Remember when we used to go to events and share our photos after? I've been meaning to post these photos since US Nationals. In 2012. (So it took me a while...time to bring back _skating, right?)



NOTE: I tried not to be a creeper but when you have an entire row of skaters sit down in front of you, you can't help but take a pic or two of the backs of their heads....

and Rilakkuma.






In another news MAOSUS Christ was nominated for 2013's Sportwoman of the Year (individual sports) and you can vote for her! Don't forget she underrotated for your sins!





Go to the site to see and vote for Mao or the other nominees : http://action.womenssportsfoundation.org/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=3100

http://www.advocate.com/politics/2013/08/13/international-olympic-committee-forbids-athletes-speak-against-russian-antigay

Sochi is right around the corner and as excited as we are for the upcoming season, we should probably take some time to discuss the growing concern over Russia's anti-gay laws. I'm not surprised by the IOC's statements because honestly, the organization was run by a man who worked for the Franco regime for two decades. The majority of members are old, really conservative men that probably see these laws as totally just. They are politicians, not athletes. They know how important it is to remain diplomatic, keep the IOC from financial ruin that it faced in the 60s-70s, and not upset the hosts so the only way any action is going to get done is if the sponsors pull out, which is not likely either. But just because I'm not surprised by these laws, doesn't mean I believe they're right.

What also cracks me up is that everyone is taking about Johnny Weir--and come on, guys. Johnny ain't making that team. If you watched figure skating all four years you would know that. The sad thing is that even if Johnny was in medal contention shape, NBC would probably do everything in their power to get him off that team so they wouldn't have to deal with his ass getting arrested in Russia . The general public seems to think that it's our duty to rpotect the athletes--which it is, don't get me wrong--but can we really say that our sport federations are any better than Russia when athletes are scared to come out? I can count the number of out-winter Olympic athletes on my hands. That's sad.

What's even more sad is some of the comments on the Yahoo!Sports article I found of Johnny's opinions on the law:

If two-time Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir wins one of two spots to represent the United States at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, he may have more to worry about than just trying to win a medal. Brian Montopoli reports.

singing/dancing along to Will.I.Am's ft. JB (Justin Bieber or Jeffrey Buttle, in this case) song #thatPower



The tags in this community are a mess, jeffrey buttle doesn't have one, kevin reynolds, kanako murakami, takahiko kozuka...wth

World champion Patrick Chan has no intention of getting involved in protests over Russia’s anti-gay laws during Sochi Olympics.

26 August 2013 | By Greg Hernandez


Figure skating star Jeremy Abbott, a three-time US national champion, says it would be 'a little rude' to be critical of Russia for its anti-gay propaganda law.

'Russia is hosting us,' Abbott tells the Denver Post. 'I'm not going to go into somebody's house and be like, "Um, the way you decorate is hideous, and you need to completely redo this or I'm never coming back."'

'It's a little rude,' he adds. 'So I don't want to say bad things about a country that's hosting the world, essentially.'

Russia's hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi has put international focus on its controversial law that makes it illegal to publicly show support of homosexuality.

'Maybe I don't agree with their policies, and maybe I don't agree with some things, but that's for them to sort out,' Abbott says. 'My speaking out just makes me look like an ass.'

While Abbott will not speak out about the anti-gay law, he did express relief that President Barack Obama is not calling for a US boycott of the games.

Thank God,' Abbott says. 'Being an athlete and having trained so long for this, I would just be crushed if that was taken away. Pulling athletes out of a competitive event isn't going to solve some country's political disputes. It's only going to affect the athletes, and it's not going to do anything to change their policies or change the country or change the world.'

source

Not only Justin Timberlake is worthy of having a medley of his accolades. On the figure skating world, Plushenko is JT.

“If everything goes all right the Sochi Olympics will be my curtain-closing event,” Plushenko, the three-time Olympic medalist, told Russia’s media project “2014 Olympic squad,” according to Agence France-Presse. “And every figure skating lover would be able to see his own Plushenko there — the 18-year-old, the 25-year-old and, finally, today’s Plushenko.”

Plushenko, 30, had previously said he intends to retire after the Sochi Olympics, his fourth Games. Plushenko won silver in 2002 behind countryman Alexei Yagudin, dominated for gold in 2006 and earned another silver in 2010 behind American Evan Lysacek.

In Sochi, Plushenko will try to become the second skater to win four Olympic singles figure skating medals, joining Swede Gillis Grafstrom, who won gold in 1920, 1924 and 1928 and silver in 1932.

Plushenko said he’s already practicing quadruple jumps in training and only needs two or three warm-up events before the Olympics. Those could include the ISU Grand Prix event in Moscow (Nov. 22-24), the Russian National Championships (Dec. 22-27 in Sochi) and the European Championships (January in Budapest, Hungary).

Russia only qualified one male skater for the Sochi Olympics via Maxim Kovtun‘s 17th-place finish at the World Championships in March. There isn’t as much elite depth in the country’s program now as there was in the 1990s and early 2000s, a stretch where a Unified Team or Russia skater won five straight Olympic golds.

Plushenko seems confident of attaining the one berth available despite pulling out of the 2013 European Championships after the short program, where he placed sixth, citing a back injury. He had surgery in January and missed the World Championships.

“A relapse of my back injury is the only thing that can prevent me from achieving a top-class result at Sochi,” he said.

Plushenko said he will perform a free skate that’s a mix of his previous programs — a best of Plushenko, if you will. It was the idea of his coach, Alexei Mishin.

“We decided that it would be an original move and a spectacular finish to my career,” Plushenko said.


And then I ask, is ONTD_Skating ready for another platinum medal????


source

In an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta, world figure-skating champion Maksim Trankov and Tatyana Volosozhar talk about their plans for the upcoming Olympics and beyond.





Rossiyskaya Gazeta: You have revealed elements of your new programs. In percentage terms, how much is there left to do before they are fully ready?

Tatyana Volosozhar (T.V.): Eighty percent—we are moving forward step by step. The trial competitions will soon take place in Sochi and these are closed; this is where we demonstrate our full program.

RG: What stage are the costumes at for your events?

Maksim Trankov (M.T.): The costumes for the short program are ready and we are overjoyed with them. With the free program it is more complicated. For instance, Christ’s chlamys cannot be replicated in figure skating—it’s banned under the rules. Nevertheless, we already have preliminary costumes, and, through the course of the season, other options will appear, but we will choose the best one at Sochi.

RG: Maksim, it is your initiative to dance to Webber. Where did this idea come from?

M.T.: When we were children, my brother used to listen to rock music, and one time he brought home the “Jesus Christ Superstar” record. We were hooked. Then I saw how Averbukh and Lobacheva danced to this music and, to be honest, I thought to myself: ‘I could dance it better than that.’ Indeed, many chose this theme, but somehow the performance was odd. I really wanted to perform a program that could tell the stories of individual characters—in our case, Christ and Mary Magdalene.

RG: Is it not scary to play Christ?

M.T.: In this program I am skating purely as a character in a play, which bears no relation to anything biblical. Our trainer was concerned if it was worth adopting this theme. It remains a very complex and responsible character for an Olympic season. There will probably be criticism; not everyone will understand it. However, Tatyana and I are used to just going ahead with things.

