Li Zijun

I just post facts and info here. The judgement is all yours.

The Chinese fan's opinion that Zijun is not sick (or to the extent to be swapped (not withdraw) but swapped) is legit. that is why I posted.

Here is more info
Weijin's support for Zijun on her weibo

"The pain you have suffered, the hurt you have endured, eventually you can speak out with a smile. this is growth, be the leading character of your own life, Do not attempt to play the supporting role of others' life"

The majority opinion of Chinese skating fans is that "if there is serious misconduct from Zijun, the fed should make it clear, instead of trashing skater (insinuating the fault is all on Zijun, which seems the treading direction some people wanna lead to at the moment), without giving any concrete info at all. Fans are reasonable "

Majorly of Chinese skating fans believe that it is nearly impossible for Zijun to do something SO wrong that she has to be swapped（not withdraw but swapped）.

As for the Chinese pairs split incidence last year.
Majority of Chinese skating fans are disgusted by the whole process and manipulation of Chinese Fed thus very disappointed at them.

I post here just wanna provide some info for international fans who are concerned, the judgement is all yours. I am just a figure skating fan located outside of China and have no connection to Chinese skating fed nor skaters nor participated in any fan groups.

yyyskate said:

I just post facts and info here. The judgement is all yours.

The Chinese fan's opinion that Zijun is not sick (or to the extent to be swapped (not withdraw) but swapped) is legit. that is why I posted.

Here is more info
Weijin's support for Zijun on her weibo

"The pain you have suffered, the hurt you have endured, eventually you can speak out with a smile. this is growth, be the leading character of your own life, Do not attempt to play the supporting role of others' life"

The majority opinion of Chinese skating fans is that "if there is serious misconduct from Zijun, the fed should make it clear, instead of trashing skater (insinuating the fault is all on Zijun, which seems the treading direction some people wanna lead to at the moment), without giving any concrete info at all. Fans are reasonable "

Majorly of Chinese skating fans believe that it is nearly impossible for Zijun to do something SO wrong that she has to be swapped.

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Actually, I am not so sure if Wenjing's comments to Zijun is a support or not. Especially the last sentence, in Chinese, it reads more like advising her not to interfere with other's life too much...

But in any case, in my wildest imagination, I can't come up with what kind of serious misconduct Zijun could do to lead to her being removed from the list.

Violet Bliss said:

So why do you think the Chinese fed alone would pull this on their stars? Are they inherently and particularly stupid and intent on self sabotaging against all sane logic?

Fan's opinions? Since when are they always right and sane? Often an over protective intention whips them up into a demonizing frenzy against the perceived enemy without any logical basis. As the sport is young in China and the internet is populated mostly by the young, the online Chinese fans tend to be young, smart and some of them quite rash. As in the partner switch event, a few of them registered at English forums for the sole purpose of dramatizing and spinning the event and vilifying their fed, and Zhang Hao in that case, quite easily since most forum members here can't read Chinese. I however looked up some sourced articles and found extreme manipulation by these information/drama providers. More over, not all Chinese fans are of the same opinions and some, I found out, were embarrassed by those stirring up outside China.

I admit I don't know all that's happening and can only react on what is actually known and what seems logical. I would rather wait for real info and development than to insist on someone doing crazy things and calling them crazy when there is no good reason for them to do the crazy thing.

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Remember Lu Chen ? Punishment wouldn't be 1st time in the Chinese skating fed

skatefan22 said:

Actually, I am not so sure if Wenjing's comments to Zijun is a support or not. Especially the last sentence, in Chinese, it reads more like advising her not to interfere with other's life too much...

But in any case, in my wildest imagination, I can't come up with what kind of serious misconduct Zijun could do to lead to her being removed from the list.

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"别过度演绎别人生命中的配角" this is original Chinese, it is kinda difficult to understand... Zijun is not removed from the list , she is just sub now.

zijun also posted something like "Cities are too convoluted for me, I better go back to countryside". referring to going back to Changchou instead of preparing departure for worlds.

yyyskate said:

"别过度演绎别人生命中的配角" this is original Chinese, it is kinda difficult to understand... Zijun is not removed from the list , she is just sub now.

zijun also posted something like "Cities are too convoluted for me, I better go back to countryside". referring to going back to Changchou instead of preparing departure for worlds.

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"别过度演绎别人生命中的配角", this is exactly the part that most Chinese fans find not so supportive from Wenjing's comment, if you read on the Chinese forum.

skatefan22 said:

"别过度演绎别人生命中的配角", this is exactly the part that most Chinese fans find not so supportive from Wenjing's comment, if you read on the Chinese forum.

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Can you explain more your understanding of this.

:noshake: I don't undestand Chinese fed at all. Not a little bit.

yyyskate said:

Can you explain more your understanding of this.

