Yuzuru Hanyu: 2016-17 Season

[Danibellerika]

Oh, i didnt know what had happened..

Anyway, yuzu shouldnt apologize to prince. I dont think he will keep this SP judging from his interviews. Today is not his day. That's all. He's a human and only 22 years old. Every mountain he must climb is leading to the gold of pyeongchang. I believe so.

GO, yuzu!

I have to say, I am a bit touched that Yuzu cares that much that it was the anniversary of Prince's death. As a fan pretty much out of the womb, I was crying that day.

 

[katonice]

Yes! Even though he can't perform LGC cleanly.. I honestly thinking his SP at NHK, GPF, and World's were great! It was fun to watch. I'm agree with a fresh SP for next season. Considering it will be Olympic season and the number of crazy quads, he needs a strong but save program that suit him. LGC is too difficult IMO.

I think if Yuzu hears this, he'll probably want to keep LGC even more We know how he is with things that challenge him.

 

[Floria]

Oh, i didnt know what had happened..

Anyway, yuzu shouldnt apologize to prince. I dont think he will keep this SP judging from his interviews. Today is not his day. That's all. He's a human and only 22 years old. Every mountain he must climb is leading to the gold of pyeongchang. I believe so.

GO, yuzu!

:2thumbs:

You know, whenever he has the situation when he needs show his best I just keep on saying- just do your thing. I wish he did not bring the expectations with him for every actual skate. It is too much to bear. I really want him to find a way to focus on what he can do best and enjoy the process because he really loves figure skating. I want it to be a happy place for him, again. Tomorrow, hopefully?

This is exactly what worked for FS at Worlds.

 

[Yuaz]

I'm only guessing but maybe the stress and the pressure of the competition was getting to him a bit...?

I dunno but it's just a huge amount of pressure on him externally and internally...

He looked fine the day before... perhaps he really felt the big pressure today..? He really needs to not to think about the score and just enjoy skating.. But with all expectations people had to him.. I can feel the burden on him. I just can't believe he's survived till now and still give us a great performances (and also WR)

 

[xibsuarz]

After what happened today I really hope he will chance this SP. Make a new one with a music chosen by himself and with which he will feel comfortable and to love it not experiments.

Didn't he say that, while he would get involved in the FS, he would leave the SP up to Jeff? Although I think that by now he knows what fits Yuzu best and I hope they won't go with something risky for the Olympic season.

 

[sublimeskating]

Yes! Even though he can't perform LGC cleanly.. I honestly thinking his SP at NHK, GPF, and World's were great! It was fun to watch. I'm agree with a fresh SP for next season. Considering it will be Olympic season and the number of crazy quads, he needs a strong but save program that suit him. LGC is too difficult IMO.

I agree with you! It's a fun program and he's done a great job of performing it in NHK, GPF, and Worlds.

I especially loved his LGC at GPF because he looked like he was having so much fun! His enjoyment was contagious and it made even those who watch it feel it!

That type of fun and happiness is what I wanna see from him. Forget all the pressure and quads race, etc. - when he's in the zone and enjoys his skating, that's when he does best.

Look at how well his Hope and Legacy turned out at Worlds because he felt more calm.

 

[sublimeskating]

I have to say, I am a bit touched that Yuzu cares that much that it was the anniversary of Prince's death. As a fan pretty much out of the womb, I was crying that day.

Another I love about Yuzu is that he's always so respectful to others. It speaks very well of his character and he's just such a nice guy

 

[ralucutzagy]

We are close to 4500 pg, guys, and not in the best of spirits!
Come on, Yuzu, let LGC behind and do that H&L in a way that will make you happy and all will be in the past! Love you with all my heart!

 

[serafine]

It's great to see positive posts here at a time like this I believe right now he is in a good care with his family and team. Please rest well Yuzu and don't beat yourself too much

Speaking of Tracy, I love seeing her carrying pooh at the board. Great to see her at KnC with Yuzu :yes: Yeah I take comfort with the small things :yes:

 

[hamaguri]

He has always a tremendous amount pressure. Shoma said at Nationals 2016 where yuzu was absent that he didn’t know yuzu had fought with such an amount of pressure. His pressure is always beyond our imagination.

