Final Nationals Roundup from the Weekend
by LauraS on Dec 28, 2009 10:20 AM EST
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PrintWe were also quite interested in the ice dance and pairs events at the Russian nationals. Reigning world champions Domnina and Shabalin are back, and were able to claim the dance title despite various errors, according to their website. Has anyone checked out their skates? Feel free to leave comments on what you thought, I have not seen the dances yet.
In the pairs competition, Kavaguti and Smirnov bested Mukhortova and Trankov, according to China.org.cn. I would argue that Mukhortova and Trankov have definitely outskated Kavaguti and Smirnov this season, but maybe K and S are just hitting their stride.
Back to Japan - where Mao Asada won nationals, followed by Akiko Suzuki and Yukari Nakano snagging third by just a hair, according to Canadian Press. Unfortunately for Nakano, that means she will miss out on the Olympics. Suzuki and Asada received the final two slots, while Miki Ando already had a spot. On the men's side, Takahiko Kozuka will join Daisuke Takahashi and Nobunari Oda on the Olympic teams. Wow, what strong teams for the Japanese men and women.
Kyodo News reports that Kozuka will pull out of Four Continents. I'm assuming a lot of the medal contenders will be skipping Four Continents because it's so close to the Olympics. It takes place the last week in January in Korea.
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You’ve got to feel for Yukari Nakano. To lose out to Akiko by less then .2 points must be epically heartbreaking. With that said, Akiko is certainly a strong skater, and showed a lot more form during the Grand Prix season then Nakano did this year.
It’s often forgotten that Yukari is included in the short list of 5 skaters who has been credited with completing a triple axel in competition. Of course Midori Ito was first, followed by Tonya Harding, but then Nakano did it 10 years later at the 2002 Skate America (Ludmila Nelidina would go on and land one herself in the same competition!), and now of course Mao Asada.
Asada’s 3As were downgraded in the short and the long. She’s going to need to figure that out for sure. While the risk is warranted and understood in the LP, I think it’s far too great if she’s not even getting credit for it half of the time in the SP.
Jamie RS
Snaphook Herald
natural gut is love.
snaphookherald@gmail.com
by Jamie R. Belyea on Dec 28, 2009 6:23 PM EST reply actions
I do feel for Nakano – missing out on the Olympics again. A drawback to skating in the deepest talent pool I can remember in ladies skating history – if she were skating in any other country right now (save maybe Canada and South Korea) she’d probably be national champion.
I agree about Asada’s triple axel, I would much rather she just try it once in the long rather than trying it in the short and long, it’s been too inconsistent this year. But I guess she is sticking with the short program strategy.
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Laura
RequiredElements.com
reply/comment test
Hi there!
This is my second attempt to post a comment to your new blog format.
I posted one yesterday, and it didn’t appear to go through, so I’m trying to see if it works today.
by jumping clapping man on Dec 31, 2009 3:24 PM EST reply actions
hmmm, it looks like it worked this time.
my post yesterday stated that it was so sad that suzuki finished behind nakano LESS THAN A POINT! as a skater, i would beat myself up til my dying day with that small a discrepancy…rethinking each moment i could have gained that extra point. i feel for her. i do prefer suzuki to nakano, so it’s not a major tragedy in my book.
Required Elements…CONGRATS on the new format. i can’t wait to see where you take this!!!
by jumping clapping man on Dec 31, 2009 3:26 PM EST reply actions
JCM! Thanks so much for trying again with the comment. I’m glad it worked! I was so sad for Nakano, I mean, such a small margin. I feel like Suzuki really has the momentum these days though, so we’ll see where that takes her. I haven’t seen her free skate from Japanese nationals but I hear it was lovely…
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Laura
RequiredElements.com
