General Skating Chat

[rockstaryuzu]

5 hours ago, Sombreuil said:

Russian test skates have precipitated the move of EM back to ET - what of the other foreign skaters left without coaches by the Canadian border closure?  They may not be going to GP like Yuzuru but what about nationals at the end of the year?  If TCC coaches can’t travel to Japan Korea and Poland, who will be there for Yuzuru, Jun and Ekaterina?  There doesn’t seem to be any sign of opening that border any time soon, and I don’t blame them given the situation in the US.

Will the skaters at Gadbois  go home for nationals or will their feds give them a bye into Euros/4CC/Worlds, if indeed those competitions take place at all this season?

I'm beginning to feel like this pandemic is going to be disastrous for TCC completely.  

 

[Paskud]

11 minutes ago, rockstaryuzu said:

I'm beginning to feel like this pandemic is going to be disastrous for TCC completely.  

They recently took new girl from USA.

[FlyingCamel]

https://stockholm2021.se/home/media/
 

Hmm, Citizen and Kose are back

[rockstaryuzu]

1 hour ago, Paskud said:

They recently took new girl from USA.

Like I said, disastrous. 

[EisElle]

7 hours ago, Sombreuil said:

Russian test skates have precipitated the move of EM back to ET - what of the other foreign skaters left without coaches by the Canadian border closure?  They may not be going to GP like Yuzuru but what about nationals at the end of the year?  If TCC coaches can’t travel to Japan Korea and Poland, who will be there for Yuzuru, Jun and Ekaterina?  There doesn’t seem to be any sign of opening that border any time soon, and I don’t blame them given the situation in the US.

Will the skaters at Gadbois  go home for nationals or will their feds give them a bye into Euros/4CC/Worlds, if indeed those competitions take place at all this season?

since apparently some Gadbois teams will go to *their* GP, instead of going to SC all together, I fully expect them to go home for Nats too (well, of course teams like P/C could as well skip that, everyone knows they are the leading team in France, but I suppose that if Lariault/LeGac can and must go back for Nats, it would look bad if P/C didn't)

 

The issue for the coachless skaters is real tho. Apparently, especially for TCC.

I liked that TCC was such an international hub, gathering together skaters from different countries, but pandemic truly hit that model the hardest. Though there are still quite a number of skaters from other countries, it just isn't the same and it's sad that to think about Katya and Jun being coached remotely, or having to go to comps without the coaches they've come to trust

UtaShin got Utana's previous dance coach. They would probably benefit more being followed by TCC specialists "live", but at leas they do have a ice time and a coach with them. idk about the level of the coaches Jun and Katya have in back in their homecountries, but I'd feel better with them both back in Canada.

Yuzuru... in all honesty, I wouldn't even be surprised if he leaves TCC (temporarily or permanently). I do wonder about their current arrangements. He isn't using TCC facilities, and he isn't consulting the coaches (though we can't be sure about this. Brian said he'd been ghosted but maybe Ghislain wasn't  or maybe Zuzu decided to un-ghost him after he was done with his thesis. Who knows). Anyway, from the outside it kinda looks like there's little point in him remaining a TCC member (and paying, 'cause he might have ANA and sponsors covering his expenses, but why waste money?).

it's clear that in a pandemic-free world, Yuzuru likes the kind of training and coaching&support and general atmosphere (with other skaters on the ice) that he can get at TCC (plus, he has a degree of anonymity there compared to Sendai).

In a pandemic world, though, staying away is actually the best option, even if it means doing everything without a coach (I still think he might get a word or two with someone in Japan. e.g. Nanami still works there and, even if she might not be the most helpful in his quest to tame Nessie, she knows him well and can surely give valuable opinions)

I don't want Yuzu to leave TCC, especially for the bonds he's made there, but I wouldn't pull my hair out at the though of him leaving, 'cause actually with his experience and current situation it would even be kind of logic, all things considered ETA: thogh of course he'll wish to have *his* team by his side during oly season...

