Javier Fernandez

[tureis]

I fully expect to be in physical pain, sitting in the arena in Milan and not seeing Javi there, but I was expecting this decision to be honest... All he has talked about this season was how old he is and how he feels he has less and less energy. I believe he completely drained himself physically and mentally. And the one thing I would want to see a million times less than a Worlds without Javi is a Worlds where he skates without focus and motivation. He has reached his lifelong dream of standing on the podium at the Olympics, and also he has finally produced his best competition since Boston, by a long long way. He skated arguably the best SP of his entire career, and after 1.5 years(!) finally managed to pull out a wonderful FS. That is a tremendous high point he no doubt suffered a great deal for.

I can only wish Javi to finally be able to relax, sleep well and spend lots and lots of time with his lovely family!

 

[tureis]

OMG this is crazy!!! Javi is now at the studio of El Pais! Live on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/elpais/videos/10155326950901570/

 

[xibsuarz]

OMG this is crazy!!! Javi is now at the studio of El Pais! Live on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/elpais/videos/10155326950901570/

Seems like he doesn't think he will compete ever again at Worlds, but he does want to go to Euros next year.

He will move back to Madrid right away, "close" his apartment in Toronto and come back. He really misses his country.

They asked him (AGAIN) about that silver (well the question was about the gold since the person asking thought he deserved it but the interviewer switched it to the silver medal). He said Shoma skated very well, though he did have some errors in some jumping passes (that something was a bit fishy there ) But still he is happy with his medal, regardless of the color.

They asked how does he imagine his life without skating and he said he doesn't know but he will stay somewhat linked to skating. he might miss competing and training but he also needs to know when to retire and move on with his life.

He said the Olympic Medal was the last goal he set for himself and he didn't say "I want to win the Olympic Gold Medal" because he was aware of his abilities and the other skaters'. He trained for the gold but the podium was the goal.

They asked what does it feel like to leave Brian behind, he said he is not too sad because he knows they will always keep in touch. Because Brian does a lot of summer camps and they will still do those together. He has offered Javi to stay at the TCC and help him coach the skaters there, but he really wants to be back in Spain.

He talked about the need of facilities for figure skating to keep growing in Spain.

Tentative dates for Revolution on Ice are part of November and December, they want to go to 5 or 6 cities in Spain, but there's still a lot of work to do. But he's really looking forward to it and show the audiences a new way to experience figure skating.

He used to play COD with Regino online, but Regino doesn't play that much anymore...Javi still does though

His old coach talked about how easy he learned the jumps but due to his myopia he was a bit of a danger in the rink since he didn't wear any glasses He got used to see blurry shadows in the rink.

 

[tureis]

Seems like he doesn't think he will compete ever again at Worlds, but he does want to go to Euros next year.
He will move back to Madrid right away, "close" his apartment in Toronto and come back. He really misses his country.

If he is moving back to Madrid, I think it's more likely that he is retiring just doesn't want to announce it yet...

 

[cruzceleste]

Wonder if he will get married?

 

[Jaana]

I can definitely understand Javi´s wish to move back to Spain, but cannot help feeling that career-wise that is not an excellent decision, IMO. It would be much better to stay in Toronto and start learning the coaching job thoroughly there. That is the way to put bread on the table in the future, so to speak, LOL. He could have coached the Spanish kids during summer. If there would be a thriving pro life going, it would be another matter, but there are just a few rather short tours and a few shows nowadays.

It would be great to see Javi at one more Europeans, but would he do his own coaching....? It is always great to retire as one is on the top, IMO.

 

[Olibritt]

Well, let's see how everything goes.
It looks to me this last year was very hard for him, we could see it in his skating... Moving back to Madrid is like a long time wish but let's see how he adapts to the new life, probably it won't be as easy as he thinks.
I didn´t understood how he could think about retirement so soon, until I saw Patrick Chan at this Olympics. Now I get it, I'm not happy about it, but I get it.
About his future, he sounds like he has lots of projects in his mind but not a real plan at the moment:
- Shows in November and December? If he wants to go to Europeans, there's no time for training.
- Coaching: He is very young to become a full-time coach now and Spanish FED must provide facilities and develop a programme for that. Those are mid-term projects.
He'll better rest by now and we'll see what the future brings.

 

[tureis]

More press coverage from yesterday:

Another double spread entirely dedicated to Javi in today's Marca.

Here is a video interview, also by Marca, where Javi is asked to name the best or most important things in his career. His response to both coach and friend is Brian, and puts up quite a fight not to get emotional. :sad21:

Yet another Marca interview, this time written, where he reflects back on this season and what it took over the years to get to the Olympic podium. When he speaks about not sleeping for 3-4 years, it isn't too difficult to read between the lines and see how much he is ready to leave competition behind...

