General Yuzuru Chat

[SparkleSalad]

18 minutes ago, kaeryth said:

 

 

 

So beautiful. 

[Ashley2162018]

that hakama is just so lovely

[ruruzest]

two proud dads!!

the way Briand looked at Yuzu! 

[Henni147]

I took this evening to rewatch all performances from Yuzu at Worlds from Nice 2012 to Helsinki 2017... and I realized that I've never seen some of them before, especially some SPs.
 

Spoiler

 

It's interesting that he has only skated one clean short program at Worlds so far. That was in Boston 2016.

However, despite mistakes he always pulled through as if nothing had happened. Performance wise the SPs were really a joy to watch.

The free skates were surprisingly strong throughout. Till Saitama 2014 he didn't make any major jump error. You could see, that he had to fight for some landings and the choreographies were a bit rough (especially Notre Dame and R&J 2.0 lacked this global concept that Seimei, Origin or other FS have). But he made the best out of them .

In Shanghai and Boston there was a little turnaround, but I put this down to Yuzu's injuries at that time.

What I really loved about POTO: 9 of 10 skaters would have resigned after that terrible start with 2S and a fall on the 4T, but Yuzu made everyone forget about it with a textbook rest.

For me that's even more impressive than a clean program from the beginning, because it's so tough to get your head free in that moment - especially when you fight for gold.

 

 

[ruruzest]

1 hour ago, Henni147 said:

I took this evening to rewatch all performances from Yuzu at Worlds from Nice 2012 to Helsinki 2017... and I realized that I've never seen some of them before, especially some SPs.
 

  Hide contents

 

It's interesting that he has only skated one clean short program at Worlds so far. That was in Boston 2016.

However, despite mistakes he always pulled through as if nothing had happened. Performance wise the SPs were really a joy to watch.

The free skates were surprisingly strong throughout. Till Saitama 2014 he didn't make any major jump error. You could see, that he had to fight for some landings and the choreographies were a bit rough (especially Notre Dame and R&J 2.0 lacked this global concept that Seimei, Origin or other FS have). But he made the best out of them .

In Shanghai and Boston there was a little turnaround, but I put this down to Yuzu's injuries at that time.

What I really loved about POTO: 9 of 10 skaters would have resigned after that terrible start with 2S and a fall on the 4T, but Yuzu made everyone forget about it with a textbook rest.

For me that's even more impressive than a clean program from the beginning, because it's so tough to get your head free in that moment - especially when you fight for gold.

 

 

I’d prefer to  watch an unclean Yuzu’s program over others ‘s clean ones because there are so much to marvel at his movements, nuances, expressions throughout the performance! 

[Geo1]

6 hours ago, Henni147 said:

I took this evening to rewatch all performances from Yuzu at Worlds from Nice 2012 to Helsinki 2017... and I realized that I've never seen some of them before, especially some SPs.
 

  Hide contents

 

It's interesting that he has only skated one clean short program at Worlds so far. That was in Boston 2016.

However, despite mistakes he always pulled through as if nothing had happened. Performance wise the SPs were really a joy to watch.

The free skates were surprisingly strong throughout. Till Saitama 2014 he didn't make any major jump error. You could see, that he had to fight for some landings and the choreographies were a bit rough (especially Notre Dame and R&J 2.0 lacked this global concept that Seimei, Origin or other FS have). But he made the best out of them .

In Shanghai and Boston there was a little turnaround, but I put this down to Yuzu's injuries at that time.

What I really loved about POTO: 9 of 10 skaters would have resigned after that terrible start with 2S and a fall on the 4T, but Yuzu made everyone forget about it with a textbook rest.

For me that's even more impressive than a clean program from the beginning, because it's so tough to get your head free in that moment - especially when you fight for gold.

 

 

 

Another example of this is Yuzu's FS performance at the 2013 Trophee Eric Bompard. He had to finish first or second at this GP event in order to qualify for the Grand Prix Final. Since the Japanese men's field was so deep, qualifying for the Grand Prix Final was crucial in whether or not he would be chosen for the Japanese Olympic team.

 

Many a skater would have been totally devastated by the freak accident that nullified his initial quad Salchow, followed by the fall on his quad toeloop. Both of his two quads in the free skate were blown. What followed after that was a demonstration of immaculate skating which allowed him to finish second and qualify for the Grand Prix Final in Japan where he beat Patrick Chan.

