Yuzurella

Aaawww... This is so sweet! Yuzu is such an inspiration to so many people.

And spending lots and lots of time with Ice-chan!

Yuzu doesn't age. He just becomes more and more beautiful with time. ETA:

I even came across an article about Yuzu's comeback at Japanese Nationals in Austria's most popular newspaper. Figure skating is basically non-existent here and no news media ever reports about it except perhaps an article or two during the Olympics.

Yuzu was also mentioned on Chinese national TV. Yep, he's definitely big news in China. [NEWS]

And YouTube isn't available in China. If Chinese viewers would have access to YouTube, the number of views might be double as high. I can imagine that Yuzu will gain many more fans in China because of the Olympics.

Ah, so it's minus GOES for both. I see.

Indeed, Machida-san, indeed. Let's hope and pray Yuzu stays healthy and happy and fulfills his goals and dreams! [NEWS]

I agree with Shoma. It was really amazing that Yuzu put in the 4A, landed it on two feet and skated the rest of his program beautifully. That was so powerful of Yuzu! Actually, I also think judge No 9 was right to only give him a -1 GOE for that 4A. It wasn't a fall and it barely disrupted his program. [NEWS]

The official Twitter account of the Beijing Olympics posted about Yuzu. [NEWS]

I also think that judges will be under more scrutiny during an Olympic season, especially during the Olympic competition. In the Olympics, not only the ISU and national feds are involved, but also the IOC and the organizers of the games. In addition, the scope is much larger and international media also pay much more attention than they would otherwise. Considering Yuzu's popularity in China and all over the world, his participation in the Olympics will be the biggest story and he will be the biggest star of the games. Many official bodies involved in the Olympics, including the organizers and media companies in China, have been promoting Yuzu. They are very well aware what a huge star he is and that a lot of international attention on the games is focused on him. I believe all these factors would make it less likely that Yuzu gets screwed over by the judges. Also, as I've already mentioned before, Yuzu is now the top boss of the technical game again with his 4A. And Nathan's formulaic programs with a 5 quads FP are literally yesterday's news. It's just not that impressive anymore after a couple of seasons of the same old, same old. Moreover, Nathan hasn't exactly delivered convincingly this season.

OMG! The fabled 2A! I always thought that it's just a legend. Who would've thought that I'd ever get to see it with my own eyes? It's truly a magical beast that overcomes the force of gravity.

Thank you very much for your analysis. You made some really good points. I also think that Yuzu doesn't need 5 quads to win. I believe that even if he keeps his present SP and FP layout and skates them both clean, it might very well be enough. It's true that Nathan has been overscored on a ridiculous level for the past years. But let's keep in mind that the times when he was the most overscored, he was the one who delivered clean programs and a clean FP with 5 quads when others made mistakes. When Yuzu lost to him in Worlds 2019 and GPF 2019, Yuzu made mistakes in both SPs, while Nathan was clean. In a fair world, Yuzu should have still won, of course, due to the sheer difference in quality. But Yuzu's mistakes made it easy for the judges to underscore him and overscore Nathan. I also agree on the psychological component of the 4A. Apart from his nationality, the main reason why judges have been so overly generous to Nathan was his ability to deliver clean 2-quad SPs and clean 5-quad FPs on a regular basis, something that only he could do. His consistency also made it easy for the judges to shower him with PCS candies on top of GOE candies. Again, it was certainly inappropriate and not how PCS scores are supposed to work. But let's face it, in the real world, PCS are based on a skater's flag and on how many quads they can land cleanly. Now that Yuzu has a 4A in his arsenal, he is the innovator, the guy with the unique technical abilities, the one who has the highest difficulty. I think that's why Yuzu said something along the lines of that he needs the 4A to win the Olympics. I think he more than anyone understands the psychological advantage that element gives him, an advantage that goes far beyond the measly points difference. Another reason why the 4A is such an important weapon is that it puts immense pressure on Yuzu's competitors. They are now the chasers again, the ones who have to keep up. Yuzu has said time after time that his priority is the 4A. It's possible that he decided to go and give it his all in the coming Olympics because the 4A finally started to take shape and he's very close to landing it perfectly. This is what gives him a very competitive edge over everyone else. And the 4A being almost ready might have been a decisive factor in Yuzu's decision to commit to the Olympics. Another point we should keep in mind is that Nathan is still human. And as we could see this season, he's far from infallible. Just because he managed to pull off one difficult program after another in the past doesn't mean he can keep on doing it indefinitely. Also, the added pressure of the Olympics should not be underestimated. I believe that Yuzu wouldn't have committed to the Olympics if he was uncertain of whether he can win with what he has. He has nothing to prove to anyone anymore. This shows me that he only decided to go to the Olympics because he believes that he can win. Therefore, we should trust him and believe that he can win with what he has.

Yuzu, if you've decided that you will give it your all, then we will be with you along the way, supporting you and cheering you on! It makes me sad to think that Yuzu is going to the Olympics after all and I won't be able to watch and support him him there, as I had intended to. But nothing can be done about that. The most important thing is that Yuzu stays healthy and happy along the way and achieves his dreams and goals. I'll be supporting and cheering him from afar! [NEWS]

Could a Japanese speaker please kindly translate what Lemy-chan and Haru-chan are saying? Thank you! And Roncapu-chan taking flight in the background. So cute!

I think old man Pooh is enjoying his well deserved retirement. He went through so much together with Yuzu. He's definitely cheering Yuzu from the comfort of his honorary spot in Yuzu's home.

More coincidences. The stars are aligned for Yuzu.

Happy late Christmas to you, too, Yuzu! Rest well and take good care of yourself!

On top of that, Yuzu also showed his absolute mastery and established his position as the top boss and one of the favorites for the OGM once again. Oh, and I'm sure he also managed to make quite a few people nervous.

Yuzu be like, "If it should take winning the Olympics in order to land a perfect 4A, then I guess I'll win the Olympics again. Sigh."

You're welcome! Perhaps Yuzu is really meant to land the first clean and ratified 4A ever during the Olympics.

The 4A was downgraded and got the points of a 3A (with minus GOEs). So, it didn't count as a 4A. But as far as I know, even if Yuzu would've landed a clean 4A, it wouldn't have been ratified as the first 4A ever landed because it would've been in a national competition. I think only landing it at an international comp would count.

Aaaw, Yuzu... we're so proud of you. And you should be so, so proud of yourself and of what you've achieved. This post has been tagged by yuzuangel as [NEWS].

Wow! Yuzu is being extra on another level again. Wearing jewels on his feet is what he deserves.

Merry Christmas! I hope Yuzu will achieve his goals and dreams. His little fairies are helping and supporting him as always.