#2018 gpf

[domokunrainbowkinz]

this quote tweet is making me lose my mind how are you a figure skating account but don't know who Tessa and Scott are 😭

[raininyourblackeyes]

Me? Thinking about this specific Rika picture from 2018 GPF? More likely than you think.

[spiralcomet]

............just used the mass post editor because i wanted to delete a bunch of posts from my drafts, and i think i just accidentally deleted a bunch of published posts.......

[rabidline]

Japanese Skaters' Favorite Shoma Uno Programs and Their Reasons

This was in the Figure Skating Team Japan Fan Book for the 2024-2025 season, which had Shoma on its cover along with both a pretty substantial Shoma interview and Stephane interview about Shoma.

For Shoma's retirement, the magazine made a special column to include the active Japanese skaters (and Satoko) messages to Shoma, as well as their favorite Shoma programs. A friend helped in sharing and translating just the favorite Shoma programs part:

Sota Yamamoto: I love so many programs. Loco is the best for me because it’s unique and cool. Turandot 2.0 (2017-2018), when I had a difficult season because of my injury, this program encouraged me. Stairway To Heaven... brushing his hair upward is so cool. Great Spirit and Dancing On My Own (2019 Nationals) He graduated from Grand Prix Tokai and struggled but he could be National champion. I was so moved and almost cried. I love Bolero. Gravity and Air On The G String, he could perform not only powerful but loss of strength and I could learn from him.

Yuma Kagiyama: I love so many programs. Loco is the best. I love Great Spirit so I chose Believer last season (2022-2024 SP). I watched and watched Great Spirit on YouTube and I can skate its step sequence.

Shun Sato: Of course I love Ladies in Lavender. And Great Spirit.

Kazuki Tomono: I love Legends (2015-2016) so much because it’s first SP as a senior skater. His image as a skater changed a lot and it was impressive.

Koshiro Shimada: I love Loco at Helsinki Worlds (2017) the best. And Everything Everywhere All At Once and Bolero. At first Shoma mentioned about Bolero, “It’s so difficult and I can’t.” Finally he could do great performance and win at Worlds (2022) and it was what Stephane wanted to see I think. I was so moved and I almost got goosebumps.

Kao Miura: I love Loco the best because the balance of powerful and sensitive movements is good. I love Bolero because he seems to reach his limits. Not only jumps but each movement were so great and the last he seems to collapse because he skates so hard. I love it so much.

Nozomu Yoshioka: I love 2019-2020 season Great Spirit and Dancing On My Own. Nobody skates for such a number like Great Spirit and it’s so exciting. I like a stop before step sequence and before 3A and it’s so cool program. He struggled first half of the season so I was so moved to see Dancing On My Own at (2019) Nationals.

Tatsuya Tsuboi: I love Turandot 1.0 the best. When I was novice skater I saw his senior debut GPF (2015) and he got a bronze medal. It was so impressive and I was so moved.

Kaori Sakamoto: I love Moonlight. This season he won 4CC title. Second year 4th place, third year 3rd place, fourth year 2nd place, and finally he got gold medal. He seemed very happy on the podium and both program and costume were great. Everything was perfect.

Mone Chiba: I love the last season’s SP, Everything Everywhere All At Once, because I love the atmosphere. His step sequence expresses powerfulness and gracefulness. It’s great program so I feel it too short.

Rinka Watanabe: I love Moonlight because I’d like to express like that. His skating is like a clear (not hazy) night and it’s great.

Rion Sumiyoshi: I love many programs. I love Air On The G String because I sometimes skate it for skating lessons. It’s a very simple music but he can tell a story and he can bring a joy to audience. His technique is great.

Mai Mihara: I love many programs and each has a charm. If I choose one program, I’ll choose Turandot 2.0. Especially cantilever is really great and I was so moved and I almost got goosebumps. Both skating and expression were great.

Hana Yoshida: I have two programs in my mind. If I choose one program, I’ll choose Bolero. I forget the name… small pattern…Great Spirit? I love the step sequence and I’d like to rewatch it.

Yuna Aoki: Turandot 2.0 is so impressive because I love princely costume and I feel his powerfulness from this program. I love it so much.

Wakaba Higuchi: I love Bolero and Turandot so much. I could see Bolero at ice shows many times and it’s impressive.

Satoko Miyahara: I love Bolero the best. Turandot 2.0 is impressive. I also love gala program Padam Padam and I always think it great.

Rino Matsuike: I love Bolero. I used to skate Moonlight, so It’s so special for me. When Mihoko-sensei choreographed this program, she said “When the music started, audience was so focused on his performance from the first moment. (He could bring audience to his world.) When I am training, I think “I’d like to perform like him.”

