micaelis

No, we don't need jumps (or anything else). Kurt Browning says that Yuzu is the only skater around who can have the audience riveted on him even when he's standing on the ice doing nothing. In any case it would be great if Yuzu mc'ed the event and did it while on the ice himself, although I can see the audience would be clamoring for him to cheat and do one, itsy-bitsy teeny-weenie jump. The thing that would totally bring the house down would be for him to do a 4A. That would be the jump seen 'round the world (when it goes viral on YouTube).

One little problem with the 'Which Program Are You'. In the favorite flower where the flower is labeled as a hydrangea, what is shown is a hyacinth. Got the first two letters right but the two types are not even closely related. Outside of that, I got Chopin.

Not happening. Disney has had let's say experiences, with figure skating, so not happening. Even for Yuzuru. Which is a darn shame. But he can come to England and enjoy the Ashdown Forest and home of Pooh I was thinking initially that using Yuzu as an endorser would be a great move for Disney but then, as I thought about it, it might not be a great move for Yuzu. He might feel that his love for Pooh is such that a commercial involvement would somehow corrupt it. The thing is genuine fans of anything are frequently rightly loath to try to capitalize on such fandom. It somehow cheapens the relationship. Even if Disney approached Yuzu I would strongly counsel Yuzu to consider it deeply before taking the plunge.

This video plus some others I've seen recently (some of the fan-made music vids) have helped crystallize some thoughts I've been having about exactly what is the particular magic that Yuzu has. No other person I've greatly admired in my life has grabbed me in the particular ways that Yuzu has. There have been a few political figures over the years who have elicited from me both admiration and respect. Saint John Paul II had a significant impact on me as far as some philosophical and theological matters were concerned, but none have elicited from me the feelings of love (in a non-sexual way) that Yuzu has had. I've been looking for some word or words that perfectly express what it is about him that so grabs me and I think the word has finally come. Yuzu has come to be what he is for me because of his sheer Nobility. To be truly noble is to have certain heroic traits and to also show a depth of relating oneself to the world with a purity of ambition, an ambition that is not selfish but seeks instead to extend the art of figure-skating and not simply to win (winning just means the quest is succeeding). Most of all, though, are the things I was noticing while watching a number of music vids of Yuzu today. What I saw, apart from the glorious stuff he was doing on the ice, were also glimpses of him visiting schools, senior citizen centers and engaging in public events where he wore no costume or skates but was doing what he felt were his duty (and doing it willingly) because of his public stature. There is a term for this - noblesse oblige. It's an old term, French, but it is primarily a product of the Age of Chivalry. It refers to the obligations that nobility entails, that require one to act with those of a lesser status in a way that is benevolent and giving. That's what really came together for me as I was watching this video. Yuzu is anxious to be as perfect a skater as he can be but he also realizes that in doing so and succeeding on the scale he does means that he owes something to those who watch him, who cheer him, and who also ache when he aches and smile when he smiles. He recognizes that he has to give something back to all those who give so much to him. I think that element has been there all along but that it really came fully to the surface on that afternoon back in March of 2011 when a young, terrified Yuzu fled from an ice rink that was heaving and cracking all around him and then suffered with so many others as Japan experienced one of the worst natural disasters in its very long history. Yuzu realized that many people were perishing even as he fled the rink and suffered with his parents through the long three days in the evacuation center until they could return to their home. In the days and weeks that followed he saw the results of that event as Japan tried to count its dead and organize the recovery. If you've seen any of the images of what remained after the waters of the tsunamis receded, you would know because what you see are essentially instantly-created landfills that stretch for mile upon mile. Japan had not seen such widespread devastation since World War II. He almost left skating then but was persuaded to persevere. He said later that he dedicated his skating at Sochi to the people who had suffered. Most importantly, though, is that because of what happened then he realized that his life, his skating, if they were to have any true value must be one in which he gave as much as he received. That, then, is the Yuzu I see. He is not a knight in shining armor but he is a knight on shining skates and a knight whose fair damsel is the public that so loves him. They love him and he is quite aware that true-love is a two-way street. Most of all he shows his nobility by being as genuine as any person can be. All of us have seen his tears on so many occasions, most often when he is overcome by joy. Tears of joy are a true rarity amongst human beings because occasions of joy are generally less frequent than occasions of sorrow. Yuzu's tears of joy, then, are his way of trying to match our cheers with his tears. It's a mark of his success over the years that we have seen them so often.

