Team China

[Yatagarasu]

Just now, hoodie axel said:

He can enjoy his time in Korea now! With Orser and Cha and ... Zhou.

 

Now that should be much more fun and relaxing 

(also you made me laugh, ahaha, thanks)

[yuzupon]

14 minutes ago, Yatagarasu said:

 

You have no idea how stressed I am over those two, for 2022 and we're still in the first half of 2018 

I am already preparing for a potential heartbreak.

[Yatagarasu]

2 minutes ago, yuzupon said:

I am already preparing for a potential heartbreak.

 

I've been in this weird state since PC. A part of me is majorly ticked off by the brushing off of the whole thing with the usual, oh they have the next Olympics. It irritates me in the extreme because nobody knows what tomorrow holds and she has already had big injury problems. For them, 4 years is a long time to keep going. They also lost by a stupid margin. It's not that I am not happy for Aljona but that's just it. As a pair, I have always preferred S/H and I will forever claim that I think that as a pair, they're better. If that short program had been scored differently, and properly, regardless of the FS, they would have had gold. I am totally irrationally worried but I guess I can't help it so yes, I'm there with you.

[yuzupon]

23 minutes ago, Yatagarasu said:

 

I've been in this weird state since PC. A part of me is majorly ticked off by the brushing off of the whole thing with the usual, oh they have the next Olympics. It irritates me in the extreme because nobody knows what tomorrow holds and she has already had big injury problems. For them, 4 years is a long time to keep going. They also lost by a stupid margin. It's not that I am not happy for Aljona but that's just it. As a pair, I have always preferred S/H and I will forever claim that I think that as a pair, they're better. If that short program had been scored differently, and properly, regardless of the FS, they would have had gold. I am totally irrationally worried but I guess I can't help it so yes, I'm there with you.

That is exactly it.

I know I should, and did, feel joy for Savchenko. But, it's always like that with me and pairs, be it in pairs skating proper or in ice dance. I always feel like if the skill of the two people that make up the pair is not balanced, the scoring should always be based on what the weaker skater does, not on the stronger one. That way, there's always the push for skaters to get to the level of their better partners and improve together. Otherwise, why compete as a pair at all?

And so, S/H impress me the most because, in everything, as two people skating as a pair, they make it seems like they are one but in two different bodies. Han was never just there to lift and throw Sui. She might have more natural 'something' that sells programs, but Han is the first male skater that genuinely makes it difficult for me to focus only on the lady of the pair (all other pairs, yes even S/M, I am only attracted to watch the ladies when they skate, the men are usually kinda bleh - kinda the opposite to D/R and P/C in ice dance, but that's another story).

So, while I am happy for Savchenko and do respect Massot for doing his best to match her - which kinda brings back to the points above re: members of a pair being balanced - I am heartbroken for S/H. 

4 years is indeed a long time, and nothing is guaranteed, most of all their health.

So, I am taking the route of optimistically pessimistic: 'prepare and somehow expect for the worse. If I am wrong and it turned out alright, I am in for a pleasant surprise. If I am right, well.'

[ralucutzagy]

Spidey, what are you wearing, my boy?? 

 

[guitarist]

9 minutes ago, ralucutzagy said:

Spidey, what are you wearing, my boy?? 

 

 

Maybe he just got some inspiration from this: 

 

[Xen]

12 hours ago, ralucutzagy said:

Spidey, what are you wearing, my boy?? 

 

Boyang decided to be an extra! Yuzu-stan, and got the gold jacket to match his future gold blades!

Seriously though, I'm so glad that Boyang is there-he gets to goof off with Misha, plus Brian is going there as choreographer. I know it's not a permanent solution, but I think given his talent, his SS will possibly improve again over the shows. 

[hoodie axel]

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2018/04/18/272677196

 

RA is in discussion with the CSA about sending "two young Chinese Male Skaters" in prep for 2022.

 

Please, no? I'd rather they went to Orser. Maybe that's what will happen during the show.

 

Anyone know any rumours? Maybe it's Han Yan and Zhang He, not Han Yan and Boyang? He'll ruin/stagnate all progress with Boyang. With the other two, at least they need help with landing jumps, whatever's up there. Maybe it's upcoming juniors? Literally the only benefit for Boyang is politicking... He even delays all toe jumps, I just noticed, that's not true of RA's technique. He could benefit from staying closer to the US/CAN choreographers, and maybe he needs help jumping away from boards, and politicking, I guess, and it's great if the CSA is willing to fund him, but then... why not Orser?  It also just seems like a huge conflict of interest with Nathan there, especially given the politicking of that one IN article with his pic on it... And it will be distasteful if they continue with it if this indeed true, and I won't be shocked if they do continue.

