Yuzuru Hanyu: 2013-14 Season | Page 223 | Golden Skate

Yuzuru Hanyu: 2013-14 Season

Maria Victoria said:
I want to reach to the world championships in this year, no matter what!
I have to enter for the GP final for that!
Therefore, I will win CoR surely!
I thought, 'First of all, I will go up to the podium' this time. I didn't insist much to win.
However, it is not possible to go to the final unless I win next game.

He did win the 2011 CoR and qualified both for the 2011 GPF and 2012 Worlds. Fastforward to 2014, we see him now as the GPF, Olympic, and World champion. :)
Click to expand...

I didn't get why he said that he needed GPF for Worlds, to qualify for Worlds he just had to make top-3 at nationals (which he did that year) aside from gran-prix results
 
Paola D said:
Maki Horikita appears in the cf of Docomo posted in #5863. (around 0.06 and 0.13) So Yuzu finally co-stars with one of his dream girls. :biggrin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXnxwVw__NM

Sorry, off topic.
Click to expand...

Speaking of Docomo, there is another version of the ad with Yuzuru. Maki Horikita is the narrator for this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnShRU3Irx8&feature=youtu.be&t=25s
Older guy: (pointing to Yuzuru) That's my son
Younger guy: What? (Really?)
Girl: He's lying.
 
Maria Victoria said:
I definitely agree that Yuzuru wearing a well-tailored suit is a highlight of that video. As always, he showed his poise and articulateness in the interview.

Watching the video one realizes the meteoric nature of Yuzuru's rise to the top of the skating world. In 2010, Yuzuru placed 4th in the Japan nationals behind the accomplished trio of Takahiko, Nobunari, and Daisuke and thus was kept out of the 2011 Worlds. After placing 4th and off the podium in the 2011 CoC, it was suggested to him that he may need more competitive experience, and he reacted with:

"Experience?
If I said such a thing (If I admitted that the cause of my defeat is lack of experience),
I will never be able to defeat Mr.Takahashi and Kozuka, Oda. That's just an excuse.
I want to reach to the world championships in this year, no matter what!
I have to enter for the GP final for that!
Therefore, I will win CoR surely!
I thought, 'First of all, I will go up to the podium' this time. I didn't insist much to win.
However, it is not possible to go to the final unless I win next game.
By being driven to the extremity, I get to feel 'I can do nothing but win', on the contrary." (http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/masqueradewaltz/folder/387811.html?m=lc&p=3).

He did win the 2011 CoR and qualified both for the 2011 GPF and 2012 Worlds. Fastforward to 2014, we see him now as the GPF, Olympic, and World champion. :)





Welcome naranja3355! (BTW pardon my curiosity, but am wondering whether you chose the username "naranja" because it is also a citrus fruit like "yuzu.") Thank you for the video link and the translation. I see Shizuka as one of Yuzuru's original fan aunties. :)
Click to expand...

Well, though I' m a Japanese, I do flamenco as a hobby, so I use Spanish word for my handle name. I didn't know such coincidence before you guess it !
 
Klarnet said:
I didn't get why he said that he needed GPF for Worlds, to qualify for Worlds he just had to make top-3 at nationals (which he did that year) aside from gran-prix results
Click to expand...
well, I guess it's a matter of momentum. You're right, he doesn't need GPF to qualify for Worlds, but looking at the season as a whole, an upward trend would be desirable, I think. For example, many people thought that if Yuna was able to compete on the GP this season the Sochi results might have been different. I also remember reading somewhere that winning CoR and thus qualifying for GPF gave him the momentum/confidence he needed to go on to place 3rd at Japanese Nats and 3rd at Worlds (?? was it Meoima??). Although he says that "lacking experience" is an excuse for not winning, I think this is a matter of needing competitive experience within a season, not simply years of competing, if that makes sense. That's just my theory, take it with a grain of salt :biggrin:
 
Klarnet said:
I didn't get why he said that he needed GPF for Worlds, to qualify for Worlds he just had to make top-3 at nationals (which he did that year) aside from gran-prix results
Click to expand...

