I want to share this info with you, too: Yuzuru said he got extremely depressed; so low that he could not even jump a 3A, and it felt like everyone else was getting better and he was being left behind. This happened last year and much more so during his isolation when he had to practise all alone until October/November, and the only thing he did was to think hard about what skating meant for him. He then realised that only through skating he can express himself, and skating is himself. He also said that getting gold at Olympics would be an athlete’s ultimate goal but his life-time goal as a figure skater now is to land a beautiful 4A at a competition, and for that he may have to give up his desire to win at every competition, hence this spiritual piece of music / performance of H&E with not so much score-conscious tech content. He said he chose H&E because he resonates himself with Kenshin Uesugi, the theme of H&E drama, who was thought to be reincarnation of Bishamon (God of War) and is famous for his integrity and ingenious (almost artistic) battle skills.
@S K It is so true. 😿🌻💖 What is amazing about Yuzuru is that he does not hide those raw feelings, admits them as part of himself and appreciates his fortune for ‘being’. That is why he is sooo always thankful of everyone and everything that supports him, isn’t it?
Just a little correction, because of 4A training Hanyu started to not be able to properly do other jumps, like 4S, 4T, not even 3A, that was in Oct/Nov, and he started to mail his coaches looking for advices
@@florenciab7051 that’s true, too. I am sure that was the true reason but I also thought from watching his interviews that it was his mind, i.e., serotonin (or lack of?), that was letting him down? (maybe? )
Men Yuzuru Hanyu 0:20 new short (outfit, potential, performance) 5:01 Beijing Olympics 5:35 condition, training alone 6:50 free program 8:54 Quad Axel, high GOE 12:36 Yuzu/Nathan Chen/Kolyada/Shoma Uno rivalry Shoma Uno 15:12 programs (composition, skating skills, jumps) 17:10 virtual competitions for skaters 18:31 back to his free 19:19 training with Stéphane Lambiel, consistency, style 21:44 judging at japanese nationals 23:00 his potential for Beijing Yuma Kagiyama 24:19 Underdogs winning 25:58 Keiji Tanaka Shun Sato 27:50 Kazuki Tomono 31:32 Sota Yamamoto 35:40 Koshiro 37:29 Ladies Satoko Miyahara 38:05 Leg-centered technique 40:00 Rino Matsuike Mana Kawabe 44:58 Edit: Following timestamps by Amelia Dettwyller 45:00 Back to Satoko 47:38 Rika Kihira: competitive short program 48:53 Learning Languages 51:05 Back to Rika: less ice coverage and underrotations, possible contender against russians 56:37 Kaori Sakamoto: judges favorite, questionable jumps, great speed/ice coverage 1:01:53 Wakaba Higuchi: failed short program, inconsistency 1:04:14 Mai Mihara: health concerns ICE DANCE 1:06:00 Muramoto and Takahashi: good transitions, better rythm dance than long program 1:09:46 Komatsubara and Komatsubara: consistency and experience 1:10:22 Back to M and T: Daisuke's amazing transition to ice dance, coaching 1:15:40 Komatsubara's problematic programs? 1:16:19 Highlights of the competition! 1:17:39 Back to russian nationals 1:18:10 Beauty of japanese nationals
I really love his Heaven and Earth program, it is a prayer for the world peace especially during this Covid Pandemic crisis. As a healthcare worker and an ice skater since Michelle Kwan era, I love ice skating all my life but with Yuzuru Hanyu, something is very special in his performance. His program, Heaven and Earth, brought in very special aura to the climate. I love him and his skating , hope that people realize how much he brought into this skating world. I have been with the USFigure Skating world since the 90's and would love to have Yuzuru be our children's coach once he retire from competitions, but I think we have to fight with the JSF and the Chinese to get him here to Anaheim. thanks.
Yuzu blew my mind, the man in unreal. He looks more ease on the ice than in the past years and looks strong both mentally and physically. 'Heaven and Earth' is a divinely beautiful program, every movement of his arms, hands, upper body moves to the music, and he lands those jumps so smooth like knife in butter. 'Let Me Entertain' You has the total rockstar vibe, it’s a fun and is the complete opposite to his FS. His intention with the program was to cheer people up in these difficult times. The fact that he delivered two clean skates after competing for the first time in ten months, being far away from his coaches since March, training alone at night is unbelieveable. He talked about the difficulties to train alone, and that he had troubles with his quads and even with his 3A not so long ago. Then he came back and skated like that. Still speechless. I love that he chose something for his FS that is from his own culture and is close to his heart. H&E is very different musically and thematically than any of his previous programs and he interprets the nuances of it masterfully as always. He’s got that magic that draws people in. I wouldn’t mind if he polishes this program to brilliance for next season because it’d be a great choice for the Olympics in Beijing (in case he wants to go). Westerners might not like the music choice of it, mainly because the music has different structure than what they grew up with, a typical crescendo - climax - ending. It needs long time and effort to get used to something that is unfamiliar to their ears and most of them just give up to understand and appreciate it. I feel like only those can get into all kinds of programs who have more open minds culturally and open ears musically.
In the very end I don’t care who likes Yuzu’s programs or not, because his legacy will forever be cemented in this sport and he has already won everything in his fantastic carrer. If he is happy with how he performs that is enough for me. As a fan I can only be grateful as long as he competes.
TOTALLY agree with all that you say. As a Brit, I adored the FP. I loved the choice of music and his obvious connection to it. I was stunned at his conditioning, his focus, the precision of the choreography, the perfect jump technique (he was over his skate on every jump in the FP, stunned at that quad loop), and the artistry. The first time I watched it I was just was floored. From a historical point of view he is incredible. I am not as young as some on here I remember all the way back to Robin Cousins. Hanyu is already a legend. But I thought this was just next level brilliance.
So well said, thank you!! I've been thinking about how to articulate my thoughts about the LP but you've just summarized it perfectly there. I was moved to tears (which rarely happens) when I watched for the first time and then I watched it 5 more times, each time picking up more nuances. And then I was completely floored when I saw all the comments about people not liking the music, how he was "flat", how he wasn't emoting, etc. It's like we weren't even watching the same thing! If anything, I feel Yuzu's more invested and connected with this LP than many of his others. This one feels deeply personal to him it's like I'm seeing something very honest about his essence, rather than some character he's trying to "sell".
his crossovers are terrible, there were almost no transistions, the step seq was overdramatic as always as contrast to his slow, noodle skating earlier.He throws himself during steps as always. He rusehs, rushes, rushes. No deep edges, great spins, nice entriest but thats it...most of the time he skates on 2 feet!Program overall is very weak.Some weird poses in the middle.. he should see satokos skating, she is much MUCH BETTER SKATER, hanyu cannot use top of his body to save his life.... I have an impression that you cannot say bad word about hanyu and i will be called HATER AS ALWAYS , but when i see people saying the same stuff all over again i have an impression that they are copying each other with those words..
Satoko is exquisite. As always. Never an ugly move. Never a bad program. The flow of her arms is to die for. Rino - a sakura petal flowing across the ice
I agree. 👏 Was surprised to hear the comments on last year’s program. I adored her Egyptian disco short! Her movements were so liquid and supple, and she hit every flick, hit, tap of the drum. Amazing and unique. She’s the queen of choreo.
Lambiel saved Shoma career ❤️ seeing Shoma smiling trought the final step sequence vs he crying in the K&C of IoF 2019 was heartwarming! Also Hanyu SP costume is a homage to MJ!
@@user-gv5qd9oc4p I was lucky enough to watch Stefane, Shoma, Koshiro and Denis at a training session nearby Innsbruck last january - everyone had fun and a smile on their faces all the way through the practice.....just a joy to watch, lots of positive energy. I remember how Stefane went straight up to Shoma after having taken a bad fall on a quad flip - how he helped him up and wiped the snow of his back. :-)
I have to agree with something Jackie Wong said, Stephane probably saved Shoma's career Comparing Shoma's performances from last nationals to this year's nationals: Last year was imo more passionate in a desperate "this is my last performance" type way, due to the season he had up to that point This year was more open and joyous and full of love for the performance and for the sport. Both were stunning in both ways. But I would take the latter over the former Love Shoma ❤️
I couldn't agree more. Pre-Stephane, I didn't really engage at all with Shoma. I just didn't "get" him. When he came to Japan Nationals last season with Stephane having been with him for a few months, I totally got it. Got him. And was on his team and appreciated what he put out on the ice. Especially that SP. One of my favourite SPs, and he's doing the same one again this year.
Just FYI - in an interview, Yuzuru said he picked the SP music to lift people’s spirits during this difficult time. He tries not to think about the Beijing Olympic since Tokyo Olympic hasn’t even happened. He also said his only motivation to continue skating at this point is quad axel. He already won all the titles out there, so...
He will win the next Beijing Olympic, there are millions of Chinese fans waiting, crying and cheering for him. He is the only Japanese that can erase the pain in between two nations. I am so touch to see so many Chinese fans in the mainland cheering for Yuzuru. He is the LIGHT of the World.
@@laurenkho2584 I appreciate how you support him but can you guys not put that crazy pressure on him? He won 2 Olympics already and achieved everything in this sport. You can't say he 'will win in Beijing'. No one knows who is gonna win there. He is not some sort of diplomat who is able to erase all problems between the two countries.
You can love or hate Yuzuru Hanyu ,but for me his an inspiration to move on , his thought and awareness that counts. Pandemic is so stressful and he knows that every time we switch on our T.V what we saw and heard is that the hospital are overwhelming , lots of people are losing there job , politician pointing fingers to each other, tension are every where. though he knows that , if he go out and compete 2 things probably gonna happen (1) risking his health (2) others pointing fingers to him being irresponsible . But he never failed my expectation ! He used the media to deliver his message to the people of Japan quoting " We are all in the dark tunnel but dont lost hope , We must hold on , b.cuz at the end of this tunnel theres light waiting for all of us " (T-T) He also said in the interview that "Maybe just a day or hour or maybe just a minute or seconds I hope that trough my skating I can make you smile and forget covid for a while . He makes me cry . Why lots of people support Yuzuru Hanyu in Japan simply not only b.cuz his a GREAT SKATER but also He has a beautiful soul ! ( sorry for my bad English)
I honestly don't know how anyone could watch any amount of videos of Hanyu and come out with a negative impression. He skates with such talent and artistry, really masters the music, and is also just a great person overall. Listening to the way he objectively analyzes himself and always strives for personal improvement is just inspiring. He's always respectful, always shows gratitude, always considerate of others. He deserves all the best, I feel sad for people who are so negative that they dislike someone like him.
Chopin is the finest for me too. But let me entertain you is very Yuzuru Hanyu, bringing his inner classic Rockstar. I hope there's another amazing Short Program for Yuzu before 2022.
Yes this. I really love it, reminds me of Parisian walkways(when I first fell in love with his skating), and the Prince program of course. Chopin was incredible, but in a way you can't really compare them because they're so different, it's just personal taste. I'd love to see this program fully polished at the Olympics(unpopular opinion?)
Yuzu’s choreo matching the musical accents was something i thought every choreographer has already forgotten. I was moved to tears by his imaginative sword wielding and shield covering. And the fact that the musical composition isnt structured in a typical western pattern only made me smile. If i had to nitpick i would ask for only a little more ice coverage, speed and hitting all the jumps and ina bauer on music. Otherwise, this has all the olympic potential in the world.
@@olgas6520 Agreed! Terrible idea to do something with western structure. He knows exactly what he's doing. Just like watch a Kurosawa movie if you're having trouble digesting this...
The thing I wish Yuzuru would stop doing is exiting every jumping pass with a "spread eagle". That annoys the hell out of me. To me, it makes me feel that he uses it as a comforter, and he's almost (but not quite) two-foot landing or saving every landing by putting a spread eagle on the end of it. It's frustrating. I'd love to see a long double knee bend outside edge to end a jump from Yuzuru.
Yuzu said, he originally wanted a piano piece, Jeff picked three for him to choose but none clicked, then Yuzu decided something cheerful maybe for this world situation, then Jeff gave him this piece. So...Both of you are completely right in your analysis! 💖
I really liked Yuzuru’s new programs! They are fresh, exciting and fun - everything I needed right now :) I’m glad he looks healthy and motivated. I would give him all GOEs and added a few more if I could! When he is on fire, nothing can stop him. Seeing happy Shoma with two almost clean programs made me happy 😊 Japanese nationals overall, is such a joy to watch! ❤️❤️❤️
Shoma is one of the most charismatic skaters! Adorable! I follow shoma's work since the juniors and it is impossible not to fall in love with the performance he gives in the programs 💕
@@TheSkatingLesson Shoma and Mikhail are the only two skaters EVER I fell into endless love with the first time I ever watched them skate!!!! - Not Plushenko, not Yagudin, not Hanyu - It was Mika and Shoma.
Birgit Angermair I understand the adoration for Shoma and Mikhail, but I know that Yuzuru is a genius, perfection and other skaters know and respect him because Hanyu in all his actions is a lesson in humility for the world! It does not invalidate that Shoma is what made me follow all skating competitions since the juniors and my favorite!
