Yuzuru Hanyu changes coach to Brian Orser

[deedee1]

Wow, I am surprised!

Like everyone here, I have always thought Yuzuru-Nanami's skater-coach situation is a great match made in heaven!
But am glad to know, at least, they part ways on a good note, it seems.

I have no idea if Orser fits as good coach for Yuzuru at this point, or how this coaching change is to affect Javier leading up to Sochi... But, if it means Yuzu is going to work with David Wilson as a chreographer, I really look forward to it!
Good luck to him and Orser!

 

[Violet Bliss]

And Toronto is not prone to earthquakes or tsunami.

 

[Becki]

And Toronto is not prone to earthquakes or tsunami.

From Icenetwork (i can't post the link 'cause it's a commercial website): Hanyu will continue to attend high school in Sendai while making frequent trips to Toronto to receive instruction from Orser.

I don't think he's leaving Nanami? Just getting extra training from Orser (primary coach). So he'll be going back and forth from Sendai-Toronto. This is similar to Nobunari, who trains in Barrie for a few months per year.

I saw Brian Orser eyeing Yuzuru at the World Championships, and thought "he wants Yuzu". Can't believe this silly thought actually turned into reality. Like someone said previously, I hope he holds the Winnie the Pooh box for Yuzu during K&C.

David Wilson will give Yuzuru really good choreography, and raise his PCs :thumbsup:

 

[Srin Odessa]

I don't know what to believe....this is just so shocking to me. I thought he said he wanted to stay in Sendai and be a skater who was trained exclusively by Japanese coaches....

But whatever his decision, good luck! So sad......timing so bad, just when I am about to move away from Toronto he comes!! Why must you torture me like this

There could several factors in play here. Yuzuru has been vocal in the past about how much he enjoys Yu-na Kim's skating and her programs. Going to the man behind Yu-na may help him achieve that level of excellence and consistency. David Wilson (the crown jewel of Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club really) is there and Jeffrey Buttle isn't too far off. Toronto is a hot spot for elite skaters due to the quality of the coaching talent and facilities there. You can skate sleeve-less there and still feel warm. Nutrition, exercise, and various skating classes are integrated into the facility. This could address Yuzuru's past issues in regard to the quality of his past training facilities and equipment.

Details are still sparse on the particulars of the coaching arrangement.

I'm quite interested in how this will affect Orser's other student, Javier Fernandez.. Typically, coaches avoid having two students of similar skill discipline. If Yuzuru's discipline rubs off on Javier and vice-versa for Javier's technical ability, we could be in for a treat.

 

[MaiKatze]

^^Yes, I'm relieved that he doesn't leave his whole life in Japan behind to train in Canada. School, friends and family are important, especially at 17. And Abe-Coach can still motivate him! I'm not worried if the situation is like this. Thanks for the info.

 

[deedee1]

To: ohheyskaters,
Thanks a lot for translation and welcome to the forum!

P.S. I am going to miss Nanami a lot!...

 

[phaeljones]

shocked

I don't really think that what he did until now is Kiddie Stuff. You cannot win a bronze medal at Worlds doing kiddie stuff. I also think that Nanami Abe is extremely talented. That she chose that Romeo + Juliet program and choreographed it herself really shows that she's a a great coach. I think it'll be very hard to have another program that will have the same emotional impact on people. It's probably impossible, it only worked because Yuzuru was that young. I guess I wanted to see what they would have come up with next year and now with Orser in the mix I'm still curious, but strangely not that excited anymore. Comes down to personal taste, I guess.

Yes.

This is very sad. A component of Yuzuru's skates that made them so powerful was that the choreography was so attuned to his abilities and spirit. The combination of Abe and Hanyu seemed made in heaven. I have never had the same sense from watching Orser's skaters that he has ever attained or is capable of attaining that same level of cohesion.

However, odds are that Yuzuru will prevail no matter whatever coach he goes with. He seems on track to be one of the greats of all time.

There may also be secondary issues not related to skating or his coach here. Practicing in Canada will give him social space that he might not be able to get anymore in Japan.

I think that this will be more a test of Mr. Orser's abilities than Yuzuru's. Yuzuru has the talent, I am sure of that. What I am not sure of is whether Mr. Orser has equal coaching talent.

This will be a real tragedy if it goes wrong.

 

[Tinymavy15]

Might be good for him, but I'd rather see him with Nanami Abe. It's a little sad. Are they really parting ways, or will she still coach him, too? They were such a dream team. hwell:

i don't understand why he would mess with a good thing. Of course its hard to tell on TV but they seemed to have a great relationship, he is going nowhere but up and has the technique to do it. I feel like skaters, once they reach a certain level feel like they have to switch to a "big name" coach, regardless of the implications.

 

[johnny 80]

Now, I'm worrying about other students under his tutelage. Javier, Ellen, Phaneuf, Gao, etc.

