Yuzuru Hanyu: 2016-17 Season | Page 1507 | Golden Skate

Yuzuru Hanyu: 2016-17 Season

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To take a closer look at Yuzurus technical progress and the question if he seems to meet the end of possible improvements (*enter dramatic music here*), I looked through all of his BVs (jump only) per season since he turned senior and calculated the increases from one season to the other. I'll post the BVs only and not the whole layouts (because long!), but I can detail it more if somebody wants it.

[table="width: 500"]
[tr]
[td][/td]
[td]2010-11[/td]
[td]2011-12[/td]
[td]2012-13[/td]
[td]2013-14[/td]
[td]2014-15[/td]
[td]2015-16[/td]
[td]2016-17[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]SP[/td]
[td]24,63[/td]
[td]29,7[/td]
[td]30,98[/td]
[td]30,98[/td]
[td]30,98[/td]
[td]34,45[/td]
[td]36,15[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]LP[/td]
[td]65,39[/td]
[td]65,39[/td]
[td]72,63[/td]
[td]74,94[/td]
[td]74,94[/td]
[td]79,67[/td]
[td]87,31[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Combined[/td]
[td]90,02[/td]
[td]95,09[/td]
[td]103,61[/td]
[td]105,92[/td]
[td]105,92[/td]
[td]114,12[/td]
[td]123,46[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Increase[/td]
[td]-[/td]
[td]5,07[/td]
[td]8,52[/td]
[td]2,31[/td]
[td]0[/td]
[td]8,2[/td]
[td]9,34[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

Conclusions:
1.) The layout upgrade this season was actually the biggest one in his whole career! Caused by adding a completely new quad + upping LP quad count, Yuzu made the highest jump in difficulty (maybe so far) :cheer:
2.) There is only one season where he didn't increase his BV at all (and we all know why) :(
3.) Pre-Olympic to Olympic season saw, case 2.) aside, the smallest increase in BV. However, there was still an upgrade in the LP, thanks to the addition of the half loop combo. (As a remark, in case people want to use this as preview for next season: he didn't upgrade the LP much, but he had also never skated it clean. He did give us a clean H&L *cough**cough* ;) )
4.) his overall BV increase is 33,44 points. Not just is that a cute number, but it's a bit more than by 37% of his initial BV. Not too shabby when you remember that the number of jumping passes stayed the same, huh?
5.) Yuzu already increased the BV throughout this Olympic circle more then throughout the last one - by 17,54 points compared to 15,9


Buttom line: Yuzu has been consistently upping his tech throughout the years, always improving, but always in what seems to be a well thought-out way. The numbers don't make it look at all like he's stagnating - despite a nearly career ending injury, forcing him off the ice for months and a resulting late start to this season - he has never upgraded more than he did here! And not just that, he still managed to give us one of his 3 truly clean LPs of his senior career with it!
Personal opinion: that is only possible because 1.) he is physically in better shape than ever and 2.) he is the planing-long-ahead-and-making-sure-he's-always-well-prepared type. To each their own, but I don't exactly see any stagnating here :)
 
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Lol this whole mess. Anyway, as I said before, this kind of things will come every now and then, don't get too bothered by it. If anything this will be just a sneak peek of the mess you will see the rest of the season. This is nothing.

About akko's article : I read the translation from a friend. For those of you who assumed that the ruckus first came from his international fans, actually it is not. What happened is the Japanese skating fans (not just Yuzuru fans) suddenly tweeted disappointment about an article, and/or then tweeted, posted photos of how much they appreciate HnL and showered praises of how much emotional it is. It is actually rare for them to have a reaction like this so I got curious and search, found out it was because that article, ask a friend for a translation and I understood why it caused quite a ruckus then. Some of you act as if it is the international fans (especially the one in this forum) being "extra" about it. Just like ShiroKJ said. Also, it is correct, the nuance of the translation could really give a different impression, the one I get actually is closer to what riminin explained.

Like some of you here, the reaction is mixed, some just shrug it off, some are disappointed, some are even more extreme. None are more valid than the others. People has reacted the same way, with mixed response, when Mishin, Morozov, Gachinski, etc etc said things like this about Yuzuru, I don't see why some here would expect that just because it is Akiko the reaction will differ.