I fell in love with Rika's programs. The carwheel was spectacular. Also loved the 3A and 4S. Can we pause for a moment and appreciate the fact that she is a healthy looking (e.g. no anorexic look) 18 years old female skater, who has a sustained 3A, has recently added a quad and steadily improves her skating skills. I feel grateful that she is here to show a sustainable path for female figure skating. Finally someone presents a viable alternative to Eteri's balletic training, which includes food deprivation and other questionable practices to produce 15 year old FS stars, who are burned out by the age of 17 or 18. Go Rika!
agree. just notice；Mai Mihara has been hospitalized for long time but nothing to do with anorexia. i know you don't imply anything about her but just in cace someone msunderstood.
I think at this point it is pretty clear that Eteri's school is borrowing inspiration from ballet. Reportedly Dani G used ballet performance for Kamila's bolero and looking at the current Eteri girls-kamila, anna, maia and daria, I see how the school has moved in that direction. Undoubtedly some of the flexibility training practices in Khrustalnii are borrowed from ballet. I think previous skaters like Medvedeva, Zagitova, Trusova and Kostornaia were less subject to this new trend, but the new girls and Anna certainly have borrowed more from ballet in terms of training. Of course figure skating is its own sport and different kind of training methods, dance movements and aesthetic can be incorporated into the performance. My opinion is that eteri is borrowing from ballet. Is this making her school balletic? I don't know, but I see connection.
I will concede that Eteti's school is not balletic. My point in general was that they look for extreme flexibility, I can see that in all 4 eteri girls at the nationals, as well with her juniors (Akatieva, Petrosian, Zhilina, for example). Last year there was diverisity in the flexibility level and neither Sasha, nor Alina could ne considered that flexible. And before that Evgenia could have never do her spins with the flexibility of Anna or Kamila. The other clear trend is the weight control, last year neither Alina, nor Aliona, not even Sasha had the emaciated look Kamila, Anna, Dariya and Maia have this year... I was a bit startled seeing Medvedeva so thin at the exhibition gala. Whether it is ballet or rythmic gymnastics or some other source of training inspiration I don't see any other of the good coaches to go as far with weight control and flexibility. Certainly Mishin's group all look healthier as well as the top 3 girls at Japanese nationals. Medvedeva was looking much healthier when training with Orser. Also Brady and Alisa have never been that emaciated... Alisa perhaps need to lose a bit to be in better position to compete.
Rika commentated on her own free program afterwards on Japanese television and said that at one point in the program she ended up skating facing the opposite way from the judges. Particularly during the step sequence, she was trying to turn her head towards the judges as much as possible while her body was facing the other way. This probably affected the execution of the steps. So there was a major error that you wouldn't notice if you don't know how the program is supposed to look like.
I watched the interview with Rika Kihira. She said she spent quite a bit of time trying to go back to the right spot after making the the mistake of skating to the wrong direction. Maybe that’s why she did not cover enough of the rink like they noted.
I love the thoughts you're expressing on there being four really phenomenal men at this point--what could be better than watching these four compete. I am thrilled that Kolyada is living up the promise I have been waiting to see for years now! I adore his and Hanyu's skating skills beyond the others--but I think that is largely my personal taste. I need to see that kind of grace of movement that for me is part of the sport. I love Shoma's passion, artistry, and musicality. I used to find Nathan annoying to watch--but he really has improved and I no longer am seeing him as only a jumper. I hope we can get through the plague and have something approaching a real season going into the Olympics. Having said all that, Hanyu is still the GOAT for me.
I agree! I cannot wait for a real season. I wish great health to all of the skaters (and viewers) and look forward to a strong season in the future. We will appreciate it so much more!
@@nolaughingmatter Nathan can be a hit or miss. I like his Elton John program and his FS program from 2016-2017. But thats what I love about him. He's very unpredictable and might blow us away in Beijing.
THANK YOU thank you thank you for the extended discussion about and your appreciation for Shoma as well as the "lesser known" skaters like Kazuki. Shoma's skating is so exquisite to watch and I think he still has much more to give. I'm dying for him to get a program with all the choreography and transitions that his programs are criticized for lacking; the beauty of it would be devastating.
Yes! Loved watching Shoma. When it was over, I was surprised. I was so lost in it, felt like he was so present, engaged and thoroughly enjoying himself. Just incredible. 🥰
I'm not sure Shoma's ever going to be in the mix for the top guys as in Nathan or Yuzu level anymore since it just doesn't seem like he's ever going to get his jumps fully together, but how happy he looks now just makes his skating so much more appealing now than it ever has been. He was by far my favorite of the night. Yuzu's FS was good. Not too sure about the SP or that pleather, but I think fans will love it and he seemed to enjoy himself so that's all that matters.
I love the music choice for Hanyu's FS, always feel respect for the minimalistic music - it's difficult to create choreography to such music but it's possible. The program should be polished and skated at a higher speed. These are just my thoughts.
minimalist...? The koto sections definitely got my interest and I love that as a challenging musical choice, but the rest of it is a full orchestral arrangement with nothing minimalist about it whatsoever. I would love to see a Hanyu program to a koto arrangement, that would be 🔥🔥🔥
@@iris7484 yes, you're right Tomita's music is all of kind but less minimalistic and I "enrolled" him there because of those koto strings. I was also a bit lazy to put into two sentences that i like the music choice for his fs and the fact i do appreciate skaters having programs to minimalistic music like Glass, for instance. ;)Not all of the programs with the use of such challenging music are stella, but there are those i really enjoyed watching. (Btw I'm not a fan of Anna's program even though it's better than usual programs given to the girls by G. I think top Russian ladies deserve better choreography for sure) I would also like to watch a program choreographed to solely traditional instruments or Takemitsu's music but i guess it would be even more challenging to get done
Agreed! The Challenge Cup version of the FP was my absolute favorite. As much as I adored his performance at Nationals, I missed the little details and flourishes that hit the music accents.
Yuzu's free skate felt like an old 1940s movie -- the music especially. Not sure if that makes sense, but I thought it was pretty interesting. It made me feel a certain way, and that's what I like about skating!
@S K Interesting comparison and I understand where you are coming from. Both have a nostalgic feeling about them. Zhenya's music choice is from a 1970s Russian drama, it's about a Japanese pianist who travels to the Soviet Union and falls in love with a composer there.
I really loved how Lambiel has got Rika and Shoma to celebrate their performances and give the audience a chance to celebrate with them. It was very clearly coached into Rika to do the fist pumps at the end, but the effort was endearing, and it makes a difference. Shoma was just mesmerizing, and the way he had to fight for it but was _able_ to fight for it especially after last season was great.
MEN'S 0:22 - Yuzuru Hanyu: short program pants, maybe not his Olympic programs, first drafts, expectations and successes 9:18 - Yuzuru Hanyu: quads and good GOE's (compared to Nathan) 13:44 - Top 4 contenders for Beijing Olympics: Hanyu, Chen, Uno, Kolyada 15:05 - Shoma Uno: beautiful free skate, possible underscoring, improvement under Lambiel 17:16 - Worlds? Other competitions? 18:28 - Back to Shoma: consistency under Lambiel, potential to win 21:51 - Japanese PCS scoring accuracy > Russian and other nations 23:25 - Olympics pressure and Shoma's possible advantage 24:14 - Yuma Kagiyama: great potential 25:56 - Jump back to Daria Usacheva and Aly Raisman comparison 27:57 - Keiji Tanaka: steady jumps, no wow factor 30:42 - Shun Sato: good jumps, lack of artistry 31:21 - Kazuki Tomono: psychology problems, moving coaches 35:32 - Sota Yamamoto: very artistic, lacks speed 37:29 - Koshiro Shimada: hardworking, less potential LADIES' 38:01 - Satoko Miyahara: beautiful Tosca program 40:25 - Differences in Japanese technique that leads to slower/steadier quads 42:13 - Back to Satoko 43:50 - Rino Matsuike and Mana Kawabe 45:00 - Back to Satoko :) 47:38 - Rika Kihira: competitive short program 48:53 - Learning Languages 51:05 - Back to Rika: less ice coverage and underrotations, possible contender against Russians 56:37 - Kaori Sakamoto: judges' favorite, questionable jumps, great speed/ice coverage 1:01:53 - Wakaba Higuchi: failed short program, inconsistency 1:04:13 - Mai Mihara: health concerns ICE DANCE 1:06:00 - Muramoto and Takahashi: good transitions, better rhythm dance than long program 1:09:46 - Komatsubara and Komatsubara: consistency and experience 1:10:22 - Back to Muramoto and Takahashi: Daisuke's amazing transition to ice dance, coaching 1:15:40 - Komatsubara's problematic programs? 1:16:19 - Highlights of the competition! 1:17:39 - Back to Russian nationals 1:18:10 - Beauty of Japanese nationals
I thought Shoma seemed more relaxed and into the programs here. I really like his improvement under Lambiel. I think Yuma is really close to becoming a better performer, and I feel like he's going to have an "aha" moment that allows him to stop being so nervous and closed on the ice. I think Shun has great jumps, but trying the quad lutz has really hurt him because he never lands it. I think he should work more on artistry and the toe loop instead of the quad lutz. Overall, though, assuming Worlds do happen, Japan has a stacked team in men's times two.
I can watch Kaori’s Matrix endlessly! I think it might be one of my all time favourite programs. I always think Sasha could do with a kick ass program like that.
Yeah, if Sasha only could leave Russia and represent another country, so her international tickets always could be a given. It seems Russians are far to old-fashioned to really understand Sasha’s qualities
OMG, I had the same thought! =D Trusova isn't my favorite skater, but she has guts and determination, and I love that! She's definitely the type for this program. It would be a great Olympic program for her, IMHO.
And I've said before I'm a massive Kagiyama fan, I know he's not fully developed artistically but where he is at 17 with those skating skills is incredible, and there's definitely a performer in there . I always fan girl over pure skating skills so I'm maybe biased but he's a favourite of mine haha
As much as the lowballing is sometimes really annoying, I have so much respect for the JSF. Taking the ladies this year as an example, after those beautiful skates they could have easily hijacked Rino Matsuike’s scores and thrust her onto the podium like the Russians did with Valieva, however, they’re allowing her room to grow both in skating skills and scores as she matures and rewarding their older and more experienced skaters (relative to Japanese judging ofc!) In many more ways than just the more sustainable and classic jump technique, it really is two different sports when you’re comparing this to Russian nationals...
That being said, they REALLY need to make their nationals more accessible already! Most of the videos posted online have already been taken down and I cannot find videos from the ice dance anywhere any more!!
They score Valieva that way to give her enough authority to go for the Olympics in the next year. The competition in Russia is crazy and Valieva needs to establish herself at least somewhere due to pandemic closing all the junior competitions and her not being able to compete yet in senior competition. By these scores judges show the world who they are hoping for the olympics. Otherwise she will emerge at the Olympics unknown for the majority and it will reflect on components. Also while she might be overscored her place is deserved anyway. And in US Nationals Liu was also overscored last year btw. I think it depends on whether that junior is sought to be the Olympic fav or not
I don’t know tbh. Valieva definitely deserved at least bronze at nationals. Rino was behind Satoko here but again ahead of Mai. More importantly at NHK Rino was 5 pts ahead of Mai despite an error on her loop. Rino and Mai are both very consistent but don’t skate “big” so they’re competing against each other
I would place Kamila second as she was tbh. Maybe she is not known much yet in the world but she is very famous in Russia. She was praised by the figure skating community from the very young age due to her close to perfect rotations spins bilman bladework artistism and quads. A lot of the legendary russian olympic trainers and champions, alongside with famous ballet dancers name her as a future olympic champion, would she skate clean. Probably there is a reason they base their opinion on. While Trusova, for example, also was a star as a junior and shocked the world with her quads and how many she could jump in one program, she was never the strongest in presentation and her skating skills/bladework. This time Trusova and Kamila jumped 2 quads each and while Trusova's quads were more expensive, the landing was not clean. I feel that the second jump was under rotated but judges didn't see it ofc. Kamila's landings were perfect and her other elements were great as well and ofc she got higher components because this is what she is famous for. Every sportsman has their strong/weak sides. I agree tho that Kamila was a bit overscored but it is a home championship and they play strategically here, so in any international competition judges will put everyone in their true place anyway! It might be a trend to criticize Russian figure skaters and praise other schools, its fine because everyone has their own taste/opinion. When one school becomes dominant for a long time it gets annoying sooner or later. But, the ice will ultimately decide who is better.
@@almiraizumchensky2346 Why did you not talk about Valieva being overscored in sp? She fell on attempting 3a and yet got 37+ in pcs and almost 80 in total and 4 points ahead of a clean Trusova! If being judged fairly she should’ve been placed behind Trusova in sp, hence got a bronze medal at last. Russian judging is so biased,a complete joke. Although I agree Valieva is very talented her scores are much inflated, and always overscoring her can only bring her more hates. She won’t be a skater loved by many fans all over the world. All the hype about her being next olympic champion is so disgusting because it is very unfair to the elder girls such as 3A as if they were already useless and disposable. Gosh what a crazy era we’re in when a 14yo girl can be pushed so damn hard by greedy adults! I’m done with figure skating if ISU goes on like this and does not raise the age limit.
Guys, thank you soooo much for this video, you'd honestly make my day if Shoma didn't do it with his new Oboe Concerto EX, you have to watch it!!! It's from this morning Medalists on Ice. The step sequence!! O m g I melted... When is this guy getting his much deserved gold?
TheSkatingLesson Shoma is one of the most charismatic skaters and my favorite. Simply adorable! I follow shoma's work since the juniors and it is impossible not to fall in love with the performance he gives in the programs...
