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*Machine translation. Inaccuracies exist*     Source: Quadruple Axel 2022 Beijing Olympics Special, pg 54-55     Popular series - Utsunomiya Naoko [Words of Shoichiro Tsuzuki]   Shoichiro Tsuzuki drew a small circle on a white sheet of paper with a red ballpoint pen.   "Here is 180 degrees, and here is 360 degrees. And around here is the point where the ice makes contact. Even with a triple axel, you come down at an angle like this. Backward."   We are talking about the Beijing Olympics. To be more precise, we are discussing Yuzuru Hanyu's performance.       Naoko Utsunomiya Non-fiction writer and essayist. Active in the non-fiction fields related to medicine, human nature, pets, and sports. As a life’s work, she is dedicated to covering and writing about figure skating. Recent works include "The Man Who Raised Yuzuru Hanyu: Shoichiro Tsuzuki's Path" (Shueisha Shinsho) and "Before Yuzuru Hanyu Was Born: The History of Men's Figure Skating in Japan" (Shueisha).   Shoichiro Tsuzuki Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1938. Winner of the men's singles at the 1960 All-Japan Junior Championships. After graduating from university, he became a coach, and in 1977, he led Minoru Sano to win Japan's first bronze medal in men's singles at the World Championships. He has had strong connections with the Russian (former Soviet Union) skating world and worked to advance Japan’s skating scene by inviting renowned coaches for seminars. He has nurtured numerous coaches and skaters who now support the current skating world. While at a rink in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, he coached Yuzuru Hanyu during his elementary school years.  

*Machine translation. Inaccuracies exist*     Source: Quadruple Axel 2022 Beijing Olympics Special, pg 46-53 Info:  https://x.com/AxelQuadruple/status/1509064663337627648 https://x.com/AxelQuadruple/status/1509066431589076993      [Special guest] Shae-Lynne Bourne (talking about Hanyu Yuzuru): "Nobility and pride"   At the Beijing Olympics, Yuzuru Hanyu performed two competitive programs, "Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso" and "The Heaven and Earth". We spoke with Shae-Lynn Bourne, who choreographed both pieces, to hear about the behind-the-scenes creation of the short program and the significance of the Quadruple Axel challenge. (Text by Yukiko Ogawa, Tatsuya Murad)         Profile Born in 1976, from Canada. As an ice dancer, she competed in the Olympics three times (1994, 1998, 2002), and won gold medals at the World Championships (2003) and the Four Continents Championships (1999, 2001, 2003). After retiring, she became a professional skater, choreographer, and coach, working widely. She has created numerous programs for top skaters around the world, including Yuzuru Hanyu.

*Machine translation. Inaccuracies exist*     [2022.02.06]   Source: https://the-ans.jp/column/216282/ Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20250117073718/https://the-ans.jp/column/216282/     Figure skating sound engineers cannot afford to make mistakes. "Sound becomes air" - the pride of a job that requires a stage   The series "Supporters of the Ice" focuses on the craftsmen and people who support athletes and competitions, and shines a spotlight on the world of figure skating from their perspective. The second installment features Katsumi Shigeta, an audio engineer at Yamaha Music Entertainment HD. Shizuka Arakawa's "Turandot," Mao Asada's Rachmaninoff's "Piano Concerto No. 2," Yuzuru Hanyu's "SEIMEI"... There are probably many fans who can recall legendary performances just by hearing the music.   Although it is a sport, figure skating requires high artistry, including music and costumes. In the first part of this article, we asked Shigeta, who supports the skaters with "sound," an essential element in shaping the worldview of the program, about his work philosophy. (Interview and text by Tomoko Yamada)         [2022.02.07]   Source: https://the-ans.jp/column/216831/ Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20220303022623/https://the-ans.jp/column/216831/     Yuzuru Hanyu has an excellent sense of "sound" - what makes him a "rare presence" according to a figure skating sound professional   The series "Supporters of the Ice" focuses on the craftsmen and people who support athletes and competitions, and shines a spotlight on the world of figure skating from their perspective. In the second instalment, we look at Shigeta Katsumi, an audio engineer at Yamaha Music Entertainment HD. Although figure skating is a sport, it also requires a high level of artistry, including music and costumes. Shigeta has been in charge of sound at major domestic competitions such as the NHK Trophy and All Japan Championships. In the second part, he talks about what drew him to this sport after watching many athletes perform from rink sideline, and about the skaters who made the biggest impression on him as an audio professional. (Interview and text by Yamada Tomoko)