[yuzu-all-the-way]

Yuzuru Hanyu's K&C reactions to breaking World Records (Through the Years)

Historical world records (during the +/-3 GOE ISU scoring system)

1) October 19th, 2012 (Skate America) - Parisienne Walkways 95.07

2) November 23rd, 2012 (NHK Trophy) - Parisienne Walkways 95.32

3) December 5th, 2013 (GPF) - Parisienne Walkways 99.84

4) February 13th, 2014 (Sochi Olympics) - Parisienne Walkways 101.45 (Yuzu was the first men's single skater in history to score above 100 points)

5) November 27th, 2015 (NHK Trophy) - Ballade No. 1 106.33

6) November 28th, 2015 (NHK Trophy) - SEIMEI 216.07 (Yuzu became the first men's single skater in history to score above 200 points)

7) November 28th, 2015 (NHK Trophy) - Total 322.40 (Yuzu became the first men's single skater in history to score above 300 points)

8) December 10th, 2015 (GPF) - Ballade No. 1 110.95 (Yuzu was the first and remains the only skater to score above 110 points before the 2018-19 season*)

9) December 12th, 2015 (GPF) - SEIMEI 219.48

10) December 12th, 2015 (GPF) - Total 330.43 (Yuzu remains the only skater in history to score above 330 points prior to the 2018-19 season)

11) April 1st, 2017 (World Championships) - Hope & Legacy 223.20 (Yuzu became the first and remained the only skater in history to score above 220 points in the free skate prior to the 2018-19 season)

12) September 22nd, 2017 (Autumn Classic) - Ballade No. 1 112.72

Modern World Records (*during the +/-5 GOE ISU scoring system introduced in the 2018-19 season)

13) November 3rd, 2018 (GP Helsinki) - Otoñal 106.60

14) November 4th, 2018 (GP Helsinki) - Origin 190.43

15) November 4th, 2018 (GP Helsinki) - Total 297.12

16) November 16th, 2018 (Rostelecom Cup) - Otonal 110.53 (Yuzu became the first skater in the new system to score above 110 points)

17) March 23rd, 2019 (World Championships) - Origin 206.10 (Yuzu became the first skater to score above 200 points in the new system)

18) March 23rd, 2019 (World Championships) - Total 300.97 (Yuzu became the first skater to score above 300 points in the new system)

19) February 7th, 2020 (Four Continents) - Ballade No. 1 111.82

[triptychgrip]

What if a drunken/accidental livestream led the public to find out about the Sochi banquet, four years after the fact?

MOTHERing_Heights commented: 12-09-2019 at 07:15am Love your posts, as always.

Regarding theories as to how the ISU kept banquet details from leaking…we all know the organization is all but broke, so they probably didn’t bribe any of the skaters to not mention it through $$$. More than likely, Viktor “I Have Gorgeous Eyes But Cross Me And I’ll Shoot Laser Beams Out Of Them” Nikiforov probably made every banquet attendee swear not to leak anything, realizing Yuuri might not want that level of media attention.

We now know Viktor didn’t realize Yuuri was that drunk, so his desire for discretion back then was probably more along the lines of “well I’m so famous and this level of scrutiny is something Yuuri probably isn’t used to, best to keep this quiet” and less of the “Woe is me! My future husband was trashed the night he captured my soul, gotta keep this hush hush” variety.

1 response to MOTHERing_Heights Lets_Get_You_To_Bed_Grandma commented: 12-09-2019 at 07:25am ajldkfjlskdaldkflskdf “Woe is me! My future husband was trashed the night he captured my soul…” This honestly sent me to the moon....why is this totally something Viktor would have thought?!

I’m now imagining him pacing and hand-wringing in his/Yuuri’s hotel room at the Barcelona GPF the night he found out that Yuuri didn’t know (the same night of their engagement, apparently?!). Oh, to be a fly on that wall…

And speaking of hand-wringing, can we all spare a moment of silence for the freaking PINING Viktor must have undergone during that 4 month gap between Sochi and hauling ass to Japan?? I’m wondering if he consoled himself in the meantime by commissioning a fanfic writer to bring to life all of his lovelorn fantasies on the page? Or, perhaps he went the route of us mere mortals and stalked Yuuri’s (formerly nonexistent) social media outlets? LMAO

---

Ahh, in-universe social media freak-outs: I love writing them, and the above excerpt/text message image is from my latest one-shot: part 1 of an eventual 3-part series about the aftermath in the event that the public finds out about the Sochi GPF Banquet shenanigans, four years after the fact.

As in: well after the Yuuri of my fic-verse wins gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics, as well as after he and Viktor get married.

The ensuing chaos has the potential for humor, of course, but also major feels, which is what attracted me to wanting to write about it in the first place

In my fic-verse, our YOI faves are having a hell of a time in Turin, Italy, enjoying themselves at the 2019 GPF Banquet, which ends up being a celebration of Yuuri winning his second GPF title (just a few points ahead of Yurio).

Due to Mila and Sara's peer pressure, Yuuri and Yurio drink far too much of the locally reknown grappa, which leads them to 1) set off together in search of more substantial food than the slim hors d'oeuvres pickings, and 2) accidentally go live on Instagram while discussing what went down in Sochi (well, it's more like Yurio slurring in his explanation and Yuuri interjecting now and again with incoherent "wait a secccc, tha' wuzz me? I did that?!" exclamations)

Needless to say, when a few Yuri's Angels record the live and upload it online, the internet EXPLODES; up until this point, everyone had believed Yuuri and Viktor's relationship origins to be pretty straightforward: they've been together since October 2016 and since then, they've never hinted at anything even slightly chaotic happening in Sochi.