I love yuzu's new program...it is really entertaining and the free program also is elegant . Yuzuru is always the best skater for me...I dont know about figure skating,but the first time i saw yuzu I became addicted to his performances.
I found myself shouting “IT WAS A SILVER MEDAL” for wakaba in 2018 worlds not bronze like Jonathan said. And I think the fed is upset over only getting 2 spots in the olympics because she didn’t pull it off in 2017.
i yelled when I saw Rika land her quad salchow at nearly 5 in the morning! and i love to hear you two love satoko’s programs this season just as much as i do. excellent episode
The Tosca soprano definitely sounded like Netrebko to me. I loved this program. Satoko is so beautiful, expressive and musical, I don't even care about the jumps:D
Japanese Nationals was so refreshing to watch. They have the best skating skills. Yuzuru's Free was stunning but his short was a little disappointing but the judges him with the spin nonsense. Shoma is in a way better place than he was last year. Yuma is coming up the ranks. I didn't think Satoko think could get any better with artistry but her programs this year are gorgeous. Kaori Sakamoto is fabulous as always. I hope she trys for a 3A or 4Loop to be competitive internationally. Rika Kihira is so talented and her SP is creative but, her Free is not for her, it's very Junior-ish. Yay for her Quad Sal though.
I think the judges called the spin error correctly. If it were sit twizzles, they would have travelled significantly across the ice. The first two rotations were stationery on point. That eliminates the possibility that it was a twizzle sequence. What I *think* happened is this. He went into the spin, and found himself spinning out of the circle in rotation 3, and being the bright bean he is, he turned it into choreography and a new entry into his "reattempted" sit spin, which didn't have enough rotations in certain positions to get the levels up, the sit spin he did do was level 2 tops. Now if this had been at the end of a step-sequence or choreo-sequence, he'd have gotten himself +5 GOEs and maybe level 2 on the sit spin. Often in junior or novice or beginner events, spins are zero marked, or marked "V" in combination spins, and in the instance of the less advanced skaters, they don't have the skill and quick thinking mind that Yuzuru does to make that "choreo" work in the event of a failed spin. But for Yuzuru's benefit, he'd be best moving that spin to the end of his st sq to ensure that if he falls out of that spin again, he gets marks on the stsq and some levels and marks on the cssp. However, the chances of Yuzuru coming out of the circle on a sit spin is probably a pretty rare thing. It's highly unlikely we'll see that again.
@@hellsbellsmichelle The official statement (according to Jackie Wong on Twitter) said it wasn't the sit Twizzle, it was the entrance as the forward sit had less than 2 counted rotations.
I am very impressed by Satoko and Rika’s improvements. Barkell and Lambiel have been better as a “finishing coach” for them then Orser was for Medvedeva
Mana Kawabe has been coached by Japan’s legendary coaches. She was first coached by Machiko Yamada, then by Hiroshi Nagakubo. She left Nagoya when Nagakubo retired to be coached by Mie Hamada.
I'm also in love with Shoma's FS - both the choreo and how he skated it. As for the men SP, this season Yuma's is number one for me ( my huge respect to Lorie)
I had amazing time watching Japanese Nats more so compared to Russian Nats to be honest. Besides having more diverse programs, Japanese skaters have overall better SS and flow. Plus no drama just pure talents. The covid situation was managed better which important for me as a viewer (we need to keep the athletes healthy!). Overall a more enjoyable experience for me.
To be fair, at their last competition, 2019 GPF, Nathan was getting higher GOE on all the elements, so I don't really think Yuzuru is _safe_ with this technical content. I do agree that 4A seems too risky, but if they both skate clean, Yuzuru needs something up his sleeve- maybe that 4Lz, maybe 4Lo in the short. However I have a feeling that at the Olympics, Yuzuru would prefer to end up like Asada in Sochi, with throwing everything he has to offer at that point if it'd give him a bigger chance at gold, than to skate a safe program and once again get silver behind Nathan.
@@bakedpotato6653 Unfortunately true. Not to say Nathan does not deserve _highish_ GOE, but the second I saw they gave him over 5 points in GOE on that opening flip-toe in the free, I knew the judges were 100% behind Chen continuing his reign.
I dont think Hanyu would go to 2021 Olys (if he ever) with this layout. This layout is his safest way to clean skate. He said that his intention for this JNat is to skate clean and lift up everyone moods. He didnt want to ruined the flow of his program with failed jumps. Furthermore, he just through some physical and mental downfall... so clean skate is very important for him at the moment. However, for bigger competition he might include his lutz again, which has success percentage around 50% so far, and maybe challenging his ultimate goal (4A) before he retired.
I bet yuzuru will choose Otonal as SP and Heaven and Earth for FS if he really goes to the Olympics. But I doubt if he'll participate the Olympics, given that the ISU vastly lower the base value of 4A, and it's an open fact that the judges are biased towards American skaters (Some of his elements are obviously over scored) So what's the point of joining a circus show where the judges don't even follow the rules?
@@TheSkatingLesson I'm going to take it as them respecting her for putting out such fabulous performances in the middle of her fight with her chronic illness- she's suffering from juvenile arthritis which was why she left the ice two seasons ago. I read somewhere that the medication can cause her current condition, but I guess she and her team felt that she's got the disease under control and recovered well enough to get back on the ice. In any case, it looks like she's had a pretty bad flareup. However I do wish, like you guys, that she took some more time off and regain more strength but without a doubt in that condition what she achieved is amazing.
Look I am concerned for her too but she is looking stronger than she did in September which is good. She has said several times she doesn’t have eating issue it is just due to her illness, and her coaches are not in the business of starving people, Kaori is a healthy and strong young woman
That kind of thinness comes from not eating enough - whether it's because someone wants to be skinny or feels too sick to eat, I dont know if that really matters when it comes to safely training. Her team can say she's well enough but it's hard to believe.
What is your opinion of Stephan Lambiel as a coach in general? He seems to me to be a finisher coach whose strength, based on what I see with Shoma and Rika, developing a mental strength, kind of like Nikolai Morozov (without the sketchy behavior that should no longer be tolerated).
Yuzuro is the consummate artist. His FS is a piece of art, almost too much so. Also his jumps always look so effortless and natural. The remains the king of men's figure skating for now, but Nathan is the future.
I actually think the free program is perfect for someone like him. It's a whole new level of heroism in the confusionsim tradition. The master level hero has the world in his heart, while being simple and elegant. It has very deep eastern philosophy in it. See the movie Hero by Yimou Zhang for a reference
The fact that Satoko can still do clean triples (sometimes) with that height means her rotation speed is okay, so doing the snappy thing would not help her much. Her problem will always be the height on her jumps and Im sure her coaching team had already tried ways on how to correct it
Satoko’s legs look so much stronger than last year. Taking a year from no competitions and going to Barkell was really good for her. Also being close to Lori nichol makes her program better no doubt
If the 2022 WO proceed, I should think Chen is in the driver's seat for OG. However, Hanyu, with nothing to lose, remains dangerous. Shoma is closing the gap now. Kagiyama is so exciting!
Can we talk about Mie Hamada and Stephané Lambiel though 😂. She was seething. Throwing herself in front of him and all. I applaud Lambiel for not backing down and pulling Rika away from her and being the coach in the Kiss and Cry. I think she knows she may have lost her
Yuzuru definitely needs the 4Lz to compete with Nathan. If you compare Hanyu’s programs here to Nathan’s new SP layout (4Lz, 3A, 4F+3Tx) and his 2019 GPF free program, Nathan is 12 points ahead on base value and that’s not even considering he could put his 4Lo in next year too. But if Hanyu does 5 quads his BV could be within 3-4 points which he can beat with GOE and PCS. Hanyu, Chen, Uno, and Kolyada are the top 4 right now BUT we still need to see more from: 1) Kagiyama - he wants to add a 4F next year which could push his score above 290+ 2) Brown - he’s basically had Orser’s full attention the last few months with no Hanyu or Medvedeva. He already scored 270+ at 4CC and he’s so close to getting a quad finally 3) Zhou - opinions of the fans aside he can definitely score 300ish when he’s in top form
this guy would be able to enlighten the world continuously. he doesn't need to add anything nor need to win. he taught us there would be more precious things than winning in this world.
Excellent points. What everyone seems to be forgetting, is how mentally tough Nathan has become. He's not unbeaten since the Olympic LP because he can land quads. It's because he can deliver his best performances under pressure. Add to that, two seasons of working with Raf minus the strain of his Yale studies, and he's going to be a BEAST.
@@christinethorp3684 Training with Raf all day every day may add more pressure on him honestly. He did well after 2018 Olympics because he was away from Raf and his mom too, he could concentrate on other things (studying) and the pressure was less on him. It might change for the Olympic season and especially at the Olympic Games. That's a completely different competition than any Worlds, GPF etc that he has won in the past seasons.
@@susmus5034 he’s got political backing. There’s no way he won’t win. His gold medal will be handed to him as long as he goes clean. Even one mistake won’t prevent him from winning.
Koji Okajima, Wakaba’s coach is a former pair skater. His most famous student before Wakaba was Nana Takeda who placed third in NHK Trophy in 2007. He is definitely one of the most experienced coaches in the Tokyo region.
Totally agree with what said at 00:11:48. I think he can win with just 4 quads and just changing some to 4Lz. His GOEs are really soaring. So he just really need to focus on his quality.
I agree 100% on the issue re: Mai Mihara's health. I'm her biggest fan and think she has/had some of best skating skills and edge qualities of all the Japanese ladies, but it was difficult to watch her this weekend. Before her break she used to have a beautiful light in her eyes when skating, but it's completely gone now. She's still the most consistent lady in the entire international senior ladies field, but was never rewarded with the PCS for it. Hopefully someone is looking out for her health, and does something before it hits a (more) critical point. She needs to spend some quality time with Akiko Suzuki and take some me time.
What you are alluding to is not the cause behind her condition. She's suffering from a major flareup of juvenile arthritis, which was why she left the ice two years ago. There is no cure for the disease- what specialists can do is to bring it under control, but the treatments and medications are akin to going under chemotherapy, which explains her drastic physical changes. But if her current condition is considered good enough by her team to return to the ice, then imagine just how much she's suffered in her battle the past two years, and just how meaningful this nationals must have been for her.
I liked Satoko's short better when it was an ex last year. It was so impactful in that classy black dress under the gala lights. Still gorgeous though.
As someone who has studied a lot of Japanese, it's such a hard language, but is also a fun one to learn. I'm so glad that you mentioned Mai because I have the same concerns. I wish her all the best, but she worries me.
@amariafrost Mai's suffering from juvenile arthritis, and that's unfortunately a lifelong illness. Someone with the same condition posted that treatments and medication to bring the disease under control are harsh (reminiscent of a cancer patient undergoing chemo) and can result in Mai's current condition. This chronic illness was the reason why she left the ice two seasons ago.
Thanks Dave and Jon, always great to hear your perspectives after the competitions especially in such an abnormal season! To me Yuzu’s FP has a more similar vibe as Hope and Legacy (his 2017 wc FP), the music and performance are both more in stream of consciousness style instead of telling a specific story like most western opera does. It is like water flowing but with a super inner strength, which exactly reflects a old saying “conquering the unyielding with the yielding”. I hope he and Shae Lynn can get together face to face later when the condition is safe to further polish the program and looking forward to how it can become of in the next year(s)!
Time stamps: 0:00 Intro Japanese nationals did not disappoint!!! Rika Kihira: WOW!!! 4S!!!! Incredible programs. Very innovative! Kaori Sakamoto: hangs on for dear life on the combo in the short, otherwise it’s grown on me and I love it. It’s cool and different. It’s an inventive Bach piece I guess if you want to put it in these terms. As a musician I didn’t hate it. I’m classically trained. I’ve studied every era of music. I thought this was very innovative and cool! Matrix free, WOW so much better than the implosion last year at nationals. Although I’m not a fan of the program, it works for her. Good for Kaori! She has so much height to her jumps. The 2A was like wow omg. She is light on the ice and very beautiful to watch. Mai Mihara: Comeback for her placing third in the short. Stunning programs!! Satoko Miyahara: does not ever disappoint with incredible programs!!! The Tosca was beautiful and not the redundant cuts everyone uses. She used Vissi D’arte. It’s about Tosca sobbing to God and why she abandoned her and that she goes to church and she is very religious but bad things happen to her. It’s a very beautiful Aria!!
Really enjoyed the ladies performances! Loved satoko and rika (especially her SP) her 4S was just effortless! Meanwhile I felt so sad for yuzuru after hearing his interview, and I can kinda relate to him, this year has been hard for me too (I mean, it's been for all of us), and I feel so lifeless and depressed
I don't think these are Olympic programs for Hanyu either. The long maybe. The short definitely not. If they make the long program Olympic-compatible, it needs to be catchier. However, I don't know if Hanyu's going to get new programs for next season since he gets new programs not very often. Maybe they'll keep the long and get a new short. Would be interesting to see
@S K Hahahahahahaha yes. I have a bit of a Fanyu filter, but my rational brain still cringes at the short a little bit. And oh my god Kolyada's free is so exquisite. It highlights everything amazing about his skating. The H&E music has very interesting chords and instrumentation. It keeps me intellectually engaged but I kinda wish it had a bit of an "oomph" to make it an iconic program.