Me too. Was thinking something may have been lost in the blogger's translation of the original interview in Japanese. Yuzuru at that point apparently had two goals. One was to qualify for the 2011 GPF and to do that as he finished 4th in CoC because of a bad LP, he must win his next GPF assignment which was the CoR. He did win by holding off Javier by .03 of a point. The other was to qualify for 2012 Worlds and as you noted, he did, placing third behind Daisuke and Takahiko in nationals. Nobunari withdrew.

This is the final comment of the blogger:

"It seems that Hanyu will not give us the time to 'enjoy his growth'.
If it is so, let's see what he got.
The reckless challenge by high-school student still in 16 year-old.
Fighting over against the strongest top 3 of Japan's men in history, Takahashi 25-y-o,
Oda 24-y-o, Kozuka 22-y-o, who have reached those positions by spending many years
while having experienced failures over and over.
Keep our eyes on this daredevil boy."
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/masqueradewaltz/folder/387811.html?m=lc&p=3


naranja3355 said:
Well, though I' m a Japanese, I do flamenco as a hobby, so I use Spanish word for my handle name. I didn't know such coincidence before you guess it !
Click to expand...

Nice coincidence. :)
 
jimeonji said:
well, I guess it's a matter of momentum. You're right, he doesn't need GPF to qualify for Worlds, but looking at the season as a whole, an upward trend would be desirable, I think. For example, many people thought that if Yuna was able to compete on the GP this season the Sochi results might have been different. I also remember reading somewhere that winning CoR and thus qualifying for GPF gave him the momentum/confidence he needed to go on to place 3rd at Japanese Nats and 3rd at Worlds (?? was it Meoima??). Although he says that experience is an excuse, I think this is a matter of competitive experience within a season, not simply years of competing, if that makes sense. That's just my theory, take it with a grain of salt :biggrin:
Click to expand...

Yep I agree :thumbsup:
 
jimeonji said:
Although he says that experience is an excuse, I think this is a matter of competitive experience within a season, not simply years of competing, if that makes sense. That's just my theory, take it with a grain of salt
Click to expand...
I'm not quite sure that he meant to say "experience is an excuse" :) I guess he doesn't want to say "I lack experience, therefore it is no surprise that I didn't win against X or Y". That's making excuses, because those who came before you will always have more experience. Doesn't mean that you should give up before you even started. And IIRC, he also said quite often that he's glad he got to complete against Patrick so many times, because he gained valuable experience going up against a skater like him.
 
Klarnet said:
I didn't get why he said that he needed GPF for Worlds, to qualify for Worlds he just had to make top-3 at nationals (which he did that year) aside from gran-prix results
Click to expand...

I think this is because the berth for the Worlds as well as Olympics is decided not only by the results of the Nationals in Japan, not like the USA before.

The results of the Grand Prix Final, ISU world ranking, and their best score in this season are also considered.

For example, in 2013, Mao won the Grand Prix Final, and her ranking was the highest of the Japanese lady skaters with the best score. She had been the first runner for Sochi as well as the Worlds 2014 even before the Nationals.

USA seems to have changed its way a little from the last season, maybe a bit similar to Japanese way. It may be risky anyway to decide the berth only by the Nationals.

I think this was the reason why Yuzuru wanted to win GPF 2011, that is, to get the ticket to the Worlds 2012 for sure in the tough competion of Japanese men's singles.

Actually, Takahiko Kozuka could not get the ticket although he was the 3rd in the Nationals 2013. (After all, Daisuke cancelled and Takahiko got the ticket to the Worlds.)
 
SuzyQ said:
I think this is because the berth for the Worlds as well as Olympics is decided not only by the results of the Nationals in Japan, not like the USA before.

The results of the Grand Prix Final, ISU world ranking, and their best score in this season are also considered.

For example, in 2013, Mao won the Grand Prix Final, and her ranking was the highest of the Japanese lady skaters with the best score. She had been the first runner for Sochi as well as the Worlds 2014 even before the Nationals.

USA seems to have changed its way a little from the last season, maybe a bit similar to Japanese way. It may be risky anyway to decide the berth only by the Nationals.

