#world championships saitama

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

GANBA SHOMA!!!! ♥

[music-art-sport-and-more]

Ilia vs the puberty monster

Lost the battle but won the war

[thegirlwhorideslikeasamurai]

As people insisted that Mai got robbed in her free skating and take it out on Loena, I consulted the rulebook to check whether their claims withstand scrutiny.

Please note that this analysis is based on the protocols and the live commentary and thus might be incomplete.

Mai had planned seven triples in the free skating, Loena had planned six. However, Mai only jumped six. As the top group of women is a very tight field in quality and programme base score (they rarely jump ultra-C elements), the scoring strongly depends on the mistakes made. It's also the reason, judging might seem harsh at times as this situation forces the judges to nitpick.*

Mai left quite some points on the table when she missed a jump combo. The first jump of that element (3Lz) was underrotated and as she had jumped it already, she got only 70% of its base value. Note that it’s not the BV of a fully rotated 3Lz but of a 3Lz that has between 90° and 180° less of three full rotations. When this happens, the skater gets -5 GOE. She added the missed two jumps of that combo to her final jumping pass (3Lo), but doubled the triple, dropping even more points. She also landed two other jumps on the quarter, which doesn’t affect the base value of that jump but is reflected in a negative GOE.

Note the -4 GOE judge #5 gave for the fourth element. The highest and lowest value are omitted in the calculation of the combined GOE for each element to avoid unjustified scoring by single judges. However, this judge wasn’t even consistent in giving bad GOEs, so it could be a mistake.

These are the base values of those last two jumping passes (jumped in the second half) if she had nailed them:

3Lz+2T+2Lo = (5.9+1.3+1.7)*1.1 = 9.79

3Lo = 4.9 * 1.1 =5.39

which is 15.18 in total.

Instead, Mai jumped:

3Lz< = 4.72*0.7*1.1 = 3.63 (4.72 is the BV of the underrotated 3Lz)

2Lo+2T+2Lo = (1.7+1.3+1.7)*1.1 =5.17

Which is 8.8 in total.

Hence, Mai lost 6.38 points of her planned base score, which would have been enough to outscore Loena. And this doesn’t even include the GOE.

Mai was sublime all season long. She won all three Grand Prix events with ease. Normally, she's a much more consistent jumper than Loena. She was a contender for the world title and if she had kept it up it would have been a fierce battle for the top podium spot between her and Kaori, but her skating felt flat compared to previous performances in this season. Of course, this is reflected in the PCS.

After the competition, I learned that Mai was injured, and I believe this contributed a lot to her performance in Saitama.

Now on to Loena:

Loena had one fall on the 3Lz, resulting in a -5 GOE for this element and a -1 deduction. She also landed this jump on the quarter, but as she already got maximum negative GOE for this element her score couldn’t get any lower for this one. (She was lucky it was this jump she quartered). All in all, the fall on the 3Lz might have cost her something between 3-4 points compared to if she had nailed it.

Overall, Loena skated cleaner, sharper, and with more conviction than I’ve seen her since she won the Grand Prix de France. She lost her composure not even once, whereas she didn’t deliver in the GPF and at Europeans. And once again, this is reflected in the PCS. Haein and Kaori got even higher PCS, and rightfully so as their performances were sublime.

If Mai had delivered, she would have comfortably outscored Loena. She even outscored Loena by a wide margin in the GPF where both women had six triples in the free programme (you can check the protocols here). She is just that good.

In the current rule system, mistakes require the judges to lower the PCS. The more mistakes and less well-executed elements are, the lower the PCS become as mistakes affect the composition of the programme and are also reflected in the skating skills.

This is what the ISU guidelines say about PCS and how mistakes should be treated in this regard. As Loena and Mai both have one serious error in their free skating, this looks fine to me:

The situation is somewhat similar to the Grand Prix Final, only that it was Kaori who bombed the free skating in Torino. Strangely, I heard no complaints back then, even though Kaori is even more popular than Mai.

In the end, it all boils down to the actual performance and maths.

I would have loved to see Mai and Loena sharing the podium. I would have loved to see either of them win gold, but at the same time, I’m happy Kaori defended her title and Haein won silver (I just like too many skaters). I also feel sorry for Mai because her free skating took such an unfortunate turn. And I feel sorry for Loena because she gets all the hate for scoring higher.

It's hard to believe that a skater from a small federation of little influence should be overscored when the skaters from the big federations are favoured by the judges by getting ridiculous GOEs and PCS (and even that isn't consistent as it's usually limited to certain skaters from these feds). It also should be noted that this is about politics with the skaters being the pawns in this game, which puts heavy pressure on their shoulders.

However, Belgium is by no means a big federation and it’s mostly known for Loena and her brother. The judging system has many problems, but in this case, I don’t see why the scores for both women should be questionable. If someone more well-versed in the technical aspects of this sport than me reads this and can explain it, please do enlighten me.

*this has been explained over and over throughout the season by different commentators, most prominently by Mark Hanretty in the ISU live stream of Worlds

[loenas]

🇸🇰 Ema Doboszova 2023 World Championships short program

[moon-soo-ah]

Pairs - Final Results

[yuzurujenn]

[2024.05.01] GQ Japan x Yuzuru Hanyu - JUNE ISSUE

Yuzuru Hanyu’s Challenge

After winning two consecutive Olympic gold medals, Yuzuru Hanyu, who turned professional in 2022, is taking on a new form of expression: an ice show that the produced entirely on his own. The extraordinary figure skater danced in front of the cameras, dressed in items designed by Gucci’s new creative director, Sabato de Sarno.

Photographs by Taro Mizutani Styled by Tetsuro Nagase Hair styled by TAKU VOW-VOW FOR CUTTERS Makeup by COCO SEKIKAWA OFFICE Words by Kosuke Kawakami

The unique path that Yuzuru Hanyu walks After entering the studio and exchanging a few words with photographer Taro Mizutani, Yuzuru Hanyu operated his smartphone as if convinced of something. A gentle piano piece played from the speakers. It was ‘aqua’, a piece composed for his daughter by Ryuichi Sakamoto, who passed away last year. Moving his body flexibly, as if surrendering to the music, the studio had transformed into a beautiful, dignified and tense space that no one could step into.

“When I saw the lighting directly above me, I thought it looked like the sun, like light from heaven. Mr. Mizutani also said, ‘I want you to look up. I want you to look up and think about something’. I thought it feels like a prayer, so I chose ‘aqua’ because it fits the image".

As a figure skater, he was won all sorts of accolades, including two consecutive Olympic titles, two World Championships, and four consecutive Grand Prix Final titles. He has also received the People’s Honor Award. In 2022, he became a professional skater in order to ‘pursue the ideal of Yuzuru Hanyu’. Since then, he has held numerous self-produced ice shows and solo performances at Tokyo Dome, Saitama Super Arena, and other venues.

“Even though I turned professional, I don’t think my fundamentals have changed. The world I’ve always wanted to express, the artistic nature of figure skating and the athletic aspect of it has not changed. During competitions, there are always rules and there are times when I had to perform in a certain way. But in the world of shows, I have to satisfy the audience in 360-degree, I have to use my brain to create the videos that will be played at the venue and I have to think about the words that I want to convey. I am expanding and deepening my thoughts to areas that I have not considered before.”

Just as a musician plays music and an artist uses a paintbrush, Hanyu uses his body to express himself.

“What’s fun about it is that when everyone watches it, I get to see a lot of different opinions, people think about it in different ways and each person interprets it in their own way. What I'm doing, I believe that what I am creating is a ‘path’. The values, background, past, future, and so on become the path, and along the way, one may notice something or feel something. I want the audience to see it and share it. I’m really happy when people say that they enjoyed the journey and are glad that they walked the path. That makes me happy and that’s why I feel like I can continue on this path”.

When asked if he thinks it’s more fun now that he can express and create freely than in the competitive days when he was bound by rules and forced to compete, Hanyu thought for a while and then denied it.