tbh it's more probable that he won't go but I hope you can see him. I think he will go. 4CC is comparable to the European Championships but basically for all the continents who don't have enough countries to have their own competition, so they're all lumped together. It's also the only major competition Yuzu hasn't won. He needs a gold from there to fill out his trophy case. My own feeling is that if his ankle is fully functional he'll do a full season and go after all the unfinished business from this last one. He needs to get back to collecting GPF golds (four already, a fifth will be an absolute record. Nobody's gotten five GPF golds). Then he needs to reclaim the Japanese championship. He's missed the last two (flu one season, injury the next), so that's unfinished business there. Then the 4CC for reasons already stated. Finally a third World title. If he manages to accomplish all that he'll definitely be back on top and will be well on his way to regaining the momentum that will be needed if he's decided to do a threepeat at Beijing in 2022. It will also say to the world that the GOAT is back and ready to do what he does best, show the world just what figure skating is about (not just winning but doing it in style).

I'm hoping that Yuzu finally gets the gold at 4CC that has eluded him over these years, and what better place than in Anaheim, CA. Anaheim is part of the LA area and, lo and behold, who trains there? None other than Nathan Chen.

I decided that I might have something to say on the supposed rivalry between Nathan and Yuzu. First, as far as the two skaters go any rivalry is on Nathan's part, not Yuzu's. Yuzu is skating against himself since there's no one out there who is better than him and I think Yuzu is probably aware of that though he will never say such a thing publicly. In fact, I think Yuzu's opponent is his conception of skating perfection and that is a goal I think he's been pursuing ever since he first started taking skating seriously. It is a goal he will never reach because I think every time he gets close he resets the goal on a higher level. That's why almost all the commentators (except perhaps the American) talk about how Yuzu is redefining the sport. As for Nathan, I'm sure he has a rivalry with Yuzu but it's only to be expected. EVERY skater has a rivalry with Yuzu because, for those on the bottom end of the skill level he's the Impossible Dream and for those on top he's the ONE TO BEAT. The thing those on the upper tier find most frustrating, though, is that Yuzu is so oblivious to all that. Rivalries for Yuzu are a non-issue. Now for the fans, and here I'll slide slightly off-topic to prove a point. I live in Lincoln, Nebraska and have for several decades. I moved here from Chicago when I began grad school and remained since this is an easy town to live in. This city, indeed, the whole state, is football crazy, totally manic about the Huskers, who in recent years have fallen on hard times but are now hoping to rebuild with a new coach on deck, one who was a former star quarterback for the Huskers. The fans here in this state, though, unlike fans in so many places, stick tight with the team even in the hard times. The evidence? The last time Memorial Stadium was not sold-out for a home game was in the very early 1960s. It's a national record and one that gets revised after every home game. Another thing, though, is the nationwide reputation Nebraska fans have for their courtesy and respect of those fans of the visiting team. Win or lose the fans in the stands always applaud the visiting team as they leave the field. As for those visiting teams, they know the reputation of the Nebraska fans and don't misinterpret the applause. They know that it is part of the Nebraska fans' code and so they know it is not a sarcastic or negative applause when exiting. Another part of the whole reputation is that fans of the visitors in the stands are never treated hostilely, not only when in the stands, but also on the streets. If a Nebraska fan gets out of line, other Husker fans will correct the offender and apologize for the bad behavior. My point for all this is that Yuzu fans should deliberately cultivate a code of civility when dealing with opposing fans. I think they probably are already doing so. I think part of the hostility of other fans might possibly be out of jealousy. None of the other skaters get a cascade onto the ice of fan gifts like Yuzu gets with the Poohvalanches, and which he gets routinely, so routinely that managers of competitions in which Yuzu is participating know to have extra flower girls and boys on hand to clear the ice. The thing is that Yuzu is already legendary not only for his skill on the ice but for the dedication of his fans. None of the other skaters have a following of such intensity, a following that actually follows him around the world. As one commentator said years ago, "Everywhere he goes it's a home-town crowd". Truer words were never spoken. Another element one should keep in mind is related directly to the Nathan issue and also the issue about Adam Rippon and the Time magazine poll. The fact is Americans have a tendency to think if it's American it's automatically better, and this includes American athletes, even when all the statistics prove them wrong. The Nathan obsession is quite simply because Nathan is the best they can come up with to match Yuzu. Of course, we all know, there's no contest. Yuzu is light years ahead of Nathan. His truly authentic rivals are Shoma and Boyang and even those two know the only way they'll win right now is if Yuzu loses. That's the reason, I think, that Shoma knows his two Japanese championships are asterisked, because Yuzu wasn't there. I think Shoma is eagerly waiting for the day that he beats Yuzu in a truly open competition, one with no injuries or other factors compromising the event. As for the Adam Rippon situation, I'll go along with a person commenting a few pages back, the recognition was basically because of Adam's championing of gay issues in the US. The thing is, I don't think anything will be accomplished here if we spend all the time obsessing over the misbehavior of opposing fans. They aren't going to change so we should sail blithely over all of it. Don't even acknowledge it. Everyone here knows that with Yuzu we are not only dealing with a legendary skater but a truly noble human being. We diminish ourselves and him by concentrating on the negatives of those who in their actions not only discredit themselves but the skaters they support.

