Japanese National Championships 2008

inskate wrote:

:Amazing score from Nobu! Looks like Mura and Murakami skated great as well. Takahiko hopefully will do better in the LP (I read on GS that he put a hand down on 3Lz and doublefooted 3T in the combination).

The broadcast ended, and yup, that's what happened. That was some good quick thinking on Takahiko's part though, since the 2-footed 3toe was tacked on to the 3flip which is normally the solo jump.

Broadcast skipped Yuzuru. Grr! And, as expected, a substantial commercial break of 3 minutes or so after every single performance. Pretty sure this trend will continue for the ladies as well...

Nobu was on! His landings on the jumps are just spectacular as always. I must say I'm a bit baffled at all the empty seats though - I've been used to seeing a capacity crowd for the singles discipline, but it seems like only half of the arena was filled for the men's sp. Hmm. I guess Dai's absence is taking its toll, or the folks are interested in the ladies more (as with most Nats anywhere), or maybe it's the simple fact that its held in Nagano and not in good ol' Tokyo where tickets sell out in a matter of hours.

Mao's 3-3 in practice looks really good! The amazing height on her 3loop is back! I can't help but smile at the Nagoya girls all huddled up as they picked their starting order draw too.

Quote :

I must say I'm a bit baffled at all the empty seats - I've been used to seeing a capacity crowd for the singles discipline, but it seems like only half of the arena was filled for the men's sp. (...)

I read on many blogs complaints that the schedule at Nationals makes it impossible for the fans to attend Mens SP. Usually there are a lot of reports written by fans as soon as the event is over, but this time only 2 of fellow Nobu fans made it to Nagano in time. At least 3 wrote that they are leaving for Nagano tomorrow.

But the promotion of the event certainly didn't help much. I felt like 95% of the fluffs were about ladies, 4% about men, 1% about the coaches, and the pairs and dance teams weren't mentioned at all. It's a shame, because the increased interest in figure skating creates a great chance for the sport to develop. Not all skaters can compete in the ladies event, however! I think that especially pairs and dance should be promoted more. There are many talended skaters in Japan, but many of them will never make it to Worlds because there are only 3 spots for each of the singles event. If all of the spots for pairs and dance were filled, 12 more skaters would be able to attend Worlds/Olympics! Of course, it would sure;y take many years to get 3 spots for those events, but I think it would be worth the effort.

I just watched Nobu's SP on Dcinside! The quality isn't that great, but I'm uploading the file now for those who prefer bad quality over nothing.

OMG 3Lz-3T! Amazing speed out of the combo. I love that series of snakes and edgework just after the combo without putting the free leg down. Other jumps were great as well... And the whole program looked incredibly effortless.
Morozov was sort of cute in K&C. Especially when he pushed Nobu to stand up after his scores were announced.

Nobu's SP:
http://www.mediafire.com/?tgw4zklkmzw
(.flv version)

[quote="clovera"]

inskate wrote:

Mao's 3-3 in practice looks really good! The amazing height on her 3loop is back! I can't help but smile at the Nagoya girls all huddled up as they picked their starting order draw too.

Yes! That's what I thought too! The loop looked so clean, I really hope she'll be able to do it like that tomorrow..

Thanks at all for posting so many news clips, I'm addicted to them. At this point I love the japanese media spending so much time broadcasting the skaters.

Did I get it right and the nationals are held at the same stadium where the Olympic games from 1998 were held?

Maya wrote:

Yes! That's what I thought too! The loop looked so clean, I really hope she'll be able to do it like that tomorrow..

I hope so as well. Mao's jumps look great in the practice clips.

Quote :

Did I get it right and the nationals are held at the same stadium where the Olympic games from 1998 were held?

I think it's the same stadium where the Olympic games 1998 in hockey were held (Big Hat). IIRC the figure skating competition during the Nagano Olympics took place in the White Ring rink.

Nobu's SP on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvC2_oDr49k
(It's actually the same file as posted before, but I tried to improve the quality a bit... )

I crave new clips! I've read some interesting stuff on Japanese blogs and I would like to see them (the men practice, more of the ladies practices, an interview with Morozov). I guess I'll have to wait!

