EisElle

thank you for the detailed explanation I plan to make good use of it, hopefully we'll get many blog entries

the choice not to sent jr skaters to GP is really hurting their upcoming skaters. No international experience, no ranking points, which means also that they'll be given even worse scores that they would have otherwise. I'll never shut up about the double standard for WTT21, it's so absurd that a fed manages to find a way for foreign skaters to skip quarantine but can't find a better arrangement for their own skaters. Especially puzzling the contrast with Korean jr skaters who, instead, have been competing in JGPs (and SK has been far from lax re: covid) Not sending senior skaters to challengers is disappointing too... jpn ladies are being buried in the rankings (as if WC19&21 robberies hadn't been bad enough). I still have hope for Asian Trophy, and maybe they'll go to later challengers, but right now the way JSF is managing the season looks pretty questionable to me. I'm happy that Kao is getting the chance to grab some ranking points at NHK at least, though NHK male field is possibly the most staked in the GPseries. Disappointed for JSF picking Rino over Mana, but not surprised. They want to help someone they're confident will make the oly team, even if it means leaving everyone else empty-handed.

thank you so much @sweetwater yay, our fave beauty blogger(LOL) is back!!!! Which new interesting trivia we'll find out this time? Will we find out about his SP? yeah nope not a chance Will we learn games he's been playing with? Will we learn how many new earphones he got since last time we saw him? Will we learn if he's enjoying home-made gyoza while training for whenever he's starting his 3rd olympic season? wow, writing it down it's really so impressive, 3 oly season and he experienced the first one in his 4th senior season! mindblowing! Also, when are they releasing those pics they show on laptop? me needs, I'm weak for yuzu with trees/leaves/any piece of greenery His voice is always so soothing, he should consider making audiobooks. I wonder if he'll ever take a commentator job for fs, his soft voice wouldn't be intrusive (not that I'd mind if his voice were intrusive ) question: does one needs to be registered to leave a comment? I remember leaving a few during his previous blogs, but now I can't remember how I managed....

oh, thank you for the suggestion, I wasn't familiar with this. I want to add some more terms that have bleed from jpn to international fandom like hopurega and pari-san and also gotta still add Yuzuru's nickname konjac, and a few months ago iirc there was pukupuku (that I don't rememember what was about)

he also said he does what his coach tells him. He might have said it a bit tongue in cheek, knowing him, but it feels that he just doesn't have strong opinion one way or the other, so he happily leaves major choices to Mishin: from this interview https://fs-gossips.com/mikhail-kolyada-the-short-program-is-about-what-pavarotti-is-singing-about-what-is-he-singing-about-look-in-the-internet/

really curious to see how they'll be carrying on Asian Throphy... it should give us an idea of what to expect for OWG in terms of covid prevention measures... but thus far we don't even know all the names of the skaters who'll be there

I thought that Sasha Stepanova's recurring back problems were the reason for S/B skipping, but now.... and viral stuff sound suspicious. So sad to see again so many young skaters suffer quite harsly because of covid. Second infections too, delta is really nasty I'm especially bummed for Sofia, I was missing S/E and now I know it will take long for a come back. Whishing her full recovery! I wonder if it this second round contributed to persuade skaters to vaccinate even before they realized it would be helpful to manage to compete abroad... re: Misha interview about his SP, I haven't seen the vid, but I assumed it had been done in the usual Misha style, joking and gently trolling. Though, being the SP to Caruso, I feel personally offended that he probably didn't even care to google the lyrics once Skaters skating to music they don't know is something that always puzzles me (I know I couldn't do that, also, you're spending months of your life on it, shouldn't you wish to know more?). And Caruso isn't exaclty an obscure piece you find it hard to dig info about (it has its own russian Wiki even). Even if the program was only 1 week old (why did they even change it this late?), googling takes a few minutes at most. I'm not demanding full analysis of the piece and its history, but the general gist of the lyrics... then again, Misha also got identical stsq for different programs and was fine with that, so maybe I'm expecting too much. Anyway, they should have really kept the White Crow FS. I don't understand what Mishin is trying to do... re: Daniil Samsonov, sadly I don't have much expectations about his swift comeback. He's probably still growing (he had some serious pain due to growth last season, and intensive training certainly doesn't help) and IMO if he wants to have some kind of senior career (not to speak of lasting health) he shouldn't rush now and instead focus on getting stronger and aim for next quad. It's very unlikely that by December he'll be in a position to grab an oly spot (even with russian Men's field being notoriously very volatile).

