@@MisaKMKhe started losing it last season… I wonder if it’s just age and or a combo of lack confidence in that jump and not being able to do 4 rotations like a lot of his competitors
Can’t believe you guys didn’t talk about Rio Nakata! He was the biggest surprise of the event for me. So much improvement since Grand Prix final, two clean programmes, landing the quad loop and coming out on top of all the senior men!
Jnats is my Christmas gift from skating God. I love that events every year. The skaters, programs, skating skills are blessing my eyes. I watched clips of Rusnats here and there because that qq guy switched to rusnats during intermission. As usual the contrast between the two is very stark. Rusnats is heavy and labored while jnats is airy and pure joy.
I came back to this specifically to say - as I watched youtube replays with some auto translated captions turned on for Japanese commentary - I loved Shoma commentating esp the men's!
Wakaba's hook on landing that they mention is usually less than a quarter, which should be called clean by rule. The vast majority of clean triple jumps by women are not 100 percent fully rotated. Btw, the reason for the hook is because she doesn't use the cheated takeoff technique that alll the other girls use now. The one we used to criticize the Russians for so much on their quads Lol
I agree with Nolan on Kaori’s free program. The program looks hard. You sense that they are asking a lot out of her to keep the intensity up all the way through - perhaps to make up for not adding harder jumps. I looked back at last years’ program and felt the same way but this seems even harder.
Hana Yoshida is my favourite idk what ya’ll keep talking about 😂 She is the most edgy, had the most different and interesting programs for 2 years now, she is continually experimenting, whereas Mone Chiba, although a better skater, she is an empty vase in which the team pours in what is best to package her, but you can see there is no her yet, she seems more junior to me than Mao Shimada, Mao seems more formed as a character. I hope this is taken as an alternative opinion and not a critique
Is Higuchi the only woman skater currenly that doesn't cheat her takeoff on the lutz or flip? The excessive prerotation is out of control with the women.
How many can go to World's? I fear Corey didn't do himself any favours switching to Italy when they now have four strong men ahead of him, while Canada's men are so inconsistent. Even though only one can go to World's, Corey would at least have had a chance, since most of them mess up all the time.
Ugh, it was hard to watch. Matteo's free skate had a lot of major errors so he couldn't really score that high, but his short program was overall strong and he scored *lower PCS than Daniel Grassl*. (And DG got over 100 points. 🫣🤮🤬) The Italian federation is so transparently throwing their full weight behind Grassl for Milano-Cortina. They seem to think we don't have eyes.
So back in the early 90s Slavka Kahout came back to coaching in KatonahNy .I also came back to skating after my coach was arrested and ultimately went to prison for 8 years .the story no one talks about .Anyway I was small blonde And auditioned and Slavka and I started a wonderful coach student relationship and she got me to love skating again after my coach abandoned me luckily I was not molested but mentally abused .Slavka healed me .One day Nicole Bobek came to Katonah to audition for Slavka .I was worried I would be pushed aside for Nicole was professional skater T this point but Nicole had abad day threw a fit behaved like a Diva and she and Slavka did not gel so Nicole was not to be and that is my one brush with Nicole Bobek at the time not a fan . I have so many fabulous stories and so much dirt perhaps I used to think I should write a book My mother was a skater in the 60 s and I am still in it .Obsessed with Rinas outside edge into the forward loop now that is a skill!
I agree with Dave that Wakaba loses a couple of points because of low GOE on her spins. But she gets all level 4s, so I don't know what she can do to improve. She doesn't have a long, slender flexibile body.
That's not an excuse. Didn't you see Kamila explode and triple to the size of both Kaori and wakaba by 17. She could still do extremely flexible spins with Kaori and Higuchi level thighs. Both kaori and wakaba were slimmer when they were kids before puberty and still couldn't do any flexible movements. They have zero excuse for it. They should have worked on it since childhood but failed to do so. Look at Mao shimada. By the time she's older she might end up looking like they do, but her flexibility should stay intact as she worked on it. Being long and slender isn't needed for a flexible body. Wakaba failed to work on it for whatever reason and now look how she screwed herself.
@savanahbabyyyy I was not making excuses, I was saying there is not much she can do about her flexibility now. Whether its her fault or not, thats the point I was making. Don't you agree?
@@savanahbabyyyy Kamila is naturally a hypermobile person, like Lipnitskaya. Wakaba is like Tuktamysheva, with strong lower body built, powerful muscles but lacking flexibility.
@@hannibaljustincase9985 Kamila did rhythmic gymnastics as a kid. All skaters should be required to do rhythmic gymnastics training alongside figure skating so they can stop with these excuses and reduction of improper flexibility training as well. Tuk never trained her flexibility fully even as a kid. Go watch her baby videos. No care was put into improving flexibility even as a child. Most flexible skaters work on it from childhood. Most of the people around Wakaba, and Liza did not care enough and screwed them over as adults.
I'm not sold on Polina being a fashion girl :/ If you were talking about her black dress, it's a Brad Griffies dress. I hated it in photos but actually looks pretty under the spotlights. Would also call Fabletics the most unfashionable activewear ever haha. Thanks for the recap! This was a mess of a nationals in the mens event (apart from Nobunari Oda!), but I enjoyed the women. What are the photos Meagan wants to report?
The more I think about it the more I agree that Petrosian is going to the Olympics. If they really cared about banning Eteri she wouldn’t be in the K & C at every major competition with the Georgian skaters.
The ISU officials cannot have thought that Valieva selected and obtained the medication she took on her own. Some adult had to be responsible. Thus, they should have investigated Iteri and the whole team.
Same as in the case of Madisyn Cox, a swimmer who tested positive for trimetazidine like Valieva. Only she was an adult when tested positive (b1995) but got her ban reduced from 4 years down to to 6 months with the flimsiest of reasons. Aparently it was in her multy pill pack included - sorry the women is an adult . They knowingly ended that girls *Valieva career with that 4 year ban. Take her medals, go after the trainers but lift the ban.
@@savanahbabyyyy In that case most definitely no. But that's not how things are - Valieva was on 40+ pills - do you think she had heard of the word trimetadizine before?! 23 year old US swimmer gets a reduced sentence because hei ; who reads labels, but the 15 year old gets the full 4 years.
@@naeemdollie6836 I never said I agreed with the full 4 years. Adults get wayyy less and some adults in the US got medals doping (go to the WADA website) with no punishment. I'm saying to some extent she's not dumb. Her mother is 100% responsible for her child. Where was her mother?
@@naeemdollie6836 How did her mother allow 40+ pills? Everyone needs parents permission before giving anything to kids. Why isn't her mom also held accountable? (her father abandoned her so she had no father and we can't say he's responsible since he's not in her life at all).
as much as I love Kaori as a skater, and I do think she tries new style of music every year, I feel that her skating lost some sharpness, cleanness and some speed (I have seen her live a couple of times since 2017, but lately I feel like her skating is a little slappy sorry to say)....
@@sywillis62Mone has all the charm and charisma of a Michelle Kwan or Marin Honda. She is just a joy to watch. Rika is very insular when she skates but Mone is open and her skating reaches into the audience. Two different personalities and reach.
Lots of skaters never officially retire. Rika has been gone long enough now that she will have to compete through the lower competitions to qualify for Nationals (which didn’t happen this year). Look at the depth of Japanese women. Her injury has never properly healed. She’s finished.
You should go for points but like in gymnastics if going for the more difficult move but it has a lot of deductions, it makes sense to go with a slightly less difficult move and get higher GOE.
Or JSF either. Or any national Fed. This is an individual sport. Yet they all manipulate scores and support to cater to their own goals and preferences.
Gosh I can't believe Kao Miura's meltdown at nationals. The second spot on the world team was his to lose. Too bad, as I think he's clearly the second-strongest Japanese male skater right now.
@@MisaKMK Both of them are very humble people, the bow to the father was touching and telling of his personality. I think this win will help with the confidence.
@@christinethorp3684 Kaori has better ice coverage, though that seems like a choreography not a skill issue for Mao. The graphic from Jnats for the SP had Kaori’s max speed at 27,4kmh while Mao’s was 27kmh. I was surprised but they are quite evenly matched in terms of (max) speed.