RG: Tatyana, how interested are you in the characters of Mary Magdalene and the baroness?

T.V.: The love theme is dear to me, as I am a romantic person by nature. While it’s true that my character in the short program suits me better, I like everything in the free program. The music is so brilliant that, even if I am in a bad mood, I dance to it animatedly.

RG: You have taken on so many characters—Do you not want to try your hand at the theatre?

M.T.: I would love to. The theatre or the cinema—I really hope that I will have an opportunity in the future. Alas, they have not noticed me yet (laughs).

T.V.: I would prefer a career as a singer. But I could always play a role in TV series.

RG: Do you have your own particular style as a couple?

M.T.: We don’t just have one style. Our position is: Give us any music and we will dance to it. If you were to ask us to perform a break dance, we would study it all summer and perform it in our own way. We have never become attached to an image. We don’t want to be called a romantic couple, for instance. I think that’s a truly professional approach.

RG: Is there life on the ice after Olympic gold?

M.T.: We think there is. We are still young and have no injuries. Motivation—why do we need it? It’s nice to skate without motivation, not thinking of the elements but of the art.

source

How dramatic. I am here for it.


gifsource

The offseason is just about over but I'm still drowning in boredom so I thought (because I have way too much time on my hands)--let's sort the skaters into Harry Potter houses! I never read Harry Potter a s a kid but read (more like was forced to read) the books when I was a teen due to my best friend's addiction to it.

There are four houses:

Gryffindors:

Common Positive Traits: courage, pride, heroism

Common Negative Traits: arrogance, recklessness, lacking common sense

Comment: Gryffindor's are normally seen as one of the 'good houses' to be in, certainly Harry thinks so! But, what makes bravery so good? Perhaps it's because many people are afraid, particularly in the HP universe, where Dark Wizards and terrible creatures roam with the fairies, elves and mermaids (not that all of THEM are good, either!). I felt it important to add the negative traits to this house, because they are evident as it moves on. Arrogance, certainly. Recklessness as well. Lacking common sense was a bit harder, and fits with recklessness. But, honestly, a lot of Gryff's have 'I'm invincible!' attitudes, and that is very dangerous. Bravery is good, but it can get you killed if you don't use it properly.

Slytherins:

Common Positive Traits: Ambition, cunning, intelligence

Common Negative Traits: Cruelty, intolerance, greed

Comment: A common prejudice is that the students are all evil. Ambition is NOT evil, nor is cunning. Ambition is what gives people drive, which is essential to advancement. However, the cruelty aspect often mixes with the ambition and cunning. There is also a higher vocalized intolerance of those they consider inferior.

Ravenclaws:

Common Positive Traits: Intelligence, lust for knowledge, studious

Common Negative Traits: Lack of connection with real world, emotionlessness, eccentricity

Comment: Another 'good house'. Intelligence is great. But it doesn't mean you have the good sense to use it. It also tends to lead to a lack of connection with real people, because of viewing things by book standards, when the real world is considerably different. I'd imagine Claws are idealistic to a certain extent as well. A really extreme one may be like Spock, all knowledge and almost no emotion. Emotion, however, tends to rule everyone else, so not understanding it gives you a bigger disadvantage than those that are in tune with their emotions.

Hufflepuffs:

Common Positive Traits: Hard-working, honest, loyal

Common Negative Traits: Stubborness, stagnancy, laziness, and non-confrontational

Comment: Hufflepuff is often the underdog. I mean, all the other houses get what appear to be inspiring traits, whereas Hufflepuff are the leftovers for seemingly talentless students. This is really unfair, because working hard and honesty are important traits, as is loyalty. I'm also of the mind that a Puff, because of their nature, is the 'not rocking the boat' type, and find it harder to accept change. However, while they are not impressive predators the way the snakes, lions and eagles are, badgers have very sharp claws and will defend themselves and their families well.

Taken From: http://www.angelfire.com/realm3/quattuor_domus/Houses.html

Soooo everyhouse has a founder. I decided to base these founders off of famous coaches.

Tatiana Tarasova would so be Slytherin. Her dad was the coach of the Soviet Union's National Hockey Team and won five Olympic golds with them so the Tarasov family has a place in sports history. Prestige, prestige. Tatiana's amibitous, also cruel in her trainning methods (as was her father).

Alexei Mishin would be Ravenclawfor sure. Frank Carroll would be...Gryffindor? Brian Orser would be Hufflepuff? (I don't know aobut that one, but his students seem to fit Hufflepuff qualities).

I struggled to sort Stephane so let's just pretend he comes from that all girls school Fleur went to. Let's also assume Carolina Kostner went there as well unless someone can think of a house for her...

Gryffindor:

Mao Asada

Joannie Rochette

Gracie Gold

Katelyn Osmond

Max Aaron

Adam Rippon

Ryan Bradley

Kanako Murakami

The Shibs

Weaver/Poje

Daisuke Takahashi (?)

Jeffrey Buttle (?)

Yuna Kim (?)

Florent Amodio (?)

Slytherin:

Nikolai Morozov

Virtue/Moir

Sasha Cohen

Evgeni Plushenko

Michal Brezina

Elena/Nikita

Tanya/Max

Ashley Wagner

Nobunari Oda

Soctt Hamilton (homophobe/intolerant)

Tonya Harding

Nancy Kerrigan

Liza Tuktamysheyva (killed the spelling on that)

Alexei Yagudin (?)

Hufflepuff:

Javier Fernandez

Yuzuru Hanyu

Mirai Nagasu

Jeremy Abbott

Denis Ten

Jeremy Ten

Nelli Zhiganshina/Alexander Gazsi

Brian Joubert (?)

Adelina Sotnikova (?)

Cappelinni/Lanotte (?)

Savchenko/Szolkowy (?)

Pechelat/Bourzat (?)

Ravenclaw:

Christina Gao

Rachael Flatt

Alissa Czisny

Zijun Li

Davis/White

Duhamel/Radford

Shen/Zhao

Midori Ito

Michelle Kwan

Kevin Reynolds (?)

Feel free to tell me your picks and add some more skaters! :)

http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo/figure-skater-johnny-weir-wont-compete-in-sochi-olympic-game

Random ice skating news updates

Costumes get skater into character for Olympics

(Reuters) - Olympic men's champion Evan Lysacek has abandoned hopes of defending his title in February's Sochi Olympics after failing to recover from a hip injury.

The 28-year-old tore the labrum in his left hip in August and despite aggressive treatment and physical therapy, he has been unable to regain full fitness.

With his doctor warning that the American risks suffering permanent damage unless he stops skating, Lysacek has opted to stop training until he has healed completely.

"Words cannot describe how disappointed I am to not be able to compete in Sochi," Lysacek, who has not competed since his 2010 triumph in Vancouver, said in a statement released by U.S. Figure Skating.



"The proudest moments of my life have been representing the United States in the last two Winter Olympics.

"I have suffered numerous injuries over the course of my skating career and they are some of the hardest things an athlete has to overcome. While none of my past injuries have sidelined me quite like this one, I remain determined to regain my health and skate again."

