General Yuzuru Chat

[micaelis]

There is now a new factor when contemplating what will happen with Yuzu in the next few months.  A vaccine has been approved in the US and its use is expected to begin by the end of the year.  The approval here will likely be followed by other nations as they do not want to fall behind in the race to return to some semblance of normal activity.  I will caution that this is not a panacea.  The rate of distribution will vary from nation to nation and in fact travel restrictions are likely to become fairly chaotic during the transition back to things as they were (if they can ever be returned to that distant normal we once knew).  What the world has learned from this whole experience is that it must be prepared to take action immediately when a new viral threat manifests itself.  In any case it seems fairly likely that Yuzu will be returning to competition in the new year (Four Continents if it goes forward and Worlds).  I think the one thing that can save this entire aborted season would be for Yuzu, in contention with Nathan for gold at Worlds, to unveil Nessie in all its grand glory.

[Yuzu_legend]

On 10/12/2020 at 13:37, Yuzu_legend said:

 I want to share with you this translation. It’s from Yasunobu Matsuo, Requiem’s composer writing in connection with the Notte Stellata project&Exhibition:
 

“Episode ⓪ When I went to an ice show in Kobe by Hanyu senshu’s invitation, I thanked him first of all for choosing to skate to my music.

① At the very start of our meeting, he said to me, “May I use this piece of music for all the competitions this season plus at another event?”  And I said, “of course, if my music is going to be of use to you.” And true to his word, he used ‘Requiem for Heaven and Earth’ until the end of this season.

② What impressed me the most after the season ended was the fact that Hanyu Senshu stuck to his promise to skate to ‘Requiem for Heaven and Earth’ till the very end, even after the Worlds when his left leg was injured. I really believe that many souls have been saved.”

 

 

 

 

This post has been tagged by yuzuangel as [NEWS].

I’ll continue sharing the translation:

 

“Episode ③ The other ‘event’ that Hanyu Senshu was referring to was the ice show on ‘24 Hour TV.’ Although I received the offer from the TV station, at the first rehearsal when I found out that it could only be done using the electronic piano, I regretfully had to give up on the idea, to show my respect to him as he had always skated to the recorded version with (translator added mnote: Boesendorfer Model 290) Imperial grand piano.

 

Episode ④ When I had a photo taken with him in front of the floral arrangement, I asked him, “At the first performance in Kanazawa, didn’t you get tired?” He said, “Absolutely! It felt like (my energy was) being sapped away.”  I remembered that I nearly collapsed too, when I performed it for the first time. I told him, “Please take care of your living body.” And with that, we parted.”

 

 

 

This post has been tagged by yuzuangel as [NEWS].

[Yuzu_legend]

Olympic channel finally writing about Yuzu’s graduation... (sorry, I know better late than never...but I couldn’t help...)

 

https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/stories/news/detail/figure-skating-hanyu-yuzuru-reflects-on-university-degree-waseda/
 

 

 

This post has been tagged by yuzuangel as [NEWS].

[barbara]

1 hour ago, micaelis said:

There is now a new factor when contemplating what will happen with Yuzu in the next few months.  A vaccine has been approved in the US and its use is expected to begin by the end of the year.  The approval here will likely be followed by other nations as they do not want to fall behind in the race to return to some semblance of normal activity.  I will caution that this is not a panacea.  The rate of distribution will vary from nation to nation and in fact travel restrictions are likely to become fairly chaotic during the transition back to things as they were (if they can ever be returned to that distant normal we once knew).  What the world has learned from this whole experience is that it must be prepared to take action immediately when a new viral threat manifests itself.  In any case it seems fairly likely that Yuzu will be returning to competition in the new year (Four Continents if it goes forward and Worlds).  I think the one thing that can save this entire aborted season would be for Yuzu, in contention with Nathan for gold at Worlds, to unveil Nessie in all its grand glory.

