23 Japan Nationals Women Free PBP

[Kateri]

Shizuka thinks her 3A is becoming consistent.

I think it's the easiest-looking women's 3A I've ever seen. It looks easy as a double.

 

[Tak]

Mana KAwabe
Bolero
2A+3T
2Lz wobbly
3Lo 2ft
2A+2T+2T
FCamSp3
2F+3T ur?
3F q?
3S
CComSp3
SSp3
StSq3
Choreo +1.50
TES behind Mao by 15 points.
Depending on rotational judgement, she might drop quite a bit.
Shows smiling Mao and Rinka at Green Room.
Mana looking really glum in K&C.
112.46 179.71 9th!

 

[Tak]

Mai Mihara
Jupiter
2A+3T
3Lz+2A seq
3F
3S leaning 3turn
FSSp4
CComSp3
3Lo+2T+2Lo
3Lz
3Lo
Choreo +1.75
StSq4
FCComSp4
Full Standing Ovation! Vintage Mai!
Worrying thing is that five jumps had review mark on.
Rotational judgements may decide her score.
In Nov. she could hardly walk, according to her coach.
Green Room glimpse
131.86 199.56 Third!

 

[Tak]

Mone Chiba
Pianist on the sea
3F+3T
2A
3S
CComSp4
3Lo
Choreo
3F+2T+2Lo
3Lz+2A seq
FCComSp4
3Lz
She did it!
StSq4 1.17
LbSp4
TES Tracker is slightly above Mao!
Full Standing O! Our Mone is BACK!
Last three jumps had review lamp on, only worry.
Shows Mie Hamada jumping with joy when Mone landed her final jump
141.25 209.27 Leads! and Medal assured!

 

[Tak]

Mako Yamashita
Japanese Movie "Moeyo Ken" ST
3Lz+3T Huge
3F
3Lo
FCamSp4
2A
Choreo
3Lz+3T Fall
2A+2T wobbly
3S
SSp4
CComSp4
TES tracker 10 points behind Mone.
When she got Bronze at junior Worlds, she was only beaten by Trusova and Kostornaia.
IT was really tough competition in 2018.
Some rotational calls.
122.23 192.15 7th.

 

[Tak]

Kaori Sakamoto
Wild is the Wind/ Feeling Good
2A Huge +1.60 Wow
3Lz Green!
3S
CComSp4 (upgraded from lvl3 after skate?)
StSq4
3F+2T
FSSp4
3F+3T Nailed it!
2A+3T+2t
Choreo
3Lo
CComSp4
TES 5points over Mone.
Full Standing Ovation!
Shizuka says "V" assessed in one of the spins.
154.34 233.12
Our ice empress retains her crown!

 

[Frau Muller]

How did Kaori do? Good, it seems (just updated)! Yay!!!

 

[Tak]

Gold: Kaori Sakamoto
Silver: Mone Chiba
Bronze: Mao Shimada
4th Rena Uezono
5th Mai Mihara
6th Rinka Watanabe
7th Hana Yoshida

 

[Wyliefan]

Thank you, @Tak!

Results: https://www.rockerskating.com/news/...onships-play-by-playresults-womens-free-skate

 

[PRlady]

So, wild ass guess: Kaori gets both Worlds and 4 Cs, probably Mone as well. Mao and Rena to JW, Rinka and Hana get one each of Worlds and 4Cs?

 

[Wyliefan]

I think that's a pretty good guess, except I'm not sure whether Mone will get Worlds after a rough international season. They've skipped over silver medalists before.

 

[Tak]

Since only the winner is assured of Worlds berth, Kaori Sakamoto is definitely going to Worlds.
Based on JSF selection criteria document, Hana Yoshida (Bronze at GPF is difficult to ignore) will probably get the second slot for Worlds.
For Junior Worlds, Mao is already selected and Rena is a shoo-in. The third slot may go to Rino Matsuike.
All three slots for 4CC and Worlds third slot are difficult to guess.
Personally, I would send Mone, Mai and Rinka to 4CC and the highest finisher to the Worlds.
ETA: It is also necessary to send skaters like Mako to International B events to get technical minimums, again.

 

[Wyliefan]

What's Ami Nakai's current status? I heard she was injured, so is she done for the season?