Speaking to NBC's Today show, Lysacek added: "The last several weeks have been so painful for me that I don't want those to be my last moments on the ice after such a great career. I'm determined to ... skate again and really be the one that decides when it's over."

Lysacek became the first American man in 24 years to win the Olympic gold medal and he is also likely to go down as the last male to win the coveted title without performing a quadruple jump.

His decision to concentrate on graceful execution rather than attempting high-flying quadruple jumps was heavily criticized by rival and 2006 Turin Games gold medalist Yevgeny Plushenko.

The Russian even declared that Lysacek was not "a true champion" as he triumphed without even trying to pull off a quad, which requires great height and pace to make at least four mid-air rotations.

The quad has since become an essential part of the men's competition, with all the top skaters attempting the jump in both their short and long programs, and Lysacek's body seems to have been unable to cope with the demands.

"The jumps and the physicality of the sport are incredible, and I think people don't know that," Lysacek, who also won the world title in 2009, added.

"They think it looks like ballet but really it is among the most difficult and physical sports in the world. The torque is immense. It's sometimes up to 100 times your body weight in torque. The training and the discipline that it takes are incredible."

Although Lysacek opted to take some time out following his Vancouver success, injuries and financial disputes with U.S. Figure Skating prevented him making a competitive comeback.

(Writing by Pritha Sarkar, editing by Alan Baldwin)



Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/figure-skating-injured-lysacek-unable-defend-olympic-title-134801547--oly.html

I doubt anyone here is surprised, but here's the official confirmation in case anyone wanted it.

...and may the odds be ever in your favor.

The first of the major national championships this season is almost here (Dec. 21-24), so I thought I'd make a preview/primer post to Team Japan for those poor souls who may not know much about them! This got too long for one post so I split it into two; this one is about the men. (I'm not sure if I can finish the ladies' post before Nationals starts, unfortunately /o\)


this is literally the cruelest poster imaginable, like why would you even

Note: This post was written for an audience with basic knowledge of figure skating and little knowledge of Team Japan. Also I fully admit that I am not free of bias~



OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION GUIDELINES

First things first: Japanese Nationals is not the only event used to determine the Olympic team! The rules are thus:

1. The first spot: goes to the National Champion.
   
2. The second spot: selected from the silver and bronze medalists at nationals and the highest Japanese finisher at the Grand Prix Final (GPF).
   
3. The third spot: selected from the pool described in 2), as well as skaters who have the top 3 season's best scores or the top 3 ISU world rankings among Japanese skaters.
   

So basically, JSF will choose whoever they want it's possible for someone to be off the podium at Nationals and still make the team, provided they did well enough on the Grand Prix (a series of six competitions during the fall, and the Final where the top qualifiers skate) to meet one of the other criteria.



THE HUNGER GAMES MEN'S EVENT

Team Japan (hereafter abbreviated as TJ) men's is an incredibly deep and talented field. This season, at least one Japanese man has medaled at each Grand Prix event - and they've done this for the second season in a row. They qualified three men to the Grand Prix Final this season (and won it for the second season in a row), FOUR last season, and at least two for the entirety of this Olympic cycle. Several of their top men have the potential to be in the top 10 at the Olympics and/or World Championships; some of them are Olympic medal contenders. Unfortunately (and this fact causes me to cry tears of blood daily), they have only 3 spots to the Olympics (and Worlds) - the maximum number of spots, but for a field as deep as theirs, it's still not enough...

So! Let's get to know these guys, shall we?



YUZURU HANYU



Born: December 7, 1994 (age 19)
From: Sendai (trains in Toronto)
Fan nicknames: Yuzu, #serialkilleryuzuru
_skating tags: 4T3A and his bowlcut, the japanese beatle
Notable titles: 2013 GPF champion, 2012 World bronze medalist, 2012 Japanese National Champion, 2-time 4CC silver medalist, 2010 Junior World Champion
Personal best: 99.84 (SP), 193.41 (FS), 293.25 (total)
Season's best: 99.84 (SP), 193.41 (FS), 293.25 (total)
Current world ranking: 1st
Coaches: Brian Orser, Tracy Wilson
Choreographers: Jeffrey Buttle (SP), David Wilson (FS)
2013-2014 programs: Parisienne Walkways by Gary Moore (SP), Romeo and Juliet by Nino Rota (FS)
2013-2014 results so far: 2nd at Skate Canada, 2nd at Trophée Eric Bompard, 1st at GPF

Yuzuru Hanyu is adorable.





He also might want to murder you a little.



(just kidding) (maybe)

But seriously, this kid has Ambitions and the talent to back it up. He's experienced a meteoric rise since turning senior after becoming the fourth Japanese man to win Junior Worlds in 2010 at the age of 15. He won the silver medal at 2011 4CC. Unfortunately, during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake his house was damaged and he spent four days in a shelter with his family. His training rink in Sendai was also damaged and closed for several months. As a result he spent most of the summer of 2011 skating in shows in order to practice his programs while his rink was closed. He had a breakout season in 2011-2012, winning Cup of Russia, qualifying for the GPF and culminating in a World bronze medal after skating lights-out in the FS. After 2012 Worlds he moved to Canada to train with Brian Orser, Yuna Kim's former coach, in Toronto. He's since improved the consistency of his quad toeloop and has included the quad salchow in his free skate since last season, though with minor success. His triple axel is probably his strongest jump and one of the best examples in the current men's field - in shows he does these crazy 3A+3A and quad+3A sequences including even a 4T+3A+3A.


his 3As are fucking enormous

Just last week he won the Grand Prix Final, beating 3-time and current World champion Patrick Chan, breaking the SP world record for the third time, setting world record technical scores in both segments, and all before his 19th birthday. He's also the reigning Japanese National Champion and looks to be in prime form to defend his title. In the past he's struggled with stamina issues in the free skate - having asthma probably doesn't help - but this didn't seem to bother him at GPF. Generally, if he messes up one program, he'll be much better in the other, and if he manages to be clean in both, god save your soul. The quality of his jumps, the fact that he does many difficult jumps in the second half of his programs where they gain extra points, and difficult positions in his spins can garner him huge technical points. After his performance at GPF he's pretty much a lock for the Olympic team no matter how he does at Nationals, so it only remains to be seen whether he can continue his upward trend. He's also currently ranked first in the world by the ISU. Though he lacks the refinement and sophistication of his older competitors, there's no denying that he's incredibly talented and a contender for Olympic gold in Sochi and for the next Olympic cycle.

Strengths: jumps, spins
Weaknesses: stamina, skating skills not that the scores reflect it

Miscellaneous tidbits:

• He started skating because his older sister was doing it.
  
• He looks up to Johnny Weir and Evgeni Plushenko. Unfortunately, this also means he trusts Johnny to design his costumes, resulting in the #boobskirt costume seen above.
  
• He likes playing baseball. If he weren't a skater, he'd be a baseball player.
  
• He's always accompanied to competitions by his Winnie the Pooh tissue box. BOrser has to deal with it.
  
  
• He loves randomly imitating choreo from other skaters' programs. This is a trait most of TJ shares.
  
• That sign of the cross he does before his programs isn't because he's Christian, it's just a ritual he does for checking his balance.
  