Can't wait to see how Kaori taking out one of the judges' monitors gets scored...is it an additional feature added to her spiral? Or is it added to her components? Talk about ice coverage! It's very creative...and I would start a GoFundMe to pay for any fine she might receive for damages. And a Tosca program with the skater jumping out of the rink would be brilliant! Maybe as an exhibition program? Come on...someone needs to make it happen.
Double treat!! Thank you TSL. Dave.....your singing, essential oil spraying, and suggestion of a Daisuke Takahashi app were hysterical! I would buy that app! I love Daisuke's ice dancing. There is something so pure about it. I agree with Jonathan....the beginning where he lifts her is so subtle, but it says so much. This was a great week of skating! Thank you for the double feature! Happy New Year!
Nathan has been getting overscored PCS and execution though... He still has the world record of free skate, and it's almost 10points higher than what Yuzuru got here. So yes, Yuzuru needs at least quad lutz or better yet, quad axel.
Quad axel is only 0.5 pts higher than quad Lz though so even if he lands one, point wise it does not make too much of a difference. I think if his objective is to land quad axel clean (for record purpose), he could do it somewhere in international competition where he does not have to compete with Nathan. IMO, the only way he beats Nathan is by going clean with 4 quads (quad Lo, toe, sal, and Lz each).
@@yohanes2034 OK, yes, definitely a quad lutz. I'd argue that Yuzuru still needs 5 quads in FS. He is technically behind in short program, and they have been giving big scores to Nathan on GOE and PCS.
Yuzuru will also need to go back to SP layout pre 2018 Olympic season (before rhe injury). It was 4Lo, 4S3T, 3A. It,'s crazy right that Nathan has been getting +5 GOE for jumps and spins. Love his consistency but I wouldn't put his jump as +5 ISU guidelines. His spins are also not +4 and +5 material, Jason would. IMO Yuzuru spin positions are slightly better than Nathan but nowadays Yuzuru spins slower, so he needs to get back the speed he had in maybe 4-5 years ago.
@@yohanes2034 Yuzu was never able to perform a clean SP with that layout, and he made costly mistakes his last two competitions against Nathan with the easier layout. It looks like Nathan is training to backload a more difficult combo (such as 4F-3T), to further increase his SP BV.
It's funny how the judges give Nathan the same GOE on his 3A as Mikhail and Yuzuru, and it's an open fact that the judges over scored Nathan. I do agree that yuzuru have to work on his 4lz, and probably not 4A as the ISU vastly lowers the BV of it on purpose (it's kinda upsetting cuz he has been working on it for half a decade). However, given the fact yuzuru has already scored more than 319 in his first debut after nearly a year, he's definitely in a great shape and could raise the bars
While I agree that Nathan, Shoma, Hanyu, and Kolyada are the current top 4 in the running for an Olympic medal in 2022, let's get real, the gold is a race between Nathan and Hanyu. And right now I'd bet on Nathan. Over the past 3 years since Pyongchang, the inconsistencies of Shoma & Kolyada vs the relative consistencies of Nathan (not a single loss since Pyongchang) and Hanyu, (has consistently lost to Nathan I might add) are the most obvious differences.
I can't disagree with your assessment at the moment, but it's going to depend on the judges mood whether they feel like giving Nathan the GOE and PCS next year. Of the top four, his performance quality is a half step behind at least, and his jump GOE could only beat Shoma on the regular. Of course, he will have the numbers on his side and flawless consistency as well so I expect the judges will make it a tight race for the sake of drama aka views aka $$$.
@@iris7484 No one has scored close to Nathan in years- Shoma is the only one to score within 10 points of him and that was In 2018. The judges aren’t suddenly going to cut Nathan’s GOE/PCS and he’s likely aiming for 6 quad FS for the Olympics. Kolyada and Shoma simply don’t have the BV to compete with him. Hanyu loses stability when he attempts higher BV and he competes better when he’s not against Nathan.
@@bakedpotato6653 Like I said, I can't argue with your assessment: I think you're likely right, but Nathan is going to have to empty out his already pretty bare programs to execute those quads. While the base value should definitely be enough to more than make up the difference, the novelty of a five quad program isn't what it once was. Once something becomes expected of a skater the way its become expected of Chen, the wow factor decreases. As we've seen time and again, when the judges turn on you, it can eat your score, and they will do it if they want to. We watched them bury the two time olympic champion last season and if you think they won't do it to Nathan, I think you're kidding yourself. It's in their wallet's best interest to keep that race as tight as possible. Then again, if they want to milk the Fanyu's for every red cent, all they have to do is keep giving the scores to Nathan 🤔... haha well I guess time will tell. At this point I don't even care, it's all politics .
For me it's a given that if Nathan goes clean with higher tech content they will pump up his GOE and PCS to give it to him over Hanyu. They want a US champion.
Guys i agree on everything u said in the video but i found the talk on GOE Nathan vs. Hanyu a bit misleading. As far as i know Nathan received higher GOE on his elements both at WC and GPF 2019 compared to Yuzu (to my dismay)
@@TheSkatingLesson Yes but I would think that's significant. US market is where the big money is in traditional distribution. Edit: Sorry I misread - I thought you said ISU. I think ISU hopes to revive fs and its earnings in US market through Nathan.
In my opinion, ISU would want younger champion, kinda like to pass the "torch" or something. Yuzuru is not young anymore and we're already anticipating the time when he decides to retire. ISU will need to find new champion and one of the thing that they can do is by pumping GOE and PCS or creating new world records to keep excitement high.
I agree. If both Chen and Hanyu skate clean they will give it to Chen. He gets the same GOEs and PCS as Hanyu (or even higher), unlike before 2018 when Hanyu relied on his higher GOEs and PCS because of his quality. NBC pays a shitton of money to IOC, and they want American champions to celebrate for their money. This is how it works. Chen already said he would take a break after the Olympics. USFSA can't promote the sport through him.. He will disappear like Lysacek and no one will talk about him in the US
If his pants were too tight, he cant perform high kick or wider range of movements. I know we all wanted to see his nice long legs in tightly fitted pants😝
The one thing I always find myself missing with Yuzuru is a port de bras with slightly more conviction. It's the one way in which that cool detachment you mentioned affects him negatively, in my opinion. He is so graceful and lovely as it is, I just wish he'd open his chest a bit more and not let his arms go so lifeless from the elbow down.
I still prefer Kolyada’s FP over Shoma’s. It has a nerve, while Shoma’s FP resembles a Gala medley. But Mikhail needs a clean quad lutz and a clean program to be in the mix. Shoma has urs. And Mikhail has textbook jumps, huge, powerful. I see them as contenders for the bronze. I haven’t seen Nathan and Yuzuru. But I’m pretty sure, provided everyone’s healthy, Nathan’s technical wizardry will do the trick. Unfortunately, next year’s Olympics might turn into whoever is the healthiest will win. It will be devastating for any athlete to get COVID-19 right before the Games and get your hopes crushed.
Loved this conversation as always. Also, sorry this is off-topic but hearing you mention 1994 Lillehammer made me wonder if you have ever judged the men's event there on Patreon? Thank you!
Question (entirely unrelated to Japanese Nationals): Any news if Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot are planning to compete in time for Beijing Olympics?
@@hannibaljustincase9985 hhhhhm, I don`t think that giving a foreign skater a license to skate for Germany is such a big thing ... this has happened in Austria for several times ;-). The bigger problem will be for Aliona to find an adequate partner who is able to match up with her skating skills....!
Takahashi is not tall and is thin as a partner. However there was a team who won the 2002 Olympic Ice Dance championship-Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat from France. Gwendal is not a tall male partner. Maybe Takahashi can borrow some techniques from this pair. Sorry to say the quality of Takahashi’s lifts were not there.
I think something to take into account is there are three sort of ways to measure a persons weight in Japan. There is the average body weight, the beauty/fashion weight, and there is the princess weight. To figure out your princess weight you take your (height in cm) x (height in cm) x 20 x 0.9 = princess weight. This is what I think you might want to look into it ends up being quite a bit lower than your normal weight/BMI ratio so you will look quite thin.
If this is about Mai, no need to worry- she's just recovering from the treatments necessary to bring her chronic illness under control but those treatments are brutal.
I want to share this info with you, too: Yuzuru said he got extremely depressed; so low that he could not even jump a 3A, and it felt like everyone else was getting better and he was being left behind. This happened last year and much more so during his isolation when he had to practise all alone until October/November, and the only thing he did was to think hard about what skating meant for him. He then realised that only through skating he can express himself, and skating is himself. He also said that getting gold at Olympics would be an athlete’s ultimate goal but his life-time goal as a figure skater now is to land a beautiful 4A at a competition, and for that he may have to give up his desire to win at every competition, hence this spiritual piece of music / performance of H&E with not so much score-conscious tech content. He said he chose H&E because he resonates himself with Kenshin Uesugi, the theme of H&E drama, who was thought to be reincarnation of Bishamon (God of War) and is famous for his integrity and ingenious (almost artistic) battle skills.
@S K It is so true. 😿🌻💖 What is amazing about Yuzuru is that he does not hide those raw feelings, admits them as part of himself and appreciates his fortune for ‘being’. That is why he is sooo always thankful of everyone and everything that supports him, isn’t it?
Just a little correction, because of 4A training Hanyu started to not be able to properly do other jumps, like 4S, 4T, not even 3A, that was in Oct/Nov, and he started to mail his coaches looking for advices
@@florenciab7051 that’s true, too. I am sure that was the true reason but I also thought from watching his interviews that it was his mind, i.e., serotonin (or lack of?), that was letting him down? (maybe? )
Interesting, as not knowing this, I thought the break had been good for him, because he looks so strong!
Men
Yuzuru Hanyu
0:20 new short (outfit, potential, performance)
5:01 Beijing Olympics
5:35 condition, training alone
6:50 free program
8:54 Quad Axel, high GOE
12:36 Yuzu/Nathan Chen/Kolyada/Shoma Uno rivalry
Shoma Uno
15:12 programs (composition, skating skills, jumps)
17:10 virtual competitions for skaters
18:31 back to his free
19:19 training with Stéphane Lambiel, consistency, style
21:44 judging at japanese nationals
23:00 his potential for Beijing
Yuma Kagiyama 24:19
Underdogs winning 25:58
Keiji Tanaka Shun Sato 27:50
Kazuki Tomono 31:32
Sota Yamamoto 35:40
Koshiro 37:29
Ladies
Satoko Miyahara 38:05
Leg-centered technique 40:00
Rino Matsuike Mana Kawabe 44:58
Edit: Following timestamps by Amelia Dettwyller
45:00 Back to Satoko
47:38 Rika Kihira: competitive short program
48:53 Learning Languages
51:05 Back to Rika: less ice coverage and underrotations, possible contender against russians
56:37 Kaori Sakamoto: judges favorite, questionable jumps, great speed/ice coverage
1:01:53 Wakaba Higuchi: failed short program, inconsistency
1:04:14 Mai Mihara: health concerns
ICE DANCE
1:06:00 Muramoto and Takahashi: good transitions, better rythm dance than long program
1:09:46 Komatsubara and Komatsubara: consistency and experience
1:10:22 Back to M and T: Daisuke's amazing transition to ice dance, coaching
1:15:40 Komatsubara's problematic programs?
1:16:19 Highlights of the competition!
1:17:39 Back to russian nationals
1:18:10 Beauty of japanese nationals
Thank you🙏🌻
Ur the best
Thank you! 💓
Thank you!!!
Good job! Your timestamps are more detailed than mine. I hope there's no offense taken that I put some up too :)
I really love his Heaven and Earth program, it is a prayer for the world peace especially during this Covid Pandemic crisis. As a healthcare worker and an ice skater since Michelle Kwan era, I love ice skating all my life but with Yuzuru Hanyu, something is very special in his performance. His program, Heaven and Earth, brought in very special aura to the climate. I love him and his skating , hope that people realize how much he brought into this skating world. I have been with the USFigure Skating world since the 90's and would love to have Yuzuru be our children's coach once he retire from competitions, but I think we have to fight with the JSF and the Chinese to get him here to Anaheim.
thanks.
Hanyu skating to Robbie was the Christmas gift I needed. ❤️
Yuzu blew my mind, the man in unreal. He looks more ease on the ice than in the past years and looks strong both mentally and physically. 'Heaven and Earth' is a divinely beautiful program, every movement of his arms, hands, upper body moves to the music, and he lands those jumps so smooth like knife in butter. 'Let Me Entertain' You has the total rockstar vibe, it’s a fun and is the complete opposite to his FS. His intention with the program was to cheer people up in these difficult times. The fact that he delivered two clean skates after competing for the first time in ten months, being far away from his coaches since March, training alone at night is unbelieveable. He talked about the difficulties to train alone, and that he had troubles with his quads and even with his 3A not so long ago. Then he came back and skated like that. Still speechless.
I love that he chose something for his FS that is from his own culture and is close to his heart. H&E is very different musically and thematically than any of his previous programs and he interprets the nuances of it masterfully as always. He’s got that magic that draws people in. I wouldn’t mind if he polishes this program to brilliance for next season because it’d be a great choice for the Olympics in Beijing (in case he wants to go). Westerners might not like the music choice of it, mainly because the music has different structure than what they grew up with, a typical crescendo - climax - ending. It needs long time and effort to get used to something that is unfamiliar to their ears and most of them just give up to understand and appreciate it. I feel like only those can get into all kinds of programs who have more open minds culturally and open ears musically.