crossposting from the general chat ETA: OMG I've missed lovely vids in the (long)time I haven't checked this thread @Marie-E your vid is so sweet no matter how hard i've been trying to detatching myself from all the non-Yuzu fs so I suffer less, Team Japan always makes me soft (my bb Mai and her fairy costume! bb Rika on fire! Wakababy! Kao-chan! I love them all) @toeloopaxel I loved how you put all the evolution of Yuzuru's career, truly shows how far he's gone and how precious every moment of the journey has been Also managed to make e hyped for the season, whoa! @ritardando lovely montage and flawless choice of clips! (like the timing of hand movement in Tenchi stsq and closing pose? so powerful!) I didn't know the song nor the background, the video is even more meaningful after elarning about it... also OMG you did Unstoppable? That was one of my favourite comfort fanvids as a bb fanyu, I was rewatching it daily in the weeks between 4CC17(first comp that I followed in real time) and WC17 (psssst if you're still around here and happen to read this and are still taking suggestions for music for Zu vids, what about Buonvino & Skin - Renaissance? for some reason I associate the refrain with Yuzuru)

even if few new clips and it's Stockholm, I'll hoard this one too (and if a higher quality version will pop up, of course I'll get that one too). In the thread, there are also the new snippets. I must say that i was at the clip of him running, more often than not we see his "naruto run" rather than a normal run in other news, Sota Yamamoto is one of the two missing names of male skaters for JO. Hence, chances of Yuzu taking part in Japan Open were further halved There's only one spot left, and it could be Yuma if he's healed enough, Koshiro if he goes back from Switzerland, or maybe Luca Tsuyoshi who I think is already gonna perform at Carnival on ice? (Wakaba is the last lady, plus Akiko and Shizuka as guest. I like them, so JO looks very appealing this season. I just hope they won't have certain US skaters on videocall this time) thank you @JanMary for the insights on how views are in China! the topic of Yuzu and his huge popularity in China is fascinating to me too, because historically and culturally as far as I can tell, there are both reasons to be surprised but also reasons why it shouldn't be surprising that someone with Yuzuru's performing style, believes and life philosophy is appreciated there. Like, I believe that e.g. Ten to Chi to would resonate deeply with chinese culture. I wanted ot share this Yuzu fanvid to Do not go gentle into that good night. (there are multiple voiceovers and I think background music from Interstellar) The montage and vid are lovely, but I feel it's somewhat hominous too especially when it says season 2021-22 though it kind of fits, the Good night could be because Yuzuru's competitive career isn't gonna last that much longer, like it or not. His Nessie quest is his "not going gentle"... I also feel one might read it as if the Night is coming for FS as a whole, and Yuzuru, who loves FS more than anyone else, is still fighting for it, for his kind of FS. Rage, rage against the dying of the light! It feels beautiful and inspiring but also dramatic Sorry, I'm a bit emo https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1d341117au (An aside, I thought this combo of music+lyrics would have been a nice idea for a P/C program, I like it better than what they used for their 2019-20 FD)

to the Ballade stans around, there's this streaming party scheduled on Kast in a couple hours (if I did my math right) all Yuzuru's Chopin Ballades! since choreographers&skaters are half-assing their recycling through merely changing background music but keeping choreo and with no PCS development, let's watch how the superior recycling is done! (changing transitions and layouts, upping SS from amazing to otherwordly, polishing PE, deepening IN...)