Part 1 focuses on everyone's initial reactions the morning after Yuuri and Yurio's livestream; part 2 will be hurt/comfort-focused, as both Viktor and Yuuri grow insecure (though, for very different reasons); and the final part will feature Yuuri and Viktor hosting their own (sober) livestream to "take command of the narrative", as Yuuri's extremely stressed publicist suggests

I hope this overview piques your interest in my story, or encourages you to check out my other Yuri!!! on Ice works

[jennibeultimate]

Women Podium @ GPF 2023 FS

Congratulations to all medalist! 🥳🥳🥳

Congrats on Kaori for completing a grand slam! 2018 4CC champion, 2022 and 2023 World Champion, 2024 GPF champion! 🥇🥇🥇🥇

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

I don't remember who, but someone once said Shoma performs by pacing himself according to his rivals' condition. If they make mistakes, he does, too. If they have high scored performances, so does he. It is not always true, but I think they are right. In my opinion, what delayed Shoma's acquisition of gold medal before was him believing he cannot beat Nathan or Yuzuru. This season, it looks like he has mixed feelings regarding competition about artistry and all. But this aspect aside, when he was asked about beating Malinin, he says it is difficult. If we check the reality, I think it is not true. Of course, judges' decision to infilate Malinin's scores through undeserved pcs and all, and detecting and punishing Shoma's every mistake including non-existent ones contribute him to think like that. Not to mention, Shoma never receives the PCS he deserves. In the end, I am afraid Shoma will create his own obstacles by believing he cannot achieve this or that. For me, he is a skater who has a chance of getting olympic gold medal if he continues. Of course 2 years is so far away and an unknown future , but I am trying to emphasize his capability. So, it is not really a question but I wish he considered himself an unbeatable competitor. I wonder what would happen then. Btw, I am okay with Shoma not winning if he is content with himself and his skating. But he is really extremely humble that it looks like it creates a psychological obstacle.

(Assuming this goes together anon! Also sended quite a while ago, so sorry for answering so late! 🙇)

I think there is a lot to unpack here...it might get long...see it as a "discussion" even if you didn't post a particular question...

I cannot tell you who said Shoma would "pace himself according to his rivals"...I think there is a sort of correlation between skaters doing good and skaters following that also doing good and vice versa that a bad performance leads to more skaters having bad performances. If we look at 2018 Worlds free skate for example, everyone in the last group had horrible skates apart from Nathan (who magically wasn't affected or how I believe learned to distance himself from pressure after the horrible SP at the Olympics), which lead Shoma to win silver despite 3 falls, just bc everyone else was even worse. And I think Shoma didn't like winning the medal that way. I think it's only natural that skaters are influenced by the mood of the audience and skaters. Shoma is a skater that watches his competition until he has to start so Shoma knows exactly what he has to do. So I am almost sure he sometimes just does what he has to in order to get the result he needs. If it's crucial to put the combinations in at the end to secure a medal, he does them like at GPF 2023, but if he knows he'd done enough to win like at GPF 2022 he will not go for it. I think Shoma is smart in that regard, he does difficulty also according to his competition sometimes (and I think that was also a strategy that helped Nathan to win bc he always did adjust his difficulty according to his competition). If you want to call it "pacing to his rivals' condition" or just knowing what he has to do in order to achieve what he needs is up to you. Shoma is not really a skater that skates clean, yet his results speak for himself, that he still has such high personal bests of 212 points TSS, even with couple of errors. So I think Shoma will aim for Gold and to beat Ilia, he's just realistic that it's not gonna be guaranteed to win and also that it's not easy. And ofc if we look at the scores this season it's not Shoma who is in the best position. I don't think you have to fear that he will just condition himself to be good enough to podium. Shoma always paces himself with each competition. I think the real obstacle here are his new boots that may hinder the pacing. For the last two years Shoma has paced himself that he would always have peak condition at the 2nd half of the season. (Even if in 2023 Worlds he was injured, he was well prepared)

"In my opinion, what delayed Shoma's acquisition of gold medal before was him believing he cannot beat Nathan or Yuzuru."