In the very end I don’t care who likes Yuzu’s programs or not, because his legacy will forever be cemented in this sport and he has already won everything in his fantastic carrer. If he is happy with how he performs that is enough for me. As a fan I can only be grateful as long as he competes.
He looks so great!
TOTALLY agree with all that you say. As a Brit, I adored the FP. I loved the choice of music and his obvious connection to it. I was stunned at his conditioning, his focus, the precision of the choreography, the perfect jump technique (he was over his skate on every jump in the FP, stunned at that quad loop), and the artistry. The first time I watched it I was just was floored. From a historical point of view he is incredible. I am not as young as some on here I remember all the way back to Robin Cousins. Hanyu is already a legend. But I thought this was just next level brilliance.
So well said, thank you!! I've been thinking about how to articulate my thoughts about the LP but you've just summarized it perfectly there. I was moved to tears (which rarely happens) when I watched for the first time and then I watched it 5 more times, each time picking up more nuances. And then I was completely floored when I saw all the comments about people not liking the music, how he was "flat", how he wasn't emoting, etc. It's like we weren't even watching the same thing! If anything, I feel Yuzu's more invested and connected with this LP than many of his others. This one feels deeply personal to him it's like I'm seeing something very honest about his essence, rather than some character he's trying to "sell".
his crossovers are terrible, there were almost no transistions, the step seq was overdramatic as always as contrast to his slow, noodle skating earlier.He throws himself during steps as always. He rusehs, rushes, rushes. No deep edges, great spins, nice entriest but thats it...most of the time he skates on 2 feet!Program overall is very weak.Some weird poses in the middle.. he should see satokos skating, she is much MUCH BETTER SKATER, hanyu cannot use top of his body to save his life.... I have an impression that you cannot say bad word about hanyu and i will be called HATER AS ALWAYS , but when i see people saying the same stuff all over again i have an impression that they are copying each other with those words..
You know, watching his programs with Japanese music helped me to start to understand and like this sort of music
Satoko is exquisite. As always. Never an ugly move. Never a bad program. The flow of her arms is to die for.
Rino - a sakura petal flowing across the ice
Love them both!!!
A thumbs up button is not enough for this. This needs a heart
I agree. 👏 Was surprised to hear the comments on last year’s program. I adored her Egyptian disco short! Her movements were so liquid and supple, and she hit every flick, hit, tap of the drum. Amazing and unique. She’s the queen of choreo.
Lambiel saved Shoma career ❤️ seeing Shoma smiling trought the final step sequence vs he crying in the K&C of IoF 2019 was heartwarming!
Also Hanyu SP costume is a homage to MJ!
I like the joyous atmosphere around and about Lambiel
again - I need a heart button. thumbs up is simply not enough!
@@user-gv5qd9oc4p I was lucky enough to watch Stefane, Shoma, Koshiro and Denis at a training session nearby Innsbruck last january - everyone had fun and a smile on their faces all the way through the practice.....just a joy to watch, lots of positive energy. I remember how Stefane went straight up to Shoma after having taken a bad fall on a quad flip - how he helped him up and wiped the snow of his back. :-)
I have to agree with something Jackie Wong said, Stephane probably saved Shoma's career
Comparing Shoma's performances from last nationals to this year's nationals:
Last year was imo more passionate in a desperate "this is my last performance" type way, due to the season he had up to that point
This year was more open and joyous and full of love for the performance and for the sport.
Both were stunning in both ways. But I would take the latter over the former
Love Shoma ❤️
I couldn't agree more. Pre-Stephane, I didn't really engage at all with Shoma. I just didn't "get" him. When he came to Japan Nationals last season with Stephane having been with him for a few months, I totally got it. Got him. And was on his team and appreciated what he put out on the ice. Especially that SP. One of my favourite SPs, and he's doing the same one again this year.
Yes, even Yagudin compliments on Stephane's dedication and sincerity in coaching
Just FYI - in an interview, Yuzuru said he picked the SP music to lift people’s spirits during this difficult time. He tries not to think about the Beijing Olympic since Tokyo Olympic hasn’t even happened. He also said his only
motivation to continue skating at this point is quad axel. He already won all the titles out there, so...
He will win the next Beijing Olympic, there are millions of Chinese fans waiting, crying and cheering for him. He is the only Japanese that can erase the pain in between two nations. I am so touch to see so many Chinese fans in the mainland cheering for Yuzuru. He is the LIGHT of the World.
He knows how to give a great interview and say the right things.
@@laurenkho2584 I appreciate how you support him but can you guys not put that crazy pressure on him? He won 2 Olympics already and achieved everything in this sport. You can't say he 'will win in Beijing'. No one knows who is gonna win there. He is not some sort of diplomat who is able to erase all problems between the two countries.
@@laurenkho2584 delusional much? lol
@@TheSkatingLesson He experienced a lot of interviews since very young, so yeah, he definitely knows how!
You can love or hate Yuzuru Hanyu ,but for me his an inspiration to move on , his thought and awareness that counts. Pandemic is so stressful and he knows that every time we switch on our T.V what we saw and heard is that the hospital are overwhelming , lots of people are losing there job , politician pointing fingers to each other, tension are every where. though he knows that , if he go out and compete 2 things probably gonna happen (1) risking his health (2) others pointing fingers to him being irresponsible . But he never failed my expectation ! He used the media to deliver his message to the people of Japan quoting " We are all in the dark tunnel but dont lost hope , We must hold on , b.cuz at the end of this tunnel theres light waiting for all of us " (T-T) He also said in the interview that "Maybe just a day or hour or maybe just a minute or seconds I hope that trough my skating I can make you smile and forget covid for a while . He makes me cry . Why lots of people support Yuzuru Hanyu in Japan simply not only b.cuz his a GREAT SKATER but also He has a beautiful soul ! ( sorry for my bad English)
Why hate? We like him very much.
I can't imagine anyone hating Yuzuru Hanyu. Hating some of his fans, that's another story.
@@TheSkatingLesson oh no! my sentences aren't correct I mean you can love or hate and not love and hate but I corrected it already . so sorry (T-T)
I honestly don't know how anyone could watch any amount of videos of Hanyu and come out with a negative impression. He skates with such talent and artistry, really masters the music, and is also just a great person overall. Listening to the way he objectively analyzes himself and always strives for personal improvement is just inspiring. He's always respectful, always shows gratitude, always considerate of others. He deserves all the best, I feel sad for people who are so negative that they dislike someone like him.
Chopin is the finest for me too. But let me entertain you is very Yuzuru Hanyu, bringing his inner classic Rockstar.
I hope there's another amazing Short Program for Yuzu before 2022.
Yes this. I really love it, reminds me of Parisian walkways(when I first fell in love with his skating), and the Prince program of course. Chopin was incredible, but in a way you can't really compare them because they're so different, it's just personal taste. I'd love to see this program fully polished at the Olympics(unpopular opinion?)
Yuzu’s choreo matching the musical accents was something i thought every choreographer has already forgotten. I was moved to tears by his imaginative sword wielding and shield covering. And the fact that the musical composition isnt structured in a typical western pattern only made me smile. If i had to nitpick i would ask for only a little more ice coverage, speed and hitting all the jumps and ina bauer on music. Otherwise, this has all the olympic potential in the world.
This program is magic
@@olgas6520 Agreed! Terrible idea to do something with western structure. He knows exactly what he's doing. Just like watch a Kurosawa movie if you're having trouble digesting this...
The thing I wish Yuzuru would stop doing is exiting every jumping pass with a "spread eagle". That annoys the hell out of me. To me, it makes me feel that he uses it as a comforter, and he's almost (but not quite) two-foot landing or saving every landing by putting a spread eagle on the end of it. It's frustrating. I'd love to see a long double knee bend outside edge to end a jump from Yuzuru.
@@hellsbellsmichelle those spread eagles are meant to disguise his jump landings. Like it’s not obvious what he’s doing lol
@@hellsbellsmichelle The only spread eagle exit he did this competition was from the 4S in the SP, wasn't it?
Yuzu said, he originally wanted a piano piece, Jeff picked three for him to choose but none clicked, then Yuzu decided something cheerful maybe for this world situation, then Jeff gave him this piece. So...Both of you are completely right in your analysis! 💖
I like this kind of programs (PW and LGC) Than classical music 🤪
I really liked Yuzuru’s new programs! They are fresh, exciting and fun - everything I needed right now :) I’m glad he looks healthy and motivated. I would give him all GOEs and added a few more if I could! When he is on fire, nothing can stop him.
Seeing happy Shoma with two almost clean programs made me happy 😊 Japanese nationals overall, is such a joy to watch! ❤️❤️❤️
Such a fantastic event!!!
I am really in love with Yuzuru's new short and free program: they are the masterpieces.
He looks great!
Shoma is one of the most charismatic skaters! Adorable! I follow shoma's work since the juniors and it is impossible not to fall in love with the performance he gives in the programs 💕
Couldn't agree more!
@@TheSkatingLesson Shoma and Mikhail are the only two skaters EVER I fell into endless love with the first time I ever watched them skate!!!! - Not Plushenko, not Yagudin, not Hanyu - It was Mika and Shoma.
Birgit Angermair I understand the adoration for Shoma and Mikhail, but I know that Yuzuru is a genius, perfection and other skaters know and respect him because Hanyu in all his actions is a lesson in humility for the world! It does not invalidate that Shoma is what made me follow all skating competitions since the juniors and my favorite!
I fell in love with Rika's programs. The carwheel was spectacular. Also loved the 3A and 4S. Can we pause for a moment and appreciate the fact that she is a healthy looking (e.g. no anorexic look) 18 years old female skater, who has a sustained 3A, has recently added a quad and steadily improves her skating skills. I feel grateful that she is here to show a sustainable path for female figure skating. Finally someone presents a viable alternative to Eteri's balletic training, which includes food deprivation and other questionable practices to produce 15 year old FS stars, who are burned out by the age of 17 or 18. Go Rika!
agree. just notice；Mai Mihara has been hospitalized for long time but nothing to do with anorexia. i know you don't imply anything about her but just in cace someone msunderstood.
I think at this point it is pretty clear that Eteri's school is borrowing inspiration from ballet. Reportedly Dani G used ballet performance for Kamila's bolero and looking at the current Eteri girls-kamila, anna, maia and daria, I see how the school has moved in that direction. Undoubtedly some of the flexibility training practices in Khrustalnii are borrowed from ballet. I think previous skaters like Medvedeva, Zagitova, Trusova and Kostornaia were less subject to this new trend, but the new girls and Anna certainly have borrowed more from ballet in terms of training. Of course figure skating is its own sport and different kind of training methods, dance movements and aesthetic can be incorporated into the performance. My opinion is that eteri is borrowing from ballet. Is this making her school balletic? I don't know, but I see connection.
S K Kamila’s legs are straight out of ballet. I agree the other ones are not balletic
@@evamasters5028 flexibility training practices in Khrustalnii are more closer to training in rhythmic sportive gymnastics, then to ballet.
I will concede that Eteti's school is not balletic. My point in general was that they look for extreme flexibility, I can see that in all 4 eteri girls at the nationals, as well with her juniors (Akatieva, Petrosian, Zhilina, for example). Last year there was diverisity in the flexibility level and neither Sasha, nor Alina could ne considered that flexible. And before that Evgenia could have never do her spins with the flexibility of Anna or Kamila. The other clear trend is the weight control, last year neither Alina, nor Aliona, not even Sasha had the emaciated look Kamila, Anna, Dariya and Maia have this year... I was a bit startled seeing Medvedeva so thin at the exhibition gala. Whether it is ballet or rythmic gymnastics or some other source of training inspiration I don't see any other of the good coaches to go as far with weight control and flexibility. Certainly Mishin's group all look healthier as well as the top 3 girls at Japanese nationals. Medvedeva was looking much healthier when training with Orser. Also Brady and Alisa have never been that emaciated... Alisa perhaps need to lose a bit to be in better position to compete.
Rika commentated on her own free program afterwards on Japanese television and said that at one point in the program she ended up skating facing the opposite way from the judges. Particularly during the step sequence, she was trying to turn her head towards the judges as much as possible while her body was facing the other way. This probably affected the execution of the steps. So there was a major error that you wouldn't notice if you don't know how the program is supposed to look like.
My daughter did that once. She hates watching that performance back.
I watched the interview with Rika Kihira. She said she spent quite a bit of time trying to go back to the right spot after making the the mistake of skating to the wrong direction. Maybe that’s why she did not cover enough of the rink like they noted.
I bow to Hanyu for delivering at Nats with new programs and such great performances, congrats on his 5th title. He is the greatest.
I love the thoughts you're expressing on there being four really phenomenal men at this point--what could be better than watching these four compete. I am thrilled that Kolyada is living up the promise I have been waiting to see for years now! I adore his and Hanyu's skating skills beyond the others--but I think that is largely my personal taste. I need to see that kind of grace of movement that for me is part of the sport. I love Shoma's passion, artistry, and musicality. I used to find Nathan annoying to watch--but he really has improved and I no longer am seeing him as only a jumper. I hope we can get through the plague and have something approaching a real season going into the Olympics. Having said all that, Hanyu is still the GOAT for me.
I agree! I cannot wait for a real season. I wish great health to all of the skaters (and viewers) and look forward to a strong season in the future. We will appreciate it so much more!
