#figure skating grand prix 2019

[yuzuteashop]

[figureskatingcostumes]

Hiu Lok Chow skating to Howl's Moving Castle for her free program at the 2019 Junior Grand Prix Lake Placid.

(Source: gabietab.com)

[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.”

[kaleidodreams]

Updated 100 Memorable Skating Programs

Back in 2018, I created the original version of this list. (You can find the master post here.) Since 2024 marks my 30th year as an official fan of figure skating and there have been some more great programs created since the last time, I thought it was about time to update the list in honor of World Ice Skating Day. Same rules apply as last time:

Only senior competitive programs starting from the 1993-1994 season are eligible, since that's the first season I really started watching figure skating.

Each skater may only be listed once, unless a partner/discipline switch is involved.

Choice of music may also not be repeated. (Yes, there are two James Bond programs on the list, but Yuna and Wakaba use different music for the most part, so I'm letting it slide.)

I debated long and hard about whether or not I should still include programs from skaters who have proven themselves to be not so great people. I'm someone who has little difficulty separating the art from the artist, so in the end, I decided to keep them listed (although most of them got knocked down a few pegs). This list is more about the choreography than the skater anyway, although there are certainly some problematic choreographers out there, too. (Looking at you especially, Morozov!) So, just because a skater is listed doesn't mean that I'm a fan of them or that I condone their actions! I just think certain programs are still great regardless of the skaters' terrible behavior off the ice.

Choreographers are noted if known. If you know who choreographed the programs without a choreographer named, please let me know!

I've also created a handy playlist on YouTube if you don't want to click on all these links.

Ashley Wagner - Moulin Rouge (Shae-Lynn Bourne) 2016 Worlds

Jason Brown - Melancholy (Rohene Ward) 2023 Nationals

Patrick Chan - Phantom of the Opera (Lori Nichol) 2011 Canadian Nationals

Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje -Je suis malade (Pasquale Camerlengo) 2012 Worlds

Meryl Davis/Charlie White - Kajra Re/Silsila Ye Chahat Ka/Dola Re Dola (Marina Zueva, Igor Shpilband, and Anuja Rajendra) 2010 Olympics

Mao Asada - Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 (Tatiana Tarasova) 2014 Olympics

Sui/Han - Rain, In Your Black Eyes (Lori Nichol) 2019 Worlds

Marina Anissina/Gwendal Peizerat - Romeo & Juliet 1998 Olympics

Cain/LeDuc - W.E. (Pasquale Camerlengo) 2022 US Nationals

Daisuke Takahashi - Blues for Klook (Pasquale Camerlengo) 2012 Worlds

Kurt Browning - Casablanca (Sandra Bezic) 1994 Olympics

Michelle Kwan - Salome (Lori Nichol) 1996 Worlds

Alexei Yagudin - Winter (Tatiana Tarasova and Nikolai Morosov) 2002 Olympics

Jamie Sale/David Pelletier - Love Story (Lori Nichol) 2002 Olympics

Jeremy Abbott - Exogenesis (Jeremy Abbott and Yuka Sato) Nationals 2012

Oksana Grishuk/Evgeni Platov - The Feeling Begins 1997 Worlds

Yuzuru Hanyu - Seimei (Shae-Lynn Bourne) 2015 Grand Prix Final

Chock/Bates - Egyptian Snake Dance (Marie-France Dubreuil, Ginette Cournoyer, and Sam Chouinard) 2019 Grand Prix Final

Javier Fernandez - Guys and Dolls (David Wilson) 2016 Worlds

Vanessa James/Morgan Cipres - Sound of Silence (John Kerr and Silvia Fontana) 2017 Euros

Evgenia Medvedeva - Anna Karenina (Daniil Gleichengauz) 2018 Olympics

Nathan Chen - Philip Glass medley (Shae-Lynn Bourne) 2021 Worlds

Gabriella Papadakis/Guilliame Cizeron - Elegie (Saxon Fraser and Marie-France Dubreuil) 2022 Olympics

Aljona Savchenko/Bruno Massot - La terre vue du ciel (Christopher Dean) 2018 Olympics

Kevin Aymoz - Bolero (Brice Mousset and Kevin Aymoz) 2023 Skate America

Julia Lipnitskaya - Schindler’s List (Ilia Averbukh) 2014 Olympics

Elena Berezhnaya/Anton Sikharulidze - Lady Caliph 2002 Olympics

Yu-na Kim - James Bond medley (David Wilson) 2010 Olympics

Shoma Uno - Buenos Aires Hora Cero (Mihoko Higuchi) 2016 Grand Prix Final

Michal Brezina - The Way You Look Tonight (Jeffrey Buttle) 2016 Skate Canada

Shae-Lynn Bourne/Victor Kraatz - Riverdance 1998 Olympics

Adam Rippon - O/Fly On (Benji Schwimmer) 2016 Trophee de France

Jeffrey Buttle - Bells of Moscow (David Wilson) 2005 Worlds

Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier - Vincent (Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs) 2019 Canadian Nationals

Rudy Galindo - Swan Lake (Sharlene Franke) 1996 US Nationals

Sasha Cohen - Malaguena (Tatiana Tarasova) 2004 Worlds

Aljona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy - Pina (Ingo Steur) 2011 Grand Prix Final

Samantha Cesario - Carmen (Inese Budevica) 2013 Trophee Eric Bompard

Tatsuki Machida - East of Eden (Phillip Mills) 2014 Worlds

Xue Shen/Hongbo Zhao - Turandot (Lea Ann Miller, Renee Roca, and Gorsha Sur) 2003 Worlds

Kaitlin Hawayek/Jean-Luc Baker - Liebestraume (Pasquale Camerlengo) 2018 Nationals

