Valkyria

I've been very emo about Javi lately. I knew the retirement talk was coming because duh, but I'll miss him so much when he finally steps back from competition. Not only has he always been one of my faves, as a fellow Spaniard it will mark the end of an era in our non-existent FS history. ...I really, really want him to get a medal in PC. More than anything, tbh (Sorry about the flood of feels in the middle of entertaining ice-football, I'll go cry elsewhere now)

Happy new year, fellow satellites! As weird as it is for me to think about skating in terms of years and not seasons, looking back on 2017 it has been a wild rollercoaster. I'll never forget the feeling of watching H&L in Helsinki, squishing the life out of a couple cushions and feeling like the whole world was waiting with baited breath for that fickle 4S3T. Things have taken a turn for the worse with this #cursed first half of the season and all the injuries, but as we get into 2018, looking towards the Olympics without knowing what we might find when we get there, I'm glad we have this community to share all the emotions of the journey. May we all have a happy one and all the luck to Yuzuru in the coming year!

Since everyone serms to be feeling pretty squishy, let me say this and add to that: I haven't been around much (mostly checking for news *still crossing fingers so he's healing okay*) because my uni workload is insane right now, but this forum has been a godsend from the beginning. I'm the type to lurk or only really interact with a small circle of people, but the atmosphere here has always felt welcoming and the debates are interesting, so I haven't regretted being active here. Good job, everyone *hugs* As for the issue of being 'bad fans' or 'fans for the wrong reasons', I really don't give a sh*t. As long as everyone's respectful, people are allowed to enjoy a thing however they see fit, in my opinion. Don't pay attention to the naysayers: that battle is already lost from the beginning, and the people who really matter won't need lenghty explanations to understand (as a woman who enjoys football, I've been through this all my life and I'm over it. Life's simpler when you stop giving any fucks XD) (Sorry for the rant, you all just got me on a squishy moment *runs away to the lab*)

...I wouldn't even have noticed the pimples if you guys weren't going all poetic. I mean, there's so much more going on there. I'll see myself out

Don't tempt me, I'm supposed to be adulting and not refreshing for news! (What is going to become of us with no fancams from practice... )

I have too much work piled up to join in the morning news watch party, but will be waiting for the 20s clip once it airs

Was wondering what happened there. Usually when the eagle lands it generates way more of a ruckus XD

...have I just returned to find you all watching Mezamashi again? Oh my gawd (Hi there! Still traumatized by CoC, suffering from Ghanagate and the advent of The Red SweaterTM, bring on NHK! )

...just in time to get buried under the pile of Yuzu-news and the CoR eruption

I don't think judges would be forthcoming enough with the 10s to have a perfect 100 in PCS, even if the circumstances were ideal and the planets aligned in the heavens. That would be akin to labelling perfection, like 'this is it, the most you can ever do', and methinks they wouldn't want that. Getting veeeery close? Maybe, see above about circumstances; but not a perfect 100.

Many thanks to @Murieleirum for translating! It's always a pleasure listening to Max because he has so much knowledge. He always backs up his arguments with facts and numbers, which I appreciate a lot, and serves to show that while we all have our favourites, there are a bunch of things that can be looked at or measured objectively. My favourite part was the end though, when he talks about older skaters like Plushy and Caro and how they're products of another era of skating that can't really compete with the current field because things are simply different. I agree with everything.

Thank you for blessing my existence with this. My day is much improved

Shhh, it's called strategizing Now seriously: of course he's not above it when necessary (he couldn't just drop a bomb like SEIMEI casually in a random interview, for example), but he does try and keep some degree of plausible deniability most of the time. And it's fun to read between the lines I'm inclined to take the third option: needs them for some things, doesn't wear anything the rest of the time.

Yuzu on the outside: "Why, thank you for all your work and calculations on this jump that I have absolutely never, under no circumstance, been playing around with with some success" Yuzu on the inside: NAILED IT

Thing is, Yuzuru never said he wasn't going to add the 4Lz, he just used many variations of "I'm not thinking of adding it at this time" (which is why many of us were like "lol, not today, Satan") He doesn't lie, he's just not helpful

Max's comments about Yuzuru's plans are nothing new at this point, except for the actual numbers on the 4A (which are still not necessarily accurate since, while Max seems to be right most of the time, we don't have a direct source. So take it with a grain of salt). Otherwise, the Loch Ness jump should stay on the down-low where it is for now, there's too much at stake and no need for it. But in time it'll come, I'm sure; if only because Yuzuru wants it so bad and it's personal for him

This. With Boyang it's usually not the GOE, but the PCS where his points get squandered (especially when put in context with the rest of the field). I am still so very about this #JusticeFor4T3TRippon

I would be very okay with Shin Amano in a Men's tech panel. At least he's consistent across the field, which is my biggest pet peeve with judging in general.

I'm going to see it this weekend. My poor, long-suffering friends will have to deal with me using every opportunity yo talk about skating and Yuzu related things

Brian's said before that he's not a fan of training alternative layouts because they can give a skater the idea that they don't have to push as hard to deliver their planned content. But then again, there's Javier in Sochi; they probably don't want a repeat of that and have a couple of alternatives, now

Yuzu will never be able to change layouts on the fly completely like Nathan does, for the simple reason that there's too much going on in Yuzu's programs. Him not wanting to sacrifice his skating and performing quality is incompatible with the way Nathan does things, so that puts a stop to the idea right there without even going into muscle memory stuff (ACI was an outlier for me, he was very out of touch with the program the whole time. I wouldn't put it in the same level as his usual yolo-ing like at 4CC last season, for example, where he was still very much in control of the situation)

Agree 100%, which is why I'm thankful and honestly impressed at their training arrangement going as well as it has for this long. Not everybody could do that, it takes a very specific type of personality and relationship.

Javi is so very Spanish. There's no better way to put it, really But yeah, I get what you're saying here and see that as a good explanation of their different objectives: Yuzu wants that OGM with the burning passion of a thousand suns and he's going for it with all guns blazing, while Javier is betting on his current best granting him a good chance at the Olympic podium (which Yuzuru's own 3 quad SEIMEI can attest to). Still, as Javier said himself in that interview at ACI, training together all the time can be a distraction if they start focusing more on how the other's doing and less on their own thing.

I think it's both of them, really. Yuzuru hasn't forgotten about Javier winning those World titles and, while Javier's sticking to his guns re: upgrading his layout, he can't ignore Yuzuru being the living, breathing proof of how the tech increases can leave him behind. I'm sure they're friendly and like each other, but living with that every day can be tiring and affect their focus. Thus, letting them have a break

I couldn't go to Barcelona because life, too. I'll regret it forever