Daisuke Takahashi | Page 100 | Golden Skate

Daisuke Takahashi

jimeonji

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 27, 2014
Thanks, ioanap for the link and instructions. I just voted.

and welcome, chasingpolaris!! Post often! Here we are always crying over Dai's skating. :biggrin:
 

chasingpolaris

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Thank you ioanap, cdngirl and Pattina for the welcome! Glad to know there are others who can understand my feelings for Kissing You! :)

I voted! It took me forever as I was doing it both for him and Mao, haha. Hope to see his wonderful performances on air once again.
 

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
Am late for the party but "A very hearty welcome to chasingpolaris" from me too! :yay: Post often post long! :yes:
 

ioanna

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
A very well documented article about the severity of Dai's knee problems
http://www.insideskating.net/2013/1...se-healing-process-and-long-term-consequences

As I've mentioned before, the accident in November 2013 was the result of severe pain he started to feel as early as November 2012, after NHK Trophy. This was published in December 2013 and not many details were known, but right now it's safe to say the bone bruise was located very near to the previously injured knee so the inflammation persisted for as long as he continued to stress the knee joint. If the contusion was lower on the tibia and not near the knee, the chances to heal and skate without pain would have been much higher.

The article offers a lot of explanations both from a medical point of view as well as Dai's own.
 

ayarose

On the Ice
Joined
May 13, 2014
A very well documented article about the severity of Dai's knee problems
http://www.insideskating.net/2013/1...se-healing-process-and-long-term-consequences

As I've mentioned before, the accident in November 2013 was the result of severe pain he started to feel as early as November 2012, after NHK Trophy. This was published in December 2013 and not many details were known, but right now it's safe to say the bone bruise was located very near to the previously injured knee so the inflammation persisted for as long as he continued to stress the knee joint. If the contusion was lower on the tibia and not near the knee, the chances to heal and skate without pain would have been much higher.

The article offers a lot of explanations both from a medical point of view as well as Dai's own.

Thanks ioanap, that cleared up a lot of things for me.

Now I'm not an orthopaedic so I'm just making an educated guess in my analysis of his injury. I think his contusion is on the area near the injured knee, basing on this article, Dai's blog and BS2. Here's what I think:

1. 2008 - R ACL tear -> repaired, resolved (STRESS 1)
2. NHK 2012 - knee pain noted, dx knee strain R
3. GPF 2012 - progression of knee pain, relieved by rest, dx knee sprain R
4. JN 2012 - inflammation of cartilage, muscle and tendon of the back side of knee, relieved by rest and hyaluronic acid, dx tibial contusion R proximal 3rd (we describe injuries in the extremities by location and they are divided into 3 equal parts in relation to the trunk, proximal - nearest, middle and distal - farthest)
5. WC 2013 - recurrence
6. WTT 2013 - subchronic knee contusion R (<2 wks acute, >4wks chronic), diet (STRESS 2)
7. Summer 2013 - ankle sprain R (STRESS 3)
8. Nov 2013 - dx chronic tibial contusion R

The previous injury is a stressor since that area is now "scarred" and it's not the same as the original uninjured ACL. Poor nourishment slows the rate of healing because food gives the body materials to repair itself. The ankle sprain is also a stressor since the distal end of the tibia is attached to the ankle/foot and shares the shock of the body's weight. And if he also incurred additional tibial contusions in the distal third, it's another stressor.

Now let me mentally bang my head against a wall because Dai & Yuzu are both stubborn people. All I can do is pray for their knees and my sanity as I give them my support in doing what they love. :bang:
 

ioanna

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
^ Thank you for the additional info, ayarose. Just looking at that list makes me wonder how on earth did he win the 2012 GPF, perform two clean programs with three quads at the 2012 Nationals and manage to stay on his feet in Sochi, where his condition was worse than it had ever been. Furthermore, he had to attend numerous other competitions (Japan Open, WTT) and ice shows that could have been exhausting for a sane skater, let alone for Dai's tired body.

Most of the time, the underrotated and / or two footed quad was the only consequence of the severe pain he was going through because he could otherwise perform effortless triples. Coach Nagamitsu was right, he can do miracles.

In my opinion, the accident in 2008 was the result of both physical and psychological strain. 2007-2008 had been an incredible season and he was winning medals after medals, breaking records. He was the number one favorite going into the World Championship but by that time he was caught in the middle of a scandal between his manager and his coach Nikolai Morozov. He gradually became unhappy with Morozov's services and it all culminated during Worlds, where he finished 4th with a score that was way lower than the record breaker at the 4CC. No doubt he was extremely unhappy about his result and ultimately decided to break off the contract with Morozov. As a consequence he found himself without a "high profile" coach and that was not a good thing as the Vancouver Olympics were getting closer. He was constantly pressured to find another coach at the expense of breaking up with Utako Nagamitsu but he vehemently refused to leave her behind because he felt he owed everything to her.

