barbara

You can hear him say to Jason, before they head out to the ice for the medal ceremony (Jason says he likes the collar) "I feel like shining". Who knew he'd also glow in the dark?

That's good to know.....I just really like to see all the TCC guys skating...

I think Yuzuru is, hands down, MUCH better looking - but when they are looking things scientifically, which this is, they look at symmetry and Yuzu's face is not symmetric. But who wants symmetric? Not me!

Ok, I feel a little better...

Ahhhhh. Thanks for clearing that up...

No - the core five does not include a Canadian-based ACI - just a possible Canadian competition (in the core 5 or the additional 5). Read the ISU communication. It's not that Canada can't have one; they simply seem to be stating that if more US ISU members lobby for the fifth official competition, they might get it.

I haven't seen a lot of comments on any of the forums about the latest from the ISU regarding next year's Challenger series (ACI!!!!) - It's "ISU Communication 2307". And states - "One event in Canada or the United States to be agreed upon among the ISU Figure Skating Members in Canada and the United States........ Up to a maximum of five (5) additional International Figure Skating Competitions may be added by the ISU Council at its full discretion based on the applications from organizing ISU Members from all Continents to be submitted to the ISU." Two competitions in No America????? I see this a a major snub to Canada and Canadians (and I am only a Canadian wannabe). Why are they even thinking of changing the country location? This has always been held in Canada. Not that the ISU pays any attention to fans at all (and I still don't have my single event tickets for Worlds, which is an ISU deal but this isn't about that), but perhaps if every Canadian on the Planet writes the ISU Figure Skating Members in Canada stressing how important it is to keep ACI in Canada, that might help keep it in Canada. If ACI is not in Canada but in the states, there is little to no chance of Yuzuru being there. Or Jun or even Roman. The whole point of the Challenger series seems to be to give seniors competition experience. Yuzu will want to try out his new and, expected, spectacular new programs and would go if it's anywhere in Canada (somewhere in eastern Canada being preferred, I'm sure, by TCC people). As with all FS competitions, if Yuzuru isn't there, I won't be either and I really want to see him skate next season, on this continent. So, Canadians - start lobbying the Canadian ISU members....now.

What's a bg?

I like the first one best - with a sort of caption cloud above Yuzu's head. I'm so blah that my PH handle is actually my name. Me aka me. What a great idea. So I could keep people straight and know who'd i met before, I typed out all the satellite names for the ACI meet-up and then wrote the real names down as I met people , and some identifying info, if appropriate. And, then for SCI, did the same thing but put an asterisk on everyone who'd been there for ACI and a mark for who was going for dinner, etc.. And I'll likely do the same thing for Worlds - but the name buttons will really help. And I can think of at least one person who isn't going to Worlds who I will get one for. He'll be at ACI this fall and is a true fan. You come up with such good ideas @rockstaryuzu I guess this is what happens when your time is freed up from making massive dinner plans for everyone.

Excellent advice. As I went back to school as an adult and a mother, I worked as a research asst and co-authored too many grant proposals (a must in scientific research) and papers. So, I came out debt-free also, though it took longer than it would have had I been young and free and supported. In the sciences, it is required to "add" something totally new to the science and that, for me, seemed the most daunting. Hadn't it all been done already? So, it really was finding my niche and making it my own. Your linguistics goal is literally a different language than hard science research. I had to learn "science" speak but that seems relatively simple compared to doing any research in a language so unlike my native English. I just think your research sounds wonderful and something you could truly throw your heart in to, and ultimately, being passionate about the project is what will see you through all the research and writing and requirements and course work, etc.. I do hope you have a supportive major professor and a committee with imagination.

Well, I DO hope for a win. Not all the judges are the same and we have to hope that at least enough of the unbiased ones are the judges at Worlds this year.

As someone who spent half a decade in post-grad study (in Geosciences, so nothing like what you are doing), I can say that is an exquisite thesis topic. Even better for a dissertation. Go straight to the PhD - it saves time. Work on your proposal starting now and know that you will have SO much material to work with and a huge audience for your diz - unlike most that are read by your committee and go into an archive. And you can even follow his maturation over a decade in how he phrases what he wants to say and how that has evolved, I'd read it.

She is a sweet young girl who understands that a skater, even the GOAT, is a human being with real human feelings who has real human needs. He gets hugs from his coaches, but, I think, only after competitions. We all need to be seen and understood and hugged. And without Javi there, it's nice to know that someone gets to look him in the eye and show him that she cares.

Spot on.

You know, at least they are all unique and complete and beautiful. All NC's look the same - nothing memorable.

Nathan can continue being king in the US - but he's not the king of the world. And I think Vincent will be giving him a run for his money next year...

Breaks my heart.

Agree 100%. Origin is a beast. But it will take more than his brilliant artistry and incomparable transitions and jumps to beat NC - he needs fair judging. So, along with our support for him during what must be a quite trying time, we should all wish on the evening star, every evening, that Worlds has unbiased, fair judging.

Both his Origin and his Otonal step sequences are exhilarating. Sometimes I watch them on Youtube and concentrate only on his feet. They are magic all on their own.

Purple is good. But I'd probably be sporting purple hair until it all grew out. Light hair, blonde hair and grey hair just LOVE to turn a color and then hold on to it. How would you get the purple out? (I once turned my son's hair green for his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Halloween costume and the green would not come out. It took months. Of course, his hair was white-platinum at the time. The sort of hair color that turns green if you swim in chlorinated pools a lot.)

I don't think Yuzu would smirk about these unfair changes, ever. The judging is falling apart, the ISU is biased and falling apart. I think this is crushing him and he's doing his utmost to stand tall and win.

Yuzu is the only one who accepts responsibility for losing but Nathan does not deserve credit for winning. Even he must know that Yuzu is being under evaluated. I truly do not understand the mind set of the ISU and the judges who are behind this. Yes, Nathan can jump but he is nowhere near the artistic level that Yuzu is. No one is. He is motivated in a new way and, yes, if judged fairly and he re-takes gold at Worlds, there is no doubt he will astound and amaze us all with what he achieves in the next season. Otonal and Origin were meant to honor those who inspired him. Now, perhaps, he can honor himself. What you write here is so spot on and so utterly heartbreaking.

It's really pretty stunning that this news has been under wraps this whole time. And almost shocking that no one at TCC leaked it, because he has to have been practicing for months - even before Japanese Nationals. If this is true (and I'll believe it when we see it), he's more than likely to do Otonal or Origin for the "Gala". I feel like I've been thrown under a bus. I'm not sure why. I want him to take gold at World's and wonder if he can fit a fifth quad into Seimei while shaving 20 seconds off of it, in order to compete with NC.

You know, whether he knows about this potential typo (or is, in fact, going to make a change) there is no mechanism or PR-type person to confirm or deny. I suppose Brian or Ghislain could let people know, but they aren't in to revealing anything about any of their skaters, especially so close to a competition. And why would they? Eee gads, we are all so easily flummoxed! I see this as a symptom of YDS (Yuzuru Deprivation Syndrome). All will be better in just a few days....

His Wikipedia page has Otonal and Origin for his 2019-2020 season and I would go with that. The ISU doesn't seem to follow what Yuzu is doing very closely and who knows who made, what I think, is and obvious error. Just goes to show how little regard they have for him even though he's singularly responsible for the massive uptick in interest in figure skating in, at least, the past 8 years. There is no way he'd change his programs this late in the season.