Shun Sato, last season’s Junior Grand Prix Final champion, beat rival Yuma Kagiyama to win the Eastern Japan Sectional Championship in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, on Saturday.
The 16-year-old Sato won with a total score of 229.18 points, ahead of Kagiyama who tallied 212.32. Taichiro Yamakuma was third at 203.36.
Wakaba Higuchi, the 2018 world silver medalist, captured the women’s crown with 203.24. Shiika Yoshioka came in second on 174.12, while Rinka Watanabe rounded out the podium in third at 167.19.
Other notable names included last season’s national bronze medalist Tomoe Kawabata, who placed fifth with 155.97, Yuka Nagai (154.20) who finished sixth, and Marin Honda (144.11), who settled for 10th.
Sato, a native of Sendai, landed two of the four quads he attempted in his free skate choreographed by Benoit Richaud to “Battle of the Kings.” He opened with a successful quad lutz, before falling on a quad salchow and quad toe loop. Sato recovered to land a nice quad toe loop/double toe loop combination. He received level fours on two of his spins.
Kagiyama, who was the Youth Olympic gold medalist in 2019, struggled through his free skate to “Avatar,” suffering four different falls in an uncharacteristically poor performance.
Higuchi stepped out on her opening triple axel in her free skate to “Poeta,” but did hit six triples and earned level fours on all of her spins. She was never really challenged in the competition, easily winning both the short program and free skate.
Kao Miura (220.55) prevailed in the junior men’s competition in impressive fashion, landing three clean quads in his free skate, while Rion Sumiyoshi (159.06) took the junior women’s title.
Waseda University student Yuka Nagai scored a comfortable victory at the Tokyo Region Championship on Saturday. The 21-year-old Nagai won with a total of 171.19 points, ahead of Akari Matsubara, who finished second with 155.69.
Ibuki Sato rounded out the podium in third place at 155.28.
Nagai’s story is quite an interesting one.
The Tokyo native finished second at two Junior Grand Prix events in the 2014-15 season and was seventh at the world junior championships. She was fourth at the Japan nationals that year behind Satoko Miyahara, Rika Hongo and Wakaba Higuchi.
The following season she made her debut on the senior circuit, earning the bronze medal at Skate Canada, and it appeared she was on her way to a promising international career. However, after poor showings in her two GPs in the 2016-17 season, Nagai chose to focus on her studies at university and has not competed in an international event since.
She has skated in the Japan nationals each season in the succeeding years and came in ninth in 2019.
Nagai’s smooth skating and interpretation are still very evident, however, and one wonders if she concentrated full time on skating what she could achieve.
She skated to “Elisabeth” in her short program on Friday and took the lead with a tally of 61.08. She looked lovely in a white outfit and earned level fours on two of her spins.
Nagai popped her double axel and doubled a planned triple lutz in her free skate to “East of Eden” in her free skate on Saturday, but still held on to win.
Marin Honda, who competed despite recently suffering a dislocated shoulder, was seventh on 140.95. She moved up from ninth after the short program.
Honda landed two triple toe loops early in her free skate, but was unable to land another triple jump in the remainder of the program.
Taiichiro Yamakura captured the men’s title on Sunday with 167.35. The 20-year-old jumped from fifth place after the short program to prevail over Kento Kobayashi (165.26), who claimed second place, and Ryo Kobayashi (164.45) who was third.
After struggling through a difficult season in 2019-20, Kaori Sakamoto started her new campaign on a high note with a decisive victory at the Kinki Championship in Osaka on Sunday afternoon.
The 2018 Japan champion took a lead of more than 14 points into the free skate and more than doubled the advantage to win by nearly 30 points over Mana Kawabe in second place. Sakamoto’s winning total was 218.35 points, while Kawabe, last season’s Japan junior champion, tallied 188.48.
Mai Mihara, who did not compete in 2019-20, finished third at 173.38.
