Yuzuru Hanyu: 2016-17 Season

[alia jackson]

He does :agree:

11yo interview: My goal is Olympic gold medal. The one after Vancouver.

15yo interview: I want to be able to participate in the Sochi Olympics and build experience, and get a gold medal at the following Olympics.

2014 interview: Even at the time I won the Olympic gold medal I already have another target in a separate place. Pyeongchang awaits.

2015 interview: I have firmly set my goal for Pyeongchang, and I want to work hard every day in a way that I will be able to grow.

2015 interview after NHK: This is not the 2018 Olympic Games, so I won’t retire now.


Yuzu for choosing skating over baseball and not retiring after Sochi

 

[skatefan22]

Umm, what does it mean?

I think it means Brian let Yuzu do whatever he wants and just occasionally checks on him.

 

[Sorrento]

I don't think that is accurate. Remember the plan Brian wrote for Yuzu when he was training in Japan season 2014/15? Well, they discuss what is to be done and put down the plan for each training session. So I don't think it's like Yuzu comes and skates and Brian checks on him couple of times during session. He works according to the plan, always.

I think it means Brian let Yuzu do- whatever he wants and just occasionally checks on him.

 

[kamato93]

That's nothing surprising. Fernandez was not training by a top coach untill he was senventeen, and it was for free (not totally support). No parents monitoring to become a skater since child (as Tracy Wilson told). He has learnt what's to be a competitive skater means from Brian (he was twenty), no support by any team. Nothing to do with Hanyu who was a true sportman with his own team when he decided to ask for Brian.

 

[skatefan22]

I don't think that is accurate. Remember the plan Brian wrote for Yuzu when he was training in Japan season 2014/15? Well, they discuss what is to be done and put down the plan for each training session. So I don't think it's like Yuzu comes and skates and Brian checks on him couple of times during session. He works according to the plan, always.

Well, grazing is the literal translation of what he said. We can wait till the full translation to come out so that we have the context. But according to the book, Brian definitely has a much more detailed plan and closer look on Javier. He gave more freedom to Yuzu. That's for sure.

That's nothing surprising. Fernandez was not training by a top coach untill he was senventeen, and it was for free (not totally support). No parents monitoring to become a skater since child (as Tracy Wilson told). He has learnt what's to be a competitive skater means from Brian (he was twenty), no support by any team. Nothing to do with Hanyu who was a true sportman with his own team when he decided to ask for Brian.

I agree with every word you said except that Javier doesn't have a team. Remember that bunch of Spanish officials and people taking picture with him after wc2016 award ceremony, the bunch of people which Yuzu initially didn't want to join?

 

[mcq]

I don't think that is accurate. Remember the plan Brian wrote for Yuzu when he was training in Japan season 2014/15? Well, they discuss what is to be done and put down the plan for each training session. So I don't think it's like Yuzu comes and skates and Brian checks on him couple of times during session. He works according to the plan, always.

Not sure cause I don't read the book myself, but I read a lot of Brian's interview and it seems to be in agreement with what is supposed to be in the book. He said that he doesn't need to pester Yuzuru to go for training, unlike Javier. Brian mentioned multiple times in his interviews that Javier was lazy and unmotivated before and he sometimes even need to get "angry" because of how he trains, while Yuzuru is more disciplined and self-managing. Tracy Wilson also mentioned similar thing in her interview with TSL. I don't think it necessarily meant they just let Yuzu "do whatever he wants", considering they limit his training time in Toronto and have training regimens for him.

 

[skatefan22]

Not sure cause I don't read the book myself, but I read a lot of Brian's interview and it seems to be in agreement with what is supposed to be in the book. He said that he doesn't need to pester Yuzuru to go for training, unlike Javier. Brian mentioned multiple times in his interviews that Javier was lazy and unmotivated before and he sometimes even need to get "angry" because of how he trains, while Yuzuru is more disciplined and self-managing. Tracy Wilson also mentioned similar thing in her interview with TSL. I don't think it necessarily meant they just let Yuzu "do whatever he wants", considering they limit his training time in Toronto and have training regimens for him.

Exactly like grazing. You chose a land of grass for your cows and let them wander within that area as they like. If you find that some are moving too far away, you made them come back a bit.

 

[mcq]

Exactly like grazing. You chose a land of grass for your cows and let them wander within that area as they like. If you find that some are moving too far away, you made them come back a bit.

Yeah, perhaps some people think that the choice of words kind of imply that it is not a good thing. Actually it is normal, cause my coach was also using this "grazing" method too. It is quite common when a coach has many students. You keep an eye at a number of people at once and let them do what they should do and stop them when they aren't doing something right. Besides, this should not come off as a surprise considering there are like multiple documentaries about Yuzuru and when he trains at TCC they show that Brian is doing exactly this, so I don't really see anything new and contradictory? :think:

 

[Sorrento]

Yeah, perhaps some people think that the choice of words kind of imply that it is not a good thing.

It's not about good or bad, it's about imagining figure skaters as cows on the grass. My imagination is good but it can't handle this image. Cows don't jump like crazy.

 

[mcq]

It's not about good or bad, it's about imagining figure skaters as cows on the grass. My imagination is good but it can't handle this image. Cows don't jump like crazy.

Haha, I understand!

 

[PatricksGaze]

I agree with every word you said except that Javier doesn't have a team. Remember that bunch of Spanish officials and people taking picture with him after wc2016 award ceremony, the bunch of people which Yuzu initially didn't want to join?

That was never a bunch of officials. It was a bunch of his Spanish colleagues. His Spanish friends with his choreographer David. Yuzu was shy to step on the Spanish team territory as an only Japanese. That's it.

 

[Pamigena]

great, now I hear cowbells in my head for the sake of the metaphor, can we say it's like a shepherd and his adorable little lambs? (also, it's way easier to imagine lambs jumping around. Not as weird as Pogo Cow.)

 

[skatefan22]

That was never a bunch of officials. It was a bunch of his Spanish colleagues. His Spanish friends with his choreographer David. Yuzu was shy to step on the Spanish team territory as an only Japanese. That's it.

Alright. No officials. But still, as you rightly put, the Spanish team. Javier has team - the #JFTeam - that's my point.

As for Yuzu, he initially didn't want to join probably because he was shy or probably because of other reasons. We don't know.

 

[alia jackson]

Anyone knows the page of the grazing part?

 

[PatricksGaze]

Alright. No officials. But still, as you rightly put, the Spanish team. Javier has team - the #JFTeam - that's my point.

Spanish team means Spanish skaters put together. It's not the same as personal athlete's dedicated team.

 

[mcq]

great, now I hear cowbells in my head for the sake of the metaphor, can we say it's like a shepherd and his adorable little lambs? (also, it's way easier to imagine lambs jumping around. Not as weird as Pogo Cow.)

Well shepherd and sheep seem to be a nicer metaphor, haha

Spanish team means Spanish skaters put together. It's not the same as personal athlete's dedicated team.

I think Javi does have a team though. Not sure if it is something like Yuzuru's team or not. But I saw him thanking his team on twitter and call it the JF Team

 

[skatefan22]

Spanish team means Spanish skaters put together. It's not the same as personal athlete's dedicated team.

Are there so many Spanish skaters qualified for the worlds? I think it is quite safe to assume people surrounding the winning skater after award ceremony are his team. For example, people surrounding Yuzu after sochi ceremony taking photo with him, we normally just assume that they are his team, right? Anyway, Javier frequently tag #JFTeam. So he thinks he has a team.

 

[Rissa]

Not as weird as Pogo Cow.)

I clicked expecting Anna Pogorilaya dressed as a cow or wearing a cowbell or mooing, and I was so relieved it was not!

 

[Sorrento]

great, now I hear cowbells in my head for the sake of the metaphor, can we say it's like a shepherd and his adorable little lambs? (also, it's way easier to imagine lambs jumping around. Not as weird as Pogo Cow.)

A lonely shepherd. Sorry, couldn't help it. That song also is a part of Kill Bill OST. I wish someone skated to it nowadays but I think it also sounds a bit oldfashioned. I'd start the skate with a spin.

 

[PatricksGaze]

I think Javi does have a team though. Not sure if it is something like Yuzuru's team or not. But I saw him thanking his team on twitter and call it the JF Team

Well, federation representatives are in charge of many things about the athlete during the competition so it may be that. It may be his friends or family. It's nice if he has a team but I'm not sure this "Team" always sticks around him, dealing with his athlete things the way Yuzu's team does. I remember Brian was clear about this difference in one of his interviews.
I guess both methods work best for both of them. Two different athletes, two different worlds. I wonder what kind of coaching team they'd make together, running Cricket or something