Yuzuru Hanyu: 2016-17 Season

[Upnights]

Hope to see many of you in Milano!
I am going regardless of Hanyu being there or not, I didn't get into figure skating because of him, and although I'd dearly miss him, I am sure there would be plenty of other skaters I could happily obsess over. That, and I really need a good excuse to go visit Italy again, revisit some of my fave cities and see old friends.

I'm planning on going to Milan Worlds. I believe Yuzuru will go in order to help secure 3 men's spots for 2019 Japan Worlds. I think he'll continue to compete at least through that Japan Worlds because of his love for Japan as well as his love for competition & the unfinished goal of landing 4A. But, even if he doesn't compete in Milan, I think it'll be an interesting Worlds with lots of skaters retiring & young ones jockeying for position. Plus - Italy is always worth visiting!

 

[shiroKJ]

Hope to see many of you in Milano!
I am going regardless of Hanyu being there or not, I didn't get into figure skating because of him, and although I'd dearly miss him, I am sure there would be plenty of other skaters I could happily obsess over. That, and I really need a good excuse to go visit Italy again, revisit some of my fave cities and see old friends.

Italy is a place that I've wanted to visit for a long time but if I'm going there for Worlds there's no way I'll have any free time to walk around the city and enjoy it I have gone to local events for other skaters but the trip to Milan+tickets would likely run me over 3k My student loans will not allow me such luxury lol

 

[TerpsichoreFS]

After Boyang's 4Lo video, I kinda feel Yuzuru should throw a 4Lz on Olympic ice in the SP at 4CC. He's already done his SP perfectly at GPF so he could try it.

 

[blackey]

I thought his latest ANA interview has more than confirmed that he wants to compete for the next olympic quad (Beijing). The question left would be whether he would be healthy enough until then and will something change his mind in between. If all is well, I have no doubt he will continue
There are also other reasons why I think so:
1) The whole 4Lz and 4A talk, it is just irrational to do all that in the olympic season. For those to happen, he has to do it past Pyeongchang. And yes, I even doubt he will add 4Lz. The reason is simple, he has yet to adjust to his current FS layout. Unless he skates his FS clean for all the rest of the competition left (4CC, World and WTT), I don't see it happening.
2) When he said he wanted to retire after PC, he was still young, 19-20 y.o. It was the post-olympic season. and the field is not as deep as it is today with young skaters landing 4lz,4f and doing 6 quads. Probably, in his mind, by the time he is going into Pyeongchang, he would have already been a 3x or 4x world champion, land both 4Lz and 4Lo in his program and do a 4-type-quad LP. We know things don't go as planned.
3) Back then when he talked about retirement and becoming a pro, I remembered he said something like : I want to win the second OGM, retired, becoming a pro and thus I became a legend (something like that). He said in his recent interview, that he thought he is still doing easy jump (lol). Just my opinion, but I feel like he will not be satisfied until he does the hardest layout and skate them clean. Call me crazy but the competitive part in him probably will not allow him to retire when younger skaters are doing a layout harder than what he did.

just wanna point out that at the point he said he wanted to retire after PC, 4lo was not even in the plan. He used to say that he would not put 4lo in his competition career, so I don't think land both 4lz and 4lo (in competition) was ever in his mind.
I do agree with you about his mind might be changing now. I think yuzu is extremely competitive and he wants to do more than everyone else. I guess I'm just going to pray for him being healthy so he could choose what he wants to do.

 

[Winnie_20]

I believe Yuzuru will go in order to help secure 3 men's spots for 2019 Japan Worlds.

I don't know about him appearing in Milan to secure three spots, but I definitely believe that he will want to stick around for Worlds 2019. Well, I would want him to stick around, I think it'd be great if he could make it his final Worlds, on home ground.

Italy is a place that I've wanted to visit for a long time but if I'm going there for Worlds there's no way I'll have any free time to walk around the city and enjoy it

Well, if you're there already, you can just add a few days for sightseeing, or take a train to other pretty cities.
I used to go to Italy often when I was young, because my family had a lot of colleagues/friends there. My first flight ever was to Milano! March/April would be a fine time to visit. I once swore I would never again go in the summer. It was so, so, so hot, never again.

 

[xibsuarz]

After Boyang's 4Lo video, I kinda feel Yuzuru should throw a 4Lz on Olympic ice in the SP at 4CC. He's already done his SP perfectly at GPF so he could try it.

He is still struggling with the 4Lo. The landing hasn't been clean. I think it's best to work in mastering the 4Lo and getting it to his trademark quality before trying to add another one.

