Yuzuru Hanyu: 2016-17 Season

[sublimeskating]

He is reigning Olympic, World and GPF champion. He wasn't lower then second place all season. So, who cares about WTT now? Would we prefer him to win WTT and lose WC like in 2015? Ok, I am cheering up myself now.

I thought better of him, really.

I rather Yuzu win Worlds too! He did amazingly well this season with GPF gold, 4CC silver, Worlds gold + WR.

It's such an amazing achievement especially after coming back from injury! I always thought WTT was just meant to be fun and not so competitive like the "big" competitions like Olympics, Worlds, etc.

 

[Elaine666]

So will he change the LGC ultimately? If so I am gonna send a big thank-you card to WTT if it breaks his last belief in this program, coz LGC never worked for me, never! (except for the exceptional stsq

 

[Silenifide]

Here are the translations for the monument interview? Just some fluff

I was sad (really really sad) at first about the SP but now all I hope is that Yuzu isn't too hard on himself, like many others said he is human after all! And I love this thread because I don't really have someone to talk about my FS obsession about and reading you guys's posts just make me feel better so yo keep it up you guys are great!
I hope the Long will make him close this competition on a good note! He is a great athlete and human being and he can soar above this~! :luv17:

 

[sublimeskating]

I believe he can do LGC in his sleep it just different when you're in the real competition .. People can feel the pressure and being nervous or so intense .. That's why usually they can do more or better at practice but they can't in the real competition.. I'm admire the skaters who can relax during competition

I agree. Pressure can really affect any type of performance so it's amazing that athletes and performers can take this pressure and still put out great performances. What mental strength!

 

[Yuaz]

Yuzu's always been his own worst critic and seeing him so defeated only makes me want to give him a hug...

It's such a contrast watching other teams like USA, Canada, China, etc. all letting loose and having fun (I love the antics of the teams ... such a fun mood they have going on there) and then seeing Team Japan looking more serious (it's almost like they want to let loose but can't because they're on home turf and there's a lot of expectations on them).

Especially heartbreaking was Yuzu looking so defeated and the man sitting next to him (sorry I don't know who he is) patting his leg and trying to encourage him to keep his chin up (Yuzu had his head down and was shaking it at himself)... I saw him even bow (and apologize?) to his team mates at the kiss & cry... *SIGH*

The whole thing was just so sad to watch ... I always thought WTT was a fun event for the skaters to let loose and relax ... I just want to see everyone who participates in WTT to let loose (cuz isn't that what it's meant to be? Like a friendly match which is more like a show?)

THIS. I'm jealous with other team esp team USA , they have Jason who bright the mood in the team. I wish Nobu was in the team to cheer team Japan. He's the only one who have that side.

 

[sublimeskating]

Here are the translations for the monument interview? Just some fluff

I was sad (really really sad) at first about the SP but now all I hope is that Yuzu isn't too hard on himself, like many others said he is human after all! And I love this thread because I don't really have someone to talk about my FS obsession about and reading you guys's posts just make me feel better so yo keep it up you guys are great!
I hope the Long will make him close this competition on a good note! He is a great athlete and human being and he can soar above this~! :luv17:

I totally agree with you and thank you for posting the interview links!!! :agree:

 

[Yatagarasu]

I believe he can do LGC in his sleep it just different when you're in the real competition .. People can feel the pressure and being nervous or so intense .. That's why usually they can do more or better at practice but they can't in the real competition.. I'm admire the skaters who can relax during competition

Well he almost did a perfect LGC couple of times this season.

The thing is, the Worlds took most of his strength, physically and mentally. And it wasn't even a normal WCh. Two time runner up then much worse, he had the injury, the unknown, then the break, the slow recovery, where they thought he might miss the season, then the fight whether to add the 4Lo or not, then the struggle to see whether this was actually the right choice or not and then it all culminated at the Worlds where all this pressure got to a breaking point and then - it turned out all right! He was right to add the 4Lo, he was right to struggle with a 4 quad layout, it all paid off.

But then it's like someone pops a balloon, that giant release of tension, even if it is positive. You could see this at the Worlds Gala when he kept mucking his jumps, I think he was just wrung out and ready to breathe. Except he can't, now can he? Because there's this super fluff fun thing to do, yay! That isn't actually that much fluff but more forced torture. So I don't think it's that he cannot do it in a real competition, we've seen him almost get it. It's just that overall this season has been really difficult, and it should have ended at Worlds with him putting his feet up for a week or so.

