barbara

He can do many things very well, but will never be able to even bend backwards halfway while standing on solid ground. (But he totally supports my, what shall I call it, immense admiration for Yuzu.)

I think it's incredibly telling that he has a social following of zero but probably has more social media followers than anyone. Add up Facebook groups and Instagram accounts and Twitter and, of course, us (and there must be other Hanyu-centric sites elsewhere in other languages we don't even know about). edit - i just looked at the entire list - almost everyone has millions and millions of followers. One has something like 687 thousand. Our guy - zero.

It's a better choice than dozens of names celebrities have named their babies in the last few years. You can use any name you like.

And still not looking away. Still phots capture so much, as well. The balance and flexibility and artistry and muscles. Oddly, it took several days for my son to notice there are large collage posters of Yuzuru hanging in my house. I try to have less than photos of my son, but it's not easy.

We are connected to a bigger reality. Yuzu is our north star.

Notte Stellata - and both SP and FS from PyeongChang are SO exceptional. I love SC, but that's also because I was there and can share my own jaw-dropping experience of watching him live (and am also visible in the videos, so that's fun.).

Yes, but he was so much younger. Beautiful but I try to convince people with his more recent competitions. I'll recommend this one, though.

With all the talk about increasing stamina, I wonder if medically, any sort of stamina-building or exercise would prevent the sort of asthma attack Yuzuru clearly must have had just prior to JNats, He was so clearly ill, and off. I think if there was, his people (and not his federation) would have already addressed it. But we know he won't make "excuses" even though it's not an excuse, it's a reason. Ultimately, he can be a huge inspiration to children with asthma by admitting how difficult this has been for him to overcome and how he didn't allow suffering from asthma prevent him from being the pinnacle of a physically demanding sport. (Also, on the whole swimming-to-increase-stamina thing - you don't have to actually swim to gain aerobic benefits from a pool. You can just fast walk in chest high water. It's what I've had to do to come back from multiple surgeries that prevent anything high-impact. Very boring, and probably as boring as skating around and around in a rink for an hour...but less demanding on joints.)

What? Who are these people? I know so many people (all of my family include) who just don't get it. They just don't see what we see. In a way, Yuzu almost makes it look too easy so the uninformed don't really see all the athleticism behind even the step sequences. It's hard for me because what he does is so beyond just athleticism. It's artistry. (And kindness and caring.) If a person cannot be wowed by H&L '17, there is a piece of them missing that they may never notice, but I sort of feel sad for them that they are unable to see the brilliance and beauty in his skating. I continue to send Youtube links in the hope that someone will, at least, watch. They may think I'm the crazy one, but my grown son and my sister, while not able to quite get what it is I see, know it's something that has changed me and are happy for that. The piece of me that was missing has been found.

Tis the season for shenanigans.

And Merry Christmas to all three of you!

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all the PH people, especially my satellite friends who made this year warm and welcoming. I seem unable to attach a photo here but I received from my son THREE Japanese magazines, both Yuzuru one and II (photography by Sunao Noto) and Ice Jewels, the 2017-2018 Photobook. So surprised. Made my dat. A happy, healthy 2020 to you all and to Yuzuru, may he shine as brightly as we know he can.

Ditto. Makes me wish I understood Japanese. But, alas...

There's an earphone collectors community? Wow.

I love your protectiveness. Really, I do. Especially for those you care about. And Yuzu.

Just because he qualified for 4CC doesn't mean he'll go. He may decide he needs to rest and train for the extra month before Worlds. And I kind of hope he does (wasn't planning on 4CC for me anyway..). Keiji can go and Yuzu can take World's! He knew, his coaches knew, that he had too many competitions too close together an that his principal issue was exhaustion. I'm shattered he didn't get gold, but so happy for Shoma.

I think the key words here are "USfed"----and Yuzuru was injured last year. He'd have won the GP Final if he hadn't been injured. So maddening.

Welcome to the club. The first is always the sweetest.

Wow -How can they possibly explain NC's insane increase in GOE in one year - and in a year he was in classes at college and not practicing as intensely as he might otherwise have. This is SO visible and infuriating.

Javi skated his last championship at 27, nearly 28. If the ISU doesn't destroy Yuzu and he stays injury free, there is no reason I could see him wanting to retire before that age, meaning he would be younger than Javi was at retirement for the 2020 Olympics. But, I really think unfair judging could kill his love of competition. He has to win. And he should.

Makes you wish the ISU would pay attention to this - do they really think Yuzuru isn't the driving force behind the sports growing popularity?

I didn't know that - interesting info. But I only have the one computer - so I'll pull it up on my phone and see if that helps.

I watched this three times today and there was no uptick in the number of views... So let's keep trying.

And you are a reliable source of info on Ghislain, so thank you.

Ghislain and Tracy have children and Brian does not. So, missing Christmas in Canada is more acceptable for him -especially if he's had three years break. And why do the Russians have a championship over a major holiday? I guess Russian Orthodox Christmas is Jan 7?