KatjaThera

I think that was the one, FaOI 2014, since I think it was post Olympics. But I meant that out of the whole series of shows, they only did that entrance with Yuzu holding Daisuke once, then switched to more 'normal' ones. Or at least I remember reading that once... I could be wrong. In a way I think it'll be fun/interesting with Daisuke as corespondent at Pyeongchang. Despite the fan wars and Daisuke's hardships, I think they actually get along pretty well and I kind of like their interactions, few as they are. And yes, I remember that picture LOL Yuzu's expression is priceless (and his long neck seems to come in handy here lol) (I also like it that despite the expression, he's actually holding onto Daisuke rather gently :P)

For some reason, I really like the Yuzu-Daisuke fanservice lol I think in ice shows they only did this once? I wonder why... (then again, given the apparent bad blood between their fans, maybe it was better not to, especially give their positions in this...) Source: http://harpersbazaar.jp/celebrity/hanyu-yuzuru-evolution-180124-hns#node_48945 (and they mention Yuzu and Javi, too, and fans calling them ハビゆづ Good thing they don't know what else they call them ^_^; )

I think it was in Netherlands, so, yes, they're probably clogs. Kind of nice, since I'm not sure Yuzu got to do any souvenir shopping lol

You can find the full schedule here: https://www.pyeongchang2018.com/en/schedule Team Event, Men SP starts at 10am, on the 9th, FS at 10am on the 12th. Individual SP 10-14:30 on the 16th, FS 10-14:25 on the 17th. All times local Korean times (UTC +9 hours)

I'm guessing it's related to the delicate nuances of Japanese language, that can completely change the meaning of a text if one doesn't pay close attention... (or have enough experience to figure out)... Personally, I find it very annoying that media sources generally quoted even by western media, like Japan times and English Kyodo have issues like this (and as far as I'm aware, they never went back to correct articles that had wrong information, either), when they're supposed to be trustworthy and professional. Yes, Japanese is a difficult language, but still! Sorry about the rant and thank you very much for pointing that out! While it shouldn't mean we automatically dismiss anything they publish, it does help to know which articles we should take with a grain of salt! As for the earlier subject of swimming, we've discussed it before (who knows how many hundreds of pages before, though >_>; ) and aside from the very low body fat=hard time floating, the subject of swimming - particularly in swimming pools where chloride levels can be an issue - being potentially problematic for asthmatics also came up. Bottom line is we don't know, but I think his wording was he can't swim, which could mean that he learned how to swim, but staying afloat takes too much effort to be worth it, or he never learned to, so he can't, either way. (I'd have to double check that, though, as it's just from memory)

Thinking about it some more, I now wonder if a combination of both options might not be the best choice... And that is leave the team short to someone else and get assigned for the free. Arrive with just enough time to get ready for that, which would get him a few extra days at TCC, and, if Japan makes the free, get a chance to give that another run in competition, because that's the program that needs it more (I think the SP should be a piece of cake if he doesn't overthink it, but the FS is really hard from many povs.). And if Japan don't make it, at least he didn't waste as much time he could have used practicing in TCC. I think the competition experience he needs is for the FS. The lutz, for sure, the loop was off, the COD was COD again and stamina was an issue in Rostelecom. I think he might want to see where he sits now compared to that. If Brian can recreate competition atmosphere at TCC, though, I'd much prefer that... But I'm not sure how much that is possible. They still know it's not real and that counts...

Just to throw in another variable to consider for those enjoying the speculations: it seems Javi won't be the flag bearer for Spain (source: Sonia's instastory), so he can miss the opening ceremony if he so feels like it, too (though considering how small the Spanish team may be, I'm not sure how likely that is... he's also probably their biggest star... BUT if he's as focused as Yuzu, then such ceremonies may be superfluous for him at this point, too).

I don't think him not doing team event would necessarily be something to worry about, but I don't think the coaching accreditation is any hint of whether he will or not, either. (Shared more detailed thoughts on this in the Oly thread, so I won't repeat myself ^_^; ) As for flag bearer, I'm pretty sure for Japan it's decided and it will be Noriaki Kasai. I think they're talking about Javi in the tweet, who will, most likely be Spain's flag bearer again, although no idea if that's been even talked about until now...