• He wants to learn ALL THE QUADS (this is maybe only partly a joke)
  
• He wants to win ALL THE THINGS (but is getting better at not being distracted by how much he wants to)
  
• He's bros/friendly rivals with his training mate Javier Fernandez. They are terribly adorkable.
  
  
• He's a student at Waseda University. He takes classes online, since he's in Canada most of the time.
  
• Meet Pedobird. Never forget Pedobird.
  
  

Videos!

2011 Nagoya Festival EX - Change
2011 Cup of China SP - Etude in D-sharp minor (Scriabin)
2011 GPF EX - Somebody to Love
2012 Worlds FS - Romeo + Juliet
2012 Worlds EX - Swan Lake
2012 NHK Trophy EX - Hana ni nare
2013 SOI Japan EX - Hello, I Love You
2013 GPF SP - Parisienne Walkways
2013 GPF FS - Romeo & Juliet
2013 GPF - English interview



DAISUKE TAKAHASHI



"Here he is, the man they've all come to see. The Messiah."
- British Eurosport commentators at 2013 NHK Trophy

Born: March 16, 1986 (age 27)
From: Osaka (born in Kurashiki)
Fan nicknames: Dai, Uncle Dai, Daisha Fierce
_skating tags: dai-sha fierce
Notable titles: 2010 Olympic bronze medalist, 2010 World Champion, 2-time World silver medalist, 2012 GPF Champion, 2-time Four Continents Champion, 5-time national champion, 2002 Junior World Champion
Personal best: 95.55 (SP), 182.72 (FS), 276.72 (total)
Season's best: 95.55 (SP), 172.76 (FS), 268.31 (total)
Current world ranking: 3rd
Coaches: Utako Nagamitsu, Takeshi Honda, Nikolai Morozov
Choreographers: Kenji Miyamoto (SP), Lori Nichol (FS)
2013-2014 programs: Sonatina for Violin by Mamoru Samuragochi (SP), Beatles Medley (FS)
2013-2014 results so far: 4th at Skate America, 1st at NHK Trophy

Daisuke Takahashi is the light of my world king of my heart ruination of my life a trailblazer of Japanese men's skating. He's Japan's first Olympic medalist in men's singles as well as their first world champ, first GPF champ, and first Junior World champ. After winning 2002 Junior Worlds and moving up to seniors, he struggled with consistency for three seasons before making a breakthrough in the 2005-2006 season leading up to the Torino Olympics. This was the first season he had programs choreographed by Nikolai Morozov; Morozov would later become his official coach. Daisuke's bronze at the 2005 GPF was the first GPF medal for a Japanese man. He beat domestic rival Nobunari Oda for his first national title in 2005 and captured the lone spot for TJ men for the 2006 Olympics, where he placed 8th. The following seasons he continued his upward trajectory, winning two more GPF medals and national titles, as well as the silver medal at 2007 Worlds, the first for a Japanese man. Everyone was very whelmed.



At 2008 4CC he landed two quads in the free skate and set a world record for the free skate and overall; this record held for three years until Patrick Chan broke it at 2011 Worlds. Despite being the favorite for gold at 2008 Worlds, Daisuke ended up breaking the Zayak rule (he did too many combos) in the free skate and finished fourth. In the spring of 2008 he split with Morozov, citing Morozov taking Oda on as a student as the cause. Morozov blamed Daisuke's agent and the JSF for interfering too much. There was A Fair Bit of Drama and by all accounts it was not an amicable split. To this day I'm still not entirely sure what happened.

In October 2008 Daisuke tore a ligament in his right knee in practice that required surgery to recover. He missed the entire 2008-2009 season, spending several months in rehab and only resuming on-ice training in April 2009. During the 2009 GP season leading up to the Vancouver Olympics, he had wildly inconsistent jumps and results. However, he did win his fourth national title and was named to the Olympic team along with Nobunari Oda and Takahiko Kozuka - the Brot3, as I like to call it.



Against all odds, Daisuke managed to pull off two stunning performances in Vancouver to win TJ men's first Olympic medal, a bronze. He then won 2010 Worlds, becoming the first Japanese (and Asian) man to do so. In the free skate he attempted a quad flip (it was two-footed and downgraded), a jump that he tried on and off in competition for the next two seasons, though he never landed it clean.



Daisuke's career this Olympic cycle has been up and down. Ever since his ACL injury he struggled to land quads. He was messy for most of 2010-2011 season, lost motivation and was unsure whether he should retire or not. In the free skate at 2011 Worlds a screw fell out of his skate and he finished fifth. However, this incident prompted him to continue competing until the Sochi Olympics. In 2011-2012 he came back strong, still struggling with the quad but landing everything else fairly consistently. He won another GPF silver, his fifth national title, and silver at 2012 Worlds.


even cats love him

Daisuke proceeded to shock the skating world and give me a heart attack by announcing he was taking Nikolai Morozov back as his coach in June 2012. He began including two quad toeloops in his free skates but still struggled to land them cleanly. His results in 2012-2013 were mixed; he won GPF (setting another "first" for Japanese men) but lost Nationals to Yuzuru Hanyu and placed 6th at Worlds. Recently he revealed that he had persistent knee pain that season in the area of his old ACL injury.

His results this season continue to be a rollercoaster - he finished fourth at Skate America, won NHK Trophy with some astounding performances, qualified for his eighth (!!!) GPF...then withdrew due to a contusion of the right shin bone in late November. With limited time to prepare for nationals this season after the shin injury, nobody really knows what condition he'll show up in...basically, I'm setting up a prayer circle, but if there's one thing you should know, it's to never write off Daisuke Takahashi. In the disastrous case where he doesn't medal at nationals, he still has the second-highest world ranking among TJ men and the second-highest season's best. If he makes it to Sochi, he will set another record in becoming the first Japanese skater to participate in 3 Olympics. This season will also be his last; after 11 seasons skating in seniors, I can only hope he ends his amazing career in the best possible way while i cry for the next five million years.

Though his jumps aren't always there, Daisuke is often regarded by journalists, commentators and fans as one of the most entertaining and versatile performers skating today, having skated to a wide variety of music with choreography by many different choreographers, not all of them well-known (in fact, he was probably responsible for helping some of them become well-known). Personally, I find his work with Pasquale Camerlengo and Kenji Miyamoto to be his best. His step sequences in particular are to die for.

Strengths: skating skills, footwork, performance ability
Weaknesses: jumps, spins

Miscellaneous tidbits:

• He started skating when he was 8 because his parents wanted him to get out of the house and do a sport. He originally wanted to do gymnastics but it was too far for his parents to take him. A skating rink just happened to open nearby.
  
• He is the youngest of four brothers. Here is a gratuitous baby pic:
  
  
• He has a truly ridiculous amount of hairstyles, many good, many terrible.
  
• The way he flips his hair is magical. Yes, this is a fact.
  
• For the record, his name is pronounced "dice-kay", not "daisookay", "daisookee", or, as one French announcer put it, "deesakoo".
  
• He insists on using illusion mesh in his costumes even in the most unnecessary situations.
  
• His favorite food is gyoza. They're good even when they're not good.
  