 

 

1 hour ago, FlyingCamel said:

https://stockholm2021.se/home/media/
 

Hmm, Citizen and Kose are back

maybe they were just renegotiating then or waiting to see if WC had any chance of happening... (since ISU is pushing for GPs, I guess that fom sponsors' POV it bodes "well" for WC)

ok, the headcanon that Zuzu was stealing away all the sponsors from ISU was funny, but it's better for FS in general when sponsors are providing funds.

[Paskud]

2 hours ago, LadyLou said:

Yuzuru... in all honesty, I wouldn't even be surprised if he leaves TCC (temporarily or permanently). I do wonder about their current arrangements. He isn't using TCC facilities, and he isn't consulting the coaches (though we can't be sure about this. Brian said he'd been ghosted but maybe Ghislain wasn't  or maybe Zuzu decided to un-ghost him after he was done with his thesis. Who knows). Anyway, from the outside it kinda looks like there's little point in him remaining a TCC member (and paying, 'cause he might have ANA and sponsors covering his expenses, but why waste money?).

Same. I expect him to survive remotely whole season (he is skilled, experienced, self-aware and it's not the first time), but if situation won't get better next summer (and it doesn't seem it will) then he probaly also will need to make some serious decisions. Temporarily, partialy or whatever.

Tbh, I expect him to WD from all competitions and public activities this season. But I really wonder what he will do later (considering asthma and everything he talked about in his GP statement), because it really doesn't seem like it will get significantly better in next 1-2 years or so...

OTOH, Canada can't stay closed forever.

*insert here Yuzuru saying that men peak at 30😅*

Yes, I'm a worried potato. I know that he doesn't need that much help anyway. It's still better to have a coach tho.

 

I don't know about Junhwan, but Kurakova is pol fed darling. They will give her everything the best they can.

 

I'm much more worried about Rika, who spent last 2 months without proper jump coach and there is high possibility, that it will last another 2...

[Katt]

8 hours ago, LadyLou said:

In a pandemic world, though, staying away is actually the best option, even if it means doing everything without a coach (I still think he might get a word or two with someone in Japan. e.g. Nanami still works there and, even if she might not be the most helpful in his quest to tame Nessie, she knows him well and can surely give valuable opinions)

I don't want Yuzu to leave TCC, especially for the bonds he's made there, but I wouldn't pull my hair out at the though of him leaving, 'cause actually with his experience and current situation it would even be kind of logic, all things considered ETA: thogh of course he'll wish to have *his* team by his side during oly season...

 

The fact that he doesn't even contact much with Brian means the chance he's working with Nanami is close to zero. I also don't see the need that Yuzuru have to announce he leave TCC just because he isn't training there at the moment. As far as I know, he/TCC skater pay their bill each week/month, depend on the amount of work/coaching time/ice time they use. So since Yuzuru isn't there, he doesn't have to pay for anything, and he doesn't need to leave either. Junhwan and Kurakova are on the same situaton as him. Its not like TCC will kick skater out if they won't be there for x months, Javi came back to train for EC after almost a year.

I only worried about Yuzuru's training condition in Sendai : practicing at midnights with no off ice facilities, but its not like there's many competition at this point. He can just focus on some jumps and keeping his form. I'm sure he will try to make the best out of this current situation. At least he doesn't have any financial issue. 

Tbh, if things doesn't get better next summer, I doubt 2022 Beijing would happen as plan. There's alot of traveling involve when its come to olympic and China don't want any outbreak happen to their country. Its a tough situation for the whole world and I think its better to wait patiently

[rockstaryuzu]

1 hour ago, Katt said:

Tbh, if things doesn't get better next summer, I doubt 2022 Beijing would happen as plan.

I haven't wanted to say it out loud, but I'm starting to wonder if Beijing will even happen, myself. 

[Katt]

23 minutes ago, rockstaryuzu said:

I haven't wanted to say it out loud, but I'm starting to wonder if Beijing will even happen, myself. 

I think at worse it will be postponed for a year, the situation aren't that bad compare to 2020 Tokyo. As far as I know, China ban all kind of concerts till the end of 2021 to avoid big gatherings and Imo its a right decision. I do think after Wuhan trauma, China handled all other outbreaks afterwards very well. Of all GPs, Coc is the safest.  

