WJC24 Junior Men FS

[skatingguy]

Nakata is all over the place when he comes down on the jumps. He's either leaning way outside the circle or his upper body is twisted slightly further ahead than his legs. It's distracting, but he's landing them anyways.

Very rare case of a Japanese program not doing one ounce to help show off glorious skating skills. I think he's actually just average on them, in fact.

Thoughts on the Axel technique - I've never seen a spun triple Axel before, and I don't know that it last if he gets taller?

 

[Tak]

Sour grapes comment by this JPN fan, before Rio Nakata scores.
JPN Junior Men A team is sitting at home, right now.
We should have sent YUMA and KAO!

 

[airgelaal]

It's the British blood.

He on His Majesty's secret service

 

[skatingguy]

Adam Hagara (17)
Coach: Vladimir Djojnikov, Alexandra Hagarova
Music: Dream On by Aerosmith

Junior Eligible Next Season: Yes
Senior Eligible Next Season: Yes

 

[Holy Headband]

Nakata is all over the place when he comes down on the jumps. He's either leaning way outside the circle or his upper body is twisted slightly further ahead than his legs. It's distracting, but he's landing them anyways.

Very rare case of a Japanese program not doing one ounce to help show off glorious skating skills. I think he's actually just average on them, in fact.

I don't think he has any unique strengths in terms of either tech or performance. His elevation to the status of top contender in the junior field over the last two seasons is more a reflection of the slight dip in quality we're seeing among junior men (at the very top of the standings, I mean, not in the middle and lower tiers of international competition, which are more competitive than ever). Or at least that's how I see it.

 

[tony]

Thoughts on the Axel technique - I've never seen a spun triple Axel before, and I don't know that it last if he gets taller?

No idea. It's not pretty and it looks really off axis but Urmanov made an Olympic gold medal of often having to land like a cat on the Axel. All of the jumps just look so disconnected between his upper and lower body, like it's whipped around up top and the legs just pray he lands.

 

[Private Citizen]

Dumb question, but I assume Nakata is a British citizen, too? Why not compete for GBR where he'd be clear number one?

 

[tony]

I can't say I really understand the Hagara success, especially repeating this program where there's no choreography and the ending just fizzles out. He has consistency, I get it, but there are much better all-around skaters to balance it out. His PCS shouldn't be that high.

 

[airgelaal]

Do you want a medal? Dream on!

 

[skatingguy]

Adam Hagara
Coach: Vladimir Dvojnikov, Alexandra Hagarova
Music: Dream On by Aerosmith

3A+2T - two foot landing on the double toeloop
3A
3F+3T
3Lo
Fly Change Foot Combo Spin 4
3F+2A+2A+SEQ
3Lz
Change Foot Sit Spin 4
3S
Choreo Sequence
Change Foot Combo Spin 4

Another solid skate for Hagara - consistency has become his calling card.

147.59 = 2nd Place
225.61 = 2nd Place

 

[Holy Headband]

Hagara has a lot of cool transitions, but nothing with any relation to the music.

 

[Kateri]

Dumb question, but I assume Nakata is a British citizen, too? Why not compete for GBR where he'd be clear number one?

I'm not sure, but iirc, Japan only allows single citizenship after 18, so he'd have to give it up then, and maybe he doesn't want to sit out a season to change countries back to Japan, right at what might be his technical peak?

 

[skatingguy]

Dumb question, but I assume Nakata is a British citizen, too? Why not compete for GBR where he'd be clear number one?

He lives in Japan, so it makes sense - plus the money from the Japanese federation is going to be a lot more, and potential earnings as a star in Japan.

 

[airgelaal]

The Japanese kept 3 spots

 

[skatingguy]

Francois Pitot (19)
Coach: Romain Pnsart, Angelique Abachkina
Music: Cry Me a River performed by Michael Buble

Junior Eligible Next Season: No
Senior Eligible Next Season: Yes

 

[tony]

I'm not sure, but iirc, Japan only allows single citizenship after 18, so he'd have to give it up then, and maybe he doesn't want to sit out a season to change countries back to Japan, right at what might be his technical peak?

Pretty sure this is correct. Remember Utako Wakamastsu deciding pretty close to a potential Torino ticket that she wouldn’t give up Japanese citizenship?

 

[airgelaal]

I don't want to cry

 

[Holy Headband]

Ooof, what a shame for Pitot. I like him.

 

[airgelaal]

Adam got a medal

 

[tony]

Pitot's reaction to that Lutz fall was a total Johnny Weir sit on the ice and think about it approach.

The whole program really, really came undone. Medal for Hagara.

 

[Kateri]

Pretty sure this is correct. Remember Utako Wakatmastsu deciding pretty close to a potential Torino ticket that she wouldn’t give up Japanese citizenship?

Yes, and Japan is very much his home country - his English isn't great, and I have no idea if he's ever lived in the UK at all. Can't see him giving up Japanese citizenship.

 

[airgelaal]

It seems that now he himself will cry

 

[skatingguy]

Francois Pitot
Coach: Romain Ponsart, Angelique Abachkina
Music: Cry Me a River by Michael Buble

3A+2T
1A
3Lo
3F
Change Foot Camel Spin 4
Choreo Sequence
3A - step out
3Lz - fall
3Lz+2A+2A+SEQ - stumbles out
Fly Camel Spin 4
Change Foot Combo Spin 3

Pitot's starting to develop a bit of a flair, but he couldn't hold it together today, and I think the judges wanted to give him a medal based on the scoring of the short program.

136.16 = 6th Place
214.95 = 4th Place

 

[YourBorneo]

Cry Me A River, indeed.

 

[Frau Muller]

Pitot with interesting backslide landing. Ah…Jeremy Abbot style…

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Why could Pitot do 3 3A`s? First in combination, 2nd popped, and then a last one later. I thought 2 was the limit for a jump.

 

[tony]

Ted doesn't even know there's one skater left.

 

[airgelaal]

Why could Pitot do 3 3A`s? First in combination, 2nd popped, and then a last one later. I thought 2 was the limit for a jump.

Because he did 2 in fact

 

[skatingguy]

Minkyu Seo (15)
Coach: A Young Kim, Eun Ju Kim, Hyungkyung Choi
Music: Notre Dame de Paris by Luc Plamo Don, Richard Cocciante; le Temps des Cathedrales by Josh Groban

Junior Eligible Next Season: Yes
Senior Eligible Next Season: No

 

[tony]

Why could Pitot do 3 3A`s? First in combination, 2nd popped, and then a last one later. I thought 2 was the limit for a jump.

If a triple Axel is popped, then it's not a triple Axel.