• He's best buddies with Akiko Suzuki. They've known each other since his novice years.
  
  
  
• He has an amazing butt. This is also a fact.
  
  
• He once received a thong as a present from fans.
  
• Nobunari and Takahiko claim that he's the best among the brot3 at karaoke.
  
• Here is a gratuitous picture of Dai with a puppy BECAUSE.
  
  
• He wants to be Meryl Davis's partner. No, not her life partner, that would be too much pressure.
  
• He is the biggest dork in the world. I could dedicate an entire post to how much of a dork he is. Here is a gif where he zips up his hoodie and skates into the boards:
  
  
• Also, this.
  
  
• And this:
  
  

Videos!

2007 Worlds EX - El Tango de Roxanne
2008 4CC SP - Cyberswan (definitely watch this)
2007 GPF EX - Bachelorette
2010 Olympics SP - Eye (and this)
2010 Olympics FS - La Strada (also this)
2010 Worlds EX - Luv Letter
2011 4CC SP - Mambo Medley
2011 4CC FS - Invierno Porteno
2011 4CC EX - La valse d'Amelie
2011 Nationals SP - In the Garden of Souls
2012 WTT FS - Blues for Klook (and this. just watch everything ok)
2012 Worlds EX - The Crisis
2013 Worlds SP - Moonlight Sonata
2013 WTT EX - Primavera Portena
2013 NHK Trophy SP - Sonatina for Violin
2013 NHK Trophy FS - Beatles Medley

Short interviews in English:
"Some people say my footwork is cool"
"My fan is kinda like whoa"
"I couldn't make it jumps"
"Appreciate to your support"



TATSUKI MACHIDA



"THIS BIRD IS ON FIRE"
- someone on my twitter feed (I forgot who; if it's you, tell me!)

Born: March 9, 1990 (age 23)
From: Osaka (born in Kanagawa)
Notable titles: 2012 Cup of China champ, 2013 Skate America champ, 2013 Cup of Russia champ, 2010 4CC silver medalist
Personal best: 91.18 (SP), 174.20 (FS), 265.38 (total)
Season's best: 91.18 (SP), 174.20 (FS), 265.38 (total)
Current world ranking: 6th
Coaches: Anthony Liu, Azumi Hata, Yoshinori Onishi
Choreographers: Stephane Lambiel (SP), Philip Mills (FS)
2013-2014 programs: East of Eden (SP), The Firebird (FS)
2013-2014 results so far: 1st at Skate America, 1st at Cup of Russia, 4th at GPF

Tatsuki had a bit of a breakout last season - third at Skate America and a surprising win over Daisuke at Cup of China. He qualified for the 2012 GPF...where he promptly finished in last place by a mile, then proceeded to finish ninth at 2012 Japanese Nationals. Over the off season he moved his training base from the US back to Japan, started working on his skating skills from scratch and a new quad technique. This season he came back a renewed Firebird, blasting away the competition at 2013 Skate America, setting new personal bests and winning by over 25 points. He then won Cup of Russia to qualify for his second GPF. After a disastrous SP at GPF that left him in last place, he came back with a great FS to pull up to fourth overall.



Tatsuki is gunning for the Olympic team and he has two GP wins and the third-highest world ranking and season's best among TJ men on his side. He includes a 4T3T in his SP and two quad toeloops in his FS. For someone who's never made a World team before, he is definitely making a statement this season. If he can pull out two consistent performances at Nationals and medal, that, coupled with his good GP showings, could land him a spot on the Olympic team. His programs this season are also great and I love his commitment to performance. He's really fun and engaging to watch. He has said that he will not retire after this season, but will likely not continue competing until the 2018 Olympics.

Strengths: jumps (when he lands them), performance ability
Weaknesses: spins, nerves

Miscellaneous tidbits:

• He makes kind of a big deal out of his bows. diva~
  
  
• He stans Stephane Lambiel a whole lot, having gotten several programs choreographed by him.
  
• This season his motto is timshel, a Hebrew word meaning "thou mayest". He read John Steinbeck's East of Eden in order to better understand his short program.
  
• He choreographed his exhibition this season by himself. It's really good; you should watch it.
  

Videos:

2011 Nationals EX - Don't Stop Me Now
2012 4CC SP - Dark Eyes
2012 JSC EX - Concierto de Aranjuez (samurai remix!!)
2012 Skate America SP - FUYA (watch this it's amazing)
2012 Skate America EX - Les Demoiselles de Rochefort
2013 Skate America SP - East of Eden
2013 Skate America FS - The Firebird
2013 Skate America EX - Byakuyako

Short interviews in English:
"I want to really really compete Olympic Games"
"I'm so happy to won"



NOBUNARI ODA



"I'm stubbornly positive!"

Born: March 25, 1987 (age 26)
From: Osaka
Fan nicknames: Odaddy, Nobu, tiny warlord
_skating tags: oda!, hold me closer tiny warlord
Notable titles: 4-time GPF medalist, 2006 4CC Champion, 2008 Japanese National Champion, 2005 Junior World Champion
Personal best: 87.65 (SP), 175.02 (FS), 255.96 (total)
Season's best: 82.70 (SP), 175.02 (FS), 255.96 (total)
Current world ranking: 10th
Coaches: Lee Barkell, Noriko Oda
Choreographers: David Wilson (SP), Lori Nichol (FS)
2013-2014 programs: Cotton Club (SP), William Tell Overture (FS)
2013-2014 results so far: 3rd at Skate Canada, 2nd at NHK Trophy, 3rd at GPF

Nobu's career has been full of ups and downs. After winning TJ men's second Junior World title in 2005 and turning senior in the 2005-2006 season, he immediately made a splash on the Grand Prix at the same time Daisuke was having a breakout season. The sole TJ men's spot to the 2006 Torino Olympics went to Dai while Nobu was sent to 2006 Worlds, where he pulled off stunning performances, only losing out on a medal because he broke the Zayak rule - he did too many combos in his free program. Unfortunately, he came to be known for doing this on several occasions, often zayaking himself out of a medal. Nevertheless, he was at the forefront of TJ men's skating along with Daisuke and Takahiko Kozuka for much of the last two Olympic cycles. He's known for his jumping ability and incredible knee bend on jump landings - seriously, just look at this -



- smooth as butter. *___*

Nobu participated in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and finished 7th after an unfortunate accident in the free skate where his skate lace broke. He married his longtime girlfriend Mayu that spring and their first son Shintaro was born later that year. And now I have an excuse to spam baby pictures!












dying of cute

Their second son Shinnosuke was born in January 2013:







(most of these pictures are from Mrs. Oda's twitter)

Nobu missed most of the 2011-2012 season due to a knee injury. He placed 4th at last season's Nationals, failing to make the World team, but he's come back strong this season with two good programs, a two-quad free skate and having finally conquered his old nemesis, the Zayak rule. He finished 3rd at Skate Canada and 2nd at NHK Trophy this season. After Dai withdrew from GPF, Nobu replaced him and finished third at the event. He has a good shot of making it to his second Olympics, but a lot will depend on how he skates at Nationals. This will be his last season of competitive skating.