That said, I doubt what they (skaters/coaches) say about Yuzuru would make me think differently of them though. I like Chiddy and I still like Chiddy despite all the things he said about Yuzuru (and things he said are actually much stronger and more dismissive of Yuzu than anything Akiko write there, times 100 maybe :p). I like Akko, I think Mishin is a pioneer in coaching jumps, (never liked Morozov lol sorry) etc etc; that doesn't mean I can't roll my eyes to things they said/write and threw shades. I feel like some here reacted strongly to this kind of strong response just because it is Akiko tbh, and many of Yuzuru fans are her fans too. If it were Mishin, or Morozov, or Zoueva, or anyone else who said things like this, there won't be such strong/contrast differences in reaction :p
 
Sorry, I am late to this conversation, but I just wanted to add my two cents' worth.

I think that a lot of you guys are blowing Akiko's article way out of proportion – making a mountain out of a mole hill.

Regarding Yuzuru's performance of Hope & Legacy at Worlds, she acknowledges that it was technically perfect and would give a standing ovation for that, but that it lacked his usual emotional commitment. As xeyra pointed out (#700064), her sentiments in this regard are shared by others. I also heard some commentators state that Yuzuru was more focused on technique and less engaged emotionally in the World's performance. I don't disagree with this because I think that Yuzuru was completely focused on achieving a technically clean program at Worlds to compensate for the deficit in the short program.

Regarding her mention of the younger rivals, Nathan Chen, Shoma Uno and Boyang Jin, all she is saying is that their strategy is to do jumps that Yuzuru does not have in his arsenal (yet). Akiko isn't stating anything shocking when she says that Nathan Chen and Shoma Uno are not just about jumps and that they are catching up in the PCS and skating skills departments. (Kurt Browning and other commentators have said this as well.) She points out that Yuzuru acknowledges this himself and that is what is motivating him to improve himself and to stay ahead of his competition.

I agree with the comments in this thread that the Nagoya and Osaka skating cliques tend to promote their own and that they downplay Yuzuru's achievements. Japan is funny that way. For example, big companies will generally only hire graduates from universities which are alma maters of the CEO and executives of the company (i.e., their own kind). For the same reason, if you are not a skater affiliated with Nagoya or Osaka, you are treated as an outsider. Especially if you come from what people in Osaka or Nagoya would consider the rural north.

In this case, however, I do not think that Akiko's article is in any way connected to this alleged Nagoya/Osaka conspiracy. My reading or understanding of her article is that it is her analysis of what is happening with the new quad era and how Yuzuru is dealing with it. I still firmly believe that she is very fond of Yuzuru and thinks of him as a dear friend.

As far as I am concerned, there is no need to bring out the pitchforks and hang her in effigy.

[I am Japanese-Canadian and speak and understand Japanese, but cannot read it. My wife is Japanese and she read the original article to me. She is also a Yuzuru fan and found nothing offensive about Akiko's article.]
 
Source: https://sportiva.shueisha.co.jp/clm/othersports/figure/2017/04/26/___split_11/index.php
Just decided to translate it, again, a very "straightforward" translation, so excuse my clarifications [] and awkward sentence phrasing.

ETA: Please correct me for any mistakes (Japanese is not my first language), or ask me for any clarifications, I'm happy to help :)

----

**-senshu is the honorific for an athlete

Suzuki Akiko has something she wishes for Hanyu Yuzuru’s future: “More emotionally”

While Hanyu Yuzuru-senshu is called “the absolute champion”, I think losing the World Championships [in the past] vexed him to a great extent. It’s because for him, he is not an “I want to win” person, he is an “I want to win absolutely” person.

In February of 2017 there was the Four Continents Championships. From his own facial expressions, until the short program ended, I could see [something like] he believed there was still a gap between himself and Nathan Chen-senshu (USA) and others like Uno Shoma-senshu. Until now, although he’s been able to win even with mistakes, I believe/wonder if this time, he realized “that’s no longer the case”. After his short program ended, the color of his eyes changed. In terms of results, although Nathan-senshu won overall, this tied into [Hanyu’s] win at the World Championships. I believe the Four Continents Championships were to Hanyu, the turning point.