ehhhh top3 for every component? Hard to say, so I'm not gonna do an actual top 3 but just top whatever Competition skates only! disclaimer 1: the more I reread the keypoints the more it's hard to find a Yuzu program that doens't excel in them disclaimer2: I'm a Ballade stan first and human second, so even when I don't mention Ballade specifically, please add it that to the other picks Let's go! Skating skills: since Yuzuru usually has more energy in the SP (because he can go all out and doesn't have to spare energy for... a whole Origin, for example), I'd say that his skating skills are usually best displayed there (though he has excellent SS all around). So....BALLADE!!!!! (and especially 4CC20) starting from the opening with the big-ass mega bracket, he truly shows off the best for every single keypoint for SS! flow, multidirecitonal, one-footed skating, change in speed, soft knees... Also, LGC for the super crazy accel/decel! transitions: this gotta be LGC/Ballade again XD I mean, remember the LGC transitions into 3A into sidelunge into illusion entry into spin with fistpumps on the note into stsq? also, H&L for the perfect flow of movements. I'd have Otonal too if it weren't for those few secs before the 4Tcombo that still don't feel supersmooth to me. Also Origin for the longest chsq (because it starts with the combo and had a counter3Acombo as last jumping pass and that's insane). I feel like I'm disrespecting SEIMEI&TenChi but well, what can I do? Yuzuru has too many good programs! (probably, I'm also disrespecting RJ2 and its SEcounter3A) Performance ahhhhhhhhhh how to chose? Cruel angel's thesis joking! I gotta go for SEIMEI especially OWG, if one wants to see "emotional&intellectual involvement, personality, Variety and contrast of movements and energy" that's as good as it can get... another mandatory pick also being RJ1 in Nice (he lost something in carriage/clarity but overcompensated for then in individuality, projection, emotional involvement). PyeongChang Ballade and the GPF14 Ballade too! (GPF14 is sooo good, it has a more languid/jpyous feeling, and that fall doesn't ruin a thing! Which is why I still dislike the default caps on PCS) and since I'm also a TenChi stan gonna say TenChi (WTT!!!!!!!!!!!! while waiting for more!) Composition: H&L because distribution of elements is so exceptionally well balanced and fitting music and choreo truly towards all the sides of the rink and up there I'd say TenChi too: "purpose, phase and form, originality, ice coverage etc etc". and SEIMEI. Those 3 programs are the holy trinity of Free Skating, and maybe it isn't surprising that Yuzuru played quite a role in defining the concept of the programs. I'll also add Etude, because Yuzuru at 17yo was just that good (and congrats to Nanami & russian coaches for building that program!). Of all the Ballades I I think I prefer the OWG one as elements distribution. And finally special mention for JNats Otonal (because I like it better with that layout!) and media day/ACI18 Origin because the first verison was indeed very very original as elements distribution and used an even wider variety of moves (and I mourn the loss, despite me being maybe among the few who though that changing ChSq into IB+hydro was a good choice) Interpretation: all of them? if I must make choice, then it must be Blinding Lights he's feeling himself so much joking! More seriously: H&L (a fave of mine is NHK16 that also has the stsq and chsq camerawork we deserved and didn't got at WC), TenChi because as I said I'm a TenChi stan too and and also "timing, Expression of the music’s character/feeling & Use of finesse to reflect the details and nuances of the music" are exactly what Zu does with TenChi (ok pretending WC TenChi didn't happen I haven't rewatched that enough to see how he was doing there sorrynotsorry it's still painful) and... PW. I must choose PW or Pari-san won't forgive me that I'm not mentioning even once the program that made me a fan Tbh all the SPs are up there: LMEY for example isn't among my fave Yuzu SPs but oh boy if he didn't throw himself into it even despite the rather weak ass shake! You can especially notice the big upgrade in WC and WTT compared to Nats were his IN was a bit weaker (he was playing the rockstar there, rather than being it). usually with Yuzuru's programs I tend to like his more recent programs/version more. In part it could be some recency bias but also, Yuzuru became an even better skater, so PE and IN always get up a notch with him, even when I still have in my hearth his precious previous versions that could have been skated only by younger Yuzu. I love this! it's what the most undescored LMEY deserves! (still can't believe it got less than the WTT illusion 3A despite jumps all spanning from mor ethan decent to mindblowing and no invalid elements) it's kinda been my secret wish since it was designated as oly test event, but if China doens't weaken the restrictions upon entering (and Japan doens't find a way to make their vaccinated skaters train decently even when isolating upon return) then no, he won't be able to go even if he wished so and tbh with CoC happening later being cancelled, I don't see why China should be less strict with what is in theory a much less important comp... while I'd find it amusing if Yuzu got his first JO partecipation of his career the same year he came back to DOI and SOI, and while it would certainly drive even mor einterest (and gain for sponsors) idk tbh. I expect Yuma to absolutely join. Maybe Koshiro who is Kinoshita skater? (guessing Kinoshita still the sponsor?) As for ladies, I expected Rika too but maybe if she's busy in Canada now they'll call for Waka instead (I had no doubt they'd call Rino, they're pushing her for Olys partecipation so hard) late to comment on Yuzu and Canada, but while I'm sad that he's not at TCC right now, there are at least as many cons to being in TCC as pros. I don't really want Yuzu to go there is he still has to quarantine upon return, especially not during GP series, not with his schedule that is semidecent only if he's based in Japan, and even then Japan must decide what to do with its quarantine mandate). If he had gotten SC like Rika, it could make more sense, but well... he got RC instead. I honestly don't see Yuzuru going to Canada for a few weeks, then back to Japan again (and possibly quarantining). He used to do some back and forth once, but then he preferred to minimize travelling between different training bases even before a whole pandemic screwed things up. Maybe he'll be able to go to TCC after JNats and prepare there for Beijng (if he feels he needs in person coaching) but right now I kinda think that the hassle of renting an apartment and travelling there (with or without his mum and with all connected risks because even vaccines can't protect 100%) for a mere month isn't worth it, if he thinks he has an acceptable arrangement in Sendai. Maybe one year ago he would have considered going back to TCC as soon as possible, but in hte meanwhile he's been able to find some balance on his own (however hard it can be) For sure yep, I hope that wherever he is he's getting his physio with a professional.