“I don’t think it’s good enough just to feel fun. Ever since my competitive days, I’ve always believed that competitions aren’t about having fun, and I’ve never wavered from that philosophy of mine. There are some people who say you can only perform well if you enjoy it, and I understand why people think that’s the right answer. But for me, if I have fun, I feel like I’m not being serious enough. There is a certain kind of performance that comes out because of the tension, and that is what allows me to train hard every day. Even in the creative field, when it comes to creating something, it is not good just to have fun. Of course, it’s possible because there’s also fun in it, and I’m able to create because someone sees it and enjoys it, which brings me joy and happiness. But if I continue to only feel fun, I may end up with just empty words and a false worldview with no depth.

Hanyu says that he feels he lacks ‘vocabulary’ as an artist.

“Vocabulary is also necessary for physical expression. If I want to show a scene just by moving my hands a little, I need to know the techniques to do so. I have to learn how to move my hands in such a way that it looks beautiful, and engrave it in my body. Let my nerves learn it, let my brain study it, and eventually I will be able to do it. It’s not like I can dance like a professional dancer or ballerina, but I’ve been figure skating for more than 20 years. Because of this, I have the potential to create new expressions by learning their techniques. I believe that if I study hard and able to do it on the ice, I will become a unique presence”.

There is no goal, no rivals to compete with. Yet, without hesitation, he continues on his own path.

“Being on the ice is like my ‘native language’ (laughs), so if I move away from it, I am no longer Yuzuru Hanyu. The knowledge, experience and soul I’ve cultivated since I was four years old are there, a place where I can express myself from the bottom of my heart. Of course, I’ll probably start to decline as I age, but if I continue to use the language of figure skating for another 30 years, there may be a form of expression that can only be created at that particular time and age. I believe there is such a possibility, and I think I must continue to strive for that possibility”.

Yuzuru Hanyu, as the one and only Yuzuru Hanyu, continues to move forward focusing on expression on the ice.

GQ Japan - June 2024 issue, released on 2024.05.01

More: 1 https://twitter.com/GQJAPAN/status/1782938296944857402 2 https://twitter.com/GQJAPAN/status/1785448080340337135 3 https://twitter.com/GQJAPAN/status/1783692480782704746

Full article published online on 8th May 2024: https://www.gqjapan.jp/article/20240508-yuzuru-hanyu-cover-story

[persimmontea]

Shoma Uno became the first Japanese Men’s Figure Skater to successfully defend his World Title at the 2023 World Championships in Saitama, Japan ✨

[thenightpool]

rinharu wrapped 2023

We almost can't believe it's already time to bring out the kadomatsu again! 2023 just raced by, didn't it…?! Let's take a moment to look back on everything Rin & Haru (and their fans!) have achieved this year.

🌸 Archive of Our Own

The Matsuoka Rin/Nanase Haruka tag on AO3 now holds 3,674 works!

That means 173 new fics were posted this year. (There might've been more than that, but it's hard to keep track of creators privatising their older fics!)

And the Night Pool's AO3 collection is up to 90 works!

.

🌸 The Night Pool

Here at TNP, we revived @sakurathon, a cherry blossom-centric event! This year, the event received 40 works by 19 lovely participants.

Since it was such a big success, we're bringing the event back on April 27th & 28th 2024.

°•. ✿ .•°

We also held the aquatic-themed Unleashed Blue, during which 20 participants created 51 (!!) otherworldly works for us.

With permission of the creators, we lovingly collected them in a 400+ page commemorative zine. You can download it on linktree

°•. ✿ .•°

Writers filled an impressive 35 prompts during our prompt meme Make a Splash! that we held in honor of Haru's birthday.

Read the fills on AO3

°•. ✿ .•°

Rin & Haru's Big Warm-Up, our monthly prompt event, received 16 new works on AO3 across the year & more on socials.

Check out our collection on AO3

°•. ✿ .•°

We also kicked off rinharu fandom's very first bang: MEDLEY!, a mini + reverse hybrid bang that will start posting in March!