I don't think it's possible to take good care of those many students. He didn't even be with Gao in US nationals. I remember when they moved to him, many fans were expecting something magical then.

 

[MaiKatze]

i don't understand why he would mess with a good thing. Of course its hard to tell on TV but they seemed to have a great relationship, he is going nowhere but up and has the technique to do it. I feel like skaters, once they reach a certain level feel like they have to switch to a "big name" coach, regardless of the implications.

It really seemed like the scene was shaken up a bit. Not only new exciting skaters, but fresh wind with newer coaches, too. I also don't see the sense in moving to a coach that has dozens of other students to care for. Sometimes it feels like one half of the skaters is trained by Morozov and the other half by Orser. That's why it is a bit disappointing. It would've been a fresh and new direction for the sport and now it seems like same old/same old. But in the end it is Yuzurus decision. I just hope he won't be disappointed and his programmes next season will still proove to be special. I have a few doubts about that, but let's wait and see.

 

[Becki]

Now, I'm worrying about other students under his tutelage. Javier, Ellen, Phaneuf, Gao, etc.

I don't think it's possible to take good care of those many students. He didn't even be with Gao in US nationals. I remember when they moved to him, many fans were expecting something magical then.

Yeah, I was thinking - since the US Championships 2013 and European Championships 2013 falls within the same timeframe, is he going to ditch Gao and go with Javier again like this year? I don't know how Gao will feel since it won't be the first time :/ And what happened to Harvard, is she going to matriculate there this fall?

The rivalry between Javier and Yuzuru at the Cricket Club will be interesting.

 

[Adeliza]

Wow, this is surprising. I'm actually a bit worried about Yuzuru's future programme coreographies... I think Nanami Abe did great work with Yuzu's SP and LP this year and I really hope we're going to see him skating to some wonderful programmes in the future, too. I wonder why would he leave his long-time coach now that everything seems to be so fine... :/

As phaeljones said, this will be a test for Orser especially. I'm looking forward to the next season to see what happens with Yuzuru (and all the other skaters too, of course).

(Sorry for my bad English, it's hard to find the right words with a foreign language.)

 

[blue dog]

It really seemed like the scene was shaken up a bit. Not only new exciting skaters, but fresh wind with newer coaches, too. I also don't see the sense in moving to a coach that has dozens of other students to care for. Sometimes it feels like one half of the skaters is trained by Morozov and the other half by Orser.

That happens from time to time, when one school is successful. In the 90's, it seemed the dance teams were all coming from Tarasova, the pairs from Moskvina, and the singles skaters from Callaghan. And they all went to one of four choreographers-- Bobrin, Bezic, Nichol, and Miller (sounds like a law firm! haha).

 

[johnny 80]

Yeah, I was thinking - since the US Championships 2013 and European Championships 2013 falls within the same timeframe, is he going to ditch Gao and go with Javier again like this year? I don't know how Gao will feel since it won't be the first time :/ And what happened to Harvard, is she going to matriculate there this fall?

The rivalry between Javier and Yuzuru at the Cricket Club will be interesting.

I worried about her,too. Gao has been 3 years under his wings, so I thought their relationships are kind of special. And she got through a difficult season.

 

[FTnoona]

I hope there relationship goes well because I am slightly worried after how it worked out for Rippon. IMO you could see in the kiss and cry that those two were not comfortable (did not "like") with each other. From the icenetwork article, this whole back and forth thing from Sendai to Canada is sounding like Mirai's situation with Frank Carroll. If Hanyu wants Orser as his new main coach, IMO it's better for him to be in Canada like what Yuna did. I am excited to see the programs by Wilson and hopes that they will challenge him artistically. Hopefully since he's going to be traveling back and forth, Abe may still coach him a bit. I agree with phaeljones, Orser may not be the one for him. Hanyu seems to like to express his emotions in the kiss and cry and even at Worlds Orser looked emotionless there with Javier not to forget when he coached Rippon. I guess the good thing for Hanyu is he is coming to Orser with all his technique and jumps already good like Yuna. Like Yuna he is going to be working with David Wilson and he's given her great programs.

 

[Becki]

I hope there relationship goes well because I am slightly worried after how it worked out for Rippon. IMO you could see in the kiss and cry that those two were not comfortable (did not "like") with each other. From the icenetwork article, this whole back and forth thing from Sendai to Canada is sounding like Mirai's situation with Frank Carroll. If Hanyu wants Orser as his new main coach, IMO it's better for him to be in Canada like what Yuna did. I am excited to see the programs by Wilson and hopes that they will challenge him artistically. Hopefully since he's going to be traveling back and forth, Abe may still coach him a bit.

Yuzuru still has to complete high school, and I don't think online high school is a big thing in Japan (please correct me if I am wrong). He will need to go back to Sendai to go to school, so he can't stay in Toronto all year along. I don't see how this is like Mirai-Carroll training situation....for the most part, Mirai had to commute 3-4 hours each time to work with Carroll. Yuzuru will probably be staying somewhere close to the Cricket Club, and will probably only travel back to Japan once in a while. I can't imagine him making trips back to Japan every other week. It'll probably be more like Nobunari, spend a few months in Barrie, go back to Japan, and then spend a few more months in Barrie.

 

[FTnoona]

Yuzuru still has to complete high school, and I don't think online high school is a big thing in Japan (please correct me if I am wrong). He will need to go back to Sendai to go to school, so he can't stay in Toronto all year along. I don't see how this is like Mirai-Carroll training situation....for the most part, Mirai had to commute 3-4 hours each time to work with Carroll. Yuzuru will probably be staying somewhere close to the Cricket Club, and will probably only travel back to Japan once in a while. I can't imagine him making trips back to Japan every other week. It'll probably be more like Nobunari, spend a few months in Barrie, go back to Japan, and then spend a few more months in Barrie.

If that is the case how is he going to keep going to school in Sendai? Unless the school has some special program where they allow their top athletes to just take their midterms and finals or w/e else they have to take in Japan to graduate and not be present at school for months, isn't it going to be difficult for him to finish school in Japan?

 

[OS]

Hmm really mixed feeling about this. Not sure if it is a wise decision.

Orser must have accumulated some major karma points in his past life to be getting 2 of the best prodigies in figure skating these past years. Yuna Kim who also made the bronze at her sr. debut season coming off as the Junior Champion, and Hanyu who just did and is. Part of Hanyu's success as been noted already has been the attention to detail in his training, particularly managing his day to day regime with varying degrees of delicate health conditions that Nanami has been familiar with for many years. She knows how much he can take, and needs to recuperate and take a break in small varying degrees on a day to day basis. I can only imagine the young and the restless's tendency is likely to go for it at 110% everyday and likely leads to big chances of injury. That is why a maternal figure can work very well in this case vs a testosterone driven coach who has a history liking to show off his students and have always shown a gunho attitude building them up to the press. Remember the amount of media hype he did for Adam Rippon and Christina Gao a while back with magazine covers and big feature interviews? Still, not much result to show for it.

Having Nanami's first priority full time vs Orser who seems to have accumulated a large stable of skaters with less possibility to have the proper one to one attention Hanyu is used to, this would be a major change. From the reports I have read, Orser seems to favour managed skaters in groups sessions, which was why Joubert and Verner have tried but left quickly not having used to this style where their flaw and weakness can be so exposed.

Thought of the day:
What is Hanyu in North America? HANYUNA = Han = 漢 = 漢YuNa = Male Yuna (in Kanji)
laugh: sorry can't help it)

Hey mann.. whatever works, he is still my Olympic Gold choice Let's hope Mr. Triple Axels himself finally found himself a student with a proper consistent 3Axels that don't get deteriorated with coaching. Other wise I'd be seriously depressed for Hanyu.

Part of Hanyu's legend that I have enjoyed had been he didn't buckle up the trend to get a big league coach or choreographer for what ever political / reputation incentivised trend that many skaters out there seems to do. I wish him the best of luck! And hope he doesn't loose out these unique pure qualities of his skating. I do think artistically he can benefit from David Wilson's playful experimental style, and certainly he can benefit from a world class COP team that knows how to maximize out of his best qualities in terms of scoring.

I wonder how the Canadian skating federation feel about this since Hanyu is likely to be one of Patrick Chans biggest threat in the next couple of years. Just no sabotage please.

 

[FlattFan]

Right after the WC, they sat team Japan down and interviewed them all together. When it came to Hanyu, they said we have a special something for you and then showed his coach sending him a video message. She said he's special and wished him the best of luck in the future and something about succeed in the future. And then he awkwardly thanked her. I thought that was really odd, but I guess in light of this news, it wasn't that odd.

 

[Becki]

If that is the case how is he going to keep going to school in Sendai? Unless the school has some special program where they allow their top athletes to just take their midterms and finals or w/e else they have to take in Japan to graduate and not be present at school for months, isn't it going to be difficult for him to finish school in Japan?

I don't know...I've always wondered the same. For one thing, the new school term starts in early April in Japan, so perhaps Yuzuru will be able to start school once the season ends. So from April-July, Yuzuru will be in school. Yuzuru goes to a high school where most of his classmates are athletes, so the school probably does have a special program in place. I am not too sure, because I've never investigated into this matter although I am also very curious.

How can Narumi attend Keio when she trains in Montreal? She's a third year student too....so there must be some kind of special arrangement. Also same with Takahiko Kozuka and grad school. I always wonder how these Japanese skaters can continue to go to school while training full-time....