wait, but are P/C in Canada or are they still in France? If it's the latter, then understandable that they wouldn't travel. If it's the former...well... Anyway, we'll see how P/C will be scored this season, but I don't feel super confident about their chances for OGM right now they are in a much harder position than even just one season ago. Hopefully the burnout is behind them and they'll be back with their 100% The perception of the judges has shifted a lot and S/K are the team with momentum right now. P/C still has like 5 points more in SB, but that was scored 2 years ago, so who knows if they can score the same now... We'll see, but it's gonna be more uphill for P/C than anyone would have guessed after PyeongChang (though it wasn't unexpected that, after hailing them as unbeatable, they would have let another team get up there to spice things up for olys. The other team being russian and objectively on par or better in some elements obviously helped with the catch up) P/C have been my fave ice dancers (though maybe now there are a few jr teams that I love more) and even acknowledging that their scores in the past have been overblown, I'll be sad if they end losing another ogm...

this may be automated translation, but it definitely this part sounds very accurate, it's so Yuzu thank you for posting this as we wait for full translation! Rikako's part is so interesting too, I was a bit sad it had been cut int he first available translation (it made it look as if Yuzu had done all the talking while poor Rikako merely interjected LOL), but of course it was such a massive interview and translators choose on what to focus. I'm thankful that they take time to do so on our behalf I had read that at first they had Yuzu credited among "authors" (as his other authorized photobooks), but Jpn fans later noticed that the name had been removed from the description. Fans e-mailed the publisher and apparently they said they were waiting for someone from Yuzuru's side to "approve" the photobook (or something like that)...basically they had not thought about getting approval beforehand apparently(if I remember correctly) this is the first fs photobook this publisher has done, so who knows if it was a mistake in good faith or they knew but tried to play dumb... Last I had heard, though, permission had been granted, but if google translation of this tweet from the person who bought it is accurate, then its still not clear if Yuzuru is credited so idk, it's so confusing! Maybe our Japanese satellites can tell us more?

Oh well, thanks for clarifying this, it was fun letting my imagination run wild till it lasted I was indeed wondering how he could have arranged swimming sessions this past season, when he said he was avoiding contacts as much as he could for covid prevention (to the point of even limiting his physical treatment), and also with his nightly on-ice training arrangement... Apparently Axel with wings team is working on a translation too, so we might get more details...

I haven't really seen the choreo, I was just thinking it would make for a very animated rinkside lipsyncing or something like that like the OneOkRock song in nhk15 (was it?) that featured in a Japanese show actually I know the song from this pre-WC17 fanvid and since then I've been curious what he'd think of the song, IMO it could meet Yuzuru's taste both musically and as lyrics (warning: the video includes COC14 footage) ETA: OMG the fanyu skating, really gotta admire the committent, even got the boot covers matching the outfit! Also, big YAY for adult skaters (I'm also envious because no rink where I live, I'm lucky if there's a small temporary one in December). And whoa the ending! I'm dead I'm not a former competitive swimmer (though I can boast about partecipating in 1 comp...in my swimming club...once LOL), but I volunteer too If swimming coach position is already taken, I can still teach him riding a bycycle unless he's learned that too in the last couple of years, too... Also, OT but gotta defend the breaststroke. It's my fave since I learned swimming (for the very simple reason that I "created" it on my own before I even knew it was an actual swimming style ). Probably also suiting me the best because I have little power in upper body, but I can kick rather well... I like backstroke well enough too, but sincenow I only swim in the sea during summer, it's more inconvenient to use it, especially in crowded sea, where I wanna see where I'm going, if I'm running over some poor dude... or a nasty jellyfish Also, I find breaststroke actually more adaptable to rough water (at least in the mild waves you can have in a not-superwindy day in the adriatic sea), since I can easily time my breathing to when I'm on the peak of a wave and I avoid getting water in my mouth. Backstroke during windy days is the worst. But wait, has he actually been swimming for training, or he did he just mention it as an example Rikako would be familiar with? Wondering if swimming with a kickboard would actually be a more effective training. He wouldn't worry about staying afloat and would use his strong lower body, and still train both muscles and stamina but in a way that doesn't burden e.g. his ankle as much as other types of training on land... Yuzuru sounded really frustrated that his hard-earned new muscles weren't fit for purpose maybe he's still searching for a balance between strenght and lightness. 4A needs strenght not only to get airtime but also to safely withstand the landing after the insane rotation speed and airtime... In the interview, he also talks again about his pre-PyeongChang training... and gosh, I always feel that we narrowly avoided disaster there (and I don't mean Yuzuru losing, but what a blow it would have been for him, mentally)... as a fan, going into those games my mind just refused to contemplate any other possible outcome, because I was scared s**tless of how he'd feel if he didn't achieve that one goal. I'm so relieved that this time he's not going into oly season with that mindset, even if Nessie is proving to be such a difficult thing to reach. Still, I believe that Yuzu can make it, but he really needs to stay healthy, so that's what i'm gonna focus my prayers on. @Henni147

ahhh I hope so, they looked so at ease with each other and Kikuchi's book is full of many lovely episodes too Since Yuzuru has kept good relationship with all the peaople he's worked with in the past (and he is a very thoughtful person with scarily good memory I'm still thinking about his DOI2012 reference LOL), I wouldn't be surprised if happens. From the preview of the interview with Rikako, it looks like it will be both and Yuzuru talking with fellow athletes is very nice in general and this time indeed he has something more in common with Rikako, beyond sport and competition. Of course their experiences are radically different, but both found themselves becaming symbols of something bigger. this is but since it's about Rikako liking it under spoiler

Kikuchi is retired now but, even before that, Yuzuru also had other physiotherapists in Toronto (more than one through the years. One of them back in 2014 had posted on social media about not working with Yuzu anymore, it was discussed iirc post COC14 in the GS thread, but I can't find it now). I guess that Kikuchi mainly travelled to comps and probably treated him when he was in Japan.