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In Chinese it sounds like a warning and not a suggestion so it doesn't read too positively to me. 过度 = going too far/overdoing it, I know you translated it as "attempt" but the tone comes off more like "Don't get ahead of yourself being someone's else's support in life"

Can someone please bring Wenjing's complete original message here? I've seen her message of support to Han, and there is no mistaking her meaning. I seem to be able to see only older Weibo messages, probably because I'm not a registered user.

As for the sentence quoted here, I would translate it as "Don't overplay a supporting role in someone else' life." I have no full understanding without the context. Even the translated full message is not that clear to me.

eta. To me it's an advice, not a warning. She seems to encourage Zijun to be strong and live her own life in the context of the whole message as translated.

Krunchii said:

In Chinese it sounds like a warning and not a suggestion so it doesn't read too positively to me. 过度 = going too far/overdoing it, I know you translated it as "attempt" but the tone comes off more like "Don't get ahead of yourself being someone's else's support in life"

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now i think of it , it sounds like a warning too. you translation seems like it.

Chinese fed really pushes fans to become detectives.

yyyskate said:

Chinese fed really pushes fans to become detectives.

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My latest finding is that Zijun had returned to Changchun before the new list was announced. it jived with her Weibo remark of leaving the city to return to the country.

Violet Bliss said:

My latest finding is that Zijun had returned to Changchun before the new list was announced. it jived with her Weibo remark of leaving the city to return to the country.

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yes, there is even rumors/gossip among Chinese skating fans that Zijun will be swapped before the real announcement of change from ISU.
Same thing happened with Y/J split. well ahead the real deal, there is rumors among Chinese skating fans, they will be split.

Of course, nobody at the time think it will become true and thought it just is a rumor, but in the end all rumors come true.

figure skating is not enough popular in China for the media to request an interview with the fed or Zujin about this situation?

So based on all the information, some fans guess this is what happen (just a guess). I will just briefly summarize some facts and fans guess.

March 5th:
Zijun posted on her Weibo after competing at AWG and a National event that she was going back home for some rest and adjustment and then she would get herself prepared for the worlds. She sounded happy, assured, and motivated at that time. Then she shared quite a few photos of her with friends hanging out and having fun. Some of her friends also shared such photos on weibo. So she did have a good rest and I am sure she also trained well because she looked happy and optimistic.

March 15:
She was spotted on a flight from Changchun (her hometown) back to Beijing. So it means that she returned to the team and resumed full training since then.

March 19：
She posted on weibo that "reality is difficult, conspiracy is even more brutal". Some fans guess that it is on that day that she found or heard that the Chinese fed was going to use her to get two spots for olympics and then give these two spots to the youngsters in 2018. The reason behind the said intention was that first of all for China, 2022 is their main goal. Then in 2018, if they send Zijun, it is unlikely that she will get a medal or just get a top 7 finish (which is a main criteria for nominating a skater for best international athlete in China, so top 7 is kind of a good result). And in 2022, Zijun is already 26 and the chance for her to shine in Beijing is not big. Then how about sending youngsters to olympics 2018? It is also very unlikely that they will get a medal or have a good result in 2018, but then they get this precious opportunity to experience such a big event which will help them gain confidence, exprience, and recognition. Then they have four years to grow stronger. In 2022, that is their prime time and they can have a shot.

Suppose Zijun overheard such intention or plan of the fed, she must be angry and depressed. Hence what she wrote on weibo. And she would definitely reach out to the fed and talk with them. The decision Zijun made was to withdraw from WC. Because if the spots are not for herself, why fight for it? And it is very likely that the two youngsters are not able to even get one spot for 2018. In such case, she can participate in Rostelecom to win one spot for herself. In Rostelecom, each of the top 6 can get one spot for themselves to go the olympics. And it is very likely that Zijun can get top 6 there.

Therefore, we have that news article which says Zijun asked for not participating in WC and returned to her hometown again by herself. And that probably explains what Wenjing commented on Zijun's weibo - she implicitly suggests her to focus on her own life and business, rather than thinking about others' plan and conspiracy too much and try to react to that. And that also explains Zijun's post today (March 23) that Olympics is her goal and motivation and she will give it everything she has and sacrifice everything for it.

Update:
Just to follow up on the above guess, Zijun's reaction certainly caught he fed off guard so they have to put an injured Ziquan for wc2017. Meanwhile, such decision from the fed also caught Zijun off guard as she probably wouldt think that the fed can actually really let her not going to wc2017. Her initial proposition of not going to wc might just be an attempted threat to the fed that you are not going to let me go to the olympics and I won't even fight for those spots for you. Her ideal is of course to go to both wc and the olympics. But now it seems the fed also got annoyed by her threat and decided to play tough. They still placed her as a sub and didnt disclose what is really going on which means there are probably still room for softening of the situation. Zijun probably needs to make some sincere apology to the fed and two parties need to reconcile and talk things out. That is why the fed team leader said that the list is not final yet.
(What I can say is if that is true, that is such a drama...）

skatefan22 said:

So based on all the information, some fans guess this is what happen (just a guess). I will just briefly summarize some facts and fans guess.