I really hope for Kaori to have two strong and well-suited programs for her next year! I like what’s she’s doing with the current ones but they don’t feel like “it”. And let’s be honest, she has to get Olympic champion kind of program. I understand it’s Jnats but her scores (especially in the free) felt too high. She didn’t get the 3-3, and I don’t understand the difference in pcs (especially with matsuike). I love her skating but at the same time the scoring she gets and the scoring difference between other Japanese ladies is baffling
I agree there should be less of a gap between Kaori and the other woman. However, her scores are in line with what she gets internationally for executing the same content.
@@daffygirl4591yeah I know, but the Japanese field, especially with their skating skills, makes the gap in the scores stands out, imho. Anyway what I’m trying to say is that I think, in terms of skating quality, I feel like she deserves the scores (she commands the ice, this is what I perceive as a viewer), but I don’t agree with the gap with the other skaters which are so well-trained and have high quality skating and skating skills
@@ArohaStillI’d love to! I had the chance once and it was mesmerizing! I’m not trying to take away anything from her accomplishments and qualities, of course. I fell in love with her skating and still am, but I also appreciate other skaters and was wondering where the difference was/ why the gap was so wide
@@annalisamellino1612it's just the speed and flow she generates from her edges into and out of elements. Definitely some of her peers have better posture and better lines but Kaori as a figure skater is amazing from the knee to the blade. I am in love with Mone Chiba..she is just joyful but the height and speed of her skating is just not en par.
Oh, but I looove watching Mone. I think she has such special qualities, not just her beautiful skating edges, which many other skaters mention, but also every line she makes? She is working on her Luts edge just like many others and, apart from Luts, her jumps are getting bigger and getting similar GOEs as others’, if you check closely…?
@hbattagl I like her too. More importantly so does the JSF. She just let her nerves get to her in the LP and made alot of mistakes. Its just that they seemed to not mention the flaws she does have, so I pointed them out. She doesn't have the natural talent of Higuchi or Matsuike, but seems to be a hard worker and her coach has political power. So she should be fine.
@@joeyartkmone edges are beautiful though. In regards to performance I feel like she has this nervous energy that she is trying to mask with smiling, it feels odd and comes across as fake. If she can handle the nerves and performs naturally I think she will be even better than now
Not the Benoit “woman” program for Sakamoto, c’mon. That music plastered with gimmick voice overs is even worse than the chat gpt “trailer” versions of public domain classical music.
That’s the weakest benoit program for Kapri imho. At first I didn’t like the program and only began to tolerate it by the Olympic. I guess many like it because of KV situation in the Olympic and that program felt really good to watch
Well, one in the free AND one in the short is enough to win, because she’s been doing it all season. And NOW she’s training a second 3A in combo in the free. Wouldn’t be surprised if we see it at Nationals. Just remember every 3A she does is another 4.7 points another woman will have to try to make up. I say get used to seeing her winning more.
Wasn't there too much praise for the Japanese championship here? The Russian championship was much stronger than the Japanese one. Even the Japanese men lost badly to the Russians, let alone other disciplines. Compare: 8 Russian men scored 260 or more points and only 3 Japanese, 6 Russian women scored 220 or more points and only 1 Japanese. The Japanese champion Sakamoto was 34 points behind the Russian champion Petrosian. In dancing and pair skating, the difference in levels is even greater. For example, the Japanese ice dance champions would have taken the LAST 15th place in the Russian championship with their championship result.
I watched all of the Russian championships and most of the Japanese championships. I had the sense, watching Russian Nat's, that it was "for show" and the scores were ridiculously inflated. Underrotations were overlooked, and any method of getting airborne earned points. The skating skills of ALL the men left much to be desired, and the worst offender was the winner. The women looked scared to death. I was so relieved when Petrosian finished because finally someone smiled. And what happened to the depth of Russian pairs? How are there only 8 pairs at Nationals? I've always enjoyed Stepanova and Bukin, and thought their free dance was great, but the teams behind them are pretty average.