Olga Mikutina - My Nocturnal Serenade (Rostislav Sinicyn) 2023 Europeans

Lu Chen - The Last Emperor (Toller Cranston) 1995 Worlds

Giada Russo - Red Violin (Edoardo de Bernardis) 2016 Europeans

Junhwan Cha - Fate of the Clockmaker/Cloak and Dagger (Shae-Lynn Bourne) 2022 Olympics

Han Yan - La La Land (Yuka Sato and Kurt Browning) 2019 Chinese Interclub League

Wakaba Higuchi - Skyfall (Shae-Lynn Bourne) 2018 Worlds

Kazuki Tomono - Die Fledermaus (Misha Ge) 2022 Japanese Nationals

Yuma Kagiyama - Believer (Shae-Lynn Bourne) 2024 Worlds

Karen Chen - On Golden Pond (Karen Chen) 2017 Nationals

Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani - Coppelia (Marina Zueva and Cheryl Yeager) 2016 Nationals

Yuko Kavaguti/Alexander Smirov - Manfred Symphony (Peter Tchernyshev) 2014 Skate America

Philippe Candeloro - The Three Musketeers (Natacha Dabadie) 1998 Olympics

Alexander Abt - Songs from the Victorious City 1998 Nations Cup

Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir - Prince medley 2017 Worlds

Ekaterina Gordeeva/Sergei Grinkov - Moonlight Sonata (Marina Zueva) 1994 Olympics

Satoko Miyahara - Madama Butterfly (Tom Dickson) 2017 Japanese Nationals

Marjorie Lajoie/Zachary Lagha - The White Crow (Romain Haguenauer and Ginette Cournoyer) 2023 Four Continents

Anjelika Krylova/Oleg Ovsiannikov - Masquerade Waltz 1997 Worlds

Alena Kostornaia - The Departure, November (Daniil Gleikhengauz) 2019 Grand Prix Final

Nelli Zhiganshina/Alexander Gazsi - Two from the Grave (Ilia Averbukh) 2013 Worlds

Ksenia Stolbova/Fedor Klimov - The Man and The Shadow (Nikolai Morozov) 2015 Grand Prix Final

Stephanie Rosenthal - Rockit (Stewart and Christi Sturgeon) 2006 Nationals

Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue - Across the Sky, Caught Out In The Rain (Marie-France Dubreuil) 2018 Nationals

Mikhail Kolyada - The Nutcracker (Ilia Averbukh) 2021 Gran Premio d'Italia

Sinead Kerr/John Kerr - The Landing/Turn Around/Gravity of Love (Evgeni Platov) 2008 Worlds

Kaetlyn Osmond - Sous le ciel de Paris, Milord (Lance Vipond) 2016 Grand Prix Final

Carolina Kostner - Ave Maria (Lori Nichol) 2014 Olympics

Karina Manta/Joe Johnson - Sweet Dreams (Christopher Dean) 2019 Nationals

Gracie Gold - Firebird (Lori Nichol) 2016 Nationals

Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri - Atonement/Song For A Little Sparrow (Barbara Fusar-Poli and Corrado Giordani) 2022 Europeans

Keegan Messing - Singing in the Rain (Lance Vipond) 2018 Worlds

Elizabeth Punsalan/Jerod Swallow - Astor Piazolla medley (Igor Shpilband) 1998 Olympics

Rika Kihira - A Beautiful Storm (Tom Dickson) 2018 NHK Trophy

Mariah Bell - Chicago (Rohene Ward) 2016 Skate America

Brian Joubert - Rise (Evgeni Platov) 2009 Europeans

Stephane Lambiel - Poeta (Antonio Najarro) 2007 Worlds

Kaori Sakamoto - The Matrix (Benoit Richaud) 2020 NHK Trophy

Akiko Suzuki - O (Pasquale Camerlengo) 2012 NHK Trophy

Qing Pang/Jian Tong - The Impossible Dream (Shae-Lynn Bourne and David Wilson) 2010 Olympics

Takahito Kozuka - Io ci saro (Lori Nichol) 2014 Japanese National

Smart/Diaz - Mask of Zorro 2022 Europeans

Matt Savoie - Ennio Morricone medley (Tom Dickson) 2006 Nationals

Deniss Vasiljevs - Puttin’ On The Ritz (Benoit Richaud) 2016 Worlds

Caroline Green/Michael Parsons - Violin Concerto No.1 Eso Concerto, Clouds, The Mind on the Wind (Elena Novak and Alexei Kiliakov) 2022 Four Continents

Tara Lipinski - The Rainbow (Sandra Bezic) 1998 Olympics

Denis Ten - SOS d'un terrien en détresse (David Wilson) 2017 Shanghai Trophy

Valentina Marchei/Ondrej Hotarek - Tu Vuo Fa L'Americano (Massimo Scali) 2018 Europeans

Krisztina Czako - The Addams Family (Igor Bobrin) 1997 Europeans

Cheng Peng/Yang Jin - My Drag (Lori Nichol) 2016 GPF

Bradie Tennell - Mechanisms, Chronos (Benoit Richaud) 2020 4CC

Evgeny Plushenko - Tribute to Nijinsky 2004 Russian Nationals

Vanessa Gusmeroli - Rats D'Hotel 1999 Worlds

Julianne Seguin/Charlie Bilodeau - Monde Inverse (Shae-Lynn Bourne and Shae Zukiwsky) 2015 Skate America

Isabeau Levito - Dulcea Și Tandra Mea Fiară (Yulia Kuznetsova) 2022 MK John Wilson Trophy

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva - Batwannis Beek/Sandstorm (Tatiana Prokofieva) 2015 Europeans