(Psst. Sign ups are still open for a few roles!)

°•. ✿ .•°

We held 3 training camps – super fun writing retreat weekends – over on our Discord. We have 4 more retreats planned for 2024!

If you'd like to join us for the next one(s), here's the info

°•. ✿ .•°

We posted 33 new fanart translations!

Here's the link to our masterlist

°•. ✿ .•°

And finally, The Night Pool beat out Harurinralia to win our Ultimate Rinharu Moments Tournament that we held back in April on both Twitter and Tumblr!

.

🌸 Other Fandom Events

It's been a busy year!

In July, @starstarfairy hosted Wave Of Memory (@rinharumemories) to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Free! The event ran in two wave on tumblr and Twitter and combined polls, fan memories, and all types of fanworks.

@sweetheavenfics helped us run the RH-friendly @soumako-week in September!

@ryu-outsider hosted the month-long daily prompt event Free!cember here on Tumblr. It welcomed the entire fandom. The event was promoted by eleanorenchanted and run via hashtag.

And @rinharuweek ran for a full 10 days this year in celebration of the show's anniversary! They are just wrapping up.

.

🌸 Official News

Free! turned 10 in 2023. Omedetou gozaimasu!

Free! The Final Stroke Part 2 broke all of the series' previous records in the box office, bringing in over 1 billion yen

It also finally made it to Crunchyroll.com for the US & select others

Miyano Mamoru & Shimazaki Nobunaga fed us (+ fanartists' inspiration) well by shouting "HARU!!" and "RIIIN!!" at each other before hugging passionately during the 10th anniversary event at the Saitama Super Arena

We got tons of amazing new art; including a cover illustration for Free! The Band Live's Ever Blue performance in Yokohama, Animedia's July W-cover, Sweets Paradise's promotional art, and Kyoani's 10th anniversary event's illustration

Rin's ripped jeans (+ THE ANKLETS) in the Matsukiyo & Cocokara's Top Of Summer collaboration launched a thousand fanworks

Matsuoka-senshu, Nanase-senshu, Kirishima-senshu & Yamazaki-senshu represented Mizuno at the World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka

Spoon2Di recently restocked volume 78 & 85 on their webshop, and Akiba Pass Shop opened pre-orders for some gorgeous tapestries featuring said art

Karatz, Bikkuriman Choco, Iwami & DECOL all bumped Rin up to 2nd place in character listings (where he belongs!!)

Last but not least, KyoaniShop bankrupted us all by releasing amazing new merchandise (and also did not try to hide that Rin is the Free! series' 2nd protagonist, either…)

--

Thank you so much for being here with us in 2023. We hope it has been a wonderful & creative year for you. Here's wishing you an even more rinharu-filled 2024!

[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.

[sywtwfs]

Viewing information for the World Championships is now available on our website.

[virtchandmoir]

Sports Notes: Tessa Virtue-Scott Moir reunited

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir will be at the Ilderton Skating Club’s 50th anniversary ice show Saturday evening (5:30 p.m. start time) at Ilderton Arena.

March 31, 2023

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir celebrate their gold medal win in the ice dance free program at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Feb. 20, 2018. 

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir will be at the Ilderton Skating Club’s 50th anniversary ice show Saturday evening (5:30 p.m. start time) at Ilderton Arena.

The 2010 and ‘18 Olympic champs, considered the greatest ice dance team in history, were first paired at the Ilderton club by Scott’s aunt Carol Moir when Tessa was seven and Scott was nine. Their partnership is one of the most successful and longest-running in figure skating annals.

The club also will hold two more shows at the rink Sunday (1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.).

Moir, now a successful local skating coach with the Ice Academy of Montreal’s Ontario campus in Komoka, was at the recently completed world figure skating championships in Saitama, Japan. Two of his pupils, Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko, finished in 10th place in the ice dance category.

