Yuzuru Hanyu: 2016-17 Season

[Fayruza]

Now I have a really important, burning question - why does this thread get live and start discussing really exciting things just when I have to get up real early next morning?

 

[mcq]

I hope the skating gods hear you, but i guess it's more of a matter of "preparing for the worst" I would love to see him skate live

You beat me to it!
I was actually about to ask the same thing, did we get anything post that interview? Because judging by that, and that's the most recent that we have, he seems to want to stay and get more. He is highly competitive for one, so the idea of three possible golds has got to be a lure plus other young skaters more and more of a challenge. But he himself is young, so I think post PC could actually be his prime. I think the only think this will depend on is his health because otherwise I think he seems to want to stay post 2018 to 2022.

Lol, if it was for my own sake, I would prefer him to retire because I don't know if I am up for another 4 season of stress
BUT I think every skater should never be told to stop competing or on the contrary, continue competing against their will. Seeing Yuna skate post-vancouver was not a good experience for me since I have this uneasy feeling like half of her doesn't even want to be there. Or seeing Mao now and some people told her to stop competing when she looked like she still wanted to. I think as long as they earn their spot and are not given special treatment, it is ok for skaters to compete as long as they want. Being told to stop competing when you still want to is just as bad as being told to continue competing when you no longer desire to. So, I will just support whatever his future decision is. he has already given so much and I will cheer for him no matter what.

Now I have a really important, burning question - why does this thread get live and start discussing really exciting things just when I have to get up real early next morning?

I think this is what time difference does to all of us. Some are just waking up, others are just planning to go to bed

 

[YuzusHydroblade]

Lol, if it was for my own sake, I would prefer him to retire because I don't know if I am up for another 4 season of stress
BUT I think every skater should never be told to stop competing or on the contrary, continue competing against their will. Seeing Yuna skate post-vancouver was not a good experience for me since I have this uneasy feeling like half of her doesn't even want to be there. Or seeing Mao now and some people told her to stop competing when she looked like she still wanted to. I think as long as they earn their spot and are not given special treatment, it is ok for skaters to compete as long as they want. Being told to stop competing when you still want to is just as bad as being told to still competing when you no longer desire to. So, I will just support whatever his future decision is. he has already given so much and I will cheer for him no matter what.

The "just keep it for one more season so i can see you live" it's selfish, but if he said today "i am retiring right now" i would be okay with that, because i would hate to see more expressions like the one he had after SC's SP. He has my inconditional support.

I think this is what time difference does to all of us. Some are just waking up, others are just planning to go to bed

And for some of us is the middle of the day!

 

[Fayruza]

The "just keep it for one more season so i can see you live" it's selfish, but if he said today "i am retiring right now" i would be okay with that, because i would hate to see more expressions like the one he had after SC's SP. He has my inconditional support.


And for some of us is the middle of the day!

And some must be asleep then!

 

[YuzusHydroblade]

And some must be asleep then!

And then they wake up and " slow day, the thread advanced only 4 pages!"

 

[Fayruza]

And then they wake up and " slow day, the thread advanced only 4 pages!"

Yeah, we must really work harder than this!

 

[liv]

I am always of two minds when it comes to competitive skating and then skating past your prime, and I'm not talking about Yuzuru, but skaters in general. I dislike seeing a formerly very successful skater show diminishing skills (for whatever reason, age/injury etc..) thereby not achieving their former glory, but on the other hand, if that skater is enjoying skating and is doing it for other reasons beyond records and medals, then who am I to criticize their continuation in the sport? They have put so much time and money and energy into it, as have those who love and support them, and their competitive years are so fleeting in the grand scheme of things, that they should be able to do what they love for that brief moment in time. They will have the rest of their lives to be everyday people, if you could call them that... or should I say, be people who live everyday lives.

I love the internet. Just today, I woke up and wow, live figure skating from China!!! ... and next Friday when I wake up, it'll be live skating from Japan!!! What a way to start the morning!! And since I don't work Fridays, well, perfect timing! I remember when I was very little, having to wait and wait until they showed figure skating on tv to even see the results, I didn't even know there was a competition called NHK..... and now presto! youtube, livestreaming, dailymotion... for any and every event.