I think this was the reason why Yuzuru wanted to win GPF 2011, that is, to get the ticket to the Worlds 2012 for sure in the tough competion of Japanese men's singles.
Click to expand...

(plus Dai making the Sochi team even though he finished 5th at Nationals. He made GPF but withdrew because of that knee. thanks for bringing up a point that I'd forgotten heh)
 
~Pamina~ said:
I'm not quite sure that he meant to say "experience is an excuse" :) I guess he doesn't want to say "I lack experience, therefore it is no surprise that I didn't win against X or Y". That's making excuses, because those who came before you will always have more experience. Doesn't mean that you should give up before you even started. And IIRC, he also said quite often that he's glad he got to complete against Patrick so many times, because he gained valuable experience going up against a skater like him.
Click to expand...
:agree: I was just trying to differentiate between what he meant and what I meant - years of competing vs competitions within a season. I think I wasn't too clear on that bit.
 
SuzyQ said:
I think this is because the berth for the Worlds as well as Olympics is decided not only by the results of the Nationals in Japan, not like the USA before.

The results of the Grand Prix Final, ISU world ranking, and their best score in this season are also considered.

For example, in 2013, Mao won the Grand Prix Final, and her ranking was the highest of the Japanese lady skaters with the best score. She had been the first runner for Sochi as well as the Worlds 2014 even before the Nationals.

USA seems to have changed its way a little from the last season, maybe a bit similar to Japanese way. It may be risky anyway to decide the berth only by the Nationals.

I think this was the reason why Yuzuru wanted to win GPF 2011, that is, to get the ticket to the Worlds 2012 for sure in the tough competion of Japanese men's singles.

Actually, Takahiko Kozuka could not get the ticket although he was the 3rd in the Nationals 2013. (After all, Daisuke cancelled and Takahiko got the ticket to the Worlds.)
Click to expand...

Thank you, didn't know about that. So Takahiko could not get the spot because of low rating?
 
I got my funny little FS magazines today. The closer you get to that cover, the worse it looks :laugh:
Caused by bad picture, bad editing, low budget? I don't know. I just know that it looks bad.

Actually, a lot of those pictures are just :rolleye: ...maybe it's due to the low budget or just bad editing, but on practically every other page there's at least one WTH-photo (those are ok, but many of the rest: meh. I'm not a fan. Some of the articles were a good read, so it wasn't a complete waste, but I think I'll just stick to my internet sources from now on.)

Anyways, news-wise there's not much to report, but there's an interview with Orser in one issue. Much of this has been said in other interviews, but I thought I'd translate it anyway ^^ (just to make myself feel a tiny bit useful today)

Question: What's the secret to your success?
Answer: I just have a really good team to work with. I'm not a one-man-show. I have Tracy Wilson, who does a fantastic job. Whenever I'm not there, she is. For example, when I was in Sofia, she worked full-time at the Cricket Club with Javier and Yuzuru. With David Wilson and Jeff Buttle I have two great choreographers, who work with the skaters all the time. That way they are always in good hands, and I always communicate with them via email. I believe in them and their abilities, and I'm constantly part of their figure skating life. Then there's Paige Aistrop. She helps a lot regarding spins and always finds the best position for every skater. She experiments with a lot of different things to make sure that they will get the levels and the bonus points. Today the bonus points for the elements are a big part of the overall success. It's not just about jumping 3-3 combinations, but you have to do 3-3 with good speed, quality and flow. By earning bonus points, you win championships.

Q: Your skaters appear to be mentally quite strong. Why is that?
A: I'm not a psychologist, but Tracy and I do have a lot of experience. Every skater is different and we try to understand each of them as an individual. If you're well prepared for a competition, you're going to be mentally strong. I was always taught, that I could rely on my average abilities. That's why you have to work on improving your average abilities. You don't go into a competition and just hope that you'll skate well, but you know that you're able to skate well and you hope that you'll be able to show your average abilities. I helped develop an app, 'Peak Performance Skating'. I worked with a hypnotist on it. This app is customized for figure skating and aims to improve one's performance in a competition. It contains relaxation techniques and strengthens all the things they need to know about skating, performing and competing. My skaters all use it.

