22 hours ago22 hr Info: https://www.yodobashi.com/product/100000009001596116/ Table of ContentsLong Interview: Daisuke Takahashi "The Strength of Three Consecutive Victories"2007 All Japan Championships ReportKenji Miyamoto Reporter's Feature: Let's Talk with Kenji! Part 3: Yukari NakanoSkater Dialogue: Kensuke Nakaniwa x Akiko Suzuki2007 NHK Trophy ReportChristmas on Ice 2007 ReportFigure Skating Standard Number Comparison: Swan Lake EditionWant to Know More New Face Part 4: Satsuki Muramoto2007 All Japan Junior Championships ReportUp-and-Coming Next Generation Skaters
22 hours ago22 hr Author * Machine translation, inaccuracies may exist *2007 All Japan Novice Championships ReportTaking Flight: The Novice Champion Begins to SoarYuzuru Hanyu (羽生結弦)Having won the All-Japan Novice A Championships, Hanyu went on to finish first in the free skate at the All-Japan Junior Championships, surpassing a field of formidable competitors, and placed third overall. Among Japan’s junior men, a group filled with distinctive and talented skaters, one athlete in particular is attracting especially intense attention: Yuzuru Hanyu (Sendai, Miyagi FSC). Let’s take a closer look at what makes him so special!What Makes Yuzuru Hanyu So Impressive!As Hanyu himself says, his spins are a highlight of his programs. As Coach Abe explains, “He has excellent flexibility, which allows him to perform a wide variety of positions.” Each individual spin position is beautifully executed.His spin speed is also exceptionally fast—fast enough to rival, and even surpass, that of senior-level skaters.Beyond his spins, his jumps are notable for their impressive distance and the seamless flow he maintains upon landing. He also has a natural sense of rhythm, allowing him to move in harmony with the music, and makes full use of his long limbs to create expressive movements. The list of his strengths seems endless.Once he develops his triple Axel, adds a quadruple jump, and increases the complexity of his step sequences, even the more experienced skaters ahead of him will no longer be able to afford to rest on their laurels.Yuzuru Hanyu (はにゅう ゆづる)ProfileDate of birth: December 7, 1994Club: Miyagi FSCCoaches: Nanami Abe, Ai MushaMajor Competition Results:2006–07 season: Mladost Trophy — 1st place, Novice2007–08 season: Japan Novice Championships, Novice A — 1st placeJapan Junior Championships — 3rd place★ A rising star has emerged from Miyagi FSC, the club that sent Shizuka Arakawa, Takeshi Honda, Yamato Tamura, and pairs skater Marie Arai to the Nagano Olympics.Blessed with a small face and long limbs, Hanyu placed third at the Japan Junior Championships despite still being a novice-level skater. Fans and those within the skating world are watching him with great interest, captivated by his all-around talent.Picshttps://i.imgur.com/YvjhrHk.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/r6tvEU4.jpeghttps://i.imgur.com/Q9oLyPC.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/Wj67nIP.jpeg
22 hours ago22 hr Author Machine translation, inaccuracies may existSource: https://weibo.com/1440003075/Dy5pNvfhh ; https://weibo.com/1428123685/JofiCqg2y[Interview] Yuzuru HanyuYuzuru Hanyu, the Novice champion beginning to spread his wings.After winning the Novice A title at the All-Japan Novice Championships, he went on to compete at the All-Japan Junior Championships, where he outperformed a field of formidable competitors to place first in the free skate (FS) and third overall. Even among Japan’s junior men, a field filled with skaters of diverse personalities and styles, he stands out and attracts considerable attention.Let’s take a closer look at the charm of Yuzuru Hanyu (Miyagi FSC).Q: Looking back on the All-Japan Novice Championships and the All-Japan Junior Championships, how do you feel about your performances?Hanyu: I was really happy to stand on the top of the podium at the Japan Novice Championships after three years (the last time was in the Novice B division in 2004). At the All-Japan Junior Championships, even though it was only my second time competing, I was able to deliver a performance I was satisfied with and make it onto the podium. I was really happy about that, too!Q: You placed first in the free skate at the All-Japan Junior Championships.Hanyu: Hmm... I hope not to focus too much on my ranking. What matters most to me is whether I can deliver the performance I want.Q: You’ll be competing in the junior category again next year. If you make the podium again, you'll be able to compete at the Japan Championships next time.Hanyu: I’ll work hard in the junior category next season, too. I want to deliver even better performances than I did this season and reach the podium again. I really want to compete at the Japan National Championships.Q: I hear that your favorite skater is Russia’s Evgeni Plushenko. What do you like about him?Hanyu: I really admire how he skates without making any mistakes and how he captures the audience’s hearts through his skating. Those are the things I look up to most.Q: Some people call you the "Japanese Plushenko," and have even come up with the nickname “YuzuShenko.”Hanyu: People often tell me that I resemble Plushenko (laughs). It makes me really happy.Q: What do you like about