General Yuzuru Chat

[HRvF]

12 minutes ago, SitTwizzle said:

He had sprained his right ankle during the practice before the short program. I suppose this is why he was "only" 7th at this short program.

Aaah yes, that was it! He always puts so much pressure on himself. 

[rockstaryuzu]

56 minutes ago, SitTwizzle said:

Unfortunately, I feel that Nathan Chen has a potential to be a complete skater, rather on the less artistic side of course but a performer; but lately I was struck by the fact he was doing nothing more than bare elements with crossovers in between (which is explicitly forbidden by ISU rules and rarely seen even with novices I believe?) and these elements "as he can", without any "adaptation to the program". So, without lacking any artistic talent, at the moment (GPF particularly) I really see nothing artistic/performing in his skate.

Well, he gets the scores without having to do any more than that so...

 

However, I think he tries for the artistry in some fashion. Like, there's a realization that it needs to be there. 

[memae]

15 minutes ago, rockstaryuzu said:

Well, he gets the scores without having to do any more than that so...

 

However, I think he tries for the artistry in some fashion. Like, there's a realization that it needs to be there. 

 

And he does spend time getting choreo done with Marie-France, which I think is a good move for him to develop artistry in a style that appeals to him and that he could potentially do very well. I always think he needs to hold moves (other than spread eagles - his are nice and all but I'm so bored of them being the staple of men's mitf) for a whole lot longer if he's going for this minimalist, contemporary kind of style. Like, to bring that less-is-more elegance to it, he needs to really emphasize some crazy edges and he needs to hold them for longer than Yuzuru if he's not doing all the rest of the footwork and transitions that Yuzu is doing. 

 

Of course, he's getting scored for what could be rather than what we're actually seeing from him, so I don't know what the motivation could be do improve. Even if he does want to, actually putting in the work to do so is a whole other thing, especially when at this stage it really doesn't look like he needs to in order to get the scores he's getting and he has school to worry about as well. Why waste time working on skating skills the judges don't think he needs when he could work on his grades or social life, etc instead? (I'm not saying Nathan needs to get a life or anything snarky - just that he's a busy guy under lots of pressure and friends and fun are important for keeping healthy and it's hard to maintain all the different parts of our lives successfully). 

[SitTwizzle]

1 hour ago, rockstaryuzu said:

Well, he gets the scores without having to do any more than that so...

 

However, I think he tries for the artistry in some fashion. Like, there's a realization that it needs to be there. 

I really liked his two bits of impersonation of Charles Aznavour in his short program at the beginning of the season. Very brief, but really well done, and I like Aznavour so I might have been particular if it hadn't been. The problem is, even this had disappeared at GPF, hence my comment. I felt more concerned for him than "furious" (I was furious about the scores, but this is another question).

If we take Bradie Tennell, she is not an artistic skater (I think Chen has really more potential than her) but her short program is easy to interpret and she followed the indications, and she delivered a performance. This program IS some figure skating. While I perceived Chen's at GPF, as a mere exercise.

I really wonder what he will be doing at Worlds.

[rockstaryuzu]

1 hour ago, SitTwizzle said:

 

I really wonder what he will be doing at Worlds.

Indeed. it should be interesting. 

[rockstaryuzu]

4 hours ago, memae said:

That's the true confidence the world should want to see in men.

yes, yes, and yes. And by the way, Han Yan totally showed that same confidence in his La La Land program at 4CC. A man assured of who he is. I really hope he'll be able to sort out his quarantine difficulties and get to Worlds okay. I want to see him skate in person. 

[Dreamer]

4 hours ago, rockstaryuzu said:

Well, he gets the scores without having to do any more than that so...

 

However, I think he tries for the artistry in some fashion. Like, there's a realization that it needs to be there. 

But he doesn't really care about advancing the sport as a complete skater.  He'll just take the overscoring and run with it.

[Crow]

1 hour ago, rockstaryuzu said:

yes, yes, and yes. And by the way, Han Yan totally showed that same confidence in his La La Land program at 4CC. A man assured of who he is. I really hope he'll be able to sort out his quarantine difficulties and get to Worlds okay. I want to see him skate in person. 

I loooved his skate on the 4CC free, it was beautiful, his skating is beautiful. I think, after Yuzu ofc, the ones I was impressed by were Yuma's short and Han Yan's free, they both were amazing.

[Ladysci]

6 hours ago, FlyingCamel said:

His step sequence here is absolutely sensational! Can’t believe he had such artistry at just 17 years of age

I wonder if it’s something he’s born with? Or does he have life experiences that shape him into such an artist

Yes, that step sequence was sensational , even though I was too far away to see his face clearly. I was there and that's when I became a fan and after that, I could never watch a competition live or on TV without getting stressed, but is all worth it!

[shanshani]

3 hours ago, rockstaryuzu said:

yes, yes, and yes. And by the way, Han Yan totally showed that same confidence in his La La Land program at 4CC. A man assured of who he is. I really hope he'll be able to sort out his quarantine difficulties and get to Worlds okay. I want to see him skate in person. 

I feel like Han Yan's free is also a good example of why masculine doesn't have to equal not beautiful. That program has a very masculine vibe to me, but it's also gorgeous. It's definitely one of my favorite FSs this season. Hopefully he'll be able to skate it well at worlds, even though there's been all this trouble 

 

I agree with the earlier comment that no one really seems to be doing the aggressive, tbh almost insecure style of masculinity Stojko seems to want though. We can debate whether Nathan has much of a style at all, but whatever it is, it isn't karate, nascar, whatever. Usually when people do that kind of style, it's in a humorous gala program poking fun at it

[rockstaryuzu]

10 minutes ago, shanshani said:

We can debate whether Nathan has much of a style at all, but whatever it is, it isn't karate, nascar, whatever.

Truth be told, I think you have to come from a certain kind of place/ upbringing/ background/ what have you for that type of style to feel natural to you. The closest one  to that  style I can think of at the moment is Nic Nadeau, and even he is doing more refined skates than that. 

[Maleko]

Hace 9 horas, Fay said:

There you are. 

 

This always be my favorite in my heart I love everything even the fall is so dramatic that looks like the choreo.

[yumeaki]

9 hours ago, Fay said:

There you are. 

 

One of the comps that I frequently rewatch. Now I want to see him skate to this in Worlds Montreal gala, complete with the fall. 

[Crow]

Stojko, more like 

[memae]

3 hours ago, shanshani said:

I agree with the earlier comment that no one really seems to be doing the aggressive, tbh almost insecure style of masculinity Stojko seems to want though. We can debate whether Nathan has much of a style at all, but whatever it is, it isn't karate, nascar, whatever. Usually when people do that kind of style, it's in a humorous gala program poking fun at it

 

The 'karate, nascar, whatever' reminds me of a skit by SNL or collegehumour or something of the like back in the lead up to Sochi of the USA's 'Heterosexual Men's Figure Skaters' which was a tongue-in-cheek stab at Russia's deplorable anti-LGBTQ stance.