Kazuki Tomono | Page 293 | Golden Skate

Kazuki Tomono

Thank you so much @kwanette and @rRainbow for all the updates and translation. What makes it particularly heartbreaking is not the result per se, but the sense of this was potentially his last chance to achieve his goals in the GP series and it's really sad to end with this sense of bitter frustration.

After Skate Canada, I said I was angry and wanted to shake him by the shoulders. Now I'm just heartbroken and want to give him a big hug 😭 He's clearly done everything he could to prepare but when push comes to shove his inner demons get the best of him. I know what that's like and I'm sure I'm not the only one. It's just so difficult.

Of course, it ain't over till it's over. Maybe these bitter tears were necessary to springboard him to Nationals. We shall see.

Mainichi's photographer Kenji Ikai:
Kazuki Tomono finished in third place. At the kiss-and-cry, he appeared to be holding back tears of frustration. Imagining that disappointment made his words about experience and growth – "I can say I'm frustrated with third place" – hit even harder. He will surely take his revenge at the next competition.
 
As a figure skater myself, I can understand a little about what Kazuki feels. I’ll never be at the same level as him. I don’t want to be. I just compete in competitions and do shows for fun. When you’re in your head, it stops you from getting it done. If Kazuki could let all of what’s in his head ago and just get it all done, then he could be even more proud of himself. It’s not easy. It takes time. I’m never giving up and neither should he. I don’t care what others think of me and neither should he. Skate for the love of skating.

He should be extremely proud of what he has done so far. To skate at a national and international level is something so many skaters dream of, but don’t get there. Even being an alternate for the last Olympics is so huge and deserves a celebration even though the alternates weren’t allowed to go. So now he wants to be in one of the 3 spots for the team and go. He has everything he needs. He knows what he did wrong so now he knows what he needs to do. I believe in him and always will. Now he needs to believe and trust himself. He can do it.
 
Figskater23 said:
As a figure skater myself, I can understand a little about what Kazuki feels. I’ll never be at the same level as him. I don’t want to be. I just compete in competitions and do shows for fun. When you’re in your head, it stops you from getting it done. If Kazuki could let all of what’s in his head ago and just get it all done, then he could be even more proud of himself. It’s not easy. It takes time. I’m never giving up and neither should he. I don’t care what others think of me and neither should he. Skate for the love of skating.

He should be extremely proud of what he has done so far. To skate at a national and international level is something so many skaters dream of, but don’t get there. Even being an alternate for the last Olympics is so huge and deserves a celebration even though the alternates weren’t allowed to go. So now he wants to be in one of the 3 spots for the team and go. He has everything he needs. He knows what he did wrong so now he knows what he needs to do. I believe in him and always will. Now he needs to believe and trust himself. He can do it.
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Being an alternate for Japan, with a maximum of three skaters for each category and the GOAT and the two favoured by the Federation taking all three slots, and several World-Championships-Free-Skating level behind...
 
Ok, I watched his Skate America free skate, it wasn't really that bad? I thought, judging from the score, it was a horrible skate, but apart from the mistakes, I enjoyed his performance. I've seen some skaters getting higher scores for worse skates TBH 😒
 
I heard Jackie say on his podcast that he thinks Kazuki should change his free programme, nah fam... I'm good with Halston, it's so gorgeous:


Also, a round of applause for Mathieu Caron, who designed his beautiful SP costume!

 
KiraraChin said:
I heard Jackie say on his podcast that he thinks Kazuki should change his free programme, nah fam... I'm good with Halston, it's so gorgeous:


Also, a round of applause for Mathieu Caron, who designed his beautiful SP costume!

Click to expand...

Wasn't it the woman, Michelle, who asked Jackie if he asked Kazuki about changing FS?
 
kwanette said:
Wasn't it the woman, Michelle, who asked Jackie if he asked Kazuki about changing FS?
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Yes, and the way she asked, I thought it was clear that she was referencing a previous conversation in which Jackie said Kazuki should change his free skate. In any case, Japanese fans picked up on this as well and everyone is defending Halston 😤

Some nice pictures from Edea!
 
KiraraChin said:
Yes, and the way she asked, I thought it was clear that she was referencing a previous conversation in which Jackie said Kazuki should change his free skate. In any case, Japanese fans picked up on this as well and everyone is defending Halston 😤

Some nice pictures from Edea!
Click to expand...

Several people on various podcasts have been saying it.
 
Just wanted to talk a bit more about Halston.

I understand people not liking Halston as a matter of personal taste, even though I can't relate. As I said, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so whatever.

However, I think Jackie and others podcasters are not understanding the real issue here: Kazuki's problem is not the programme per se, it's his struggle to put two clean programmes together. If you look back at his career, that only happened in Milan 2018, and even then you could argue that he had a turnout in the quad combo in the free, so it wasn't completely clean.