figure skating?Hanyu: Well, figure skating is a sport where you get the entire ice rink all to yourself, isn't it? You can create a world that is uniquely yours, and the audience’s focus is entirely on you. I love that aspect of it.Q: Coach Nanami Abe once described you as “an all-round skater with no weaknesses.” Is there anything you’re not good at?Hanyu: Nothing~ (laughs)Q: Nothing! (laughs) Then what would you say you’re particularly good at? Something you’d say, “This is what I’m best at!”Hanyu: Hmm… I’m pretty good at spins! (laughs)Q: Have you started working on the triple Axel (3A) or quadruple jumps in practice yet?Hanyu: I’ve recently started practicing the 3A a little. As I expected, if I don’t properly master the jump technique based on my usual double Axel (2A), I won’t be able to land it successfully. So, for now, I’m focusing on practicing my 2A.Q: So, in the future, you’d like to try the 3A and quadruple jumps as well…?Hanyu: I want to land them! Q: How was it performing at Medalist on Ice (MOI)?Hanyu: I’d skated under spotlights overseas before, but this time I got to skate in front of so many Japanese figure skating fans, and it was really fun.Q: The three junior men's skaters, Takahito Mura, Akio Sasaki, and you, all used hats in your exhibition programs.Hanyu: I was surprised when I saw that Mura’s hat was exactly the same as mine up close! And Sasaki made his entrance wearing a horse mask, which surprised me too. It was really interesting.Q: The audience went wild over the horse mask, too! Would you like to try something like that yourself? (laughs)Hanyu: It looks like it would be pretty uncomfortable... I don’t think I could manage it! (laughs)Q: Well then, keep up the good work from here on!Hanyu: Thank you!
22 hours ago22 hr Author Coach Nanami Abe Talks About The Skater Yuzuru HanyuFrom the moment he arrived for the interview, Hanyu was all smiles. He greeted everyone properly and handled himself with such poise that it was hard to believe he was only in his first year of junior high school."It seems that at home, he’s always been taught the importance of things like 'greeting others properly' and 'be mindful of his language.' So, he does it all naturally, without me even having to say a word!" Coach Abe says with a laugh.As for Hanyu as a figure skater, she praised him, saying, “He’s an all-around skater. There’s hardly anything he isn’t good at. His spins are very fast, he’s good at jumping, and he’s flexible enough to do both the Biellmann and the doughnut spin. He also has a good physique, with long arms and legs. Even his height may have grown by more than 10 centimeters since last year. The other kids are all very envious of him (laughs).”On the other hand, Coach Abe points out, “He’s still only in his first year of junior high school, so he has a rather slender build. Among the men’s singles skaters, he’s still a little on the slight side. It would be nice if he could gain more strength as he gets older. However, he does have asthma, so I think it’s fine for him to gradually develop a more mature, masculine physique at his own pace.”His jumps, including the triple toe loop (3T) and double Axel (2A), already look effortless, making us eager to see him attempt the triple Axel (3A) or even quadruple jumps. However, Coach Abe explained, “He’s still a long way off. But I did tell him that after the Junior Championships are over, we’ll start practicing the 3A and quadruple jumps.” It seems they intend to work steadily on developing these big jumps.Coach Abe Introduces Yuzuru Hanyu’s Programs for the SeasonShort Program (SP): Sing, Sing, SingThis was a piece of music he had previously used when practicing his footwork. He really liked it, and even when he was half-asleep or in the middle of doing something else, as soon as the music started playing, he would begin moving to it. That was how we decided to use it for his short program this season. It is a lively, upbeat program with a wonderful tempo.Free Skate (FS): The FirebirdAt first, he said he wanted to skate to a piece featuring the violin, but I felt that was still a little too soon for him! (laughs) So I chose this piece instead, as it would be easier for him to interpret. The opening movement, where he crouches down deeply with his knees drawn up, represents an egg. In the first half of the program, when he has just hatched, he bounces and hops around, flying low to the ground. Around the middle of the program, he lifts his head and gazes upward. At this point, he begins to mature a little and becomes aware that there are even greater heights waiting for him in the sky. From there, the image is of him wanting to reach ever higher and spreading his wings to soar upward. I truly hope he can spread his wings and take flight, much like a bird, which also aligns perfectly with the theme of "The Firebird" (laughs).Exhibition (EX): Sing, Sing, SingAlthough it uses the same piece of music as the short program he loves so much, the exhibition version includes vocals and incorporates a hat as a prop. It’s a routine that was put together quite quickly, right after the Japan Junior Championships, so that he could take part in the upcoming exhibition.
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