Danibellerika

Part of me hopes he can tap into his inner Sotnikova and skate like a bull.

I actually don't think image and marketability are underrated at all. If you're being sought out for endorsement deals those are qualities that are evaluated. I was thinking these were more so as a given for all these main guys who have charisma in their own way (and their own endorsements). And Shoma is planning on a long career. As you mention with Yuzu, he was still accomplishing things which put him on the radar before. But I think the Olympics took him to a completely different level, national treasure level.

I don't think that's fair to Shoma. If he manages to win big titles he will certainly not be short on fans. I don't think he is now actually. I think Yuzu's Olympic win helped immensely toward his meteoric rise because we got to see what makes him special. And Yuzu being Yuzu helped him rise even more. But in general people like winners and if you do enough of it you'll be good to go.

Well since Yuzu currently lives in my time zone and it's half past 12, I can give my official HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YUZU!!!

I'm going whether America is there or not. I've spent too much money at this point. Even still, if NK decided to do something during the Olympics they'd have the rest of the world to deal with who sent their elite athletes.

It's okay. Definitely the shock heard 'round the world. And it will absolutely affect our skating community.

Yep. Definitely a shocker. We are discussion the ban in the Team Russia thread:

At first someone who was watching tv said they reported she didn't. Then I heard that she did.

So it's a full ban.

Honestly, for an already struggling games, I don't think banning a major player (should it be followed up with a boycott) will help make it any more appealing. I purchased very expensive tickets to these events expecting a real competition, not a diluted one.

That is very their style.

Yeah I feel like whatever this decision it's going to loom over an already strange GPF.

The crowd at skate america seemed to really appreciate her. I wish I could have ultimately made the trip (I had a Row A ticket too), but PyeongChang is more of a priority for me. Maybe I'll see her there if she is on the team and skates the free in the team event. We'll see. I first saw Yuzu in Boston for the LP and only for the LP so that was not a good first in person impression. I'm glad Helsinki was able to wipe it all away...or a lot of it anyway. He is a fun one to watch practice and stroke around. He's so smooth. Shoma I like about equally live and in person. Javi maybe a little more in person but the only time i was really blown away by him was worlds in Boston. I also appreciate Chan more live. Watching his feet alone he really pulls you in. But I don't connect much with him on tv.

https://www.insidethegames.biz/index.php/articles/1058718/ioc-trying-to-perform-delicate-balancing-act-as-russia-face-pyeongchang-2018-ban Oh boy...

Or that ACI SP moment when he heard Javi's scores get announced. ETA: The site is doing that annoying thing again when it won't embed my images, so a link it is... ACI Smirk - someone has a gif of this, right?

He'll be doing that, but I'm sure that competitive fire in him will be scorching hot.

Okay I found the original with him in it and then this new one. That is very obviously suspicious. I will say that this seems like the kind of sport where if the drive isn't there it will quickly show up in your performance. And you can't force someone to be driven. I'm sure he'll make whatever decision he feels is right for him.

Way to bring a smile to my face. Crazy to think I was lucky enough to be there for both of these I actually didn't see the K&C fancam from ACI so this is nice.

Well the new Ice Jewels magazine just arrived at my doorstep! Beautiful pics!

I was just thinking that on both the ladies and mens sides, only ONE of the top 5 finishers from worlds will be competing. I'm really missing our guy.

Yeah that's more important of course. But I didn't mean to correct him in this video, but I mean in general since he's started studying. Not addressing yourself as "san" or any honorific was one of the first things I learned, so I never practiced it that way to develop the habit.

I met him in Helsinki and he was trying to use it a little bit with some fans. He was saying 一緒 for pictures. The 一緒 sounded okay, but to me his Japanese sounds like an American more often than not. His skills are not like Kevin Reynolds who has a great accent. In Helsinki he ended up speaking with a bunch of Japanese fans, and then I ended up speaking with him in Japanese too (to the surprise of Japanese fans who were nearby; it's probably weird to see two non Japanese people speaking Japanese while not even being in Japan. But no mistaking those collective へえ reactions )

Not sure if this has been posted, but Jason Brown has a message for Japanese fans and he also has a message for Yuzu. http://web.canon.jp/event/skating/interview/2017_2018/brown.html He's the sweetest. But I chuckled when he called himself "Jason-san" . I think he's so kind that nobody has to heart to correct him.

NHK 2015 where he got his 322 was on back to back days, so he can do it.

Shared my two cents. Thanks!