And an interview from AS, where he went with his mama. More talk of exhaustion and getting old, and also a statement that he is not going to any more Worlds, not just this year's. But he also says he is the happiest man in the world.

 

[treeloving]

More press coverage from yesterday:

Another double spread entirely dedicated to Javi in today's Marca.

Here is a video interview, also by Marca, where Javi is asked to name the best or most important things in his career. His response to both coach and friend is Brian, and puts up quite a fight not to get emotional. :sad21:

Yet another Marca interview, this time written, where he reflects back on this season and what it took over the years to get to the Olympic podium. When he speaks about not sleeping for 3-4 years, it isn't too difficult to read between the lines and see how much he is ready to leave competition behind...

And an interview from AS, where he went with his mama. More talk of exhaustion and getting old, and also a statement that he is not going to any more Worlds, not just this year's. But he also says he is the happiest man in the world.

I am really interest in what he said about Yuzuru in the last interview, can someone please elaborate.

 

[Olibritt]

I am really interest in what he said about Yuzuru in the last interview, can someone please elaborate.

More press coverage from yesterday:

Here is a video interview, also by Marca, where Javi is asked to name the best or most important things in his career. His response to both coach and friend is Brian, and puts up quite a fight not to get emotional. :sad21:

The only video I can recall with a specific mention to Yuzu is this, about his most remarkable memories:
An ice rink: Toronto, because he felt they took very good care of him, he enjoys the rink and he spent there the last eight years
A rival: Yuzuru Hanyu, they learnt a lot of good things from each other, they fed each other to be better athletes.
A coach: Brian Orser, not only as a coach but as a person, they connected very well since the beginning, not only as coach-athlete, as friends too (he gets emotional here).
A friend: If we are talking about skating, Brian could be that friend too.
A fan with whom he had an intimate relationship: Not really intimate or close relationship but there are a couple of fans, not Spanish, a Chinese girl Feifei, that followed him to every competition she was able to attend to, and she made it to almost everyone, exhibitions, competitions, she even went to Toronto to see him and give him a present.
A competition: Boston Worlds
A victory: Boston Worlds
A defeat: Sochi
A choreography: Charly Chaplin
A costume: Charly Chaplin
A song: La Malagueña
A par of skates: A would say the first one I used, but I can’t recall the last time I saw them
A moment to forget: In Russia, when I was 18-19 years old and I was alone there during a lot of time
An unforgettable moment: Pyeongchang

P.S. If you could return the favor, it would be great!

 

[treeloving]

Whole Post

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I read the interview from AS and he mentioned that there was conflict between them but since I am not Spanish speaker, using google translation, it is hard to understand what Javi means to say.

This quote "“Algún conflicto ha habido, es buen chico, pero su entorno… Yo lo conocí en otro momento suyo y nos hemos ayudado, pero fue hace tiempo."

 

[tureis]

According to a recent study Javi is now the 4th highest regarded athlete in Spain, behind Rafa Nadal and Pau Gasol. :eeking: The study was conducted in a number of areas and Javi scored among the highest from 291 athletes in the area of role model, professionalism and elegance. (Duh, no wonder, just look at the impeccable appearance of the guy!) He is also now known by 56% of the entire population. A figure skater! In Spain! This is up from 24% at the end of 2014. And even more impressive, 65% of the adult male population (aka football audience) now recognizes him!

Two articles on this: La Vanguardia and Marca - the latter also with stats about Javi's social media traffic during the Olympics.

Edit:

And here are the actual stats - the poll measuring recognition having been taken last November, that 56% must be through the roof since, with all the crazy media coverage Javi had leading up to the Olympics, and especially now that he won a medal!

 

[Olibritt]

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I read the interview from AS and he mentioned that there was conflict between them but since I am not Spanish speaker, using google translation, it is hard to understand what Javi means to say.

This quote "“Algún conflicto ha habido, es buen chico, pero su entorno… Yo lo conocí en otro momento suyo y nos hemos ayudado, pero fue hace tiempo."

Oh, I didn't pay attention to that. Let me warn you before I post a translation, that's a quote from a conversation without a context and you know how expressive Javi is, without image, voice or the complete conversation, I can´t put a real intention to it.

This is the quote: "We had some conflict in the past, he is a good boy, but his environment... I met him in a different moment and we helped eachother, but that was long ago".

Without a context, when he says "that was a long ago", I don't know if he is talking about the help or conflict. But watching how both of them acted at the Olympics, I would say he is putting the conflict in a distant past.

There's nothing new here, nothing that we didn't knew before.

 

[tureis]

And finally the Instagram posts everyone has been waiting for! Papa Brian posted the proud parent photos of his two children.