Strengths: jumps (when he lands them), spins
Weaknesses: consistency, nerves

Miscellaneous tidbits:

• Nobu does not age. Here is proof.
  
• He is the 17th direct descendant of Nobunaga Oda, a famous Japanese warlord who unified Japan in the 16th century.
  
• He had a tendency to cry from joy in the K&C in his younger days.
  
  
• Don't let his innocent babyface fool you; he has a bit of a wild side.
  
  
• On that note, he's also received thongs as gifts thrown onto the ice.
  
• But really he's the most cheerful, adorable person. I mean, hi-fiving Cookie Monster and dancing with Elmo!
  
  
  
• He wants to be a coach after he retires.
  
• Here is a picture of him in a tutu because it's necessary.
  
  

Videos!

2005 Jr Worlds SP - Super Mario
2005 Jr Worlds FS - Zatoichi (watch his K&C too. it's worth it)
2006 Worlds SP - The Barber of Seville/The Marriage of Figaro
2009 TEB FS - Charlie Chaplin
2009 GPF EX - Austin Powers
2010 GPF SP - Storm
2012 Skate Canada EX - New York, New York
2013 NHK Trophy SP - Cotton Club
2013 NHK Trophy FS - William Tell Overture
2013 Dreams on Ice EX - The Last Samurai



TAKAHIKO KOZUKA



(not to be confused with TakaHITO Mura)

"I'm not a horse!"

Born: February 27, 1989 (age 24)
From: Nagoya
Fan nicknames: Taka
_skating tags: taka-chan doesn't believe in sparkles
Notable titles: 2011 World silver medalist, 2-time GPF medalist, 2010 Japanese National Champion, 2006 Junior World Champion
Personal best: 86.39 (SP), 180.79 (FS), 258.41 (total)
Season's best: 81.62 (SP), 153.20 (FS), 230.95 (total)
Current world ranking: 17th
Coaches: Nobuo Sato, Kumiko Sato, Yuka Sato
Choreographers: Shae-Lynn Bourne (SP), Marina Zueva (FS)
2013-2014 programs: Unsquare Dance by Dave Brubeck (SP), Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (FS)
2013-2014 results so far: 6th at Skate America, 3rd at Cup of China

Taka is known for three things: gorgeous skating skills, being chronically underscored by judges, and ugly, baggy costumes. Case in point:



Culminating in the infamous gas station attendant/hot-air-balloon-with-limbs/lobster bib costume at 2013 Japan Open:



Which he thankfully (THANKFULLY) changed to this fairly nice shirt by the time the GP started:



(or at least, nice except for the unfortunate fact that it shows sweat stains really clearly)

Taka comes from a skating family; his grandfather was an important figure in early Japanese figure skating, his father was a Japanese national champ and Olympian, and his mother was an ice dancer. He started skating from a very young age, coached by his parents and family friend/legendary coach Nobuo Sato, who placed emphasis on teaching Taka compulsory figures - probably why his skating skills are so good today not that judges ever give him the scores for it. Taka won 2006 Junior Worlds, becoming the third TJ guy to do so after Dai and Nobu. He then turned senior, swept the 2006 NHK Trophy podium along with Dai and Nobu, and the Brot3 was then complete.



Taka made a major breakthrough in 2008-2009 season when he won his first GP (2008 Skate America), qualified for the final and medaled there. He qualified for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and placed 8th, fulfilling a dream of being an Olympian like his father. He was on fire during the 2010-2011 season, winning two GPs, medaling at the GPF, winning the 2010 Japanese national title, and finally winning the silver medal at Worlds with a flawless free skate and a world record technical score that wasn't broken until this season.


mr. and mrs. sato in the background is literally the best thing

And then everything went to hell and I cried for a million years. Taka had persistent boot issues throughout 2011-2012 season and inconsistent results; he reportedly went through 10 pairs of skates that season. He came back strong for the 2012 GP, winning 2012 Skate America and qualifying for the final, but injured his foot before nationals and finished fifth, failing to make the world team for the first time in six years. He eventually discovered that a congenital hip problem that could only be fixed with surgery was probably responsible for the injury, but decided not to get surgery in order to keep skating.

This season Taka has struggled with jumps in his GPs, finishing 6th at Skate America and 3rd at Cup of China (but with an even lower score). So far this season he has included one quad toeloop in his SP and one in the FS, though he used to attempt two last season. Getting onto the Olympic team will be tough, but I'm crossing all my fingers for him to have two good performances at Nationals. His SP this season is one of my faves. He has said that he will not retire after this season, but I don't know how much longer he intends to keep competing.

Strengths: skating skills, spins
Weaknesses: jumps, consistency

Miscellaneous tidbits:

• The quote "I'm not a horse!" comes from people calling him a "thoroughbred" since he has so many skaters in his family. Taka used to dislike this but recently he's come to appreciate it.
  
• His grandfather, Mitsuhiko Kozuka, was an important figure in the early development of skating in Japan. He helped found the competition that later became NHK Trophy. There's a local competition in Aichi nicknamed the Kozuka Cup after him.
  
• He trains with Mao Asada under the same coach. He has a history of playing pranks on her, like tying her skate laces together or putting fake cockroaches in her bag. i still ship it
  
  
• He enjoys barbecue and ramen. (not necessarily together)
  
• Mr. Sato always rubs and pats his back before he skates a program. His mom used to do it when Taka was little so Mr. Sato started doing it too.
  
  
• He's super forgetful. He once forgot to bring his costume to a competition. Another time he left his skates in the hotel. (He is also a huge dork, can you tell)
  
• Journalists have a long history of confusing his name with Takahito Mura's, Daisuke Takahashi's, and even Taka's own father, Tsuguhiko Kozuka.
  
• He's currently a Chukyo University grad student studying the science of jumps.
  
• His spreadeagles are some of my favorite things in skating.
  
  
• He has an affinity for walls.
  
  
• Sometimes he moonlights as the sexy SEÑOR KOZUKA.
  
  

Videos:

2008 GPF SP - Take Five
2009 4CC EX - Save the Last Dance for Me
2010 Worlds SP - Bold as Love (my fave taka sp)
2010 Olympics FS - Guitar Concerto
2011 Worlds FS - Piano Concerto No.1 (Liszt)
2010 Carnival on Ice EX - Free Fallin' (#nipples)
2011 Nationals FS - Fantasia for Nausicaa
2011 Skate America EX - Cello Song
2012 Skate America SP - Exodus
2012 The Ice EX - The Sound of Silence (must-see, this is my favorite program from him ever)
2012 Cup of Russia EX - Moondance
2013 Skate America SP - Unsquare Dance
2013 Skate America EX - Bang Bang

Short interviews in English:
"I missed many jumpses"
"I feel so good and nice"
"Please, please, slow, slow
"I include many feeling" (me too taka, me too)



TAKAHITO MURA



(not to be confused with TakaHIKO Kozuka)