Q: How different are your three top skaters?
A: They are completely different, especially Javier and Yuzuru. Yuzuru has always been more sheltered. He lives with his mother and is enrolled at a university, so he studies a lot. He is very, very disciplined, especially off ice. Javier is prone to the Spanish culture, he lives alone and spends a lot of time with his girlfriend. He cooks for himself, cleans for himself and comes to the rink every day on his own. He is a free spirit, and that's what makes him special. Nam is 15, still a child. His parents are Vietnamese and very strict. Discipline comes first, in regard to skating as well as school. His parents are very involved. Sometimes we work well together and sometimes we clash. I try to understand each of their cultures and find a balance. Nam is probably the one who works the hardest.

[...]

Q: How is the atmosphere at your international club?
A: Another key to success is that we have created a great community and a positive environment. Tracy and I try every day to read our skaters, just to see where they are and what they need at the moment, and we communicate with them a lot. We're very attentive and don't let anything slip through the cracks. We're able to recognize their needs, who might need a little push and who might need a little break. Sometimes they need a break from me and sometimes I need a break from them (laughs).

Q: What's your training philosophy?
A: We have our own style, our technique which we apply, and we hope that our skaters are able to adopt it. That takes time and patience and we don't have a quick fix. I don't have a magic wand. I think it's all about communication and a positive environment. Everybody is part of that, also the administrative staff, those who manage other sports and the other athletes. I surround myself with exceptional people - that's my philosophy.

Q: What are your plans for the next season?
A: First I will take a break. I'll take a vacation in Spain. Then we'll start again with new energy. We have to decide if Nam will still compete in Juniors or move up, I also have to work with some skaters for the JGP and then there's the GP. The GPF will be held in Barcelona, which is great. It does put a little extra pressure on Javier, but he can handle that. We're already thinking about the next Olympics. It's amazing how time flies from one Olympic cycle to the next one. We're already thinking about strategies and where we want to be with these guys in four years time.

Q: How did you manage to make such a smooth transition from a top skater to a successful coach?
A: After I retired from competitive skating in 1988, I did tours and ice shows for about 17 years, but in that time I also did a lot of seminars. I learned how to teach skating. I think I have a good relationship with my skaters and can teach them good techniques. Maybe it's because I have passion for what I do. I want these kids to be successful and want to bring out the best in them. If they are willing, we can succeed in that together.
Click to expand...

(interview probably given in English, translated into German, and now back into English again :biggrin: the circle of life)
 
Klarnet said:
Thank you, didn't know about that. So Takahiko could not get the spot because of low rating?
Click to expand...

Takahiko could not make GPF (6th in SA, 3rd in CoC).

Daisuke was considered to be more qualified by his achievement of the season (4th in SA, 1st in NHK with good scores, and made GPF) compared to Takahiko. And his ISU ranking was higher.
Daisuke's injury was a concern, but it was thought to be healed before Sochi.

If Nobunari Oda was the 3rd in the Nationals, the situation could have been more complicated, because he was the 3rd in GPF (competed as the substitute for Daisuke) :rolleye:

No one doubted about Yuzuru and Mao. That's for sure :agree:
 
It's really interesting to read the posts on this fanfest forum, especially the discussion on qualifications for competitions. Also, I'm glad that Yuzu is in Toronto training, away from the media. :)
 
~Pamina~ said:
I got my funny little FS magazines today. The closer you get to that cover, the worse it looks :laugh:
Caused by bad picture, bad editing, low budget? I don't know. I just know that it looks bad.

Actually, a lot of those pictures are just :rolleye: ...maybe it's due to the low budget or just bad editing, but on practically every other page there's at least one WTH-photo (those are ok, but many of the rest: meh. I'm not a fan. Some of the articles were a good read, so it wasn't a complete waste, but I think I'll just stick to my internet sources from now on.)

Anyways, news-wise there's not much to report, but there's an interview with Orser in one issue. Much of this has been said in other interviews, but I thought I'd translate it anyway ^^ (just to make myself feel a tiny bit useful today)



(interview probably given in English, translated into German, and now back into English again :biggrin: the circle of life)
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for your translation, ~Pamina~ :yay:
 
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