Kana Muramoto/Daisuke Takahashi - Soran Bushi (Marina Zoueva, Ilia Tkachenko, and Koyo Yanai) 2021 NHK Trophy

Amber Glenn - This Time (Kaitlyn Weaver and Randi Strong) 2024 Lombardia Trophy

Ivan Righini - You Raise Me Up (Ivan Righini) 2016 Europeans

Anna Cappellini/Luca Lanotte - Life is Beautiful (Liudmila Vlasova) 2017 NHK Trophy

[yuzu-all-the-way]

Yuzuru Hanyu Through the Years MasterPost (senior)

Yuzuru Hanyu's first and last* senior competition figure skating costumes, White Legend (SP) & Ten to Chi to (FS)

*Technically the last costume is the Haru Yo Koi gala costume, but I'm focusing on the competition itself

1) Olympics Through the Years (2014; 2018; 2022)

2) Grand Prix Series Through the Years (2010-2019)

3) Japanese Nationals Through the Years (2010-2015; 2019-2021)

4) Four Continents Through the Years (2011; 2013; 2017; 2020)

5) World Championships Through the Years (2012-2017; 2019; 2021)

6) World Team Trophy Through the Years (2015; 2017; 2021)

7) World record-breaking reactions Through the Years

___________________________________________________________

This concludes the summary of Yuzuru Hanyu's senior competitive years.

After turning pro on 19th July 2022, Yuzu has continued breaking "world records", this time related to what ice shows look like and what can be done within an ice show.

[imsadstuff]

Loving you is Red - A Jeon Jungkook Fic Teaser

Fic link: here

Synopsis:

Jeon Jungkook's name was unheard on the Formula 1 paddock till he got a chance to drive a Mercedes car as a reserve driver. His 2020 starts looking brighter as he signs with Ferrari and meets you, his team mates little sister. So many cliched tropes, strangers to friends to lovers, slow burn, dating brother's best friend, and most importantly Jeon Jungkook looks smoking hot in a Ferrari!

Author's Note:

So, this has been collecting dust in my drafts since I watched Drive to Survive last year, watched the new season and got motivated to write this fic. Please comment under if you want to be added to the reading list for this fic! ❤

Also, if you have any though or ideas, please feel free to comment or message me and for the love of Jungkook, don't be a ghost reader!

Race 16 Singapore Grand Prix 2019

Race weekend is always exciting, especially when it is a night race. The city felt alive as the crowd buzzed around, ready for the race to start. Walking beside your father, you stop periodically as he stops and talks to a million people through the paddock.

The Ferrari garage is buzzing with tension as your father goes up and pulls your brother in a tight hug, “Lets win, just like last year!” your father is gleaming with pride thinking of your brother’s glorious win in Singapore last night.

“How did the doctors go?” Philip asks as you kiss his cheek, after a shattered ankle, back injury and multiple head injuries a year ago, doctor visits have been regular for you.

“There’s progress, I might go back on ice again” you reassure him and he gives you a big, pleased smile.

Phillip soon gets back in the car as everyone gets ready to race, he looks at home in the car.

“The two-time world championship winner Phillip Lee is starting at pole position followed by the other Ferrari and Mercedes” the commentator's voice booms in your headphones as you look at the cars line up.

“It’s an important race for Ferrari to maximize points. The Mercedes team feels weak today as their lead driver has to sit out of the races due to sickness. The replacement is Mercedes reserve driver Jeon Jungkook, starting at P9” the camera pans to a new face for you, you’ve heard Jungkook’s name a few times, after he almost won the Formula 2 championship last year. 

Race 18 Mexican Grand Prix 2019

Midway through this year, your schedule has been emptier than expected. Right now, you were supposed to be at the Olympic camp as a part of the figure skating team, instead you were sunbathing in Mexico.

Putting on your cover up, you are heading back to your hotel room. You run into someone very unexpected in the elevator.

“Hello” Jungkook is standing against the wall with his manager on the other side. You mumble a meek hello as you stand in front of them. The two of them are talking about last week's race till the elevator reaches a stop and his manager steps out.

“I have some stuff to work out with the lawyers but I’ll come and get you for the signing” the manager says and Jungkook nods.

There’s silence as the two of you walk back to your rooms, awkwardly in the same direction.

“So, you used to be in the British figure skating team” Jungkook finally breaks the silence and you nod, looking at him a little surprised.

“How’d you know?” “I looked you up on Instagram” he answers with a teasing tone, like, duh he looked you up on Instagram.

“How are your injuries?” he asks, surprising you again. Sure, you make a long post to announce your injuries, but you didn’t expect him to bring it up.

“They’re there” you answer and he gives you a sympathetic smile as he opens the door to his room.

“Congratulations on signing with Ferrari” you shout as you walk away from him, he turns around, his big bambi eyes looking around with terror.

“Shhhh!!!! how’d you know?” he says very seriously only, making you giggle as you open your room diagonal to him.

“I have my ways” you say with a small smile and he looks away shyly. 

taglist:

@blancflms

(comment under if you want to be added to the tag list)

[triptychgrip]

The Katsuki-Nikiforovs Take Vanity Fair's Lie Detector Test

I'm such a huge sucker for writing post-canon Viktuuri content involving media appearances, and absolutely love Vanity Fair's Lie Detector Game series, so writing my new fic about Yuuri/Viktor filming an episode (with Phichit/Yurio/Otabek also present) was such a blast!

Chapter 1 features Viktor's turn in the hot seat, and Chapter 2 will feature Yuuri's turn (plus some very relatable Reddit content of their fans reacting to their episode)

Below is an excerpt that I hope will pique your interest in this or my other Yuri!!! on Ice stories!

-------

“Is your name Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov?” Yuuri read off of the page, aiming for an impassive tone.