As the Japanese media were labeling him "the ace" and following his every step, having everyone's expectations set high on him to win the next Olympics while he was still feeling disappointed about the outcome of the previous season and the break up with Morozov (who made a habit out of badmouthing him and his team in the press) and finding himself in a very disoriented state, the accident was almost like an inevitable occurrence. The heavy pressure he was dealing with was the perfect condition for a serious, career-threatening injury to happen. After all, he wasn't practicing quads when he tore his ACL, it happened on the landing of a triple axel.
 

chasingpolaris

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Thank you jimeonji and deedee1 for the welcoming! :)

As someone who's injured her knee years ago and still continue to feel bouts of pain from time to time, I can't even begin to imagine what he's had to go through with the pain and pressure. At times while I watch his programs, my eyes will dart to his knee and I would wonder the jump he just performed hurts him or will come back to haunt him eventually. Even now I wonder the same thing as he's doing ice shows.
 

ioanna

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2014

ioanna

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Translation of an article from Fujin Kohron, 3/22’s issue
Source
Original

Contributor: Naoko Utsunomiya

-- Bringing out the men’s figure skating to the place in the sun --

I want to stand up and give a big hand to Daisuke Takahashi. He finished 6th place in Sochi but he is in another league with what role he has been playing. He was the first Japanese man who reached the Olympic Podium and got a bronze medal. He became the World Champion right after, another great achievement of Japan’s first.

However, I think his greatest achievement is not about his rank order. Takahashi brought out and haul up the men’s figure skating of Japan to the place in the sun. I believe that is what’s truly amazing.

Now he is a star. He is capable to draw a large audience. But he was fighting against the headwind until the end of his late teen, because people only paid attention to ladies’ skating, not men’s. News media were not much different, ill-balanced. Reporters flock around the ladies and shoot questions non-stop at them. The men didn’t get such treatment. Takahashi was standing in front of just a few reporters. It is an unforgettable image that he was giving them an intimate and enthusiastic explanation about his new program.

In his competing career he was also fighting against the lack of interest of people. Along the way of this fight to turn it around he became stronger. In short, He won his battle.
Nowadays the popularity of men’s figure skating surpasses the ladies’. Daisuke Takahashi is the one who turned the tide. No doubt about it.
 

Pattina

On the Ice
Joined
May 1, 2013
ayarose & ionap, thanks for commenting on Dai's injuries. Indeed a never ending story :cry: :cry:

Sorry if this info has been already posted: in July two figure skating journalists ,Miss. Noguchi and Mr. Matsubara, took part at a talk event. Thanks to tweets collected and translated by great fan Genki of DTFF, we know now that pain and troubles (chronic inflammation) never stopped, as Matsubara san witnessed Dai after NHK practice with "a big tube filled with ice around the knee". Both journalists reported that situation in Sochi was worse than appeared on media.

Source: http://daisuke-takahashi.megabb.com/t960p315-news-topics-2013-14 - Genki's post dated July 10.

So we can say that Daisuke did really miracles in Sochi, experiencing severe pain, fighting like a tiger with such poetry and artistry.

Just read on JO/COI page the list of Japanese skaters. Dai will not attend. Sorry because I love him and I'd like to watch him skating "for ever" but I know that he had the idea to stay away from skating "for a while" after FOI (BTW, ioanap thanks a lot for links!!) - IMO he wants to detach himself from ice to rest both physically and mentally.

Wish him to find what he needs and to feel calm and serene. Dai can take all the time he wants, we will be here waiting, for ever proud of him.
 

ioanna

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Just read on JO/COI page the list of Japanese skaters. Dai will not attend. Sorry because I love him and I'd like to watch him skating "for ever" but I know that he had the idea to stay away from skating "for a while" after FOI (BTW, ioanap thanks a lot for links!!) - IMO he wants to detach himself from ice to rest both physically and mentally.
He fully deserves this break but to be honest both Japan Open and WTT in the future will feel very strange to me without him, Mao or Akiko. It's very hard to imagine team competitions without them.

Friends On Ice will really be the last time we see him skate for a long time and the following competitive season has already lost some of its spark because of that. I know Stars On Ice is in January but I think he said he wants to disappear from the public eye for a whole year so if he decides not to attend we can only respect his wishes and keep waiting.
 

ayarose

On the Ice
Joined
May 13, 2014
^ Thank you for the additional info, ayarose. Just looking at that list makes me wonder how on earth did he win the 2012 GPF, perform two clean programs with three quads at the 2012 Nationals and manage to stay on his feet in Sochi, where his condition was worse than it had ever been. Furthermore, he had to attend numerous other competitions (Japan Open, WTT) and ice shows that could have been exhausting for a sane skater, let alone for Dai's tired body.

Most of the time, the underrotated and / or two footed quad was the only consequence of the severe pain he was going through because he could otherwise perform effortless triples. Coach Nagamitsu was right, he can do miracles.