Born: February 11, 1991 (age 22)
From: Nagoya (born in Matsudo)
Notable titles: 2012 Trophée Eric Bompard champion, 2-time national bronze medalist
Personal best: 83.44 (SP), 160.72 (FS), 234.18 (total)
Season's best: 79.97 (SP), 147.25 (FS), 227.22 (total)
Current world ranking: 11th
Coach: Takashi Mura
Choreographers: Tom Dickson, Nanami Abe
2013-2014 programs: Minnie the Moocher/Jumpin' Jack (SP), Shogun (FS)
2013-2014 results so far: 10th at Skate Canada, 6th at NHK Trophy

Takahito had kind of a breakout last season, winning the 2012 Trophée Eric Bompard and the bronze at 2012 Nationals, making the World team for the second time (his first time was 2009 Worlds, where he finished 15th). He finished 8th at 2013 Worlds. This spring he married his girlfriend and they had a baby daughter in May. (Unfortunately, I have no baby pics to spam this time.) He can be a bit a of a headcase and tends to pop jumps when he's nervous/tired. You can usually count on at least one pop per free skate. When he hits them, though, his jumps have great height and landings. So far this season he includes one 4T in the SP and one in the FS, but it's quite possible he will upgrade to a two-quad free for Nationals. Takahito had a disastrous showing at Skate Canada this season, finishing last, but did better at NHK Trophy. The Olympic spot seems hard to reach now, but with all the high-risk programs the men are attempting these days, it's hard to tell what might happen at Nationals.

Strengths: jumps (when he lands them), skating skills
Weaknesses: consistency, nerves

Miscellaneous tidbits:

• He likes cars.
  
• He's attempted a 4T-4T combo in practice.
  
• He's friends with the other Taka (Taka squared!) They are often confused for each other by the press.
  
  

Videos:

2012 TEB FS - Shogun
2012 TEB EX - Talking to the Moon



GENERAL TEAM JAPAN VIDEOS

that you should watch because they are so stupidly adorable (these include the ladies too)

Team Japan Derp (the sound got muted on this but it's still worth watching!)
2012 WTT K&C compilation



GOOD LUCK TO ALL SKATERS AT JAPANESE NATS!

FLAWLESS PEOPLE TYFYT.

I'm surprised Boitano's big announcement hasn't been posted here...

http://www.icenetwork.com/news/2013/12/20/66098398

I'm really surprised/ happy this has been reported (and apparently received, from the articles I've read) in such a low-key manner.  At one time, this would have been a huge deal.  Now it seems to be not so much.

I'M SURE AS YOU ALL REMEMBER THREE YEARS AGO I MADE A POST ABOUT HOW MACHIDA AND YUZURU WERE THE FUTURE OF JAPANESE SKATING.  NOW THE PREMONITION HAS COME TO PASS AND IT'S TIME FOR ME TO PREDICT THE NEW FUTURE OF JAPANESE SKATING.

j/k I really suck at predicting future skaters but I know many people are concerned about the future of Japanese skating with all the big retirements coming up, I am as well but I love staying positive so I'm always watching junior skaters to see if there are any I can see having a bright future in international competition :)  I believe that Japan has a deep pool of talent, sure it's not as crazy deep as the Russian ladies but here are some skaters that might be able to keep Japan on the podium beyond 2014!
So with Akiko, Mao and Miki all probably retiring next year (and Kanako always threatening to) who will be left for the ladies?  Being captain obvious here, two things are most important for the future: 1. Being able to rack up PCS and 2. Being able to do and keep the hard jumps and combos.

I'll start with the obvious skaters first. Satoko Miyahara is obviously liked by the JSF and I like her too!  She seems to be next in line for the top but she has a really rough road ahead.  She already has a serious UR problem and my prediction for her is that she will have to completely rework her jumps not just to fix that problem but also to still be able to jump as she grows.  My hope for her is that maybe after having a bad season or two she'll be able to come back with improved jumps and better than ever by 2018.  She is even still young enough to be able to aim for 2022 after all.

There's also Haruka Imai.  I find it hard to consider her the future of Japanese skating as she's had a lot of opportunities in international comps and rarely delivers.  However she did come in 4th in the FS at nats this year and now I know for sure that I should never count her out.

Now the next two promising skaters I consider promising for similar reasons. Rika Hongo and Miyabi Oba are bother older and have decent jumps, therefore I feel like they can just focus on improving what they already have to work with and I think they both have the ability to do that.

Hongo has some really nice looking jumps even though she does still UR from time to time.  She has the same coach as Akiko and I think some day he can coach her to the podium as well.  I really hope that she delivers at jr worlds and goes senior next season.


I have to admit sometimes I kind of dismiss Oba because she has struggled with gaining the more difficult jumps and she did not have a great season this year.  At nationals again she didn't place particularly well but she is working on her 3A which may not be the best idea but it is still exciting.  I generally find her enjoyable to watch.  I wish she would go senior next season but I'm not sure if her world ranking is good enough to receive a GP assignment.



Next up is Mariko Kihara, for me she's a HUGE maybe.  She made a big splash in national comps this season by coming in first in the SP but then didn't do as well in the FS, mostly because she doesn't really have the flip and the lutz down yet.  I think if she can get those jumps she's on track for a bright future.  She has already had to come back from a serious hip illness so the fact that she's doing so well right now already proves to me that she's tough.  I hope next season she gets two JGP events and does well.



Riona Kato had a good enough season on the JGP by finishing 3rd and 4th, the best of any Japanese girls but unfortunately wasn't able to do so well nationally.  I think she has potential for the future because her jumps seem strong, she does need to work on a more difficult 3-3 soon though.


OK I know this is long but I'll start wrapping up the ladies soon ^.^;;

Now this is completely random and maybe there are a bunch of ladies that should be listed before her but I feel compelled to include her.  It's Yuka Nagai... wait she wasn't even at nationals was she?  Nope she wasn't, she didn't even come close to placing high enough at junior nationals to be qualify for senior nats. I mean look at her profile.  Yup she has bombed every single nats she's ever been in both novice and junior.  When she received a JGP the last two seasons of course I wondered why.  She always manages to do well in regionals and sectionals but honestly there's not much competition where she's from.  But when I actually looked at the protocol for a local competition I finally saw her potential. She skated a clean FS for the first time ever apparently and got 111.  If only she could always skate like that she would be a factor in the future but rn I doubt it.

Wakaba Higuchi is the future of junior Japanese skating.  She finished first at novice nats but didn't do so well at junior nats.  She's a really great skater and I wish her luck in the JGP next season.


Alright now a quick run down of other current jr skaters that might have potential in the future but it's just too soon to tell. Yura Matsuda: JSF seems to like her a lot but she has a definite UR problem, her jumps are really small and to we really need another skater like that? ;; Kaori Sakamoto and Mai Mihara are both 13 and have iffy 3lz-3ts, I kind of like Kaori more but I think for them it's just too soon to tell.

Randomly here's Yuhana Yokoi, I just happen to like her.  She's another Nagakubo student and for some reason this program reminds me of Akiko even.


And now I leave you with Marin Honda.  She won't even be able to skate on the JGP next year but I really believe that if she stays on track and stays good that she could be just as popular as Mao in the future :D  Of course that's a lot of ifs.



Now even beyond her I've heard good things about the two girls at the top of novice B this season: Moa Iwano and Rinka Wantanabe but they are the future of the future of skating XD

Oh boy that was long and I am sorry but now it is time for...