@@nolaughingmatter Nathan can be a hit or miss. I like his Elton John program and his FS program from 2016-2017. But thats what I love about him. He's very unpredictable and might blow us away in Beijing.
@@purrformance
Huh. So that hit or miss is "unpredictability" when it's Chen but "inconsistency" when it's Hanyu.
Love how you don't even need to mention his name in the beginning lmao
yuzu doesn't need introduction, he achieve the term "work until you do not need to introduce yourself" kinda thing
THANK YOU thank you thank you for the extended discussion about and your appreciation for Shoma as well as the "lesser known" skaters like Kazuki. Shoma's skating is so exquisite to watch and I think he still has much more to give. I'm dying for him to get a program with all the choreography and transitions that his programs are criticized for lacking; the beauty of it would be devastating.
You are very welcome!
I 100% agree, I can't wait for Lambiel to choreograph a masterpiece for him.
Yes! Loved watching Shoma. When it was over, I was surprised. I was so lost in it, felt like he was so present, engaged and thoroughly enjoying himself. Just incredible. 🥰
I totally agree!
Hanyu was just pure magic! I was so impressed by him to not Zayak that program without any Flips and Lutzes!
Impressive indeed!
Yuzuru did the editing on his FP music himself.
that's awesome. Good job Yuzuru.
Hanyu heard the editing that Shae-Lynn did on Mariah's and Aliona's music and was like nope, doing it myself
damn, the boy has skill
Of course he did, and graduated from university recently? He can do everything
He also arranged/edited Seimei track.
you guys deserve a gold medal after back to back episodes! The gift that keeps on giving!
agree!
I'm not sure Shoma's ever going to be in the mix for the top guys as in Nathan or Yuzu level anymore since it just doesn't seem like he's ever going to get his jumps fully together, but how happy he looks now just makes his skating so much more appealing now than it ever has been. He was by far my favorite of the night. Yuzu's FS was good. Not too sure about the SP or that pleather, but I think fans will love it and he seemed to enjoy himself so that's all that matters.
I didn't like the pleather either. Personal preference.
I love the music choice for Hanyu's FS, always feel respect for the minimalistic music - it's difficult to create choreography to such music but it's possible. The program should be polished and skated at a higher speed. These are just my thoughts.
Love the step sequence so much!
@@TheSkatingLesson agree, it was beautiful!
@@TheSkatingLesson yeah nothing better then throwing your noodle arms like crazy, thats what I call skating
minimalist...? The koto sections definitely got my interest and I love that as a challenging musical choice, but the rest of it is a full orchestral arrangement with nothing minimalist about it whatsoever. I would love to see a Hanyu program to a koto arrangement, that would be 🔥🔥🔥
@@iris7484 yes, you're right Tomita's music is all of kind but less minimalistic and I "enrolled" him there because of those koto strings. I was also a bit lazy to put into two sentences that i like the music choice for his fs and the fact i do appreciate skaters having programs to minimalistic music like Glass, for instance. ;)Not all of the programs with the use of such challenging music are stella, but there are those i really enjoyed watching. (Btw I'm not a fan of Anna's program even though it's better than usual programs given to the girls by G. I think top Russian ladies deserve better choreography for sure) I would also like to watch a program choreographed to solely traditional instruments or Takemitsu's music but i guess it would be even more challenging to get done
Shoma's FP is a gem. He was at his best with this program at Challenge Cup earlier this year.
I felt like it was Christmas when watch him skating FP ;)
Agreed! The Challenge Cup version of the FP was my absolute favorite. As much as I adored his performance at Nationals, I missed the little details and flourishes that hit the music accents.
the music is so beautiful! His free is my favourite of all the men this year (honestly, and last year). Such touching music
Yuzu's free skate felt like an old 1940s movie -- the music especially. Not sure if that makes sense, but I thought it was pretty interesting. It made me feel a certain way, and that's what I like about skating!
Loved the step sequence!
The pieces are from a 1969 and 1972 television series, written by Isao Tomita. Yuzu cut the music himself.
@S K that's a good comparison! I enjoyed both selections and actually really liked that Zhenya program, actually.
@S K Interesting comparison and I understand where you are coming from. Both have a nostalgic feeling about them. Zhenya's music choice is from a 1970s Russian drama, it's about a Japanese pianist who travels to the Soviet Union and falls in love with a composer there.
I really loved how Lambiel has got Rika and Shoma to celebrate their performances and give the audience a chance to celebrate with them. It was very clearly coached into Rika to do the fist pumps at the end, but the effort was endearing, and it makes a difference. Shoma was just mesmerizing, and the way he had to fight for it but was _able_ to fight for it especially after last season was great.
Both performed so well.
@Nicole Churulich oh does she? my bad. I noticed the two of them doing it and hers seemed shy
MEN'S
0:22 - Yuzuru Hanyu: short program pants, maybe not his Olympic programs, first drafts, expectations and successes
9:18 - Yuzuru Hanyu: quads and good GOE's (compared to Nathan)
13:44 - Top 4 contenders for Beijing Olympics: Hanyu, Chen, Uno, Kolyada
15:05 - Shoma Uno: beautiful free skate, possible underscoring, improvement under Lambiel
17:16 - Worlds? Other competitions?
18:28 - Back to Shoma: consistency under Lambiel, potential to win
21:51 - Japanese PCS scoring accuracy > Russian and other nations
23:25 - Olympics pressure and Shoma's possible advantage
24:14 - Yuma Kagiyama: great potential
25:56 - Jump back to Daria Usacheva and Aly Raisman comparison
27:57 - Keiji Tanaka: steady jumps, no wow factor
30:42 - Shun Sato: good jumps, lack of artistry
31:21 - Kazuki Tomono: psychology problems, moving coaches
35:32 - Sota Yamamoto: very artistic, lacks speed
37:29 - Koshiro Shimada: hardworking, less potential
LADIES'
38:01 - Satoko Miyahara: beautiful Tosca program
40:25 - Differences in Japanese technique that leads to slower/steadier quads
42:13 - Back to Satoko
43:50 - Rino Matsuike and Mana Kawabe
45:00 - Back to Satoko :)
47:38 - Rika Kihira: competitive short program
48:53 - Learning Languages
51:05 - Back to Rika: less ice coverage and underrotations, possible contender against Russians
56:37 - Kaori Sakamoto: judges' favorite, questionable jumps, great speed/ice coverage
1:01:53 - Wakaba Higuchi: failed short program, inconsistency
1:04:13 - Mai Mihara: health concerns
ICE DANCE
1:06:00 - Muramoto and Takahashi: good transitions, better rhythm dance than long program
1:09:46 - Komatsubara and Komatsubara: consistency and experience
1:10:22 - Back to Muramoto and Takahashi: Daisuke's amazing transition to ice dance, coaching
1:15:40 - Komatsubara's problematic programs?
1:16:19 - Highlights of the competition!
1:17:39 - Back to Russian nationals
1:18:10 - Beauty of Japanese nationals
Thank you!
@@TheSkatingLesson I may or may not be super excited that you replied :)
@@TheSkatingLesson you may want to pin this
Thank you
I thought Shoma seemed more relaxed and into the programs here. I really like his improvement under Lambiel. I think Yuma is really close to becoming a better performer, and I feel like he's going to have an "aha" moment that allows him to stop being so nervous and closed on the ice. I think Shun has great jumps, but trying the quad lutz has really hurt him because he never lands it. I think he should work more on artistry and the toe loop instead of the quad lutz. Overall, though, assuming Worlds do happen, Japan has a stacked team in men's times two.
I can watch Kaori’s Matrix endlessly! I think it might be one of my all time favourite programs. I always think Sasha could do with a kick ass program like that.
It would suit Sasha very well.
Same, I love it!
Yeah, if Sasha only could leave Russia and represent another country, so her international tickets always could be a given. It seems Russians are far to old-fashioned to really understand Sasha’s qualities
OMG, I had the same thought! =D Trusova isn't my favorite skater, but she has guts and determination, and I love that! She's definitely the type for this program. It would be a great Olympic program for her, IMHO.
Sasha would do well with pirates of the Caribbean. And she would do great with a jet black costume like Kaori’s too
One of my fave moments was watching Yuzu analyze his own performance in the Kiss n Cry! Loved both programs. I was really happy for Shoma too.
Yuzu was just a breath of fresh air, similar to Mikhail, just so incredibly beautiful and technically perfect
100%
And I've said before I'm a massive Kagiyama fan, I know he's not fully developed artistically but where he is at 17 with those skating skills is incredible, and there's definitely a performer in there . I always fan girl over pure skating skills so I'm maybe biased but he's a favourite of mine haha
As much as the lowballing is sometimes really annoying, I have so much respect for the JSF.
Taking the ladies this year as an example, after those beautiful skates they could have easily hijacked Rino Matsuike’s scores and thrust her onto the podium like the Russians did with Valieva, however, they’re allowing her room to grow both in skating skills and scores as she matures and rewarding their older and more experienced skaters (relative to Japanese judging ofc!)
In many more ways than just the more sustainable and classic jump technique, it really is two different sports when you’re comparing this to Russian nationals...
That being said, they REALLY need to make their nationals more accessible already! Most of the videos posted online have already been taken down and I cannot find videos from the ice dance anywhere any more!!
They score Valieva that way to give her enough authority to go for the Olympics in the next year. The competition in Russia is crazy and Valieva needs to establish herself at least somewhere due to pandemic closing all the junior competitions and her not being able to compete yet in senior competition. By these scores judges show the world who they are hoping for the olympics. Otherwise she will emerge at the Olympics unknown for the majority and it will reflect on components. Also while she might be overscored her place is deserved anyway. And in US Nationals Liu was also overscored last year btw. I think it depends on whether that junior is sought to be the Olympic fav or not
I don’t know tbh. Valieva definitely deserved at least bronze at nationals. Rino was behind Satoko here but again ahead of Mai. More importantly at NHK Rino was 5 pts ahead of Mai despite an error on her loop. Rino and Mai are both very consistent but don’t skate “big” so they’re competing against each other
I would place Kamila second as she was tbh. Maybe she is not known much yet in the world but she is very famous in Russia. She was praised by the figure skating community from the very young age due to her close to perfect rotations spins bilman bladework artistism and quads. A lot of the legendary russian olympic trainers and champions, alongside with famous ballet dancers name her as a future olympic champion, would she skate clean. Probably there is a reason they base their opinion on. While Trusova, for example, also was a star as a junior and shocked the world with her quads and how many she could jump in one program, she was never the strongest in presentation and her skating skills/bladework. This time Trusova and Kamila jumped 2 quads each and while Trusova's quads were more expensive, the landing was not clean. I feel that the second jump was under rotated but judges didn't see it ofc. Kamila's landings were perfect and her other elements were great as well and ofc she got higher components because this is what she is famous for. Every sportsman has their strong/weak sides. I agree tho that Kamila was a bit overscored but it is a home championship and they play strategically here, so in any international competition judges will put everyone in their true place anyway! It might be a trend to criticize Russian figure skaters and praise other schools, its fine because everyone has their own taste/opinion. When one school becomes dominant for a long time it gets annoying sooner or later. But, the ice will ultimately decide who is better.
@@almiraizumchensky2346 Why did you not talk about Valieva being overscored in sp? She fell on attempting 3a and yet got 37+ in pcs and almost 80 in total and 4 points ahead of a clean Trusova! If being judged fairly she should’ve been placed behind Trusova in sp, hence got a bronze medal at last. Russian judging is so biased,a complete joke. Although I agree Valieva is very talented her scores are much inflated, and always overscoring her can only bring her more hates. She won’t be a skater loved by many fans all over the world. All the hype about her being next olympic champion is so disgusting because it is very unfair to the elder girls such as 3A as if they were already useless and disposable. Gosh what a crazy era we’re in when a 14yo girl can be pushed so damn hard by greedy adults! I’m done with figure skating if ISU goes on like this and does not raise the age limit.
Guys, thank you soooo much for this video, you'd honestly make my day if Shoma didn't do it with his new Oboe Concerto EX, you have to watch it!!! It's from this morning Medalists on Ice. The step sequence!! O m g I melted...
When is this guy getting his much deserved gold?
I will watch!
Loved the new EX in MOI!
TheSkatingLesson Shoma is one of the most charismatic skaters and my favorite. Simply adorable! I follow shoma's work since the juniors and it is impossible not to fall in love with the performance he gives in the programs...
I love yuzu's new program...it is really entertaining and the free program also is elegant . Yuzuru is always the best skater for me...I dont know about figure skating,but the first time i saw yuzu I became addicted to his performances.
He is a very exciting performer!
Yuzuru Hanyu GOAT. So happy for him.
I found myself shouting “IT WAS A SILVER MEDAL” for wakaba in 2018 worlds not bronze like Jonathan said. And I think the fed is upset over only getting 2 spots in the olympics because she didn’t pull it off in 2017.
Correct! I was getting her junior world bronze and senior world silver mixed up in the moment. I agree with you about when the federation lost faith
i yelled when I saw Rika land her quad salchow at nearly 5 in the morning! and i love to hear you two love satoko’s programs this season just as much as i do. excellent episode
The Tosca soprano definitely sounded like Netrebko to me. I loved this program. Satoko is so beautiful, expressive and musical, I don't even care about the jumps:D
Love the program and music!
Stéphane needs to choreograph more for the Japanese. Satoko's short is soso good!
