Sophie Moroi posted the below @YHIFG FB:
Here is the quick translation of the latest ANA interview (which Echo Cheng has already shared in a different post). Please note that I have translated only the actual comments made by Yuzuru, as the other parts are just facts that regular Yuzuru fans in this group should already be well aware of.
Original in Japanese:
https://www.ana.co.jp/promotion/ready-for-take-off/yuzuru-hanyu/
Title: “Soul of a champion, who accepts destiny and transfigures it into power”
(The interview took place in late August in Japan.)
‘I haven’t been able to do any hard practice yet, but I don’t feel impatient. Since this is still a ‘pre-season’ [one season before the Olympic season], I would like to brush up high-level elements and complete them. The theme for this season is ‘Challenge’ again. At the time when I resumed the training on ice, I tended to jump Lutz and Loops many times as they give less burden on the left foot. I am slightly tempted to try 4Lz but it’s not realistic to include it in a programme at this moment.’
‘The short programme is a cheerful music with a high-tempo, so it would be great if audience can feel coolness and passion. On the contrary, the FS is different from the one for the last season which had a specific character; this year, it’s a piano music full of emotion. How to feel it would differ from persons to persons, but I’d like to wake up “something” that is lying at the bottom of one’s heart. They have completely different impressions, so I would like to show different aspects of respective programmes within the same competition.’
[Yuzuru didn’t give more details at it was still end of August.]
[For Yuzuru, travels have always been either for competitions are training. He has learnt something by travelling for numerous times between Japan and Canada.]
‘The flight to Toronto takes about 12 hours, so I have got used to long flights. Since participation in competitions abroad always requires taking flights, it has given me very good experience. In flights going to competitions, I basically make it a rule to sleep, to avoid jet-lag. During flights after competitions, I sometimes look back my performance and identify next assignments, but it often happens that I do games and get really relaxed (laughter).’
[When asked about his ‘flight-mate’, he enthusiastically responded with his eyes shining.]
‘My ‘flight-mate’ is earphones. I use different ones depending upon my feeling, pieces of music to listen to, and scenes. I sometimes choose sound-proof ones or those that fit [to my ears] best, but the most important factor is the quality of sound. With one type, I can hear delicate sounds or “sounds that fall out” [sorry, the meaning unclear to the translator!]. Or, when I am tired, I choose the earphones that give me mild sounds. When I want to motivate myself by listening to aggressive music, the ones that are good at clarity of sounds. I always carry with myself 5 or 6 sets [of earphones], or even 8 sets at most.’
[When shown photos of himself with earphones on] he smiled and said
‘Oh, my photos with earphones on are so new! I am so happy!’
‘I listen to the music used for programmes for numerous times as part of daily life, and make sure that I can figure out with my own body that “oh, there is this sound here” or “ah there is that kind of sound”.’
[Asked as to how he keeps his motivation…]
‘I think it’s because [figure-skating] is versatile [or multifaceted]. Expression, skating skills, jumps, steps, spins, etc. it is a sport comprised with multiple aspects. To be sure, my major strengths are that each element can yield high quality and that there is no empty room between elements. But, I would like to learn the skating skills of other competitors whose edgework is excellent. There are lots of things to learn from other skaters who respectively have wonderful skills. Certainly, there is a certain difficulty to run as a top runner, but I don’t feel as if I were being chased in every aspect. Rather, I feel that I would like to catch up in this aspect, or that I am not defeated in this aspect. Feeling in this way, I tackle with my full strength the things that would grow myself, and therefore I can maintain the motivation to get better and to evolve even more.’
[As regards Pyeong-chang Olympics]
‘I do have a determination to get a gold medal by all means! It’s the same as what I feel for any other competitions; I would like to win any competition and make good performance at every competition. Be it the competition held only once per 4 years or the one held every year, it’s all the “same competition”. So, I am determined to get a gold medal definitely.’
[Being asked about his plan after winning the second gold medal…]
‘Well, what should I do? It would be good to get as many as possible ;-)’
:luv17::thumbsup:I am now really hopeful that he might continue even after winning gold in 2018.
Resposting here my post from the Yuri on Ice thread::eekn:
They look like really cheap plastic necklaces but I loved putting them on by the dozen when I was like 5 (they made me feel like a fancy grown up). Over here, they are really popular in weddings and graduation parties, waiters suddenly start giving them out and all the ladies (and some men) end up with them around their necks by the end of the party. In the US, a famous tradition in Mardi Gras in New Orleans is to throw these things around 
. I think he done enough for the sport already. As much as I would love to see 4A, since if anyone can do it Yuzu would be the one, I'd rather he stop before needing multiple spinal surgeries like Plushenko.
Even though I have grown fond of other skaters (and finally appreciate the sport), I started watching figure skating because of Yuzuru. And if he'll retire, I too will do the same. 
