NEWSWORTHY
Exclusive: Benoit Richaud to choreograph for Moa Iwano
It sounds like a match made in heaven. A promising young skater paired with the hottest choreographer in the business. The results could be dynamic. Top Japan junior Moa Iwano, known for her artistry and musicality at the tender age of 15, will work next season ...
Productive partnership: Hamada helps Zhou find success
Sometimes in life we meet a person we automatically connect with. It could be a classmate, teammate, co-worker, teacher or mentor. The communication and respect are there from the outset and blossom with time. When it spans countries and generations, it can become something truly beautiful. Such ...
Mai Mihara mesmerizing in victory at Winter Universiade
It was a mixed bag of results for Japanese skating over the weekend. The good news arrived from Krasnoyarsk, Russia, where Mai Mihara won the Winter Universiade in decisive fashion. The bad news emanated from Zagreb, where Japanese skaters struggled at the world junior championships and ...
Rising choreographer Benoit Richaud says Kaori Sakamoto in good form ahead of worlds
Following a disappointing fourth-place finish at last month's Four Continents Championships in California, Japan champion Kaori Sakamoto didn't dwell on her result, but rather went right back to work to prepare for this month's world championships in Saitama. Benoit Richaud, Sakamoto's choreographer, whose stock is ...
Rika Kihira, Shoma Uno lead gold haul for Japan
It was a banner weekend for Japan on the ice, with Rika Kihira and Shoma Uno taking the gold medals at the Four Continents Championships and Satoko Miyahara and Koshiro Shimada doing the same at the Bavarian Open. Kihira bounced back from her second-place finish ...
High drama for nationals with return of Daisuke Takahashi
With two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu out of this week's Japan nationals in Osaka due to injury, the focus will be squarely on the battle between the elite women skaters to make the team for the world championships and the return of Daisuke Takahashi ...
Hanyu's health a paramount concern
When a country takes the gold and bronze medals in the same discipline at a Grand Prix it would usually be considered a successful weekend. The joy for Japan at the Cup of Russia, however, was tempered by the injury suffered by two-time Olympic champion ...
Kihira's star soaring after great debut
Rika Kihira made a great first impression on a great many people with her performance at the NHK Trophy last weekend. The 16-year-old was nothing short of spectacular in her senior Grand Prix debut, beating a veteran field that included teammates Satoko Miyahara and Mai ...
Yuzuru Hanyu amazes again in Helsinki win
Just when you didn't think he could go one better, he did. Two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu stunned the skating world again with his artistry and technical prowess on the way to a commanding victory at the Helsinki Grand Prix last weekend. Hanyu set three world ...
Yuna Shiraiwa is in second place at the Helsinki Grand Prix following the short program on Friday night. Shiraiwa, 16, earned a score of 63.77 points at Helsinki Arena. Reigning Olympic champion Alina Zagitova of Russia leads Shiraiwa by 5.13, while Belgian Loena Hendrickx is ...
Shoma Uno, Satoko Miyahara score big victories in season debuts
World and Olympic silver medalist Shoma Uno and world bronze medalist Satoko Miyahara began their seasons with victories in decisive fashion at the Lombardia Trophy and U.S. International Classic, respectively, on Saturday. Uno won in Bergamo, Italy, with a total score of 276.20 points, while ...
Yuto Kishina battles hard to earn first JGP medal of career
Yuto Kishina kept Japan's medal streak alive in the Junior Grand Prix this season by bringing home the bronze at the Lithuania JGP in Kaunas on Saturday. Kishina was third after the short program and fought hard to capture the first JGP medal of his ...
