Nathan Chen

[GGFan]

It's interesting how non-Nathan fans are more interested in what Raf says than Nathan fans. People twisting Raf's words to hate on Nathan is seriously annoying. He's not saying anything bad about him. He is very happy with him, but thinks Nathan could do more.

And I agree, it was the right choice not to go back to Cali and leave everything on the practice rink. I think he would have as well, trying to please Raf.

I can't really disagree with Raf about not past December. He'd know best. Nathan wants to listen to Raf now and it serves him well to do so, but it's a complicated situation for him. I still worry about him getting hurt training on his own.

He also mentioned he wants to work hard to maintain the position he's now in. Winning this worlds against Hanyu is a bit of a turning point for him as far as he's perceived to me.

Someone should do a line by line "translation" of every line of Raf's interview into what he really meant.

As a teacher I totally agree with Raf: this online stuff is cute but I know that my students learn a lot more when I have them there live. With Raf there's a lot of reading beneath the lines and listening to him several times to understand what he means.

He knows that he's dealing with a young man who is very smart and has a mind of his own. He cannot decree certain things so he has to wait for Nathan to come around to his point of view, and sometimes that involves learning some difficult lessons. Raf himself has acknowledged how much he's had to adapt his methods over the years. He's very self aware and thoughtful.

There's also a certain provocativeness with Raf that you have to deal with. Sometimes he's trying to prove a point or to shock the listener in a Yedi mind trick kind of way. It should never be taken too seriously.

 

[snd]

nathan deserved this gold.

i like all of his 2017-2018/2018-2019 programs... he's cool as a cucumber and these darker, somewhat morbid programs with perhaps a touch of something avant-garde here or there fit him like a glove.

nathan can be a bit stiff sometimes and then his performances suffer but this time he looked quite free/relaxed... he brings sleekness and simplicity to the ice and there's nothing pretentious/artificial about him.

 

[Mamamiia]

Sad that people are using Raf’s words against Nathan.

Rafael Arutyunyan: “If a person is a fool, it doesn’t matter whether he is a young one or an adult”

 

[sheetz]

Nathan with 2 short messages to SOI Japan fans. Javi also mentions him in his message.
https://figureskate-soi.com/special.html

 

[sheetz]

Orser talks to Meryl and discusses things like Yuzu's rivalry with Nathan.
https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/v...-on-yuzuru-hanyu-s-future-he-ll-be-back-soon/

 

[oatmella]

Brian said some nice things about Nathan - he has not just incredible jumps, but also his SS and spins have gotten better.

He said Nathan becoming competitive with Yuzu is similar to how Yuzu got competitive with Patrick.

 

[GGFan]

Brian said some nice things about Nathan - he has not just incredible jumps, but also his SS and spins have gotten better.

He said Nathan becoming competitive with Yuzu is similar to how Yuzu got competitive with Patrick.

Hallelujah for this little interview. Just when people were starting to get rowdy with "he was robbed" Brian comes along with a reasonable and sober assessment of the reality of things.

 

[oatmella]

High quality B.ESP FS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqTCb4dFFqY

'Just have to look at him to make sure he's human'

 

[sheetz]

Article in Czech media. Use google translate.
https://www.idnes.cz/sport/ostatni/...-sveta-student-yale.A190324_205934_sporty_ten

 

[oatmella]

Nathan's mom really deserves all the credit Driving him all the way from Salt Lake City to Lake Arrowhead, and sleeping in the car to save money.

 

[1111bm]

I don’t know if it’s the translation, but Raf’s interviews never make sense, he always seems to be contradicting himself or twisting facts to make himself look good.

For instance, Nathan had been doing 4Lz + 4F in his SP all the time last season, except for nationals (and that was supposedly due to an undisclosed injury). And then he doesn’t follow Raf’s instructions during the Olympics and fails and suddenly Raf claims it’s too dangerous, um okay… (never mind that Nathan also messed up the team SP, where he didn’t even try 4Lz but went for 4F and 4T the way Raf probably wanted him to).

Also nice try, pretending like he’s not impressed with Nathan beating Yuzuru and the scores that he got. I mean, I get what he’s saying about expecting more from Nathan and knowing that he’s capable of more, but still, he makes it sound like he’s so aloof, but in reality he certainly was very proud and excited, BEAMING all over his face!

It’s also not clear to me in this new interview: does he want Nathan to develop his jump entrances and programs to be more intricate (I assume add transitions/steps and/or change the pattern of his set-ups?) or does he not? it’s like he says two different things depending on the question.

Sad that people are using Raf’s words against Nathan.

How so?

 

[oatmella]

Seems that Raf is the type of coach who is so hard on you the entire year, but on the day of a good performance is all smiles and hugs.

But the day after - back to business as usual. He wants Nathan to leave Yale and come back to California, starting in December. It wouldn’t fit his MO if he admits that this new coaching arrangement has been (even somewhat) successful - so more fitting to say that it was Nathan just hanging on and not really impressive.

I read it as Raf wants Nathan to be able to skate a more complex program, and that his current program bores him. Unfortunately this part of the interview has been taken by other fans as ‘LMAO even Nathan’s *own coach* ... ‘

Raf’s interviews aren’t really consistent - but he does seem way more blunt and honest in Russian.

 

[discode]

Raf was just humble bragging honestly. When someone says Nathan is good, he's basically saying he could be better...he has a lot of faith in him and high expectations. If you think he's good now, you have no idea how good he'd be if he'd just come back to California and train with me full time. And yeah, I agree no way is he going to say yes, this is working fine he's doing well.

Though I think I can understand his feelings/frustrations. When you have a student like Nathan so far away and knowing he what he's capable of. As for holding on, well he's doing less quads than he could do last year so to a coach I'd guess that would not be really positive growth. Even if he's working on aspects than he wasn't really last year.

And Nathan fans don't even listen/pay attention to Raf so not sure why other fans are bothering with it.

 

[oatmella]

Raf’s Russian interviews are always good for soundbites, and with the recent events, of course other fans are going to use them - and out of context.

 

[1111bm]

he's cool as a cucumber [...] with perhaps a touch of something avant-garde here or there [...] and there's nothing pretentious/artificial about him.

Exactly what I like about him. Which is also why I don't agree, when people complain that he doesn't emote enough with his face and has a blank expression throughout his programs. I certainly don't enjoy excessive face-acting that doesn't feel genuine at all.

 

[sheetz]

Raf is like those parents who talk down their kids in public while inside they're beaming with pride. Take, for instance, when he was talking about Nathan going to Yale. In one breath he predicts that Nathan will struggle to maintain his level of skating, while in the next breath he brags about Nathan getting a scholarship and hobnobbing with the children of VIPs.

 

[oatmella]

It seemed like Raf mentioned the full scholarship to Yale to show how Nathan couldn’t turn down such a great opportunity. Even mentioning that Nathan's family couldn't have afforded the tuition there.

If anything, his most recent interview was humble (or not) bragging about himself, not so much Nathan. That Nathan's win here was the result of Nathan listening to him as never before, his secret coaching methods, etc.

 

[discode]

You gotta read between the lines and context of what just happened. He just beat the GOAT by 20 points and Raf is saying he could be better...and that he's just hanging on. if that's not bragging in a subtle way I don't know what is.

And we all know Raf likes to brag about how wonderful he is.

 

[oatmella]

Of course Raf is going to say Nathan could be better. With the long distance coaching situation - he's not going to say that Nathan was at his best with minimal Raf time

 

[oatmella]

Exactly what I like about him. Which is also why I don't agree, when people complain that he doesn't emote enough with his face and has a blank expression throughout his programs. I certainly don't enjoy excessive face-acting that doesn't feel genuine at all.

Nathan has really upped his facial expression game this season though, which is evident in a lot of the photos. Caravan photos are super cute and some funny:luv17: