- Joined
- Jun 21, 2007
I understand the campaign but the personal insults at Zhang, for unsourced rumor, seem unpleasant to me.
Yu/Jin & Peng/Zhang switch partners
- Thread starter yqs100
- Start date
I understand the campaign but the personal insults at Zhang, for unsourced rumor, seem unpleasant to me.
I totally agree. That's extremely rude and uncalled for. But most of the fans focus on supporting Yu/Jin's partnership now. They make their case without mentioning Zhang.
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2011
People have to understand the Chinese fed is not like other feds. They have near total control over their skaters, literally. They not only pay for (and though also then have complete control over) their training, costumes, and all other figure skating related costs, but also control where they live, what they eat, what they can own, even to some degree (whether intentionally or incidentally) who they can associate with. They even can more or less control when a skater will retire- unlike other feds where (even if they do exercise a lot of control) a skater pretty much always does have the option to just stop if they truly can't take it any more, that is much harder in China for many reasons, some of which just pertain to how authority is viewed and cultural norms and some of which I would venture are more nefarious. For instance, hypothetically, when Nikita wanted to split with Elena, the Russian fed could have effectively stopped him if they had really wanted to, or at least made his life very difficult for a few years, but if they had done that Nikita could have said 'I'd rather stop skating than ever skate with Elena again' and that would have been that. Yu may not even have the option to just quit rather than skate with Zhang meaning she may have close to zero bargaining power.
I know...I was just venting...I don't think I ever felt this upset over figure skating. I feel really really bad for the skaters (including Zhang, who takes so much hate and blame in the recent few days). Jin gets robbed of his partner, Yu gets thrown into the arms of a man against her will, Peng gets deserted, and Zhang gets blamed. Nobody wins. What a lovely plan...I'd like to give a medal to whoever comes up with this brilliant idea. Even if this plan doesn't go through, the dynamics among these four people change for good, and I don't even want to imagine how they're gonna train together with all the awkwardness in the air...
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2011
Sorry if I'm being harsh, but I don't see why we should throw Zhang a pity-party now for being blamed.
From everything I see, he is at least partly to blame for his partnership with Peng not working. He's fully to blame for treating her in an awful way regarding the whole throw-fall-ignoring problems - which in turn of course will make it harder for her to deliver. Which leads to the glorious idea of splitting Yu/Jin up for him.
Of course we don't know how much he really wants Yu/Jin to split up, and the main heap of the blame is with the CSA. But they are the ones getting the main amount of complaints? What Zhang is mostly blamed for is his treatment of Peng and the part that plays in this mess, and I don't see why we would have to play nice with him regarding that. And it has nothing to do with 'hating old people'.
From everything I see, he is at least partly to blame for his partnership with Peng not working. He's fully to blame for treating her in an awful way regarding the whole throw-fall-ignoring problems - which in turn of course will make it harder for her to deliver. Which leads to the glorious idea of splitting Yu/Jin up for him.
Of course we don't know how much he really wants Yu/Jin to split up, and the main heap of the blame is with the CSA. But they are the ones getting the main amount of complaints? What Zhang is mostly blamed for is his treatment of Peng and the part that plays in this mess, and I don't see why we would have to play nice with him regarding that. And it has nothing to do with 'hating old people'.
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2011
#ThingsThatOnlyHappenInFigureSkating: a 30-year-old is consistently refered to as an "old person".
I know your comment isn't wholly serious, but Zhang is 34 if the age that has been given for him for 20 years is true. That is super old for a skater, even a male pairs skater, yes. However, I think the point people are trying to make is that he is toward the end of his career. Like I said in another post, by the 2022 Olympic games he'd be 40. I've learned over the years to never say never, but what does anyone really think the chances are of a 40 year skater old successfully competing in the Olympic games? A 36 year old, maybe, sure, but a 40 year old? I'd say the chances are small. So basically, they'd be pairing a teen with someone literally twice her age, so that they could skate together for two years (barely enough for most pairs teams to gel, much less have great international success) and go to the 2018 Olympics together. I'm sorry but this doesn't make sense, and I don't think it's hating on Zhang or ageism to say so. Sometimes in life, age is a real factor, and you're not discriminating to say so, just like sometimes gender is a real factor and you're not always discriminating to say so. This is one of those times.
regarding David Wilson, fans in TD garden asked him and he said he will be doing choreo for Chinese pair term Yu/Jin,Wang/Wang and single's Ziquan Zhao and He Zhang next season right after Boston worlds. just like last year, he is excited about that.
Apparently, David was not aware of this issue at least when he was in Boston.
Apparently, David was not aware of this issue at least when he was in Boston.
Of couse David didn't know at that time. Yu and Jin didn't know about this after they had been training in Toronto for a week!
I feel bad for him only for all the hate messages he gets on his social media. Some of them are super mean, like "Get your hands off Yu. You're old. You look creepy. You'll never get the OGG no matter what". That's wrong, no matter how we look at it.
