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Post by Admin on Dec 24, 2017 19:26:06 GMT
 Satoko Miyahara booked a spot on Japan's team for February's Pyeongchang Olympics by winning her fourth straight Japan national women's figure skating championship on Saturday. Miyahara rocked a solid free skate at the national figure skating championships at Musashino Forest Sport Plaza to finish with 220.39 points and earn her first Olympic berth. The 19-year-old was marked down on two of her jump combinations, but still won by a wide margin over 17-year-old Kaori Sakamoto.  "Of all my championships to date, this one makes me the happiest," said Miyahara, who missed this year's worlds in March with a stress fracture in her left hip. "Having won three straight Japan titles, I had to win this one, because I absolutely wanted to go (to the Olympics)." "I'm now poised for the next big step in my skating career." Sakamoto, who entered the day with a 0.36-point lead over Miyahara after Thursday's short program, finished with 213.51, while junior Rika Kihira was third with 208.03.  |
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Post by Admin on Dec 25, 2017 19:27:00 GMT
 Satoko Miyahara showed her mettle when the chips were down on Saturday night, coming from second place after the short program to capture her fourth straight national title at the All-Japan Championships at Musashino Forest Sports Centre. Miyahara racked up a total score of 220.39 points to overtake second-place finisher Kaori Sakamoto, who led after the short program. Sakamoto’s tally was 213.51.  Japan junior champion Rika Kihira was third with 208.03, moving up from fifth after the short program to make the podium. Wakaba Higuchi came in fourth at 206.96, while Mai Mihara (204.67) rallied to take fifth place.  Miyahara was absolutely sublime to “Madame Butterfly” in an enchanting performance. Her line and edge were exquisite and her double axel/triple toe loop combo late in her program was excellent. Wearing a light blue costume, Miyahara’s maturity shone through as she moved through her elements while landing six triple jumps. She began with a triple loop, but under-rotated the front half of her triple lutz/triple toe loop combo that followed. That was the only significant miscue in a dramatic showing.. Miyahara, who overcame a fractured hip that caused her to miss nearly 11 months of competition to win the title, received level-fours for her spins and step sequence. |
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Post by Admin on Dec 29, 2017 19:18:11 GMT
 Satoko Miyahara won her fourth consecutive national title at the 2017-18 Japanese National Figure Skating Championships, while Kaori Sakamoto took the silver. Rika Kihara pocketed the bronze in her senior debut.  Miyahara, who had missed the last half of last season due to a pelvic injury, found this competition particularly satisfying.  The 19-year-old entered the free skate in second place behind Sakamoto, which she won, skating a methodical, nearly clean program to the music from Madame Butterfly. The highlights of the program were an intricate level four step sequence and a choreographic sequence timed perfectly to the music. The sole flaw was an under-rotated triple toe loop in her triple Lutz-triple toe combination.  Sakamoto was in first after the short program, but placed fourth in the long (139.92) and slipped to second (213.51) overall. The highlights of Sakamoto’s program were the size and power of her jumps and the way she maintained energy throughout the program, however, her transitions and skating skills have not yet reached the level of Miyahara. |
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Post by Admin on Jan 11, 2018 19:13:40 GMT
This and That: 2017 Japanese Nationals TheSkatingLesson From December 20 – 24, this year's Japan Figure Skating Championships took place in Tokyo. It was a repeat of last year, with Shoma Uno and Satoko Miyahara winning their portion of the event.  Satoko Miyahara, Wakaba Higuchi and Rika Hongo during the men’s event at the 2017 Japanese Nationals Sakamoto, a 17-year-old from Kobe, got the nod over Wakaba Higuchi by claiming the silver medal behind Satoko Miyahara at the nationals on Saturday night. The reasons the JSF went with Sakamoto are numerous, so let's take a look at a few of them. |
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Post by Admin on Jan 24, 2018 19:23:04 GMT
 Olympic medal hopeful Satoko Miyahara finished first in the women's short program at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships on Wednesday, leading a Japanese sweep of the top three positions in Taipei, Taiwan. Miyahara under-rotated her opening triple lutz but completed all her other jumps to score 71.74 points and edge teammate Kaori Sakamoto by .40 points. Mai Mihara was third with 69.84 points while Mariah Bell of the United States was fourth with 62.90.  Miyahara, who won the event in 2016 but was unable to defend her title last year due to a hip injury, scored 71.74 points for the lead at the event, which is only open to skaters from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania. “It was a good experience — it’s important to show you can perform better than you have in the past,” the 19-year-old said. “I want to be confident in myself.”  |
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