I'd just send this: =🐐 Irrefutable!!!

Some thoughts on a number of issues that have been discussed on this thread recently. First, the painting. I am by no means an expert but I do have an undergraduate minor in art history so I know something about it. I would say that as a work of abstract figure art it is passable but it definitely is not Yuzu. The only way you can see it's Yuzu is by the costume depicted. Otherwise it could be anybody since it cuts off the legs above the feet so there's no way of knowing it's even a skater. If an artist is doing a partial abstraction which is meant to depict somebody definite it's wise to have enough elements in the painting to enable that identification. I'm thinking of that comic-book-style illustration a couple pages back which depicted a large number of skaters in a sort of selfie, Yuzu hauled up at the rear. It's not great art but it does accomplish what it intends, namely, to get enough detail to allow the identification of those depicted. It does it masterfully and on a scale of ten I'd give it a ten, since it accomplishes everything it seems to have set out to do. I'd not even bother to rate the painting since it patently does not achieve what it intends. That's my take on the situation. Now, ice shows! It's no secret that Yuzu loves ice shows, as also galas. I think he does so because there are not many opportunities where he can be on the ice interacting with other skaters. His is a world of solo skating. He seems to particularly loosen up in the relatively unscripted finales and it's quite apparent how he loves these situations. Any ice show on the planet will take him without hesitation should he make his availability known. I remember a comment I read some time ago where a skating show organizer observed that Yuzu on the playbill is a guaranteed sellout. There is, however, another aspect of the ice shows that has me thinking, and that's related to the show he is currently organizing for a number of skaters where he will be conspicuous by his absence as one of the skaters. I'm seriously wondering if he is using this as a vehicle to display his ability to put together a show with a view to actually putting together a traveling show after his retirement. With his status as the GOAT (there's no way to make such a position official but he is, even now, the de facto GOAT) he would have no difficulty in achieving the financial backing to launch such an enterprise and because of the worldwide nature of his reputation, it would be a show that could be taken on the road internationally. I know that he is supposedly planning to coach after retirement but this would be a means to continue skating for the public immediately after his retirement until he decides to abandon even exhibition skating. A third topic - the underscoring of Yuzu's performances by various judges as also the new rules going into effect. I think the shorter program and one less jumping pass will work to Yuzu's advantage. One less half-minute means that the non-jumping elements have to be jammed into a shorter span of time, but that's a challenge Yuzu can easily handle, considering how densely choreographed his programs usually are. For lesser skaters there is still the time needed to set themselves up for a jump, but Yuzu is quite capable of finishing up, for instance, a step sequence by going immediately at its conclusion into a jump. I challenge any other skater to do that. The other skaters are handicapped by their evident inability to compress the time they need to enter a jump. As for the new judging rules, the plus-5 potential GOEs are tailor-made for Yuzu (if the judge's judge by the rulebook rather than personal predilection). Particularly in the first season of the new rules the judges themselves will be in the spotlight as others watch them to see how well they adapt to the new system. I think next season might find much less discrimination against Yuzu since the judges will know they are being judged also. A final thought - Yuzu's programs for next season. Ideally there should be a pair of brand new programs, programs that are definitely different in style from the two he's used this season. Practicality might dictate otherwise since his rehabilitation might cause problems as far as putting together two totally new programs. So he might have to think of resurrecting one or both from the past. One would be the much better option. My first choice would be to resurrect Parisienne Walkways. That was one of Yuzu's most successful programs. He set four short program scoring records with it and also won his first GPF, his first Olympics, and first World Championship with it. It also can be resurrected with minimal tinkering, basically upgrading the elements, particularly the jumps, but leaving the sequence of elements intact. As for the long program, if he should choose that, I'd go with RJ1 or POTO. Both of those choices will do since they are basically over-the-top dramatically, much different from Seimei and HL, both of which were strongly lyrical and restrained in mood, at least in contrast to those two earlier programs. I think Yuzu needs something like that in the coming season, as a way of resetting himself as he prepares himself for a potential threepeat in 2022. So that's it. I've basically emptied my platter as far as things I want to say. I'm sure there will be those who disagree but I won't mind that. I love to see highly-reasoned well-presented responses to my little essays. So read and refute. I'm all eyes.