I hope Mao can pull off a clean 3F+3Lo in the SP and FP! Doing her program without any mistakes seems to be her main goal (winning her 3rd consecutive title is only a secondary goal. ). Her 3A's look, oh my god they are just BEAUTIFUL!!

Yaaay Nobu!
But Ganbare Kozuka!! メダリストオンアイスで真央ちゃんとのペアダンス見たいから頑張って！！

In the FNN clip and others - what is that little ball that Mao pulled out of the bag? She looked really excited. What is that all about?

Batsuchan wrote:

In the FNN clip and others - what is that little ball that Mao pulled out of the bag? She looked really excited. What is that all about?

The starting order in the SP is decided by a draw. Apparently Mao was happy with the number she got (22).

ETA: What a coincidence! She pulled out exactly the same number as Nobunari... (as if sharing music and choreographer wasn't enough! ) Hopefully that's a good omen!

Okami wrote:

ETA: What a coincidence! She pulled out exactly the same number as Nobunari... (as if sharing music and choreographer wasn't enough! ) Hopefully that's a good omen!

I do hope so!

I've been keeping my eyes on Tokudane and like morning news shows like a hawk but nothing really substantial on *new* figure skating *news*, although Tokudane did give a really brief glimpse of this morning's SP practice/runthrough of Mao and Miki (both practiced their 3-3 and both seem to have their loops well rotated). There was also an extended clip of the SP draw, with Mao, Miki, Yukari, and Mai all being cheerful about not being the first to skate. I missed Mezamashi TV though...

Anyways, good luck ladies!

Okami wrote:

Batsuchan wrote:

In the FNN clip and others - what is that little ball that Mao pulled out of the bag? She looked really excited. What is that all about?

The starting order in the SP is decided by a draw. Apparently Mao was happy with the number she got (22).

Ah, ok got it ! Thanks for the info! That is so funny that she and Nobu pulled out the same number!

This article has a funny picture of Mao/Akiko/Fumie reacting when the men's starting order was decided:
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/winter/news/20081226-OHT1T00118.htm

The article also says that Fuji TV has a camera set up in the judge's booth, so you will be able to watch the performances from basically the same line of sight as the judges. (I guess they did this at the Olympics too.)

The article also says that Mao completed four 3A's in practice. It also comments about the high possibility that Mao will score over 200 points as she did in the past two Nationals (since this competition is not run by the ISU).

This article says that Mao said "I'm in really good condition. The best condition."
http://www.daily.co.jp/general/2008/12/26/0001630347.shtml

While I do think it is indeed quite possible for Mao to score over 200 points, especially if they are lenient on underrotations, it also makes me a bit nervous. If Miki skates completely clean and lands the quad, I think she has a reasonable chance of beating Mao. But personally, I would rather see Mao try her best at an 8 triple program and come in 2nd than keep the same jump layout she did at GPF/NHK Trophy. This is the time to be testing her limits, in my opinion...So, ganbare "fighting spirit" Mao!

And good luck to all the ladies!

ETA: I just read that Mao fell while practicing a spin in "Clair de Lune." But after that practice was when she said "I'm in really good condition," so I guess it was one of those freak mistakes...

This morning practice photos
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/081226/spm0812261109003-n1.htm

Hmm, I think no one has posted this link yet:

2008 12 22 Kyou wa nan no hi [What day is today?] - "The day that Mao Asada first appeared at the All Japan Nationals"
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/k5kTqOxTljlpjTSZwy

This is a really nice video documenting Mao's journey.
The pics/videos of little Mao are sooo adorable!

I'll only translate the interviews/other key stuff:

1:17
Midori Ito: [about Mao Asada] She's cute, her style is good, she has potential...she has appeal that I didn't have.

2:00 Narrator: People started paying attention to Mao after this day...

3:41 Narrator: ..And then when she was 10 years old, she met this person who would change her life. The one who raised skaters like Midori Ito - Coach Machiko Yamada.

3:53
Machiko Yamada: Mao is someone who has everything that you need in figure skating...She'd never compromise, from when she was small she was like that. "Today you're tired, so this is good enough," or "Today your condition is not so good [so let's stop]" - even though we [coaches] might think that, she herself would not be satisfied and would always tackle her problems. If you look at her, she's a cute, smiling girl, but in reality she's a girl who has guts.