 

[Fayruza]

I am always of two minds when it comes to competitive skating and then skating past your prime, and I'm not talking about Yuzuru, but skaters in general. I dislike seeing a formerly very successful skater show diminishing skills (for whatever reason, age/injury etc..) thereby not achieving their former glory, but on the other hand, if that skater is enjoying skating and is doing it for other reasons beyond records and medals, then who am I to criticize their continuation in the sport? They have put so much time and money and energy into it, as have those who love and support them, and their competitive years are so fleeting in the grand scheme of things, that they should be able to do what they love for that brief moment in time. They will have the rest of their lives to be everyday people, if you could call them that... or should I say, be people who live everyday lives.

I love the internet. Just today, I woke up and wow, live figure skating from China!!! ... and next Friday when I wake up, it'll be live skating from Japan!!! What a way to start the morning!! And since I don't work Fridays, well, perfect timing! I remember when I was very little, having to wait and wait until they showed figure skating on tv to even see the results, I didn't even know there was a competition called NHK..... and now presto! youtube, livestreaming, dailymotion... for any and every event.

Incredible - and we moan and complain when the live stream fails for as much as a minute!

 

[YuzusHydroblade]

I am always of two minds when it comes to competitive skating and then skating past your prime, and I'm not talking about Yuzuru, but skaters in general. I dislike seeing a formerly very successful skater show diminishing skills (for whatever reason, age/injury etc..) thereby not achieving their former glory, but on the other hand, if that skater is enjoying skating and is doing it for other reasons beyond records and medals, then who am I to criticize their continuation in the sport? They have put so much time and money and energy into it, as have those who love and support them, and their competitive years are so fleeting in the grand scheme of things, that they should be able to do what they love for that brief moment in time. They will have the rest of their lives to be everyday people, if you could call them that... or should I say, be people who live everyday lives.

I love the internet. Just today, I woke up and wow, live figure skating from China!!! ... and next Friday when I wake up, it'll be live skating from Japan!!! What a way to start the morning!! And since I don't work Fridays, well, perfect timing! I remember when I was very little, having to wait and wait until they showed figure skating on tv to even see the results, I didn't even know there was a competition called NHK..... and now presto! youtube, livestreaming, dailymotion... for any and every event.

Streaming is a blessing for me since sport channels used to show FS here, but for the last two years i've had no luck :/

 

[lappo]

I am always of two minds when it comes to competitive skating and then skating past your prime, and I'm not talking about Yuzuru, but skaters in general. I dislike seeing a formerly very successful skater show diminishing skills (for whatever reason, age/injury etc..) thereby not achieving their former glory, but on the other hand, if that skater is enjoying skating and is doing it for other reasons beyond records and medals, then who am I to criticize their continuation in the sport? They have put so much time and money and energy into it, as have those who love and support them, and their competitive years are so fleeting in the grand scheme of things, that they should be able to do what they love for that brief moment in time. They will have the rest of their lives to be everyday people, if you could call them that... or should I say, be people who live everyday lives.

It's really bittersweet, indeed...I feel so sorry for what's happening to Mao that I sometimes would rather have her not go through that. Probably one of the reasons to continue in competitions is that there aren't as many opportunities as in the past (like the Ice wars or others), at least in some countries (well Japan and East Asia in general seem to fare better in this aspect than Europe and North America).

 

[Raomina]

I am always of two minds when it comes to competitive skating and then skating past your prime, and I'm not talking about Yuzuru, but skaters in general. I dislike seeing a formerly very successful skater show diminishing skills (for whatever reason, age/injury etc..) thereby not achieving their former glory, but on the other hand, if that skater is enjoying skating and is doing it for other reasons beyond records and medals, then who am I to criticize their continuation in the sport? They have put so much time and money and energy into it, as have those who love and support them, and their competitive years are so fleeting in the grand scheme of things, that they should be able to do what they love for that brief moment in time. They will have the rest of their lives to be everyday people, if you could call them that... or should I say, be people who live everyday lives.

Which is why it's probably a smart thing to go out when they're at the top. Unfortunately, athletes coming back past their primes and doing badly will taint their legacies, regardless of why they want to come back. That's the cost of whatever fulfillment they get out of coming back and yet I'm not sure how much fulfillment they really get when they do badly either...:hopelessness:

 

[Victor]

Agree… I found myself that as this GPS season is going on, ive got so much stress when I hear the scores or watch the protocols. I don’t know if I keep watching figure skating as a sport after his retirement. I don’t want to say so loudly since this is not the Edge thread, but I really feel the judging of this sport isn’t transparent. Yes, there are tons of clear standards, rules and regulations on papers. But applying them to each skater feels much different according to a skater or competition. On contrast, gymnastics is the same scoring sport but the names of judges and protocols are not published. However, the judging seems much fairer to all gymnasts and it’s quite easy to understand the reasons of the judging. It’s much different from figure skating.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP1De-yZHOc