@S K oh no, danny g will be so offended *insert sarcasm*
His choreography is fantastic.
@S K agree
I haven't watched them this year, but based on last year Shun reminded me of a baby Yuzu, Yuma reminded me of a baby Shoma
@Nicole Churulich I think I heard that he was injured, too =( If only he were healthy, he would be higher in the standings...
Japanese Nationals was so refreshing to watch. They have the best skating skills. Yuzuru's Free was stunning but his short was a little disappointing but the judges him with the spin nonsense. Shoma is in a way better place than he was last year. Yuma is coming up the ranks. I didn't think Satoko think could get any better with artistry but her programs this year are gorgeous. Kaori Sakamoto is fabulous as always. I hope she trys for a 3A or 4Loop to be competitive internationally. Rika Kihira is so talented and her SP is creative but, her Free is not for her, it's very Junior-ish. Yay for her Quad Sal though.
I loved Rika's free though, kind of like a nod to her past fairy-like junior programs. To me it looked like a program symbolizing her growth.
@@cheezebols Her short is good but her free is kinda juvenile for her.
I think the judges called the spin error correctly. If it were sit twizzles, they would have travelled significantly across the ice. The first two rotations were stationery on point. That eliminates the possibility that it was a twizzle sequence.
What I *think* happened is this. He went into the spin, and found himself spinning out of the circle in rotation 3, and being the bright bean he is, he turned it into choreography and a new entry into his "reattempted" sit spin, which didn't have enough rotations in certain positions to get the levels up, the sit spin he did do was level 2 tops. Now if this had been at the end of a step-sequence or choreo-sequence, he'd have gotten himself +5 GOEs and maybe level 2 on the sit spin.
Often in junior or novice or beginner events, spins are zero marked, or marked "V" in combination spins, and in the instance of the less advanced skaters, they don't have the skill and quick thinking mind that Yuzuru does to make that "choreo" work in the event of a failed spin.
But for Yuzuru's benefit, he'd be best moving that spin to the end of his st sq to ensure that if he falls out of that spin again, he gets marks on the stsq and some levels and marks on the cssp. However, the chances of Yuzuru coming out of the circle on a sit spin is probably a pretty rare thing. It's highly unlikely we'll see that again.
@@hellsbellsmichelle The official statement (according to Jackie Wong on Twitter) said it wasn't the sit Twizzle, it was the entrance as the forward sit had less than 2 counted rotations.
I am very impressed by Satoko and Rika’s improvements. Barkell and Lambiel have been better as a “finishing coach” for them then Orser was for Medvedeva
Mana Kawabe has been coached by Japan’s legendary coaches. She was first coached by Machiko Yamada, then by Hiroshi Nagakubo. She left Nagoya when Nagakubo retired to be coached by Mie Hamada.
I'm also in love with Shoma's FS - both the choreo and how he skated it. As for the men SP, this season Yuma's is number one for me ( my huge respect to Lorie)
I had amazing time watching Japanese Nats more so compared to Russian Nats to be honest. Besides having more diverse programs, Japanese skaters have overall better SS and flow. Plus no drama just pure talents. The covid situation was managed better which important for me as a viewer (we need to keep the athletes healthy!). Overall a more enjoyable experience for me.
To be fair, at their last competition, 2019 GPF, Nathan was getting higher GOE on all the elements, so I don't really think Yuzuru is _safe_ with this technical content.
I do agree that 4A seems too risky, but if they both skate clean, Yuzuru needs something up his sleeve- maybe that 4Lz, maybe 4Lo in the short.
However I have a feeling that at the Olympics, Yuzuru would prefer to end up like Asada in Sochi, with throwing everything he has to offer at that point if it'd give him a bigger chance at gold, than to skate a safe program and once again get silver behind Nathan.
Nathan even received higher GOE on spins. This technical content won’t be enough against Nathan.
@@bakedpotato6653 Unfortunately true. Not to say Nathan does not deserve _highish_ GOE, but the second I saw they gave him over 5 points in GOE on that opening flip-toe in the free, I knew the judges were 100% behind Chen continuing his reign.
@@hannibaljustincase9985 they also give Nathan the same GOE on 3A as Mikhail and Yuzuru. Sorry, no. Nathan's 3A should not be higher than 2.
I dont think Hanyu would go to 2021 Olys (if he ever) with this layout. This layout is his safest way to clean skate. He said that his intention for this JNat is to skate clean and lift up everyone moods. He didnt want to ruined the flow of his program with failed jumps. Furthermore, he just through some physical and mental downfall... so clean skate is very important for him at the moment.
However, for bigger competition he might include his lutz again, which has success percentage around 50% so far, and maybe challenging his ultimate goal (4A) before he retired.
I bet yuzuru will choose Otonal as SP and Heaven and Earth for FS if he really goes to the Olympics. But I doubt if he'll participate the Olympics, given that the ISU vastly lower the base value of 4A, and it's an open fact that the judges are biased towards American skaters (Some of his elements are obviously over scored)
So what's the point of joining a circus show where the judges don't even follow the rules?
4S 4F 4T2T 3A 4T 3S3T 3A1Eu3F was Shoma's original plan.
He said he poped the first 4T(2T) and the jump became 3T.
Thank you
People on social media gushing about Mai like they can't see anything has been upsetting.
It is certainly very troubling.
@@TheSkatingLesson I'm going to take it as them respecting her for putting out such fabulous performances in the middle of her fight with her chronic illness- she's suffering from juvenile arthritis which was why she left the ice two seasons ago. I read somewhere that the medication can cause her current condition, but I guess she and her team felt that she's got the disease under control and recovered well enough to get back on the ice. In any case, it looks like she's had a pretty bad flareup. However I do wish, like you guys, that she took some more time off and regain more strength but without a doubt in that condition what she achieved is amazing.
Look I am concerned for her too but she is looking stronger than she did in September which is good. She has said several times she doesn’t have eating issue it is just due to her illness, and her coaches are not in the business of starving people, Kaori is a healthy and strong young woman
That kind of thinness comes from not eating enough - whether it's because someone wants to be skinny or feels too sick to eat, I dont know if that really matters when it comes to safely training. Her team can say she's well enough but it's hard to believe.
What is your opinion of Stephan Lambiel as a coach in general? He seems to me to be a finisher coach whose strength, based on what I see with Shoma and Rika, developing a mental strength, kind of like Nikolai Morozov (without the sketchy behavior that should no longer be tolerated).
@S K Why? What did he do?
@S K Care to share? I havn't heard anything about him.
@S K Well I hope he's been arrested and thrown in jail then
I'd love to see Stephane working with Michin. And I'd love to see what Stephane would do with Kolyada and Tuktamysheva.
I was a tad worried when BOrser said no contact from Yuzu 3-4 months ago. Thought he got a new coach in Japan!
I really love that you still find the time to do Japanese Nationals despite the tiring Russian Nationals. Thank you!
You are very welcome!
You forgot to notice Judge #2 giving 2 for the triple axel but still a fantastic review🔥🎉🎈
Yuzuro is the consummate artist. His FS is a piece of art, almost too much so. Also his jumps always look so effortless and natural. The remains the king of men's figure skating for now, but Nathan is the future.
I actually think the free program is perfect for someone like him. It's a whole new level of heroism in the confusionsim tradition. The master level hero has the world in his heart, while being simple and elegant. It has very deep eastern philosophy in it. See the movie Hero by Yimou Zhang for a reference
The fact that Satoko can still do clean triples (sometimes) with that height means her rotation speed is okay, so doing the snappy thing would not help her much. Her problem will always be the height on her jumps and Im sure her coaching team had already tried ways on how to correct it
It looks like she has been doing more weight training/off ice conditioning.
Satoko’s legs look so much stronger than last year. Taking a year from no competitions and going to Barkell was really good for her. Also being close to Lori nichol makes her program better no doubt
If the 2022 WO proceed, I should think Chen is in the driver's seat for OG. However, Hanyu, with nothing to lose, remains dangerous. Shoma is closing the gap now. Kagiyama is so exciting!
And Kolyada!
@@TheSkatingLesson Boyang too.
Can we talk about Mie Hamada and Stephané Lambiel though 😂. She was seething. Throwing herself in front of him and all. I applaud Lambiel for not backing down and pulling Rika away from her and being the coach in the Kiss and Cry. I think she knows she may have lost her
she was so annoying
@S K Same, the whole time I was hoping Rika already booked her flight back to Switzerland
Lambiel is a good "guy'', but why would he pull Rika far away from her? Hamada is a great coach and Rika became a top skater thanks to Hamada.
@@nenavujicin7882 I think it's to show she may have moved on. Her ego definitely deflated some
@@beazy1248 , but i don't like to talk about the characters of ppl i've never met in person. She's a WOMAN, hard working coach, respect her
Yuzuru definitely needs the 4Lz to compete with Nathan. If you compare Hanyu’s programs here to Nathan’s new SP layout (4Lz, 3A, 4F+3Tx) and his 2019 GPF free program, Nathan is 12 points ahead on base value and that’s not even considering he could put his 4Lo in next year too. But if Hanyu does 5 quads his BV could be within 3-4 points which he can beat with GOE and PCS.
Hanyu, Chen, Uno, and Kolyada are the top 4 right now BUT we still need to see more from:
1) Kagiyama - he wants to add a 4F next year which could push his score above 290+
2) Brown - he’s basically had Orser’s full attention the last few months with no Hanyu or Medvedeva. He already scored 270+ at 4CC and he’s so close to getting a quad finally
3) Zhou - opinions of the fans aside he can definitely score 300ish when he’s in top form
Nathan will have to be clean and he will have the pressure of not making the errors of 2018.
this guy would be able to enlighten the world continuously. he doesn't need to add anything nor need to win. he taught us there would be more precious things than winning in this world.
Excellent points. What everyone seems to be forgetting, is how mentally tough Nathan has become. He's not unbeaten since the Olympic LP because he can land quads. It's because he can deliver his best performances under pressure. Add to that, two seasons of working with Raf minus the strain of his Yale studies, and he's going to be a BEAST.
@@christinethorp3684 Training with Raf all day every day may add more pressure on him honestly. He did well after 2018 Olympics because he was away from Raf and his mom too, he could concentrate on other things (studying) and the pressure was less on him. It might change for the Olympic season and especially at the Olympic Games. That's a completely different competition than any Worlds, GPF etc that he has won in the past seasons.
@@susmus5034 he’s got political backing. There’s no way he won’t win. His gold medal will be handed to him as long as he goes clean. Even one mistake won’t prevent him from winning.
Koji Okajima, Wakaba’s coach is a former pair skater. His most famous student before Wakaba was Nana Takeda who placed third in NHK Trophy in 2007. He is definitely one of the most experienced coaches in the Tokyo region.
Sato did have an ankle injury that preventing him from jumping earlier this fall. He is capable of a quad lutz
Good to know!
By far my favorite event of the year!
It was excellent!
Totally agree with what said at 00:11:48. I think he can win with just 4 quads and just changing some to 4Lz. His GOEs are really soaring. So he just really need to focus on his quality.
No he cant,he need 5 quads to beat nathan.he know it because nathan' goe is huge now.
I think adding a 4Lz could help him immeasurably if he can do it safely and with quality.
I agree 100% on the issue re: Mai Mihara's health.
I'm her biggest fan and think she has/had some of best skating skills and edge qualities of all the Japanese ladies, but it was difficult to watch her this weekend. Before her break she used to have a beautiful light in her eyes when skating, but it's completely gone now.
She's still the most consistent lady in the entire international senior ladies field, but was never rewarded with the PCS for it. Hopefully someone is looking out for her health, and does something before it hits a (more) critical point. She needs to spend some quality time with Akiko Suzuki and take some me time.
What you are alluding to is not the cause behind her condition. She's suffering from a major flareup of juvenile arthritis, which was why she left the ice two years ago. There is no cure for the disease- what specialists can do is to bring it under control, but the treatments and medications are akin to going under chemotherapy, which explains her drastic physical changes. But if her current condition is considered good enough by her team to return to the ice, then imagine just how much she's suffered in her battle the past two years, and just how meaningful this nationals must have been for her.
I liked Satoko's short better when it was an ex last year. It was so impactful in that classy black dress under the gala lights. Still gorgeous though.
It is a gorgeous program!
As someone who has studied a lot of Japanese, it's such a hard language, but is also a fun one to learn. I'm so glad that you mentioned Mai because I have the same concerns. I wish her all the best, but she worries me.
Agreed!
@amariafrost Mai's suffering from juvenile arthritis, and that's unfortunately a lifelong illness. Someone with the same condition posted that treatments and medication to bring the disease under control are harsh (reminiscent of a cancer patient undergoing chemo) and can result in Mai's current condition. This chronic illness was the reason why she left the ice two seasons ago.
Oh my god, Jonathan’s puzzled look of examination of the bear at 51:27 was ADORABLE 😂
Ha!
Thanks Dave and Jon, always great to hear your perspectives after the competitions especially in such an abnormal season!
To me Yuzu’s FP has a more similar vibe as Hope and Legacy (his 2017 wc FP), the music and performance are both more in stream of consciousness style instead of telling a specific story like most western opera does. It is like water flowing but with a super inner strength, which exactly reflects a old saying “conquering the unyielding with the yielding”. I hope he and Shae Lynn can get together face to face later when the condition is safe to further polish the program and looking forward to how it can become of in the next year(s)!
