Nathan Chen

[hhh]

My last post was addressing specific topic of bluntness and injury responsibilities, nothing more. No juice blender today.

For those who would like to watch the Legends show live you can register for an account at https://fujitv.live/

Doing so you get free access for a few days, I think.

Instructions for watching:
Launch the player by clicking FujiTV on the menu.
Then scroll down the list of channels and choose 057 TBS チャンネル1
On the right hand column choose the date 03/30 金
Then scroll down the center column to the time 13:55 The Legends

I hope it works for the international fans too. So curious if he has any piece under his sleeves.

Nathan has been following Yale IG for awhile and that cute bulldog definitely deserves a And I’m for one will support any university he decides as no one school even given the status quo guarantees success, all of the ones he seems to listed have individually shine in the well known fields. Should I buy a tent to hide from the foreseeable college bashing? Argh

 

[georgia]

I agree

 

[yyyskate]

I don’t know anything about dance coaches. But please name one skating coach, who doesn’t think he is the best. But pick top coaches... especially the Russians, and for sure some Americans. In my opinion those coaches have every right to believe they Do a great job, because they do.

I do think one of the virtue of human beings is to have the confidence in yourself but also appreciate and respect others' ability that you may lack.

Coaches are human beings, thus I believe many of them have this virtue.

And I'm sure our Nathan Boi has this virtue.

 

[yyyskate]

Should I buy a tent to hide from the foreseeable college bashing? Argh

 

[shine]

Raf taught Nathan quads before he was fully grown. Nathan could have been not following his recommendations and doing too many jumps - but the fact is that Raf taught Nathan quads (and not just 'preparing' for them, actually jumping them) when he was still a boy.
Let's go by Raf's actions, not what he has said - I mean, if we're going with 'he's a loose cannon and he just says whatever' - it goes both ways. Raf said this in the interview: 'I have said it many times: quads are harmful in young age. Bones are unformed, still growing.' (refer to Russian interview re: Marina Zueva)
Yet he trains and prepares a clearly not fully grown 15 year old boy to jump multiple quads at Nationals:
http://www.icenetwork.com/news/2015/01/06/106218770

Clearly he did, but that's not mutually exclusive with him thinking it's less than ideal. Also, what he wishes may be bound by the reality. And the reality right now requires that men start training quads when they are 15-16 if they want to start landing them consistently and be competitive by 18. In fact, him expressing the opinion that the age limit should be set higher is consistent with him believing quads are harmful to young bodies, and he admits that despite his belief he has no choice but to teach quads simply because they are what it takes given the current age rules and competitive landscape which Nathan is part of. Moreover, it's also possible that even if he had wanted to delay the quad training, Nathan might not have been able to wait, as competitive as he is. I also want to clarify that the reason why I mentioned him being against quads being practiced too early was to address your post about his mismanagement of Nathan's injuries and the implication that he might not care about injuries. If he truly means what he says here then he obviously does care about the health of skaters. But you of course are free to not believe him.

I do realize that Nathan didn't try for 3 quads that Nationals, only one - but he was obviously injured and was limping after his skates. I do not think Nathan himself bears full responsibility for being trained to do 3 quads for that particular competition.
Nathan’s injury at the gala was related to overtraining - not that particular jump. He was competing that year with a preexisting hip injury. The avulsion injury would have eventually happened even if he didn’t try to jump at the gala.
Nathan was still a child during many of these injuries, so I would think that the adult coach bears at least some responsibility.

I don't think anyone's saying Nathan should bear the full responsibility of anything. Again, we don't know what the real story is. What I'm against is jumping to conclusions and placing blames on whoever when we are only at best guessing at what happened behind the scene and turning our assumptions into attacks. Many things could've contributed to how everything played out and more than one person could be factors, it doesn't have to be so black and white.

I never said Raf is solely to blame for Nathan’s injuries - but it seems that some feel he bears no responsibility at all. And that it’s perfectly fine for him to say negative things about Nathan’s family in public as well. I guess Raf can really do no wrong.

When that interview first came out I was one of the people who expressed frustration over it. While I personally thought it was fine for a coach to discuss his frustration in an interview, I really disliked how he repeatedly hinted at things and people but never concretely told us what happened, what was said, and who were involved. I also found the part where he said Nathan came to him early in the season and told him "he'll do everything his family wishes" just down right bizarre. What kind of athlete looking at the Olympic title would be stupid enough to choose to listen to his family rather than an experienced, knowledgeable coach? I blame him for making all the vague implications which led to many people guessing and making assumptions and jumping to conclusions about Nathan's family, which might not even have been what Raf really meant. However, despite that I didn't think Raf actually said anything bad about his family. The overall impression I got was he was very frustrated and helpless at the fact that he didn't feel like he had full control over Nathan's development and plans during the most important season of his career, and he concluded that the combination of Nathan's devotion to his parents and him not trusting Raf enough led to him taking his family's advice over Raf's professional one when the two clashed. I don't like how the interview was given, but I can completely understand his frustration if Nathan's family/mother is indeed involved as implied. But again, we don't know what the truth is.

So because of the vagueness and the couple of unfathomable suggestions I kind of decided the interview shouldn't be taken too literally. I definitely don't think Raf's perfect and I think he might have been better off staying quiet, but I also understand how he could've been quite emotional and said what he said right after the competition where all that pressure and build up was suddenly released.

 

[Hollymolly]

Supposedly he said in an interview that he would stay there to be with Raf.