The vaccine will be the start but it won't realistically make any sort of world attendance competition possible this season.  March?  Most in the US will not be immune by then, let alone all the countries with athletes competing.  And 4CC?  No way Australia is going to allow travel there this year.  Best all around if we accept that international competition is over for this year, hope we get to see Yuzu at JNats, if it's safe and he wants to go, but otherwise, best to put this year behind us.  Once he has been vaccinated and Toronto is safe - he can travel there and train seriously for next year, with his coaches and supporting skaters.  They all skate better when they have training mates.

[Geo1]

2 hours ago, micaelis said:

There is now a new factor when contemplating what will happen with Yuzu in the next few months.  A vaccine has been approved in the US and its use is expected to begin by the end of the year.  The approval here will likely be followed by other nations as they do not want to fall behind in the race to return to some semblance of normal activity.  I will caution that this is not a panacea.  The rate of distribution will vary from nation to nation and in fact travel restrictions are likely to become fairly chaotic during the transition back to things as they were (if they can ever be returned to that distant normal we once knew).  What the world has learned from this whole experience is that it must be prepared to take action immediately when a new viral threat manifests itself.  In any case it seems fairly likely that Yuzu will be returning to competition in the new year (Four Continents if it goes forward and Worlds).  I think the one thing that can save this entire aborted season would be for Yuzu, in contention with Nathan for gold at Worlds, to unveil Nessie in all its grand glory.

 

The US is behind many other countries in securing sufficient allocations of vaccines to cover its population. I understand that the US has only pre-ordered 100 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine which will immunize 50 million people, approximately 15% of the American population. Pfizer has indicated that it is unlikely that the US will be able to secure any more in 2021.

 

The following is from Bloomberg, December 9, 2020:

 

Bloomberg has reviewed more than 80 agreements between vaccine makers and countries around the globe to reserve allocations while they are still in development. Canada, the UK, and Australia top the list, with enough vaccine doses reserved to cover their populations several times over.

 

The US, meanwhile, ranks 32nd in per capita reservations. It is behind the 27 European Union countries that banded together to pre-order vaccines in large quantities, and sandwiched between Chile and Japan in 31st and 33rd, respectively, according to Bloomberg's analysis.

 

The United Kingdom has already started vaccinations and Canada will start next week. There is still not enough vaccines available to cover more than a small percentage of the population of any country. There will be other vaccines becoming available, but it will still take some time before mass vaccinations will begin.

 

The Four Continents Championships in Australia have already been cancelled. I doubt that sufficient vaccinations will be carried out by March in order for Worlds to be safely held. I am just hoping that we will have sufficient vaccinations worldwide to be able to hold a semi-normal 2021-22 competitive figure skating season starting in September or October 2021.  Skate Canada International is scheduled to be held in Vancouver where I live and I would love to see Yuzu here!

 

Yuzu has not withdrawn from Japanese Nationals yet, so there is a chance that we will see him compete this year. I am sure that he would love to have his title back.

[barbara]

2 hours ago, Geo1 said:

 

The US is behind many other countries in securing sufficient allocations of vaccines to cover its population. I understand that the US has only pre-ordered 100 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine which will immunize 50 million people, approximately 15% of the American population. Pfizer has indicated that it is unlikely that the US will be able to secure any more in 2021.

 

The following is from Bloomberg, December 9, 2020:

 

Bloomberg has reviewed more than 80 agreements between vaccine makers and countries around the globe to reserve allocations while they are still in development. Canada, the UK, and Australia top the list, with enough vaccine doses reserved to cover their populations several times over.

 

The US, meanwhile, ranks 32nd in per capita reservations. It is behind the 27 European Union countries that banded together to pre-order vaccines in large quantities, and sandwiched between Chile and Japan in 31st and 33rd, respectively, according to Bloomberg's analysis.

 

The United Kingdom has already started vaccinations and Canada will start next week. There is still not enough vaccines available to cover more than a small percentage of the population of any country. There will be other vaccines becoming available, but it will still take some time before mass vaccinations will begin.

 

The Four Continents Championships in Australia have already been cancelled. I doubt that sufficient vaccinations will be carried out by March in order for Worlds to be safely held. I am just hoping that we will have sufficient vaccinations worldwide to be able to hold a semi-normal 2021-22 competitive figure skating season starting in September or October 2021.  Skate Canada International is scheduled to be held in Vancouver where I live and I would love to see Yuzu here!