Other than that, I try to stay neutral because I don't have enough information to judge him. There's definitely a pattern that for him to have a break someone else has to pay. Dan Zhang gets an unfortunate growth spurt in her late 20s. Dan Zhang retires. Peng looks like a petite jumper. Peng's partner retires. Yu can perform and jump. Yu and Jin have to break up. But I keep telling myself that just because A and B happen at the same time doesn't mean A causes B to happen. Zhang getting the benefit is the "result", not necessarily the "motive". Chinese Fed obviously trusts him and he gets the "first son" treatment. But it's not like he personally makes these things happen, or at least I don't have the proof to show that he does.
I'm not Zhang's fan, but I don't hate him either. I do hate the persons behind this stupid plan and the disgusting way they go about it.
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2012
2 words - Noriaki Kasai.
Yes, it's a different sport. But, ski jumping is like figure skating in that it is, generally speaking, a young person's sport. Normally, you are past it when you reach 30.
Yet Nori went to Sochi aged 41, and came home with 2 medals: a silver in the big hill individual competition, and a bronze in the big hill team competition.
And since Sochi, he has had 12 more World Cup podiums, and even won 2 of them - one on a big hill, and one on a flying hill.
Before the 2013-14 season, it had been 10 years since he won a World Cup. For the few years before it, he was really struggling. He hadn't been on the podium for 4 years, and had very few Top 10 finishes in that time either. Yet he came back with a bang.
Who is to say that Zhang Hao is not going to do the same? Go through a period of struggles, and then spring back to the top.
I know, it is unlikely. But, it is possible.
CaroLiza_fan
According to the isu page, Zhang Hao is 31years (and not 34) old right now (Born on July 6th 1984), That would mean he will be 37 years in Beijing 2022 Olympics, an age with which Zhao Hongbo became Olympic champion (Most of the leading pair male skaters are in the mid thirties, Robin Szolkowy, Alex Smirnow, Tong Jian, Zhao Hongbo and more). I think Zhang Hao has the goal to compete at the Olympics on home soil, it would be his 6th games (provided he takes part in 2018 as well).
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- Oct 31, 2014
Although I know nothing about skiing, I can't think the field in Japan can be as deep as China's pair skating. Besides, the man didn't need a partner to participate in competition unlike pair skaters. Young skaters of the new generation aspiring to be Olympians or Olympic medalists wait in line for their turn. Zhang already won a silver at the 2006 Olympics and he is no Hongbo Zhao. The federation needs to think hard about not just the 2018 Olympics, but also the 2022 in their home.
Zhang has back injuries. That's why no more quad twists for now. He missed the Chinese Winter Games that happen only every 4 years. That's a huge loss for him. A podium place there is super important for Chinese athletes. It's a lot of reward money, and your job placement after retirement, your pension, your opportunity for promotion all hinge on it. I'm really afraid that this will happen again but instead of the Chinese Winter Games it's the next Olympics. It'll be a disaster for him AND his partner, no matter who she is...
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- Nov 16, 2014
I can't see why you are saying "He's fully to blame for treating her in an awful way regarding the whole throw-fall-ignoring problems - which in turn of course will make it harder for her to deliver." Will you explain it in details? Personally I see nothing wrong with his attitude towards that girl after the performances at the Worlds.
A lot of people are blaming Zhang because he is older and the biggest senior on the team, they think he has a say in whether or not the partnership should be formed or not.
I'm just really disappointed that Yu seems to be the only standing up for herself from the rumours and saying no, if Zhang can't act like an adult and treat Peng with respect don't think we would be having this problem. Makes me wonder if he really thinks it's ok to break up another pair for his own gain. Reminds me of a story I once heard. When Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo became a team Zhao was frustrated with Shen a lot because she was less experienced than he was because he already had international experience. After a while I believe it was Yao Bin who yelled at him, why do you expect her to work at your level?! You should work with her at her level! And then they went on to become one of the GOATs.
Currently Yu/Jin fans have been spreading this all over Chinese social media. The gist is that they are extremely against the Federation splitting up Yu/Jin. That they are a beautiful pair who brings them a lot of joy and happiness who have been through a lots of hardships such as injuries and illnesses to achieve what they have internationally. They're hoping that Yu/Jin will continue their journey together and that they will continue to support this team. If anyone wants a full translation please let me know.
I'm just really disappointed that Yu seems to be the only standing up for herself from the rumours and saying no, if Zhang can't act like an adult and treat Peng with respect don't think we would be having this problem. Makes me wonder if he really thinks it's ok to break up another pair for his own gain. Reminds me of a story I once heard. When Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo became a team Zhao was frustrated with Shen a lot because she was less experienced than he was because he already had international experience. After a while I believe it was Yao Bin who yelled at him, why do you expect her to work at your level?! You should work with her at her level! And then they went on to become one of the GOATs.
Currently Yu/Jin fans have been spreading this all over Chinese social media. The gist is that they are extremely against the Federation splitting up Yu/Jin. That they are a beautiful pair who brings them a lot of joy and happiness who have been through a lots of hardships such as injuries and illnesses to achieve what they have internationally. They're hoping that Yu/Jin will continue their journey together and that they will continue to support this team. If anyone wants a full translation please let me know.
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2011
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