 

[narcissa]

Landing 4Lo in practice is not the same as landing it in competition. Yuzu shouldn't add anymore quads til after the Olympics, IMO. I know playing it safe is not his thing but I can't believe 6 quads is now "playing it safe" lmao

 

[Yatagarasu]

He figured out how to land a 4Lo that's still quite tilted, not the same as his 4S or the 4T. Until he has the 4Lo down at approximately the same quality and consistency, neither which is the case now, introducing the 4Lz now would be a pointless thing and I don't see it happening.

For the Olympics, it is not just Yuzuru and his state/ability that will count but also what the others are doing too. Nathan wants a five quad FS. If he continues being consistent the candies will come, especially for a #1 USFSA man. Shoma adding the 4Lo opens up his FS to five and he already has plenty of candies. Boyang has the 4Lo now and if he gets it all stable again, five seems likely. Swapping in the 4Lz, instead of the 4S may be necessary, with a 4Lo combo. If he already has the 4Lz ready he can use it so I am sure that is why he wants it - as a safety measure, where it's place in the FS won't disrupt much.

 

[Pamigena]

Was that really the same shirt or they changed it into another one? :rofl2:

Isn't that how everyone does their laundry? put in dirty clothes and then wait for the magic washing machine to produce a brand-new shirt? Sounds totally normal. now someone only needs to tell me the brand of the magic washing machine that makes you look cuter by standing next to it, that would be fabulous

 

[mcq]

Well, CoP is not just a BV game, but it is a GOE game too. Kind reminder that even Nathan's clean 4-quad LP at GPF has lower TES than Yuzuru's GPF LP which only has 3 quads. So no, I don't think just because others land million different types of quads he should be panic and follows suit, especially when his current 4Lo still not at the quality that it should be. He has not even landed that 4S3T in FS yet in competition. But well, if he indeed does his FS clean for the remaining competition and get >2 GOE for his 4Lo, then we're talking.
Besides, Yuzuru has the 2nd highest BV in his FS right now, only behind Boyang by point zero something. Nathan has lower BV than him. Thus, no, I don't think he is playing it safe at all.

just wanna point out that at the point he said he wanted to retire after PC, 4lo was not even in the plan. He used to say that he would not put 4lo in his competition career, so I don't think land both 4lz and 4lo (in competition) was ever in his mind.
I do agree with you about his mind might be changing now. I think yuzu is extremely competitive and he wants to do more than everyone else. I guess I'm just going to pray for him being healthy so he could choose what he wants to do.

You are right. I remember he said that on a tv show. Either way, with the way things going now he probably has already changed his mind. His demeanor and words about post-PC talks has shifted from "I will retire" to "I don't know, did not think about it. I want to concentrate on Pyeongchang" to "I want to land 4A in competition" and "It would be nice to get more olympic gold".

 

[Meoima]

You are right. I remember he said that on a tv show. Either way, with the way things going now he probably has already changed his mind. His demeanor and words about post-PC talks has shifted from "I will retire" to "I don't know, did not think about it. I want to concentrate on Pyeongchang" to "I want to land 4A in competition" and "It would be nice to get more olympic gold".

I don't think he is naive thinking that he can land the hardest layout at the age of 27. After 25, male bodies decline. It's science. Realistically speaking, men who want to skate until 2022 will not do 4 quads right now (unless you're Boyang).

I think Yuzuru should just stay for WC 2019 in Japan. It will be enough. Longer than that, the body will not be able to stand it.

 

[mcq]

I don't think he is naive thinking that he can land the hardest layout at the age of 27. After 25, male bodies decline. It's science. Realistically speaking, men who want to skate until 2022 will not do 4 quads right now (unless you're Boyang).

I think Yuzuru should just stay for WC 2019 in Japan. It will be enough. Longer than that, the body will not be able to stand it.

Well, everything will of course depend on his health and feeling by that time. And how things will go for the rest of the olympic quad, like his result and others results. He probably is watching how Javi and Patrick is doing too until then. They are going to be 27 by Pyeongchang, and if they do well and is still in a prime condition, I would think it will probably encourage Yuzuru even more to extend. That said, as long as he is happy, I will support his decision whether he wants to continue or not. Many things could happen even between now to PC, let alone to the next quad. So for now I just hope he is healthy and focused on his nearest goal rather than thinking ahead that far.

 

[Meoima]

Well, everything will of course depend on his health and feeling by that time. And how things will go for the rest of the olympic quad, like his result and others results. He probably is watching how Javi and Patrick is doing too until then. They are going to be 27 by Pyeongchang, and if they do well and is still in a prime condition, I would think it will probably encourage Yuzuru even more to extend. That said, as long as he is happy, I will support his decision whether he wants to continue or not. Many things could happen even between now to PC, let alone to the next quad. So for now I just hope he is healthy and focused on his nearest goal rather than thinking ahead that far.