In my opinion, the accident in 2008 was the result of both physical and psychological strain. 2007-2008 had been an incredible season and he was winning medals after medals, breaking records. He was the number one favorite going into the World Championship but by that time he was caught in the middle of a scandal between his manager and his coach Nikolai Morozov. He gradually became unhappy with Morozov's services and it all culminated during Worlds, where he finished 4th with a score that was way lower than the record breaker at the 4CC. No doubt he was extremely unhappy about his result and ultimately decided to break off the contract with Morozov. As a consequence he found himself without a "high profile" coach and that was not a good thing as the Vancouver Olympics were getting closer. He was constantly pressured to find another coach at the expense of breaking up with Utako Nagamitsu but he vehemently refused to leave her behind because he felt he owed everything to her.

As the Japanese media were labeling him "the ace" and following his every step, having everyone's expectations set high on him to win the next Olympics while he was still feeling disappointed about the outcome of the previous season and the break up with Morozov (who made a habit out of badmouthing him and his team in the press) and finding himself in a very disoriented state, the accident was almost like an inevitable occurrence. The heavy pressure he was dealing with was the perfect condition for a serious, career-threatening injury to happen. After all, he wasn't practicing quads when he tore his ACL, it happened on the landing of a triple axel.

I was off the fandom at the time he had his injury since I started training so I wasn't really familiar at the circumstances surrounding that season. I was surprised when my sister told me he got injured.

I agree with you that the stress was contributory to his injuries. An ACL tear isn't actually uncommon, of the cruciate ligaments (the ACL and PCL crosses and is found at the back of the knee cap) supporting the knee, it is the weakest and injury prone. Any force applied at the front of the knee while semi-flexed or when they twist their flexed knee while in motion may cause an ACL tear so the type of jump won't really matter, just than it would have been more severe in my opinion because of the force.

Dai received a severe form of ACL injury and it is really a miracle he can still skate like that. I recently went through the part of the DVD where he was in the hospital/rehab and the lengths he went through was really touching. I don't really want to watch it that much, I can handle falls but the pain in his face pierces my heart. BTW, I've asked an ortho friend and he said that the injury is highly likely in that area, he also said the ACL injury can cause chronic knee instability so it just piles up for Dai.
 

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
So we can say that Daisuke did really miracles in Sochi, experiencing severe pain, fighting like a tiger with such poetry and artistry.

Just read on JO/COI page the list of Japanese skaters. Dai will not attend. Sorry because I love him and I'd like to watch him skating "for ever" but I know that he had the idea to stay away from skating "for a while" after FOI (BTW, ioanap thanks a lot for links!!) - IMO he wants to detach himself from ice to rest both physically and mentally.

Wish him to find what he needs and to feel calm and serene. Dai can take all the time he wants, we will be here waiting, for ever proud of him.

:thumbsup::yes::) re miracles: not only in Sochi but also at the Nats two months earlier. :yes:
 

Pattina

On the Ice
Joined
May 1, 2013
:thumbsup::yes::) re miracles: not only in Sochi but also at the Nats two months earlier. :yes:

So true!! :yes: His bleeding hand will remain for ever an icon of what "skating and fighting with heart" means.

ioanap, thanks for links. Daisuke is so breathtaking.
 

ioanna

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
I am heartbroken as I'm reading the latest news because Dai does not deserve any of this. He's only gone from scandal to scandal this past year and this is the last thing he needed right now.

Yesterday Shukan Bunshun published this article claiming Dai was sexually harassed by the president of the Japanese Skating Federation Seiko Hashimoto at a party in Sochi, after the closing ceremony. According to the magazine, she was forcing him to kiss her and he persistently refused, even turning his face away from her. At first Hashimoto denied the claims saying it didn't happen, then she said she didn't force him but the magazine eventually published pictures of her hugging and kissing him.

Further details here.

I am speechless.
 

chasingpolaris

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
I am heartbroken as I'm reading the latest news because Dai does not deserve any of this. He's only gone from scandal to scandal this past year and this is the last thing he needed right now.

Yesterday Shukan Bunshun published this article claiming Dai was sexually harassed by the president of the Japanese Skating Federation Seiko Hashimoto at a party in Sochi, after the closing ceremony. According to the magazine, she was forcing him to kiss her and he persistently refused, even turning his face away from her. At first Hashimoto denied the claims saying it didn't happen, then she said she didn't force him but the magazine eventually published pictures of her hugging and kissing him.

Further details here.

I am speechless.

I read this in Shukan Bunshun yesterday but tried not to think too much about it. Then my friend linked me to the pictures today and I was immediately heartbroken. Now I am slightly enraged because it's about politics and he doesn't deserve to be dragged into this. Dai is too kind so I'm assuming he eventually obliged just so she wouldn't be embarrassed in front of everyone else. But still. It's ridiculous.
 

Meoima

Match Penalty
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
I read this in Shukan Bunshun yesterday but tried not to think too much about it. Then my friend linked me to the pictures today and I was immediately heartbroken. Now I am slightly enraged because it's about politics and he doesn't deserve to be dragged into this. Dai is too kind so I'm assuming he eventually obliged just so she wouldn't be embarrassed in front of everyone else. But still. It's ridiculous.
This is crazy!!!! :bang: I am so sad for Dai. I hope this will be over soon. He is not the one at fault. Crying!
 
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