I don't think that's the entire truth. Yes Shoma didn't believe in himself enough to win for sure, but I also think it was just realistic to not think of winning only. I think Shoma was always one that was in the mix to win but not as the favorite (and that's not bc of the judges but bc of BV and consistency) Tbh Nathan had a crazy consistency and also Yuzu's consistency was way better than Shoma's so in reality the chance to win against Nathan (after 2017-2018 season) and Yuzu (from the start) was slim. If everyone would have been clean, Shoma would not have won. When Shoma started to have 5 quads in 2021-2022 then he could cross the line to win on his own accord, before his BV would not have allowed him to pass Yuzu and Nathan even with a clean skate. But up until then it was not only a lack of confidence. I think Shoma was just realistic. Btw Shoma tried to have a different approach in 2018-2019. He did in fact tell media that he wants to win against Nathan and Yuzu. But this approach let him down. He was good in practice and never got it together in competition against Nathan and Yuzu. I think this approach was even what lead him to struggle so much mentally until he felt he was not good enough for any medal. He was close to quitting soon after Worlds 2019. He came in with the height of winning 4cc and delivered worse than ever at Worlds that season. Afterwards I think the believe in himself was completely broken. It took 2 years to get back on a confidence level and then there was also COVID...that was an emotional rollercoaster, never in a million years would I have imagined him to become back to back World champion, I was worried he would quit without ever achieving any big title.

"This season, it looks like he has mixed feelings regarding competition about artistry and all. But this aspect aside, when he was asked about beating Malinin, he says it is difficult. If we check the reality, I think it is not true. [...] In the end, I am afraid Shoma will create his own obstacles by believing he cannot achieve this or that. For me, he is a skater who has a chance of getting olympic gold medal if he continues."

Again I think Shoma is just being realistic. I am the first person to emphasize that Shoma is still in Gold contender position and I was also the one to continuesly emphasize that the Gold was his to lose last season and I sort of still believe that, bc Shoma so far did not deliver his absolute best while skaters like Ilia and Adam this season have still room for adding points but especially Adam I consider to be at a maximum PB score if he's not adding more difficulty. If Ilia would have landed the 4A at GPf 2023 ofc his points would have been a tad higher as well but it's still nothing that Shoma could not achieve with clean skates for SP and FS. Yet realistically Ilia, Adam and Yuma also have a chance to win, bc their score potential is so close to one another, so for me it's a way healthier approach to not expect to win but just try to focus on yourself and your own goal instead of the win only. I also don't think winning only is truly what Shoma wants at this point bc he said himself that winning is cool but also kind of boring, he lost motivation last season with winning. (That's not a direct quote but a summary btw) Shoma experienced to win, but instead of bunking on his legacy and focusing on a winning streak, he reduced the technical content knowing very well that it would cost him points if he doesn't manage to skate his current BV clean - with a quad more you have more room for mistakes - yet he chose this approach for the season. He also knew a focus on artistry would not get him better scores, yet he still chose this path. If Shoma's goal would be winning only he would not have changed his 5 quad approach this season. He can still very well do the 4S, he could return to a 5 quad program to have better chances at beating Ilia but he so far decided against it. So let's see if he adds it back in for Worlds.

I think Shoma has a chance of getting Gold at Olympics but tbh at this point I doubt that it's what he wants. The Olympics was never as important for him than for everyone else. In 2018 he even said it's just another competition. He underestimated the aftereffects of the celebrity like status and expectations that followed bc of it, but the competition itself was not more meaningful to him. I think 2022 was not that different. I am not convinced that Worlds 2024 will be his last competition, but at the same time I am also not convinced that it's not his last. If Shoma has the ideal skate he thrives for - what medal that may be - he may retire. And actually if that's what he feels is best for him than that's ok. I come to terms with the fact that Shoma will retire sooner or later, it took me a long time but now I can say I am at peace with that.

I don't see Shoma's way as a "psychological obstacle", I see it as a healthy approach to competition. I have seen the contrary approach in Yuzu: Yuzu was all about winning, specific titles, specific goals and that's what worked for him lots of times, but I don't feel it's a healthy approach to always aim for first when you know it's not always gonna happen, no one in this sport is truly unbeatable bc ice is slippery. It will make you unhappy if you're not able to achieve your goals. So in this sense I always felt Shoma has a healthier mindset. It's not that Shoma doesn't like winning or doesn't want to win, but he is realistic that it might not always happen. Shoma will never see himself as an unbeatable competitor, bc he is realistic and bc he knows his flaws. He is not boastful and overconfident, he is humble indeed but I think that's what makes him special that he sees his competition and is happy for them if they achieve something for themselves. He's not unhappy when others win, look at how complimentary Shoma was of Nathan, Yuzu, Adam, Ilia and Yuma. Even if Shoma feels unfairly treated like at NHK23 he didn't begrudge Yuma his win, he let out his frustration against the judges in the interview, but imo he was more unhappy with the result bc he felt the skate was good and didn't get the proper reward, so ppl would like to rewatch it and bc Stephane was so upset about it. If all Shoma cares a bit too much about his surroundings - his fans, the coaches, other skaters - but I don't think that's a bad trait to have. I think if it wouldn't be for fans and Stephane and probably a bit of not knowing what else to do, Shoma would have long retired, but he is still here to reward us all, not himself imo. (Bruh this guy doesn't even know where he keeps all his medals and wanted to gift his medal to the grave. Good that he has a family that cares) It may seem contradictory but I think that's what truly works for him. This season the scores have been quite disappointing - also for Shoma himself - but if we look at it objectively his results ain't bad. He won Nationals, he got a Silver medal at GPF and all of this despite judges not being fully supportive of him, especially the technical panel has been even unfair, yet he didn't finish off podium. I am not disappointed that Shoma doesn't see himself as the best skater - what imo he currently definitely is - but I am disappointed even angry at ppl downplaying his achievements or his fans losing believe in his abilties. The results are out of Shoma's hands in the end - that's up to the judges how they treat him. Let's hope they are fair at Worlds.

