This marks the 100th installment of Ice Time. To commemorate the milestone we have a special interview with retired star Yukari Nakano, who is currently a director in the Sports Division at Fuji TV.
Brian Orser, the coach of 2014 Olympic and world champion Yuzuru Hanyu continues to be the best quote in the business. The man who led Yuna Kim to the gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Games always speaks the unvarnished truth and provides unique ...
It remains one of the great mysteries of Japanese skating. An athlete who seemingly has all of the physical ability and presentation skills to be one of the very best in the world, but can’t get over the final hurdle when it counts. • ...
Tatsuki Machida’s sudden retirement at the Japan nationals in Nagano last week came as a shock to just about everybody. In the ensuing days, there has been a lot of conjecture about his motivations and the timing of his announcement. No matter how you ...
A significant figure in the world of skating passed away earlier this month with nary a mention in the mainstream media. It was both sad and a reminder of how quickly history can be forgotten. Her name is uttered by television announcers at least ...
Olympic and world champion Yuzuru Hanyu showed he has regained both his form and confidence with his dominating victory at the Grand Prix Final in Barcelona, Spain, on Saturday. Exactly six weeks to the day of his unfortunate collison with Yan Han at the ...
When you grow up in a country or culture, you can usually tell when somebody from the same place or background is being insincere. The tone of voice and body language often give them away. This is how I felt at the recent NHK ...
Though the spotlight at the NHK Trophy was on the return to the ice of injured Olympic and world champion Yuzuru Hanyu and the battle for spots in the Grand Prix Final, the performance of Riona Kato was a revelation. The 16-year-old finished a ...
Yuzuru Hanyu’s expected return to the ice won’t be the only drama unfolding this week in the NHK Trophy at Osaka’s Namihaya Dome, where spots in the Grand Prix Final will also be on the line. Hanyu, the Olympic and world champion, who was ...
Japan’s strong showing in the Grand Prix season continued with Rika Hongo’s victory at the Cup of Russia on Saturday. Hongo’s triumph marked the third time in four weeks that Japan has taken the gold at one of the GP events. Tatsuki Machida (Skate ...
Often the campaign following an Olympic season can be a letdown. Some skaters retire (Daisuke Takahashi, Akiko Suzuki), others chose to sit out (Mao Asada, Patrick Chan), and some don’t quite have the same motivation that drives them when the quadrennial event is on ...
One of the most rewarding aspects of being a sportswriter is the many opportunities you have to interact with athletes, coaches, executives and fans while covering events. I have been fortunate to have done this all over the world and encountered some very interesting ...