Yuzu sets the bar in any competition. Even when he skates last all those skaters in the hunt for medals know he's the one they have to beat. The problem is that the only way they think they can beat him is by going after the high BV and hoping he'll make a mistake on a jump or two to make the impossible possible. They know they can't beat him on spins, on step sequence, on choreographic sequence. Those are the places he picks up so many of his GOEs. As for PCS, they're still skating junior level, he's skating senior level. I don't think the judges are deliberately underscoring his skates. I think it's more that their expectations on his performances are so much higher than they have for his competitors. If they were deliberately underscoring him that doesn't explain the fact that he's the only skater who has set any scoring records since the 2013 French grand prix when Patrick Chan broke Yuzu's short program record, only to have Yuzu reclaim the record two or three weeks later. After that as far as setting scoring records Yuzu's been the only game in town.

If they do he'll skate onto the ice and be introduced just like the last several years - dead last. Those productions ALWAYS introduce the best and most popular last. Will the producers welcome him? I remember a few years ago someone in the ice show industry saying that Hanyu's presence on a show guaranteed a sell-out. Draw your own conclusions.

The present and the future! Yuzu will be winding down his career just as Stephen Gogolev will be entering it. In case some of you don't know who Stephen is, he's the skater whose family moved to Canada and whom Brian has been training since age seven. He started training under Brian at just about the same time as Yuzu did and he's the the lad who at age 12 was doing all the quads currently being done by the older skaters. He's got a lot of work to do on the artistic side of skating but even now he probably could outjump Nathan and the other jumping beans. Because of his age (currently 13) he can't compete on the senior international level but on tournaments strictly for Canadians he HAS to compete on the senior level since he's already won the lower levels. In the Canadian nationals this season where he competed at senior level he came in 10th. I'll repeat - He's just thirteen. I read somewhere, can't remember precisely where, that he's received scores that would have qualified him to compete on the senior level at world's this year. Will he replace Javi as Yuzu's training partner? Yes and no. Javi and Yuzu didn't train together all the time, as far as I can tell. The same will probably be the case with Yuzu and Stephen. The fundamental relationship though will be quite different. Now Yuzu will be the older, experienced one and I can see him becoming a sort of big brother to Stephen. Stephen, though he is younger, will pose some challenges for Yuzu, so it will not be a one-way street in their relationship. I figure Stephen's English is probably quite good since the younger one is the more easily one can pick up a language. Also Russian is one the of the Indo-European languages, just as English is, thus there are some similarities between them that don't exist between Japanese and English (not just in terms of vocabulary but also in elements of grammar and the visual dynamics of the written language). We know that Yuzu is wanting to improve his English and Stephen's presence might be an incentive to stick with the learning even when the going is tough. There is another element where I think Yuzu would be a source of wisdom and that's in coping with the problems that come when one experiences a growth spurt. Remember how a sudden growth spurt really caused Nam some problems? Yuzu's much closer to that age than Brian is and so he can probably remember how he coped with sudden growth and can give Stephen some advice there, although I think he will be more useful in boosting Stephen's morale when the boy starts adding inches to his height and he's having to make adjustments to his reconfigured body. All in all, though, I think Stephen's presence will be a goad for Yuzu to continue competing since Yuzu frequently seems to respond to concrete rather than abstract challenges (remember when he adjusted his approach to the number and type of quads because Boyang was doing more than Yuzu?) Stephen will thus be a continuing challenge to Yuzu just as Javi was.