Since Hanyu-senshu became the champion at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, other competitors were always thinking “how can I win over Hanyu”. “I’ll do the jumps that Hanyu doesn’t.” Everyone started to search for weapons that Hanyu didn’t have. Uno-senshu and Nathan-senshu as well as Boyang Jin-senshu (China) who ascended to the podium at the the World Championships, all of them are filling up the gap to Hanyu-senshu with quads. That’s why they’ve jumped [quad] flips and lutzes.

Hanyu-senshu's freeskate performance that returned him to the throne for the second time at the World Championships, it was the greatest that [he?] could have done right now. In the 2016-2017 season, while trying various things, he must have concluded what to put in and what to take out. From here on out, what to polish up, to what heights of degree of perfection, is what he will work on. That performance at the World Championships will [probably] become the base for the 2017-2018 season.

Because Hanyu-senshu is someone who hates to lose more than is common, his true feelings must be that of “I want to do more and more amazing performances”. He might seriously be thinking “I want to become the first in the world to jump the quad axel”. However, if he were to get injured it would complicate things. Thinking “right now, what should I do”, while working passionately, he is calmly assessing his environment/surroundings. If it was before, he might have said “I’m definitely going to do it!” but his restraint is having a good effect on his performances.

The instinct of an athlete, the calmness of the competitor/risk taker. Because he is able to balance these, he won the World Championships. Teenagers Uno-senshu and Nathan-senshu from here on will [probably] boldly challenge new techniques. Thinking of his age, it is difficult for Hanyu-senshu to do the same thing. If Uno-senshu and Nathan-senshu [and others] are going to rapidly increasing their technical arsenal, Hanyu-senshu will be sharpening/honing the weapons he currently has and further raising up his level. How he polishes up his arsenal and how he uses it will mean victory or defeat.

The scary parts of Uno-senshu and Nathan-senshu are that their program components are not far off of Hanyu’s. Their skating [skills] as well. That why I believe Hanyu-senshu recognizes them as threats.

After the short program at the Four Continents Championships, I discovered that Hanyu-senshu was extremely fired up (lit. bursting into flames). After the short program at the World Championships, that feeling of irritation [with himself] was also good. When I was able to see his face, I thought “ah, he’s really an athlete.”

To put three different kinds of quads (toe-loop, salchow, loop) firmly within a program and make no mistakes, to be able to do that, Hanyu is extraordinary. If I were to wish for something more, it's to put more emotions. This time, even though it was a perfect performance at the World Championships freeskate, outside of the jumps, I think he could do it more emotionally.

I understand/sympathize with the difficulty in including all these different quads. This World Championships performance is one that I also want to give a standing ovation too, it was truly wonderful. However, I want to see a Hanyu that put in more and more emotions. Adding his jump techniques with the emotional aspects as an expressive performer is something I anticipate/look forward to seeing.

Within the three years up until now, although his physical condition has suffered through many things, because he’s human highs and lows are natural. It’s because of this that he has become stronger. It is undeniable that he has improved in every single way. He’s become physically and mentally stronger, and technically, he’s improved as well. The Hanyu-senshu looking towards PyeongChang Olympics is a completely different “Hanyu Yuzuru” from before the Sochi Olympics.

However, Sochi where he approached as a challenger, and PyeongChang where he is aiming for the repeat championship, he must contend with another different type of pressure. Although I think it might be difficult/painful for him, I wonder what kind of performance will he give in a zone that is impossible for normal people to enter. I look forward to the moment that Hanyu Yuzuru is released.
 
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So from what I read, Akiko is just stating the bloody obvious. What's the point of the article, anyone?
 
unico said:
whole post.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry that i have nothing meaningful to contribute, just that i'm really happy(did i sound like a certain someone?) that i did understand everything the first time i read it, it is a big BIG milestone to me! This translation is kind of how it made sense in my head :)
Thanks Yuzuru, for giving me another thing: The opportunity to practice my japanese!
 
Change of topic: I have a short fanfic to recommend, I've been chuckling for the last 15 minutes:

A Tale of Two Quads


"Well, you don't look too happy." 4Lo squints, pushing his spectacles up his nose as he scrutinizes 4S.

"It's hard to look happy when you've broken a few things." 3A, with his usual impeccable timing, saves 4S the trouble of answering. In his arms, he's carrying a battered, but conscious 4T, who has the dubious honor of having amassed the most injuries for the night, with falls on both his combination and solo jumps. 3F follows 3A into the room with a little wagon, wheeling a heavily sedated 3Lz, who's got bandages wrapped all the way up to the knees like a partially embalmed, ancient Egyptian corpse. 4S suppresses a shudder and looks away. 

