[2023.03.05] "Yuzuru Hanyu has something special" - Former coach Nanami Abe talks about her experience with her student's rare talent

[yuzurujenn]

*Machine translation. Inaccuracies exist*

 

 

2023.03.05

 

Source: https://the-ans.jp/column/305569/

Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20230305090120/https://the-ans.jp/column/305569/

 

"Yuzuru Hanyu has something special" - Former coach Nanami Abe talks about her experience with her student's rare talent
 

Abe Nanami has been leading the Sendai figure skating world as a coach and choreographer for over 20 years. During her competitive days, she studied under the renowned coach Nagakubo Yutaka, and as a coach from 2006 to 2012, she coached Hanyu Yuzuru, who would later become two-time consecutive Winter Olympic champion. We interviewed Abe, who is still at the forefront of developing athletes in Sendai, about her irreplaceable "encounter." (Interview and text by Kawanami Kotaro)

 

Spoiler

Nanami Abe, coach and choreographer "Sendai and Figure Skating" Part 1: Meeting with Yuzuru Hanyu

 

In 1988, the current Sendai Ice Rink opened as "Orange One Izumi" in Izumi Ward, Sendai City. In the same year, Nagakubo, who had moved from Shin-Matsudo, Chiba, began teaching at this rink. Many promising athletes from inside and outside the prefecture gathered to learn from Nagakubo, and four of his students, Honda Takeshi, Yamato Tamura, Arakawa Shizuka, and Arai Marie, competed in the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

 

　Abe was Nagakubo's first athlete, who had trained many outstanding skaters until the rink was temporarily closed in December 2004. Abe trained under Nagakubo from her first year of high school until her fourth year of university, when she retired from competitive skating, and during that time she competed in the All-Japan Championships twice. After retiring from competitive skating, Abe worked as Nagakubo's assistant for about seven years, coaching and choreographing while appearing in Disney on Ice overseas.

 

"He was huge and intimidating," Abe recalls with a laugh about her first impression of Nagakubo. But she also describes him as an irreplaceable mentor who guided her to where she is today.

 

　Abe grew up with a father who loved music, and by the time she was in the early grades of elementary school, she had acquired the skills to record and edit music from vinyl records onto cassette tapes. She proposed a song to her coach at the time to use in a skating competition, but it was not adopted. She performed the program she was given, feeling frustrated, saying, "I wanted to use my favorite song..."

 

"Is there a song you'd like to use?"

 

　In response to Nagakubo's question, Abe replied, "An upbeat song would be good." Nagakubo was a little confused by the vague answer, but proposed a song that fit the request. He then edited the song by connecting the parts Abe said she wanted to use, while leaving the choreography up to Abe, completing a program that the skater herself would truly want to skate to.

 

Yuzuru Hanyu’s Success and Its Impact on Sendai’s Ice Rink

 

After becoming a university student, she began arranging his own music and was sometimes entrusted with choreography for elementary school students who were students of Nagakubo.

 

"Even if a song sounds good to me, if I can’t visualize the skater’s movements with it, it won’t be the right fit. When it comes to choreography, I place great importance on my own intuition."

 

Abe's ability to trust her artistic instincts stems from her years of honing her sensitivity under Nagakubo’s mentorship since her own competitive days. This foundation has allowed her to remain steadfast in her approach to choreography.

 

Becoming a coach herself, she had many significant encounters. One of them was meeting Yuzuru Hanyu.

 

When she first met Hanyu, he was "an energetic, competitive, ordinary elementary schooler." However, as she got to know him as her coach, she realized he was a special skater who "had something in him."

 

"With Yuzu, even when he wasn’t performing well in practice, I always had this feeling that he would pull through in competition.' When I watched other skaters practice, I could predict like, 'He's been doing good jumps, but next time he'll make a mistake,' but Yuzu was the only one who made me feel like 'He'll be fine.'"

 

Even for Abe, who has many years of coaching experience, it was a "strange feeling." She analyzes that the reason for this unique emotion may have been the accumulation in her mind of the countless hours she had witnessed Hanyu facing skating with utmost dedication, giving his all in preparation for competitions, and tirelessly building up his training.

 

"In a life that isn’t all that long, I feel incredibly grateful to have shared this much time with Yuzu."

 

Supporting the development of a skater who would go on to shine on the world stage has become one of Abe’s greatest treasures.

 

Her gratitude extends beyond just the time they spent together. She has personally witnessed the surge of people inspired by Hanyu—from children who dream of following in his footsteps to adults who discovered figure skating because of him. At Ice Rink Sendai, where Abe serves as a dedicated instructor, skaters of all ages and backgrounds now come to learn, driven by Hanyu’s influence.

 

"Yuzu’s success has created a cycle where his impact is giving back to the rink itself," Abe says.

 

The biggest goal is to make it fun and long-lasting.

　Since announcing his intention to become a professional skater in July last year, Hanyu has been active in his hometown of Sendai. He has live-streamed his training at the Sendai Ice Rink, and made a surprise appearance at a local competition held at the same rink in December last year. He is also planning an ice show in Rifu Town, Miyagi Prefecture in March this year.

 

"I would be happy if more people would come to love skating after seeing Yuzu's skating. I'm sure it will also motivate other skaters."

 

　She firmly believes that Hanyu will continue to shape the future of figure skating in Sendai.

 

"I just want people to love skating."

 

　Abe's thoughts as a coach are quite simple.

 

　Her students range from elite skaters aiming for the All-Japan Championships and the Olympics, to university skaters balancing academics with a few competitions per year, and even adult skaters who enjoy skating as a lifelong sport. Her biggest goal is for all of these skaters to "enjoy and continue for a long time."

 

　Abe's feelings are stronger than most, as she has had contact with great mentors and students in Sendai.