I think just as important is that WE as his fans believe in him. That we support him. And with that believe of everyone else around him he has the believe in himself. I believe in Shoma. I trust in Shoma to deliver a performance that leaves us speechless. Will he win? Maybe. But even if not, what's the problem? He has two world titles, he's 26 years old, he has a long career and many medals. He has written his name in the history books. He's the 2nd most decorated Japanese skater of all time behind Yuzu. What more is there to achieve? 😌

[tutuandscoot]

Allow me to geek out on some maths for a moment..

Ages of the winners of the Olympics Ice Dance event from the past 2 decades:

2002: Anissina/Peizerat (FRA) 27/30

2006: Navka/Kostomarov (RUS) 31/29

2010: Virtue/Moir (CAN) 20/22

2014: Davis/White (USA) 27/26

2018: Virtue/Moir (CAN) 28/30

2022: Papadakis/Cizeron (FRA) 26/27

The ages of the top 6 (as of GPF 2023) + P/C as of Milano/Cortina 2026:

Papadakis/Cizeron (FRA): 30/31 (3rd olys)

Chock/Bates (USA): 33/37 (5th olys *E)

Guignard/Fabbri (ITA): 37/39 (4th olys)

Gilles/Poirier (CAN): 34/34 (4th olys *Paul)

Fear/Gibson (GBR): 27/32 (2nd olys)

Fournier Beaudry/Sorensen (CAN): 33/37 (2nd olys)

Lajoie/Lagha (CAN): 26/27 (2nd olys)

Of the above 7 teams, only one will be younger than VM were in 2018.

AND PEOPLE THOUGHT VM WERE “ANCIENT” when they won in 2018…

In a world where VM return for the 2026 Olympics.. they would not be the oldest team competing..

Pre-VM, Ice Dance was an ‘older skaters’ sport.

VM made ice dance a ‘young sport’- they pushed the athleticism, skating skill, difficulty, artistry, versatility. Everyone was forced to skate to their standard. They retired at, what is now proven to be, a relatively young age. The ages of the *top* teams looking to the 2026 Olympics, the above teams are made up of holdovers from the VM era, and teams that have not and will never have the opportunity to achieve what VM did at- clearly now an anomaly of a young age, because of the holdover teams- If they do, it will be at the rate of the age cycle that has reappeared starting precisely at the retirement of Virtue/Moir.

VM was the outlier.

[seafood-33]

In the days of waiting for notte stellata, we miss Javier and Yuzuru-swan.

Worlds 2017, GPF 2016, Olympics 2018

Source : yuzumi7 Shibsibs Ninny others from pinterest.

[anewbeginningagain]

So I was watching some old Canadian nationals and world championships videos from 2015-2018 quad during the holidays and it was the first time I noticed how weaver poje became really successful in 2014/15 but then after VM came back they were dropped like stones so fast that I can only imagine how much they resented VM for it. How was it back then? Was there resentment from w/p and their fans toward VM?

LOL feels like everyone is feeling nostalgic post holidays.

Basically, it was all pretty wild. WeaPo had a surprising success in 2014/15 winning both their GPs and GPF over P/C, then winning 4CC and looking so strong for worlds only to drop to 3rd. P/C's questionable rise aside, WeaPo did what WeaPo always do and lost a lot of points over levels and while looking at the protocols shows they had no chance of beating P/C (their win was all but predetermined at that point), they still lost to C/B over levels. Then during 2015/16 they once again won both their GPs and GPF (in the absence of P/C who were out because of a concussion) but then completely fucked up at 4CC again over lost levels and bad twizzles (which will become a recurrent habit for them all through the quad) getting level 1 lift, level 2 twizzles and level 2 spin, it was a miracle they even got 3rd tbh. Coincidently or not, 4CC dance event finished on 2/19/2016 which is exactly one day before Tessa and Scott announced their comeback which WeaPo knew was going to happen. Then at 2016 Worlds they dropped hard finishing 5th again due to lost levels and bad twizzles.

Those results basically halted any momentum they had and really set them back. Add to that Tessa and Scott's comeback and WeaPo choosing bad material and changing at least one program 3 years straight and also switching the (according to rumors) the only coach willing to take them - and they really had no chance to rise after that.

As for how they took it - not great, they gave an interview that sounded really bitter and unkind at first claiming they were blindsided which was a joke considering basically everyone and their mothers suspected TS are coming back since like at least November 2015, and TS also mentioning that they told them before it was announced. Then they also gave some kind of how the comeback is not related to them and they will always be Kaitlyn and Andrew or something of that sort which even made the reporter be kind of mean to them tbh... They seemed friendly during the second year of TS comeback but it was always clear there was resentment there at least to some degree.

As for how their fans took it - not great either LOL. They were frustrated and kept saying TS had their time and now it's WeaPo's turn and they are ruining it for them. It was all very much the opposite of what sport is about. One anecdote that really stayed with me is a TS fan who was on tumblr and really loved them and also became a WeaPo fan and for a while even after TS announced their comeback she was ok with it all, but then she decided it will be great to lie that she saw TS kiss during Boston Worlds (not a single soul bought that) and then when WeaPo had a really bad season in 2016/17 (and after in 2017/18 too) she decided that it was TS fault and completely turned on them. Fun times LOL. Long story short, most WeaPo fans resented TS too and were mostly bitter about their success in the comeback.

[harocat]

Fun old post! I’d like to see how the BV for Nathan’s Pyeongchang and Milano Worlds free skates compared as well, as they had six quads.

Of course, the scoring system changed after 2018, so we can’t really compare past that point. Ilia’s GPF Succession and Nathan’s Rocketman would lead the pack on that front, but remember, post 2018 there is one less jumping pass. Ilia’s yet to nail his planned program content when he has over four quads, but certain to say if he can, the TES will be bonkers.

And Nathan did eventually get stronger in backloading some of those combos. For example, the 4t1eu3f at the end of his free, and the 4lz3t at the end of his SP. He also got that missing quad loop under his belt. And Ilia has all six like the mad lad he is. Looking back is so interesting.

Nathan Chen vs. Victor Nikiforov

Kubo has made some comments recently about how when YOI was being created she wanted it to be a ‘little ahead of where skating is right now’. It’s not as if they had the characters doing quintuples or something. She just, jump content wise, had the characters somewhat ahead of the standard of the top skaters in competition. Victor’s program in the first episode stood out to a lot of people. It seemed a bit fantastic! 

He performed four different quads. No one had done that before. Jin Boyang had first done four quads in a program before, almost a year previous to YOI’s premiere. But… they weren’t four different quads. It did still seem a bit fanciful, although yes, it was inevitable that it would occur within a couple years. There were skaters, multiple ones, who we knew probably had the capability to do it. There was a lot of talk about a trio of teenagers nicknamed the ‘quad squad’ and which one would be first to pull it off. These three young men are Jin Boyang of China, Shoma Uno of Japan, and Nathan Chen of USA. 

Anyway, the ‘first to pull it off’ ended up being Nathan Chen of the USA, and not only did he ‘pull off’ Victor Nikiforov’s jump layout, but he did him one over and completed a more difficult one. There’s no quad toe triple toe in there, but instead the harder combination the quad lutz + triple toe loop. However, he did do four different quads, and on top of that, one more, for a total of five quads. He’s now done this twice in two months, once at US Nationals and once at Four Continents. 

Even Kubo-sensei herself expressed amusement at this. She meant to make the show a little bit in the future, but within a month of the series ending, actual figure skating surpassed it! 

So how does Victor’s (record breaking in the YOI universe) Stammi Vicino free skate compare with Nathan Chen’s (history making in our universe) Polovtsian Dances free skate? Let’s take a look! 

As a note, I don’t really have a way to know exactly the levels and base values of Victor’s step sequences and spins, so this will be based on jumps only. Also this is based on Nathan’s jump layout at US Nationals. His jump layout at Four Continents was slightly different. :)

Nathan Chen:

Quad Lutz + Triple Toe loop

Quad Flip

Quad Toeloop + Double Toe loop + Double Loop

Quad Toeloop

Triple Axel

Quad Salchow

Triple Lutz

Triple Flip + Triple Toe loop

Base Value of jumps alone 91.96

I pulled these base values directly off icenetwork’s official scoring sheets, so if there’s anything wrong, blame them not me. 

Victor Nikiforov

Quad Lutz 

Quad Flip 

Triple Axel 

Quadruple Salchow

Triple Axel + Triple Loop + Double Loop 

Triple Lutz

Triple Flip

Quadruple Toe Loop + Triple Toe Loop

Base Value of jumps alone: 88.79 

If there’s a mistake in these though, it’s my fault. 

Why is Victor’s so close to Nathan’s despite having one less quad? It’s mostly because his program is a little more backloaded with jumps than Nathan’s is. He puts his quad/triple as his last jump element, and he even squishes that three jump combination in his latter half of the program.  Remember that jumps in the latter part of your program get a 10% bonus on scores. This is emphasized in YOI especially with Yuuri’s character, as his stamina allows him to put the most difficult elements of his program near the end of his programs to take advantage of that. A quad flip within mere moments of your program ending is absolutely balls to the wall nuts, but Yuuri does it in both his short and long programs at the GPF. 

Nathan Chen’s original program plan at US Nationals was a triple loop where the last quad salchow is. If he had done that, he would have had four quads and his base value would have been: 85.51, which is a little below Victor’s (despite the fact that Nathan’s quadruple jump combo, the 4 lutz/3 toe is more difficult than Victor’s choice of a 4 toe/3 toe. In fact, at Four Continents it broke a record for the highest score on an individual element!). The power of those latter half bonuses is strong! 

