Sun_Rise

Just on these suggestions for inspiration - you're all great, made some notes for myself, have hardly anything to add. On (contact) with nature a – it’s hard to leave home, it’s much more tempting to stay. But when you finally overcome yourself, feel the breeze on your cheek, the grass under your feet, looking at the spectacle in sky during sunset (or sunrise), you can understand its infinity and how you belong to nature yourself, you think why haven’t I done this before? On Italy - def recommended - there is something in the air in Italy, a common understanding of aesthetics inscribed in its culture and heritage, an unexplained factor making you feel closer to certain type of universal beauty, really just by walking down the streets of these ancient cities or staring at the immaculate landscape of the Tuscan hills. And the last thing - laugh. Think what and who makes you laugh so intensively until you can’t catch your breath, until you’re almost crying. Then get inspired by these people and these things, and laugh even more.

Thank you so much, this interview is simply beautiful and full of love and respect. Shae-Lynn seems to be a wonderful person and I am only happy that Yuzuru has this kind of person working with him. Also - I guess I'm not the only one replaying Rondo Capriccioso now.

I know we know, but just to celebrate it once again. It's his already. 4A is his. ADMINS: love the new forum design and colours, thank you!

Thank you! He is amazing, his skills indeed reached a point, at which many of these wonderful details are not achievable for others (but should be adequately valued and scored). Got a new plan now to watch the whole RonCap in slo mo to appreciate it even more.

@Pammiand others thank you for suggesting various ways of how we act perhaps slowly but steadily push for change. This is all very constructive. I actually can't stop thinking about what to do and how to act about the unfair scoring issue, because this has clear consequences for Yuzuru (and this is my motivation). This board is a wonderful place and we are so many that there will always be different attitudes. But there are so many talents and great minds among the fans, so much high quality evidence is produced, so much great work, also varieties of ways how the message is conveyed, and this may include stronger attitude (with respect). I may be too new to all of this, but have this notorious attitude that we can't ignore injustice and real harm that has been done and the hope that we can have some effective voice. I can offer help and try to contribute the best way that I can - supporting, disseminating knowledge, expertise and evidence, and eventually doing some research myself (If I can, I will, maybe, someday, one day xD).

That's me! xD

Thank you for sharing - I also agree with everything that's been written there. He also seems to have two strategies: Extra 1.0: still playing according to the rules, perfecting his programs to add difficult elements and details, calculating everything to break the point barrier in both programmes, but also not betraying the quality, not compromising with any hidden PR or other cheated elements. Extra 2.0: anticipating that Extra 1.0 may not work plus this is what he wants to do anyway, i.e. adding 4A, sending messages in different often subtle ways that he is aware of the scoring issue and him being mistreated, then through his thesis - about the need to heal the sport and introduce new scoring support methods to restore justice. Naturally, any decision he makes will be respected. But he did win in Japan, not so long ago, with two OG medalists, now at the top after SP Worlds. He's simply better now, only if his ankle heels and he's healthy, he can be winning again. But also his victory may have different faces.

Thank you, I used the automatic translator and I very much identify with this – it’s beautiful and melancholic at the same time – all the shared first impressions of the past programmes and performances, costume reveals, re-lived in the present and made into memories we never had.

I hear you! I saw new fans commenting on the videos from past competitions, all having these regrets. But hey, we really cannot think about what we lost, because we will go insane. Let's just be happy that all the cosmic forces brought us to this point, eventually! Thank you, it's great to be here!

I very much agree. And don't be sorry - we need to and we will repeat this many times in the future. Obviously, I wouldn't be here if not for Beijing. And at first it was just the effect of seeing him on the rink for the first time, like wh...WHAT??? What was THAT? WHO is this guy? But then there was everything else, the whole experience. The pre-gala practice was hypnotizing and worked as a therapeutic session. For new fanyus it was also a kind of crash course in Yuzu's mastery and legacy - heartbreaking, cause you know you were not there all of this time, but at the same time the whole bunch of new and wonderful feelings getting into you. And then, I also realized he communicates like that. There is a powerful exchange going on here.

I shared it under Martina Frammartino's post on PCS, so I thought perhaps I could share it here, as well. So, I came across this very recent study that develops a model for predicting scores using a database of figure skating videos and they implement the model for simulating results from OG competition in Beijing, contrasting predicted with true scores. In short - this is an AI based tool to detect what the scores should be vs what they really are as given by the judges in the competition. One innovation is that they add audio modality to check how the skaters respond to music in their performance. Unfortunately, they only show it for women’s SP and they only show it for 5 skaters with top *predicted* PCS. The first thing you can see is that predicted PCS for ALL skaters presented were LOWER than true (eventual) scores.: For the 5 presented skaters the difference between the predicted and the true score was the following: Valieva: +4,23; Hendrickx: +2,4; Trusova: +4,66; Shcherbakova: +6,63 Chen: +3,88. This also influences how the skaters would be ranked, PCS only: Valieva still no 1, but Shcherbakova in 4th, Trusova in 3th and Hendrickx in 2nd. Of course PCS scores for 5 skaters are not enough to make any generalizations, but you almost immediately see that Russian skaters were overscored to the highest extent (look at Shcherbakova!), then Chen (US). Hendrickx's (from Belgium) score should be relatively higher and it looks like she was relatively underscored and ranked lower than she should be (SP, PCS only). I will be observing these scholars’ work and will see whether they publish some more comprehensive reports from their simulations, especially if they do these simulations for men's programmes. Here is the link to the whole text: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2203.03990.pdf (warning: it is technical and the predicted vs true schores are in a small section at the end only and I want more!).

