World Figure Skating Championships
Three hopefuls look to fill the skates of golden girl Shizuka Arakawa

The World Figure Skating Championships will
take place in Tokyo March 20-25, and the Japanese will be hoping for a repeat of the Olympic success had by Shizuka Arakawa, who brought home gold last year from Turin.

Although the Championships consist of men and women, singles, pairs and ice dancing, all the focus (well, all my focus) will be on the women. Arakawa, of course, will not be around. She turned professional after her Olympic triumph and is currently raking in the loot through personal appearances and TV commercials. Her successors will be hoping to fill her shoes.

The biggest problem for Japan is deciding who will compete, as spots are severely limited. The country’s previous achievements mean they will be allowed to enter three skaters in the women’s singles category, and these three will almost certainly be Mao Asada, Miki Ando and Yukari Nakano—meaning other top-level females like Fumie Suguri, Mai Asada, Yoshie Onda and Aki Sawada will have to sit the competition out. There was some talk of Suguri making the cut, but Nakano had an outstanding 2006 season and, at 21, she will be the senior member of the team in Tokyo.

But, of course, all the media attention will be on Asada and Ando—which could help Nakano out enormously. Ahead of last year’s Olympics, the media pressure on Ando was extraordinary and quite clearly had a disastrous effect on the popular teenager, who finished 15th in Turin. Many thought Nakano should have gone to Turin instead of Ando, who was clearly out of form at the time, but the points system used by the Japan Skating Federation allowed the younger skater in. Nakano was more than a little miffed at the ruling, but she made up for it with some impressive performances in 2006 and earlier this year, winning the Asian Games in February, finishing second in the Cup of China and Skate Detroit, and third in the NHK Trophy and Japan Nationals. Nakano’s grace and athleticism could prove to be a powerful combination later this month.
But if any skater is carrying the hopes of the home country, it is 2005 World Junior champion Asada, who seems destined for greatness. As a 15-year-old, she won the Trophee Eric Bompard and the 2005 Grand Prix Final, and was regarded as one of the best skaters in the world, but due to her age, she was not eligible for the Olympics. In December—and now 16—she captured the prestigious NHK Trophy and the Japan Nationals, and appears to be in good form heading into the World Championships. One skater she will be hoping to eclipse will be South Korea’s Yu Na Kim, who beat Asada in last year’s World Junior Championships and again in the Grand Prix Final.

But while Asada may be the favorite of the Japanese skaters, Ando will still carry the media focus of Japan’s challenge for gold. After some vicious coverage following her Olympic disaster, Ando, now 19, rebounded in sensational style by winning the Skate America title in October and finishing second (to Kim) at the Trophee Eric Bompard. On both occasions, she beat out current world champion Kimmie Meissner. Ando, who was criticized for being overweight a year ago, now looks in-shape and confident, and if she wins the world title, she could eclipse Arakawa for media overkill.

But in Tokyo, Japan’s favorites will have to overcome the likes of Meissner and her compatriot Emily Hughes, as well as the talented Kim and a host of strong Europeans.

Mar 20-25, Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. See sports listings for details.

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