Actually I'm glad there are multiple videos of specific skates, each with a different set of commentators. I really like to compare the commentaries and I seek videos that have commentaries as opposed to those without. One of my favorite projects when I first came to know Yuzu was to take a specific channel (Eurosport , CBC, etc) and follow Yuzu chronologically to see how the commentators' opinions changed over the years from initially when Yuzu was the new kid on the block to the point where he becomes a living legend. It's really quite interesting to see the evolution of their attitude toward him.

That's because Yuzu is not a skater. He's a dancer who just happens to be on skates. If you watch him as I normally do, I see him doing as much dancing as the ice dancers do. That's one of the reasons he gets those super-high PCS points.

I have a question, indeed, it is one that I've thought about for some time. Just who is in Yuzu's inner circle? I know no Japanese so I'm unable to read the articles about him and by and large the media here in the US are not interested in the private lives of any athlete who's not performing under the Stars and Stripes. What I've been able to figure out is wholly the product of watching Yuzu interacting with others, primarily by looking at the body language. So here's my list and remember I'm only conjecturing here. I think in Japan his closest friend is Nobu and it seems to be a friendship that goes back quite some years. Shoma, I think, is moving into Yuzu's circle and I think will progress from being puppy to being good friend. Of non-Japanese Javi comes first but Javi has remarked in interviews that he and Yuzu don't associate very much off the ice. Of others not from Japan I have a strong feeling that Misha is probably Yuzu's closest friend since they often stay near each other in unscripted moments of galas and ice shows. The remarks of some on the forum have made me start seeing Boyang also as a person moving into Yuzu's circle. Of course no one knows whom Yuzu associates with away from the ice. Some descriptions made of him hint that basically he's somewhat of a loner, which is quite ironic given his unflapping amiability when dealing with the media and the public. Those are the only ones in my view who have a relationship with Yuzu that is founded on real friendship rather than being fellow skaters. If I err please let me know.

I wouldn't worry too much. Just point to Yuzu's tears (and there are plenty of them whenever he's on emotional overdrive). If he can cry, you can too.

This appears to be the new normal for Yuzu now. Everywhere he goes theres the sound of 'two hands clapping' (at least in Japan). I just hope that fans don't start throwing Poohs at him when they encounter him out on the street. If they start doing that they'll have to appoint a squad of flower girls and boys to pick up the yellow/red debris after Yuzu has passed by.

Yuzu's ideal skates (eventually) include all the different quads divided between the two programs and a quad/quad combination (has anybody done one yet?). It also gets maximum GOEs on every element and PCS scores above 49.95 and 99.95 (which mean a ton of the judges have given him 10s). His ideal skate would also be followed by a Poohvalanche that takes over fifteen minutes to clear the ice (they really should put blades on the Zambonis). Also the ideal skate should be at a GPF or WC (preferably both) and should have victory margins of over 20 points for the short and 50 points for the long. And these should be in a season where he wins everything he's entered. Have skates like that and a season like that and even the skeptics will have to call him the GOAT. Will this ever happen? Probably not, but I can dream, can't I?