I tend to think he doesn't worry, like you said. He said he's happy to be challenged. Maybe not quite going "Yay! Shoma finished just 3 points behind me!". I do think he takes any and all challenges seriously, he's not the type to underestimate his rivals. But 'worry' is probably not a good word...

I do sometimes wonder how much Brian's experience really matters when it comes to Yuzu and the media... Yuzu doesn't deal with non-Japanese media much, and the dealings with Japanese media are exclusively in Japanese. Of course, Brian can offer advice, and I like to think Yuzu goes and asks for advice when something bothers him. But I wonder if Brian's powers in sharing media wisdom aren't limited under these circumstances. Aside from that, I think the time Yuzuru spent off the ice after his surgery in 2014-2015 is comparable to this (I also like to think things were even trickier then, because surgery + complications sounds worse than a sprained ankle). And that was time Yuzuru spent almost entirely in Japan, unsupervised, if I remember correctly, and he actually injured himself by rushing and in the end only had about a week's time of practice before Worlds. And yes, he lost to Javi, but he won the short and he did not do badly, all things considered. I think this time it's much better. I could still be proved wrong, but I like to stick to my theory that the injury was not as bad as it seems to us, and they just chose to be super careful so they did not risk anything. And so he will perfectly fine by Oly, all going according to the emergency plan. I like this theory, so I choose to stick to it lol I agree, though, that the mental aspect is the trickiest part. He can jump all quads and a handful of quints in his sleep, but he can't focus when it matters, it means squat. However, I think Brian - or anyone else - trying to talk him into simplifying his programs is the worst thing they could do right now. It'd send a "we don't think you can do it with all quads" message and that's not a message you want to send. I also tend to think his kuyashii if he won with simplified programs would be comparable to the kuyashii of winning with mistakes. He might feel better going all out and losing than taking it easier and winning. (I'm also not sure he would win, because his heart's not fully in it.) If it comes from him, that's a different issue. But not if he lets himself be convinced, but in his heart he still has doubts. That's what happened at ACI. He got 112 points, but he wasn't happy. Not really. And then he fell apart in Seimei, because he had doubts that that was the right choice. Whatever choice they make, he has to be 100% behind it. If he has doubts, it'll possibly backfire on him. So I really, really hope in TCC they're not making any suggestions like that. I doubt there is any chance of Yuzu and Javi competitions at TCC. In fact I wonder if they've even seen each other recently. Yuzu only got back to practice recently and Javi was only in Toronto for a short while, before Euros. I also wonder if with all the Yuzu secrecy, they'd have one of his biggest rivals witness his form. I wouldn't be surprised if by now they're completely separated. Though who knows, really. I hope their usual mutual support system is firmly in place, but I wouldn't bet on it right now. Yuzu's secrecy sounds like serious business to me. I also agree Yuzu's biggest rival is himself. However, increasing technical difficulty, while maintaining everything else at the same high level is also part of who he is. And it's an additional challenge. This, IMO, has always been the case, but perhaps now it's even more so: when it comes to the choices he makes, it might eventually come down to choosing between the safest way to get the OGM, or the best way to get closer to his skating ideals and stay true to those. Of course, the ideal is a balance between the two. But he's not usually one to play it safe. He went with recycled programs, but increased the difficulty and added the lutz. To me, that's him trying to balance it. It might eventually come to a point where he won't be able to find a balance anymore and have to choose. That entirely depends on his condition. Personally, I'm sure if he reaches his ideals, it'll be a guaranteed OGM, but it is much riskier. I trust Brian and Tracy and Yuzu do have a plan and will stick to it. Hopefully it'll work out. Right now, I have a good feeling, but it kind of changes every day lol. I have to admit one of my concerns is how much time Yuzu has really had with Brian. He's been so busy... But I like to think one of the lessons he hopefully has learned from last year and even NHK, is not to depend on Brian that much. Ever since they said Brian wasn't going to be at NHK, I worried, because Yuzu seems to depend on Brian a lot. But I hope he's learned to deal with that more now... As long as he has Brian's advice and other coaches nearby, he should be fine even if Brian isn't physically there, by now. I hope. We'll just have to wait and see what happens, I guess...