I think he may have new programs for next year, or at least improved programs. Let's wish for a happy and healthy 2021-2022 season!
3.18 Jonathan thats EXACTLY what Yuzu was saying about himself too, sometimes he has too much energy and it doesnt bode well
Thank you!
Time stamps:
0:00 Intro
Japanese nationals did not disappoint!!!
Rika Kihira: WOW!!! 4S!!!! Incredible programs. Very innovative!
Kaori Sakamoto: hangs on for dear life on the combo in the short, otherwise it’s grown on me and I love it. It’s cool and different. It’s an inventive Bach piece I guess if you want to put it in these terms. As a musician I didn’t hate it. I’m classically trained. I’ve studied every era of music. I thought this was very innovative and cool! Matrix free, WOW so much better than the implosion last year at nationals. Although I’m not a fan of the program, it works for her. Good for Kaori! She has so much height to her jumps. The 2A was like wow omg. She is light on the ice and very beautiful to watch.
Mai Mihara: Comeback for her placing third in the short. Stunning programs!!
Satoko Miyahara: does not ever disappoint with incredible programs!!! The Tosca was beautiful and not the redundant cuts everyone uses. She used Vissi D’arte. It’s about Tosca sobbing to God and why she abandoned her and that she goes to church and she is very religious but bad things happen to her. It’s a very beautiful Aria!!
Really enjoyed the ladies performances! Loved satoko and rika (especially her SP) her 4S was just effortless! Meanwhile I felt so sad for yuzuru after hearing his interview, and I can kinda relate to him, this year has been hard for me too (I mean, it's been for all of us), and I feel so lifeless and depressed
I hope this event lifted your spirits!
Despite quite a number of falls, I also found ladies skating delightful. I enjoyed their ss and programs - various, well choreographed, interesting.
keep up , Yuzuru is my inspiration
I don't think these are Olympic programs for Hanyu either. The long maybe. The short definitely not. If they make the long program Olympic-compatible, it needs to be catchier. However, I don't know if Hanyu's going to get new programs for next season since he gets new programs not very often. Maybe they'll keep the long and get a new short. Would be interesting to see
@S K Hahahahahahaha yes. I have a bit of a Fanyu filter, but my rational brain still cringes at the short a little bit. And oh my god Kolyada's free is so exquisite. It highlights everything amazing about his skating. The H&E music has very interesting chords and instrumentation. It keeps me intellectually engaged but I kinda wish it had a bit of an "oomph" to make it an iconic program.
@@qiqi184
I really like the calming flow of H&E. Not all programs need to be frantic Plushenko type stompfests.
I loved it when Yuma ended his short program, and he was trying to contain his excitement. So adorable.
Can't wait to see how Kaori taking out one of the judges' monitors gets scored...is it an additional feature added to her spiral? Or is it added to her components? Talk about ice coverage! It's very creative...and I would start a GoFundMe to pay for any fine she might receive for damages. And a Tosca program with the skater jumping out of the rink would be brilliant! Maybe as an exhibition program? Come on...someone needs to make it happen.
I think it is certainly worth extra GOE for a choreographic sequence and PCS!
Two TSL videos in one day?!?! God bless you, David!
Hope you enjoyed it!
Double treat!! Thank you TSL. Dave.....your singing, essential oil spraying, and suggestion of a Daisuke Takahashi app were hysterical! I would buy that app! I love Daisuke's ice dancing. There is something so pure about it. I agree with Jonathan....the beginning where he lifts her is so subtle, but it says so much. This was a great week of skating! Thank you for the double feature! Happy New Year!
You are so welcome~
2 TSL two days in a row, a wonderful new year’s gift, thank you!
Our pleasure!
Nathan has been getting overscored PCS and execution though... He still has the world record of free skate, and it's almost 10points higher than what Yuzuru got here. So yes, Yuzuru needs at least quad lutz or better yet, quad axel.
Quad axel is only 0.5 pts higher than quad Lz though so even if he lands one, point wise it does not make too much of a difference. I think if his objective is to land quad axel clean (for record purpose), he could do it somewhere in international competition where he does not have to compete with Nathan. IMO, the only way he beats Nathan is by going clean with 4 quads (quad Lo, toe, sal, and Lz each).
@@yohanes2034 OK, yes, definitely a quad lutz. I'd argue that Yuzuru still needs 5 quads in FS. He is technically behind in short program, and they have been giving big scores to Nathan on GOE and PCS.
Yuzuru will also need to go back to SP layout pre 2018 Olympic season (before rhe injury). It was 4Lo, 4S3T, 3A. It,'s crazy right that Nathan has been getting +5 GOE for jumps and spins. Love his consistency but I wouldn't put his jump as +5 ISU guidelines. His spins are also not +4 and +5 material, Jason would. IMO Yuzuru spin positions are slightly better than Nathan but nowadays Yuzuru spins slower, so he needs to get back the speed he had in maybe 4-5 years ago.
@@yohanes2034 Yuzu was never able to perform a clean SP with that layout, and he made costly mistakes his last two competitions against Nathan with the easier layout. It looks like Nathan is training to backload a more difficult combo (such as 4F-3T), to further increase his SP BV.
It's funny how the judges give Nathan the same GOE on his 3A as Mikhail and Yuzuru, and it's an open fact that the judges over scored Nathan. I do agree that yuzuru have to work on his 4lz, and probably not 4A as the ISU vastly lowers the BV of it on purpose (it's kinda upsetting cuz he has been working on it for half a decade). However, given the fact yuzuru has already scored more than 319 in his first debut after nearly a year, he's definitely in a great shape and could raise the bars
2 TLS in one day !!! Over-excited ❤❤❤❤❤
Us too!
The beat Christmas's gift
And a year and a half later we’re found out that those leather trousers are really mesh
While I agree that Nathan, Shoma, Hanyu, and Kolyada are the current top 4 in the running for an Olympic medal in 2022, let's get real, the gold is a race between Nathan and Hanyu. And right now I'd bet on Nathan. Over the past 3 years since Pyongchang, the inconsistencies of Shoma & Kolyada vs the relative consistencies of Nathan (not a single loss since Pyongchang) and Hanyu, (has consistently lost to Nathan I might add) are the most obvious differences.
I see Kolyada as a good contender for bronze
Either bronze or fourth maybe
I can't disagree with your assessment at the moment, but it's going to depend on the judges mood whether they feel like giving Nathan the GOE and PCS next year. Of the top four, his performance quality is a half step behind at least, and his jump GOE could only beat Shoma on the regular. Of course, he will have the numbers on his side and flawless consistency as well so I expect the judges will make it a tight race for the sake of drama aka views aka $$$.
@@iris7484 No one has scored close to Nathan in years- Shoma is the only one to score within 10 points of him and that was In 2018. The judges aren’t suddenly going to cut Nathan’s GOE/PCS and he’s likely aiming for 6 quad FS for the Olympics. Kolyada and Shoma simply don’t have the BV to compete with him. Hanyu loses stability when he attempts higher BV and he competes better when he’s not against Nathan.
@@bakedpotato6653 Like I said, I can't argue with your assessment: I think you're likely right, but Nathan is going to have to empty out his already pretty bare programs to execute those quads. While the base value should definitely be enough to more than make up the difference, the novelty of a five quad program isn't what it once was. Once something becomes expected of a skater the way its become expected of Chen, the wow factor decreases. As we've seen time and again, when the judges turn on you, it can eat your score, and they will do it if they want to. We watched them bury the two time olympic champion last season and if you think they won't do it to Nathan, I think you're kidding yourself. It's in their wallet's best interest to keep that race as tight as possible. Then again, if they want to milk the Fanyu's for every red cent, all they have to do is keep giving the scores to Nathan 🤔... haha well I guess time will tell. At this point I don't even care, it's all politics .
For me it's a given that if Nathan goes clean with higher tech content they will pump up his GOE and PCS to give it to him over Hanyu. They want a US champion.
Do they? I am not sure. The U.S. doesn't bring a ton of advertising money into skating. The only benefit would be the NBC money given to the IOC.
Guys i agree on everything u said in the video but i found the talk on GOE Nathan vs. Hanyu a bit misleading. As far as i know Nathan received higher GOE on his elements both at WC and GPF 2019 compared to Yuzu (to my dismay)
@@TheSkatingLesson Yes but I would think that's significant. US market is where the big money is in traditional distribution. Edit: Sorry I misread - I thought you said ISU. I think ISU hopes to revive fs and its earnings in US market through Nathan.
In my opinion, ISU would want younger champion, kinda like to pass the "torch" or something. Yuzuru is not young anymore and we're already anticipating the time when he decides to retire. ISU will need to find new champion and one of the thing that they can do is by pumping GOE and PCS or creating new world records to keep excitement high.
I agree. If both Chen and Hanyu skate clean they will give it to Chen. He gets the same GOEs and PCS as Hanyu (or even higher), unlike before 2018 when Hanyu relied on his higher GOEs and PCS because of his quality.
NBC pays a shitton of money to IOC, and they want American champions to celebrate for their money. This is how it works.
Chen already said he would take a break after the Olympics. USFSA can't promote the sport through him.. He will disappear like Lysacek and no one will talk about him in the US
Yes I agree, Yuzu’s SP pants were too big, I am glad I’m not the only one who immediately thought that lmao
We can get them tailored!
he looks fine and sexy
If his pants were too tight, he cant perform high kick or wider range of movements. I know we all wanted to see his nice long legs in tightly fitted pants😝
Yeah. His usual black velvet looking pants are killer sexy. He should always wear them and just change up the tops.
Aaaawwww the wait is over🙌🙌🙌
Just an idea, how about Marin and Keji partner up and switch to ice dance?
Certainly an idea worth considering if Marin has the desire.
LOL, I had the same thought.
Do we assume Keiji is up for it? Lol
The one thing I always find myself missing with Yuzuru is a port de bras with slightly more conviction. It's the one way in which that cool detachment you mentioned affects him negatively, in my opinion. He is so graceful and lovely as it is, I just wish he'd open his chest a bit more and not let his arms go so lifeless from the elbow down.
His neck/chest posture could be a bit better with the arms for sure.
I love how loyal and no nonsense Jonathan is about daisuke making it to the olympics
He is loyal!
I was waiting for this all day! So happy the wait is now over^^
I'm glad!
I still prefer Kolyada’s FP over Shoma’s. It has a nerve, while Shoma’s FP resembles a Gala medley. But Mikhail needs a clean quad lutz and a clean program to be in the mix. Shoma has urs. And Mikhail has textbook jumps, huge, powerful. I see them as contenders for the bronze. I haven’t seen Nathan and Yuzuru. But I’m pretty sure, provided everyone’s healthy, Nathan’s technical wizardry will do the trick. Unfortunately, next year’s Olympics might turn into whoever is the healthiest will win. It will be devastating for any athlete to get COVID-19 right before the Games and get your hopes crushed.
I like Shoma's FP, but Mikhail's long program is the best for me this 'season'💓
@@user-gv5qd9oc4p Agree - Mikhail = the white crow :-)
Loved this conversation as always. Also, sorry this is off-topic but hearing you mention 1994 Lillehammer made me wonder if you have ever judged the men's event there on Patreon? Thank you!
We have not, but we would love to!
Question (entirely unrelated to Japanese Nationals): Any news if Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot are planning to compete in time for Beijing Olympics?
Unfortunately, Bruno does not want to. Aljona would come back if he were willing.
@@TheSkatingLesson Do you think there's a possibility for her to find a new partner in Germany?
@@hannibaljustincase9985 : Not in germany- definitely not!!!!! Maybe Sergei Voronov , if he is crazy enough :-) :-)
@@birgitangermair4483 that's a big shame, and it's too late to even get a skater from other country represent Germany
@@hannibaljustincase9985 hhhhhm, I don`t think that giving a foreign skater a license to skate for Germany is such a big thing ... this has happened in Austria for several times ;-). The bigger problem will be for Aliona to find an adequate partner who is able to match up with her skating skills....!
First! Already smashed the like button. Can't wait to hear your thoughts!!!
Hope you like it!
Oh you are spoiling us! And it is a holiday here in London UK here today. Thank you!!
Enjoy!
Takahashi is not tall and is thin as a partner. However there was a team who won the 2002 Olympic Ice Dance championship-Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat from France. Gwendal is not a tall male partner. Maybe Takahashi can borrow some techniques from this pair. Sorry to say the quality of Takahashi’s lifts were not there.
It will certainly be something that Marina Zoueva will be focusing on. She is a strategic mastermind. I am sure she is trying to figure this out!
Love you guys!
im pretty sure the rhythm has already been announced to be the blues (2016-170
Thank you
I think something to take into account is there are three sort of ways to measure a persons weight in Japan. There is the average body weight, the beauty/fashion weight, and there is the princess weight. To figure out your princess weight you take your (height in cm) x (height in cm) x 20 x 0.9 = princess weight. This is what I think you might want to look into it ends up being quite a bit lower than your normal weight/BMI ratio so you will look quite thin.
@EE DR 160 cm x 160 cm x 20 x 0.9 = 460.8 = 46.08 kg way underweight for an average woman. That is 101.59 lbs. way under weight!
@EE DR but you proved my point. Way underweight for a woman.
and SMOU wrestlers.
If this is about Mai, no need to worry- she's just recovering from the treatments necessary to bring her chronic illness under control but those treatments are brutal.