@@christinethorp3684 It's similar to that poem by Omar Khayyam "Two looked through the same window", but one saw beauty, and the other only dirt. So it was with that Russian Championship. I saw it in a completely opposite light than you did. For me, the Russian Championship was a truly wonderful figure skating fiesta with an extremely positive, uplifting atmosphere, numerous well-meaning spectators who understood and loved FS well. And the judges, unlike it seemed to you, seemed to me too strict and finicky to the skaters.
@@ArohaStill Really? Petrosian's content: clean 4T+2T, 4T, 3A, 3Lz+2A+2A, 3F+3T, 3F, 3Lo and her TES was more than 100 points. Champion Sakamoto not only had no quads, but she didn't even have a 3+3 combo (only 3+2). Her inflated TES only 66 points. Can such a difference in level be called competition?
Again with ruzzian judges joke -there was a reason why those being banned from every discipline of figure skating even before Olympics-bunch of clowns with their own rules
Perhaps no skater has benefited more from the absence of the Russians than Sakamoto. She's a B-list skater who almost never skaters a clean performance in international competition and yet is having unprecedented success only because the level of competition is so shallow. Amber Glenn does have what it takes to overtake Sakamoto, but only if she remains consistent with her technical content. Even so, once the Russian ladies come back for good, Sakamoto's very lucky run at the top will be over quickly. Before the 2022 Olympics ladies doping scandal, no one would have ever imagined Sakamoto as a three-time World Champion, let alone one-time World Champion.
Nobunari Oda, still doing quads at 37 yrs old, I was awestruck. Congrats Wakaba for getting selected for the Worlds team!
Nobunari is a legend!
Maybe Jason Brown could ask Nobunari to help him with his 3A
@@MisaKMKhe started losing it last season… I wonder if it’s just age and or a combo of lack confidence in that jump and not being able to do 4 rotations like a lot of his competitors
Can’t believe you guys didn’t talk about Rio Nakata! He was the biggest surprise of the event for me. So much improvement since Grand Prix final, two clean programmes, landing the quad loop and coming out on top of all the senior men!
Jnats is my Christmas gift from skating God. I love that events every year. The skaters, programs, skating skills are blessing my eyes. I watched clips of Rusnats here and there because that qq guy switched to rusnats during intermission. As usual the contrast between the two is very stark. Rusnats is heavy and labored while jnats is airy and pure joy.
Rino Matsuike has THEE free program of the season. Her PCS scores were a joke.
It was simply wonderful
The PCS shows JSF has chosen Kaori (of course) and Mone.
I could watch it all day long
Thank you, Japan, for consistently giving us one of the best gifts every year for Christmas. ❤
I came back to this specifically to say - as I watched youtube replays with some auto translated captions turned on for Japanese commentary - I loved Shoma commentating esp the men's!
Great conversation, thank you! I love this sport so much and wish I had people like you two to debate, critique and generally nerd out with IRL.
Same. I just bore my husband who has a glazed expression 😊
Wakaba to Worlds baybee! So happy for her! 😁😁😁
So excited to see her in Boston! I haven't seen her skate live in 6 years.
Just don't allow any Japanese judges so Wakaba wont get so underscored. Lol
So weird how she is consistently underscored
The candles need to be lit 😊!
In my opinion, Kao has been skating while injured. He needs time to restore his mind and body.
It’s time for Rino’s short program to fly away.
but Free program to stayyyyyyyyyyy
Yes.
@@curseknight5it’s theee program of the season
Diasgree, it suits her and she finally had a clean skate!
Wakaba's hook on landing that they mention is usually less than a quarter, which should be called clean by rule. The vast majority of clean triple jumps by women are not 100 percent fully rotated. Btw, the reason for the hook is because she doesn't use the cheated takeoff technique that alll the other girls use now. The one we used to criticize the Russians for so much on their quads Lol
I thought Kaori's free actually seemed the most confident she has done it yet - ie trending positive.
I'd argue the clean skate at NHK trophy was more confident and solid.