 

[Wyliefan]

I was wrong, Mone did get Worlds! https://twitter.com/InTheLoPodcast/status/1738938060094451811?t=RjPXpnQa4QwO4GcvPOPUDg&s=19

And here are 4CCs: https://twitter.com/InTheLoPodcast/status/1738933584868655420?t=oQSWVgolMi7ljGs1bLmCvw&s=19

And Junior Worlds:

https://twitter.com/InTheLoPodcast/status/1738936582046990624?t=Dnoiudptzuoe5-o7lF1zPg&s=19

 

[Stephanie]

So happy for Mone Chiba especially after her struggles earlier in the season!

 

[Tak]

I was totally wrong for Junior Worlds. Perhaps, Rino is injured again. Good luck to Ikura Kushida at Junior Worlds!
Choosing Mone outright for the Worlds, perhaps may be the right call as well. Good luck to all the skaters in Team Japan!
The most exciting one seems to be the shoot out between three Dance Teams at 4CC.

 

[Tak]

What's Ami Nakai's current status? I heard she was injured, so is she done for the season?

From what I hear, Ami is not going to compete this season.
She needs to rest and heal.

 

[Stephanie]

I was totally wrong for Junior Worlds. Perhaps, Rino is injured again. Good luck to Ikura Kushida at Junior Worlds!
Choosing Mone outright for the Worlds, perhaps may be the right call as well. Good luck to all the skaters in Team Japan!
The most exciting one seems to be the shoot out between three Dance Teams at 4CC.

Rino being injured seems like a decent theory as she wasn't even named an alternate for junior worlds. She would have needed to go to Bavarian Open to get the minimums, so perhaps her not being able to do this due to injury is the reason she wasn't even named an alternate.

ETA or maybe, if they considered Kushida the better option, presumably due to her second place at junior nationals, JSF doesn't see the point in sending Rino out to get junior minimums just to be an alternate.

 

[Tak]

Ikura Kushida does have two excellently choreographed programs this season. Her Free to "Little Prince and me" depicts a rose and it is wonderful. Perhaps, JSF considered her fall into the boards at Nationals in the SP was a fluke.
At Osaka JGP, she also somehow managed to hit the boards and fall during StSq or choreo.
She is rather accident prone skater, IMHO.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Thank you @Tak, for all of the PBP and for all of the comments from the commentary

I still get chills when Arakawa, my favorite woman from the triples era, is mentioned.

 

[Wyliefan]

Starting to catch up now via YouTube. Gorgeous skate from Mone -- I'm really happy for her pulling it off when it counted! And an absolute masterclass from Kaori.

 

[Hedwig]

I was wrong, Mone did get Worlds! https://twitter.com/InTheLoPodcast/status/1738938060094451811?t=RjPXpnQa4QwO4GcvPOPUDg&s=19

And here are 4CCs: https://twitter.com/InTheLoPodcast/status/1738933584868655420?t=oQSWVgolMi7ljGs1bLmCvw&s=19

And Junior Worlds:

https://twitter.com/InTheLoPodcast/status/1738936582046990624?t=Dnoiudptzuoe5-o7lF1zPg&s=19

copying out for those without twitter

Worlds
Men - #ShomaUno, #YumaKagiyama, #KaoMiura
Women - #KaoriSakamoto, #MoneChiba, #HanaYoshida
Pairs - #RikuMiura/#RyuichiKihara, #YunaNagoaka/#SumitadaMoriguchi (pending tes mins)
Dance - TBA

Junior Worlds:

Team Japan’s Entries for #JWorldFigureMen - #ShunsukeNakamura, #RioNakata, #HaruKakiuchi
Women - #MaoShimada, #IkuraKushida, #RenaUezono
Pairs - #SaeShimizu/#LucasTsuyoshiHonda (pending TES mins)
Dance - #SaraKishimoto/#AtsuhikoTamura

Interesting - Shimizu/Honda never competed internationally so far?

4CC
Men - #YumaKagiyama, #SotaYamamoto, #ShunSato
Women - #MoneChiba, #MaiMihara, #RinkaWatanabe
Pairs - #RikuMiura/#RyuichiKihara
Dance - #AzusaTanaka/#ShingoNishiyama, #MisatoKomatsubara/#TimKoleto, #UtanaYoshida/#MasayaMorita