4:56
Narrator: The goal of her practicing was her first senior competition. Her older sister Mai was also competing. But before Mao's performance, that older sister failed in her jumps. At that time, when Mao headed to her performance, Coach Yamada said...

5:14
Coach Yamada: "You are competing as siblings [as a team], and your sister made mistakes, so you do your best and do her share of jumps too!" is what I said, I'm sure.

Announcer: Her older sister's share of jumps - Mao daringly did it [the triple-triple-triple combo, the world's first].

6:02
Mao: Even I didn't think I could do those jumps so I was extremely happy!
Q: What's your dream for the future?
Mao: I want to go to the Olympics!

7:04
Midori: Having a good rival is a really good motivator, and you can work harder - Especially because you have a rival, you can keep trying your best. If you're just by yourself, you can't really do your best. That's what I think.

7:20
Q: From now until what time is your practice?
Mao: 6:30 to 9:50.
Narrator: Each day 5 hours on average. On the long days - up to 10 hours.

8:10
Mao: "I don't want to watch skating" or "I want to quit" - I've never thought that, but there are times when I think "I want to go play somewhere." I want to take purikura [mini sticker pictures].

9:28
Midori: When your body gets bigger, when you mature emotionally, as you experience all kinds of things and your mind wavers, and you are worrying and suffering and thinking how do I find motivation - those kinds of time - in humans and skaters, everyone has them. (In Mao's case), in these past 2, 3 years, I feel like she's had them.

11:16
Coach Yamada: Everyone in Japan had high expectations thinking, "Of course she'll do it," so she was under tremendous pressure, but she was able to deal with that. I thought that was admirable/great.

11:30
Midori: At TEB, Mao made mistakes, but she overcame that and had a good performance at the NHK Trophy - we can see the Mao-chan that is steadily going over mountains...from the cute Mao-chan, she is growing into a mature Mao-chan - I think we can really see that.

12:18
Mao: First, the fact that the two 3A's were recognized makes me very happy, and after that, I'm very happy that I won.

******
It looks like that interview with Coach Yamada was done after NHK Trophy? If it was done recently, it's nice to see her speak of Mao so fondly.

I can watch Mao doing the two 3A's at the GPF over and over again, especially with Midori saying "Tonde! [jump!]" in the commentary.

All in all, a very nice fluff. But I can't help but think that TAT was right. If Mao hadn't made some mistakes at TEB, the Japanese media would have a much more boring story to tell. They are certainly selling the "failure -> overcoming obstacles -> success" story.

Aww, Mao missed the timing of her combo and missed 3L... She did 3F-turnout-2L instead. She's in second (65.30), Yukari's in 1st (67.26), Miki's 3rd (65.02), Nana's in 4th (57.82) Fumie's in 5th (57.32) with a fall.

Miki's 3L was downgraded... It looks like attempting a 3L combo really makes no sense nowadays. It looked good... I would not be surprised if Mao lost confidence after seeing Miki's combo downgraded.

But the audience reaction was apparently great. I hope Mao will bounce right back with a strong LP skate.

Naaaw... I thought that Fuji Tv would send it live?!?! How did you watch it?

Well, GO MAO!

Btw do you have any detailed results and when does it start tomorrow? (Live, not on TV).

SoMiTripleAxel wrote:

Btw do you have any detailed results and when does it start tomorrow? (Live, not on TV).

Results page: http://www.skatingjapan.jp/ (scroll down to Japan Figure Skating Championships 2008 in the bottom page and you're set!) Competition just ended though, so it probably won't be up for a few minutes.

Those without access to Fuji TV (non-Japanese residents) should be able to access it through KeyHole TV, here:
http://xorsyst.com/japan/watch-japanese-tv-online/
Fuji TV will broadcast the ladies' SP in an hour (delayed broadcast), so set your clocks, folks!

3L downgrades aside (argh!), the usual 3 suspects are looking good - Yukari, Mao, and Miki. I hope Akiko and Fumie can skate more to their potential tomorrow, it'll be such a shame if they didn't!