Sakamoto, skating to her new short program “Bach a la jazz” from Benoit Richaud on Saturday, displayed nice line and edge to score 74.88. She landed all of her jumps smoothly and earned level fours on two of her three spins and her step sequence.
Sunday it was more of the same, as the 20-year-old was again solid to her free skate of “The Matrix.” The Kobe native landed five clean triples and prevailed by the big score despite receiving level threes on two of her spins and step sequence.
Kawabe, a 15-year-old from Nagoya, moved up from fourth place after the short program to make the podium. She under-rotated her opening triple axel in her free skate to “Miracle,” but went on to land seven triples and notch level fours on two of her spins.
Mihara retained third place after the short program in her free skate to “Fairy of the Forest” by Lori Nichol. Mihara under-rotated a triple flip and doubled her planned triple lutz, but recorded level fours on two of her spins in an encouraging performance.
Ayumi Kagotani (165.71) was fourth, while Riko Takino (165.36) took fifth.
Elsewhere, 2020 Four Continents bronze medalist Yuma Kagiyama won the senior men’s Kanto Championship in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, over rival Shun Sato by a massive margin on Sunday. Kagiyama’s winning score was 287.21, while Sato, last season’s Junior Grand Prix Final titlist, managed just 198.42.
Mako Yamashita won the Chubu Region Championship on Sunday in Nagoya at the opening domestic competition of the season. Yamashita retained her lead after the short program despite a shaky free skate to claim the crown.
Yamashita, the 2018 world junior bronze medalist, triumphed with a score of 178.23 points. Rika Hongo, returning to competition after a one-year break, put on a respectable showing to finish second with 176.07, while Rin Nittaya took third on 166.80.
Almost all of the skaters showed some rust that was a byproduct of several weeks off during the COVID-19 crisis that closed rinks throughout Japan. The joy at being back on the ice, however, was evident on the face of the competitors at Howa Sports Land.
The 17-year-old Yamashita two-footed the landing of her opening quadruple salchow in her free skate, then fell on the back end of a triple lutz/triple toe loop combination and a triple salchow, but hung on to take the title.
Hongo, now 24, has trained in Vancouver, British Columbia, the past few years, but returned to Japan last fall after deciding to take a break. She won the free skate with five triples and level fours on all of her spins to “Ghost in the Shell.”
The 23-year-old Nittaya, who was expected to retire after last season, made the podium despite falling on her final jump (a triple toe loop) and finishing sixth in the free skate to “Black Swan.” Nittaya, who was second in the short program, earned level fours for all of her spins in her free skate.
Yuhana Yokoi (163.70) came in fourth, while Yura Matsuda (162.20) took fifth.
“Both my short program and free skate performances were unfortunate, but I think this is my current ability,” Yokoi wrote on Twitter. “I will do my best to practice again for the next competition.”
Sota Yamamoto easily won the men’s event with a tally of 220.12, with Ryuju Hino second on 184.23.
Rino Matsuike (183.31) claimed the junior women’s crown by a decisive margin over Chisato Uramatsu (142.50). Kinayu Yokoi, Yuhana’s younger sister, was third at 139.11.
Tatsuya Tsuboi, the 2018 Japan junior champion, won the junior men’s division with 199.25.
Former world junior champion Tomoki Hiwatashi and defending titlist Jason Brown will headline this week’s third annual Peggy Fleming Trophy, it was announced recently.
The event, which was staged at the famous Broadmoor Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the first two years, will be held as a virtual competition this year due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The Peggy Fleming Trophy will be streamed on usfigureskatingfanzone.com at 8:00 AM Japan Time on Saturday (7:00 PM EDT on Friday in the U.S) so fans can tune in and enjoy the competition as it is aired.
Hiwatashi, who was third at the U.S. championships last season, and Brown, who was runner-up behind winner Nathan Chen at the same event, are among 17 internationally and nationally-ranked male and female skaters who have taped their programs and submitted them to a panel of Olympic and world judges.
