TallyT

Nobu is adorable (going on from the chocolate discussion, he is the Tim Tam of skating) and so good-natured, not all of them could laugh at it, bt he clearly loves Yuzu as we do. Didn't you just want to hug him? Happiest tears ever....

I agree. I mean, he has or has had Eteri as coach which from all the hype you would think would give him a boost, he has been outperforming pretty much all of the younger ones for the last couple of years, but still.... (Don't mind me, I like Sergei best of pretty much the whole troop of Russians these days)

Sprungli No 1 from Zurich is the Hanyu of chocolate, sorry. The once we were over there and bought 4 whole pieces (not cheap, not at all cheap) I didn't eat another thing for a day because I was trying so hard not to lose the taste....

This is like being asked which Swiss chocolates do you choose, let me dither for an hour or more here.... Okay, Seimei because it was my first real Yuzu program, and the place in my heart is forever. Otonal was more perfectly done, but Origin he fought for (and that costume!) Oh god oh god.... Hope & Legacy by an atom's thickness Masquerade, I adore the wild, mature Yuzu. This is not helping but I can't resist. I love Phantom, but I'll go for Otonal. Origin again, but not picking HkY hurts. Can't go past Notte Stellata (especially since I last night watched the SC rehearsal again...) The only way I can choose here is by the music, and I'm not a great Prince fan, so... Masquerade. Chopin undoubtedly reached a peak of perfection that stuns, but my love for wild baby Yuzu (R&J1) and soft spot for unappreciated tripecrown R&J2 wins out... Change. I adore Change. No. Simply.... no. PW because he just seemed to be enjoying himself so much....

I have to say, it appears someone has been teaching Shoma the High Art of Trolling....

That poster is stunningly beautiful....

I dreamed last night that Yuzu DID announce his programs for 2019-20 as Masquerade and Origin. Wishful thinking, I'm sure....

Yuzu will be out of it, and if the USFS want to wreck everything that makes the sport...

Oh my god, you can see a faint, shimmery, water spirit starting to emerge...

It's being thoroughly dissected in the It's that time of the year - coaching changes 2019/2020 - Page 12 - Knickknacks: General Skating Chat thread

The Yuzu&Javi relationship was unique, I can't see it working again (Shoma is lovely, but Javi's generosity and welcome was always something else, I have always thought that he even more than Yuzu made that early teaming up work). And there is the point that Shoma has said - more than once - that one of his biggest ambitions is to beat Yuzuru. That's a little more personal (though quite understandable, and in a competitive, not disturbing, way!) than just wanting to win gold, and might make sharing the coach who might be supposed to make it happen for him difficult. And - without being unkind - I got the feeling that signing up with Evgenia proved more work and drama than Brian and the TCC actually anticipated. Sure, the rewards are now showing up and may be great, but would Brian want to again take on a person already at the top and remould them, until she is pretty much where they want her to be? Shoma has said he's still basically shopping around...

Yuzu's waistline is a thing of beauty and a joy forever (yes, I'm that shallow )

You and everyone else, by the looks of it

And I doubt that said rival and his family and federation would be even slightly agreeable to his coach working to improve the chances in Beijing of one of the men who beat him in Pyeongchang... you'd need to be a saint to even contemplate it. OTOH, Shoma just got his first international gold with his current coach, so any step up must be... quite a step.

The thing is, Shoma may have had a less than encouraging year but he's still added to his impressive pile of medals - and got his first international gold. So if he's looking to a coach that can take him higher.... there really can't be that many on this list?

I just love a good-looking man in glasses {sigh...} Javi does it for me as well though Javi has even more spectacular eyelashes (another of my weaknesses) which glasses do hide a little...

If Shoma goes to Eteri that Boyang HAS to change his mind and go to Brian, simply because.. The DRAMA at rinkside will be splendid, totally overshadow that on the ice...

But would Raf take on someone who could be one of Nathan's stronger rivals? (I know it worked for Yuzu and Javi, but their relationship is celebrated for its uniqueness) On top of Stephen? (I mean, personally I still believe that the of the 3 pretenders to the 2018 Olympic crown, none will stay the course for OGM in 2022, but what do I know?)

Or baby Yuzu leaving Nanami Abe all those years ago.

American fans are talking about Raf but I can't help feeling that's like the everyonegotoBrian rumours after the Olympics - he has Nathan and now Stephen looking (if rather prematurely for the latter but that's what they said about Yuzu) to 2022, it'd be rather optimistic to think it would work the way Yuzu and Javi did, and even that proved hard in the run up. What surprises me is that he's announced the departure without apparently having the new coach locked in (of course he could and just isn't saying... yet)

Umm.... wasn't there a rumour about a Japanese skater going to Tutberidze? I hope this isn't it, I just can't see it at all, but we will definitely need to stock up on popcorn both for the next year and looking to 2022...

Though I'm not sure he'd agree to do it - I'm sure I read that when they wanted him to carry the flag at the closing ceremony (can't recall if it was Sochi or PC) he demurred saying he just wanted to enjoy the march past with the others as one competitor among all of Japan's. And it being the summer Olympics, he might think it would be taking spotlight off the summer Olympians (though I suspect most of them would be thrilled to see him there )