And not on IG. He just liked a post https://twitter.com/chensnathan/status/979138510312505344

Though he's been up at odd hours liking things on IG, so could be nothing.

I already knew that Nathan accepted from YALE before WorldChampionship.

https://sport.idnes.cz/krasobruslen...-pnt-/sporty.aspx?c=A180325_221352_sporty_ald

It is his team-mate Michal Brezina intervew, last part of the article he told interviwer about Nathan accepted Yale. Here is what Brezina told
“He wants to study biological engineering or medicine. They have already accepted him for the prestigious YALE. Let's see how he can get together. "

 

[yyyskate]

I already knew that Nathan accepted from YALE before WorldChampionship.

https://sport.idnes.cz/krasobruslen...-pnt-/sporty.aspx?c=A180325_221352_sporty_ald

It is his team-mate Michal Brezina intervew, last part of the article he told interviwer about Nathan accepted Yale. Here is what Brezina told
“He wants to study biological engineering or medicine. They have already accepted him for the prestigious YALE. Let's see how he can get together. "

will him take the offer is the next big question.

 

[yyyskate]

plenty of ice rinks nearby

both biological engineering and medicine are tough majors..

 

[yyyskate]

Nathan's sad he applied 2 schools on east coast so that is Yale and Harvard what about columbia?

 

[discode]

plenty of ice rinks nearby

both biological engineering and medicine are tough majors..

Who is he going to train with though? Can't exactly train with Raf from CT

 

[yyyskate]

Who is he going to train with though? Can't exactly train with Raf from CT

if Nathan choose to go to east coast.
he can do intense summer training for 4 months with Raf. he will get his programs settled, I think he may wanna try full-time campus life for a while thus, he will need to practice in near-by rinks to maintain his condition. maybe some assistant or specialist nearby can help him, He can commute back to get help if needed but not on a daily basis

 

[yyyskate]

i don't think Nathan can balance his level of training (OGM potential) and his preferred major (medicine)
but for next year, he maybe able to enjoy his college life a bit, not a lot of damage with be done if he does not train enough. just need to keep his world standing high enough (no need to win every gold in every comp)

but towards next OG, he will definitely need some GAP year to focus exclusively on figure skating.

 

[Mamamiia]

if Nathan choose to go to east coast.
he can do intense summer training for 4 months with Raf. he will get his programs settled, I think he may wanna try full-time campus life for a while thus, he will need to practice in near-by rinks to maintain his condition. maybe some assistant or specialist nearby can help him, He can commute back to get help if needed but not on a daily basis

Nathan is coming to east coast-we will be in the same time zone : I know some skating parents Here hire Canadian coaches come and train regularly. Perhaps he can also have Raf come 2 days a week...

 

[yyyskate]

Nathan is coming to east coast-we will be in the same time zone : I know some skating parents Here hire Canadian coaches come and train regularly. Perhaps he can also have Raf come 2 days a week...

somehow, I heard that Raf will go to Switzerland (maybe some arrangement with Stephane) for some time next season

 

[sheetz]

For those who would like to watch the Legends show live you can register for an account at https://fujitv.live/

Doing so you get free access for a few days, I think.

Instructions for watching:
Launch the player by clicking FujiTV on the menu.
Then scroll down the list of channels and choose 057 TBS チャンネル1
On the right hand column choose the date 03/30 金
Then scroll down the center column to the time 13:55 The Legends

Just checked and the free subscription is only for one day. But you can just register again under another email address.

 

[hhh]

Just checked and the free subscription is only for one day. But you can just register again under another email address.

Good to know, then I should register my tomorrow so it gives me more hours

Yes the JP fans club posted the interview about Yale. But I wonder if he will make his final decision after all are received. Also he did say post OG he’ll try out college to find balance but will consider delaying it if it doesn’t work out. I think he knows the men’s single career is short and this is when I hope he can turn to ice dancing * hello right here - do ice dancing

 

[Cookie511]

This is true, but we also don't know how much of that can be attributed to Raf's management or mismanagement. Nathan was battling Osgood-Schlatter disease for a good part of his junior years which I believe led to several injuries. Raf also seems to be the one advising against over-training of the quads as well as against training them prematurely. The time when Nathan injured himself at the 2016 US Nats gala I believe I've read that Raf had told him not to do quad in exhibitions or doing quads unnecesarily but he decided to go for it anyway. Nathan has said as much himself that he should've listened to Raf more at times.

I agree with you. In the perspective of injury prevention, Raf reminds me of Aly Raisman's coach. Both of them emphasize hard working but has to be done in a proper way.

As Brian Orser put it, I guess no good coaches want to have a second cook in their kitchens.

Since Nathan described his relationship with Raf is "beyond athlete and coach", I trust his judgement. I stay neutral to Raf.

I think Raf is indeed short of communication skills, maybe due to his language barrier.

I hope Raf and Nathan could work out until 2022 OG. I have seen enough disasters to switch coaches.

 

[Cookie511]

plenty of ice rinks nearby

both biological engineering and medicine are tough majors..

You are absolutely correct. Pre-med program is super demanding. 100% effort may not get you anywhere, not to mention 50% effort.

If Nathan is serious about 2022 OG, I wish he could consider an easier major or taking off 1-2 years before OG

 

[hhh]

With the SS he need to improve and maintaining his level of competitions I think he needs 4. 2 years before OG is good if major top athletes are heading to retirement, with the current field of depth it looks otherwise.First year with GE should be feasible? Hmm

 

[buttercup2015]

New message
https://www.facebook.com/nathanJPFan/

SO cute:luv17: