2015 NHK Mens Short Program

[Ice Dance]

Or Fernandez might decide that worrying about a clean Yuzuru, when it took an entire season+ just to get to this one clean SP skate, is not worth disrupting his own quite successful game plan. More risk is more risk, and in the short in particular, it's not about what you can land, but what you can land under pressure.

 

[Mrs. P]

Or Fernandez might decide that worrying about a clean Yuzuru, when it took an entire season+ just to get to this one clean SP skate, is not worth disrupting his own quite successful game plan. More risk is more risk, and in the short in particular, it's not about what you can land, but what you can land under pressure.

Exactly. If you dwell on what you don't have, then that's just a recipe for competition disaster in the future. I still maintain that Boyang Jin has a very high-risk plan that gives high reward for now but could also create some issues in the future. Yuzuru's plan is also high risk as well.

Most skaters can only control what they can do and what works for them.

 

[Ophelia]

^But boyangs quads are pretty consistent. Idk how, but they are.

 

[melmel]

Fernandez will probably think about the two quads but only after the gpf. His prime concern now is to hold the pressure to skate both in spain and after yuzuru

 

[MaiKatze]

Wow, Yuzuru what a champ. He's just all kinds of awesome.

 

[NoNameFace]

just watched Yuzuru SP and got it right - it is really a delight to watch.

it is really special to witness such focus, determination and calm in one, somehow (for me) fragile-looking person like Yuzuru. For me, the program got a new meaning today - always have a soft spot for Chopin music, but now it will be also associated with Hanyu's SP.

Watching the program, I noticed things that I was not aware of before (guess there had to be a clean performace and/or change of the layout) - that little sequence after 4S - so in music, so delicate yet powerful, then the second spin - a perfect entry with rhythm change and all positions (and changes!) emphasized music accents amazingly, never seen something like this, a really masterful step sequence (maybe a little wild but honestly I don't care)...

A really masterful program - watching it it is like he's becoming the music by his breathing and moving. And really class act off ice - calm and giving respect to Orser.

 

[Mrs. P]

^But boyangs quads are pretty consistent. Idk how, but they are.

For right now. As I say, I make this point not cause I didn't appreciate his high-level of performance, I did, a lot. But it's asking a LOT to keep that high level for easily three more competitions. IF he does it, more power to him. But still, there's still a lot of the season left.

 

[shiroKJ]

I actually really enjoyed Kovtun's SP. Makes me wanna

Hope all the men can have as great of a FS tonight as they did the SP! :yes2:

 

[apgold]

Watched it live last night until about 3:30 in the morning, so feeling a bit hungover now, lol.

Yuzu was out of this world and I had a feeling he would hit 100+ with it, but 106 was just jaw dropping. It's like Jin threw it down and that was his response to his skate. I was also impressed that most of the men stood up (even our American men landed their quads even though they weren't that clean), that is, until Kovtun's butt hit the ice. Too bad, b/c his opening combo was amazing. It's always funny (and sad) how if the men have few falls, then the ladies event becomes a splatfest for many.

Also very impressed with Mura and his score of 88. I don't think anyone expected him to be in third after the short (I didn't) so good for him.

 

[hippomoomin]

I am happy for Jin. He so far has shown good consistency with high quality jumps. I am glad he does not only shoot for rotation, but the quality of jumps as well. Just hope China invest more on his choreography and artistic training.

 

[karne]

Hope all the men can have as great of a FS tonight as they did the SP! :yes2:

:scowl: Really?

 

[Li'Kitsu]

Exactly. If you dwell on what you don't have, then that's just a recipe for competition disaster in the future. I still maintain that Boyang Jin has a very high-risk plan that gives high reward for now but could also create some issues in the future. Yuzuru's plan is also high risk as well.

Most skaters can only control what they can do and what works for them.

Yuzurus plan isn't that high risk-high reward to me though... his 4S is more consistent than his 3Lz right now. It's his securest jump that's in the 2nd half now. If he really messes up the quads, he can still land a beautiful 3A, and he has the spins and steps to deliver the rest of the program and 'save' the impression. Plus, he has the PCS.

