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Post by Admin on Dec 21, 2021 1:33:00 GMT
Rika Kihira is set to miss the Beijing Winter Olympics after she failed to recover from a right ankle injury in time for this week's qualifying event, the national championships, a source close to the matter said Monday.
Yuzuru Hanyu, Japan's two-time Olympic gold medalist in the men's event, is set to return from an injury layoff, sources close to the matter said.
Kihira has been nursing the pain since July, but the winner of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in December 2018 is now set to wait another four years for her games debut.
It is a bitter blow for the 19-year-old, who could not take part in the 2018 Pyeongchang Games due to age regulations when she was 15. There was high hope for her to medal in Beijing after she landed a quad salchow at last year's nationals.
Hanyu, meanwhile, will be making his first appearance of the Olympic season in Saitama near Tokyo after injuring a ligament in his right ankle ahead of the NHK Trophy in mid-November, the fourth event of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating.
The 27-year-old has not traveled to his training base in Canada amid the COVID-19 pandemic and has instead been training in Japan.
While he has not announced he is aiming for the Beijing Games, his unrivaled record is likely to see him taking up one of the three Japanese men's Olympic berths.
Hanyu missed the nationals ahead of the 2018 Pyeongchang Games with right ankle pain but still secured his place in the games en route to winning his second gold medal.
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Post by Admin on Dec 21, 2021 4:27:46 GMT
Finally, Hanyu Yuzuru is set to make his figure skating season debut on Thursday (23 December) at the Japanese national championships. Hanyu's return to the ice is a welcomed return by many, regardless of he fares at Saitama Super Arena, where Japan’s top skaters will compete for tickets to the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. However, going into nationals week, there are a lot of question marks surrounding the two-time defending Olympic champion, who turned 27 two weeks ago. What’s at stake for Hanyu this week? A third successive trip to the Games and a shot at becoming the first men’s Olympic champion to three-peat in nearly 100 years. At PyeongChang 2018, he became the first men's Olympic champ since Dick Button (1948, ’52) to retain the singles title at the Games. Hanyu is the defending champion of the Japanese nationals, as well, a competition he has captured five times previously. Three Winter Olympic places for the Japanese men are being offered through the nationals. Japan’s team for Beijing will be announced following the men’s free programme on Sunday (26 December). A win will automatically qualify Hanyu for Beijing. A podium finish should also be enough, but anything less and it will be left to the discretion of the JSF selection panel. In principle, a Japanese skater must appear at the nationals to qualify for the Games but the JSF can issue an exemption, weighing various factors before making its selection. This time around, the JSF has said it is also taking into special consideration the effect that the coronavirus pandemic has had on skaters.
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Post by Admin on Dec 21, 2021 20:59:07 GMT
How is Hanyu? Where is he? There’s no telling what Hanyu’s current form is like, as he has not competed since the World Team Trophy back in April 2021.
Hanyu was penciled in for the NHK Trophy and Rostelecom Cup this Grand Prix season but was forced to pull out of the entire series with a ligament injury in his right ankle, which has proven to be the Achilles’ heel throughout his career.
Hanyu suffered the injury behind closed doors in training. He is believed to have been working his way back in his hometown Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture.
When he announced his withdrawal from NHK Trophy on 4 November, Hanyu said in a statement that he hurt the ankle on a single jump, fueling speculation he may have done it while attempting the quadruple Axel.
Two weeks later when he withdrew from Rostelecom Cup, Hanyu said the ankle was definitely improving and it wasn’t affecting him in everyday life.
Hanyu is first due on the ice Wednesday (22 December), when he is scheduled for official practice at Japanese nationals.
Will it be deja vu all over again for the Japanese skating star? History does seem to be repeating itself.
Before going back-to-back in PyeongChang, Hanyu also injured his right ankle, in practice for NHK Trophy.
He did not recover in time for the nationals but the JSF still picked him for the Games given his then No. 1 world ranking, confident that he would recover in time. Hanyu did, and then some, in holding on to his title, but on painkillers.
That he has thrown his hat into the ring this week would suggest the injury is not as serious as four years ago.
However, because Hanyu has disclosed so little and competed just three times in the global pandemic era, only time will tell if he is capable of slinging a third gold medal around his neck.
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Post by Admin on Dec 22, 2021 0:20:25 GMT
Higuchi Wakaba ~ Beyond Amazing ~ All Japan Figure Skating Starts December 23 (Thursday)! 13,322 views • Dec 18, 2021 • #Olympic representative final selection #All Japan Figure Skating Championship 2021 Live broadcast for 4 consecutive nights from Thursday, December 23!
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Post by Admin on Dec 22, 2021 14:03:51 GMT
[Opening Ceremony / Start Order Lottery] All Japan Figure Skating Championship 2021 <Fuji TV Official>
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