Brian Orser interview

Brian sounded he could make Jenia the next Olympic champion. In reality she likely fails to make the Russian world team this year. Next year, with three stronger Russian junior ladies turning senior her chance of making the world team may be much lower. By 2022, Jenia may not even make the Olympic team let alone get the Olympic gold.

On the men’s side, Brian’s stock isn’t looking too green either. Boyang refused to train with him; Gogolev recently fired him; Javi has retired and Yuzu is injured. Cha and Brown are his main charges for 2022 and neither seems Olympic medal contender.

Tahuu said:

Brian sounded he could make Jenia the next Olympic champion. In reality she likely fails to make the Russian world team this year. Next year, with three stronger Russian junior ladies turning senior her chance of making the world team may be much lower. By 2022, Jenia may not even make the Olympic team let alone get the Olympic gold.

On the men’s side, Brian’s stock isn’t looking too green either. Boyang refused to train with him; Gogolev recently fired him; Javi has retired and Yuzu is injured. Cha and Brown are his main charges for 2022 and neither seems Olympic medal contender.

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Does that mean that all the current seniors in Russia should give up because of those quads kids? That’s a grim way to see things. I wonder just for how long their bodies will held on before health issues arrive.
Zhenya was in bad shape (esp her back) when she left Eteri; however, she looks way happier now. Results will come in time.

Regarding the men, Boyang decided to stay train in China instead because he preferred to stick to the system he knows. While it was a bit disappointing, we can understand the motives as moving abroad is no simple matter for all athletes. Instead, Orser and Wilson will do in camps for Team China, leading to 2022 Olympics. Gogolev switched fully to Lee, who was his other coach with Brian until now. Brian can now have more time for all his other students, especially Zhenya.
Regarding Cha and Brown, it’s not because you don’t see them as medal contenders that they won’t be in a few years. Jason is skating better than before, and is learning quads. He can easily outscore other skaters like Zhou. Also, Cha has recurring boots problems causing injuries, and the fact that KSU is being a pain by forcing their skaters to do mandatory pointless domestic competitions don’t help. They’re doing their best with what they have.

Change and improvement do not come with a snap of fingers, people should stop expecting it to arrive at once.

Tahuu said:

Brian sounded he could make Jenia the next Olympic champion. In reality she likely fails to make the Russian world team this year. Next year, with three stronger Russian junior ladies turning senior her chance of making the world team may be much lower. By 2022, Jenia may not even make the Olympic team let alone get the Olympic gold.

On the men’s side, Brian’s stock isn’t looking too green either. Boyang refused to train with him; Gogolev recently fired him; Javi has retired and Yuzu is injured. Cha and Brown are his main charges for 2022 and neither seems Olympic medal contender.

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Did you watch the same interview that I watched? :think:

The one where Brian said the very first question he asked Zhenya was "Do you love skating?" And she said "yes". And he said "that's the most important factor. And she does".
Where he said when Zhenya would tax herself with "I need to be superhuman", he would respond, "No, you're human".
Not once, ever, in this interview, did Brian say he would make Zhenya the next Olympic champion. Or anything but help her be the best Zhenya she can be. And that it's not going to happen in six months.

As for Olys 2020, who knows, but I think a declaration that JunHwan Cha in particular, the (barely) 17 year old who won bronze at the GPF, is not a medal contender? I'm not getting that one either.

And Brian is not lacking for students who want to train under him. I shed no tears for him in that regard

el henry said:

Did you watch the same interview that I watched? :think:

The one where Brian said the very first question he asked Zhenya was "Do you love skating?" And she said "yes". And he said "that's the most important factor. And she does".
Where he said when Zhenya would tax herself with "I need to be superhuman", he would respond, "No, you're human".
Not once, ever, in this interview, did Brian say he would make Zhenya the next Olympic champion. Or anything but help her be the best Zhenya she can be. And that it's not going to happen in six months.

As for Olys 2020, who knows, but I think a declaration that JunHwan Cha in particular, the (barely) 17 year old who won bronze at the GPF, is not a medal contender? I'm not getting that one either.

And Brian is not lacking for students who want to train under him. I shed no tears for him in that regard

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Brian: “Her goal is next Olympics.” What do you think that is for an Olympic silver medalist? Be the best she can be? Lol

Tahuu said:

Brian: “Her goal is next Olympics.” What do you think that is for an Olympic silver medalist? Be the best she can be? Lol

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You are lost in your own interpretation.

Tahuu said:

Brian: “Her goal is next Olympics.” What do you think that is for an Olympic silver medalist? Be the best she can be? Lol

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Of course it is, winning, including at the Olys, is the *goal* of every skater

That’s a far far far cry from saying that Brian sounded like he could “make her” an Olympic champion. He said or sounded like no such thing.

And I don’t understand what is “lol” about being the best skater you can be? Isn’t that what every skater wants? :think:

In any event, the interview I thought was a very interesting insight into Brian’s coaching and his approach and his work with Yuzu, Javi, Jun, Zhenya and Jason.

As someone who's been watching Jason since he was a junior competing against Joshua Farris back in the day. I give Brian total credit for Jason's improved Triple Axel. I never thought Jason would continue to improve after leaving Kori but, he has really been great this year and I hope he makes the podium at Nationals.

mrrice said:

As someone who's been watching Jason since he was a junior competing against Joshua Farris back in the day. I give Brian total credit for Jason's improved Triple Axel. I never thought Jason would continue to improve after leaving Kori but, he has really been great this year and I hope he makes the podium at Nationals.

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That was the other way around for me, I was very sure he’d not progress more if he didn’t leave Kori. but regarding Nationals, aside from a disaster, I don’t see how he cannot place high on the podium, he scores better than the other US men (except Chen in the total score).
I’m glad he made the move to Brian (and got rid of that ponytail at the same time lol).

I loved the pony, I was sad to see it go:sad21:

But like all things Jason, I’ve learned to love it. Interesting to hear from Brian that he encouraged that change as well.

Tahuu said:

Cha and Brown are his main charges for 2022 and neither seems Olympic medal contender.

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Except baby Cha looks like the best raw talent there currently is, in male skaters.

If anyone has a prayer of becoming the next Yuzuru, it's Cha.

Very innately musical, very talented. It's something that cannot be trained. One must be born with it. (And also, one must have a coach who can recognize it and mold it into artistic perfection.)