 

Yuzu has not withdrawn from Japanese Nationals yet, so there is a chance that we will see him compete this year. I am sure that he would love to have his title back.

The US gov't continues to be embarrassing, at best.  Pfizer - a company that took zero money from the government for vaccine development - offered up additional doses (100-200K) in late summer, also at no cost.  What did trump do? They turned it down, in spite of the fact that they were already in phase 3 trials and there was no cost to the government.  That's when Pfizer offered up the supply, and it was was purchased and committed to the EU and Japan.  Absolutely a dereliction of duty and actual complicity in people dying.  Hoping Moderna is already ramping up production and that when Biden takes over the WH, we will have a far better chance of receiving actual federal leadership in this.  So, I am hopeful that I, as an unfortunate American, will be allowed to travel to Canada, etc., by fall because I am even more hopeful that the 2021-22 season happens and that Yuzu is part of that.  I cannot wait to see him on the ice again.

[Henni147]

After a long time I finally had the guts to read discussions on other platforms again and stumbled across one recurring comment:

"Yuzu may not be technically the best, but he's an incredible artist."

 

I know, Yuzu said himself that technical prowess is the foundation of artistry. However, I'd like to reflect on that comment and I'm interested, if you share this opinion:

 

For me, technical prowess is the sum of the following features in men's singles:

• strong body core/ balance and basic skating skills
• high quality steps, turns and other moves in the field
• high quality jumps (rotation, edges, trajectory, toe-picking, etc.)
• high quality spins (centering, speed, strong positions etc.)
• high level of difficulty (base value)
• continuity/ fluidity in movements and complex transition work (no wasted sections for setup/ recovery)

 

If you put all these aspects together, I think, it's very hard to name a skater, who can top Yuzu globally. Yes, some skaters have very consistent jumps or many different quads or very strong spins or excellent skating skills, but it's so extremely rare that EVERYTHING comes together equally. There are always one or two aspects at least, where other skaters still have room to grow (a lot of room imo).

 

Also, I think that skating clean or making mistakes is not that much about technical prowess, but more about stamina and mental strength/ psychology. I'm sure, if Yuzu had the opportunity to record his performances at home, he would be unbeatable by a mile. It's just that the complexity of his programs makes it extremely hard to skate clean all the time. I think, the longing for perfection is an even bigger challenge for him than the pressure on his shoulders.

 

However, the great thing is: IF Yuzu stays on his feet, he stays on his feet with quality and I celebrate him for that.

[barbara]

1 hour ago, Henni147 said:

After a long time I finally had the guts to read discussions on other platforms again and stumbled across one recurring comment:

"Yuzu may not be technically the best, but he's an incredible artist."

 

I know, Yuzu said himself that technical prowess is the foundation of artistry. However, I'd like to reflect on that comment and I'm interested, if you share this opinion:

 

For me, technical prowess is the sum of the following features in men's singles:

• strong body core/ balance and basic skating skills
• high quality steps, turns and other moves in the field
• high quality jumps (rotation, edges, trajectory, toe-picking, etc.)
• high quality spins (centering, speed, strong positions etc.)
• high level of difficulty (base value)
• continuity/ fluidity in movements and complex transition work (no wasted sections for setup/ recovery)

 

If you put all these aspects together, I think, it's very hard to name a skater, who can top Yuzu globally. Yes, some skaters have very consistent jumps or many different quads or very strong spins or excellent skating skills, but it's so extremely rare that EVERYTHING comes together equally. There are always one or two aspects at least, where other skaters still have room to grow (a lot of room imo).

 

Also, I think that skating clean or making mistakes is not that much about technical prowess, but more about stamina and mental strength/ psychology. I'm sure, if Yuzu had the opportunity to record his performances at home, he would be unbeatable by a mile. It's just that the complexity of his programs makes it extremely hard to skate clean all the time. I think, the longing for perfection is an even bigger challenge for him than the pressure on his shoulders.

 

However, the great thing is: IF Yuzu stays on his feet, he stays on his feet with quality and I celebrate him for that.

Let me share my opinion - I think he is technically the best - when he skates clean.  He is almost always underscored on his spins and it's as if judges just don't even notice how complicated and smooth his transitions are.  His stamina has been building over the last decade and maybe the shorter long program, while missing time enough for some bits of artistry, is just what he needs to do a skate even he is satisfied with.

[yuzuangel]

2 hours ago, Henni147 said:

 

"Yuzu may not be technically the best, but he's an incredible artist."

But he is technically the best jumper, bar some debatable one-offs like Kolyada's lutz, but Yuzu's lutz has advantages there too, it just depends on your preference. He doesn't have the best BV nor is the most consistent though so maybe that's what they mean, but "not technically the best" is a false narrative

[Paskud]

wild Tatiana Anatolyevna appeared

[Crow]

I feel like the person that made that comment may bias a skater that prides themselves on being very good technically but strugles with artistry, so they comfort themselves saying Yuzuru isnt the best in the technical department, but actually he is. So yeah, not much farther to say. Some people should learn that what we like doesn't need to be the best for it to be valid that we favor it 

Also I miss Yuzu so bad T-T I dropped by the forum to see what are the news with my boy. Gonna read up some. Kisses for all the fanyus

[Paskud]

 

[Dreamer]

7 hours ago, barbara said:

Let me share my opinion - I think he is technically the best - when he skates clean.  He is almost always underscored on his spins and it's as if judges just don't even notice how complicated and smooth his transitions are.  His stamina has been building over the last decade and maybe the shorter long program, while missing time enough for some bits of artistry, is just what he needs to do a skate even he is satisfied with.

 IMO, Yuzu is always a joy to watch, he has excellent jump technique...literally takes off and can land so lightly...like a feather.  His speed, skating skills, step sequences and spins, iconic moves...everything is a performance which captivates and enchants like no other!  I can feel the passion in his performance and am uplifted to a happy place.

No one else moves me emotionally with his/her skating. 

[Pammi]

 

1 hour ago, Paskud said:

 

It feels like an unpopular opinion, but I am so happy at the prospect of seeing Yuzuru skate. I also think the situation in Japan is somewhat different to elsewhere in that although the rates of infection are going up, they are still comparatively very low when compared to eg. Europe and the Americas. The Japanese government and people seem to take the virus seriously and I think Covid-secure measures will be planned and implemented at the All Japan Championships. I know Yuzuru will be desperate to compete, but I trust whatever decision he makes, I really do. Looking on Twitter, it’s like you can’t mention any excitement at all at the prospect of seeing Yuzuru skate - I find it impossible NOT to be excited about it, I have butterflies just thinking about it and typing this! Some seem to be applying what has happened in Russia to every other country. I do take the pandemic seriously - but some governments have not and this sets the scene for the country and their skating federations. I have some trust that in Japan things will be made as safe as possible for the athletes, and everyone.

 Am I the only one to feel like this I wonder? It’s hard to speak an opinion that some will say does not prioritise health, but I think risk can be assessed and appropriate measures put in place to mitigate risk. 
Maybe it’s not a good idea to post this given the strength of feeling against any competitions from some, but I’ll be brave as I do think other views should be aired too, and also trust my fellow Fanyus to be civil in any disagreement! 🙏🏽🤔

Although I fully acknowledge the validity of worrying about Yuzuru’s (and all the athletes/coaches) health, I just want to be able to express delight at the prospect of watching Yuzuru skate and compete for the first time this season!!!  I am pretty sure ALL of us will be cheering him on if he does compete.
 (If he decides not to, I support him fully with that decision too, of course!)

 

 

 

[Geo1]

If Yuzu competes in the Nationals, he will be doing so without Brian, Ghislain or Tracy.

 

Wouldn’t it be nostalgic and bring more than a few tears if we were able to see him being sent off on his programs with a handshake from Nanami Abe and to see them sitting together again in the Kiss and Cry?