Japanese Nationals...

[mk_fan]

1)Onda
2)Ando
3)Suguri
4)Ota
5)Nakano
6)Suzuki
7)Arakawa :frus:

Yikes, Arakawa is going to need the skate of her life in order to get on to the world team... Very Good result for Ando.

Marilee

[adrianchew]

I'm not surprised to see Yoshie in the lead and probably will win the competition too. Does Japan have 3 spots this year? I'm not so sure if Fumie is going to make it given the strong field of Japanese ladies... her freeskates this season have been weaker than her short programs.

[Trillian]

Originally posted by adrianchew
Does Japan have 3 spots this year? I'm not so sure if Fumie is going to make it given the strong field of Japanese ladies...

It's worth keeping in mind that Japan has three spots to worlds AND Ando is ineligible. In addition, Ota and one of the Asada sisters (who are both directly behind Arakawa) are on the junior world team, so they are highly unlikely to be sent to senior worlds. That really makes this a competition between Onda, Suguri, Nakano, Suzuki, and Arakawa for spots on the world team--and I don't doubt Suguri can stay in the top three among that group. Even considering the theoretical possibility that Ota would be sent to senior worlds, I'd consider Suguri's chances good.

[adrianchew]

Oh that clears it up - it was Ando that I expected most to spoil Suguri's chances.

[cocanuts]

is that short program results?

[winterdance]

Yes, cocanuts, the above is the results of the short program, the ladies long is tonight (I think about midnight U.S. eastern time).

[Aaron W]

Originally posted by Trillian
That really makes this a competition between Onda, Suguri, Nakano, Suzuki, and Arakawa for spots on the world team

Suguri and Onda have already qualified for the Japanese World team because they qualified for the Grand Prix Final IIRC. So there is only one spot left on the World team.

[Arsenette]

Originally posted by Aaron W
Suguri and Onda have already qualified for the Japanese World team because they qualified for the Grand Prix Final IIRC. So there is only one spot left on the World team.

Wow.. I forgot about that.. this happened last year!! Wasn't there furor over that when Arakawa lost the spot or something (because of the ruling)?

[Trillian]

Originally posted by Arsenette
Wasn't there furor over that when Arakawa lost the spot or something (because of the ruling)?

Onda was named to the Olympic team after making the GP Final and didn't have to go to nationals; meanwhile Suguri was considered the only really strong medal contender of the Japanese ladies and so was more or less guarunteed to win nationals unless she really blew it. So Arakawa was effectively out of the running before nationals was even held. She finished second to Suguri at that event without Onda competing, and then went on to beat Onda at 4CC--prompting some to speculate (well, some of said so even before 4CC) that it might have been more fair to make Onda earn her spot at nationals.

I question the method of naming GP finalists to the team automatically because you have to consider that the skaters usually compete at different events and therefore the relative strength or weakness of the fields can be a major factor.

[cocanuts]

yahoooooooooooo!!!!! suguri wins!!!!!!! onda second, and arakawa third!!!!!! suguri won the long and arakawa finished second, but because she was in 6th, she couldn't pull up to second. yoshie finished 3rd in the long and 2nd overall. I am soooooooo happy for suguri and arakawa!!!!!!!!
http://www.skatingjapan.jp/National/2002-2003/Figure/AllJapan/E/data0290.htm

[adrianchew]

I can't understand how Suguri wins... given the skaters I've seen this season and the rough list of elements the skaters did, I'd have it as Onda, Arakawa, Suguri. You can get some details here...

http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2197&perpage=15&pagenumber=8

[danibellerika]

I'm just happy that Shizuka has made the world team.

[nits]

YES!! Good for Fumie! I was hoping she'd do well.

[PauAbd]

As for the men, Takeshi Honda won with a new program to Riverdance choreographed by Morozov. He may dump the Mummy program in favor of this new one for the rest of the season. Yamato Tamura was second and Kensuke Nakaniwa got third. In ice dancing, Rie Arikawa and Kenji Miyamoto won again.

[bcskater]

yipee! congrats to fumie!!!!!!!!! :D

[Arsenette]

Major Dittos!!!! :twisted:

[Breakdown787]

Wow, I was so worried last night that Suzuki would be left out. So relieved! I guess 4CC won't be so boring this year afterall........

[roogu]

So in total at the Japanese Ladies Nationals:

1 Quad Salchow attempted.

5 Triple Axels were attempted, with 3 technically landed.

1 triple/triple/triple landed - flip/loop/toe

8 triple/triple combinations completed, 2 of which were triple lutz/triple loop combos.


is this insane or whaaaaaaaaat? hehe

[Tigger]

Yeeessh....That list of attempted/landed jumps/combos is beyond scary.

Beyond happy that Takeshi dumped The Mummy. It really wasn't working for him. Riverdance is an interesting choice though. Can't wait to see it at 4CC.

[bcskater]

Originally posted by Tigger
Yeeessh....That list of attempted/landed jumps/combos is beyond scary.

Beyond happy that Takeshi dumped The Mummy. It really wasn't working for him. Riverdance is an interesting choice though. Can't wait to see it at 4CC.
i agree!

[danafan]

Is anyone else blown away by the Japanese women's depth this year?? WOW! It's too bad we don't get to see more of them on TV here in Canada.

[Alexeiskate]

Count me in also as one who is happy that Honda ditched the Mummy program.

I can't wait to see Arakawa at Worlds. She doesn't have the exposiveness in her jumps but she's very nice too watch. I think she's the most consistent lady this year in term of the number of triples landed and the number of 3-3 landed this season.