Exactly, and he could use them for Rondo Cap as well (he didn't have them).

Yuzu's 3A with one arm folded during practice - he's amazing! I thought perhaps apart from the bigger picture discussion on PR team, coaches and scores, wearing gloves with a bit contrasting color like with the Otonal costume would help to point to where the hands are? Because RC costume has similar colors.

I fully agree, plus JSF should provide funding to translate his thesis given he would agree and make it available in the first place. As for the working group - there is almost no information on their progress. This was in plans already in May 2021, but if you do the search on their website, this is what you find: I did these searches for various combinations and relevant keywords and found nothing (only the info from 2021 in their reporting doc). I am wondering, how long it can take to complete at least the first consultation/state of art phase. What are the next steps? What is the roadmap? Who's going to be involved? I have seen somewhere that they are also pausing it because of Covid/invasion in Ukraine (not confirmed). At the same time they are organizing big competition events, though. But cannot do the research review and a pilot study, at least? Studies on the use of AI for fs were published and experiments were conducted despite Covid, it's all there, I found some interesting studies, but will post later, as this post is already getting big, haha. Meanwhile - again giving the example of gymnastics. They had it all properly planned already in 2017 with a clear roadmap. They are proud and loud about it, marketing it everywhere, being at the front-line of improving sports and emphasizing fair scoring all the time. See their roadmap: Really, the ISU needs to get serious about it.

Has he ever explicitly talked about it? I mean I understand it, it is coherent with his asceticism, pure concentration on sport and it emphasizes his authenticity that draws so many people to him. But I agree that perhaps a subtle in style but still existing PR team would help to get the message through, to shift the attention to these amazing details like above, with the 3A. This would help him to achieve his goal, and he certainly is goal-oriented.

Yes, please, that would be fantastic! I would love to read it! True about the translators, though. He seems to have this internal imperative and incredible self-discipline to simply follow with what he feels and believes is right, against all odds. This is very inspiring and motivating.

The main man behind it is Fujiwara Hidenori, director of Fujitsu’s sports business division. See here the article on how he was persistent to make it happen. The article opens with saying that (a) revolutionary AI-based system that automatically scores gymnastic routines has solved many of the problems that used to plague the judging process in that sport. One problem is that this particular technology may not be so useful for fs, as the 3D lasers are quite static and detect movement at a spatially limited area. One could imagine this could work for judging the jumps, but then the skaters would need to jump in designated areas, where the lasers would be placed. So the method from Yuzuru's thesis with inertial sensors placed on the body seems better, because the skater can jump anywhere on the rink. However, I think 1) they could do a pilot or a test on jumps in designated area 2) they could further work on developing the technology with the sensors on and 3) develop a super laser or place the lasers around the rink (??).

But there could be.Japanese Gymnastics Association partnered with a Japanese company, Fujitsu, to introduce a judging system based on 3D laser sensors and machine learning "changing the world of sports with judging support system" (JGF's words). This is branded as a Japanese contribution to improving sports (see here). Watanabe, the President of JGA said: “If this system is perfected, inaccurate scores will become a thing of the past, and a long-standing dream of the sports world will come true.” Now, imagine that JSF could also contribute to improving the scoring system, partner with Yuzuru as a face of these operations, partner with a company offering technology (here it would need to be the use of inertial sensors rather than the laser), do the tests and pilots, this would be a great contribution to fs. Btw both the Japanese and International Gymnastics Assoc didn't have to contribute financially, as this has been a huge marketing move for Fujitsu. This could be a win-win for everyone involved: JSF, the skaters, and for fs in general. Plus adequate honoring the most legendary skater that Japan ever had.

Thank you, this is sublime. The high quality sound allows for appreciating the music even more together with how the programme is composed and executed. It's not the easiest music - rhythm is scattered, melody travels through unexpected turns. But Yuzuru takes you on this journey through his performance and makes your experience something really intensive. And there are all these difficult technical elements embedded. But this is his level now.

Thank you for sharing, this is good news!

Thank you for letting us know! Stay safe together with everyone in Japan now.

This is excellent, I saw it earlier today. I saw ppl tagging ISU, I hope someone important reads that. Does she have a YouTube channel or so? This deserves some kind of serious hype and dissemination.

You are absolutely right. I can't stop watching his 4A from Beijing, but also the peace and strength he had throughout the performance. I am also shocked by how authentic he is - sharing his feelings, his tears. You almost forget how false and fake the world can be sometimes until you see him showing his emotions that you immediately know are true in every sense.

Thank you so much for your kind words! It is a wonderful place and great to be here. I've been still doing my homework, but even more convinced about Yuzu's growth and improvement, thanks to this incredible determination to always perfect his skills.

Look, wait...so this is also about gender stereotypes? Not getting there yet (sigh).