gladi

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@ymy well I think an athlete like Yuzu will always want to win––he's notoriously competitive. But making a program "complete" with everything of great quality and jumps not telegraphed is Yuzu's ideal and probably what is fun for him to try and do. A main part of maintaining longevity as an athlete, I was thinking, is in avoiding injuries by doing things with correct technique (so you're not lopsided, or landing too heavy, there's a lovely thread in here where fresca and a few others were discussing jump technique. Worth a read), building up muscles to protect the joints (compare Yuzu this year and before), and building up stamina (or conversely, being energy-efficient, which imo Yuzu is a very efficient skater <3) so that he is focused the entire way through; it's much more likely to be injured when you're distracted and tired and jumping without full control of your moves.

Re: timing, closer to the latter. Since Yuzuru is the type to really try and match the timing of the jump (takeoff, landing) to moments in the music. And there are many ways he fiddles with that, an extra step step, a different step, adjusting the curve of the entry, et cetera

Just back from Niigata/Tokyo vacation, so this is suuuper late reply.... and impossible to back read everything, so probably someone replied ^.^ Anyway. WFS's Yuzu interview wasn't exclusive, it's all from mixed zone after exhibition rehearsal of WC. Quadruple's WC+WTT interviews were a similar deal, from mixed zone. So you've probably seen bits and pieces, and some of the same questions in video form already. For the most complete version of post-SP, post-FP, day-after mixed zone interviews, I usually go for Figure Skate Magazine in print. They tend to cover those in the greatest range and detail, also their photographer pieces are nice and tend to be from a different perspective. For WC - WTT, I believe the only exclusive interview granted was to Ice Jewels (CIC). And then, another exclusive interview went to FaOI (CIC), published in Kobe and Niigata pamphlets.

Thanks for your thoughtful post ... sleepless but happy gladi ----> After seeing exactly how much he was able to do with Chopin 3.0 even as an ice show version––and nothing shows improvement better than when this new performance beats an old "perfect" hands down––I really wouldn't mind SEIMEI 2.0. I see the point about bad narrative, but end of the day, a perfect performance trumps any bad narrative like a thunderstorm clears the air :x The thing with repeat performances is that, even when people repeat, it's rare that they show a markedly improved performance the way Yuzu seems to be doing. It's a unique marriage of technique and expression. And the delicate expression is only possible upon a foundation of pristine technique. Who else can do basically a 3A in the middle of a cluster... in order to give off an airy feel the exact way he wants? XD So, SEIMEI or not... If SEIMEI, he'll show me again exactly how perfect can be even more perfect. If not, well I have a different piece of music. The way I see it, either ways there is something new for me to behold as a greedy fan, and as a gift to figure skating surely.

My thoughts exactly, @Katt! If it is Seimei 2.0, he has thought through the pros and cons. If it isn't, same. We might not end up agreeing with his choices, but eh. It's early and I'd wait until media day or SCAC to really decide if I like the programs or not. Chopin in Kobe, even if not clean, is so much improved over Chopin in Makuhari! What he said about an airy 3A, I totally see that In fact, surrounding the 3A and immediately after is my favorite part in the program at the moment. After the counter exit, he straightened his free leg and it looks like he is just floating. And then long stretches of one-ft skating that adds to that feeling. The first two spins too––second one especially––how gorgeous now. I think it'll be even better in Niigata *-*

gladi tried to make sleepy time happen D: but failed. here you go.

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Definitely, as he himself recounted in Ice Jewels 6, he was able to say to himself at the end of WC FS that he went the right direction. And as Brian said, also in Ice Jewels 6, Yuzuru is in the most ideal position, going into Olympics as reigning world champion. It probably also gave himself a lot of answers/data. Sometimes I want to be a fly on a wall and get a complete picture of what he has to face, but then I really don't. I am enough anxious about him as is. So overall, I enjoy reading and thinking about what he and his team are willing to share with us. I think, as long as he has something he could pick out from his performance, he would have continued placing the responsibility on himself and his execution. So I must say, to the extent that I found his performance underscored, I wonder if it weren't a big push towards his program choice for next season. Thanks for all the posts, so many good thoughts. Please keep sharing with me, all of you I enjoy the conversation so much and that's why it's worth translating after all.