Oh, and Kanako is in 7th after the short! The Japanese federation REALLY needs to reconsider and send Kanako + Yukiko to Junior Worlds IMO...but I'm in no hurry either, they both have such promising futures ahead of them.

SoMiTripleAxel wrote:

Naaaw... I thought that Fuji Tv would send it live?!?! How did you watch it?

I didn't, actually! I just read the PBP at GoldenSkate.

Quote :

Btw do you have any detailed results and when does it start tomorrow? (Live, not on TV).

From the official schedule:
12/27 15:30-17:20 Ladies FS (Group 1,2)
12/27 17:35-19:25 Ladies FS (Group 3,4)

SP results
1 Yukari Nakano 67.26
2 Mao Asada 65.30
3 Miki Ando 65.02
4 Nana Takeda 57.82
5 Fumie Suguri 57.32
6 Akiko Suzuki 57.02
7 Kanako Murakami 55.74
8 Satsuki Muramoto 53.08

As I said earlier, it's more than likely the Nagoya trio of Mao, Miki, and Yukari will probably push through and get the world spots, although the placements will be really interesting to consider in the free skate tomorrow. Following them in the 57-mark and all bunched up are Nana, Fumie, and Akiko - will they be able to make a statement in the free? And of course, there's my favorite junior Kanako just one spot out of the final flight, and Satsuki rounding out the top 8. The rest of the placements...I don't know, since the results page isn't updating at all (probably to ensure viewers will watch the TV broadcast...)

Once again, Fuji TV will broadcast the Ladies' SP in less than 45 minutes now, so get Keyhole TV ready here! http://xorsyst.com/japan/watch-japanese-tv-online/

Oh no, they had a short fluff about Nobunari and I didn't manage to record it Such nice angles from the SP

The Ladies SP is on now!

Fumie Suguri: (FanFan) 3Lz-2T nice! 3F fall. 2A out of spreadeagle! Nice spins. Lovely step sequence! This music fits her perfectly. Combination spin great. She looks great in the pink dress.
She looks sad in the K&C, Morozov comforting her. -2 deduction..? What for? It didn't look as if she went over time.

Nice fluff about ladies!

Mao warming up off-ice. Gorgeous make-up.

Another commercial! Ugh. Oh, at least the next CM is with Mao (Asience).
...and then McDonalds and cough drops...

Interview with Fumie. She's sad about fall, but happy with her skating and support from fans. She wants to do her best in the LP.

Another fluff - about Mai this time.

Keyhole slows down to a crawl...

Mai Asada: (Love Story - changed music?) 3T, 3S(3ft)-2T, nice sit spin, spiral nice stretch but a bit dropped back on arabesque, 2A, very nice layback to Biellman, flowing step sequence, lovely combo spin. Low level jumps, but this was beautiful.

Next group is warming up. (Nana Takeda, Aki Sawada, Mari Suzuki)

Miki fluff!

Morozov watching over Miki warming up.

Argh there are more commercials than skating! It's annoying! And they are repeating the same CMs over and over...

Satsuki Muramoto fluff. She has lovely dresses.

Satsuki Muramoto: Another lovely dress! Black-white. Tango amore. 3L. Layback-Biellman. 3S-2T. 2A. Nice combination spin! Spiral to the music but a bit shaky. Flying camel combination. Step sequence, to the music, crowd clapping. She looks lovely. 53.08

And yeah, another commercial.

Missed interview with Satsuki. Fluff about the jumior ladies!

Mari Suzuki. Beautiful white dress. Swan Lake! Feed freezes. 3F-1T. 3Lz. I can hear only audio! 2A. Feed is back, flying camel! 2A LOL? I think me feed is delayed. Beautiful step sequence, but my feed is totally not in sync with audio. Lovely spiral!! (Mao arabesque with hand assist - CoE - Biellman, Mao back fan spiral)Great layback! She's great. 47.55

Kazuha Asami. Lol, very cute lolita dress and hairstyle, a bit Polish feel about it. Lol, it's Chopin, so the outfit fits! 3S fall. 3L step-out. Flying sit. Nice spiral and steps. Love the music. I missed her score :9

Mao fluff! Tatiana: Japanese people are very patient.

The media are following Mao everywhere.

And it's commercials time... Oh, Mao Crimio!