Group hug photo - "A special moment between rivals and athletes. #yuzuruhanyu #javierfernandezskater #shomauno , they took men’s skating to a new level. Bravo!"

Javi and Yuzu - "No words can express how proud I am of these 2 champions. Well done Javi and Yuzu"

:luv17:

 

[Mussique]

Oh, I didn't pay attention to that. Let me warn you before I post a translation, that's a quote from a conversation without a context and you know how expressive Javi is, without image, voice or the complete conversation, I can´t put a real intention to it.

This is the quote: "We had some conflict in the past, he is a good boy, but his environment... I met him in a different moment and we helped eachother, but that was long ago".

Without a context, when he says "that was a long ago", I don't know if he is talking about the help or conflict. But watching how both of them acted at the Olympics, I would say he is putting the conflict in a distant past.

There's nothing new here, nothing that we didn't knew before.

And actually in the as interview he marks Yuzu as his rival (as in "choose a rink, choose a competition, choose a rival") because, in his words, they've learnt from each other, feed from each other and inspired each other, so I definitely don't see any hard feelings between them from past disagreements, just respect.
It makes me so sad he's leaving TCC...

Tracy Brian and him will be doing a two week summer camp this year in Granada, btw.

 

[cruzceleste]

I have never seen a rink where everything is a rose garden (see Virtue-Moir /Davis- White after Sochi), and let´s think in the situation that Yuzuru and Javier has face:
Different cultures (Spanish people is warn and very liberal /Japanese are more conservative and reserved).
Different language, until about a year or two, Yuzuru´s english has become enough good to hold simple conversations, but before they would have to comunicate in a non verbal way.
Difference in age, 4 years from a kid like Yuzuru who when to live to Canada at 17 to a young man like Javier that was 21 at the time Yuzuru arrived, they were at different moments in their life.
Difference in life style. Javier lives alone, does things on his own; Yuzuru lives with his mother, and between university and skating they don´t spend time together off ice (no people they don´t go to see Spider-man Homecoming with a big pop corn together)
Difference levels of attention after Sochi: while I´ll be surprise if Javier were recognised in Spain after Sochi, Yuzuru has become one of the most popular/ follow sports man in Japan and this has brought a lot of camaras and other things to the rink (not Yuzuru´s fault, I bet the guy will be happy trainning with out that much attention); Javier made a point that a lot of people asking him about Yuzuru, because media wanted to know, that´s most have been unconfortable for him, to sit in an interview to talk about his training/ programs/ results and to get questions about Yuzuru, must has been annoying.
Everyone has an ego, no matter who you are, every human has a little ego and we want attention, specially from our trainner if we are an elite athlete.

They get alone, and they respect each other, and that´s all we can ask from them.

 

[xibsuarz]

Misha posted the list of male skaters invited to the Gala and of course Javi is there :yes:
Too bad he wasn't at the rehearsals, they seem to be having a lot of fun, but Javi has his priorities

 

[Mussique]

Oh my, group choreo is going to be terrible, right
I mean more than usual

 

[myself]

I can definitely understand Javi´s wish to move back to Spain, but cannot help feeling that career-wise that is not an excellent decision, IMO. It would be much better to stay in Toronto and start learning the coaching job thoroughly there.

ITA I can totally understand being homesick and also being eager to start a new chapter in life, but I think it would really help him out moving forward w/ coaching to spend some time at TCC.

There's no denying that he's got fantastic skating skills but there's a difference between knowing how to do something for yourself and explaining it to someone else.

And yeah, he's done some summer training camp stuff, but again big difference between doing the occasional bit here and there and having to plan out a day in day out, year long training regime from the ground up with unfamiliar skaters. (Especially as he seems to get painted as the single-handed savior of Spanish figure skating?? That's a tall order for a 26 yr old kid. Yikes.)

I just hope he takes some time to decompress and have a breather before jumping into any major life decisions. I can only imagine what kind of media whirlwind he's in the middle of right now. If it was me I'd probably just want to go home and hibernate for a couple of months too.

 

[Olibritt]

I just hope he takes some time to decompress and have a breather before jumping into any major life decisions. I can only imagine what kind of media whirlwind he's in the middle of right now. If it was me I'd probably just want to go home and hibernate for a couple of months too.

Oh, don't worry, this summer is the Football World Championship, it will be all forgotten soon...:noshake: That was the reason for him to come to Spain inmediatly after he won his medal.

I said it before, he is very young to be a full time coach rightnow. You can not be the center of attention of everyone around you one day, to step aside the day after and make a young athlete your center of attention. Look at the good coaches that were great skaters before, everybody needs time for that process, they need to leave the spotlight little by little, put in order their personal lifes and reach a level of maturity that comes with age.
I think he'll be fine.