 2018

Skater Boy said:
Hardly North American - it is American lol Why couldn't they get at least one Canadian.

we will see... last year, Canadians declined because it was the Olympic season...in 2016, i am not sure why it was USA only.. .same in 2008... It has never been Canadian skaters only, but a few times, there were 3 from Canada and 1 from the US. Joannie and Jeffrey have gone many times... so has Patrick... but Kaetlyn and Gabby have never been able to go... (we suspect that they have been invited last year)

Ice Dance · Jun 16, 2018

Japan Open is a "cheesefest" competition where the invitations are sponsor driven. I remember this discussion from last year when neither of the Canadian ladies were invited, and while it is possible that neither wished to attend, the most logical explanation I read was that neither were signed with the agency that sponsors the Japan Open. I don't know if that has changed for Gabby, but my impression is that it would need to in order for her to be a likely invite. Ashley was invited previously and after changing sponsors, she was not invited last season.

4everchan · Jun 16, 2018

^^ funny, we never knew if they were invited or not... we suspect they were but Kaetlyn was focusing on the Olympics and Japan open doesn't have the SP.. which at that point in time, was new for her.... (she went back to Piaf in the fall).... and Gabby had surgery... Patrick was clear he preferred doing a challenger.... but then we all know what happened...

And yes, there has been a sponsor talk as well... in brief we just don't know who is invited or not and who declines... a lot of suppositions

Tulipstar · Jun 16, 2018

The perfect competition for Javier to still be active, but also enjoy himself at the same time.

rnois13 · Jun 16, 2018

I think it's been reported that this is where Tatsuki Machida will have his final skate as a professional to focus on his studies. Shoma and Rika Kihira are most likely to be invited.

yoloaxel · Jun 16, 2018

So wait, I'm actually really confused about Javi... is he retiring? Is he just doing JO and Euros?

4everchan · Jun 16, 2018

yoloaxel said:
So wait, I'm actually really confused about Javi... is he retiring? Is he just doing JO and Euros?

japan open often invites retired skaters.. Joannie Rochette and Jeffrey Buttle, Jeremy Abbott as well often did it, without being active competitors on the circuit... so it means nothing about Javi's future if he is doing it or not.

Japan Open Competitors Announced

IceBallerina

mrrice

4everchan

mrrice

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️

4everchan

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️

NanaPat

Haleth

chuckm

4everchan

4everchan

Skater Boy

4everchan

Ice Dance

4everchan

Tulipstar

rnois13

yoloaxel

4everchan

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