I'm not absolutely sure here, but my understanding is that Grand Pris competitions are assigned, not requested.

[Admin edit: Don't make assumptions about other members. Thanks!] When I was teaching English years ago I'd often find similar situations when reading and grading student papers. The situation is poor word choice and I've found that even highly educated individuals in fields other than English have that problem, even though English is their native language. Some of my students, however, were not native English speakers and I would take that into account when grading the papers. I did, however, meet with them outside class to go over the paper and try to steer them to the words they really needed. I think it is too easy for native English speakers to overlook the fact there are far more individuals worldwide whose English is not their native tongue than those who learned English as the language they grew up with. What native English users have to realize is those living in the US, Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand, the major countries with English as the official language, they do not have a monopoly on the language. English is now, quite simply, the international language, the one that is used in business, in science, in education, in so many situations where a common language is today necessary. That it became so is a product of two elements. The first is the two centuries in which English-speaking nations were the dominant nations worldwide - England and after it the United States in the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries respectively. The second is that English, despite it's eccentricities, is one of the easiest languages to learn if you are just aiming for simple functionality. With one exception - its spelling. I think only French, of the languages I know, is worse than English there. In any case I think we should all take into account when reading the words of others on this forum that there are cases where the right words simply are not there and so some word, any word, is chosen to finish what they are trying to say. Look sharply at the context of the entire message before judging harshly what might simply be a case where the writer simply is at a loss for words. I doubt anybody who has gone to the effort to register and follow this forum has anything bad to say about Yuzu so with that in mind I would simply pass by inept usage. I look more for the spirit rather than the letter of the posts here.

I said in an earlier post that any current rankings of other skaters over Yuzu will have to be asterisked simply because of his absence throughout most of this season and citing the statistics of his past achievements, his holding of all the records and his continuing public reputation as the reason. I ended that post by pointing out that however Yuzu's technical ranking might be, for all those in competition with him in this upcoming season Yuzu will be the man to beat. In the minds of all the other male skaters Yuzu will remain number one and the one they know they'll have to top. That's the simple reality of the situation.