I have said that it will blow up all season long. Let's hope the best will be at Boston. I love the program ❤
She’s getting better and better at it, kudos to her!! 😊 I guess for worlds it will be a total banger
How have you watched it? I can’t find it anywhere 😂
Saki Miyake's short was a highlight for me
I agree with Nolan on Kaori’s free program. The program looks hard. You sense that they are asking a lot out of her to keep the intensity up all the way through - perhaps to make up for not adding harder jumps. I looked back at last years’ program and felt the same way but this seems even harder.
OMG Dave, I love your sweater! ❤. Also, love the conversation about the two nationals. And I’m so happy for Wakaba!
Hana Yoshida is my favourite idk what ya’ll keep talking about 😂 She is the most edgy, had the most different and interesting programs for 2 years now, she is continually experimenting, whereas Mone Chiba, although a better skater, she is an empty vase in which the team pours in what is best to package her, but you can see there is no her yet, she seems more junior to me than Mao Shimada, Mao seems more formed as a character. I hope this is taken as an alternative opinion and not a critique
I like Hana as well 🥰
I agree.
Mone is better than Yoshida
I like Hana’s music choices a lot, I hope she’ll get more consistent!
@ same, all her program music choices go straight to my playlists
Thank you Dave, for all your hard work! I wish you a merry Christmas!
Is Higuchi the only woman skater currenly that doesn't cheat her takeoff on the lutz or flip? The excessive prerotation is out of control with the women.
why are you excusing the massive prerotation. All of them should get negative GOE. Higuchi has flailing arms. Mone is better
@savanahbabyyyy Higuchi leaves the ice at a quarter turn, which is good form. Mone is literally facing fully forward when she leaves the ice.
under rotation at landing is no better than weak takeoff. just saying...
@@irriyay4812 its not worse either, thats the point. And when you do both?
Maybe Rion Sumiyoshi and Rena Uezono?
I will still give Yuma one million points
Judging for mens’ Italian nationals - how could Daniel Grassl come in 1st over Matteo Rizzo?
😱
My guess is that Rizzo messed up on many of his jumping passes. Grass's jump technique isn't pretty, but he has been consistent this season.
How many can go to World's? I fear Corey didn't do himself any favours switching to Italy when they now have four strong men ahead of him, while Canada's men are so inconsistent. Even though only one can go to World's, Corey would at least have had a chance, since most of them mess up all the time.
Ugh, it was hard to watch. Matteo's free skate had a lot of major errors so he couldn't really score that high, but his short program was overall strong and he scored *lower PCS than Daniel Grassl*. (And DG got over 100 points. 🫣🤮🤬) The Italian federation is so transparently throwing their full weight behind Grassl for Milano-Cortina. They seem to think we don't have eyes.
So back in the early 90s Slavka Kahout came back to coaching in KatonahNy .I also came back to skating after my coach was arrested and ultimately went to prison for 8 years .the story no one talks about .Anyway I was small blonde And auditioned and Slavka and I started a wonderful coach student relationship and she got me to love skating again after my coach abandoned me luckily I was not molested but mentally abused .Slavka healed me .One day Nicole Bobek came to Katonah to audition for Slavka .I was worried I would be pushed aside for Nicole was professional skater T this point but Nicole had abad day threw a fit behaved like a Diva and she and Slavka did not gel so Nicole was not to be and that is my one brush with Nicole Bobek at the time not a fan .
I have so many fabulous stories and so much dirt perhaps I used to think I should write a book My mother was a skater in the 60 s and I am still in it .Obsessed with Rinas outside edge into the forward loop now that is a skill!
Write it!!!
Great episode guys! Really insightful! Also all my love to RINO 🎉
Is there a place I can watch the full length women’s programs for Japanese Nationals?
Nolan's commentary is so sharp. He's great.
what the mean i thinl kaori
is the best amazing scater compare wakaba kaori is the most power kaori supper power superstar❤❤❤
I agree with Dave that Wakaba loses a couple of points because of low GOE on her spins. But she gets all level 4s, so I don't know what she can do to improve. She doesn't have a long, slender flexibile body.
That's not an excuse. Didn't you see Kamila explode and triple to the size of both Kaori and wakaba by 17. She could still do extremely flexible spins with Kaori and Higuchi level thighs. Both kaori and wakaba were slimmer when they were kids before puberty and still couldn't do any flexible movements. They have zero excuse for it. They should have worked on it since childhood but failed to do so. Look at Mao shimada. By the time she's older she might end up looking like they do, but her flexibility should stay intact as she worked on it. Being long and slender isn't needed for a flexible body. Wakaba failed to work on it for whatever reason and now look how she screwed herself.
@savanahbabyyyy I was not making excuses, I was saying there is not much she can do about her flexibility now. Whether its her fault or not, thats the point I was making. Don't you agree?
@@joeyartk yes you're right. It's nothing she can do now.
@@savanahbabyyyy Kamila is naturally a hypermobile person, like Lipnitskaya. Wakaba is like Tuktamysheva, with strong lower body built, powerful muscles but lacking flexibility.
@@hannibaljustincase9985 Kamila did rhythmic gymnastics as a kid. All skaters should be required to do rhythmic gymnastics training alongside figure skating so they can stop with these excuses and reduction of improper flexibility training as well. Tuk never trained her flexibility fully even as a kid. Go watch her baby videos. No care was put into improving flexibility even as a child. Most flexible skaters work on it from childhood. Most of the people around Wakaba, and Liza did not care enough and screwed them over as adults.
I'm not sold on Polina being a fashion girl :/ If you were talking about her black dress, it's a Brad Griffies dress. I hated it in photos but actually looks pretty under the spotlights. Would also call Fabletics the most unfashionable activewear ever haha. Thanks for the recap! This was a mess of a nationals in the mens event (apart from Nobunari Oda!), but I enjoyed the women. What are the photos Meagan wants to report?
Figure skaters are delusional about what's good fashion. 😂
The more I think about it the more I agree that Petrosian is going to the Olympics. If they really cared about banning Eteri she wouldn’t be in the K & C at every major competition with the Georgian skaters.
The ISU officials cannot have thought that Valieva selected and obtained the medication she took on her own. Some adult had to be responsible. Thus, they should have investigated Iteri and the whole team.
Same as in the case of Madisyn Cox, a swimmer who tested positive for trimetazidine like Valieva. Only she was an adult when tested positive (b1995) but got her ban reduced from 4 years down to to 6 months with the flimsiest of reasons. Aparently it was in her multy pill pack included - sorry the women is an adult . They knowingly ended that girls *Valieva career with that 4 year ban. Take her medals, go after the trainers but lift the ban.
ha! If she took the meds in front of your face by herself you'd still make up a lie for her.
@@savanahbabyyyy In that case most definitely no. But that's not how things are - Valieva was on 40+ pills - do you think she had heard of the word trimetadizine before?! 23 year old US swimmer gets a reduced sentence because hei ; who reads labels, but the 15 year old gets the full 4 years.
@@naeemdollie6836 I never said I agreed with the full 4 years. Adults get wayyy less and some adults in the US got medals doping (go to the WADA website) with no punishment. I'm saying to some extent she's not dumb. Her mother is 100% responsible for her child. Where was her mother?
@@naeemdollie6836 How did her mother allow 40+ pills? Everyone needs parents permission before giving anything to kids. Why isn't her mom also held accountable? (her father abandoned her so she had no father and we can't say he's responsible since he's not in her life at all).
as much as I love Kaori as a skater, and I do think she tries new style of music every year, I feel that her skating lost some sharpness, cleanness and some speed (I have seen her live a couple of times since 2017, but lately I feel like her skating is a little slappy sorry to say)....
Is Rika Kihira oficially done with skating? Havent heard of her in a while 😢
Mone Chiba reminds me a lot of her especially her choreography and presentation. I loved Rika. Her lutz was great.
@@sywillis62Mone has all the charm and charisma of a Michelle Kwan or Marin Honda. She is just a joy to watch. Rika is very insular when she skates but Mone is open and her skating reaches into the audience. Two different personalities and reach.
Lots of skaters never officially retire. Rika has been gone long enough now that she will have to compete through the lower competitions to qualify for Nationals (which didn’t happen this year). Look at the depth of Japanese women. Her injury has never properly healed. She’s finished.