"Well...good work team." 4T looks half dead from the strain but doggedly soldiers on for their usual post-comp debrief. 3A hands him a steaming mug of green tea which he accepts, murmuring thanks. 3F props up 3Lz's head with a pillow to make him a little more comfortable before sitting down to join 4S on the couch; as is their custom, they sit in skating order around the room.
Click to expand...

Leave a nice comment to the author!
 
b138oo said:
I know most of u guys here are fans of figure skating and have figure skating experience as part of your life. But, there are people like me who do a totally different sport, can't even stand on the ice and basically become interested in figure skating just because of Yuzu. This group of people will leave the sport once Yuzu leaves, and trust me, this group consists of a lot of people. So yeah, i think with the current situation of men's figure skating, ISU, JSF, and basically every organization involves in the sport need Yuzuru. They still need him until they find someone who has an amazing skill and fighting spirit who breaks WR every year with a handsome cute boyish face and thin slender anime-like figure come out. Yuzu has the power to captivate thousands of people by his 2 minute program at Sochi and literally flipped tumblr and kpop fandoms over. So let's see if some other athletes could do that next year at Pyeongchang.
Click to expand...

Quoting an article in the Olympics app (that actually opens with Yuzu winning Sochi at just 19 and with a great performance in the SP), a statement by ISU president Jan Dijkema:
"Like in every sport, stars are important. Hanyu is not only popular with fans; he is also part of a group of skaters that push the boundaries of figure skating. Such skaters create visibility for our sport, which is what every sport wants to achieve."
 
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yuzupon and akaokitty, welcome to the thread! I assure you it's (usually :biggrin:)
not as hectic and firey as this. Post long and post often!

Fayruza said:
So from what I read, Akiko is just stating the bloody obvious. What's the point of the article, anyone?
Click to expand...
I believe Sportiva is not focused singularly on figure skating, so it's perhaps written for your average sports mag reader, in which case, the purpose would be a suggestion of room for improvement (emotion, technique) for your average everyday Japanese person who only hears about Yuzuru as "the absolute champion" who breaks records and seemingly has no vulnerabilities. Maybe :laugh:

What I find myself wondering is that, it's published after the season's over, he's done with this program, it's not like he's not emotional in other programs (I mean, Akiko herself even choked/teared up commentating at the end of his 2014 NHK ex :laugh:) including both his EX and SP this season, so I'm not sure non-emotion is a habit for him that needs to be addressed. :scratch2: But that's sports journalism for you.

YuzusHydroblade said:
I'm sorry that i have nothing meaningful to contribute, just that i'm really happy(did i sound like a certain someone?) that i did understand everything the first time i read it, it is a big BIG milestone to me! This translation is kind of how it made sense in my head :)
Thanks Yuzuru, for giving me another thing: The opportunity to practice my japanese!
Click to expand...
That's great! It's easy to listen to figure skating in Japanese (news, press conferences, interviews) and improve your language skills at the same time. :)
 
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maxcellwire said:
Saw this on tumblr, reminded me of this thread :laugh::luv17:
Click to expand...

Oh. My. Goodness. :o::o::o: I'm dead, it was nice knowing you guys. :dbana:

I'll now live vicariously through little kids like her who can get hugs, kisses and cuddles from Yuzu and who can do such adorable things like this without looking like a creep.
 
Articles like this generally make me explode but since there are so many pages about it already I'll just quietly do unspeakable things to voodoo dolls in my head right now.


On another note, any speculations on which GPs Yuzu will attend next season? Aside from NHK, that is, since tickets to that will be impossible from what I hear. I've never seen him live and would like to change that. Sadly I'll be starting my first year PhD studies so Olympics is probably out of the question, and Worlds doesn't seem too likely either, at least not the whole thing.
 
shiroKJ said:
Oh. My. Goodness. :o::o::o: I'm dead, it was nice knowing you guys. :dbana:

I'll now live vicariously through little kids like her who can get hugs, kisses and cuddles from Yuzu and who can do such adorable things like this without looking like a creep.
Click to expand...

Can I age twenty years back please. If I was a kid I might get a chance to hug him 💔
 
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