This time, he just got tired too much. After Worlds, he must have attended to the event, interviews, commented about Mao…. He always devotes himself to what he’s doing and he really wanted to show his gratitude for fans. His schedule was too busy after worlds. Even me, after I came back from Helsinki, still I cant get back to a normal mode in my life. His program is too difficult and it needs a lot of concentration. That’s all. But I really love such yuzu. He always does his best with everything and not trying to save his energy. His attitudes like this sometimes leads to a failure this time (he’s not a machine!) , but it’s very human!
This season, he was late for his injury. But he got the big title of GPF and what’s more, he got back the Worlds title! What else can we wish with him? He succeeded with his peaking. His peaking was Worlds 2017. Do you remember the WTT 2015? After his EX of WTT 2015, he laughed that his peaking was WTT, not WC which was most important.

Of course, I know he got totally angered at himself. So I really wish he will achieve the performance which he wants to. That’s all.

 

[YuzusHydroblade]

We are close to 4500, guys, and not in the best of spirits!
Come on, Yuzu, let LGC behind and do that H&L in a way that will make you happy and all will be in the past! Love you with all my heart!

I know I'm still going to be worried for 4S3T...
Not because of the score but because I worry about how that would impact him...

 

[sublimeskating]

A couple of loose thoughts after today's SP.
I see many people (not necessarily here) saying that he should be less focused on perfection and more on enjoying himself when skating. This kind of approach will NEVER ever work with a perfectionist. I know, I am one, and had some troubles because of this over the years.

A perfectionist can only enjoy themselves when they are good technically. If something goes wrong, if they make a mistake, they can no longer be happy or relax. That's the way we are. We are also obsessive worriers, struggle with self-esteem and work best under immense pressure. Sounds familiar?

I am a performer and there used to a piece during which I would always have a memory lapse on stage. Compare this to... popping a jump. My friends and coaches would make a joke that this piece was "cursed" and kind of made fun of it. After a while I gave up and stopped performing it because I pretty much developed a weird trauma because of being obssessed with the mistakes, which appeared no matter how prepared I was. Plus because I am a freaking perfectionist, I had this image in my head that I would always fail in this piece, no matter what. It took me 3 years to perform that piece cleanly two times in a row. I guess I learned a lesson.

I don't think Yuzuru should fight his perfectionism, because that's who he is - he should accept it and treat it as his strength. But, comparing his body language before SP today with Shoma's (congrats to him! and a good sport at knc), the difference is staggering. I would love to see someone with background in psychology analyze this a bit. (from my own experience - I behave similarly when I'm "off" - tense posture, looks that could kill).

I am not too worried because this competition is not that important, mistakes like could happen to anyone, even in most relaxed circumstances. In fact, it makes me respect him more as a performer and grounds me a little bit, especially when I obsess over my mistakes. I also don't expect a brilliant free skate tomorrow, because I suppose he still will be hung up over his mistakes from today. The humiliation that he surely must feel is hard to get through, but ironically, it can lessen the pressure.

What do you guys think? His mind surely isn't his weakness but he needs to work out how to be better attuned to his mental condition. He's blessed with great technique, talent for performing and good work ethic. I'm sure he'll come up with a solution!

Thank you for giving another interesting perspective on performance!

I think Yuzu is a very strong person mentally as well. It just feels sad when he looks so upset with himself (I'm not sure if I'm expressing this properly ... like, seeing him sad makes me feel sad for him...? I just want to see him happy...)

Regardless of which competition it is, I think it's quite normal for anybody (even world class athletes or performers) to have "off" days, because they're only human and not machines.

Yuzu's perfectionism is part of who he is and also motivates him to achieve great things. I'm not saying he should not be a perfectionist, just that I don't want to see him beat himself up over his mistakes (but of course, being a perfectionist, it can't be helped)...

Yuzu is talented and hard working, so combined with his perfectionism it just pushes him to become the awesome skater he is. It's just that, with all the expectations put on him and his tendency to beat himself up over mistakes, sometimes I wonder if it's not very healthy mentally...?

(I'm not a psychologist but my best friend works in the mental health profession and she's told me some stories over the years of people who develop depression due to long term negative stresses... of course I'm NOT saying this is the case of Yuzu but it does happen to some people and it's really sad because it's a vicious cycle... I repeat, I'm NOT saying this is Yuzu's case!)

 

[nekun]

thats why I don't like the rivalry drama created by J'media, afterall Yuzu always got the pressure and Shoma got the momentum

 

[Floria]

Yes! Even though he can't perform LGC cleanly.. I honestly thinking his SP at NHK, GPF, and World's were great! It was fun to watch. I'm agree with a fresh SP for next season. Considering it will be Olympic season and the number of crazy quads, he needs a strong but save program that suit him. LGC is too difficult IMO.

It is very difficult but not too difficult for him. Today it could have been his best LGC perfomance, but it didn't happen just because it was the wrong day. He almost get it at GPF, I don't care much about the 4lo landing.

It is just my wishful thinking but I want something like Etude for next season SP. Dramatic and romantic, it suits him so well.

 

[Farnaz]

In my country, like many other countries, soccer is the most popular sport; people in my hometown love our three teams that play in the league. Whenever, we have a home game and we receive a goal, 100,000 spectators in the stadium shout right way "Never mind, never mind, never mind, ...".
I'm sure most of Japanese spectators are Yuzuru fans and I wish I could see sth like that; when he pops a jump some thousands of people chant altogether "Non de monai, Non de monai, ... "

P.S. Forgive me Japanese posters for my poor Japanese; I'm not sure if "Non de monai" really means "Never mind".

 

[FTnoona]

I can't really remember the last time he hasn't skated in the final group! Was it Worlds 2013?
Hoping he doesn't feel too wound up after the SP.

 

[ralucutzagy]

I know I'm still going to be worried for 4S3T...
Not because of the score but because I worry about how that would impact him...

I feel you, but thanks God, it's the end of a long season that finished unexplectedly good (gold at GPF and WC), after the injuries and other things.
Thinking about the future oly season and maybe with a good performance tomorow, he will feel cheered up and he will forget about what happend today.
And us too.

 

[Marin]

But it seems as he left the arena he yelled to the audience supporting him there he'll ganbaru~ tomorrow

 

[Danibellerika]

In my country, like many other countries, soccer is the most popular sport; people in my hometown love our three teams that play in the league. Whenever, we have a home game and we receive a goal, 100,000 spectators in the stadium shout right way "Never mind, never mind, never mind, ...".
I'm sure most of Japanese spectators are Yuzuru fans and I wish I could see sth like that; when he pops a jump some thousands of people chant altogether "Non de monai, Non de monai, ... "

P.S. Forgive me Japanese posters for my poor Japanese; I'm not sure if "Non de monai" really means "Never mind".

I myself would be shouting 大丈夫!!! (daijoubu) - "it's okay". Not sure if there is a common chant for that kind of thing though.

 

[Yuaz]

He has always a tremendous amount pressure. Shoma said at Nationals 2016 where yuzu was absent that he didn’t know yuzu had fought with such an amount of pressure. His pressure is always beyond our imagination.

This time, he just got tired too much. After Worlds, he must have attended to the event, interviews, commented about Mao…. He always devotes himself to what he’s doing and he really wanted to show his gratitude for fans. His schedule was too busy after worlds. Even me, after I came back from Helsinki, still I cant get back to a normal mode in my life. His program is too difficult and it needs a lot of concentration. That’s all. But I really love such yuzu. He always does his best with everything and not trying to save his energy. His attitudes like this sometimes leads to a failure this time (he’s not a machine!) , but it’s very human!
This season, he was late for his injury. But he got the big title of GPF and what’s more, he got back the Worlds title! What else can we wish with him? He succeeded with his peaking. His peaking was Worlds 2017. Do you remember the WTT 2015? After his EX of WTT 2015, he laughed that his peaking was WTT, not WC which was most important.

Of course, I know he got totally angered at himself. So I really wish he will achieve the performance which he wants to. That’s all.

THIS. I still can't believe how he handle all the pressure on him.. Like how many years already? If we count it from post-Sochi until now.. Wow.. he never give up on the competition.. Always work hard and train hard. Breaks the limit. All the obstacles and injury. He's such a fighter. I wish him always healthy and happy!