Without Yuzu competing I think we are all now seeing Yuzu post-retirement (don't panic, he's not going to, just practicing for when the real retirement comes). I've often speculated as to what Yuzu's life looks like after retirement. Will he coach? Will he skate shows? Just what awaits him after leaving competition? This talk show thing may be a trial balloon for him. I think though many are looking at this thing from the wrong angle, thinking he'll do a talk show, since unlike Shoma Yuzu's really comfortable in a talk-show format and at least in Japan he'd be very good doing something like that. I've thought for a long time, though, that one of his options after competing's done would be to organize an ice show, one that might perform internationally. The money would be there, you can be sure. Yuzu's one of the most bankable athletes there is, at least in Japan, and I think his exposure in this Olympics, as opposed to Sochi, has truly expanded his fan base. At Sochi he was the new kid on the block and easily overlooked by the average sports fan. At PC he was the king defending his castle and all the skating commentators (except perhaps the American) spotlighted that aspect. Add to that the news coming out after his win that he was skating through an injury, that only reinforces the impression all of us knew already that Yuzuru Hanyu is one tough cookie. As for this particular ice show, I think all of us want to know who's coming. I don't think anybody will pass it if invited. We will have, of course, the usual suspects - Plushy, Nobu leading the list. Brian and Tracy will be there, though I'm not sure they'll perform. I think Misha might be there also, not so much as an influence but with him being a bit older than Yuzu, it doesn't seem unreasonable to me that he provided some welcome companionship to Yuzu on the international circuit. I am thinking also about two people who might be invited but who reflect the future influenced by Yuzu rather than the past influencing Yuzu. The first is Junhwan Cha, the Korean lad training at TCC. I watched the PC gala last night and I was struck by how much, at first glance, he actually LOOKS like Yuzu. I think it was the hair-style and physique that initially struck me but then I watched his skate and I was struck by how much his style resembles Yuzu's. Definitely Brian's gotten another headliner (though still in the future) in his stable. The other one who is influenced by Yuzu, but not in appearance or skating style, would be Stephen Gogolev, that young fellow doing all the quads. He's doing them because he's been able to see Yuzu (and to a lesser extent, Javi) doing them all the time. Stephen is still an uncut diamond, though, and looking at videos of him skating it is easy to see there is a great deal of improvement required (particularly in PCS elements) but his jumps are clean, particularly when taking his age into account. I think it's been fortunate for Stephen that he's had ready access to two very different stylists, Yuzu and Javi and that Brian has been his coach since age seven. Another person who I'm sure will be there will be Nanami Abe, Yuzu's coach through his junior years and his initial senior year. She is definitely one of his very major influences since she was doing not only the training but also the choreography of his programs and she should be thoroughly commended for the better than excellent job she did there. She not only designed his programs to spotlight his skills but I think she also observed how versatile Yuzu is in skating to different styles of music and really exploited that. The one difficulty Yuzu might have here is the language problem. Yuzu's English is functional, but just barely. I don't think he's dreaming in English. Yet English would almost certainly be the common denominator when looking at the language skills of the various invitees. Will he have a translator on hand or will he try to wing it? I'm sure something will be worked out. Actually, though, in the end I think this will be for Yuzu a means of recapping his career thus far, a means of taking stock and using that to focus on what the next few years should be. I don't think that even Yuzu, going back to his junior days, had any inkling that he would become a living legend, a skater who would become a definer of the sport rather than just an example. We see in Yuzu a skating icon, a reference point when comparing skaters. I think, in fact, that Yuzu's becoming an icon of a different sort, an icon of the athlete who pursues his dream through all the barriers that competing and just life in general (ie, earthquake) are encountered. There aren't really medals given out for those who are simply great human beings, but if there were Yuzu would get one.

I would agree. Former Olympic greats are usually used for the torch lighting. Muhammad Ali, shaking badly from Parkinson's Disease, did the honors at the '96 Atlanta Olympics and the entire hockey team that took the gold at Lake Placid in 1980 lit the torch at the Salt Lake City games in 2002. Los Angeles has the 2028 Summer Games. My bet is that Michael Phelps will do the honors there. Of course Yuzu's lighting the torch at Sapporo would be contingent that he's retired by then. If he competes in Beijing and is successful there you can be sure he'll be the one lighting the torch if Japan gets the 2026 games.

I don't know if this issue has been addressed, but has there been any hard news or speculation as to whether Yuzu might go to Milan to observe the proceedings there? I really don't think he should since actually he'd be somewhat of a distraction there if he did go. Actually my hope is that he's spending these next few weeks at home in Japan with his family. When it finally looks like he can get back on the ice, that's when he heads back to Toronto. As a side note, could some of the hostility against Yuzu in Japan be because he's not training there but in Canada? Just wondering.

OK, I'll admit that I was operating from a vantage point that was not taking into account that Yuzu has changed over the years. I'll take everyone's word over my own limited observations. I've been only involved with Yuzu since I discovered him roughly a year ago. I'll defer to those who are armed with better information and longer exposure with him than I have and who actually know much more about figure skating than I do. My training in literary analysis was what I was using to read the subtext of Yuzu's biography. My problem was that real biographies tend to be much more messy than those depicted in a novel or film or whatever. I just didn't have enough data to legitimately reach the conclusions I reached so I'll defer to those who really do know more than I do. I probably needed this lesson in humility, one comparable to that lesson Nathan Chen received in PC. I have a tendency to indulge in speculation and such speculation is not always based on sufficient source materials. That was the case here. If I engage in such in the future I actually would like correction. That's what I welcomed from my students when I was teaching college lit courses. I really was gratified if I was shot down, not only because it made my students more willing to look critically at what I said, but it also helped me to develop my own thoughts about the subject at hand. Which brings us back to square one, what exactly is Yuzu going to do this upcoming season?