Agree with Victor. Yuzuhydroblade’s explanation is to the point!
this video shows the scene of “ore dazo. it was at the Barcelona the audience was calling and cheering for Javi. I remember well the TV program describing his thought “ore-dazo”. "It’s me who are skating here from now!” But I don’t remember totally his interviews, so he may have said “ore-dazo” at the NHK interviews also. No wonder he thought “ore-dazo” at NHK cup also. That’s because luckily I was at the venue of Nagano. From my seat, the face of yuzu right before 6minutes warm up in the excitement of Boyang’s great performance (the venue shook..) wasnt seen. But actually I could feel his fierce fighting spirit like flame. It was really exciting and thrilling, which ill never forget.

I really love his aggressive and athlete side. And that situation, he shines most and looks ever handsome.

Sorry, I'm bringing up the old topic again here, cus I fell asleep right after I posted my comment last night.
Now, I totally remember the both scenes at NHK and GPF. You're right! I mixed up the both scene.
At NHK, he said "Miteroyo!" (You'll see who will get the highest score and win).
"Ore dazo!" is, yeah, in the interview at GPF. According to his explanation, the thunderous applause to Javi seemed to last forever while he was waiting for his turn om the ice. So he said "Ore dazo!" in his heart and jumped a 3A or a quad to make the audience notice it was his (yuzuru's) turn then. So, "it's my turn. I'm the one who is ruling this venue with the performance now!" is more correct, I think.
Anyway, you know, strong rivals (Boyan & Javi in these cases) always fuels the fire of his fighting spirit and lifts his morale, and such an excitement causes his a bit rough words as a man.
I agree with you, Hamaguri. he's really handsome on the ice!

 

[Meoima]

I am always of two minds when it comes to competitive skating and then skating past your prime, and I'm not talking about Yuzuru, but skaters in general. I dislike seeing a formerly very successful skater show diminishing skills (for whatever reason, age/injury etc..) thereby not achieving their former glory, but on the other hand, if that skater is enjoying skating and is doing it for other reasons beyond records and medals, then who am I to criticize their continuation in the sport? They have put so much time and money and energy into it, as have those who love and support them, and their competitive years are so fleeting in the grand scheme of things, that they should be able to do what they love for that brief moment in time. They will have the rest of their lives to be everyday people, if you could call them that... or should I say, be people who live everyday lives.

I love the internet. Just today, I woke up and wow, live figure skating from China!!! ... and next Friday when I wake up, it'll be live skating from Japan!!! What a way to start the morning!! And since I don't work Fridays, well, perfect timing! I remember when I was very little, having to wait and wait until they showed figure skating on tv to even see the results, I didn't even know there was a competition called NHK..... and now presto! youtube, livestreaming, dailymotion... for any and every event.

I think Yuzuru might stay for WC 2019 on home ice. After all it's the ideal situation for a skater to retire on their home ice. I don't think he will go to 2022.

 

[liv]

My gut feeling is that he will stay until 2019, as well... but part of me wonders, if circumstances are good, if he'll try to go further... When he said he wanted to go until 2018, well, that was 4 years away at the time, which seems like a long time when you are 19 years old. Now suddenly 4 years away has become 1 year and there is a little more hesitation on the subject, just based on that interview... He may not be ready for a total life change when it actually comes down to it. But, we could speculate on that for many more pages, lol!! I would rather focus on next week!! I have 2 days of leisure and 4 days of work before NHK, I think I can make it.

 

[melmel]

You know, I'm wondering if Yuzu would do like a "half-retirement" after the Olympics. Like maybe skipping the Grand Prix and only doing nationals and Worlds (and maybe 4CC). I don't even know if it's possible XD

 

[Meoima]

You know, I'm wondering if Yuzu would do like a "half-retirement" after the Olympics. Like maybe skipping the Grand Prix and only doing nationals and Worlds (and maybe 4CC). I don't even know if it's possible XD

He saw what happens to Mao. He even mentioned it in interviews. I don't think he will try that.

 

[kiches]

He saw what happens to Mao. He even mentioned it in interviews. I don't think he will try that.

Considering what happened during the Grand Prix after the Olympics (back pain causing withdrawal Fromm Finlandia, crash at CoC, then surgery) I actually thought he might skip the Grand Prix after the Olympics if he chose to continue. I remember he said that after 2014 Worlds that his elastic band was stretched too much and maybe it had snapped (can't remember the exact wording). If he wins gold again I think it might be good to take a Grand Prix break, he was so busy that summer I think it exhausted him and he didn't really get a chance to recuperate from the back pain he felt during Saitama before he started doing shows (and he did A LOT of shows that summer).

 

[alia jackson]

After Oly/Worlds 2014 he did ~42 ice shows plus shooting 5 commercials, numerous awards & events, sendai parade, magazines shoots, interviews resulting in little rest for his body to fully recover.

The 2014 interview on being stretched to the limit, "I can’t remember if it was Dai Tamesue (Japanese track and field representative) who said it, but your peak condition is like an elastic band. The more you pull on it, the higher it will shoot, but if you apply too much force, there’s a chance that the band will break. Right now, I'm the same a broken elastic band. If I was able to recover after the world championships, I wouldn’t be a broken elastic band, but since I participated in various ice shows, I’ve pulled very hard on my elastic band. Having exerted so much force in pulling my elastic band, I’ve resulted in the stump that I’m currently undergoing. However, I think that recognizing this problem is very beneficial, and I’m currently working on figuring out when will be best time for me to boost my current physical condition." (source)

He persevered in 2015-16, even with backpain, collision and surgery; and reduced summer ice shows to about 20. There were still lots of commercial obligations that he fulfilled.

I believe this summer due to the foot injury is the first time he really gotten a good rest since Oly/Worlds 2014. Even with that, the short time he was in Japan in August (was it only for 1 month?) he did 5 commercials/shootings (Bathclin, Nishikawa, Ghana, Xylitol, P&G) and 24hr charity skate :eeking:. I think we did not get any news regarding his scheduled meeting with Phiten though. Not sure whether he has meetings with ANA (maybe when they greeted him at the airport ) and Red Cross too.

All in all, I do hope he will have proper rest for his body to recover. As a skater in Japan with a deep men's field, if he is to continue after 2018, is he allowed to participate only at Nationals for his participation to 4CC and Worlds (I wish this for him if it is allowed)? Anyone knows JSF rules?

 

[Lindacrow]

All in all, I do hope he will have proper rest for his body to recover. As a skater in Japan with a deep men's field, if he is to continue after 2018, is he allowed to participate only at Nationals for his participation to 4CC and Worlds (I wish this for him if it is allowed)? Anyone knows JSF rules?

He probably can. Kinda like Miki did in the Olympic year, but he wont be able to rely on his GP results if he doesn't do well. But after 2018, the Japanese men's field wont be as deep anymore...Taka and Dice might retire (or not) so that leaves really only Shoma (maybe Sota) to compete against, unless another boy comes up in the ranks...I feel if he continues after 2018, he wouldn't want to go half in...He would either complete the entire season, or not compete at all.
I also doubt he would want to give up his GPF title if he somehow finds a way to defend the next two... It makes me feel nostalgic considering if he continues, he will be the oldest among the top tier of guys (if Javi and Patrick retire).

 

[mcq]

All in all, I do hope he will have proper rest for his body to recover. As a skater in Japan with a deep men's field, if he is to continue after 2018, is he allowed to participate only at Nationals for his participation to 4CC and Worlds (I wish this for him if it is allowed)? Anyone knows JSF rules?

He can. It is not JSF rules, but more like ISU rules. As long as he fulfill the minimum TES score using last season WC/olympic score and win Nats he can qualify. The problem with skipping international event is if you didn't do well at National, you basically have no additional result to help you qualify for the world/4cc/oly team. By rights, ISU requirement for world spot is National Champion/podium (depend on number of spots) + fulfilling minimum TES. If Japan has 3 spot, 1 would automatically go to 1st, the 2nd to 2nd but the 3rd spot could go to someone who doesn't make Nats podium but have a good international result (like medalling at GP or GPF). This is what happened when Daisuke Takahashi are chosen for the Olympic team even when he finished 5th at Japan Nats. They consider his good finish at winning NHK the same season. Thing will be different if a skater skip an entire season because they would need to do an international event under ISU to fulfill minimum TES (I think this happened to Yuna Kim after her hiatus?). More or less like that. Someone can correct me if I am wrong, this is just based on memory of looking at last WC qualification criteria. I think even before this you can even skip Nats, because I remember Yuna can go to WC on her early senior years even by skipping Nats. I heard that they will tweak the rules too so someone with a world/olympic medal can qualify even if they don't fulfill this Nats requirement, but I don't know if it has been applied.