I'm so not used to getting this much content from Yuzu in offseason for so many days, it feels kinda overhelming but also YES I'll enjoY it while it lasts like a cactus storing water away to surive the dry season... Zuzu looks very soft and floofy in that bucolic photoshoot and CM also slighty awkward (in some moments his toothy smile is not as crinkly as his usual toothy smiles are LOL idk if that makes sense, but he's still cute and it happens only at times during the CM. It just shows that if he ever wanted to get into modelling or acting he'd have some work to do but hey, excellent starting material) The CM really makes feel you good and relaxed and in harmony with nature and apparently he uses a product! Gotta change that into the glossary New documentary on its way...wanna bet on how much actual new content we'll get? updates on MonHun Zu with cute kids Zu trolling Mura, maybe? I mean if Mura really asked Yuzu how he felt and Zuzu replied with MonHun... It warms my heart that he has this kind of relationships, these days he's usually the senpai that younger skaters are in awe of..while with Mura or Keiji who've known him from earlier he can just behave as the annoying younger brother he is at his heart his usual self update on progresses on DNA choreo or maybe he's got into another song (I see many mention Black Swan, but I'd actually rather him get into Not Today because it would fit perfectly well in his pre-comp agressively lypsyncing ritual) re: Brian's text to Hersh as usual he could have bitten his tongue and shown he's grown wiser in handling media but alas. Though maybe the following text was Brian trying to do damage control after his own first text... From Yuzuru's words about not going back to Canada translated in the DOI thread, it sounded like his choice is mostly due to ongoing difficulties in travelling + the fact that training on his own isn't a new experience anymore, but something that has already given good results (even if with some bumps in the road, like the earlier period in autumn). With his GP schedule, his choice is certainly both sensible and unsurprising. Additionally, he can also have all the ice for himself to train Nessie for however long he wants, instead of having to share his 1 or 2h practice with other skaters and their RTs. Plus, if he's getting vaccinated according to JSF schedule, he needs to stay in Japan to get both first and second dose, making going back and forth from Canada even harder (plus travel in itself is still risky). And who knows, Yuzuru might have other committments with sponsors, and maybe even Olympics. The interview with Rikako Ikee, who's became one of the symbols of these games, kinda makes me think that they might have also organized more... With the way the Games have been pushed and handled, I'm glad that thus far he's kept a low profile, only collaborating in a few meaningful initiatives like this interview with Rikako and the paralympics videogame project.... but we'll see. Since Yuzu is going to stay in Japan for a while, I hope that Yuzuru will spend more time seeing the sun. Does ice rink Sendai stay open to the audience till 1am, to have him train as late as 2am? From Yuzuru's words in other occasions, it feels that his communication with TCC, and also his choreographers, was more done exchanging mails back and forth, rather than through live sessions (and for sure I hope that, if any live session actually happen, it can be arranged at a mutually acceptable hour...) well, officially Brian&co still figure as his coaches, and Yuzuru has specifically thanked them post WC, so at least till that point they were collaborating in some measure. the rest under spoiler for who'd rather skip

cars went around honking through the city yesterday after Italy won Euros semifinal (and they had celebrated that way even after the previous match). It went on for at least one hour Me occasionally letting out a couple screams is pretty tame in comparison possibly and simply because the people handling it have not been active on this forum recently if someone wants to keep working on the thread, they could ask them for permission first, I guess? It takes lots of effort and time to keep all the other threads running. IMO with Upcoming events in homepage + calendar + compilations + News thread routinely updated it's still possible to keep posted about what Yuzu does, though it might not be as immediate...

I squeak and scream too Of course I try to refrain and stick to the silent screaming and pooh-squeezing at night, don't wanna wake up my neighbours But if it's an ok hour, then yep, I also scream loudly. I mean, if people can scream for football all the time, why shouldn't I when my fave skater does well? can you repost this in the DOI thread? As for new program, I feel lik mos of us are persuaded he'll have a new SP, so it would be funny if he trolled us all and recycling LMEY in the end and what if it's Ballade 5.0? With oly season, ice show is a good opportunity to test a brand new program. So, if no new SP at DOI, then it's likely he's keeping old SP. There's also the chance of a new EX for the season, since his last one was HYK (Masquerande and KuriMemo were for FaOI only)... re: the Frau magazine pics ngl, I was both endeared and entertained at Zu swimming in that extra large outfit... if the upper part was cute, I'm a bit more at the baggy trousers and white shoes. It looks as if he just got up early in the morning and he stepped out in his garden in his oversized paijamas... (I kinda expect him to sit down at a wooden table under a tree and have breakfast with bread&honey and strawberries, as birds chirp and a gentle wind rustles through the leaves... very bucolic)

are they shading Morozov/Bagin and Davis/Smolkin? and Shanaeva/Naryzhnyy, but afaik no powerful parents there. Also, at least S/N medalled at latest Russian jr Nats + two medals at latest JGPF and JWC. Contrary to Davis/Smolkin who have no "big" jr medals and didn't even compete at russian nats. S/N are also closer to S/E in WS and PB I've read that some russian official specifically explained why Davis/Smolkin are goign to SCI: apparently "per the rules" rusfed has no say in who the other GP organizers invite, and Skate Canada chose D/S... do they really expect people to believe that Eteri's influence within rusfed didn't play a role in her daughter getting an assignment? It's FS after all, backroom dealings happen all the time, regardless of "rules" (or should we say, guidelines). I bet they exchanged favours (and those favours may or may not include giving a helping hand to G/P not only in SCI, where there are no big russian contenders -- and G/F are the only team that might challenge G/P for gold -- but also IDF where other than P/C there's S/B. We'll see...) Good luck to her, but... I'll miss her, and mourn what could have been. I loved her passion on the ice... pplus she was so well-rounded too. Good jumps (all she needed was to improve on the occasional leg wrap and better control her jumps), good creative spins, good skating skills.... to me she is one of the very few skaters that made me a fan at first sight, and the performance that drew me wans't even her best one. It was jus the way she skated, the fire that I saw in her skating, the potential... but even when she was still with Eteri and getting jgp medals it felt a very uphill battle. Then all the coach changes (and i'll never forgive Plushenko for trash-talking her), the scoring, the loss of motivation and then coming back to skating and again dealing with a system that would hold her back even when clean... I really just wanted her to be happy So now she joins Polina Tsurskaya ad Alena Kanysheva* as yet another very talented skater that the russian system broke too early... and it's at least in part due to fake quads and scoring shenanigans. The way Nastya looked so happy and proud of herself after finishing a clean skate... only for scores to suck the life out of her *I know Alena in theory is still competing, but she's another amazing well rounded skaters whose career in single ended entirely too early. And I'm not optimist about her career in ID either, the jr domestic field is stacked with supertalents (and some of those also have political backing).

I mean, you're right, but... looking at how she is being scored vs Rino... Judges gave them a 4 points gap in PCS. On cleanish SP. (talking about the SP because in the FS Mana made more mistakes, so they had the excuse to keep a wide PCS gap. But in the SP she had been pretty much as clean as Rino, from protocols: just an ! and overall higher BV because better levels on spins, no elements with negative GOE). and Rino is apparently adding 3A in the FS too

then you MUST watch all the other 24h TV performances! Rink isn't foggy in all of them , but the setting always feel more intimate and often camreawork more up close too! I have a huge soft spot for foggy Hana ni Nare with live choir and foggy Requiem from 24h TV 2015 (here the subbed vid and here 1080p but no subs), and also (not foggy) Notte Stellata in 2018 (he did foggy RJ1 in 2014, and in 2017 the live collab with Go Hiromi and then in 2019 HYK collab with singer who was very emotional so not flawless voice performance but still moving and beautiful Yuzu skating) it reminds me that I should add 24h tv to glossary with links, since the vids in video section are in different folders, though most of them are in Yuzuru's journey - charitable acts subfolder. Some/additional links can be found in the Documentaries&miscellaneous compilation too, but I've just checked and some YT links have been removed or private thank you for sharing this piece form Brian's book, it was new to me and useful to complete the picture of what happened. I also wanted to thank you for uploading The Ice 2012 videos - somehow I had missed when you added them to the video archive, I found it only today searching for video links for the Glossary Thank you for the content list too! iirc Yagudin reportedly tried all types of quads in training but got scared when he feel on a 4A attempt and almost(?) hit his head and said it that jump was too dangerous... And this is actually why I think that, of all the skaters who can theorically achieve a 4A, Yuzu is the one with highest chances to succeed, because he has the most informed approach one could ever possibly have about a brand new and very risky element. tbh even with my 0 first-aid training I know that someone who is at risk of brain (or spinal cord) injury should not be moved carelessly, so it was surprising to see paramedics not make at least a first check before letting him get up. Probably the fact that in FS skaters routinely fall and get up as if nothing enforces the idea that one is expected to get up, which would make people underestimate how serious an injury could be. Even the fact that referee waited entirely too long to stop the practice and make the other skaters leave the ice says a lot about FS people being used to shrug things off. But paramedics were supposed to know better... And it's not only about Yuzu. Han Yan too, at first it looked like he was somewhat fine, he got up on his own and left the rink on his own, but then he had barely gotten off ice and he had to lay down. In COC14 Yuzu was 19, not legally adult in Japan but still very experienced (though not as experience as he was, say, in CoR18, another comp where he chose to skate injured, thoguh of course very different injury). But in FS there are literal children, and both them and coaches&team (and sometimes even families) have usually very strong reasons to have them compete no matter what (and for young skaters it would also be hard to really grasp at the possible long-term health consequences of skating on injury. As a teen, it's hard to imagine how your life can be at 40yo or even 30, and what could mean living decades in constant pain...). The choice to compete should never be left entirely to skaters or even to their coaches, it should be on people with actual medical knowledge. Anyway, ISU health protocols and especially (but not only)concussion protocols s*ck and still s*cked in 2018, 4 whole years after that unfamous COC crash, when Ashley Cain had a really scary fall On Yuzuru's choice to compete, I'm conflicted: on one hand, it looks like he took that decision based on doctors' opinion and his own knowledge and experience, and I reckon that his career might have taken a very different turn if he had WD and let the "fear" from the collision fester in his mind. On the other, I'm terrified about all the "what if"s... Skaters have talked about concussion, Ashley Wagner mentioned how it's hard for her to memorize things, and Gabby Daleman's issues are at least in part linked to her suffering a bad concussion. And then there's Joshua Farris. Ok, his accident didn't happen in comp, but all the more reason to enforce the strictest protocols. By the way, it's true that skating is hardcore sport that puts skaters' health at risk. Not only the wear and tear, back issues, injuries from falls. Even spinning can actually cause brain damage, because when spinning is like a centrifuge for the brain. Famous spinner Lucinda Ruh suffered from concussion because of too much spinning (article about this) Skaters of course train, but there's still a physical limit to how much your brain can take without suffering. (all in all, one gotta be relieved that Yuzuru doens't spend an excessive amount of time training spins...) On a more lighthearted note, guess what I found when googling Yuzuru Hanyu toe socks (I only wanted a short snippet of Zu's toe socks for the Glossary LOL yes I've added toe socks to Glossary, but still not added some programs acronyms. #priorities)? I had to share, I was so flabbergasted at first and then just LMAO about how RANDOM it was. I had to double check it was the real person too, because it was just so unexpected! I've posted a screenshot instead of embedding the tweet directly because wouldn't it be weird if suddenly we swarmed to such a weird tweet from 7 years ago? (of course you're free to search for it) also LMAO less than 30 likes, I guess fanyus missed the tweet back then, or they just couldn't care less about Tom Z

for any new user, some forum functions: by the way, @Hydroblade it looks like the Novice and Junior Competitions link both in the first post of this thread you've linked and the Introduction Wiki is broken I was thiking the same. I love original TenChi because it really looke like the sky with it's clouds and gives a dreamy feel to the outfit and program, but that darker colour could still represent the sky, only towards dusk...(or on a very, very high mountain) I know some people wished the colour was darker to make the details more visible, so maybe this could work. I wonder if he'll have a 2.0 version with slight colour alterations or he'll just keep the costume as it is...

I wouldn't worry about that for now, let's spare our energy for when ISU really makes nonsensical choices (it's not like they don't make plenty of those already).And Yuzu isn't the only skater using earbuds rinkside, many other skaters listen to music while waiting off ice (though no one is as enthusiastic as Yuzu) In one of his postNHK14 interviews Yuzuru explained that "the wind"(*) of skaters approaching is a tell-tale sign of someone getting close and my guess is that such a perception also has an auditory component. not to mention that there might also be spoken warnings from skaters themselves or coaches (or if there's audience they might go AHHHH if they see two skaters getting too close), and anyway in general listening to music with earbuds does reduce awareness of one's surrondings (which is exaclty the reason why skaters use earbuds to "shut off" the rest of the world so they can calm down and focus). So, when on the ice skaters need to keep their senses sharp. (*)he said that in relation to his "fear" after the COC crash: in NHK14, even when he wasn't feeling the "wind" and his rational side knew he was safe, he still lost focus because the fear was there. You can find it at 4:40 of this vid There's even footage from NHK practice (not in this vid) where Yuzuru kinda ducks to the boards in fear when a skater approaches and then Yuzu smiles in a self-deprecating way for overreacting. The crash really affected him a lot not only physically but mentally too Congrats to SEIMEI-sama for 17 millions! now time to bring it at 18 May I remind everyone of Henni's playlists, the vids above 1 million and especially the one with the vids not yet at 1million? They deserve love too!!! in particular the GPF and NHK Seimei that were purged off YT a few years ago, and Origin from Saitama And why are there only two Yuzu's ex among the 1 million views vids? And why is PC Ballade not at 10 millions already? And how come that COC POTO is popular but not my beloved GPF14 POTO or the WTT version? ETA: I've fixed the link, I can't believe I had linked to the above 1million vids twice