Oh, I didn't realize ISU had that statistic! Thank you! Personally, I tend not to count lombardia (and for the sake of fairness, I won't count ACI, either, although Chopin was squeaky clean)

Oh, I quite understand this and you're right. I just feel a bit like if something might slip up it'd be a bit like spoiling the twist in a good story lol But yes, it's unlikely anything will come out. And since you mentioned the free in Rostelecom, I admit I haven't even tried searching, but if anyone knows without checking, have there been many - or any? - FS scores higher than that? In the GP Series, I mean. I know it was a far from ideal performance, but the score actually seemed pretty high to me and from the bits I've heard, I had the impression nobody went much above that... I'll do my own search when I get home, since now I'm curious ^_^;

I'm starting to wish media will take a hint already and stop trying to pry... (but well, media is media lol) While I wish we got some encouraging info, the thought that stuff Yuzu doesn't want leaking out might leak out really bothers me... thankfully, I think TCC is too good for that to happen, but still.

I'm pretty sure it's just a mistake by some staff member who knows nothing of FS lol Or maybe the overlord's kuyashii fire is strong enough to alter stats online lol

But out of FS and SP, I think he'd be more interested in practicing the FS... the biggest advantage of entering the team event might be access to more practice time, but then again, he could also stay in Toronto longer and travel to Pyeongchang later and practice at home... but getting a good feel of the rink might be good, too. Well, I'm sure they'll analyze all options and choose what they think will work better...

I'm thinking Brian, more likely, but Yuzu himself would be more fun lol ETA, I'm also happy the competitions are early and apparently end before it's time for me to go to work, but I'm not sure I'll be able to function much >.< From nerves and excitement, if not lack of sleep...

All events are super early here, too... and after the short programs, both team men and single men (and free team men, too, if we become interested in that), I have work... (And after the free, I technically have Japanese class...) I also don't drink, alcohol or coffee and I'm not big on chocolate either... But I doubt I'd be able to ingest anything from nervousness anyway... (but if things go well, I shall certainly celebrate at work, somehow!)

Out of stock? lol And here I was actually tempted to pre-order it together with the new book...

I'm sorry it took so long to update. Added @liv's points to the pros list. I fully agree with both. The peaking thing I've been somewhat skeptical about before, but it did work last year, so... I now tend to trust that Brian knows what he's doing. But the coming from behind is very true. And I also added another pro of my own: Javi winning the Europeans. Aside from them being teammates, which means a good atmosphere at TCC, Yuzu was very fired up after Javi won Euros for the first time, feeling challenged by it. Sadly, it didn't pay off in 2013 due to his injury then, but I can imagine he might feel the same now. Especially since Javi didn't have a great year, either, until now.

Pooh is only funny/cutsey until you see the murderface, though... But seriously, I know what you mean. Then again, people who judge him by that are probably also among those who just see a cute, androgynous boy when they look at him. I personally like it when people think that, and then come face to face with the real Yuzu on ice ( ), because that surprise is really fun to see. Though I guess some might not make it that far, and just dismiss him before they get to see the real him.

Actually, Yuzu skated to a song in Dreams on Ice 2013 that kind of reminds me a bit of the YOI theme... too bad it was too short... (I watch that video every other day, though, I love it...)

I actually wouldn't mind Yuzuru skating to the YOI theme, it was probably my favorite thing from the anime lol But that comparison... I'm guessing they might not know the full implications of Yuri's admiration of Victor... (Although a part of me still thinks the anime is less BL and more teasing/fanservice, but that's a different topic lol Also, personally, I find Yuri Plisetsky more like a younger Yuzu, than anyone else in the anime. In ambition and talent, at least, because Yuzu would never be as outright rude as Yuri lol) Also, if Yuzu skated to the YOI theme... I don't even want to imagine the reactions from the more extreme fans... So we're all better off without it, I think...

That was for Sochi. I don't think they've added him for Pyeongchang yet. But it'll be interesting to see if they'll use an updated picture lol (For Yuzu I wonder if they might go the Johnny's idols way and have just his silhouette, to go with the silenzio stampa )