What do I said this? Let's look at the evidence.

Let's skip 2018-19 because that season was one huge struggle.

But going back to 2019-20. That season he struggled a lot with his short, 'The Hardest Button to Button'. Partly because the SP was really experimental choreo-wise, but also it was the first time he was doing two quads in the SP. That was the season he delivered his best Moulin Rouge performances, including the iconic free at JNats.

Then, in 2020-21, he repeated both programmes because of Covid. That season, he got more used to 'The Hardest Button to button' and started to do well in the short. What started to happen? Yep, he proceeded to flop Moulin Rouge.

2021-22: people love to romanticise La La Land, but the fact is, he wasn't super clean with it either. Every time he missed up on placements, it was because of La La Land mistakes. In fact, his best La La Land performance was JNats 2021. What happened at JNats 2021? Yup, he didn't do as well in the short.

2022-23: He had two cheerful programmes - Happy Jazz and Die Fledermaus - like many people think he should have now. Did that make him skate both programmes clean? Nope. He did well with Die Fledermaus, but he never skated Happy Jazz clean in competition.

2023-24: He had 'Underground' as SP and Halston as FS. Again, he was only able to able to skate Underground clean once, but Halston? His most successful free skate ever competiton-wise. Not a surprised he decided to bring it back.

2024-25: 'Tshegue' SP and 'Butterfly' for FS. This time, he did really with with 'Tshegue', and badly with 'Butterfly'.

2025-2026: As 'Tshegue' did really well, it made sense to work with Shae-Lynn again, and he's again doing well with the SP. But now, since his SP is doing well, he's having issues with Halston, that once was his most successful free skate programme in competition. Basically, the same thing that happened with Moulin Rouge in 2020-21.

Anyone noticing a pattern here? Just me?

But, obviously, to understand that, you'd have to be deep into the Kazuki lore lol and I doubt Jackie and other podcasters are, so I that's why I think they're just arguing for the simplest solution without understanding the real issue.
 
kwanette said:
It is a gorgeous program..intricate, quiet and it draws one in..I think those who want a new one..like the "high energy" Kazuki from LaLa Land and DF..
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For me, not appreciating Halston is like not appreciating the Mona Lisa 😂 I'm sure there's plenty of people that go to the Louvre and look at the Mona Lisa and go 'meh I prefer something more lively and colourful', and that's fine, but I'm like... damn, if you can't see the greatness, I feel sorry for you 😅
 
That's a good point in your analysis, Kirara. I think we can recall multiple skaters who have a hard time putting two clean programs together, especially when one of them is a smash hit. (which I'm Crazy is)
We can only speculate, but I think Kazuki made a strategic decision with picking Halston. Programs like Roxanne and Fledermaus require crazy energy and speed, so Kazuki might prefer a slower-paced program at this point. Not just because he's the oldest elite competing Japanese man, but also because multiple quads are required of him, the other top men have them, and he has to focus on landing them clean, which I imagine is hard to do in a fast program.
Furthermore, he likely doesn't want his two programs to be a similar genre/style. And lastly, if I were a skater with a reputation of being one of the best in the business for fun/fast paced programs, I'd probably want to show a different, artistic side of me at the Olympic stage. Kind of like a more mature version of 'Maria' from the 2018 Olympic season, which was a counterweight to the super fast Zigeunerweisen. I am reminded of that season this year, with the music Kazuki picked. :) Since Kazuki doesn't seem to enjoy doing classical pieces like Tchaikovsky etc. (which would be interesting to see but completely okay with me when he doesn't skate to it because everyone else and their grandma pick that music), a genre like Halston makes total sense.
 
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Kazuki has had a say in picking his music since at laeast turning sr. If it is a movie score..he watches the movie...He does his research..Other skaters..great ones..are handed music..and they do well..even if they have no idea what it is. Have to run..have an appt
 
@surimi you're totally right! Picking Halston was a strategic decision, stamina-wise, and a way to show to the judges he has range. Furthermore, he said he wanted to showcase the two sides of his personality, the entertainer we know and love, and his more introspective and deep side that he doesn't get to show on the ice very often.

@kwanette everyone is different so it's hard to compare with other skaters, but even within Kazuki's programmes, you have that variation - some music he picked himself, like La La Land, others were picked by the choreographer (The Hardest Button to Button, Butterfly). Most of the time he picks the music from a mix of suggestions given by the choreographer. The interesting thing with Halston is that originally it was Misha who pushed for this music, but then Kazuki fell in love with it and it became his favourite programme.

In any case, it seems that Halston is going viral among Yuri on Ice fans due to a resemblance with the main character, Yuuri Katsuki
 
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