You should go for points but like in gymnastics if going for the more difficult move but it has a lot of deductions, it makes sense to go with a slightly less difficult move and get higher GOE.
ISU has no integrity...truest thing said❤
Or JSF either. Or any national Fed. This is an individual sport. Yet they all manipulate scores and support to cater to their own goals and preferences.
Wakaba’s spins are unarguably some of the worst in the field- and she is MY GIRL.
hope kaori 🙏🙏🙏get olimpic pudium medal suppurt guys she is amazimmg super power scater the best sp. and free
She already won a gold in Beijing. She was cheated by the drugged Russians like Yuna and Katelyn. It is criminal
Yes David "you can be on top of everything"....if not you then who!! 😂
That is a great top.
Yuma! ❤❤❤❤❤
Gosh I can't believe Kao Miura's meltdown at nationals. The second spot on the world team was his to lose. Too bad, as I think he's clearly the second-strongest Japanese male skater right now.
"She wanted to express her growth of plants...not the growth of the jumps though." 😅
Юма, ангелочка чемпионка
Very touching KnC between Yuma, his dad and Carolina after the FS.
@@MisaKMK Both of them are very humble people, the bow to the father was touching and telling of his personality. I think this win will help with the confidence.
If scored accurately, Mao Shimada will be the first!
No, she lacks speed and power. She'll be the star of the next Olympic quad, but not yet.
@@christinethorp3684 Kaori has better ice coverage, though that seems like a choreography not a skill issue for Mao. The graphic from Jnats for the SP had Kaori’s max speed at 27,4kmh while Mao’s was 27kmh. I was surprised but they are quite evenly matched in terms of (max) speed.
Thé 3A and quads should be done this year. Get it consistent for the Olympics.
I really hope for Kaori to have two strong and well-suited programs for her next year! I like what’s she’s doing with the current ones but they don’t feel like “it”. And let’s be honest, she has to get Olympic champion kind of program.
I understand it’s Jnats but her scores (especially in the free) felt too high. She didn’t get the 3-3, and I don’t understand the difference in pcs (especially with matsuike). I love her skating but at the same time the scoring she gets and the scoring difference between other Japanese ladies is baffling
I agree there should be less of a gap between Kaori and the other woman. However, her scores are in line with what she gets internationally for executing the same content.
@@daffygirl4591yeah I know, but the Japanese field, especially with their skating skills, makes the gap in the scores stands out, imho. Anyway what I’m trying to say is that I think, in terms of skating quality, I feel like she deserves the scores (she commands the ice, this is what I perceive as a viewer), but I don’t agree with the gap with the other skaters which are so well-trained and have high quality skating and skating skills
Watch her live.. she is freaking fast. Her edges are killer
@@ArohaStillI’d love to! I had the chance once and it was mesmerizing! I’m not trying to take away anything from her accomplishments and qualities, of course. I fell in love with her skating and still am, but I also appreciate other skaters and was wondering where the difference was/ why the gap was so wide
@@annalisamellino1612it's just the speed and flow she generates from her edges into and out of elements. Definitely some of her peers have better posture and better lines but Kaori as a figure skater is amazing from the knee to the blade. I am in love with Mone Chiba..she is just joyful but the height and speed of her skating is just not en par.
Chiba is good , but doesn't have the maturity or charisma of the top girls. She also has edge issues on the Lutz and her jumps are very small.
Kaori literally has a massive flutz, won with a 3-2 and you're talking about Mone's lutz issues?
@@savanahbabyyyy I get tired of complaining about Kaori to no avail. Lol
Oh, but I looove watching Mone. I think she has such special qualities, not just her beautiful skating edges, which many other skaters mention, but also every line she makes? She is working on her Luts edge just like many others and, apart from Luts, her jumps are getting bigger and getting similar GOEs as others’, if you check closely…?
@hbattagl I like her too. More importantly so does the JSF. She just let her nerves get to her in the LP and made alot of mistakes. Its just that they seemed to not mention the flaws she does have, so I pointed them out. She doesn't have the natural talent of Higuchi or Matsuike, but seems to be a hard worker and her coach has political power. So she should be fine.