Anyway, the scores being close w/ four quads all makes sense, as the quads Victor and Nathan have in their competitive arsenal are identical. The one quad they both don’t do is the loop (Victor apparently can but has only done it in exhibition, so perhaps it’s not something he’s consistent enough on? And of course no one does the axel). 

I wouldn’t call Nathan’s program particularly front loaded. However, if he does want his sky high base scores to be even higher, he can try to move some more of those jumps to the latter half. He is still only seventeen though, so he may not have developed the stamina for it yet. Victor on the other hand, has been working on this forever. That being said, that also proves what an athlete Victor is, because he’s twenty-seven years old and still doing this, which is incredible. Twenty-seven is still very young, but figure skating, like gymnastics, is known as a sport with a mayfly life span for a lot of athletes. It’s very hard on the body. Thus, Victor slamming out those quads at the end of his program at twenty-seven is pretty darn amazing. 

But yes Nathan is an absolutely stunning (and non-fictional!) athlete. It’s wonderful what he’s done. I’d be interested to see how Victor’s short program layout compares to his, but we don’t have any info on that, although I could do a comparison to JJ’s Rostelecom layout or Yuuri’s (planned) GPF one! 

[vikaandnikita]

[anythinggoe]

Day 7: Favourite warhorse

Junhwan Cha | Romeo + Juliet | Grand Prix Final 2018

[yuzu-all-the-way]

Yuzuru Hanyu's Senior FS Costumes

I. Origin 1.0 (Prince of Darkness)

Note: All the references (interviews, translations, etc.) used for this post are listed below the cut

In the 2018-2019 season, Yuzuru Hanyu came to compete as the newly crowned double Olympic champion. He dedicated his short program (Otonal) to Johnny Weir and his free program (Origin) to Evgeni Plushenko, two skaters Yuzuru admired since childhood.

Origin 1.0 - the costume which has the aura of the Prince of Darkness, as described by Satomi Ito herself, the costume designer¹. I consider this one of the top iconic Yuzuru Hanyu costumes because it deviates from the usual brightly colored ones (think about the blue-based costumes, for example) and he embraces the dark. I do not mean dark as in only color, but also judging by the vibes. The only other costume I can think of as channeling dark(ness) is Masquerade.

There is a striking contrast between the relaxed, skating around Yuzuru Hanyu and the competition mode ON Yuzuru Hanyu. The difference is made specifically by his expression. However, in both instances, the costume seems to create a barrier between him and the rest of the world. Origin 1.0, a black and gold lace-top paired with black velour pants, is the first competition costume worn by Yuzu after winning his second Olympic gold medal and I like to think this costume is made to emphasize that Yuzuru Hanyu is untouchable.

The base of the top is a skin-coloured fabric with overlaid black lace. On the front, the chest's jagged opening creates the illusion of feathers spreading protectively, a subtle dynamism enhanced by the diagonal, slightly winding fabric and golden details orientation. In contrast, on the upper back, the gold fabric follows the curve of the shoulder blades and ribcage, like an exoskeleton, while the lower back's lines are naturally flowing downwards, highlighting the waist. Here and there few dark-red beads can be noticed which confer depth and nuance to the costume.

Origin 1.0 is based on Yuzuru's surname: 『The non-human born of feathers』². As such, the most important detail is represented by the feathers - around 100 handmade black and white feathers by Satomi Ito, applied manually, and the white ones airbrushed black in the middle to maintain the costume's cohesion. Another subtle detail lies in the purple rhinestones. They are seamlessly integrated within the costume so much so that these become noticeable only in close-up photos (see below).

Contributing to the depth of the costume are the purposefully ripped holes within the lace. Satomi Ito took to making those herself in the process of bringing Origin to life². The holes convey a subtle ragged look, of someone who has seen darkness and embraced it. They complement the entire look beautifully, adding to the Prince of Darkness theme.

Origin 1.0 is one of those costumes made of multiple layers with various details applied without looking heavy or overly ornated. It maintains an apparently basic pattern while being full of hidden gems.

At the end of another 'incomplete' season (Yuzu injured his ankle during 2018 NHK's FS practice, winning the event despite it, but having to withdraw from GPF and Japan Nationals), Yuzuru commented in a post-Worlds 2019 interview that the black and gold costume was meant to be "accessorized" only with gold medals (paraphrased)³.

--------------------------------

Personally, I have been quite vocal on this blog about my undying love for the Origin sisters. They are in a constant battle to be my favourite.

Today, Origin 1.0 won for four reasons:

1) the theme is right up my alley

2) there is an easily found translation of an interview with Satomi Ito about the making of the costume (and I'm proud to say I understood the costume and the vision before reading the interview)

3) Yuzu won for the first time both of his GP assignments - he really was determined to have only gold associated with Origin 1.0.

4) 2019 Worlds Origin deserved the gold

1. Translation by @/marika_yuzu

2. "Figure Skating Fan" Magazine 2018-2019 『Born from feathers』 Translation

3. 53:57 YT video

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

Shall we try to unpack this?