—The London Free Press

[wanderlustinwonderland18]

Turkkila & Versluis: “Ice Dance Is Becoming More Friendly To The Public”

Ice dancers Juulia Turkkila and Matthias Verlsuis are currently finalizing their competition fitness and programs for the season's crowning European Championships in Espoo. The value competition on home ice will definitely be a season highlight.

“We are very much looking forward to skate in front of the home crowd. We seek success in both programs, aiming to show maximum performance and enjoyment,” Juulia says.

The Finnish couple's early season has been strong. They won bronze medals at both Finlandia Trophy in October and Grand Prix Espoo in November.

"The first Grand Prix medal is our biggest achievement so far,” Juulia shares.

At the national championships in December, they crossed the 200-point mark for the first time and as expected, renewed their national titles.

During the Christmas break, Juulia and Matthias rested and gathered strength. Training continued right after the holidays.

“There is no need to make any major changes to the programs because we already did that right before nationals, especially the rhythm dance. Now, all we need is more repetition and polishing,” Matthias says.

“In the following weeks, we will work with video footage of our skating. We’ll look at the small details and try to make every move as precise as possible. The aim is to make the details so natural that everything flows seamlessly in the overall performance,” Juulia describes.

This year, there is greater room for danceability in the rhythm dance.

“It's a good trend, but I hope that the skating side can also be shown in the programs and that it will also be appreciated. On the other hand, creativity is increasing the interest in ice dance and this can be showcased more in choreographic step sequences,” Matthias says.

According to Juulia and Matthias, the sport is becoming more friendly to the public. They hope that there will be even more room for creativity in the future.

Competitive tension is felt during events but it's a familiar feeling for both of them, having been single skaters for more than a decade and ice dancers for six years.

“On competition days, going for a walk outside calms me down. Music, movies and videos also help relax the mind,” Matthias shares.

Juulia tries to take small naps on competition days.

“Even if I can't sleep, lying down in bed helps the body and mind rest. Sometimes, I also watch videos or Netflix to take my mind off the competition,” Juulia says.

Both emphasize the importance of recovery in elite sports. As their career progresses, they pay more and more attention to rest and nutrition.

“Rest is really needed to gain energy for training. The older we get, the more we pay attention to recovery. Over time, we’ve also learned to listen to our bodies,” Juulia shares.

During his recent military service, Matthias discovered how important it is to listen to your body.

“I had a really tough time in the summer because I had to build up my fitness for sport and participate in weapons training at the same time. I pressed stop on some practice days to recover properly. Our spring and summer training sessions were completely different than normal, but we got through it. The competition season has progressed well,” Matthias sighs.

After Euros, the next prestigious competition is Worlds in Saitama, Japan. Juulia and Matthias are definitely looking forward to this competition. Having competed there in 2019, they say that the experience was fantastic. The venue was filled with people who enthusiastically cheered for everyone.

However, all prestigious competitions are only intermediate stages to Juulia and Matthias' main goal — the 2026 Winter Olympics.

[music-art-sport-and-more]

And this, ladies and gentlemen is the conclusion of Ilia's first ( full) senior season.

4x 🥇

2x 🥉

4A

Medaled in all competitions

Bonus:

[elenitrack]

Laurine Lecavelier 🇫🇷

2019 World Figure Skating Championships (Saitama)

[rikeijo]

Today's translation #248

Yuri!!! on Life official guidebook, Shimizu Youji's interview (Sound Director)

Part 1.

--- I've heard you are a big fan of figure skating. And that because of that, the guidance you've been giving to voice actors concerning skating performances was also very detailed.

"When I went to see World Championships at Saitama Super Arena some time ago, seeing the moment when a skater all alone stands at their starting position while over 10 000 people watch them, I felt a sense of loneliness so strong my chest hurt. The lonely sense of tension, before a skater makes their first move - you can feel that the hearts of people who are watching are about to jump out of their chests. The existence of figure skaters, who have to compete in those circumstances felt so real then. I wanted to add to that the dramatics of Yuri!!! on ICE, the interesting parts of figure skating and how the state of mind of skaters changes throughout the season. I thought that our goal should be to express all of that in the lines that the voice actors say. I personally, because I've been given this great opportunity, wanted to share with the cast members everything I know about the charm of figure skating and about how scary it can be. But I think that from the voice actors' perspective, my demands were probably a little bit too much (laugh).

[Notes: I haven't translated anything from the Sound Director yet! Even though he talks about quite a lot of interesting things about characters' feelings, how his interpretation differed from voice actors' interpretation of certain scene and so on, it's quite hard to translate because he talks in poetry, a lot of very unique metaphors... But I'll do my best😂!]

[seafood-33]

2015-04-02

"If Yuzuru fell down, Javier would fly over to help him up." The interviewer saw that.

"I was proud of him as a teammate and thought, 'I'm so happy to see my friends win.' " Yuzuru said. Javier rubbed Yuzuru's shoulder as if to hide his embarrassment.

Title: ハビエル・ フェルナンデス 「夢、恋と人生、そしてユヅルについて」 Javier Fernandez "About Dreams, Love and Life, and Yuzuru"

(excerpt)

昨年（2014）12月、ついに念願のGPファイナルがスペインで開催された（バルセロナ）。地元ハビエル・フェルナンデスの人気はもちろん、スペインの観客はどの国の選手にも驚くほど熱心な声援をおくった。会場は連日、ほぼ満員だった。

Last December (2014), the long-sought after GP Final was finally held in Spain (Barcelona). Aside from the popularity of local player Javier Fernandez, the Spanish audience was surprisingly enthusiastic in their support for players of all nationalities. The venue was nearly full every day.

「スペイン人は元々スポーツ観戦が大好きなんですよ。でもあの大会の後で、大勢の人々に『フィギュアスケートがあれほど面白いとは思わなかった』と言われました。うれしかったですね」

"Spaniards love to watch sports by nature. But after that competition, many people said to me, 'I didn't think figure skating could be so interesting.' It made me happy."

この大いに盛り上がった大会の後だった、スペインに新たなリンク２カ所（バルセロナとグラナダ）の建設が決まったのは。

It was after this highly successful tournament that the decision was made to build two new rinks in Spain (Barcelona and Granada).

2012年、日本から新たな風が舞い込んだ。羽生結弦（はにゅう・ゆづる）が同じクラブに移って来たのである。

In 2012, a new wind blew in from Japan. Yuzuru Hanyu moved to the same club.

「ユヅルが加わることに、まったくためらいは感じませんでした。ニコライのところにいたときに、強い選手と一緒にトレーニングすることのメリットを十分に実感していましたから」

"I had no hesitation at all about having Yuzuru join us. When I was with Nikolai, I fully realized the benefits of training with strong athletes."

「ユヅルは本当にすごい選手ですよ。練習でも常に100％を出し切って、上達しつづけている。彼が五輪チャンピオンになる前から、彼は偉大なスケーターだと言ってきましたが、今も言い続けています」

"Yuzuru is a truly amazing player. He always gives 100% in practice and continues to improve. I have been saying he is a great skater even before he became an Olympic champion, and I continue to say so."

羽生が転倒すれば、ハビエルが飛んできて手を貸して起こす。そんな和気藹々として光景がリンクに見られた。

If Hanyu fell down, Javier would fly over to help him up. Such a harmonious scene could be seen at the rink.

「ユヅルはまだ英語を勉強中だけど、可能な限り僕たちは英語で話をしています。ウォームアップの最中に、ブライアンと３人でジョークを言い合うこともある。アスリートにとって、リンクがこういう快適な環境だと毎日来るのが楽しくなるし、上達も早くなる。それに、お互い見て学び合うこともできるんです」

"Yuzuru is still learning English, but whenever possible we speak English. During warm-ups, sometimes the three of us (and Brian) share jokes. For athletes, when the rink is a comfortable environment like this, it makes it more fun to come here every day and helps them improve faster. Plus, we can watch and learn from each other."

羽生がハビエルにアドバイスを求めることもあった。

Sometimes Hanyu would ask Javier for advice.

「不調な日には、『前日、君はこうやっていたけれど、今日はここがこうなっているよ』というように、気がついたことを言ってあげることもあります。逆に僕がイマイチな日には、ユヅルが『大丈夫、できるよ』と声をかけてくれたりもします」

"On a bad day, I might say something what I notice, 'This is what you did the day before, but this is how it is today' Conversely, on days when I am not doing well, Yuzuru will sometimes say to me, "Don't worry, you can do it. "

ソチ五輪、羽生結弦は金メダルに輝いた。ハビエルは４位。惜しくもメダルを逃した。

Yuzuru Hanyu won the gold medal at the Sochi Olympics. Javier finished 4th. He unfortunately missed the medal.

「もちろん、いつかはユヅルに勝ちたいという気持ちはある。スポーツには勝敗がつきもので、いくら友達でも競技になったらライバルだから」

"Of course, I have a desire to beat Yuzuru someday. Winning and losing is inevitable in sports. No matter how friends we are, when it comes to competition, we're rivals. "

ハビエルが羽生結弦を上回る日がやってきた。今年（2015）の世界選手権。

The day has come for Javier to surpass Yuzuru Hanyu. World Championships this year (2015).

ハビエルの演技は羽生の直後だった。その段階で羽生は暫定首位。リンクには羽生を称える無数のプレゼントが散らばっており、ハビエルは本番前にまったく足慣らしができなかった。

Javier's performance was right after Hanyu's. At that stage, Hanyu was the provisional leader. The rink was littered with countless gifts honoring Hanyu, and Javier was unable to break in his feet at all before the performance.

「同じことを昨シーズン、埼玉の世界選手権で経験しているから、ぜんぜん大丈夫でした」

"I had experienced the same thing last season at the World Championships in Saitama, so it was no problem at all."

十分に落ち着いていたハビエルは、４回転３本のうち２本を成功させた。電光掲示板は「１位」と表示した。羽生の連覇は阻まれた。同じチームメイトのハビエル・フェルナンデスによって。会見場にあらわれた羽生は意外にも明るい表情で、ハビエルの金メダルをねだる素振りさえ見せた。

Calm enough, Javier succeeded in two out of three quadruples. The electronic board displayed "1st place" . Hanyu's consecutive victory was thwarted. By his teammate, Javier Fernandez. Hanyu appeared at the press conference with a surprisingly cheerful expression on his face, and even made a gesture of begging for Javier's gold medal.

「絶対にユヅルが優勝だと思っていたからね。スペインにとって初の金メダルは夢だったけど、夢に過ぎないと思っていた。ユヅルが一緒に練習するようになったお陰で、僕の練習量が増えたんです」

“Because I definitely thought Yuzuru would win. Spain’s first gold medal was a dream. I thought it was just a dream. Thanks to Yuzuru starting practicing with me, the amount of practice I do has increased."

一方の羽生は、こう言った。

Hanyu on the other hand said:

「ハビエルがすごく練習していたということは、トロントの皆から聞いていました。これまでいつも一緒に試合をして、ハビエルは『おめでとう、ユヅルを誇りに思うよ』って言ってくれていました。でも今回は立場が逆になって、自分はそんなに心が広くないから悔しいし、次は勝ってやるとも思うけど、その反面、彼をチームメイトとして誇りに思うし、『仲間が優勝するのはこんなにも嬉しいものなんだな』と思いました」

"I had heard from everyone in Toronto that Javier had been practicing very hard. We have always played matches together and Javier would say, 'Congratulations, I am proud of you Yuzuru.' But this time our positions were reversed, and although I was frustrated because I am not so open-minded and I would win next time, on the other hand, I was proud of him as a teammate and thought, 'I'm so happy to see my friends win.'"

横にいたハビエルは、照れ隠しのように羽生の肩をもんだ。

Javier, who was standing beside, rubbed Hanyu's shoulder as if to hide his embarrassment.

Source

Number 875号 羽生結弦 不屈の魂

Full list from 2011 to present