 

If he had failed at the 2013 TEB, he would not have made the 2013 GPF and may not have made the Japanese Olympic team. Even if he had, he would not have had the #1 world ranking and may not have had the confidence to win his first Olympic gold medal. History may have gone in a totally different direction if he had not pulled himself together so well after the two disastrous quad attempts at the 2013 TEB.

 

 

[Huiqi]

3 hours ago, Geo1 said:

 

Another example of this is Yuzu's FS performance at the 2013 Trophee Eric Bompard. He had to finish first or second at this GP event in order to qualify for the Grand Prix Final. Since the Japanese men's field was so deep, qualifying for the Grand Prix Final was crucial in whether or not he would be chosen for the Japanese Olympic team.

 

Many a skater would have been totally devastated by the freak accident that nullified his initial quad Salchow, followed by the fall on his quad toeloop. Both of his two quads in the free skate were blown. What followed after that was a demonstration of immaculate skating which allowed him to finish second and qualify for the Grand Prix Final in Japan where he beat Patrick Chan.

 

If he had failed at the 2013 TEB, he would not have made the 2013 GPF and may not have made the Japanese Olympic team. Even if he had, he would not have had the #1 world ranking and may not have had the confidence to win his first Olympic gold medal. History may have gone in a totally different direction if he had not pulled himself together so well after the two disastrous quad attempts at the 2013 TEB.

 

 

Even if he didnt make the GPF in 2013, he would have made the Japanese Olympic team based on the Japanese Nationals results. Who could Japan have sent if not Hanyu?

[KatjaThera]

Actually, I think even the Sochi Oly free fits that pattern. He was leading after the short, under a lot of pressure, and had two mistakes on two of his first three jumps, but he put them behind him and was clean on the rest, even if not at his usual level. And all this at the Olympics. It's like Javi said, a lot of people fail to understand the mental strength it took to win there. (And, to me, that was the biggest difference between Yuzu and Patrick. Patrick started off well in the free, but when the mistakes started coming, it all fell apart and it looked like he simply gave up.)

 

35 minutes ago, Huiqi said:

Even if he didnt make the GPF in 2013, he would have made the Japanese Olympic team based on the Japanese Nationals results. Who could Japan have sent if not Hanyu?

I wouldn't be so sure... He was the reigning national champion, but he'd beaten Takahashi by a small margin. Machida and Kozuka were in top shape as well, so I think not even going to GPF would have been a huge minus for Yuzu. It was after GPF2013 that people REALLY started to take notice, I think. Because not only did he win, but he beat Patrick. And I think it had been a while since anyone had won over Patrick (though I could be wrong about that). And it's hard to say how JP Nationals would have gone if Yuzu hadn't made the GPF.

[lajoitko]

I remember that before GPF 2013 I kept thinking that the Olympics would be a great learning experience for Yuzu. Of course I dreamed about him winning but at that time I felt that his time would be at the next Olympics. GPF 2013 really changed that. Over one night my dream became a real possibility. When I look back, I really think that Yuzu winnning the GPF had a big impact on what happened at the Olympics couple months later. Also it was the last Yuzu competition that I could watch without having a nervous breakdown. Sometimes I miss that carefree feeling...

 

Also the Japanese men field was really deep at that time. Oda was third at the GPF and didn´t make to the Olympic team.

[kiches]

Echoing what was said, back in 2013 the Japanese men's field was very deep. At the 2013 GPF, 3 of the 6 qualifiers in men's singles were Japanese and so was the first alternate (Oda). In 2012, 4 out of the 6 qualifiers were Japanese. Making the GPF and medaling plays a large part in the Japanese Federation selection process for Worlds and the Olympics. I think if Yuzu had been the only one of those 4 males to not make the GPF that year it definitely would've lessened his chances at making the Olympic team back in Sochi. Other than winning nationals, the second and third spots were mainly determined by a mix of standings at Japanese Nationals and qualifying/medaling at the GPF. Luckily Yuzu easily qualified for the first spot on the team by both winning the GPF and Nationals, even before Nationals his GPF win would've almost ensured him a spot on the team so long as he placed within top 6 at Nationals then. The criteria is different now, but the Japanese Federation usually puts more weight on GPF results in their selection criteria than other countries.

[Huiqi]

2 hours ago, KatjaThera said:

Actually, I think even the Sochi Oly free fits that pattern. He was leading after the short, under a lot of pressure, and had two mistakes on two of his first three jumps, but he put them behind him and was clean on the rest, even if not at his usual level. And all this at the Olympics. It's like Javi said, a lot of people fail to understand the mental strength it took to win there. (And, to me, that was the biggest difference between Yuzu and Patrick. Patrick started off well in the free, but when the mistakes started coming, it all fell apart and it looked like he simply gave up.)

 

I wouldn't be so sure... He was the reigning national champion, but he'd beaten Takahashi by a small margin. Machida and Kozuka were in top shape as well, so I think not even going to GPF would have been a huge minus for Yuzu. It was after GPF2013 that people REALLY started to take notice, I think. Because not only did he win, but he beat Patrick. And I think it had been a while since anyone had won over Patrick (though I could be wrong about that). And it's hard to say how JP Nationals would have gone if Yuzu hadn't made the GPF.

Takahashi was placed fifth in the 2013 Japanese nationals. Yuzu beat all the other Japanese men by a huge margin. He is also the Japanese skater with the highest SP score back then, second only to Patrick Chan. It is impossible that Japan would not send him to the Olympics in favour of their bronze medalist Oda or fifth-placed Takahashi. Yuzu was also ranked world no. 1 back then, yes, even before winning the grand prix final.

[ralucutzagy]

22 days left till WC ... I miss him so much ... 

[Anki]

3 hours ago, KatjaThera said:

Actually, I think even the Sochi Oly free fits that pattern. He was leading after the short, under a lot of pressure, and had two mistakes on two of his first three jumps, but he put them behind him and was clean on the rest, even if not at his usual level. And all this at the Olympics. It's like Javi said, a lot of people fail to understand the mental strength it took to win there. (And, to me, that was the biggest difference between Yuzu and Patrick. Patrick started off well in the free, but when the mistakes started coming, it all fell apart and it looked like he simply gave up.)

 

I wouldn't be so sure... He was the reigning national champion, but he'd beaten Takahashi by a small margin. Machida and Kozuka were in top shape as well, so I think not even going to GPF would have been a huge minus for Yuzu. It was after GPF2013 that people REALLY started to take notice, I think. Because not only did he win, but he beat Patrick. And I think it had been a while since anyone had won over Patrick (though I could be wrong about that). And it's hard to say how JP Nationals would have gone if Yuzu hadn't made the GPF.

 

 

He had already beaten Patrick in GPF 2012 where he was silver and Patrick was bronze (Takahashi was gold), and if not for the knee injury he suffered before Worlds 2013, Yuzu could have had been a gold contender. I recall after Worlds 2013, Yuzu seemed to have lesser ice show placements,  which received some complaints from other skaters' fans, and JSF's response was given he is a potential gold medal contender, he needs to be given time to heal properly. So at that time, JSF already placed their hope on him for the Olympic gold. Of course, had he missed 2013 GPF, that might have dampen some of JSF's faith, but if he had won Nationals, he would have gone to the Olympics even if he did not make GPF 2013 due to the selection rules.  

[Lunna]

Even before GPF 2013 I was thinking Yuzu had a good shot at Sochi gold with strong SP and even with planned 4S-fall in FS with everything else clean and with some mistakes from Patrick (of course not over clean Patrick like at TEB 2013), cuz Yuzu was on the rise and even Patrick's PCS will not be enough if TES difference will be big. And I liked that from the begging I started follow Yuzu - yes, he could make mistakes on the quads usually (or cuz was too tired by the end of FS), but he didn't fall apart on his other elements and a lot of other men (Javi, Patrick, Michal  Brezina and some others) could jump quads and then mess up their triples.

[Katt]

With JSF's criteria, only National champ got secure spot, so if Yuzuru didn't qualify gpf13, his only way to get oly spot is gold or silver at Nationals. But if nationals 13 results was like Dai/Yuzu/Machida/Oda with Machida and Oda both medal at GPF, silver might not enough. With GPF win, he could be 3rd or 4th and still get selected. Basically, he made his life easier with that gpf gold 

Yuzuru only became a serious gold contender, the one who challenge Patrick after GPF. Not getting to GPF might affect to nationals. The results could be different or he might win with smaller gap, you never know, lower pcs, lower goe could do it. In 2011, Yuzuru even got lower pcs at Nats than Intenational comp.