I try to explain a bit.

1) So first Shoma did indeed express dissatisfaction with the selection criterias by JSF he however hasn't stated any reason and hasn't named anyone.

Some ppl assume it's because he is upset for Koshiro, which I do think is the case. (that he isn't assigned to 4CC as a reason just shows that those ppl don't know Shoma at all, he was even very likely asked if he wanted to do 4CC and declined) Anyway his dissatisfaction was clearly against JSF and not against the others who are selected. (we can argue about if this was the right moment or necessary but I do think Shoma has every right to express his feelings)

2) While I do think that JSF this time played by their own rules they often didn't in the past hence while ppl say "Shoma is calling JSF out on their inconsistency" The past years they made Nationals their prime selection criteria for Worlds. Last season for example they left off Mai Mihara of the Olympic team and took Mana Kawabe instead even though they were only 2 points apart at Nationals and Mai constantly outscored Mana on all GP competitions. It was utterly baffling that they left Mai with litetally nothing but sended Mana to Olympics and Worlds. In 2018 for example Kaori Sakamoto and Satoko Miyahara were chosen for the Olympics based on their Nationals results, Wakaba Higuchi who made the GPF was left off and got Worlds. For Olympics team event it was questionable why they took an injured Shoma to perform there, but didn't even ask Yuzu though he was the National champion. These are just some examples of their inconsistency. In the end JSF always did what they like and bend their criteria the way it fits them. JNats is always set up as the most important competition however Koshiro isn't even 1st but 2nd alternate, so it's completely unclear how heavy one selection criteria works. Also there is the thing with Yuma being completely left off despite one criteria is also to have medaled at the past championship and despite Yuma clearly being not ready, he still had to perform for a chance at being selected so there is the question if all was already decided by GP results why did Yuma need to perform? And sending Kao to junior Worlds despite him doing so well at seniors and he was selected for senior Worlds 2022 but just had to skip because of injury is also questionable because it's definitely a step back for his scores. So even if I think this time their selection is quite fair there are still a lot of questionable choices.

Back to Shoma: It was very out of character for him to be so bold and say something so my guess is that it's a culmination of stuff that happens within JSF. We only see parts of it, most is hidden.

3) About politicking within JSF we have no evidences but some unconfirmed knowledge. You can imagine it like for international politics just with regions within Japan, there are those traditional powerhouses in Japan for example from the region around Nagoya and other who just recently produced results for example region around Sendai. One example is the support Komatsubara/Koleto had to win the ice dance competition in 2021 over Muramoto/Takahashi despite Muramoto/Takahashi beating them internationally and having better scores. Komatsubara/Koleto received scores at JNats that were not comparable at all to those internationally, they were far better. I don't exactly know how much politicking comes into play for the selection, but just let's say it's rare for JSF to put skaters of the same coach on one team and some coaches names like Mie Hamada or Machiko Yamada have more worth than others.

4) The truth is no one knows what is really going on behind closed doors. We may see snippets but that's all. The things some skaters have shared about their federations or coaches give you only a little bit insight to how much happens the audience is completely unaware. I follow this sport for years and would never claim to have insight in politics, but the things you can learn are about scoring and technical stuff if you want to. It depends if you really want to understand the basics of it all (and believe me when I say once you understand things some things get even more confusing😅) or if you just want to enjoy. I cannot give you advice on this, but just make sure it feels right for you.

Btw it's sad that it's such a hassle to watch in the US but it wasn't always like this and I hope it gets solved for y'all in the US.

Anyway I hope it made things clearer and not more confusing...

Can someone tl;dr what in the world is going on with Shoma and JFed? Here's how I currently understand things:

1) Shoma, Koshiro, and Kazuki podium in that order

2) Worlds team is Shoma, Sota (who placed second at GPF, 5th in JNats), and Kazuki with Koshiro as 2nd alternate. 4cc team is Koshiro, Shun, Kao.

3) Shoma was visibly agitated about the decision and said he didn't understand the selection criteria. No one is quite sure why.

And that's where I get lost. Some people are saying he's upset because of Koshiro because Koshiro isn't on the Worlds team despite winning silver and is second alternate too at that (plus Koshiro is his rink mate), which is inconsistent with past JNats I think? Others say Shoma's upset cause he himself is not on 4cc which I am disinclined to believe because a) he's won before, b) the Japanese skater field is deep in talent, it needs to be spread out among competitions as is, and c) generally the people saying this are people who do not like him already so I take their opinions on him with a grain of salt.

One thing I have seen a lot of is people going, "someone's calling JFed out on their inconsistency and politicking finally," and that's where I get completely lost cause this is my first season so I have no background on any of this. I know there's "politicking" but I don't quite know what that means on the internal level within federations. Like I sort of get it for major competitions with overscoring and underscoring and things like that but politicking between skaters of the same fed, yeah, I have no clue.

See, this is why I hesitate into getting into skating beyond my single point of entry (Shoma). That and how difficult it is to watch competitions in the states (yes, I am aware of getting a VPN and stuff related to that, not the point).