The contest is unique in that male and female competitors are vying for the same award. The event is named for its creator, Peggy Fleming, the iconic 1968 Olympic champion who personified elegance and grace both on and off the ice.
Fleming came up with the idea after seeing a shift in the focus of the sport from performance to technical process in recent years. The three-time world champion spoke to many members of the global skating community while formulating the concept that seeks to recognize skaters for their artistry.
“Like a lot of people, we felt that figure skating was at a point with too much emphasis on the technical side, with too many jumps, with the loss of skating artistry and the entertainment value of our sport,” Fleming told jackfigure.com in an exclusive interview.
“I wanted to develop a format in which creativity and musical interpretation take center stage, so we can enjoy the well-rounded programs that our audiences love and have the technical elements serve as highlights to the music and composition,” Fleming stated.
Each competitor skated a 3-minute, 30-second program focusing on the skater’s ability to artistically express and present a complete program while demonstrating superior technical skills. The music, creativity and overall performance are the emphasis for the competition and all skating elements are assessed from an artistic point of view.
There are nine technical elements which have fixed base values and receive Grade of Execution (GOE) marks based on the artistic execution of the element in relationship to the program as a whole. The elements include four jumps, three spins, one step sequence and one signature move.
The Peggy Fleming Trophy is currently open to only skaters from the U.S., but the five-time national champion told jackfigure.com that she hopes to include international skaters in the future.
Japan’s rise on the global skating scene over the past 15 years has propelled the sport’s popularity to meteoric heights domestically and made the country a powerhouse on the ice.
Along with the likes of two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu, three-time world champion Mao Asada and Olympic medalists Daisuke Takahashi and Shoma Uno, skating has also discovered another Japanese superstar.
She is 32-year-old Satomi Ito, the costume designer who hails from Chiba Prefecture and is a favorite of elite skaters from both Japan and overseas.
In an exclusive interview with jackfigure.com, the gifted and visionary designer discussed her background, her rise in skating, and her plans for the future.
“During my adolescent days I aspired to become a comic artist, screenwriter or a writer,” Ito stated. “When I was in high school, I suddenly found joy in creating clothes, so since then I have wanted to work in the fashion industry (as a designer and creator).”
I wondered if Ito was a skater or athletic as a youngster.
“I don’t skate,” Ito commented. “When I was a student, I was a track and field athlete, but it didn’t last at all and I quit immediately.”
After studying at a vocational school in Japan following high school, Ito moved to the United Kingdom to further her education. I asked how her time there has impacted her philosophy as a designer.
“It was only my last year that I transferred to Nottingham Trent University School of Art & Design in England, so I was not taught anything technical there,” Ito noted. “I learned the importance of concept-making and presentation skills.
“In Japan, people will recognize and assess you for the final product, however, I felt that in England, the process is also seen to be very important,” Ito continued. “For instance, if you say, ‘My favorite color is black because I think it’s cool,’ they would ask you, ‘Why do you think black is cool? Is pink not cool? To you, what does ‘cool’ mean?’
“I think that it’s a form of self-exploration, however, I discovered and learned a lot through this thought process,” Ito said. “Even now, when I create design sketches for skaters, I think to myself, ‘What do I want to communicate through the skater, and what do I want the audience to feel?’ I don’t make decisions based on if it’s cool or cute. Instead, I try to offer ideas that I’ve thought out within myself.”
I wanted to know which designers that Ito has admired through the years.
“For figure skating costume designers, Olga Ryabenko and Milena Bobkova from Russia, and Lisa McKinnon and Jan Longmire from the U.S.” Ito declared.
With the demand for her services increasing, I inquired about the timeline for Ito to make a costume for an elite skater.
“I receive a turnaround time of about two to four months whether they’re an elite skater or not,” Ito remarked. “The tough thing about costume making for figure skating is that the time period for creation is the same for everyone! The peak is during April to September, and on average I create 30 costumes, so it becomes very busy and hard.
“I created around 50 costumes for the Pyeongchang Olympic season, however, I don’t think that will be possible next time around,” Ito stated.
What are Ito’s primary goals and concerns when making a costume?
“Some people care for the details but don’t look at the overall picture,” Ito commented. “Some people look at the overall picture, but don’t care for the details. Become the person in between that.
“That is what my former teacher (from the vocational school I went to in Japan) whom I respect told me. I keep those words in my head while I create.”
I questioned Ito about whether the cost of the costume was determined before or after it was made.
“I firstly ask what their budget is,” Ito mentioned. “When a skater has a budget, I will work within that. However, for skaters who don’t have budgets, I will set a price after I finish creating the costume.”
According to Ito, the weights of the costumes she creates for men (usually around 850 grams) are more than double that of the women (normally around 350 grams). I inquired as to what considerations she had to take into account as a result of the difference.
“Carefully picking out the materials,” Ito stated. “I try to work with fabric that is light but also is opaque, so the skin doesn’t become see-through.”
I wondered how many costumes Ito designs in one year.
“The peak for skating is the months between April and September,” Ito claimed. “On average 30 costumes. For the other months I work on around three to five rhythmic gymnastics and ballet costumes. During the year-end and the New Year holidays, I take a break over a month to go visit family overseas and travel.”
I was interested to know what was the youngest age skater she had made a costume for.
“I think for an elementary school student,” Ito recalled. “Since I don’t only create costumes for top skaters.”
Ito is best known for her work with Hanyu, and I asked her what it is like working with the living legend.
“Remembering back, I think the first offer I received from him was in 2015,” Ito said. “At that time I was still a fledgling designer, so I was very surprised. When I first met him during a meeting that was set up for us to go over the costume design, I was so nervous that my hands were shaking the entire time.
“I still get nervous … although my hands don’t shake anymore.”
Ito discussed in detail Hanyu’s thoughts about his costumes.
“Hanyu views the connection between his music and costume to be very important,” Ito commented. “Definitely the functional aspect. It can be difficult to keep a good balance between the appearance and function of the costume, however, Hanyu aims high every season, so I also try to follow his footsteps.
“Compared to five years ago, my costumes have become lighter and have definitely evolved,” Ito added. “I’ve been able to work better with materials and my skills have improved through my experience of working with Hanyu.”
Having designed many costumes for Yuzu, I asked if she had a particular favorite.
“They’re all special, so I can’t choose,” Ito replied.
A crowning moment for Ito’s career came in February of 2018, as she watched Hanyu and Uno with a historic 1-2 finish for Japan at the Pyeongchang Olympics. Even for the most modest person, I presumed she must have felt incredible pride at their achievements and hers.
“When both Hanyu and Uno (I also created his costume) stepped up onto the podium, I was very happy,” Ito recalled. “When I was watching the live performance, I wasn’t able to stay calm and relaxed because I was worried about the costumes. The only thing running through my head was, ‘Congratulations and thank you for wearing my costumes.’”
Along with national champion Rika Kihira and former world medalists Satoko Miyahara and Wakaba Higuchi, Ito has also designed costumes for former world titlist Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia and 2019 world junior champ Tomoki Hiwatashi of the U.S.
How frequently do foreign skaters ask for her services to make their costumes?
“About one in 10 orders,” Ito noted. “With the coronavirus, the orders placed from foreign skaters were all wiped away this year. I had received orders from foreign skaters that I hadn’t worked with before, so it was very disappointing. I’m thinking that hopefully I can design some next year.”
I inquired as to if there was a foreign skater she would like to design for in the future.
“If I had to choose, I would say a female skater from Russia,” Ito stated. “If it was for a domestic skater, I would love to design and create a costume for Mao Asada, an ice dance team, or for a pair.”
Ito published a collection of her works in a coffee table book (“Figure Skating Art Costumes”) back in March. I wondered how that experience compares with making a costume.
“One of my goals was to release a portfolio that features my works,” Ito declared. “The costume industry has a very blurred line regarding copyright, so I was very content that I was able to publish the portfolio with my name. I sincerely appreciate the skaters who have cooperated with me.”
Ito found the process to be a challenging endeavor.
“Publishing a book was very difficult,” Ito commented. “From the editors and photographers, to the design of the book, there were opinions from many people, so not all of my opinion or views went through.
“When the publisher proposed a draft that was completely different to the image I had of what I wanted my book to be, I almost thought about calling off the entire project,” Ito recalled.
“At last the book was able to grow into something that I was satisfied with, so it was good. However, I don’t think I will release any portfolios in the future. Even if I choose to, I will self-publish it. But, overall, it was a very good experience.”
Speaking of copyright, I asked if she had ever discovered anybody copying her work.
“I’ve seen some on Instagram,” Ito said. “It was strikingly similar, so I just was amazed. When I see them, I just think to myself, ‘Oh it was a good enough costume for someone to copy it.’ ”
Having designed costumes for skating, rhythmic gymnastics and ballet, I questioned Ito if there were other sports she would like to design uniforms for.
“I think gymnastics and artistic swimming,” Ito stated. “Other than sports, I would like to design something for weddings or for an opera. I want to create a dress without having to care for its weight.”
Having accomplished so much at a relatively young age, I concluded by asking if Ito would like to design her own line of clothing someday and what her future goals are.
“Is it fine if I understand a brand as a company?” Ito responded. “Until a few years ago I had a period where I was thinking of opening up a company. However, thinking about borrowing an office and employing workers, I felt as though it would just add to my workload and I didn’t know if it would have any benefits. That’s why I’ve stayed as a freelance designer.
“I’m happy being able to design and create costumes, so I don’t think that will change in the future.”
Moving forward, Ito wants to impart her wisdom about the art of costume design to others.
“My next goal … I want to find some closure with the Beijing Olympics,” Ito said. “I’m not thinking of quitting creating costumes, however, I think my peak will be the next Olympic Games.
“In fact, I haven’t received any orders from the skaters of the coming generation,” Ito noted with humor. “I receive many inquiries like, ‘Please teach me how to make costumes’ from mothers and students, so I think in the future it would be nice if I can open something like a private school.”
The recent decision by Skate Canada to cancel the season-opening Junior Grand Prix in Richmond, British Columbia, at the end of August is an ominous sign for skating in the short term.
The move comes nearly three weeks ahead of a deadline of June 15 that had been imposed by the International Skating Union’s Working Group in charge of planning for the coming season, and just 10 days after Slovakia had pulled the plug on the second JGP (set for the city of Kosice) in early September and the nation’s Challenger Series event scheduled for two weeks later.
The attempts to get the skating campaign disrupted by the COVID-19 virus are being compounded by several issues, including safety concerns, the various quarantine requirements and phased re-openings in different nations, politics, as well as finance.
All of these factors are combining to make it difficult to reach a consensus on when and how the JGP can begin. Sponsors and governing bodies will be reluctant to invest the time and money necessary to stage competitions that may not happen or not include fans if they do.
Without big money in television rights supporting skating these days, the pressure and urgency for coming up with a solution appears absent. Politicians are a lot more concerned about poll numbers than sports these days, and skating is far down the list even then.
Unlike soccer’s Premier League, and the four major North American sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL), where plans are moving forward for all to resume or begin play due to the huge TV money that is in danger of being lost, skating does not have as much at stake financially.
The Premier League and North American sports circuits also don’t have to deal with the complexities of international travel as much as skating does. With all of the skating events being held in different countries, it further complicates matters.
The argument can be made that the JGP season is more important than the senior GP, as it is crucial for the development of young skaters. My hope is that both seasons will eventually be held, even if they are postponed a bit.
One solution the ISU might have to consider, in a bid to buy more time for the virus concerns to recede, would be to have the JGP contested after the senior GP has been completed. All efforts must be made for the JGP to be staged this season.