 

Whose choice is it usually for coaching changes? The fed's or the skater's? I don't think we'd heard anything about Boyang considering it, but one of them's clearly Han Yan. He isn't retiring anymore?

[Xen]

8 hours ago, hoodie axel said:

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2018/04/18/272677196

 

RA is in discussion with the CSA about sending "two young Chinese Male Skaters" in prep for 2022.

 

Please, no? I'd rather they went to Orser. Maybe that's what will happen during the show.

 

Anyone know any rumours? Maybe it's Han Yan and Zhang He, not Han Yan and Boyang? He'll ruin/stagnate all progress with Boyang. With the other two, at least they need help with landing jumps, whatever's up there. Maybe it's upcoming juniors? Literally the only benefit for Boyang is politicking... He even delays all toe jumps, I just noticed, that's not true of RA's technique. He could benefit from staying closer to the US/CAN choreographers, and maybe he needs help jumping away from boards, and politicking, I guess, and it's great if the CSA is willing to fund him, but then... why not Orser?  It also just seems like a huge conflict of interest with Nathan there, especially given the politicking of that one IN article with his pic on it... And it will be distasteful if they continue with it if this indeed true, and I won't be shocked if they do continue.

 

Whose choice is it usually for coaching changes? The fed's or the skater's? I don't think we'd heard anything about Boyang considering it, but one of them's clearly Han Yan. He isn't retiring anymore?

Asking around but no one is saying anything. Also, we do not know if this is short term or long term. My guess is Zhang he and maybe the guy in juniors, with focus to get their jumps done, and Han Yan if he is not retiring. 

 

As for who makes the decision....when CSA allowed skaters to train and have a permanent foreign coach, usually it is a coach the skater names, like Li Zhijun and Mishin. So who has named Arutunian as a coach he wants to train under.

[hoodie axel]

I sure hope it ain't Boyang because... that's just not what his skating needs IMO, and that's just not the direction I'd like any skater to take. It might sound harsh on Raf, but while I doubt he made NC stuff his programs with quads, he sure enabled it.

 

That being said, I remember he said he liked working in Beijing, so I doubt it's him. And I'd have faith in him not neglecting the other parts of skating, for one, anyway. (The other point being he knows what his skating needs better than I.) But if CSA is allowing skaters to go to other coaches, then... different choreographer, please?  Shae-Lynn, where art thou?

[Xen]

2 hours ago, hoodie axel said:

I sure hope it ain't Boyang because... that's just not what his skating needs IMO, and that's just not the direction I'd like any skater to take. It might sound harsh on Raf, but while I doubt he made NC stuff his programs with quads, he sure enabled it.

 

That being said, I remember he said he liked working in Beijing, so I doubt it's him. And I'd have faith in him not neglecting the other parts of skating, for one, anyway. (The other point being he knows what his skating needs better than I.) But if CSA is allowing skaters to go to other coaches, then... different choreographer, please?  Shae-Lynn, where art thou?

While I'm also all in for Boyang to TCC, in reality, there's still Marin Zueva and even Ravi Walia, both of whom have had skaters with good SS- Patrick Chan and Osmond respectively.  Both of whom I think from a personality standpoint, might work well with Boyang.

[hoodie axel]

11 minutes ago, Xen said:

While I'm also all in for Boyang to TCC

Fingers crossed for the next few days with me then  Though, if not, he seems driven enough anyway.

 

(Isn't Zoueva more of an Ice Dance coach?)

[Xen]

14 minutes ago, hoodie axel said:

Fingers crossed for the next few days with me then  Though, if not, he seems driven enough anyway.

For some reason, I have an odd idea of Boyang getting choreo from Tom Dickson or Sarah Kawahara.

Seriously though I still have some hope of Boyang with BOrser, because they're both in S. Korea working on an ice show together, where BOrser is choreographer (I think?) and gets to direct Boyang around like a coach.  I don't recall Boyang having many skating shows overseas, and very few where foreign coaches are involved, so *crosses fingers*.

[hoodie axel]

1 hour ago, Xen said:

Seriously though I still have some hope of Boyang with BOrser, because they're both in S. Korea working on an ice show together, where BOrser is choreographer (I think?) and gets to direct Boyang around like a coach.  I don't recall Boyang having many skating shows overseas, and very few where foreign coaches are involved, so *crosses fingers*.

So I already lost a bet I had with myself that Boyang would be in CiONTU because it was all very coincidental that he would be in Korea with so many of Yuzuru's coworkers and friends, and that show was going to take place only a week before this... But we know that Orser usually asks his students' opinions before taking in a new one, and JunHwan is right there, and he/his agency invited Boyang, and Orser was always going to direct it, I think. 

[hoodie axel]

IDK why him sitting on a moving chair is adorable, but it is: