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Guest turquoiseblue

[NEWS]
JAPAN Forward article by Jack Gallagher

 

[ICE TIME] Yuzuru Hanyu Chasing Immortality with Quad Axel, Third Olympic Gold Medal
December 29, 2021

 

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“The Olympics are not a recital. It’s a place you must win,” Hanyu stated in an online press conference on Monday, December 27, ahead of the Exhibition Gala that followed the Japan Figure Skating Championships in Saitama. “For that reason, I’ll be strongly determined.”

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“I already have two consecutive Olympic championships, and I’m certainly afraid of losing it,” Hanyu commented. “The probability of losing is definitely higher than the Pyeongchang Olympics at this moment. That’s why I want to win with a strong determination again.”

 

These are the words and actions of a true champion. Hanyu knows it won’t be easy, but he will still go all out for it.

 

“After putting on the Japan team jacket, I will go to the Olympics and win,” Hanyu remarked. “I have to win.”

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Hanyu then discussed specific plans for his Olympic programs.

 

“I want to make it a structure that can be soaked firmly with increased GOE (grade of execution),” Hanyu noted. “The composition of four-and-a-half revolutions [quad axel] and [quad] lutz and [quad] loop is not realistic.

 

“There’s only one month from here, and all we can do is probably the axel. I want to work and practice.”

 

Hanyu said even if the attempt at the axel was tabled, he could go in a different direction.

 

“If you’re going to throw away your commitment to four-and-a-half revolutions, there are various other options,” Hanyu stated. “I’m probably the best right now at expressing [myself] with music.”

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“I respect Ohtani because it was difficult for him after the [elbow] surgery [in 2018],” Hanyu commented. “He has achieved what others have not. He did it by himself. He has opened up a new path. His performance is encouraging to me. Nobody has done the quad axel, I want to do it.

 

“It may be a world I haven’t seen yet. In a way, I’m really encouraged to continue to challenge it by myself.”

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“There were quite a few times when I thought that my growth stopped when I was about 24 to 25 years old, and when I couldn’t skate my free program well,” Hanyu said. “But I’m probably at my best now. Definitely.”

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Due to the pandemic, Hanyu has been training by himself in his hometown for the past two seasons, separated from coaches Brian Orser and Tracy Wilson in Toronto. Hanyu says the independence has helped him grow.

 

“That’s probably because you can establish your own training method. I was able to plan by myself,” Hanyu remarked. “As Hanyu Yuzuru with training, I know how to do it. That is the biggest thing.”

 

Hanyu feels that he could have landed the quad axel three seasons ago.

 

“Honestly the season after Pyeongchang I could do it,” Hanyu stated. “I didn’t realize how difficult the quad axel was. I concentrated on practicing for it, but I was often injured. Quads were difficult.”

 

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21 minutes ago, turquoiseblue said:

“I already have two consecutive Olympic championships, and I’m certainly afraid of losing it,” Hanyu commented. “The probability of losing is definitely higher than the Pyeongchang Olympics at this moment. That’s why I want to win with a strong determination again.”

 

These are the words and actions of a true champion. Hanyu knows it won’t be easy, but he will still go all out for it.

 

“After putting on the Japan team jacket, I will go to the Olympics and win,” Hanyu remarked. “I have to win.”

:fire:

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I watched Ten chi for the nth time and I just noticed that his 3Lo landing matches a “dan” sound in the music, which was an improvement from last season’s version (the “dan” sound was in the music last year as well but the landing timing didn’t match).  Also this year in the hydroblade, his head movement also matches the music.  So many little details that he has added this year!!  🤯

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21 hours ago, Umebachi said:

The quads are not the highlight of the program and merely a component of the musical expression, which might be the form of expression that is unique to him. 

This. How do you jump such beautiful quads and have them not be the highlights of your program? You have to be Yuzuru Hanyu to do it. It is indeed uniquely him.

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Guest Mary_kyo

Hmmm…. I find it interesting that he thinks he could do 4A the season after Pyeongchang, if the injuries didn’t happen.

I have this feeling that he was planning to do 4A in Worlds19 and maybe retiring there by winning and achieving 4A. Now, interestingly, he managed to add/debut 4A for the first time in his program in “Saitama”. Maybe, according to the standards of the Universe, the first “clean perfect” 4A should only happen in Olympics. (also no disrespect to Origin, but Tenchi is way more deserving of having first 4A in it)

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He has many excellent qualities but one that tends to be overlooked is his obstinacy. Injury and illness disrupted his mental timetable so many times - 2014/15, 2017/18, 2018/19, Covid etc but he doesn’t give up, just adjusts his schedule and forges on.  (I’m sure 4Loop was way off schedule because of 2014/15, same with 4Ltz.).  I can’t think of another skater who would be able to do this repeatedly, and it is that underlying stubbornness that is the foundation of this ability and I for one am profoundly grateful for it.  I think not taking that into account is where western media, coaches, ISU, JSF et al delude themselves .  They think belittling his achievements, underscoring his efforts, promoting others, subtly (and frequently not subtly at all ) trying to undermine him, mocking his huge fan following, the Pooh bears etc will work, but all that does to a stubborn person is drive them on, to continue to improve, to continue to strive for the best and hardest he can do ( including upgrading the Pooh bear! ).  That obstinacy is what underpins his extraordinary vision and helps him keep picking himself up from the setbacks where a lesser competitor would decide that enough is enough, even without all the criticism and politicking.  I wonder whether with no injuries or illness an earlier 4L, 4Ltz, and possibly 4A would have had him retiring after PC?  How happy ISU would have been.  I really enjoy the fact that his continued career has been an unspoken ‘ Get over it - not everything is about you’  to the figure skating establishment, who are too hubristic to see it.  For him the skating is the only thing it is really about.

 

I find it interesting that he feels he lost his way a bit after PC.  I enjoyed the two Os but I would have preferred him to have carried on in his own way rather than do one tribute programme, much less two alongside each other.  Tribute could have waited until ice shows imho, but gratitude and appreciation of the qualities of others are also traits and he wouldn’t be the same person without them.  LMEY and Ten chi feel like a reset, and I’m thrilled to have them and Rondo.

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