Henni147

I want to be fair. The landing of the opening 4S was not ideal (the quality of the 4S at WTT was far superior). It's also a fact that Yuzu made a hop in the first cluster of the StSq and his overall commitment to the performance was a bit stronger at WTT. So the score of the Swiss judge was probably the closest to reality with 109. Personally, I would have given +5 for the sit spin and 9.75 for transitions, but that doesn't change much. For whatever reason, the GBR judge seemed to have a crush on Shoma. While every skater got 5-13 points less from her than the panel's average, Shoma got only 2 points less. In any way, Mrs Davidson deserves a cell for long-term inmates in Azkaban. Back to Yuzu's SPs. In a logical world with fair scoring the results should have been roughly as follows (I put the difference to the official scores in brackets): 114 4CC Chopin (-3) 110 COR (0) & NHK (-1) & JNats Otonal (0) 109 SC Otonal (0), Worlds LMEY (-3) 108 JNats LMEY (-5) 107 WTT LMEY (0) Fight me, but the difference between 4CC Chopin and the other performances was there. We got some really strong versions of Otonal, but none of them was so squeaky clean and refined in quality as Ballade. Particularly the section with the combo, where the music had to be re-edited to fit into the second half, felt not quite right and that should be reflected in the scores. The only reason why I did not give 4CC Ballade the max score of 116 is: - The 4S could have been a bit higher and the landing position maintained a second longer before going into the SE (like he did with the 3A at SC 2015) - The camel spin lost a bit in speed towards the end - The sit spin was not as perfectly centered as it used to be - And the dramaturgical distribution of the jumps with the combo on the crescendo in the second half was better in the Oly version, so only 9.75 for composition. Everything else was on point with deserved +5 and 10.00. The 111 that he got was a crime for this masterpiece. I would be very interested in your opinions, too. As a fanyu it's hard to be fully objective. Maybe I'm too friendly, maybe too picky, but this is my impression.

Well, if the scoring was fair, there would probably be no real rivalry either. Nathan's PCS would be somewhere in the low or mid 8's like Nam's and Boyang's, his GOE around +0 / +2 and half of his spins would be invalidated. And if he actually started working on his total package, I bet my salary that his consistency would collapse like a card house. That's what happened to Boyang after the system change. At the same time, the +4 / +5 GOE on Yuzu's elements and high PCS would give him a comfortable margin, which would probably lead to less pressure, more confidence and hence more clean competitions. He could even afford to play around with the 4A without putting his win at risk. A clean SP alone would give him an advantage of 8-10 points over everyone else, because that's how disarmingly strong he is in that segment. I could be totally wrong, but the plain numbers tell me that exactly this would happen.

Yeah, my account is back. Hooray!! I totally understand if a popular music piece or video/broadcast is protected and a video of +1 minute length violates copyright. But using 5 seconds of LGC at SOI with disastrous sound quality for a small video edit... B*tch please I agree with you here. Adam had some really questionable takes in the past, but in this particular case it's nothing really harmful imo. Yes, Yuzu stressed in multiple interviews that his goal is the 4A, not the Olympics, but a) that doesn't mean it's not important to him and b) we would all look really stupid if he had some actual top secret master plan in his bag and magnificently fooled all of us the entire time lol And yes, Adam simply may not have followed Yuzu's interviews closely. I mean, it's indeed... eh... unique that a defending two-time Olympic champion skates another 4 competitive seasons, has the first ever chance in 94 years for a three-peat and... is not interested in it

I included one or two jumps from SOI in the 20/21 flashback video, but the clips were less than 5 seconds long to make sure that they cannot be flagged for copyright. Maybe they still can... I never received any notifications for copyright violations via twitter before and the clips have been up for more than two months now. I could understand that they delete the affected videos, but closing the whole account at once without any previous warnings? That's harsh. Anyways. I wrote a mail to the support team and wait for their response. I refuse to believe that uploading video snippets and pictures is treated like a capital crime, while targetted harassment, bullying, racism, homophobia, transphobia and deaththreats stay up for months and need to be reported +1000 times until something happens. If this is twitter's policy, I better stay away from that platform in the future entirely. EDIT: I just received a response from the support team that they apologize for the inconveniences. It seems like they locked my account "by mistake" lol.

OT, but quick question to everyone: Seems like my twitter account has been temporarily locked for whatever reason and I cannot log in. I'm really curious what crime I've committed apart from posting that "team bronze medals are extremely important nowadays". Has someone experienced this already?

Yes and LMEY has reached 2.2 mio as well. This is so awesome!

Seimei's growth of 3.71M is absolute bonkers Now let's get it to 20M This post has been tagged by yuzuangel as [NEWS].