@@joeyartkmone edges are beautiful though. In regards to performance I feel like she has this nervous energy that she is trying to mask with smiling, it feels odd and comes across as fake. If she can handle the nerves and performs naturally I think she will be even better than now
The pairs are likely in the worst position when the Russians return. M&G, are still looking really good.
Not the Benoit “woman” program for Sakamoto, c’mon. That music plastered with gimmick voice overs is even worse than the chat gpt “trailer” versions of public domain classical music.
That’s the weakest benoit program for Kapri imho. At first I didn’t like the program and only began to tolerate it by the Olympic. I guess many like it because of KV situation in the Olympic and that program felt really good to watch
Mone making a big run at Alyssa Liu for the biggest fake smile award. Lol
😂😂
all of the Hamada Mie girls are on that
@Ryusevi or else. Lol
Did anyone else notice how awkward the body language was between Rino and Machiko Yamada? Made me feel a way in the kiss and cry
Amber 3 axel is not enough for her to win, honestly she is waaay overscored
Well, one in the free AND one in the short is enough to win, because she’s been doing it all season. And NOW she’s training a second 3A in combo in the free. Wouldn’t be surprised if we see it at Nationals. Just remember every 3A she does is another 4.7 points another woman will have to try to make up. I say get used to seeing her winning more.
Wasn't there too much praise for the Japanese championship here?
The Russian championship was much stronger than the Japanese one. Even the Japanese men lost badly to the Russians, let alone other disciplines. Compare: 8 Russian men scored 260 or more points and only 3 Japanese, 6 Russian women scored 220 or more points and only 1 Japanese. The Japanese champion Sakamoto was 34 points behind the Russian champion Petrosian. In dancing and pair skating, the difference in levels is even greater. For example, the Japanese ice dance champions would have taken the LAST 15th place in the Russian championship with their championship result.
I watched all of the Russian championships and most of the Japanese championships. I had the sense, watching Russian Nat's, that it was "for show" and the scores were ridiculously inflated. Underrotations were overlooked, and any method of getting airborne earned points. The skating skills of ALL the men left much to be desired, and the worst offender was the winner. The women looked scared to death. I was so relieved when Petrosian finished because finally someone smiled. And what happened to the depth of Russian pairs? How are there only 8 pairs at Nationals? I've always enjoyed Stepanova and Bukin, and thought their free dance was great, but the teams behind them are pretty average.
@@christinethorp3684 It's similar to that poem by Omar Khayyam "Two looked through the same window", but one saw beauty, and the other only dirt. So it was with that Russian Championship. I saw it in a completely opposite light than you did. For me, the Russian Championship was a truly wonderful figure skating fiesta with an extremely positive, uplifting atmosphere, numerous well-meaning spectators who understood and loved FS well. And the judges, unlike it seemed to you, seemed to me too strict and finicky to the skaters.
Lol put Petrosian in front of real judges not Russian cheats l😂😂
@@ArohaStill Really? Petrosian's content: clean 4T+2T, 4T, 3A, 3Lz+2A+2A, 3F+3T, 3F, 3Lo and her TES was more than 100 points. Champion Sakamoto not only had no quads, but she didn't even have a 3+3 combo (only 3+2). Her inflated TES only 66 points. Can such a difference in level be called competition?
Again with ruzzian judges joke -there was a reason why those being banned from every discipline of figure skating even before Olympics-bunch of clowns with their own rules
I think Sakamoto need to go a retirement 😂. She is very 👎
Perhaps no skater has benefited more from the absence of the Russians than Sakamoto. She's a B-list skater who almost never skaters a clean performance in international competition and yet is having unprecedented success only because the level of competition is so shallow. Amber Glenn does have what it takes to overtake Sakamoto, but only if she remains consistent with her technical content. Even so, once the Russian ladies come back for good, Sakamoto's very lucky run at the top will be over quickly. Before the 2022 Olympics ladies doping scandal, no one would have ever imagined Sakamoto as a three-time World Champion, let alone one-time World Champion.