And it's not as if the guys with the 'safer' layouts are all that consistent

 

[Ice Dance]

^But boyangs quads are pretty consistent. Idk how, but they are.

Yes. And it's incredibly impressive. But he has no pressure. All these young guys: Shoma, Jin, Samohin, etc. They're all out to climb the ranks, and they have absolutely nowhere to go but up.

After young athletes win, though, that first quad in that short program becomes infinitely more difficult. Hanyu was pretty darn consistent on all his quads in practice at Skate Canada. Didn't get him through the one in his SP there. That wasn't a conditioning error. It was a mental one. This summer I was told that Nam was more consistent than the current top guys under pressure. He may turn out to be so. But his competitions this fall imply that he is just as capable of imploding as they are. Jin may be able to handle the pressure, or he may not. (I find it interesting he was only in 5th after the short at Junior Worlds where there were expectations for him). But his ability to handle that pressure is something we will learn about after he starts winning. When all the World and all of China is watching and expecting him to win.

 

[tzazu]

Does anyone think Hanyu's new sp didn't sell the Chopin piece? Technically he's brilliant, but I just don't feel the connection between his program and the music. All I remember is his jumps. It's really a shame.

Nope. I remember perfectly his spins, transitions, step sequence and the conexion with the music. I prefer all this above the jumps ( though I must admit today jumps have been great too)

 

[DaPurpleDino]

Yuzurus plan isn't that high risk-high reward to me though... his 4S is more consistent than his 3Lz right now. It's his securest jump that's in the 2nd half now. If he really messes up the quads, he can still land a beautiful 3A, and he has the spins and steps to deliver the rest of the program and 'save' the impression. Plus, he has the PCS.

And it's not as if the guys with the 'safer' layouts are all that consistent

Adding onto this, his current layout is probably a lot safer for him too since if he doubles or triples the 4S he wont have to worry about the 3T like he used to with his 4T at the start. Less chance of a zayak with his current format and taking out that lutz he was having trouble with which almost always guranteed a 2T or 1T after it instead of his planned triple triple

 

[carmen7077]

Everybody is talking like hanyu is really way 'older' than 'young' skaters like shoma and Jin.

But he is really just in his very early 20s. Like he said before, they are of "the same generation" (kind of).

Kind of shocked (though I know he is just 20)

 

[HanDomi]

Everybody is talking like hanyu is really way 'older' than 'young' skaters like shoma and Jin.

But he is really just in his very early 20s. Like he said before, they are of "the same generation" (kind of).

Kind of shocked (though I know he is just 20)

I guess that's because Hanyu debuted at senior scene at earlier age

 

[Rissa]

That was really great men's event!

Yuzu finally went clean(ish) with his Chopin! And broke the WR along the way, yay!

Boyang not only has jumps but some good presentation! He reminds me of a guitar string, straight, sharp and resonant.

Mura! So that's how this program's supposed to look like, I love it! (I hope you went back to the blue feathers, Cirque du Soleil will come calling!)

Brezina, finally clean! Omg, I hope it means he's in a good shape and that red corsair costume will be finally done justice to!

Kovtun... Aww. I guess one can't have everything.

Hope tomorrow will be even better!

 

[shiroKJ]

Everybody is talking like hanyu is really way 'older' than 'young' skaters like shoma and Jin.

But he is really just in his very early 20s. Like he said before, they are of "the same generation" (kind of).

Kind of shocked (though I know he is just 20)

Even as a fan I sometimes forget he's only 20 lol I guess the retirement talk also doesn't help.

 

[Ophelia]

Everybody is talking like hanyu is really way 'older' than 'young' skaters like shoma and Jin.

But he is really just in his very early 20s. Like he said before, they are of "the same generation" (kind of).

Kind of shocked (though I know he is just 20)

I feel like a cougar every time I recall his age.