barbara

I just do not have faith that Yuzu will be skating in the 2022-2023 season. Unless he gets back to his coaches and has actual training, his chances at the Olympics (and a successful 4A) are hurt. If he doesn't have a stellar season, I don't think he'd come back.

Well, my plans for the upcoming season just went to hell. NC at SCI? He just ruined it for me. Sure - he gets to pick two close cities because he won last year's Worlds (unfair scoring, as we all know), but... ISU is about to find out what a huge mistake they've made by choosing who they thought would be the popular guy and making everything easy for him and not backing the GOAT. Disappointment hardly describes how I feel. My only hope of seeing Yuzu skate live again is if he does go back to TCC (and I hope he does, for this training and not just for me) and does ACI or possibly Nebelhorn or Finlandia that I could possibly get to. For those who aren't aware, trying to get tickets to any FS event in Japan is a near impossibility for anyone not in Japan or knowing someone in Japan. So NHK and the Final are out. And Russia requires a visa. And it has to be applied for and secured in advance - not that I want to go to a country that has paid such disregard for their athletes' health. So Russia is out. No Yuzu for me. I am crying.

Well, may he who pulls in ratings rule the day!

China has been changing their travel restrictions based on outbreaks in assorted provinces. I can't imagine anyone traveling to China for a Challenger event, but I imagine there will be Russians there. I'm sure he'd like to try to actual rink, but, depending on where he is training (and hoping it's Canada), I can't see him going there. (I'm just a wishful thinker....)

If Yuzu is vaccinated and tests negative on arrival, I suspect his quarantine would be much shorter that 14 days (3 is what I'm thinking). Of course, we still don't know what his plans are but I have hope he'll be back at TCC because he's said his 4A is temporarily on hold (I think he wants Ghislain to help with that). And, fingers crossed, just because tickets aren't on sale for ACI now doesn't mean they won't be in a month.

The reason that Japan lags behind most advanced countries in getting their population vaccinated has nothing to do with "vaccine hesitancy" unless you mean hesitancy by the government. The authorities did not approve almost any of the otherwise globally approved vaccines for many, many months, and wanted to do their own testing (which I can understand a little). There simply didn't seem, to observers, that there was any sense of urgency. It isn't the people of Japan who are displaying the hesitancy - the vaccines have simply not been available or offered and they won't even be able to inoculate residents 65 and older until the end of July! And residents 16 and older into the fall.

My presumption regarding Yuzu putting his 4A on the back burner is that he probably wants to have some proper in-person coaching to push it to perfection. And he doesn't want to get injured working on it on his own. He can have that as his goal this coming season and I hope he breaks it out, but not while risking injury. As to the vaccine - he is a very literate and science-based person and I have no doubt he will be vaccinated ASAP. He wants to skate; he wants to train; he wants to compete. And, of course, he wants to stay healthy. (And also insure he doesn't in anyway jeopardize the health of the older members of his family, who I hope will become eligible for vaccinations very soon.)

This is your tipping point? Wow - you held out tipping a lot longer than me. I tipped years ago.

Currently, Canada is remaining closed to most until July 21, but they are also far further along in getting the population vaccinated. 64% have received at least one dose, though close to 15% of all people 12 and older are totally vaccinated. The 52-59% of the population that is "partially" vaccinated will be getting their additional doses probably by mid to late summer. And I remember that Shoma and Yuzu had to quarantine upon returning from Worlds last spring. The situation in Japan hasn't really gotten any better. Also, Yuzu's coaches are in Canada - he can only have Zoom coaching while he remains in Japan and that is SO far from ideal, especially heading into an Olympic season. The decision is his, of course, but I hope he does return to Canada as soon as he can (and a fully vaccinated Yuzu should have no problem returning there at the end of summer, if not before. (Not quite the same topic, but if he is involved with the summer Olympics, he will have been vaccinated. All staff and support people and Japanese participants are supposed to be getting vaccinated.)

I would think one of the principal issues for junior skaters at those early events is their inability to travel back to Japan because there will likely still be quarantine requirements in place. Of course, until Japan gets large proportion of their population vaccinated, even senior skaters will have problems with travel - unless they start in another country. Shoma will be in Switzerland. Hopefully, Yuzu will evaluate all this and decide to get back to TCC ASAP. He'll be vaccinated - but would his mother be? If Yuzu is based in Toronto, he will be able to travel to any of the GP cities and end up back in Japan for JNats (and maybe NHK). Just hoping.

Yes, it is. Last summer, we drooled over short white wall postings. What he does to us....

Oddly, all I remember from ACI 2019 is the excitement meeting the other satellites, scrambling over Japanese aunties to get to the front row, that damn hockey puck marked glass and Yuzu. Yuzu practicing, Yuzu warming up and Yuzu competing. And Jun. I do remember that Evgenia was there so I must have been present for the ladies, but all I really recall is the men. And this year, I will hope I can see Yuzu (and Jun) again.

I notice that they have three days for ACI - does that mean there will be more disciplines or an actual gala or something like that....?

You don't need to not understand the ins and outs of English to miss the OMI and OIT. I'm an American, but older so know very few of those three letter deals (except OMG=oh my god). And, yes, BTS has shattered all global streaming and music video records. Some of us became BTS fans during the extended Yuzu drought. Had to have something to keep our spirits up.

FYI: BTS is the #1 pop rock group in the world and has a massive global following (the Planet has a tiny but passionate sub-group just for them). They are, however, Korean, so U.S. awards shows troll their fans by saying "next up" just to keep viewers for three hours. It's infuriating. But just as with Yuzu, once the main act is done, whether it's first in a show or three hours in, the show is over. He's who we come to see. Everybody else are just supporting players.

I haven't purchased a new photobook since "Yuzu'll be Back II". Which of the latest releases has photos from the brief 20-21 season (if we can even call it that) and also, maybe, 4CC 2020.....? Recommendations?

I wonder if he knows how Johnny Weir has talked about him, particularly in regard to the NC "competition. I know he's lost me - but Yuzu is a lot more forgiving - and also is likely unaware that Johnny talks about him as if he's a "has-been".

The Olympics won't be cancelled because the IOC won't cancel or postpone them. The host country (Japan, in this instance) has zero say over that decision. The IOC has money involved and have already shown a disregard for the health and safety of athletes. The only reason I can see for it going forward is for the athletes themselves, who have trained so hard for so song. Yuzu may be a massive name and draw in Japan, but he is a skater. Hasn't it been presumed that it would be a summer athlete who would light the cauldron? It really should be. It's a lose/lose for Yuzu if he's asked to participate (duty versus strongly held belief that it shouldn't be happening - and also his health) and I truly hope they stick to summer athletes.

And he has a baby now, too....

Please, please NO stupid show instead of a legitimate gala.

It was SO fun to be able to be there for the entire weekend with so many satellites/friends. And we lucked into the seats. You don't have to buy a great seat to get a great seat (feel free to DM me how if you have a chance at seeing him.) Yes - everyone should be able to watch Yuzu live, at least one (though you will become addicted). And the group of us are in this video but also in plenty of fancams. Yuzu is fast so you have to look carefully....

I wouldn't care at all if my personal photos were used in a Yuzu database. Yes, they are precious to me (and most of them are kind of blurry because, as anyone who has seem him skate live knows, he is always moving and moving fast) but the only reason I have hard copy prints of Yuzu form competitions I haven't attended, which is most all of them, is because someone else shared them. It's Yuzu who is precious and my memories of seeing him live are beyond precious, but sharing the photos doesn't faze me.

How, specifically, can we help this change? This is an abomination!

I was going to post this, too - saved in to my instagram... And look at his calves!

Why?