Kanako Murakami & Sayaka Matsubara

I'm also very interested in these young up-and-coming skaters.

Does anyone know if they have been assigned any international competitions this season (beside JGP Madrid)?

I've read that Murakami will probably get the JGP Sheffield spot as well. Can anyone confirm this?

Aibhlin wrote:

I've read that Murakami will probably get the JGP Sheffield spot as well. Can anyone confirm this?

Although the official roster isn't updated yet, I think it's highly probable that Kanako will get a spot at Sheffield along with Yukiko Fujisawa, as JSF usually sends to the last JGP event those skaters who placed the highest in their first competition.

Here is the official roster, it should be updated soon:
http://www.isufs.org/events/cat00006392.htm

Thank you for your answer.

It seems there's already been a change at the JGP Republic of South Africa (but not involving Murakami, though).

I wish Kanako had gotten a spot at Junior Worlds this season -she did so well on the Jr. Grand Prix!
I adore Caroline but was sad Japan didn't medal...

Sorry, to revive such an old thread but I've been wondering what has become of Sayaka Matsubara. I know Murakami has been winning competitions and breaking her own personal bests but I've heard nothing at all about Matsubara and she seemed so graceful and promising to my naked eye during the previous seasons. Does anyone have any info at all about her? Did she quit skating or is she not skating as well anymore?

Aibhlin wrote:

Sorry, to revive such an old thread but I've been wondering what has become of Sayaka Matsubara. I know Murakami has been winning competitions and breaking her own personal bests but I've heard nothing at all about Matsubara and she seemed so graceful and promising to my naked eye during the previous seasons. Does anyone have any info at all about her? Did she quit skating or is she not skating as well anymore?

Sayaka didn't quit yet, but she's not doing good.
She placed 17th at Western Japan Jr.Championship this summer.

I didn't see this thread before. The first two videos are now removed, and I wasn't able to watch them . I was able to watch Kanako though. She's really great! Very pretty too. She's gonna be a knock out when she gets older!

Quote :

Sayaka didn't quit yet, but she's not doing good.
She placed 17th at Western Japan Jr.Championship this summer.

Ouch. That's not very promising...

kanako was 5th on 09 japan nationals! congrats!

cutee!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6ec8hXSvJQ&playnext_from=TL&videos=Kcy4zqRqDTY&feature=sub
What does she says about Mao at the end?

bibi wrote:

cutee!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6ec8hXSvJQ&playnext_from=TL&videos=Kcy4zqRqDTY&feature=sub
What does she says about Mao at the end?

I don´t understand nothing, but Kanako is suuuuper cute!!

Ahhh Kanako is really so cute! It looked like she was talking about how she considers Mao so high above her. But I don't know...

Another adorable Kanako fluff with bits of Mao too!

bibi wrote:

What does she says about Mao at the end?

The narrator was mentioning Mao whom Kanako admires very much, and how Kanako might be Mao's rival in the future. Kanako is flattered by this, and mentions -

Kanako: Even if I skate perfectly and Mao-chan makes a mistake...I don't think I'll be able to catch up to her. It's like (the difference between) heaven and earth.
Narrator: How big of a gap (distance) is there between heaven (Mao) and earth (Kanako)?
Kanako: Like a god - in the high heavens - to the floor!
Narrator: How much of a gap will you like to see it become in the future?
Kanako: Mao-chan will be...up in the sky as a cloud, while I'll be a house. I'll do my best to lessen the distance.

So kitkat00 got the basic idea right. It'll be such a treat to see the two compete in the same competition again!

thank you Clovera. mmm, this japanese skaters why all of they have to be so good? , if Kanako go to seniors this season then to choose the world team will be a nightmare again with Mao, Miki, Akiko, Fumie and now Kanako too .

thank you sooo much !! :O)

Thanks bibi for the clip, and thanks to clovera for translating!

I thought Mao's comments in the middle were kinda funny for what she didn't quite say...like she was hesitating whether or not to call Kanako "Kana-chan" or probably something more formal. And then she was like, "I'm the older one, but...well, she's like a little sister." I almost felt like she was going to say something more like, "I'm the older one, but it feels like we're the same age!"

Kana-chan was soo cute at the end where she kept being like, Mao's so good, so above me, I can't touch her.

As for the uniform blazer that Mao gave to Kanako, we now have two conflicting stories. Kana-chan claims that she asked Mao if she could have it, and Mao said yes. Mao said that Kana-chan's mom asked Mao's mom about it.

MY guess is that they're both right: Kana-chan probably asked Mao, and Mao happily agreed to it--and then completely forgot about it. So then Kana-chan's mom asked Mao's mom and that's how she finally got the blazer.

I'll just post this news here, since Yuzuru's thread was located a tad higher on the Other Skaters section prior to me posting this.

http://mainichi.jp/enta/sports/general/news/20100525k0000m050073000c.html

The JSF just announced their 特別強化選手list a few hours ago (I guess you can compare it to USFS's "A" Team Envelope in terms of funding and support) and both Kanako and Yuzuru made the list!

The rest of the members are:
Dai
Tono
Kozu
Tatsuki Machida

Mao
Miki
Akiko
Haruka Imai

The JSF website isn't updated yet; also, Fumie is off the list for the first time in years (she's listed as 強化指定A, which is more or less Team "B" if this was the USFS). I must say I'm not too surprised by this decision.

I was so happy for everyone! I can't wait to see all of them in the Grand Prix this season It seems they picked everyone by nationals results so it makes sense that Fumie wouldn't be on there.

The website hasn't updated but is there a full list out yet? I'm interested in seeing where everyone fell.

clovera wrote:

I'll just post this news here, since Yuzuru's thread was located a tad higher on the Other Skaters section prior to me posting this.

http://mainichi.jp/enta/sports/general/news/20100525k0000m050073000c.html

The JSF just announced their 特別強化選手list a few hours ago (I guess you can compare it to USFS's "A" Team Envelope in terms of funding and support) and both Kanako and Yuzuru made the list!

The rest of the members are:
Dai
Tono
Kozu
Tatsuki Machida

Mao
Miki
Akiko
Haruka Imai

The JSF website isn't updated yet; also, Fumie is off the list for the first time in years (she's listed as 強化指定A, which is more or less Team "B" if this was the USFS). I must say I'm not too surprised by this decision.

Yeah! Especially excited for Kanako! She skates so beautifully and i always enjoy watching her programs!
Yuzuru is just plain awesome, he has a freaking ina bauer!

And yes i don't think anyone is too surprised about Fumie's placement either

Latest Kanako clip courtesy of Chukkyo Figure:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKuFafenls4

- Quick Summary -
For Kanako, a typical day consists of: waking up, going to school by getting on the train, and then riding the train again to the school rink
She made a lot of delightful friends
It looks like Mao handed down her vests and blouse in addition to the school's blazer this spring (the vest Kanako is wearing in the interview used to be Mao's)
Kanako's EX for the new season utilizes a tambourine and a chair; she mentions how it's sexy in the beginning but gets extreme and difficult later on
The new EX is to a movie theme

I wonder how tall Kanako is now, because she appears taller here.

It is said Kanako' s EX is Movie Soundtrack.
I think it will be some kind of Gypsy theme (tamborine and chair).
She reminds me Esmeralda in a part of "Topsy Turvy" in
Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Any news on Kanako's EX?

Figure_skating_love wrote:

Any news on Kanako's EX?

"Be Italian" has been confirmed as her new EX ever since DOI took place.

None of the reports I found so far seem to recognize the music of what is apparently her SP though. Argh.