OT: I want to be very honest. There are true gentlemen sports like snooker, where the players apologize for flukes, admit overlooked fouls or correct the referee to their own disadvantage, risking to lose the frame or even the whole match and the prize money for the sake of fairness. As long as some skaters, coaches and judges purposely exploit loopholes in the system to win - it's cynical to use the terms "ladies" and "gentlemen" in figure skating. In that moment, when there is a practiced code of honor among the judges, and skaters go asking the technical panel to correct wrong calls, costing them a medal or title, we can talk about a ladies' and gentlemen's sport, but not a single day earlier. Like "Please correct the edge call on my Lutz. I clearly felt that it was inside, not outside." I have my doubts that this will ever happen, but one can hope. Different topic: I decided to create a new compilation of my 10 12 favorite Yuzu step sequences, uploaded in two threads. 1. My 6 fav SP StSq: 2. My 6 fav FS StSq: I hope, that you like the sequences too. Which ones are your favorites?

Well, thinking back to the GPF 2015 gala finale, Yuzu + Don't Stop Me Now is a combo for the ages that I will remember forever: 1. The 4T right on "I'm a sex machine ready to reloaaad" at 01:47 2. The iconic booty wiggle at 02:10 3. The air guitar escalation at 05:30 I wonder what he would make out of it in a solo performance

Exactly. I have the feeling that Yuzu skating to literal silence would be a spiritual experience. Usually, when I mute the audio track of his performances, it is not really silent, because I can still "hear" the music through his skating, merged with the sound of his blades. There are some silent parts of Ballade No. 1 that I cannot imagine without the sound of his blades anymore. They are a part of the music piece now like the landing sound of the 3A in Pyeongchang. EDIT I think, skating to silence does not necessarily mean that your skating must be silent, but rather that it has to "bring the silence to life". Give it a shape and show its character. Every silence is different in vibe and atmosphere. There is the silence of fear, the silence of suspense, the silence of peace, the silence of grief... Like @shanshani said, the silence of the crowd plays an important part in this, too. How can you make the crowd feel the different vibes of silence and react to it? Join it or break it with sounds like applause, screams, crying etc. To play with the different facettes of silence in your skating is probably one of the most exciting challenges in this form of art and I'm really curious what Yuzu would make out of it.

I cannot speak for others on this matter, but I want to make clear: I do not make any assumptions whether Nathan himself is a misogynist or homophobe or not. The key problem is the motivation behind the decisions he makes: It would be 100% legit to say: "I want to skate to hip hop or wear athletic costumes, because that is my style, my personality and the best way for me to convey my own feelings." But to choose all these things in the hope to satisfy a group of people with a bigoted world view is immature and very harmful for figure skating as a whole. Particularly because many people in charge share this view and yes, because a majority of conservative judges favors straight and 'masculine' skaters. This is not a secret. Nathan is a three-time world champion and the ISU's poster boy. What is he afraid of? If his friends are unable to appreciate his hard work and effort as a figure skater, what is that friendship worth? What is a "good image" worth if I have to be a puppet of my social surrounding and cannot be true to myself? Other American skaters like Adam, Jason or Amber are no world champions, but still have the courage to go out and fight these long-lasting prejudices. I do not expect Nathan to run a campaign for LGBTQ rights, but I expect him to represent this sport in a way that it does not spoil the efforts of other skaters who keep on fighting for acceptance, respect and equality. I hope that he will finally grow up, stop hiding behind a facade and show us his confident, true self on the ice. Not what others want him to be. If he does that, I will bow to him. But you cannot "walk the talk", when the only issue you see is a problematic choice of words. The problem goes way beyond wording.

Well, since Yuzu keeps TenChi as his freeskate, a 4 minute cut of 4'33'' is probably out of question (SP cut as well). If at all, it could be used for the EX gala in full length. THAT would be something I actually like the idea with 'Not Today'. With that piece no one could complain that Yuzu is shy of leaving his comfort zone By the way. My mom has suggested this piece for Yuzu's 4A quest: Defying Gravity (by Idina Menzel) Something has changed within me Something is not the same I'm through with playing by the rules Of someone else's game Too late for second-guessing Too late to go back to sleep It's time to trust my instincts Close my eyes and leap! It's time to try defying gravity I think I'll try defying gravity Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity And you won't bring me down I'm through accepting limits 'Cause someone says they're so Some things I cannot change But 'til I try, I'll never know! Too long I've been afraid of Losing love I guess I've lost Well, if that's love It comes at much too high a cost! I'd sooner buy defying gravity Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity I think I'll try defying gravity And you won't bring me down Unlimited My future is unlimited And I just had a vision Almost like a prophecy I know, it sounds truly crazy And true, the vision's hazy But I swear, someday I'll be flying so high I'm defying gravity @DancingFeather Yeah, a fan music medley would be really incredible. Impro dance is a funny idea, too, but I feel, it would be better to give him a few months to prepare it well. He puts so much thought and attention to detail into his choreos, it would be sad to rob him of that chance.