+1, +1. And sometimes it's not just hitting that one thing that is too much, either. It's that you hit the same thing multiple times, and eventually it gets the best of you. Cracks, if you will. That's how my cheat day with food I'm allergic to turn into days, then into cheat weeks and cheat permanence. Ahahahaha. More seriously, though, I do appreciate a greater tolerance for Yuzuru and his decisions. A view of him that allows for the idea of an athlete that actually struggles, and not just Peter Pan. He is so great, but it didn't just happen out of nowhere. It happened despite of chance, difficulty and a lot of opposition. So I do want to keep that at the back of my mind as we watch the undoubtedly amazing things that will happen this coming season. Now I'm just rambling And I run off to dinner, and come back to this! Aahhh! I think Brian is producing/choreographing the Kobe show though, if he's there. But yes, I do wonder if, on the side, he would do some training with Yuzu. Watch his 4Lz ^_^ I always appreciate knowing there's some supervision instead of potentially none when Yuzu is in Japan XD

Ahh, so much this! In a sense, the keen observation and deep thinking have always been a double-edged sword. In addition to all the good it brought Yuzuru, there's also the fact that he is quite sensitive and subject to feelings and bad imagery (still is). Add to that a long history of having to fight or make up for the disadvantages of not-great health and asthma, it's a real psychological task to control and manage all that talent and not crumble. @Fay reminds me of the translation you did for RUS ESP last season, when Yuzu gave the perfect skates. (Others interested in reading the translation: https://planethanyu.com/topic/46-competition-commentary-translations-spreadsheet/#comment-3296)

Right? For all the interviews Yuzuru had done where he went on and on (and we translated on and on x_x) about all his thoughts and philosophy, really it was so important for all that to be conveyed to the team and Brian. Which is why I think the presence of Tracy and other coaches are so important. We should FedEx reams and reams of translated interviews to Brian XD

Haha, well, somethings we leave as tradition (until it's time to break it ;)) Indeed the labeling of him as an 'old skater' and all the assumptions that go with it is quite weird. The fact that the narrative was somewhat pervasive too, bothers me quite a lot. Sometimes I think it's the "day and age"... fast food, instant gratification, disruption being the key. But it is also the way the field is, gold fish memory that extends to maybe the last competition and some weird desire to herald the next greatest ever (is it?! is it not?!).

Yes, yes! I remember that too. When we compared his 4T in H&L versus in SEIMEI, and it was just a better jump. On the other hand, he never did 4T in the first half with H&L so it was hard to gauge. And spins, too, were collateral? A mix of his focus on the 4Lo and also the lack of stamina training at that point. "Stability" does make a huge difference, doesn't it? I forgot when Tracy said it, but "trust your knees" right? Especially when he wasn't so confident or he was tired, he'd lean forward more than he should in the landing. Clearly, he always had a beautiful jump in the 4T, and it was perhaps more a matter of feeling confident enough to execute it as is.

ahahaha but also delusional in thinking Yuzuru can be stopped after landing it for the first time my secret alternative title for this is #distraught musings of a coach of a genius

You're right, that is nothing short of amazing. In terms of training the other quad jumps reversely improving his 4T, I imagine it's similar to how variation and variability have a role in motor development and that knowing the other jumps help differentiate and clarify the small details of what should be done in 4T. Sort of like polishing it without him actually doing it? On the other hand, I remember in Ice Jewels Vol 5, he mentioned how doing 4Lo reversely helped him with 4S As for the fear, I am truly curious how he managed to overcome that. (Clearly Yuzuru is not me with my bicycle, but I only get more scared after a long hiatus. Same deal with working out.) And I wonder if it's a similar train of thought (or a completely different one) that brought him to the decision of Chopin. In a way, he manages not only outsiders' expectations but also his own mentality with his choice of program. Also, can I point out the part that made me laugh out loud XD As in. Shortly after sort of getting an okay to debut the 4Lo, Yuzu immediately went for his dream layout as well, probably with stars in his eyes. XD XD XD Imagine Brian running away yanking his hair out, and having to go for a stiff drink afterwards. #distraught musings of a coach of a genius

spoil me back with some of your thoughts

In a way that is why I am motivated to translate him and those around him. The more I (maybe) understand, the more it's become hard to put anything into words. But the boy himself is so intelligent, and earnest, it is nice to be able to amplify his own voice in any way I can, inherent translation bias not withstanding ^_^||

I think right now seemed a good time for some perspective, one way or the other, about the very real challenges of being an athlete or training an athlete. I would love any thoughts after you read In a way, this is what I miss the most from FF - there was so much exchange of thought and detailed insights, agreement or disagreement.

@b138oo the Quad Loop was a brilliant decision, but it was also a difficult decision not without its risks :x I had started on this a while back, but I just went back and completed it. There is actually a lot to marvel about, in terms of how the season came together beautifully in the end. It's a good time right now to review even as we look forward to the next season.

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Brian Orser Interview (Ice Jewels Vol. 6, May 2017)

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It reads like the Ice Jewels interview was conducted in at least two separate parts, once after WC and once after WTT, as there is some drift in his opinions. I'm aware of a separate translation out there, but I wanted to capture more of the nuance and some sentences that seemed to have been skipped. This is heavy on translators' notes for context, so pick your poison :)

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