Aki Sawada fluff. Wow, she looks so much more mature. She's coached by Takeshi Hinda now!

Aki Sawada: Lovely dress, black and purple. Gypsy Dance, 3S-2T. 3F unsteady landing. Flying sit. Spirals. 2A. Really nice layback. Straight line step sequence, nice. Combo spin a bit slow. A cute smile at the end! 48.36

Commercials time.

Nana Tadeda fluff! Fighting through injury this season... Motto: Nana, Just do it!

Nana Takeda: Another pretty dress. Deep orange with black shiny lace over it, long sleeves from the same lace. Tango musical - Tangera (sp?). Huge 3T. 3L-2T. Nice spins and expression. Good spiral - arabesque, catchfoot, back Y. Combo spin. A lot of energy in the step sequence, the crowd is applauding! Lovely layback + Biellmal! She's very happy and almost cries. The crowd is happy, too. 57.82

Commercials time.

Nana interview. She's happy.

Haruka Imai fluff.

Haruka Imai: Barber of Sevilla! Yes! A modern version! 3F step out. 3Lz. Lovely deep blue dress, flowers at top. Combo spin. 2A. She's fast! Spiral shaky at start, but got better. Nice laynack! Light, balletic steps. Great! Flying sit to finish. 43.86

Mao, Miki and Yukari are warming up!

A beer commercial

Mao looks great in the WU.

Loud applause for Miki landing something. Choppy feed. 3Lz from Mao and a loud applause again! A huuge applause for somebody. Ooh, a split screen. I like. ooh, 3Lz fall from Mao. But the edge was great. Mao landed something, loud applause.

Miki fluff! Motto: self-control. Fighting through injuries. Rediscovering love for skating. Days of suffering not wasted.

Miki prepares to skate... and commercials AGAIN! Come on, show some actual skating!

Miki Ando: Chairman Waltz. 3Lz-3L looked great. Lots of speed into 3F. Lovely arm movement. 2A. Spiral sequence goes great with the music. Flying sit. Great expression. My feed dies And it's back for wonderful edgework in the step sequence. Loud applause. Beautiful spins. ENORMOUS applause. She was on. Godd@mned downgraded 3L. Morozov hugging Monna, lol. 65.02

Commercials time.

Miki interview. She was nervous, but feels happy now. She's happy performing in Nagano, she has hood memories from here. She received an enormous bouquet of red roses.

Mao fluff! Overcome! Yes!

Mao Asada: Claire de Lune. Loud applause, tons of "Mao-chan, ganbare!" Oh, she moves beautifully. Turnout on 3F, 2L. #Lz beautiful. Gorgeous spirals. Amazing flying sit spin. Huge soft 2A. Oh so soft step sequence. Feathers and moondust! Gorgeous combo with very tight camel instead of broken camel, fast! Gorgeous layback.
Well, in spite of the missed combo that was the best Mao's performance this season, IMHO. The spins were just amazing. 65.30, Mao looks a bit sad in the K&C.

Interview. She's sad about missed jump, but wants to do her best in the LP.
Her makeup is great this time!

Mao's SP replay on a multiple screen.

Yukari fluff.

Yukari Nakano: Romance. 3F-2T. Soft. 3Lz. Layback fast! Spiral sequence, fast, but positions could be more extended. 2A nice! Lovely combo spin. Step sequence, lovely movements, but don't go well with too slow music. Lovely flying camel with the donut position. Beautiful, but I'd have her in 3rd. Great spins, but (IMHO)Mao and Miki had higher quality jumps, spirals and steps. 67.26.

Commercials!

Interview with Yukari. She's satisfied. She got a good advice from her coach not to think too much and just skate her best. The interviewer is pressuring her to win... Yukari just wants to skate a good "Giselle".

Akiko Suzuki fluff.

Akiko Suzuki: La Campanella by Liszt. Beautiful piano. 3Lz-2T shaky. 3F step out. Nice flying broken camel. Spiral sequence. Fast. 2A! Combo spin nice. Beautiful step sequence! Nice layback. As she waits for scores the crowd is rhytmically applauding! 57.02, into 6th.

Interview with Akiko and my feed dies.

Yukari's SP on a multiple screen now.