March 5th:
Zijun posted on her Weibo after competing at AWG and a National event that she was going back home for some rest and adjustment and then she would get herself prepared for the worlds. She sounded happy, assured, and motivated at that time. Then she shared quite a few photos of her with friends hanging out and having fun. Some of her friends also shared such photos on weibo. So she did have a good rest and I am sure she also trained well because she looked happy and optimistic.

March 15:
She was spotted on a flight from Changchun (her hometown) back to Beijing. So it means that she returned to the team and resumed full training since then.

March 19：
She posted on weibo that "reality is difficult, conspiracy is even more brutal". Some fans guess that it is on that day that she found or heard that the Chinese fed was going to use her to get two spots for olympics and then give these two spots to the youngsters in 2018. The reason behind the said intention was that first of all for China, 2022 is their main goal. Then in 2018, if they send Zijun, it is unlikely that she will get a medal or just get a top 7 finish (which is a main criteria for nominating a skater for best international athlete in China, so top 7 is kind of a good result). And in 2022, Zijun is already 26 and the chance for her to shine in Beijing is not big. Then how about sending youngsters to olympics 2018? It is also very unlikely that they will get a medal or have a good result in 2018, but then they get this precious opportunity to experience such a big event which will help them gain confidence, exprience, and recognition. Then they have four years to grow stronger. In 2022, that is their prime time and they can have a shot.

Suppose Zijun overheard such intention or plan of the fed, she must be angry and depressed. Hence what she wrote on weibo. And she would definitely reach out to the fed and talk with them. The decision Zijun made was to withdraw from WC. Because if the spots are not for herself, why fight for it? And it is very likely that the two youngsters are not able to even get one spot for 2018. In such case, she can participate in Rostelecom to win one spot for herself. In Rostelecom, each of the top 6 can get one spot for themselves to go the olympics. And it is very likely that Zijun can get top 6 there.

Therefore, we have that news article which says Zijun asked for not participating in WC and returned to her hometown again by herself. And that probably explains what Wenjing commented on Zijun's weibo - she implicitly suggests her to focus on her own life and business, rather than thinking about others' plan and conspiracy too much and try to react to that. And that also explains Zijun's post today (March 23) that Olympics is her goal and motivation and she will give it everything she has and sacrifice everything for it.

(What I can say is if that is true, that is such a drama...）

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basically, if this is true, which means that 2018 OG two new skaters will go to OG( and no zijun's business), No matter of their conditions at that time? This is ridiculous.

but it is kinda similar to Y/J ,P/C split that Y/Z is gonna be the default much better pair (and for sure will go to next OG) and P/J is the default weaker one since the beginning.

Seems like Chinese Fed has time machine.

Good grief.
So skate, even though you won't go to the Olympics for sure, but do be a darling and get us spots? :disapp:

This is pretty ridiculous if it were true. Ziquan Zhao, who is probably one of the two youngsters referred to, is only a year younger than Zijun and I don't actually think she's a better investment for 2022 than Zijun if you compare their records.

What is Rostelecom? Can Zijun actually earn a spot specifically for herself there, vs. a spot for China?

lishazard said:

This is pretty ridiculous if it were true. Ziquan Zhao, who is probably one of the two youngsters referred to, is only a year younger than Zijun and I don't actually think she's a better investment for 2022 than Zijun if you compare their records.

What is Rostelecom? Can Zijun actually earn a spot specifically for herself there, vs. a spot for China?

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It is said that if you earn a spot in rostelecom, you get to go to the olympics. Basically you earn your spot. That is also just an assumption by some long time skating fan in china who are said to be able to get a bit insider info.

As to Young skaters, I think the fed is pretty much thinking about Xiangning Li. She is the bet. So the intent of the fed is if there is only one spot earned via wc2017, that spot will be likely to be given to Xiangning. If there are two spots (the chances are not big though), probably they will give the second spot between zijun and ziquan. Zijun certainly does not like the idea that she is the second choice especially considering their chance of getting two spots via wc2017 are not very big.

I think what Zijun means by "Reality is difficult, conspiracy is even more brutal" is that all these fan's conspiracy i.e the Fed using her and then kicking her out etc. are very harmful and hard on her and her team although reality is not great at the moment. Some fans need to use some logic before they write whatever nonsense they can think of. The Fed pays for her training and she is the best there is. Of course they would want the best for her.