surimi

This is a very good point. I see a lot of people outraged at the idea that age limits should be raised because skating is a technically evolving sport, but could all those competition WD this season have anything to do with the rapid increase of difficulty? They're not so much in dance which is more or less stagnant compared to singles, but most of them are in ladies, and a number in men also. Food for thought...

Not surprised. The Chinese want Han Yan as far up the list as possible, don't they? And Sota is a bigger threat than these two guys. At least he can prepare for West Japan in peace.

Re . the Chuubu vids, you guys can see them? Cause I can't Not enabled for my country. Why would anyone do that, what does it matter if a fan is from Japan or US or Europe? sigh... Especially with such minor championships as Chuubu.

Hoping for the best for Mai. I hope her rehabilitation goes well and she can return next season. So many skaters injured, it's heartbreaking.

Thank you so much for the videos, SuzyQ!

The good news is, you won't have to wait much longer and wonder about his FS, as Finlandia Trophy begins in just 14 days

Three of them actually. :[ His story would make for one moving film. I hope there's a proper happyend in his future

Same here, I still remember the shock last year when I came home, turned on the computer and saw the news on Yahoo. We will not forget. RIP! I hope tomorrow's show will be a big success.

Aside from Sota (who we should neither underestimate nor overestimate, because that ankle has to have its limitations and I'd rather he doesn't rush it), I don't think NHK is an easy field? Mikhail messed up big time several times last season, and at least Aymoz, Brown, Hiwatashi and Voronov could be tough rivals if they nail their jumps.

This is one magazine I didn't know about. Hope someone does an English translation. *_* What's this talk about GP assignments coming out today, I thought it was supposed to be on the 20th? Not that I'm complaining...

Really hoping he's not going to be selected for the NHK spot. I am so hoping to see Sota, or if he's not selected, then Koshiro. They need the experience.

That means that Sergei is continuing for sure. Yay!

wow, I didn't know that. He's supposed to be a friend of Yuzuru, but it looks like he doesn't follow him at all?

I guess I missed something? What did they say?

I predict one warhorse program and one program to fresh not-much-used music, either Asian or modern. But I predict that if he chooses an Asian piece, it's not going to be to traditional/classical japanese music but an unusual take on it. Warhorse program guesses - something Latin-ish like Adios Nonino, or balletic like Firebird or Nutcracker (don't kill me), or some big Italian opera piece like Io Ci Saro (sp?).

Are they all skaters? I can ony recognize Wakaba here, and I think it's Taichiro Yamakuma on the right? Good luck in your student life, Wakaba! And I'm sad about the Miu/Ryuichi split. I hope he gets well soon, and that they both get new partners. :[

You know, it feels sad to me that she has to upgrade her arsenal to such crazy heights to earn decent PCS, and that only as long as she nails those jumps. The PCS judging for the ladies in Saitama was hideous. Good luck then next season, Rika K!

I hope noone gets pushed tbh. I'd rather he enters the season with a blank slate and proves himself against Kazuki and Keiji. It would be unfair of the federation to just push them aside. They should have equal standing with 2 GPs, I think? My money will be on Kazuki becoming #3 though :]

Maybe his jumps got wonky because of the new quads he's training? My bet is on him and Sena to turn senior.

Noo, I am so torn! I want Shoma to rest and heal for his own sake. If it means his foot gets just a little better, I have no regrets if he misses Challenge Cup eventhough I was looking forward to seeing him. But, 4 CC... for his own sake I want him to rest, for my own I am now filled with dread that Sota cannot handle two comps so close to each other while I was really really hoping to see him in the Hague. 8_[

Is it true, is Sota going to compete in the Challenge Cup? Google translate said Uno's going there too, so I hope his presence isn't going to make the prices of the tickets astronomic and that they aren't sold out within minutes...

As if everything is about quads. If they develop their artistry and consistency, that's also a way, as Jason's example showed. I'm very glad the new system is now rewarding cleanness. And just because the juniors are not showing them doesn't mean they're not training them. Not everyone's suicidal like Sota who puts it in his program after only a week's training. And just look at quadless youngsters placing above him - sometimes less is more.

wow. I wonder how much motion sickness medication Mitsuki needs to take to perform spins?

[deleted]

Interesting stuff! Mine turned out to be Skaters 1Sota Yamamoto 2Yuzuru Hanyu 3Ryuju Hino 3Kazuki Tomono 5Keiji Tanaka 6Daisuke Takahashi 6Shoma Uno 8Nobunari Oda 8Koshiro Shimada 10Takahiko Kozuka 10Tatsuki Machida 10Takahito Mura 10Daisuke Murakami 10Mitsuki Sumoto 10Yuma Kagiyama 10Yuto Kishina Expecting to be chucked out of PH as a dissenter in 3...2...1...