Nobody can handle pressure of this sort indefinitely, and if he's suppose to have a I'm just so done with this moment, WTT was perfect for it.

 

[Altie]

Now I hope Yuzuru is going to have wonderful vacations. No stress. Good rest. Good fun. Joy.
If skating, then for pleasure only, because he wants it, not because he needs it.
I'm picturing him relaxing in a beautiful, cosy onsen where he doesn't have to worry about anything, being surrounded only by his loved ones, far from the noise of the media. <3
Happy

 

[sublimeskating]

THIS. I'm jealous with other team esp team USA , they have Jason who bright the mood in the team. I wish Nobu was in the team to cheer team Japan. He's the only one who have that side.

Oh Jason is always such a joy have around because he's always so cheerful and watching him skate (and his happy personality off the ice too) is just awesome. Jason's happiness is contagious and he's just such a positive influence on the ice! I love it when he's around because he brightens up the mood of the people around him too.

I saw the other teams all having fun and I just wanted Team Japan to have fun too...

 

[Floria]

I agree. Pressure can really affect any type of performance so it's amazing that athletes and performers can take this pressure and still put out great performances. What mental strength!

Should we add the monument unveiling to all the pressure he already has to handle? It was about his past wins but still...

 

[Camillo]

Why create all this unnecessary DRAMA???

Because they (JSF, media, sponsors) need money

Mao retired, other girls are still very fresh and they need to gain real popularity.
Yuzu may retire after OWG2018, so they'll have only Shoma as they top skater. Comparing to Yuzu, his popularity is quite subtle and apparently the future of Japanese FS is not so bright.

That's why already 2 years in a row they try to promote Shoma by means of Yuzu and using the image of a 'new ace who will beat Hanyu'. Japanese fans love winners and those who beat other great champions, so this image surely boosted Shoma's popularity. Also he's JSF's darling, I'm sure all this 'rivalry' stuff have its blessing.

 

[Yatagarasu]

I really think his comment had absolutely nothing to do with Yuzu's performance today (and he's probably been regretting it when he realised how it could be interpreted)

I stopped believing the innocent little lamb act a while ago. But we'll agree to disagree :agree2:

 

[sublimeskating]

Well he almost did a perfect LGC couple of times this season.

The thing is, the Worlds took most of his strength, physically and mentally. And it wasn't even a normal WCh. Two time runner up then much worse, he had the injury, the unknown, then the break, the slow recovery, where they thought he might miss the season, then the fight whether to add the 4Lo or not, then the struggle to see whether this was actually the right choice or not and then it all culminated at the Worlds where all this pressure got to a breaking point and then - it turned out all right! He was right to add the 4Lo, he was right to struggle with a 4 quad layout, it all paid off.

But then it's like someone pops a balloon, that giant release of tension, even if it is positive. You could see this at the Worlds Gala when he kept mucking his jumps, I think he was just wrung out and ready to breathe. Except he can't, now can he? Because there's this super fluff fun thing to do, yay! That isn't actually that much fluff but more forced torture. So I don't think it's that he cannot do it in a real competition, we've seen him almost get it. It's just that overall this season has been really difficult, and it should have ended at Worlds with him putting his feet up for a week or so.

Nobody can handle pressure of this sort indefinitely, and if he's suppose to have a I'm just so done with this moment, WTT was perfect for it.

Now I hope Yuzuru is going to have wonderful vacations. No stress. Good rest. Good fun. Joy.
If skating, then for pleasure only, because he wants it, not because he needs it.
I'm picturing him relaxing in a beautiful, cosy onsen where he doesn't have to worry about anything, being surrounded by his loved ones, far from the noise of the media. <3
Happy

Yuzu's had such a long and exhausting season where everything seemed like an uphill battle (especially after recovering from injury)

He looked so, so tired today at WTT I almost wondered if he wasn't feeling well!

I agree that after such a long season of struggles, it's really about time to take a break! Yuzu looks like he really needs some rest! Actually I would say that much of the other athletes like Nathan, Boyang, Patrick, etc. looked a bit tired today too...

(Well of course they would be tired cuz they've been competing non stop the whole season with GPF series then 4CC and then Worlds, and now WTT...)

 

[Floria]

I stopped believing the innocent little lamb act a while ago. But we'll agree to disagree :agree2:

I don't know if his unfortunate comment was intentional, I want to believe it wasn't . But Shoma is very ambitious, I had no doubt about this since last season.

ETA All this rivalry thing makes me very sad, because I have nothing against Shoma. Seeing both of them live interacting at GPF was a real pleasure.

 

[Danibellerika]

Based on his comments in the green room at worlds, we already knew he wasn't going into WTT thinking about it as "fun". He pretty much said it'd be a high level competition and was dreading it from the start. I hope he enjoys a little downtime and gets back to business with a clean slate.

 

[Yuzuuu]

I stopped believing the innocent little lamb act a while ago. But we'll agree to disagree :agree2:

Same. I just can't see Shoma the way he appears on the outside since a while. I feel like he actually enjoys the " unnecessary drama". Then again, we never know. :/

 

[Danibellerika]

Shoma may respect Yuzu, but Yuzu occupies the spots he wants for himself and he has never said otherwise. He doesn't train everyday to come in anywhere but first, same as Yuzu. If there was tension and a lack of respect between the two, we'd know it in their body language. So I don't really see what trying to paint him as a bad guy is going to achieve here.

 

[sublimeskating]

Should we add the monument unveiling to all the pressure he already has to handle? It was about his past wins but still...

*SIGH* Oh Yuzu... if only we can send him hugs...

Because they (JSF, media, sponsors) need money

Mao retired, other girls are still very fresh and they need to gain real popularity.
Yuzu may retire after OWG2018, so they'll have only Shoma as they top skater. Comparing to Yuzu, his popularity is quite subtle and apparently the future of Japanese FS is not so bright.

That's why already 2 years in a row they try to promote Shoma by means of Yuzu and using the image of a 'new ace who will beat Hanyu'. Japanese fans love winners and those who beat other great champions, so this image surely boosted Shoma's popularity. Also he's JSF's darling, I'm sure all this 'rivalry' stuff have its blessing.

*SIGH*

I never knew it was this bad! Poor Yuzu. It's like they're throwing him under the bus. FFS hasn't Yuzu already given enough with all his amazing achievements? What more can anyone want???

I had to let it go. I didn't touch that piece for a year before coming back to it. Meanwhile, I studied a lot about performing and learned a lot of methods that helped me combat performance anxiety. (The worst thing is - there is no "one size fits all" method. Everyone has to discover theirs by themselves.)

To be honest, I just became a better overall performer, so when I came back to it I could take a fresh look at the piece and start with a "clean slate". So while I made mistakes in the beginning, when it came to a performance that actually mattered, I did it cleanly. Also, I began to anticipate my perfectionism - I accepted that it is more likely for me to be dissatisfied than not and that my standards are exaggerated anyway. I don't think that it will be mistake free until the end of time, but the nagging pressure because of the "curse" is gone now - I guess I needed time.

But there is no "time" in figure skating, which is why I now believe that it would be better to let go of LGC for the Oly season. I think Yuzuru's frustration with that short borders on obsession (which I understand perfectly). It's better to start fresh with something that doesn't bear the memories of such disappointments.

Of course, he might think that this equals with "giving up", but... stubbornly obsessing over a piece never got me anywhere. One has to know when it is wiser to let go. Of course I'll respect his decision either way because all of this ^^^^ here is just speculation, we don't know his real feelings.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. It must be so difficult to have to wrestle with yourself and trying to perform your best at the same time! I'm not a performer so I can't imagine how hard it must be...

Of course we'll support Yuzu regardless of his decision but I agree with you in that it's not very good to obsess over LGC (Yuzu's perfectionism will probably make him want to "conquer" LGC like the way you describe...). Especially with the even higher pressure of Olympics, I think it may be better to wrestle with LGC another time and just have a fresh start for Olympics.

 

[Camillo]

Except he can't, now can he? Because there's this super fluff fun thing to do, yay! That isn't actually that much fluff but more forced torture.

Actually, I strongly dislike WTT for this showing-off without real fun underneath the surface - at least for team Japan.

Hated it at 2015, when Yuzu did clean LP (with that LP he could've win WC2015), and then perfect PW at Gala. Probably everybody (and Yuzu himself) thought "If only he could do it 2 weeks earlier" :sad21:

Now we have super tired Yuzu after Helsinki and all I can think now: "Thank God he didn't do it in SP 2 weeks earlier" :eeking:

Hope for the best tomorrow.

 

[Pamigena]

I don't know if his unfortunate comment was intentional, I want to believe it wasn't . But Shoma is very ambitious, I had no doubt about this since last season.

ETA All this rivalry thing makes me very sad, because I have nothing against Shoma. Seeing both of them live interacting at GPF was a real pleasure.

I don't think he meant anything more than what he said *shrugs* but I've been called naive before for thinking that not everybody in this world is malicious and devious, so what do I know.