However, the smile that crept over his face was involuntary; how else was he supposed to react when Viktor’s heart-shaped one immediately emerged?

“I am! During my very happy engagement, I was just ‘Viktor Nikiforov’, but life got exponentially better when I married my soulmate back in April 2019 and got to add on his surname,” he smoothly replied, after which Phichit and several of the filming crew members loudly awww'd.

In contrast, Yura gave a very put-upon sigh, followed by a mutter of what sounded like “Jesus…it’s already begun.” (And out of the corner of his eye, Yuuri thought he saw Otabek laughing at his best friend’s dismay).

“Good answer, lyubimiy,” he responded, blushing and feeling fond. “Moving on…are you thirty-two years old?”

A small pout immediately formed on his spouse’s lips, and when he answered, his voice sounded sulky.

“Unfortunately. A veritable fossil, as my much grumpier student makes sure to remind me every day,” he replied, jabbing an accusatory finger in Yura’s general direction.

The Ice Tiger exchanged a smirk with Otabek and they both laughed.

Having fully expected Viktor’s forlorn tone, Yuuri grinned but otherwise chose not to comment; if he really did state everything that flitted through his head over the course of this game, he and Viktor would be here all day and end up missing their group dinner reservation at Casa Limone: a restaurant that Celestino had personally vouched for when Phichit had reminded him about the trip.

“In addition to being the best figure skater in the world, are you also a skating coach and choreographer?”

Viktor’s reply was immediate and exuberant.

“I am! A skating coach and choreographer to two extremely talented athletes, that is. But given that I’m retired, I don’t know about being ‘the best’ anymore,” he said, before surveying him, shrewdly.

Yuuri had a sudden sense of foreboding around what his husband was about to say, and wondered how possible it would be for his blush to deepen even further.

“My Yuuri is the reigning Olympic Champion in Men’s Singles figure skating, as well as a 3-time World Champion, and a 2-time Grand Prix Final Champion!” Viktor crowed, looking directly at the camera and holding up 3 fingers on his right hand, and 2 fingers on his left. “His quad flip and quad lutz are better than mine ever were, plus he continues to have the most stunning spins and step sequences in the field!”

“He’s telling the truth, he really does believe that you’re the best, Yuuri,” Funmi confirmed, making Yuuri feel the urge to hide his head in his hands.

More cooing cut through the air, and he decided to offer a counterpoint.

“I know he’s not lying and that he actually believes that, but Vitya will always be the best, end of story…sorry to everyone else in the field, including our very good friends,” he commented, dryly, with a glance to the side at the spectating trio. “Oh, and he’s also wrong about my quads.”

Holding a hand up when Viktor made a clear attempt to retort, Yuuri hastily rushed onwards.

“Continuing on with the last calibration question,” he firmly announced, “are you married to me, Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov?”

His rebuke seemingly forgotten, his love positively beamed . In response, Yuuri couldn’t resist stretching his hand across the table so that they could interlace their fingers.

“Yes! Very, very happily so, luchik,” Viktor earnestly answered, hunching down a bit to press a kiss to his wedding ring (causing the seemingly unruffled Andressa to direct a very dreamy expression their way, which made Yuuri giggle).

“Is anyone else feeling horrified right now?” Yura loudly interjected, prompting Kariesha and Otabek to let out highly spirited laughs. “For God’s sake, those were the calibration questions . This thing hasn’t even kicked off yet!”

Phichit’s commentary couldn’t have been more different in tone.

“I know, isn’t this excellent!? I already have like 4 different sappy clips for my Instagram reels!”

Yuuri ignored the two of them in favor of kissing Viktor’s hand in turn, and didn’t bother to lower his voice when he reciprocated his spouse’s tender sentiment.

“Likewise, Viten’ka,” he replied, smiling warmly at him. “Getting to call you my husband is the absolute best part of my life.”

[quitealotofsodapop]

If the Lego Monkie Kid gang with Nezha and Ao Bing from Nezha (2019) were celebrities, what kind of celebrities would they be? Authors, cartoonists, comedians, actors, singers, DJ, directors, Youtubers, streamers, magician, models, dancer, talk show host, American Ninja Warrior, acrobat, fire eater and performer? Maybe athletes?

Sorry if this was late! Got ill mid November and am going through my inbox! ^_^

MK I feel would be someone who does goofy things for the odd youtube video. Maybe the rare cooking video where he tries recreating a recipe from a game/show he likes. Does the art for Tang's graphic novel. He's recently gotten attention for a web cartoon pilot he created single-handedly - an actual studio wants to pick it up!! He's so excited!

Mei is already an established celebrity in universe as a vlogger and racer. She does a lot of stunt videos and live chats. Loves doing crossovers with other celebs, even through 6-second tiktoks.

Red Son is more like a person who builds insane stunt cars and robotics. Just someone you know is a genius at these things. He has very blunt and informative mechanic and car-maintenace videos available online. Has built something odd like a Robot who Screams unironically and has a ten hour video of the process.

Pigsy definetly is like the chinese Gordon Ramsay of the demon cooking world. Loud, easy to anger, but calm and understanding with children and people who honestly dont know better. Gladly goes on a media blackout whenever he feels like it.

Tang wrote a really popular book/graphic novel inspired by the "Journey to the West" and is just loving the attention. He shares a lot of concept art online and sneaks his ideas into fanfic sites under a pseudonym. He always grins whenever someone argues that "Tang would never have done X to that character!!!" while writing as GoldenCicadaYumYum. Also does a foodie travel blog on the side under the same pseudonym.

Sandy is like Jeremy Wade from "River Monsters" mixed with Jackson Galaxy. He accidentally gets attention because he recorded some really good fishing and cat behavior videos, and he gets contacted for a travel channel-type show where he investigates the role of cats and their impact in different parts of the world. He loves his work, though his producers keep telling him to stop adopting every stray he finds in his travels.

Nezha in both the LMK & Nezha (2019) verse would start out as infamous "pranksters" celebrity before trying to shrug off fame entirely. Becoming a mechanic or a taxi driver. Keeps getting recognised and hates it.

Ao Bing I feel does something phyically beautiful but demanding. He's a famous ice/figure skating prodigy, having successfully won a bronze medal for China at the Olympics at his first ever competition. Is currently struggling how to juggle all this new attention now that he's training for the skating Grand Prix.

thats the most I can think about right now

[sunskate]

Preparing for the World Championships, at home no less, is one thing. Doing it while trying to recover from a concussion is another.

Marjorie Lajoie was supposed to be at training on the morning of January 4, when your journalist went to the Verdun Auditorium to speak with her and her partner, Zachary Lagha. This trip was motivated by the desire to get news of the duo in the run-up to the World Championships presented this week at the Bell Centre.

Both skaters had achieved good results, including two Grand Prix silver medals, in the first portion of the season.

“Marjorie won’t be there. She was injured in a fall,” Lagha said in the corridors leading to the locker room. It would later be learned that she had suffered a concussion in the preceding days.

Lajoie resurfaced only two months later, during the media availability of the athletes invited to the biggest figure skating event of the year.

Wearing sunglasses with yellowed lenses to soften the reflections of the light, she trained without difficulty on the Canadiens' ice. “I was able to start skating again. We followed the protocol, here we are at the Bell Center and we are capable of doing complete programs,” she said a dozen days ago.

The risk of concussion is part of the game, of course. These athletes, capable of performing pirouettes as spectacular as they are perilous without the slightest protection, apart from a suit as thin and fragile as a butterfly's wings, risk their health on almost every flight.

Marjorie Lajoie knows it. And this is undoubtedly why this discipline is so exhilarating. But above all, she understands the need to follow each step of the recovery protocol. “I can do anything now. It just remains to gradually and safely get back into shape."

Supported at the Institut National du Sport du Québec, the 23-year-old athlete was followed by five professionals “for the eyes, the head, the energy”. She believes she followed the protocol to the letter. Thus explaining why she will take part in the Worlds, in front of family and friends.

The importance of healing

Her desire to perform in front of her family was a fuel as soon as Montreal was awarded Worlds, initially planned for 2020. She will finally have the chance to participate, though with much more baggage than at the time.

Lajoie obviously feared having to forfeit due to her condition. The verdict would have been particularly hard to digest. However, healing completely was the sine qua non condition for skating in Montreal. A rule that she had imposed on herself.

Even though she has been skating with Zachary Lagha for over a decade, the two protagonists are still in the prologue of their careers, considering that some of their rivals and title contenders are in their mid-30s. Hence the interest in rebuilding now, a question of focusing on the long term. “Even before my concussion, I took extreme care of my body, my mind and my health. It's a priority. We know that in ice dancing, it's the long term that counts. It's not at 20 that we will be world champions, it's the oldest who have the results. So I always prioritized recovery and my injuries.

The ice dance gold medalist at the 2019 World Junior Championships cited Kaitlin Hawayek as one of her inspirations to get her through the long and frustrating recovery process.

American skater, Hawayek had to give up her season due to another concussion. “Maybe they [Hawayek and her partner Jean-Luc Baker] will have to stop because of the concussions, because precisely, I think that they had been less well followed, less well informed by his team, and I do not never want to go there."

Hawayek even contacted the Quebecer when she was made aware of her situation. “We had discussions, she wrote to me, because she knew exactly what I was going through, she was still in shock herself. She knew exactly where I was going. I had a lot of support from her."

With Zachary Lagha, Marjorie Lajoie took 13th place  at the Olympic Games, 11th at the last Worlds and 14th place  in their first participation in 2021.

The goal this week will certainly be to enter the top 10. In Grands Prix this season, their worst result was a sixth position in Beijing. They were forced to forgo the National Championships at the turn of the new year. These Worlds will therefore be their first, and only, real test before ending the season.

Last week, the routine was not yet perfect, according to Lagha, but he promises a worthy finish when the time comes: “It will be perfect for the Worlds. There are still some details to work on in the free dance. The short is pretty much set in stone, but there is still a little work to do."

[thanktrusova]

american media: its effects on the teenage prodigy

For those who don't know, one of my favorite skaters is Alysa Liu.

Alysa is a 2x US national champion, junior and senior world bronze medalist, and 2022 Olympian.

But, one thing about her is when you look her up, one of the subheadings on her wikipedia is "2021–22 season: International senior debut, Beijing Olympics, World Championships, and retirement".

What happened to her? What was so troubling about the 2021/22 season that caused this all to happen at once, and at the age of 16?

From my limited research but somewhat extensive knowledge, the one thing I can connect this early retirement to is the American media.

Before I start, I just want to preface that I am very glad they retired on their own terms, and not due to injury or something worse. Though I do miss them.

-

Alysa was 13 when she won her first senior national title in January 2019, the youngest female to win US nationals as of today. She defended her title the next year, winning back-to-back nationals at only 14 years old.

Also in the 2019/2020 season, they had their international junior debut. During this, they became the first woman to complete a triple axel and quadruple jump in competition, as well as achieving the status of the first non-Russian girl to win a Grand Prix event for around 20 competitions. They went on to win bronze at the World Junior Championships in March 2020.

This bout of success caused eyes of every American media outlet to be focused on young Alysa. They started deeming her as an American prodigy, the only hope to have an Olympic medal in Ladies' Single Skating at Beijing 2022. This was still two years away from the Winter Olympics, and she was only 14.

The next year, 2021, Alysa underwent a growth spurt, which, obviously, is normal for a 15 year old girl. Because of this, she lost her triple axel and quadruple lutz jumps, causing American media to forget her, or worse, doubt and even berate her. If she can't beat the Russians at the next Olympics, who can? The media gave up hope on her and did not care about the effects of doing so.

Cut to the 2021/2022 season, Alysa's international senior debut. She officially secured the third spot for US ladies at the Olympics, and performed average at her Grand Prix assignments, placing fourth at both. She had to withdraw from US Nationals due to COVID, but still managed to petition for a spot on the 2022 Olympic team thanks to her performance history. Once again, she was America's "only hope" for a spot on that podium.

Overall, she placed 7th, the highest out of the three American female skaters. She claimed she was pleased with her performances, and that she was just happy to be in Beijing. A little over a month later, she won bronze at the 2022 World Championships, being the first American woman to medal since 2016.

Months later, they announced their retirement, and have not (publicly) skated competitively or professionally since.

They also archived all social media.

While other reasons can be argued for this happening, the main one is the pressure put on Alysa at such a young age to be the saving grace of American figure skating.

I know you're wondering, has the media learned and changed?

And as an answer, I will point you in the direction of 18 year old Ilia Malinin, who media has dubbed "heaven-sent for US figure skating", or even tell you to keep an eye on 15 year old Isabeau Levito, "America's new hope".

[moscarific]

This weekend, I got to attend the first @confabcon held in person since 2019. I had drifted away from the online-only cons partially because of scheduling and partially because 3 long days on Zoom is more than my back and my ADHD can handle. This weekend, everyone present agreed that there's no real online substitute for gathering physically with other fans who have a similar approach to fandom, especially since almost all other fannish interaction takes place online. An in-person con lets you be fannish out loud in a way that's almost never possible. It's also a reminder that other people in fandom are just folks with lives and jobs, which makes me feel far less alone in the universe. At a time when the news is making me feel even more isolated from much of humanity than usual, I really needed that feeling of solidarity and community.

Although my schedule will never stop being a mess that gets in the way of fun, Confab is an easy annual commitment to attempt, because it will always take place in Chicago, a short and painless drive away. I got to drive with a passenger for most of the weekend, and build a new friendship with them along the way. (Username redacted to protect privacy - not sure if you're comfortable having your location shared - but you know who you are, and you are very cool.)

The con was as COVID-19 safe as an in-person event could be, with masks and proof of vaccination required, air filters in every room, and many participants testing daily throughout the event. I know it's hard to enforce these rules at larger cons, but that's why I won't be attending larger cons anytime soon.

So I have a bunch of new mutuals who I'm fairly certain are real humans and not bots. This is exciting! You're here just in time for figure skating season; I probably should have warned you that the Grand Prix series is six weeks of gif dumps. There will also be a lot of cat photos and Star Trek. I tag for easy keyword blocking.

I also got to teach a bunch of people how to make cocktails and plan his-and-his custom drinks for Stede Bonnet and Edward Teach, which was maybe a bucket list accomplishment. There will be pics and recipes after some shopping and taste testing.

I'm so grateful for this fabulous weekend, and I already can't wait for next year!

[figureskatingcostumes]

Nathan Chen's Rocket Man costume at the 2019 Grand Prix Final.

(Sources: 1 and 2)

[yuzu-all-the-way]

Aoi Honoo IV - Prologue (the introduction)

Disclaimer: Full translation of AH4's Prologue done via machine translation (ChatGPT, Google Translate, DeepL and several other obscure online dictionaries). This means: nuances may be lost, meanings may be vague/muddled, but the relevant information is present. (@/LiaRyFS)

In 2019-2020, Hanyu Yuzuru thought about various things and hesitated, but ultimately he strongly decided to jump the quad Axel. Looking back on that season, he said as follows.

“2019 was a year of constant battle for me, including the World Championships in Saitama in March. I had been practising the quad Axel for a while, but it didn't go well for a long time… Sometimes I could jump it when I practised with a harness, and I thought, 'If I could do more of this, I might be able to do it.' But I also got injured again while trying things out, and there were many things that happened that season.

It was a year in which I kept challenging myself, but it was also a year in which I felt a sense of defeat as if everything had been broken. It's like there's nothing I can do on my own power, and that's how it felt…

At the Torino Grand Prix Final, of course, I felt that even if I made a lot of effort, I couldn't win without the support of the people around me. I somehow felt at that time that there is a world where no matter how much effort you put in, you can't win without the moment when everyone's power comes together, like at the Olympics.

However, it was a bit different from the statement made at the 2022 Beijing Olympics that 'effort will not be rewarded'. At that time, I think my desire to 'just get better' was still strong, so I was expressing those kinds of thoughts. As the consecutive competitions went on, I lost the strength to say such things when I lost at the All Japan Championships. 2019 was a year in which I struggled, not wanting to just be someone who won two consecutive Olympic titles, or someone from the past.”

When the new year began, he tried to find his way out of that despair.

“Since 2020, I have tested myself and thought a lot about what figure skating really means. So with the desire to regain my confidence, I returned to skating to my programs, ‘Ballade No. 1 in G minor’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘Ballade No. 1’) and ‘SEIMEI’. Since I had not yet won first place in the Four Continents Championships, there was a similar feeling of joy to my first victory in the 2019 GP Skate Canada. (N/T: Winning Skate Canada and 4CC sparked similar feelings of joy) I was really happy to have won! I think it was a big deal that Nathan Chen didn't participate at that time, but still winning the Four Continents for the first time and being able to win all the competitions that I had left behind gave me a sense of achievement and I was enveloped in a great sense of accomplishment.

However, what was bothering me inside was still the quadruple Axel. Even if I skated 'Ballade No.1' more beautifully than before and improved technically, there was a sense of resignation that 'I can't get a score higher than 2015' or something like that. The competition was the one where I felt like I had finally let go of my doubts and decided to focus solely on attempting the quadruple Axel. In a sense, that season was when I was able to establish a clear path towards expressing myself through the program and the 4A.”

However, his feelings were complex towards the World Championships that were coming up next (N/T: WC2020)

“In retrospect, I feel like I wasn't as fully invested in preparing for the World Championships as I thought I was, although at the time I was putting in my best effort. Unfortunately, it was ultimately cancelled due to the impact of the coronavirus. Winning the Four Continents Championship was a very fulfilling achievement, and I don't think it's normal to experience burnout after winning Four Continents, but in a way, there was a sense of resignation and a lifting of the confusion in my heart, combined with the fact that I was going to compete against Nathan, so... to be honest, that World Championships wasn't a competition where I had to jump the quadruple Axel, and the quadruple Axel wasn't a jump I could do even after practising it for about two weeks.

Since the program with the quad Lutz, 'SEIMEI,' had a different composition, I aimed to stabilise that first, and also, I had already peaked a little since the Four Continents, so honestly, during that short period, I couldn't do much except to adjust to get back to my peak. 

However, at that time, the fear of competing against Nathan had already disappeared. It's like, 'I don't mind losing anymore' (laughs). In a way, until the cancellation of the World Championships, I always thought that it would be enough for me to firmly express what I wanted to express and to firmly follow the path of figure skating that I believed in.

However, when the World Championships were actually cancelled, I cried a lot. I couldn't help but wonder, ‘What was I working so hard for?’ And when it was actually cancelled, I realised that I hated going into competitions with the mind-set of 'losing'.”

From there, the spread of the novel coronavirus increased and the situation became such that people were unable to move around freely.

“In the end, that was the end of the 2019-2020 season, and after that, the spread of the coronavirus began, but I didn't have much hope. I was devastated at the 2019 GP Final and All-Japan, and had given up after ‘Ballade No. 1’ at the 2020 Four Continents Championships. From that time on, I didn't have much hope while practising. Rather, the only goal was ‘to jump the quadruple Axel!’

Even if my skating skills and other things improve, it doesn’t mean that the program components score will grow any further. Even if I perfected the expression through music, even if I matched the sound of the jumps to the sound of the music. Even if I did jumps with more variations from difficult steps, the GOE will not improve significantly. Rather, because of that, the speed would be slower and the height of the jumps lower, so some judges give 0 or +1 GOE.

In that sense, I felt like ‘I don't really care about those things anymore’ and decided to be true to myself. Although it may sound like an excuse, rather than trying to do something while decorating myself as 'Yuzuru Hanyu', I think I started practising with the feeling of facing my own core and jumping the quadruple Axel, thinking ‘I'm going to finish this’. So, when I came back to Japan, I started training with that mind-set.

To be honest, there were times when I felt really hopeless, and when the World Championships were cancelled, I cried with relief thinking, ‘I'm glad I don't have to go to a losing match’. In reality, I hadn't been able to push myself to the limit and I wasn't able to perform as well as I wanted to.”

Challenging himself alone in Japan after returning home was even more difficult than he had imagined. Later, Hanyu talked about that time.

“In those days, I felt like I spent a lot of time having a dialogue with myself and facing skating. The desire to successfully perform a quad axel was always at the core of my being. After the Pyeongchang Olympics, I had absolutely no motivation, so if I didn't have the quad Axel, I think I would have definitely quit, and I would have thought about retiring earlier. But thanks to that, I think I now have a reason to live pursuing my dreams, and that is the centre of my current life. I think that hasn't changed from those days to now.

However, at that time, there were challenges in pursuing the quad Axel jump. There were times when the gears didn't quite mesh due to factors such as not having a coach to guide me, changes in practice environment, and issues with body care that I had to decide on my own. At that time, I had a feeling that not only my 4A but also the level of what I was doing was gradually decreasing. I had a feeling like, 'Why am I even doing figure skating?'...It was like a sense of loss. It's like my own abilities were diminishing, or like my skating wasn't my own anymore. I felt a strong sense of sadness, like seeing my ideals getting further and further away from me. When I perform in ice shows or when I have my coach watch me skate, I receive feedback like 'this was good' or 'let's try this a little differently' but when I set such a high goal for myself like attempting the quad Axel alone, I have to spend every day unable to achieve it. I was doing it without any self-affirmation in the midst of that.”

In addition, he completed his graduation thesis for the correspondence course of the Waseda University Faculty of Human Sciences at the end of July, but the burden of collecting data for it was also significant.

“That required a lot of energy. What was published in academic journals was really just a small part, and we actually collected much more data and did various things. It took time to collect that data and required a lot of mental effort as well. At that time, various things coincided. My foot hurt from practising the quadruple Axel, and I had to rest from practice. When I returned to practice, I couldn't jump at all... Everything was already leaning in a negative direction.”

The cancellation of the ice show that used to be held every year, due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, was also a loss for Hanyu, who had always continued to challenge himself with a forward-looking attitude.

“To be honest, there was a time when I didn't understand why I loved skating. If we really, really go back to the origin, it was something like an extraordinary feeling. The sensation on the ice is completely different from the sensation of living on the ground, isn't it? Because it's such a difficult thing, I think there was a sense of joy when I was able to do it. And then, skating alone on that wide rink and everyone watching only me. If my performance was good, I would receive tremendous cheers, but if it was bad, I would only get mediocre feedback. 

I think that sensation of being watched, of being seen, is something that I really liked. But as I continued skating for a long time, that feeling gradually faded away, or became commonplace. In addition to that, there was also a lot of pressure to meet everyone's expectations, and it became not just fun, but also nerve-wracking, worrying about what would happen if I failed, and so on. It was because of the accumulation of those things, and the increasing burden that came with it, that it stopped being enjoyable, or rather, there was no time to think about enjoying it anymore.

I feel a lot of pressure to 'perform well’ even at ice shows, so I practise a lot for that purpose. So, I think that's why, during the off-season when I wasn't in front of everyone, I started to feel even more like 'why did I love skating again?'”

In the midst of feeling cornered, he had to think and make various decisions on his own. And he had to keep challenging himself with the high hurdle of the quadruple Axel.

“There were times when things didn't go well, and that's why at that time, my mind and my head were in a mess and I felt like I couldn't do anything. Normally, if I played a game or something, it would refresh me and I would think ‘Alright, let's do our best next time,’ but at that time, there was nothing I could do.

Experiencing the pain of practising alone to the point of hating it, Hanyu decided to withdraw from the Grand Prix series during that period. The Grand Prix series of this year was held in a modified format due to travel restrictions between countries. Each skater was allowed to participate in only one event, and the conditions for participation included skaters, judges, and officials from the host country, as well as skaters who regularly practised in the host country. In addition, only skaters from other countries who were invited based on their geographical location were able to participate.

Afterwards, the second event Skate Canada and the fourth event in France were cancelled, and only the first event Skate America, the third event in China, the fifth event in Russia, and the sixth event NHK Trophy were held. The Final was also announced to be cancelled. 

In August, Hanyu took into consideration that "many people would have to travel due to my participation".

He announced his withdrawal, saying, "If I refrain from going and make efforts to prevent the spread of infection, I believe it can be one of the activities to prevent the spread of infection." For Hanyu, who has used going to competitions as a way to stimulate his emotions and as a source of energy for his evolution, it was a difficult decision.

[blorbothefrog]

This commentator constantly mentioning yuzuru and calling him 'the master' and the camera person skipping over to him in the off-ice warm-up during the pairs 6 minute warm-up it's all the biggest of moods

[triptychgrip]

Yuuri and Tohru: Main characters who don't fully grasp their profound ability to be forces of change/inspiration

This isn't the first (and won't be the last) time that I draw connections between my two favorite anime, but upon my recent rewatch of the 2019 Fruits Basket reboot, I was once again struck by a major similarity between Katsuki Yuuri of Yuri!!! on Ice, and Honda Tohru of Fruits Basket.

While we don't see Tohru struggle with anxiety in the same manner that Yuuri does -- though, we do see her grow anxious/overwhelmed several times in the manga and the anime -- Tohru, like Yuuri definitely suffers from self-esteem and self perception issues. While it might be easy to pass off her repeated underminement of how special she is as mere humility, there are several instances in which we see that she truly does not realize her effect upon those around her, and can't quite grasp the positive light in which other people see her.

In this way, she reminds me a lot of Yuuri: the top Men's Singles figure skater in Japan, yet someone who often refers to himself as a "a-dime-a-dozen". In his first ever Grand Prix Final, Yuuri comes in last place, but, at least from his internal monologue, we never hear him acknowledge what an amazing accomplishment it was to even make it to such a selective competition in the first place (for those unaware, only 6 skaters are eligible to compete in the December Grand Prix Final: the culmination of a series of fall skating events known as the Grand Prix series).

Yuuri is a textbook unreliable narrator, and in the first few episodes of Yuri!!! on Ice, there are many times when we get a glimpse into how he perceives himself during his career slump. When Yuri Plisetsky arrives in Hasetsu, we get the sense that Yuuri believes a vast "chasm" in skill exists between himself and his younger peer, which is why it always makes me emotional when I think of the beachside "Viktor Nikiforov is dead!" encounter between Yuri and Viktor.

After Yuri stalks off like the dramatic (and lovable) little gremlin we all know him to be, Viktor's internal monologue notes how much of an impact Yuuri has had not only on him, but on Yuri, too. He notes that Yuri wouldn't be so motivated to "fight" (i.e. compete at his best during his Senior debut season) without Yuuri's drive. And he's already noted how much "life and love" Yuuri has brought to his own life. In this moment, we see so clearly that Viktor is able to perceive Yuuri as the hugely profound (and inspirational) force of change that he really is.

While there are many moments from Fruits Basket that I think illustrate a similar kind of parallel -- one where someone other than Tohru is able to "read" her in the way she deserves -- the moment that most readily comes to mind is the one from Season 2, specifically, the episode in which Tohru and the Sohmas are at the beach during their summer getaway to stay at the Sohma vacation house, and about to set off the (huge) collection of fireworks that Momiji bought.

Yuki makes the comment that before Tohru, the Sohmas didn't really get together to spend time "like this", and we see a shot of them all clustered together, laughing and enjoying one another's company.

Think about how ironic Yuki's statement is, though: in a family united by the zodiac "curse", and one where its members are all supposed to be spending time at an "eternal banquet" -- only looking to one another in the insular fashion that Akito demands -- Yuki notes that until Tohru, they really didn't spend time together. In more ways than one, she is a profound force of change, causing the Sohmas to break free of the isolation that the zodiac curse emprisons them in.

And, of course, given her nature, she isn't even able to see how much of an influence she has until later. I love this parallel arc for both Yuuri and Tohru, where by the end of canon, they are able to grasp (maybe not fully, but at least more than before) how deep an impact they have on those around them, thus forming a clearer (and more affirming) picture of themselves as the sources of inspiration they really are. It's an idea I'm really excited to explore in my YOI x Fruits Basket crossover!

[busyxfangirling]

WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH THE SCORING???!!! A 194??? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME???