Mana Kawabe

Mana Kawabe (河辺 愛菜, Kawabe Mana, born October 31, 2004) is a Japanese figure skater. She is the 2019–20 Japanese junior national champion. She placed in the top eleven at the 2020 World Junior Championships.

Mana Kawabe
Personal information
Native name河辺 愛菜
Country represented Japan
Born (2004-10-31) October 31, 2004
Nagoya, Japan
Home townTakatsuki, Osaka
ResidenceTakatsuki, Osaka
Height1.54 m (5 ft 12 in)
CoachMie Hamada
Yamato Tamura
Haruko Okamoto
Cathy Reed
Former coachHiroshi Nagakubo
Yoriko Naruse
Miho Kawaume
Yuko Hongo
ChoreographerCathy Reed
Lori Nichol
Skating clubKinoshita Academy
Former skating clubKansai University KFSC
Howa Sports Land SC
Training locationsTakatsuki, Osaka
Former training locationsNagoya
Began skating2009
ISU personal best scores
Combined total185.22
2020 Winter Youth Olympics
Short program65.84
2020 Winter Youth Olympics
Free skate119.38
2020 Winter Youth Olympics

Personal life

Mana Kawabe was born on October 31, 2004 in Nagoya, Japan. She enjoys reading.[1] Kawabe looks up to training mate Rika Kihira.[2]

Career

Early career

Kawabe began skating in 2009, after being inspired by fellow Nagoya native Mao Asada.[3][4] She was coached by Hiroshi Nagakubo, Yoriko Naruse, Miho Kawaume, and Yuko Hongo at Howa Sports Land in Nagoya until Nagakubo's retirement in 2017.[4] Kawabe then switched to her current coaches, Mie Hamada, Yamato Tamura, Haruko Okamoto, and Cathy Reed, and moved to train with them in Takatsuki.[5]

Kawabe is the 2015–16 Japanese national novice B silver medalist. On the advanced novice level internationally, she is the 2017 Coupe du Printemps and 2017 Asian Open Trophy champion.[6] Kawabe did not qualify for the 2018–19 Japan Junior Championships, and competed with an injury for much of the season.[4]

2019–2020 season

Kawabe made her junior international debut at 2019 JGP United States, placing fifth. She then improved to fourth at 2019 JGP Croatia. In October 2019, Kawabe won Kinki Regionals ahead of Moa Iwano and Riko Takino, before winning Western Sectionals in November, ahead of Nana Araki and Hanna Yoshida.[7]

At the 2019–20 Japan Junior Championships, Kawabe led Tomoe Kawabata and Rino Matsuike in the short program by over a point.[7] She then landed her first officially ratified triple axel in the free skate and completed eight clean triple jumps in total to take the title over Kawabata and Yoshida by nearly fifteen points.[5] Kawabe told media afterwards: "This is unbelievable. I didn’t think I could win."[8] As junior national champion, she was named to represent Japan at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics and the 2020 World Junior Championships.[5] Kawabe was also invited to compete in the senior division at the 2019–20 Japan Championships, alongside the rest of the top six finishers in the junior division.

Kawabe struggled in both the short program and the free skating at 2019–20 Japan Championships to finish thirteenth overall.[2] However, she successfully landed her opening triple axel in the free skating and said her "satisfaction was about 65%."[9]

At the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in January, Kawabe set personal bests in all segments, but finished fourth overall behind You Young of South Korea and Russians Ksenia Sinitsyna and Anna Frolova. She expressed disappointment at her mistakes on her triple axel and her triple lutz.[10] Kawabe was the only member of the Japanese team not drawn for the team event.

Kawabe skated a clean short program to place eighth at the 2020 World Junior Championships, but made several mistakes in the free skating to drop to eleventh overall.[11]

2020–2021 season

Kawabe won the silver medal at the Kinki Regional Championship, before coming fourth at Western Sectionals.[12] She was assigned to make her senior international debut at the 2020 NHK Trophy, in a Grand Prix field that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was attended primarily by Japanese skaters. She was sixth in the short program, falling on her attempted triple Axel.[13] She was sixth in the free skate and overall as well.[14]

Kawabe ranked sixth at the 2020–21 Japan Championships.[15]

Programs

Season Short program Free skating
2020–2021
[16][17]
2019–2020
[3]

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

International[18]
Event 14–15 15–16 16–17 17–18 18–19 19–20 20–21
GP NHK Trophy6th
International: Junior[18]
Youth Olympics4th
Junior Worlds11th
JGP Croatia4th
JGP USA5th
International: Advanced novice[6]
Asian Open1st
Printemps1st
National[6]
Japan Champ.13th6th
Japan Junior21st1st
Japan Novice19th B2nd B4th A5th A
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew

Detailed results

Senior level

2020–21 season
Date Event SP FS Total
December 24–27, 2020 2020–21 Japan Championships 8
64.70
5
136.88
6
201.58
November 27–29, 2020 2020 NHK Trophy 6
63.62
6
122.08
6
185.70

Junior level

2019–20 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
March 2–8, 2020 2020 World Junior Championships Junior 8
64.47
13
105.15
11
169.62
January 10–15, 2020 2020 Winter Youth Olympics Junior 4
65.84
3
119.38
4
185.22
December 18–22, 2019 2019–20 Japan Championships Senior 14
56.52
10
112.76
13
169.28
November 15–17, 2019 2019–20 Japan Junior Championships Junior 1
64.95
1
128.62
1
193.57
September 25–28, 2019 2019 JGP Croatia Junior 7
53.12
4
110.61
4
163.73
August 28–31, 2019 2019 JGP United States Junior 6
53.78
5
109.26
5
163.04

References

  1. "河辺 愛菜 KAWABE Mana" (in Japanese). Japan Skating Federation.
  2. "河辺愛菜らが3回転半に挑戦、転倒もフリーに意欲" [Mana Kawabe and others try three and a half rotations and fall] (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. December 19, 2019.
  3. "Mana KAWABE: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020.
  4. "「ザ・ドキュメンタリー ~マナのフィギュア日記 ~13歳の選択肢~~」" ["The Documentary – Mana's Figure Skating Diary – A 13-Year Old's Choices"] (in Japanese). Kakaku.com. March 26, 2018.
  5. "河辺愛菜が全日本ジュニアV 初の3アクセル成功も" [Mana Kawabe also succeeded in the first triple axel at All Japan Junior V] (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. November 17, 2019.
  6. "Mana Kawabe". Stats on Ice.
  7. Gallagher, Jack (November 16, 2019). "Yuma Kagiyama, Mana Kawabe win short programs at Japan Junior Championships". The Japan Times.
  8. Gallagher, Jack (November 17, 2019). "Yuma Kagiyama, Mana Kawabe leave rivals in dust to win at Japan Junior Championships". The Japan Times.
  9. "全日本ジュニア女王 河辺愛菜が3回転半成功" [All-Japan Junior Queen Mana Kawabe succeeded in landing triple axel] (in Japanese). Chunichi Shimbun. December 22, 2019.
  10. "河辺愛菜は4位「もっと練習しないと戦えない」" [Mana Kawabe is 4th: "I can't fight without more practice"] (in Japanese). Sankei Sports. January 14, 2020.
  11. "ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships Results – Junior Ladies". International Skating Union.
  12. "2020 JAPAN OPEN & NATIONALS UPDATE". International Figure Skating.
  13. Slater, Paula (November 27, 2020). "Sakamoto soars to lead at NHK Trophy". Golden Skate.
  14. Slater, Paula (November 28, 2020). "Sakamoto claims ladies' title at 2020 NHK Trophy". Golden Skate.
  15. Slater, Paula (December 27, 2020). "Rika Kihira defends title at Japanese Nationals". Golden Skate.
  16. "Mana KAWABE: 2020/2021". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020.
  17. "2020 Dreams on Ice" (in Japanese). TBS. September 13, 2020.
  18. "Mana KAWABE: Competition Results". International Skating Union.
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