[SitTwizzle]

I do worry for the others and particularly for Jun hwan Cha who, having grown, was becoming a wonderful skater. He may lose a lot and even be tempted by an easier lifestyle with K-pop and all.

But I am not worrying as much for Yuzuru Hanyu. He may have resumed coaching remotely with TCC coaches or not (Brian Orser said it was early when he spoke), probably his wealth of experience must make remote coaching rather useless. But not on-site coaching. I even tend to think he asks Nanami Abe to coach him, maybe not everyday, though she is no more a coach at ice-rink Sendai, she's now working as a choreographer only (but she is unlikely to refuse coaching him; plus as we now know he knows how to ask ). And he has Kikuchi-san for some off-ice coaching (there is no off-ice facility at Sendai skating rink, but he may use another facility in Sendai and may even have something at home). As a whole he is now under his own coaching direction, and when he announced he wouldn't participate in GP season, he may have decided at the same time that he wouldn't stir out of Japan until 2021 (and inside Japan, only for Nationals; I don't think he can skip Nats because it wouldn't be nice given the level of the competition this year, between Shoma Uno, Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato, for the three spots at 4CC (if they happen; I am very cautiously optimistic) and at Worlds. He may think he has to prove he is still the best, given he hasn't been at TCC for nine months and has learnt his programs remotely.

But I think he is likely to go back to TCC early in 2021 (provided foreigners are allowed then, I tend to think they will), to prepare for 4CC and Worlds. He wants to win. And I think he is likely to value Brian Orser's, Tracy Wilson's and Ghislain Briand's onsite coaching, plus Jeffrey Buttle's and Shae-Lynn Bourne's help for polishing his programs, if indeed he chose them as his choreographers for this season.

[lynnidolz]

I just wondering the same thing regarding Yuzuru situation and payment to his coaches.He is not using TCC facilities and as far as what Brian said in interview before he hasn't been contacted by Yuzu either.So if their paying by weeks/coach time/ice time ..its a relief then.Just when i was lurking on twitter some are saying TCC already loss 2 skaters.Yuzu and Evegenia

 

[FlyingCamel]

When you guys say off-ice facilities, do you mean like a gym? I don’t really know what top skaters do off the ice... I’m sure Yuzu can find a gym to use though! 
 

And I don’t think Jun will leave skating to be an idol, when he’s the top male skater in South Korea and aiming for 2022.

[EisElle]

7 hours ago, Katt said:

The fact that he doesn't even contact much with Brian means the chance he's working with Nanami is close to zero. I also don't see the need that Yuzuru have to announce he leave TCC just because he isn't training there at the moment. As far as I know, he/TCC skater pay their bill each week/month, depend on the amount of work/coaching time/ice time they use. So since Yuzuru isn't there, he doesn't have to pay for anything, and he doesn't need to leave either. Junhwan and Kurakova are on the same situaton as him. Its not like TCC will kick skater out if they won't be there for x months, Javi came back to train for EC after almost a year.

Fair point about Javi. I thought that, being a private club, members were required to pay some kind of membership fee, if that's not the case and they just pay for the individual activities they take, that's good

 

I disagree about Nanami, and I am not thinking about full time work anyway, just some exchange of opinion every once on a while, or a chat, things that could reasonably happen if they ever happen to meet. With Yuzu's penchant for making questions and asking for opinions, it's likely he does discuss this or that thing with someone else, every once in a while

[Paskud]

4 hours ago, lynnidolz said:

Just when i was lurking on twitter some are saying TCC already loss 2 skaters.Yuzu and Evegenia

He isn't leaving TCC right now. His and Medo's situations are completely different. I was wondering about more distant future. 

[monchan]

Tcc losing Yuzu is nonsense. His situation, and ultimate goal is completely different from Med's. Med's goal is OGM, she just doesn't have TIME, so indefinite absence of coach at this critical time is unbearable, hence she switched.

 

Yuzu's goal is 4A, smt that takes time, with the best facilities and correct, long-term guidance to come true. I don't think he can find them anywhere but TCC. He might seek a temporary coach when training for competitions thou, if the pandemic still lasts then.