The men will be much shorter so don't worry haha.  As deep as the mens field seems all you need to do is look around at the lower level comps to clearly see that there are definitely not as many boys completing on the level that the girls compete.  Maybe that's a little worrying but I for one am not worried at all!  First of all barring injury Yuzuru will probably continue to compete until 2018 and if he stays on this level (which he will unless injured) there is absolutely nothing to worry about, Japanese men will continue to receive full spots at worlds (whether they will really need them or not).  Plus there is always the chance that Machida, Mura and Murakami will continue on and be able to do well.

So other than them who else?  There is Kento Nakamura who is a gorgeous skater but like with Imai I find it hard to really call him the future of Japanese skating because he has been around for a few years now and has yet to prove himself (ofc he's even worse than her).  There's also Ryuju Hino and Keiji Tanaka who have been constantly battling in juniors but both of them are lacking in many ways sadly.  Keiji has always been a favorite of mine but I can see that he can be slow, has terrible spins, does a lot of two footed skating and hasn't been able to master the quad.  Given the right program though he can draw in the audience, if he works on it I think he can be a popular skater.

Then there is Shoma Uno.  He still doesn't have his 3A and his jumps in general are seriously eh, he will need to work on them in the future but he is still so young.  I feel as if he's been around forever but he's only barely 16 and for a male skater that is young and I give him another two years just to straighten everything out, when he's 18 if he still doesn't have a 3A then that might be a problem.  Enough with the negativity though, he made the last flight in mens at nats and did really great.  My wish for him is to get his 3A and have a great season on the JGP next year.


Another skater I like is Sota Yamamoto so far his biggest achievement was last year when as a novice he managed to come in 4th at Junior nationals.  This season was not so great for him, he skated some awful FSs BUT he is very young, only 13 and his jumps are so nice that there's no doubt in my mind he'll get his 3A and quad eventually.  Ack when I look at his FS scores I know that I shouldn't consider him as a skater with more potential than Taichi Honda (who I don't have high hopes for at all) but I do.


So yeah that's it for the men!  I really think the future for men overall is bright because of the success of Daisuke and the ongoing success of Yuzuru they'll be lots of young boys (and their moms) inspired to skate so I look forward to it.

Russian figure skating superstar Yevgeny Plushenko said on Wednesday he will not compete for the gold medal in the men’s competition at the Sochi Olympic Games after he came in second in the national championships.

Plushenko, 31, who prolonged his career in the hope of reclaiming the gold medal he won in 2006 in Turin on home soil in February, had been the favourite going into the national championship.

After taking the lead in the short programme, he was beaten in the free skate contest by 18-year-old Maxim Kovtun - who likely earned himself Russia’s sole slot in the men’s event with a commanding performance.



“I’ll choose the team event and give the individual competition to a young and promising athlete,” Plushenko, who also won Olympic silver medals in 2002 and 2010, told Russian state television.

“I am glad that I landed the quad (jump), but there were a lot of mistakes today ... my legs gave way,” said Plushenko, sweat beaded on his brow and still short of breath from his performance.

Plushenko, who has competed in just two other events this year, said he would not participate in the European championships in January in Budapest.

Scaling down Olympic dreams that pushed him to undergo back surgery last summer in an attempt to make a comeback, Plushenko said he would seek only to represent Russia in the team competition - a new Olympic sporting event debuting in Sochi.

“I am sensible ... It will be enough for me to compete in the team event,” he said. “Unfortunately, I didn't do my job today.”

The team event in Sochi will feature six skaters from each of the sport’s disciplines whose points will be added up for an overall team score.



Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/olympics/russias-plushenko-says-will-not-skate-in-mens-event-in-sochi/article16100861/

Nancy Kerrigan, Tonya Harding drama unfolded 20 years ago today in Detroit



It was reality television before there was reality television.

It had soap-opera drama and intrigue, a crime of competition that captivated a world-wide audience and gave figure skating, well, center ice.

And it started in Detroit on Jan. 6, 1994, with the “whack heard around the world.”

Nancy Kerrigan, among the favorites to represent the United States at the Lillehammer Olympics, had just completed a practice session at Cobo Hall in advance of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Joe Louis Arena.

Kerrigan walked through the curtains just before 3 p.m. when Shane Stant, lurking behind the curtain, struck her under the right kneecap with a metal baton before fleeing.

Read the rest: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140104/SPORTS07/301040025#ixzz2pfAJWq4D

BOSTON – Mirai Nagasu was left off the U.S. women's figure skating team for Sochi despite finishing third and being the only one of the top skaters with Olympic experience.

Nagasu skated cleanly in her long program Saturday night, finishing third with 190.74 points behind U.S. champion Gracie Gold and runner-up Polina Edmunds. Ashley Wagner, a two-time national champion, was fourth with 182.74 points after falling twice in her long program.

Gold, Edmunds and Wagner are on the team for Sochi. Nagasu wasn't immediately available Sunday but she said beforehand she'd respect the decision.

"The only thing I can brag about now is that I 'm the only person with Olympic experience. So I know how hard it can get," Nagasu said after her free skate Saturday night. "I don't know what my federation will do. All I can say is I did what I had to today. … I'll have to respect any choice that they make."

After her skate, Nagasu was emotional.

"I am so happy, I'm really at a loss for words," she said. "It's how I wanted to skate. It was a really, really great skate. The crowd… hearing the crowd like that. I'm just so happy. I'm a little bit speechless. I didn't know if I would be able to get to this. I'm just at a loss for words."

She reminded everyone that of the top four skaters she was the only one who had faced the pressure of competing at a Winter Olympics. In 2010, she finished just off the podium in fourth place.

"I think I did my best and hopefully they pick me to the team because I haven't always been the most consistent skater, but I know that under pressure I am pretty good most of the time. Like at the (last) Olympics I skated last," she said.

After finishing fourth in the Vancouver Olympics, Nagasu's career went south. At 20, she entered nationals as an afterthought, years removed from all that promise and that little girl from ages ago who won gold at the 2008 U.S. championships when just 14. After the Vancouver Olympics, she missed making the worlds teams the past three years.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/sochi/2014/01/12/mirai-nagasu-left-off-olympic-team-sochi/4440391/

2014 U.S. Olympic Team - Ladies Singles Nominations
Polina Edmunds
Gracie Gold
Ashley Wagner
Alternate No. 1 - Mirai Nagasu
Alternate No. 2 - Samantha Cesario
Alternate No. 3 - Courtney Hicks

2014 U.S. Olympic Team - Pairs Nominations
Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir
Felicia Zhang and Nathan Bartholomay
Alternate No. 1 - Caydee Denney and John Coughlin
Alternate No. 2 - Alexa Scimeca and Chris Knierim
Alternate No. 3 - Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier

2014 U.S. Olympic Team - Ice Dance Nominations
Madison Chock and Evan Bates
Meryl Davis and Charlie White
Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani
Alternate No. 1 - Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue
Alternate No. 2 - Alexandra Aldridge and Daniel Eaton
Alternate No. 3 - Lynn Kriengkrairut and Logan Giulietti-Schmitt


But, Marlie <3333333333333



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