Grand Prix Analysis (Men), Winners/Losers

[Rissa]

I hope Yuzuru won't qualify for the GPF. He needs energy for worlds, who cares about the GP's :dev2:

The only way of not qualifying which wouldn't harm him would be if he didn't skate at one of the GPs. If he skated at 2 GPs and didn't qualify, he'd lose lots of reputation points and kill momentum already damaged by last Worlds FS. You'd better he hope he does qualify.

 

[yude]

Akiko Suzuki talked about Men in the interview after 4 competitions of Grand Prix Series.

https://sportiva.shueisha.co.jp/clm/othersports/figure/2016/11/15/___split_33/index.php


―― Four competitions of Grand prix series were over, the growth of Shoma Uno in the second senior year is great.

Suzuki: To be frank, I did not think that Uno grew at such speed. It was more than I had expected. Once he masterd quads, he reached the level not to fail on them in the games. He is originally good at getting the time to breathe or at the part of expression, but he stepped up two or three more levels.

―― He is 18 years old (he will be 19 on December 17), but I think the masculinity has been coming out.

Suzuki: Yes, something amorous or sensual is coming out. Those things and power of expression are added with high technique, and he is chasing after the world top.

―― He won Skate America in October and finished in the second place with narrow margin between Javier Fernandez(Spain) in Cup of Russia in November. He seems to be able to aim for being on the podium in GPF(Marseille, France) in December, too.

Suzuki: He had been always running after the back of Yuzuru Hanyu and now he is in the position he can go for the top of the world. Hanyu keeps going far ahead, so Uno can not satisfied with even good result. He had tried to do his best thinking "More and more" and he reached the top level of the world. He also feels he doesn't want to be beaten by Hanyu. The motive force of his growth must be the feeling of "I will surpass him".

―― Although Hanyu won GPF last season setting 330 points first ever, he was defeated by Fernandez in the Worlds for two consecutive years. What kind of feeling will he go with for this season?

Suzuki: Uno lands 4F and Boyang Jin's 4Ltz is successful. He also lost to Fernandez and he hates to lose, so there is no way he is not fired up.

―― Hanyu showed convincing strength in the last season, but he didn't win all of the competitions.

Suzuki: Even if he pushes and pushes, Fernandez, Uno and Boyang Jin keep following him. Given that he aims for consective win in the next Olympics, this situation must be welcomed. He knew the most that he is able to grow competing together with them at the high level.

―― Now do you see any change in Hanyu recently?

Suzuki: I had the impression that he made every effort from the beginning to the end of the programs in the past, but from the last season I'm feeling he has progressed in controlling of stamina. He has good balance of being passionate and being calm, which he attained after he became 20 years old. I think he is planning to complete "Yuzuru Hanyu" until Pyeongchang Olympics, so we can't take our eyes away from his further evolution in coming 15 months. Probably Hanyu must be thinking he wants to win overwhelming other skaters in all the competitions. Therefore, I even think that there is possibilities he will do 4A.

―― Do you have any Japanese skater you have been paying attention to other than these two?

Suzuki: Takahito Mura has been fixing skating skills looking ahead to the Olympics. If the skating changes, the jumps also change. The result seems to come out little by little. This time may become the last Olympics for him when you think about the age of 25. He should have considerable desire for Pyeongchang Olympics.

―― Fernandez who achieved straight victories of 2 World championships is the big wall for the Japanese skaters this season. He won two competitions back to back in Grand prix series.

Suzuki: Fernandez has been improving while taking the relation with Hanyu as energy. They are rivals each other, but they are friends in the same team. The two of totally different characters and performances are competing. Fernandez looks like he manages everything well, but it is unexpectedly not true and he seems to take time to learn the choreography. He is not a "hard worker" type of person, but I've heard he has been practicing rather hard being conscious of existence of Hanyu. It is the big talent that he is able to "skate happily" at any time.

―― Patrick Chan(Canada) with good result will also affect the fight for the medals.

Suzuki: It is unknown what kind of effect Patrick has after he exchanged the coach. But having only 4T is difficult condition for him. Still, that skating and expression of the music are the skill of Master that only Patrick has.

―― Who are other threats to the Japanese skaters?

Suzuki: It is Nathan Chen(the United States). His layout of the programs are phenomenal consists of 7 quads in totall with short and long. With these jumps of high difficuty, you are inclined to take technical components as the first priority. However, he is good at physical expression essentially. When he starts taking the balance of technics and expression, he may join in the fight for the gold medal.