2023-24 Japanese Men's Figure Skating

[rabidline]

 

[cohkaix]

JSF is holding the training camp for Sr. skaters, starting from today. And today's also the media day. The skaters invited to the camp (including Jr. skaters) are as follow, and their new programs:

- Koshiro Shimada
SP: Sing, Sing, Sing; Jeff Buttle (from last season)
FS: Danse macabre, Stephane Lambiel

- Kazuki Tomono
SP: Underground, Jeff Buttle
FS: Halston, Misha Ge

- Shun Sato
SP: Libertango, Kenji Miyamoto
FS: The Four Seasons, Guillaume Cizeron

- Sota Yamamoto
SP: Chameleon, David Wilson
FS: Exogenesis Symphony Pt 3, Kenji Miyamoto

- Kao Miura
SP: This Place Was a Shelter, Benoit Richaud
FS: Attack on Titan, Shae-Lynn Bourne

- Yuma Kagiyama
SP: Believer, Shae-Lynn Bourne
FS: Rain, In Your Black Eyes; Lori Nichol

- Nozomu Yoshioka
SP: Lullaby for Sadness/Fate of the Clockmaker, Lori Nichol
FS: Final Fantasy, Kohei Yoshino

- Shunsuke Nakamura
SP: El conquistador, Cathy Reed
FS: Child of Nazareth, Kenji Miyamoto

 

[yesterday]

- Yuma Kagiyama
SP: Believer, Shae-Lynn Bourne
FS: Rain, In Your Black Eyes; Lori Nichol

- Shunsuke Nakamura
SP: El conquistador, Cathy Reed

those 3 programs should also be from last season?

 

[elektra blue]

Shun Sato
SP: Libertango, Kenji Miyamoto
FS: The Four Seasons, Guillaume Cizeron

@yesterday i'm thinking of you

 

[yesterday]

@yesterday i'm thinking of you

I did not talk to him about music

 

[skim1001]

Kinoshita Trophy (Aug 11-12) Entry List

Notable Entries:

Sr Men: Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda, Haruya Sasaki, Sena Miyake, All 3 of the Kanto Boys (Yuma, Kao, Shun)
*Kao and Lucas are also listed at Gen-san Summer Cup

Jr Men: Ryoga Morimoto, Shunsuke Nakamura

 

[elektra blue]

I did not talk to him about music

should i believe you?

 

[yesterday]

should i believe you?

Yeah, would not have recommended either

 

[rabidline]

Challenger assignments from JSF are out:

Lombardia Trophy (Sept. 8-10 at Bergamo, Italy)
Men: Yuma Kagiyama, Nozomu Yoshioka,
Women: Hana Yoshida

Autumn Classic (Sept. 14-16 at Quebec, Canada)
Men: Sota Yamamoto
Women: Kaori Sakamoto, Mone Chiba
Pairs: Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara

Nebelhorn Trophy (Sept. 20-23 at Oberstdorf, Germany)
Men: Koshiro Shimada, Kazuki Tomono

Finlandia Trophy (Oct. 4-8 at Espoo, Finland)
Men: Kao Miura, Shun Sato
Women: Mai Mihara, Rinka Watanabe

 

[rabidline]

Update to JSF Strengthened Athlete/ Funding Groups:

Updated to Group A
Tatsuya Tsuboi
Mana Kawabe
Rika Kihira
Rion Sumiyoshi
Wakaba Higuchi
Updated to Group B
Taiga Nishino
Daiya Ebihara
Rena Uezono

 

[rabidline]

Also, development on transparency for World team selection process:

The Board of Directors of JSF also approved to specify in the selection criteria for athletes to be sent to international competitions in the 23-24 season that "athletes eligible for selection criteria up to the end of the Grand Prix Final will be made public during the week of the All-Japan Championships." This is to make the selection process for World Championships and other events easier to understand.

 

[KiraraChin]

Glad to see all the Strengthening Group Japanese men (apart from Shoma, who I assume will compete at Japan Open as usual) getting Challengers this year!

Re: the selection criteria, I'm not sure if I like this development... It could potentially affect the outcome of Nats e.g. if someone knows they are already eligible anyway, wouldn't that give an advantage at Nats? They would be so much more relaxed than the competitors...

 

[rabidline]

Re: the selection criteria, I'm not sure if I like this development... It could potentially affect the outcome of Nats e.g. if someone knows they are already eligible anyway, wouldn't that give an advantage at Nats? They would be so much more relaxed than the competitors...

I like it. It encourages consistency across all competitions, which I think is needed when the competition at the top level is tight. And it also discourages JSF for suddenly coming up with "we are using 4CC to send skaters with potential to be 2026 Olympic medalist!" criteria out of nowhere instead of going down the Nationals podium for the 4CC team as usual.

It also brings more accountability from JSF if for example skaters who have not competed before Nationals (due to injury or any other reasons) are included in that eligible group, since JSF will have to explain the reason that skater is still eligible when they have not competed all season, and is in unknown condition (like past achievements or monitoring results).

And it also helps to not give false hope and have skaters who are too seriously injured risking everything at Nationals when they are already deemed as not in the eligible group. Especially remembering Yuma and Rika last season who forced themselves to compete at Nationals to try getting a Worlds spot / international assignment... and for what, really, except prolonging their injury (especially Rika).

As long as the skaters take Nationals seriously, it shouldn't affect any of the competitors. I think your worry is valid if there are skaters who don't take Nationals seriously (which, in Japan, should not be the norm since it determines international assignments and skater funding).

 

[skim1001]

JSF's entries for the JGP:

☆ Thailand
Rio Nakata, Tsudoi Suto
Ami Nakai, Yo Takagi

☆ Austria
Haru Kakiuchi, Taiga Nishino
Ayumi Shibayama, Haruna Murakami

☆ Turkey
Rio Nakata, Daiya Ebihara
Ami Nakai, Rena Uezono

☆ Japan
Shunsuke Nakamura, Seigo Tauchi, TBD
Mao Shimada, Ikura Kushida, TBD
Sara Kishimoto and Atsuhiko Tamura

☆ Hungary
Haru Kakiuchi, TBD
Ayumi Shibayama, TBD

☆ Poland
TBD, TBD
Rena Uezono, TBD
Sara Kishimoto and Atsuhiko Tamura

☆ Armenia
Shunsuke Nakamura, TBD
Mao Shimada, TBD

 

[KiraraChin]

I like it. It encourages consistency across all competitions, which I think is needed when the competition at the top level is tight. And it also discourages JSF for suddenly coming up with "we are using 4CC to send skaters with potential to be 2026 Olympic medalist!" criteria out of nowhere instead of going down the Nationals podium for the 4CC team as usual.

It also brings more accountability from JSF if for example skaters who have not competed before Nationals (due to injury or any other reasons) are included in that eligible group, since JSF will have to explain the reason that skater is still eligible when they have not competed all season, and is in unknown condition (like past achievements or monitoring results).

And it also helps to not give false hope and have skaters who are too seriously injured risking everything at Nationals when they are already deemed as not in the eligible group. Especially remembering Yuma and Rika last season who forced themselves to compete at Nationals to try getting a Worlds spot / international assignment... and for what, really, except prolonging their injury (especially Rika).

As long as the skaters take Nationals seriously, it shouldn't affect any of the competitors. I think your worry is valid if there are skaters who don't take Nationals seriously (which, in Japan, should not be the norm since it determines international assignments and skater funding).

Yeah you have a point. I guess it's scary for me, a Kazuki fan, because he tends not to be at his best during the GP series At least not when compared with some of the other skaters.


It's interesting that Kazuki said in his non-no interview that he knows that if he doesn't do well in the GP series, he won't make the team this season. He also said he intends to medal in all competitions (consistency across competitions). One can assume it's not a coincidence: JSF probably explained this new selection system beforehand to the athletes and coaching teams so they can factor this in during their preparation for the season.

 

[rabidline]

Yeah you have a point. I guess it's scary for me, a Kazuki fan, because he tends not to be at his best during the GP series At least not when compared with some of the other skaters.

As someone who has had to go through Shoma's 2019 GP series... well, there's always winning Nationals if all else fails

 

[surimi]

Glad to see all the Strengthening Group Japanese men (apart from Shoma, who I assume will compete at Japan Open as usual) getting Challengers this year!

Yup, me too. A big improvement from last year. Six boys overall who have CS assignments. I'd have Tatsuya there, too, but that's just my preference.

 

[KiraraChin]

Kazuki Tomono and Nobunari Oda will kick off their competitive season at the All Osaka II Figure Skating Championships on 26-27 August.

|Japan Skating Federation Official Results & Data Site|

www.jsfresults.com

 

[KiraraChin]

Koshiro Shimada and Kazuki Tomono are assigned to compete at Japan Open: https://jo-coi.com/

 

[yuumagical]

Koshiro Shimada and Kazuki Tomono are assigned to compete at Japan Open: https://jo-coi.com/

They're both awesome skaters, and I know they'll be fun to watch.

However, I have to admit that I'm truly shocked to not see Shoma competing there. I hope he'll be okay with starting his season at Cup of China...