From what I know from Javi, his current situation is far from being Yuzuru's ideal prime condition. I think Yuzuru is smart enough to know the age that male body peak and when it declines. He is studying it after all.

 

[gladiolusc]

From what I know from Javi, his current situation is far from being Yuzuru's ideal prime condition. I think Yuzuru is smart enough to know the age that male body peak and when it declines. He is studying it after all.

What do you mean about Javi's current situation? My understanding has been that he's relatively free from injury. That said, Yuzu and Javi have really different body build - I don't know if Yuzu can necessarily take Javi's current condition as relevant.

 

[Meoima]

What do you mean about Javi's current situation? My understanding has been that he's relatively free from injury. That said, Yuzu and Javi have really different body build - I don't know if Yuzu can necessarily take Javi's current condition as relevant.

Just look at how Javi will do from now on and you will see.
Science says human male peaks at 25 years old. Which means this and next season will become difficult for skaters who are over 25 years old.

 

[mcq]

From what I know from Javi, his current situation is far from being Yuzuru's ideal prime condition. I think Yuzuru is smart enough to know the age that male body peak and when it declines. He is studying it after all.

Yeah. I think how Javi (and Patrick) will do probably is going to be a factor to his decision too. So far I don't see him declining, at least not to the point where he struggles bad, and it looks like his problem came from lack of training. But how they will do for the remaining competition and next season will be more revealing. I am inclined to think his change of demeanor towards retirement has to do with both Javi and Patrick still upping their tech past 23-24 and doing pretty well.

 

[Lys]

I don't think he is naive thinking that he can land the hardest layout at the age of 27. After 25, male bodies decline. It's science. Realistically speaking, men who want to skate until 2022 will not do 4 quads right now (unless you're Boyang).

I think Yuzuru should just stay for WC 2019 in Japan. It will be enough. Longer than that, the body will not be able to stand it.

Death starts the day one is born

To be honest, it's a bit hard to give such rigid age for peak condition. Science usually gives you a window (20-25 / 30-35), but it depends from too many factors (many of them that heavily change from person to person): not latest training studies in the field (it's not by chance that with better preparation and training studies, peak time for many sports is getting "older" than in the past). For many sports (from european football to tennis to skiing) mid to late 20s is usually considered "peak time". Figure skating being usually lower, I think it's most linked to injuries and such that helps to weaken the body earlier (or if you want, the lack of many, deep studies in how to train or about injury preventing etc).

That said, any body is not the same as another one: only Yuzuru knows how his body is and how much it can take more to be at highest level, be it 1, 2 or 5 years. And even should his body not being able to take it more. I've always been a high defender on "athletes do retire when they want" regardless of logics or fans desire

 

[Meoima]

Yeah. I think how Javi (and Patrick) will do probably is going to be a factor to his decision too. So far I don't see him declining, at least not to the point where he struggles bad, and it looks like his problem came from lack of training. But how they will do for the remaining competition and next season will be more revealing. I am inclined to think his change of demeanor towards retirement has to do with both Javi and Patrick still upping their tech past 23-24 and doing pretty well.

In fact, they're not doing very well. At least Javi. Definitely not well at all. I have heard things from his training. Of course Yuzuru is not Javi and not Patrick.

 

[Meoima]

That said, any body is not the same as another one: only Yuzuru knows how his body is and how much it can take more to be at highest level, be it 1, 2 or 5 years. And even should his body not being able to take it more. I've always been a high defender on "athletes do retire when they want" regardless of logics or fans desire

I'd say I don't believe male skaters at age 27 will be able to pull out the hardest layout ever. And for a person like Yuzuru, will he continue when his body can no longer do new tricks? I am just being realistic. Even a come back like Plushenko at Vancouver was considered successful, Plushenko still watered down his tech. I highly doubt Yuzuru would do the same to just go to another Olympic. Of course, if he went to 2022 and landed 4A and other crazy quads and clean... then I'd be happy. I highly doubt it, though.

 

[LeeJiHye19]

I'd say I don't believe male skaters at age 27 will be able to pull out the hardest layout ever. And for a person like Yuzuru, will he continue when his body can no longer do new tricks? I am just being realistic. Even a come back like Plushenko at Vancouver was considered successful, Plushenko still watered down his tech. I highly doubt Yuzuru would do the same to just go to another Olympic. Of course, if he went to 2022 and landed 4A and other crazy quads and clean... then I'd be happy. I highly doubt it, though.

I also doubt it. Maybe he will try to do the quads (4A) sooner. We'll see his 2 remaining quads in two years