I had to think about that mysterious SP for the new season... what it could be... I still have absolutely no idea tbh. All we know: it's a program that only Yuzuru Hanyu can do. However. What I would 100% celebrate: John Cage: 4'33'' Definitely a music piece that only Yuzu can bring to life. Absolutely no one else. Would love to hear the media's reaction to that genius move (Especially after saying that he couldn't present it at DOI because of the music cut lolololol) Europe: The Final Countdown Considering that Yuzu set himself the goal to land the 4A this season... it truly feels like a final countdown I'm sure, he would bring the house down with that program. Even the spiders and cockroaches in the arena would go wild Gloria Gaynor: I will survive Weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye? You think I'd crumble? You think I'd lay down and die? Oh no, not I. I will survive! This would be the sweetest message to all people who have been wishing him into retirement from day 1

I don't know if anyone has realized it, but since the start of the Tokyo Olympics Yuzu's Seimei performance on the Olympic Channel has moved up by more than 500K views and has reached 18.34 mio. views in total!! He is not even at the Olympics in person, but he is still omnipresent

Welcome back to the Planet, Katja! Hope, you will post more often again, you were really missed Thank you for sharing your differentiated opinion on this spicy topic. As this is the General Yuzu Chat, I try to reduce my feedback to the Yuzu-related parts. I agree that Yuzu's social environment probably played a key role in the development of his world view, values and attitude towards life, including the perception, acceptance and treatment of other people. However, I remember his former classmates reporting how Yuzu used to defend fellow students, who had been bullied or excluded at school, and even made friends with them. From what I read, he was not that type of kid who bent the knee to peer groups and followed the mainstream in order to appear "cool". He followed his own convictions and principles from very young age. The experiences of Tohoku 3-11 probably contributed a lot to Yuzu's early maturity, growth and wise way of thinking, but the foundation must have been layed in his childhood already. This does not happen from one day to the next. Of course, it is hard to fundamentally change your attitude, even as an adult. You cannot simply push the reset button, drop your family, your friends and leave everything behind. When you haven't been in touch with anything else but a social surrounding with a bigoted world view, it's difficult to break out and go your own way. (Footnote: when you are training with Adam Rippon and dating Amber Glenn, you cannot say that you've never experienced different perspectives, though) However, when you represent a sport as a world champion, it's your job to learn to give proper interviews and think before you say something. Receiving a medal also means to take the responsibilities that go along with it. You become an ambassador of your sport and it's your duty to live up to that status. This is the step that sets the true champions and role models apart from the rest. This is one of the reasons why Yuzu is so loved and respected as an athlete and a person.

"Now time to walk the talk." Before even addressing the real issue. Why am I even surprised. *sigh*

Honestly? I doubt that he will ever change his mind and attitude towards skating. Why should he, when most people in charge want to go the same direction as him? He would be stupid to change anything. And I don't think, it's that easy to change your general mindset, even if you wanted to. He would need to drop his questionable group of friends first and basically his entire social surrounding to move a step forward and I doubt that this will happen. No. This is about two key issues: a) We cannot change the fact that Nathan is one of the main ambassadors for figure skating heading to Beijing. Whatever he thinks about the sport innerly, he should finally learn to give proper interviews and represent the men's field in a way that he doesn't publicly slap his fellow skaters or tramples on the history and traditions of figure skating. This is the absolute bare minimum you expect from a three-time world champion and I hope he learned his lesson now. b) I hope that the loud voicing in the fandom will be heard by some international journalists and critically reviewed before the Olympics. The German ARD (who also uploaded LMEY) is currently running a series of excellent sports documentaries with decent viewership and great feedback. Two of their best contributions are about the enormous mental stress and coaching terror in gymnastics and the big issue of athletes who were lured into doping scandals without their knowledge. I can imagine that they may create a documentary about our spicy gender topic in figure skating as well in the near future.

Yes, that would be so incredible to have a Yuzu video on the German Sportschau with +2M views. I would cry rivers of happiness if that happend. Talking about view numbers... look at THIS!!! 19,247 retweets and it's still going up!! This WR compilation is so awesome. Got goosebumps

You know what annoys me the most about this whole situation? This is not the first time that Nathan said more than questionable stuff. I still remember vividly his quote: "If something you really want to watch is artistry, go watch ice dancing. I think with what we're doing now, we're bringing such an athletic aspect to the sport." Source EDIT He was not talking only about himself here. He used that "we" as a generalization of the whole men's field. Deliberately. This was not just a slip, not then and not now. He knows exactly what he said there and yes, he clearly wants to see men's figure skating change into an acrobatic direction. This is not just about his own style and decisions, but the sport as a whole. The problem with his recent interview is not just the choice of words, but especially message behind it, which is outrageous. And what was the media's reaction? NOTHING. DEAD SILENCE. They conveniently sweep everything under the rug, as if nothing had happened. Some people even defend and support him. Remember what happened to Javi in Sochi, when he joked that the "gays should behave in Russia"? He was torn apart by the press, publicly labelled as a homophobe by Spanish and also international journalists right before the men's Olympic short program. I still see Brian and Tracy how they tried everything to comfort him and begged him to compete, not to throw everything away what he's been working for years. Source (segment starts around 11:18) Guess how old he was there? Exactly, 23 like Nathan is now. Interestingly the media had no scruples to call Javi out and defend the LGBTQ society then. Now, when it's not just some silly joke, but a serious and very harmful agenda that has been systemically pushed for years... nothing happens. Footnote: I do not mean to defend Javi. He should have known that the sharks in the media are always lurking for every crumb they can turn into a scandal and he served it on a silver platter.

Exactly. The core of the problem is that many people in charge in this sport share exactly his attitude and way of thinking. They openly push this agenda ever since, both in the judging and the media narratives. To paint himself as a victim is downright tasteless, especially after all the blatant favoritism and candies he gets. The pinnacle of audacity is to push for more "masculine" and acrobatic skating, while scoring a WR with Rocketman. Of all possible music choices. My condolences to Elton John and the message he wanted to convey with that piece. It takes more than a video apology to undo the damage he did. Much more. It makes me so angry that this is the skater who's supposed to be the new face of men's figure skating, when there are so many truly classy and honorable skaters out there who don't need a PR team to find the right words and be a light to the people.

Oh yes!! Finally!! I refused to believe that there is not a single Swanyu performance on YT hitting 2M views. It was THE program that brought me to this sport, that turned me into a fanyu at first sight, that helped me to overcome so much grief and a program that made me fall in love with the roots and ancient history of figure skating. The best thing that ever happened to me. Ever. Yes, it really is time to celebrate this special moment that was long overdue! This is so awesome that in the presence of the UEFA EURO and Olympics 2020 Yuzu's video managed to stay in the top 5 of the channel. Fantastic achievement and big thanks to all who contributed to this feat PS: Here in Germany the video is in 5th place at the moment (closely behind the summary of the GER-POR match with 2.08 mio. views), but a big thing nonetheless.

Yes, I shared this quote from the Stockholm press conference too, as it is a paramount example of how to give a proper answer to all these annoying gender-related questions in figure skating. This is one of many reasons, why I do not only enjoy watching Yuzu's skating, but also have highest respect for him as a person and ambassador of the sport. It baffles me that Nathan sat right beside him, when Yuzu gave this answer to the journalists, even nodded to him... and now this big mess of an interview. From a three-time world champion I expect the absolute bare minimum, to represent this sport in a way that it doesn't bomb the efforts and hard work of other skaters, fighting for equality, respect and a safe environment. A figure skating performance should be a free medium to convey your own feelings, convictions and personality, independent from nationality, age, gender, apprearance or sexual orientation. It must not be dictated by a group of bigoted people what should be done on the ice and skaters must not bend the knee to these people and base their decisions on the naive hope to please them. They will not start watching figure skating just because you choose some hip hop music or shift the focus to more acrobatic moves. This is not only immature but also very dangerous behavior and plays right into their cards. Sorry to bring up this topic here, but I feel the need to talk about it, as this issue is bigger than just some bad slip. This is about general attitude towards both, the sport and society, and I am very happy that the skater I follow shares my values and feelings in this regard.

Off topic, but quick update on the flooding: The people in Euskirchen can take a deep breath. The dam near the city has been stabilized and it looks like it's no longer in danger to break. This all happened thanks to one incredible person, who risked his own life to protect the life and home of so many others: "He is the hero of the storms in Euskirchen. Civil engineer Hubert Schilles used his excavator to clear the outflow of the Steinbach Dam, possibly saving the lives of hundreds of people." (English translation from the German 'Express' online newspaper) It reminds me a bit of the workers in Fukushima, who sacrificed their lives to save what could be saved in the nuclear power plant. These people deserve all the respect and love in the world for their selfless and immeasurably valuable action, when the ones in charge missed to take preventive measures in time.

[NEWS]